Conversation With A Reader

One of my readers raised these concerns and asked these questions, and I responded to each of them. They are issues agitating the minds of Many Muslims. Read, may Allaah make it beneficial to us all:

"But wait o, most of the Muslims I know don't do what you preach. Is it that they are not aware of them?". 

I replied: That is the big problem. Many Muslims are ignorant, but they think they know. Islaam is not about majority. It is based on knowledge and understanding. And what is knowledge? What Allaah says, what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says and how the Sohaabah رضي الله عنهم practised the injunctions of Allaah and the Messenger. The real Islaam (Sunnah) is very strange in our time. It is a reality of what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had talked about in many hadiths. he said Islaam began as something strange, it will return back to its strangeness, glad tidings to the strangers. Those who practise Islaam according to Sunah are the strangers because they are very small. So, it is our own duty to seek knowledge and understand Islaam as it is revealed and not to follow the majority of Muslims blindly. I am posting an article later in sha Allaah, on this matter.

"When I mention some of what you preach outside, some persons will be like, 'ah ma da won lohun jaare'"

I replied: Those you are mentioning it to, do you know their level of knowledge? Do you know their level of exposure and understanding of the Sunnah? Many people among Muslims place their religion in the hands of people of bid'ah. This is dangerous. That is what they will be saying (ma da won lohun jaree) because they are ignorant of what Islaam is. They do not know that Islaam is Sunnah upon the understanding of the salaf and not the understanding of our forefathers. Tell me, how many Muslims of today seek knowledge? What many people do today is 'follow follow' and Allaah will not take excuse of ignorance on the Day of Judgment. It is just like what 'Umar ibn Al Khattaab رضي الله عنه said: 

there is no excuse for someone upon misguidance, he mounts it thinking it is guidance, and for someone who leaves guidance thinking it is misguidance, the matters of religion has been explained, and the evidence has been established, and excuse has been cut off (meaning that they will not have excuse over what they do because they fail to seek knowledge, learn and know the truth).

"Are you sure you are not misleading people...so sorry for this question please. I dont  know how else to put it". 

I replied: I get you. I am not. I am preaching Islaam based on texts (Qur'an and Sunnah). These are the sources of the Shari'ah. Anyone who wants to do anything in Islaam must do it according to them, otherwise, it will be null and void. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a hadith reported by his wife, mother of the believers, Aishah رضي الله عنها: Whoever introduces into our matter (religion) that which is not part of it, shall be rejected (Bukhari).

"Another question is, are you ready to tell God on th day of judgement that you taught me some of the things you are teaching me now"

I replied: Yes, by Allaah, I am glad about it, and it is my pleasure. It is a rare opportunity. It is a rare mercy from Allaah. It is like what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told 'Ali' ibn Abi Taalib رضي الله عنه at the expedition of khaybar. He said, for him to guide a single person to Islaam(Sunnah) is better than a red camel or a whole lot of camels. 

So, the opportunity of learning and teaching pristine Islaam in this time of ours is rare because a lot of people ascribe to Islaam, but they are in a state of ignorance and loss, they follow their desire. They follow their whims. They engage in innovations. They perpetrate shirk in the name of trying to solve their problems. They imitate the kuffar in their religion and lifestyles. We have glaring evidences for all these. So, count yourself lucky that you have access to Islaam according to Sunnah and the methodology of the salaf. A lot of people have delibrately deprived themselves this great opportunity and they will be full of regrets on that Day, except they repent sincerely. Even when scholars of Sunnah preach on radio, they put it off. So, you are very lucky. May Allaah keep us firm upon the Sunnah.

Just like Sheikh Fawzaan hinted in his explanation of Sharh us Sunnah, no one will be able to understand what we are saying, preaching, promoting or propagating, except those who seek knowledge, people who love the truth, people who abandon their own desire for what pleases Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. People  who preach the Sunnah are always armed with catalogues of evidences from the Qur'an and Sunnah. The people of bid'ah are afraid of them. That is why the sunnah continues to spread to nooks and crannies of the world. Despite their attacks, the Sunnah continues to grow. Allaah has promised to always raise people,from one generation to another in defence of Sunnah. The people of bid'ah and desire are afraid their business of exploiting the ignorant and unsuspecting Muslims are collapsing. May Allaah continue to put off the light of shirk and bid'ah and uplift the status of Sunnah in our society.

"Thank you and may God continue to be your guide"

"So even if you are aware that someone has carried out some bad things against you, you don't need to do any other thing than sit and pray to God?"

I replied: Aameen. Yes, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used not to do more than that. His Companions رضي الله عنهم didn't do more than that. They used to do that to fulfil their pledge in one of the verses of Suratul Faatihah: 

إياك نعبد وإيك نستعين

"It is You (alone) we shall worship, and it is from You (alone) we shall seek assistance" 

We must note that du'a is ibaadah, we must not run to other than Allaah for help. We must seek the help of Allaah based on the Sunnah. One of the ways by which people worship other than Allaah today is to go about seeking the help and assistance of other than Him in matters He alone has power over. And the best way to seek Allaah's assistance is to stick to prophetic medicines (permissible herbs and drugs inclusive) and adhkaar as reported in the books of hadiths.

"I heard you ooo. Thank you so much. May we not be faced with trials that are beyond our faith. And may God continue to strengthen our faith. I tried to explain this to some ladies and they told me that I dont know this world yet. I was like,  they could be right o. What is your take on this?

I replied: Aameen, they are not right. They say that to mislead ignorant people and people with flexible eeman. When we are faced with trials, we should not use any foul means if we truly belief. In fact, the trials in ourlives are even meant to test us to know the true believers (See Q29:2,3). Anyone who uses any foul way has failed. May we never fail in our trials. 

Even if a trial involves life and death, is it not better to sacrifice one's life for the sake of Allaah than to enagage in shirk? Are we not going to die later? In fact, some people would commit shirk in order to save their lives, yet they die on the spot. So what have they gained? Even if they spend more years after doing the shirk, will they still not die later? 

Allaah's aid is sought.