What is your opinion of those who say, "How can we rely on the understanding of the Companions in narrating hadith by meaning?"
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The questioner : My teacher, it is said in Turkey that some professors ask, "How can we rely on the understanding of the Companions?" They mean, that is, narrating by meaning. They say it is done this way.
The Shaykh : This is a question. In truth, do not hold it against me if I say that those who ask such a question have not recognized the status of the Companions. We mention this on another occasion, which is very important, and I think you also need to hear about that occasion, because the answer to that and to this question is one. We, and by "we" I mean those who belong to the Sunnah and act according to the Book and the Sunnah, and not only that, but act according to the Book and the Sunnah upon the methodology of the righteous predecessors. It must have reached you, even if only a little of it, this call. Yes, we are living today, as you know, in the midst of many calls, all of which claim Islam and Islamic practice, just as it was in the old days when the known Islamic sects, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Khawarij, the Murji'ah, and others, existed. And they were, as the poet said:
"And every one claims a connection to Layla, *** But Layla does not acknowledge it for them"
You must know this verse. History, as they say, repeats itself. Just as the sects back then each claimed to be upon the truth and the right, so too the Islamic parties and groups existing today on the Islamic land each make this claim. Even the sects whose remnants still exist today, such as the Khawarij, among whom are the Ibadis—you know that they are from the Khawarij—
The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And among them are the Shi'ah, who in creed, and as you say in the matters of divinity, are Mu'tazilah, and in the terminology of hadith scholars, they are those who engage in figurative interpretation, indeed denial of the divine attributes. Even these sects existing today say about themselves, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," let alone the groups and parties that belong to the four schools of jurisprudence or to one of them. We say, after studying the subject for a very long time, that it is not sufficient today for any sect, group, party, or individual to claim, "I am upon the Book and the Sunnah." Rather, it must be coupled with that: "Upon the Book and the Sunnah, and upon what the righteous predecessors were upon." Because the sects we referred to, whether from the old sects or the new ones, all of them say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," but not one of them says, "And upon what the righteous predecessors were upon."
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : And thus, when they do not couple the methodology of the righteous predecessors to the Book and the Sunnah, they contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Here is the crux of my answer to your question and to the other issue I said might be good for you to hear about on this occasion: How do they contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah while saying, "We take from the Book and the Sunnah"? This leads me to remind you of a modern group today for which we do not know a parallel in all the misguided sects and groups, old and new. They are those who are called, or who call themselves, the Quranists. You must have heard of them.
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : These people contradict the Qur'an, and they meet, or those who say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," meet with them. Both these and those contradict the Qur'an. But the Quranists contradict the Qur'an in many, many texts, and we are not now in a position to explain that. But the important thing is to clarify how these people, despite the differences among the old and new sects, say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," and yet they contradict the Book and the Sunnah. I say, from the explicit verses that affirm the necessity of returning to what the righteous predecessors were upon in understanding the Book and the Sunnah is the saying of the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:115] It was possible, and Allah the Exalted is able to do all things, for the verse to have been deleted entirely. [An-Nisa 4:115] It could have been, for example, "And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, We will turn him to what he has turned to." The meaning would be correct for one who understands it according to what came in the other verses, as the Exalted said: [An-Nahl 16:44] Allah says: [An-Nisa 4:115] I did not mention the contradiction of the Noble Qur'an, because the Qur'an commands following the Messenger. So the Qur'an is the foundation, and following the Messenger is among what the Qur'an commanded. But this verse added to the Book and the Sunnah the path of the believers. So He, the Exalted, said: [An-Nisa 4:115] Thus, in this verse is a severe warning for whoever contradicts the path of the believers.
The Shaykh : This is a question. In truth, do not hold it against me if I say that those who ask such a question have not recognized the status of the Companions. We mention this on another occasion, which is very important, and I think you also need to hear about that occasion, because the answer to that and to this question is one. We, and by "we" I mean those who belong to the Sunnah and act according to the Book and the Sunnah, and not only that, but act according to the Book and the Sunnah upon the methodology of the righteous predecessors. It must have reached you, even if only a little of it, this call. Yes, we are living today, as you know, in the midst of many calls, all of which claim Islam and Islamic practice, just as it was in the old days when the known Islamic sects, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Khawarij, the Murji'ah, and others, existed. And they were, as the poet said:
"And every one claims a connection to Layla, *** But Layla does not acknowledge it for them"
You must know this verse. History, as they say, repeats itself. Just as the sects back then each claimed to be upon the truth and the right, so too the Islamic parties and groups existing today on the Islamic land each make this claim. Even the sects whose remnants still exist today, such as the Khawarij, among whom are the Ibadis—you know that they are from the Khawarij—
The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And among them are the Shi'ah, who in creed, and as you say in the matters of divinity, are Mu'tazilah, and in the terminology of hadith scholars, they are those who engage in figurative interpretation, indeed denial of the divine attributes. Even these sects existing today say about themselves, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," let alone the groups and parties that belong to the four schools of jurisprudence or to one of them. We say, after studying the subject for a very long time, that it is not sufficient today for any sect, group, party, or individual to claim, "I am upon the Book and the Sunnah." Rather, it must be coupled with that: "Upon the Book and the Sunnah, and upon what the righteous predecessors were upon." Because the sects we referred to, whether from the old sects or the new ones, all of them say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," but not one of them says, "And upon what the righteous predecessors were upon."
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : And thus, when they do not couple the methodology of the righteous predecessors to the Book and the Sunnah, they contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Here is the crux of my answer to your question and to the other issue I said might be good for you to hear about on this occasion: How do they contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah while saying, "We take from the Book and the Sunnah"? This leads me to remind you of a modern group today for which we do not know a parallel in all the misguided sects and groups, old and new. They are those who are called, or who call themselves, the Quranists. You must have heard of them.
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : These people contradict the Qur'an, and they meet, or those who say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," meet with them. Both these and those contradict the Qur'an. But the Quranists contradict the Qur'an in many, many texts, and we are not now in a position to explain that. But the important thing is to clarify how these people, despite the differences among the old and new sects, say, "We are upon the Book and the Sunnah," and yet they contradict the Book and the Sunnah. I say, from the explicit verses that affirm the necessity of returning to what the righteous predecessors were upon in understanding the Book and the Sunnah is the saying of the Exalted: