On the occasion of this kind word regarding division - for there is no division like the division of Muslims in general and the committed in particular

The questioner: O our Shaykh, on the occasion of this kind word regarding division - for there is no division like the division of Muslims in general and the committed in particular - ; so how can the Muslims unite? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: We seek help from Allah, and there is no power nor strength except with Allah. There is no true way to unify the word of the Muslims and gather their ranks except by returning to the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet, and upon the methodology of their righteous Salaf - may Allah be pleased with them - . Many of the Islamic callers today, at least, have found themselves compelled to submit to the call of the truth, which is the call of the Book and the Sunnah; so they have started to pretend that they too are upon the Book and the Sunnah, or that they call to the Book and the Sunnah. But we see a very great difference between the authentic callers in this call since hundreds of years ago - since the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah have mercy on him - and his righteous students became aware of it - when they revived the command to return to the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf, this renaissance arose in the modern era on the voices of the true callers of reform. They are known in some Arab countries as the supporters of the Muhammadan Sunnah, and in others as the Salafi callers to the methodology of the righteous Salaf, and in other Islamic lands they are known as the people of hadith, or the people of athar. When these people arose, large parts of this very great goal were realized, which is the awareness of many parts of the Islamic world of the obligation to return to the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf. But some callers who did not absorb this call in their hearts, and it did not flow in their limbs like blood in their bodies, are content with calling to the Book and the Sunnah, which is a word whose effects have not yet appeared in the practical call of these people.
Therefore, the word that unites the ummah is by returning to the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf. As for returning to the Book and the Sunnah, this has become a matter agreed upon - and praise be to Allah - now, even if only in appearance, among all Islamic groups due to the explicit Qur'an in that; as He - Mighty and Majestic - said: . This is an explicit text regarding returning to the Book and the Sunnah; because the scholars of tafsir agreed that returning to Allah is returning to His Book, and referring to the Messenger is returning to his Sunnah.
As for the condition of returning to the Book and the Sunnah in addition to the methodology of the righteous Salaf, it is for the saying of Allah - Blessed and Exalted is He - and for hadiths that support the meaning of this verse; namely His saying - Mighty and Majestic - : . The point of this verse: It could have been that the verse was shortened in the manner of: "And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, We will turn him away from what he turned away from and cast him into Hell, and evil is the destination." Without saying: ; so why did the Lord of the Worlds mention this phrase? In vain? Far be it from Him - Mighty and Majestic - ! So every word, indeed every letter, in His speech - Blessed and Exalted is He - has a meaning that the people of the language in which the Qur'an was revealed understand. His saying - Blessed and Exalted is He - : contains an indication that it is not permissible for the Muslims in the last of time to interpret the Qur'an or to interpret the Sunnah according to what appears to them of new opinions and ijtihad, but rather they must follow the path of the believers in their understanding of the speech of the Lord of the Worlds and their explanation of the Sunnah of the Master of the Messengers. Therefore, it was among the principles of interpreting the Noble Qur'an, as mentioned by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah have mercy on him - in the introduction to tafsir, "Principles in the Introduction to Tafsir," that he mentioned that if two statements come from the Salaf in the interpretation of a certain verse, it is not permissible for us to innovate a third statement, and if three statements come from them, it is not permissible for us to innovate a fourth statement, but rather we must prefer one of those statements based on the evidence that justifies us in preferring it. As for innovating a new statement, this is contrary to the path of the Muslims, the way of the Muslims. For that reason, He - Exalted is He - said in this noble verse: .
So it was very necessary that we call to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf; because that is the path of the believers, which Allah - Mighty and Majestic - threatened that whoever opposes the path of the believers, He will turn him away from what he turned away from, and cast him into Hell, and evil is the destination.
I said earlier that there are some hadiths, or some hadiths, that support this - this addition, which is not an addition except in relation to the previous assumption - support His saying - Exalted is He - : . Those hadiths warn against opposing the path of the believers, so they meet with the verse; such as his saying - peace and blessings be upon him - in what al-'Irbad ibn Sariyah - may Allah be pleased with him - narrated in the famous hadith where he said: "The Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him and his family - gave us a sermon that caused our eyes to flow with tears and our hearts to tremble; so we said: O Messenger of Allah, we see you giving us the advice of one who is bidding farewell; so advise us with an advice that we will not need anyone after you forever. He said - peace and blessings be upon him - : .
The point of this hadith is that it is as if it is a quotation from the previous verse; because the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - did not limit himself to saying only: , but he added to it and said: ; why this addition? If you know the point in His saying - Exalted is He - in the previous verse: you will also know why he - peace be upon him - said:
Of this nature is also - and with this I conclude the answer to this question, if Allah wills, Blessed and Exalted is He - the famous hadith narrated from more than one of the Companions of the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him -, among them Abu Hurayrah - may Allah be pleased with him - who said: The Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - said: . They said: Who is it, O Messenger of Allah? He said: , and in another narration: . So he added to what the Messenger was upon, what his Companions were upon.
So it is not befitting that we limit the call when we call to the Book and the Sunnah only; but rather we must also follow that by saying: and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf; because that is the path of the believers, and this is the path that all Muslims must walk upon. If they walk upon this path, the word will be united and the ranks will be unified, and there is no way except this, and the matter is as He - Exalted is He - said: .
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
This is sufficient - if Allah wills - because my voice has started to become hoarse.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.