The Importance of Returning to the Understanding of the Salaf of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The Shaykh : And there is another essential addition indicated by the hadith of al-'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Rahman and the one before it, which is holding fast to the Book and the Sunnah, and following the methodology of the righteous Salaf. That is, it is not permissible for us to come to a text in the Qur'an or a hadith from the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Salaf have interpreted or explained in a certain way of interpretation and clarification, and then for us to contradict them by coming with an interpretation that differs from what they understood. This is for the reason previously explained: that if the Salaf interpret a text in a certain way, it means that they received this interpretation from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) just as they received the interpreted wording. This is when there is agreement in the interpretation and description. However, if they differed, then the word of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) applies: "They were men, and we are men." But if they agreed, it is not permissible to contradict them, due to the saying of our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) in the Noble Qur'an: The point of this verse is His saying (the Exalted): Indeed, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) connected this phrase to His saying: He said: Do you see the subtlety and the wisdom in this phrase connected to His saying: Is there a difference between the verse as it was revealed and if it were in the following manner: "We turn him away" to the end of the verse? Is there a difference? Some people may not notice this difference, and it is a great, fundamental difference. That is because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intended by this verse that the later generations should hold fast to the concept of the religion that the Salaf were upon. Otherwise, every sect among those misguided sects that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) referred to—some of which we saw in the past or heard about in the past, and some of which we see now—all these sects, except for the first group, the Quranists, explicitly claim that we are upon the Book and the Sunnah. But when you investigate the details of their beliefs and opinions, you find that they have come to you with a religion that is not Islam, except by mere claim. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic), warning the Muslim not to be entangled with these misguided ones, said: ; meaning that it is not sufficient for every Muslim to simply say: "I am upon the Book and the Sunnah." Rather, it is also obligatory for him to be upon the path of the believers. This is because the Book admits to many aspects of meaning, and the Sunnah is similar to that, but it is clearer. Therefore, it was narrated from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "If the people of opinion argue with you using the Qur'an, argue with them using the Sunnah, for the Qur'an has many aspects," meaning it bears more than one meaning. And for this reason, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) charged His Prophet with explaining the Qur'an to place, as it is said today, the dots on the letters. The "path of the believers," this phrase mentioned in the verse, was intended to mean that whoever contradicts the Qur'anic text that the Muslims have agreed upon interpreting in a certain way, "We turn him away, and we will cast him into Hell, and evil is his destination." So now, we live between two groups that have emerged from Islam in the name of Islam, and their only sin is their turning away from holding fast to the Sunnah. That is the consequence for whoever contradicts the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), whom we are commanded to follow in Book and Sunnah. In reality, I do not fear that many young Muslims will be misguided by their misguidance, due to the obviousness of their misguidance.