What is the most correct to say: that the law of those before us is a law for us unless our law contains something that contradicts it, or that the law of those before us is not our law unless our law contains something that agrees with it?

The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. What is the most correct to say: that the law of those before us is a law for us unless our law contains something that contradicts it, or that the law of those before us is not our law unless our law contains something that agrees with it?

The Shaykh : The second one.

The questioner : The second is more correct. Now, is the wisdom in the preference, or by what one of them is preferred over the other, or the second over the first?

The Shaykh : Your saying "wisdom" I think is a mistake on your part; you mean, I suppose, the evidence for this.

The questioner : The evidence, and by what is one of them preferred over the other? Why did he not say so?

The Shaykh : This is the evidence: For this reason, and this, and perhaps this is something else that I do not recall: Yes, so for this reason, we do not take the law of those before us, even if we do not have something that contradicts it. But if the law of those before us agrees with what we have, then it is part of our law. Otherwise, the principle is that we follow our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If he said regarding Moses, upon whom the Torah was revealed, Then a fortiori, any individual among the Muslims should be in the position of Moses the one who spoke with Allah. And for that reason, then he (peace be upon him) will descend at the white minaret east of Damascus, descending while the prayer has been established for Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Mahdi. When he sees Jesus (peace be upon him), he will present him and say: And this confirms this following... that he was one of the prophets of the Children of Israel. So after he descends, as he (peace be upon him) said, meaning he will judge by the Book and the Sunnah. So this position of Jesus (peace be upon him) regarding al-Mahdi confirms this legal reality, which is that the law of those before us is not a law for us. And Allah the Mighty and Majestic has sufficed us with what Allah revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Please proceed.