What is the interdependence between 'aqidah (creed) and methodology? And does any deviation or defect in the methodology necessarily entail a deviation in the 'aqidah?

The Shaykh : Repeat the question.

The questioner : The interdependence between 'aqidah (creed) and methodology, and that any deviation or defect in the methodology necessarily entails a deviation in the 'aqidah.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. There is no doubt that this is a very important issue. The understanding of 'aqidah (creed) must be based on the correct methodology, whether the Muslim is a scholar, a student of knowledge, or an ordinary person. Before we speak of the methodology, I should clarify and explain how ordinary people, and those slightly above them, namely the students of knowledge, can understand 'aqidah (creed) based on the correct methodology, given that they are not scholars. It is the scholars who are able to understand 'aqidah (creed) on the correct methodology. So what about the last two groups? As we say in many gatherings, we remind people of the saying of Allah the Exalted: And the people of knowledge are the people of the Qur'an. And as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a sound hadith: Here I must say something regarding the people of the Qur'an, just as I said regarding the people of knowledge earlier. We said that the people of knowledge are not the dancers and the eaters. Similarly, I want to say that the people of the Qur'an are not merely those who memorize the Qur'an and do not understand anything of its meanings. Although memorizing the Qur'an carries a great and very great reward, provided that this memorization is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and not for the sake of the dirham and the dinar. Now we say that the people of knowledge are the people of Allah and His special ones, namely the people of the Qur'an who reflect upon the Qur'an, understand the Qur'an, and act upon the Qur'an. And acting upon the Qur'an is not possible unless it is accompanied by the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Sunnah, because understanding the Qur'an independently in the Arabic language is not possible. For one to try to understand the Qur'an in Arabic only, guided by his Lord, is an impossible matter. If Sibawayhi, the most knowledgeable person of his time in the Arabic language, were brought, he would not be able to interpret the Qur'an as its Revealer intended. For Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said, among what He revealed, addressing the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): So this verse clearly indicates that it contains two things. We say, first of all, they are the explained and the explainer. So the verse contains an explained and an explainer. The explained is the Qur'an, and the explainer is the hadith of the Messenger or the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So it is necessary for every Muslim to follow this methodology in understanding not only his 'aqidah (creed) but the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) as a whole, but 'aqidah (creed) is even more so, in that 'aqidah (creed) must take into account what will be explained further in addition to this. So if there were the most knowledgeable person in the Arabic language, it would be impossible for him to understand the Noble Qur'an in light of because, as all Muslims know, except those who have deviated from them and left them, such as those who claim prophethood like the Qadianis in this age, we say that no one can understand the Qur'an after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because there is no prophet after him. If there were a prophet, he could, through revelation, interpret something of the Noble Qur'an. But since there is no prophet after him (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no way for anyone to understand the Qur'an except through the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So when we say "through the Messenger," we know the path of his Sunnah. But I intentionally used a new expression different from what was mentioned earlier, which is that the Qur'an cannot be understood except through the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), to draw attention to the misguidance of some Sufi groups who exaggerated in their Sufism and thereby went beyond the Shari'ah of their Lord. When they address those who hold fast to the Book and the Sunnah, they say, "You take your religion from a dead man, while we take our religion from the Living One who does not die." That is, they take the rulings of the Shari'ah directly from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Some of them express this by saying, "My heart told me about my Lord." The meaning of this statement is that he dispensed with the explanation. The meaning of this statement is that he dispensed with the explanation of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And thus he contradicted dozens of texts from the Book and the Sunnah that command all Muslims, for example, if they differ and dispute over something, that they should return to Allah and His Messenger. Allah the Exalted said: He made a necessary condition: The implication of this condition is that the one who does not believe in Allah and the Last Day does not return to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So these who say, "You take your religion from a dead man, and we take our religion from the Living One who does not die," have disbelieved in their Lord, even if they appear to be the most worshipful of people. It is necessary to receive the Shari'ah in general, and 'aqidah (creed) in particular, from these two sources: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).