FRIDAY REMINDER (3) :THE RAHMAH OF THE PEOPLE OF SUNNAH

By

Ibn Abdillaah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

The motive of the takfeerees is just to throw people out of the Islaam as quick as possible without knowledge and understanding. They have their ways and signs of identification. Once you do not belong to their group or you share divergent opinion with them on division of bid'ah or some other issues bothering on 'aqeedah, they throw you out of Islaam immediately. This practise is from the way of extremists, it is the way of the khawaarij, it has no bearing in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Allaah says:

(وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ٌ)

Thus We have made you [true Muslims - real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Sunnah (legal ways)], a Wasat (just) (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) be a witness over you [Surat Al-Baqarah 143, Saheeh International]

This verse shows that Islaam is a religion of moderation. We should not fall short like the murji'as and we should not go to the extreme like the khawaarij. The Sunnah is not hard to know and understand. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has simplified it in a way that every right thinking person would understand. Whoever makes the Sunnah hard on himself would find it difficult. In his explanation of a relevant hadith in Raiyaadus Saaliheen, Sheikh Ibn Al-'Uthaymeen رحمه الله said: 

"That also includes what some seekers of knowledge do of inserting rational possibilities into the words of some texts. So you will see them say, “Such and such is possible, and such and such is possible” – until the text becomes very confusing and the benefit of the text is lost, and that is wrong. Follow the text as it appears to be and set aside these rational possibilities, because if we examine every text in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and try to find all rational possibilities in its meaning, we will have no verse or hadeeth left that one may quote as evidence, and all interpretations may become possible for every text" [read more here: https://islamqa.info/en/103889]

As we can see from the Sheikh's comment, the habit of probing extremely into texts is one of the factors leading to extremism of declaring Muslims as disbelievers. Many of the people who fall into the 'aqeedah of the khawaarij are guilty of this. They base their rulings on matters of the deen on common sense and excessive thought on the verses of the Qur'an and texts of hadith. Whereas, the plain meanings of Quranic texts and hadiths are clear and unambiguous. May Allaah guide us against this evil. 

It is however important to point out that some people ignorantly or delibrately mix up or confuse steadfastness upon the sunnah with extremism. Strict adherence to the dictates of the Sunnah is not extremism. Then, negligence upon the religion of Allaah is laxity. The definition of moderation in Islaam is not laxity and unseriousness in the practice of Islaam as many people think. Moderation in Islaam is to adhere to the Sunnah and refrain from going too far in the application of Islaamic principles. We must stick to the way of our salaf as much as possible, in everything we are doing.

The rahmah (mercy) of the people of Sunnah down the history is unequalled. Their priority is to rescue people from shirk bid'ah and all other evils. They were not quick to judge people out of Islaam. The people of bid'ah have rahmah (mercy) even for animals no matter how small, talk more of human beings. 

Recently in our society, we have seen people who ascribe to Sunnah and are quick to lose hope on people who are yet to understand or find it easy to practice the Sunnah. The people of Sunnah are people of hope. They used not to desert their families just because they do not practice the Sunnah. They always work relentlessly to make sure people understand Islaam and practice it according to the Sunnah. Anyone who wants to embark on da'wah of Sunnah must be very careful. He must study the kind of people he is dealing properly and engage them with humility and manners in line with the methodology of the salaf us saalih. Ibn 'Abbaas رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْغُلُوَّ فِي الدِّينِ فَإِنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ الْغُلُوُّ فِي الدِّينِ

O people, beware of extremism in religion for those who came before you were only destroyed because of extremism in religion.”[Sunan ibn Majah 3029]

Some people are by their inherent nature very hard to convince. Only Allaah can assist in guiding them. Even among those that were far better than us among the companions and the taabi'een, there were people whose road to Islaam were very rough and tough. Yet, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Sohaabah رضي الله عنهم were lenient with them, and at the end of the day, many of them were guided. So, let us take things easy, and pray for Allaah's guidance. Every Ahlu Sunnah would wish for his brothers what he wishes for himself. On the authority of Abu Hamzah, Anas Ibn Maalik رضي الله عنه, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ". 

"None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself. [Bukhari and Muslim]