The Clear Path

The Messenger of Allaah (‫)صلﱠى ﷲُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلﱠم‬

َ left us upon a clear path

He (‫)صلﱠى ﷲُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلﱠم‬

َ warned his followers: “I have left you upon clear proofs, its night is like its day, and no
one deviates from it except one who is destroyed, and whoever lives (long) from amongst you will see
great controversy. So stick to what you know from my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided
Khaleefahs - cling to that with your molar teeth.” [Reported by Imaam Ahmed (4/126), Ibn Maajah (no.43),
al-Haakim (1/96) and al-Baihaqee in al-Madkhal (51)]

The Prophet (‫)صلﱠى ﷲُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلﱠم‬

َ warned us that we would become divided into many sects: “Indeed the
people of the Book before you split into seventy-two sects. And this nation will split into seventy-three
sects; seventy-two are in the Fire and one in Paradise”. And in another narration, “All are in the Fire except
one.” It was asked: Who is that one? He replied, “That which I and my Companions are upon.” [Related by
at-Tirmidhi (5/62) and al-Haakim (1/128)]

Ibn Mas’ood (‫ )رضي ﷲ عنھما‬said: “Allaah’s Messenger drew a line for us and then said, “This is Allaah’s
Path.” Then he drew lines to its right and its left, and said “These are different paths, upon each of them
there is a Shaytaan (devil) calling to it”. Then he recited the verse “And Verily this is My Path, so follow it,
and do not follow other paths for they will separate you away from His Path.” [Soorah al-An’aam, 6: 153]

Therefore we must stick to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah as was understood by the Sahaabah. The
messenger of Allah (‫)صلﱠى ﷲُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلﱠم‬
َ also praised the first three generations of Muslims: "Verily the best
among you (to follow) is my generation (the Companions [ra]), then those who follow them, and then
those who follow them…" (Saheeh Muslim, Book: the Virtues of the Sahaabah, chapter 52 hadeeth #2535)

Here is what the Imams of the Salaf who followed the Sunnah as understood by the Sahaabah ( ‫رضي ﷲ‬
‫ )عنھما‬said regarding innovated creeds and the people of innovation…

Imaam ash-Shaafi'i (d. 204H) (rh) said that: "A person meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better
than meeting Him upon any one of the innovated beliefs." [Reported by al-Bayhaqee in al-I'tiqaad p.158]

In al-Kubraa (4/316) Ibn 'Umar (d. 84H) said: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as
something good." (Reported by Abu Shaamah no. 39)

Sufyaan ath-Thawree (d. 161H) said: "Innovation is more beloved to Iblees than sin, since a sin may be
repented from but innovation is not repented from." (Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee no. 238)

Imaam ash-Shaafi'ie (d. 204H) said: "If a person meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk, it is better than
meeting Him upon any one of the innovated beliefs." (Reported by al-Bayhaqee in al-I’tiqaad p.158)
Al-Layth bin Sa’d (d. 175H) said: "If I saw a person of desires (i.e. innovations) walking upon the water I
would not accept from him." So Imaam as-Shaafi’ee then said: "He (al-Layth) has fallen short. If I saw him
walking in the air I would not accept from him." (Reported by as-Suyooti in al-Amr bil ‘Ittibaa wan-Nahee
anil Ibtidaa’)

Yunus bin Ubaid said to his son, "I forbid you from fornication (zinaa), stealing and drinking wine. However
that you meet Allaah with any of these sins is better to me than that you meet him with the view of Amr
bin Ubaid and the associates of Amr (i.e. the Mu’tazilah)." (Al-Ibaanah 2/466)

Sa’eed bin Jubair said, "That my son accompanies a sinful and cunning scoundrel who is a Sunni is more
beloved to me than that he accompanies a humble and worshipful Innovator." (Al-Ibaanah no. 89)

Imaam Ahmad said, "The graves of Ahl us-Sunnah from those who committed the major sins are like
gardens. And the graves of Ahl ul-Bid’ah from amongst their abstemious pious ones are hollow and empty.
The sinners of Ahl us-Sunnah are the Awliyaa’ (Friends) of Allaah and the abstemious pious ones of Ahl ul-
Bid’ah are the Enemies of Allaah." (Tabaqaat ul-Hanaabilah 1/184)

Imaam al-Barbahaaree (rh) said: "However, if you see a person whose manner and opinion is despicable,
he is wicked, sinful and oppressive, yet he is a person of the Sunnah, accompany him and sit with him,
since his sin will not harm you. If you see a man who strives hard and long in worship, is abstemious
(abstains from worldly affairs), being continual in worship, except that he is a person of innovation, do not
sit with him, do not listen to his words and do not walk along with him, since I do not feel safe that you will
not eventually come to be pleased with his way and go to destruction along with him." [Sharh us-Sunnah
no. 149]

A serious warning dear Muslims to have Ikhlaas and to stick to the Sunnah while fleeing from bid'ah and its
people and their gatherings. It is still not too late for Ahl ul-Bid'ah to repent and give up hizbiyyah (biased
partisanship) for innovated sects, their founders, and parties and come to the path of the Messenger of
Allaah (‫)صلﱠى ﷲُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلﱠم‬
َ and his Companions (‫ )رضي ﷲ عنھما‬- Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah.