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The Saved Victorious Group
By Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee
THE SAVED SECT:
Allaah the Exalted said:
‘‘And verily this is My Straight Path, so
follow it, and do not follow the other paths,
because they will separate you from His Path.
That is what I advise you with, so that you might
have taqwaa
(piety).’’ [Sooratul-An’aam 6:153]
Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said:
‘‘Verily those who split up their religion and
became sects, you have nothing to do with them in
the least. Verily their affair is for Allaah,
then they will be informed of what they used to
do.’’
[Sooratul-An’aam 6:159]
And Allaah the Glorified said:
‘‘And do not be from
amongst the polytheists who split up their
religion and became sects, every party being
pleased with what it has.’’
[Sooratur-Room 30:31-32]
From Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘The Jews will
divide into seventy one or seventy-two sects and
my Ummah (nation) will divide into
seventy-three sects.’’ [2]
From Abee ’Aamir ’Abdullaah Ibn Luhayy (radiyallaahu
’anhu) who said:
‘‘We performed the Pilgrimage (Hajj) with
Mu’aawiyah Ibn Abee Sufyaan. So when we had
passed Makkah, he stood to pray the noon Prayer (Salaatudh-Dhuhr),
so the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Verily the people
of the two Books will divide into seventy two
sects, and verily this Ummah will divide
into seventy three sects - meaning: desires - all
of them will be in the Fire, except one. This is
the Jamaa’ah. Verily there shall come from
my Ummah people having these desires
flowing in them like rabies flows in a dog, it
will not leave off any joint or vain, except that
it will enter it.’ By Allaah O people of the
Arabs, if you had not become established with
what your Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) came with, other people would have
rushed to become established with it.’’ [3]
From ’Awf Ibn Maalik (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘The Jews will
split into seventy-one sects, so one will be in
Paradise and seventy will be in the Fire. And the
Christians will split into seventy-two sects, so
seventy-one will be in the Fire, and one will be
in
Paradise.
Any by the One in whose Hand the soul of Muhammad
is, my Ummah shall split into
seventy-three sects, and one will be in Paradise
and seventy-two will be in the Fire.’’ It was
said: ‘Who are they O Messenger of Allaah?’ He
said: ‘‘The Jamaa’ah.’’ [4]
From ’Abdullaah Ibn ’Umar Ibnul-’Aas (radiyallaahu
’anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allaah
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:
‘‘There will come upon my Ummah what came
upon the Children of Israa’eel, hand span by
handspun, to the extent that if one of them
fornicated openly with his mother, there would be
someone from my Ummah who would be like
this. Verily the Children of Israa’eel split into
seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split
up into seventy-three sects, all of them being in
the Fire, except one.’’ They said: ‘And which one
is that O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said: ‘‘That
which I am upon today and my Companions.’’[5]
From Abee Umaamah (radiyallaahu ’anhu) who
said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘The Children of
Israa’eel split into seventy-two sects - and this
Ummah will increase upon that by one, all
of them will be in the Fire, except the
Suwaadul-A’dtham (Great Majority).’’ [6]
Ahaadeeth
relating to this topic have been reported by Anas
Ibn Maalik, ’Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood, Jaabir Ibn
’Abdullaah, Sa’d Ibn Abee Waqqaas, Wuthaalah
Ibnul-Asqa‘, Abee Dardaa‘, ’Umar Ibn ’Awf al-Muzanee,
’Alee Ibn Abee Taalib, and Abee Moosaa al-Ash’aree
(radiyallaahu ’anhum). [7]
The ahaadeeth of division (iftiraaq)
inform of the definitive basis of the division of
the Ummah of Islaam, and that it is the
following of the ways (sunan) of the
People of the Two Books: the Jews and the
Christians. So all of the poisonous sects have
been promised entry into the Fire, except one
sect that will be saved from the misguided
desires. And in that is an explanation and an
enlightenment concerning the saved one and their
methodology (manhaj) and their dealings (sulook)
and their way.
From the most beneficial insight into the
ahaadeeth of division is that they show - as
clear as the night with a full moon - that the
methodology of the Salaf is the path of
the Saved-Sect, and that is affirmed from various
angles:
Firstly:
Division (iftiraaq) is from the ways of
those upon whom is the wrath of Allaah, and those
who are misguided, and the Saved-Sect does not
follow their ways (sunan), nor does it
traverse their path. They only ask Allaah to
guide them to the Path (siraat) of those
whom He blessed, as occurs in al-Faatihah:
‘‘Guide us to your Straight Path, the Path of
those whom you have blessed, not of those upon
whom is your wrath, nor those who are misguided.’’
[Sooratul-Faatihah 1:6-7]
They are those who know the truth and follow it,
and there is no problem in saying that the
Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) are from other than them.
However, it is inconceivable to say that the
Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) were ignorant of the
truth, and that it was known by other than them.
So due to this, the Salaf explained the
Straight Path and its people as being the
Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam). And with that it is
clarified that the methodology of the Salaf
is the way (sabeel) of the Saved-Sect.
Secondly:
The Saved-Sect is the Jamaa’ah, and the
Jamaa’ah is the Companions of the Messenger
of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam),
because now, the Jamaa’ah cannot be other
than the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam). So it is clear that the
Jamaa’ah which is after the division (iftiraaq)
is firmly established upon what the Jamaa’ah
before the division was upon, as is found in
the hadeeth of ’Abdullaah Ibn ’Umar (radiyallaahu
’anhu). And if the matter was not like that,
then there would be no proper meaning for
Jamaa’ah. So this dictates that the
Saved-Sect is that which is upon the methodology
(manhaj) of the Salafus-Saalih,
from the Companions and those who followed them
in goodness (ihsaan).
Thirdly:
Those who split off from the Jamaa’ah are
the people of desires, as they were described by
the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi
wa sallam) in the hadeeth of
Mu’aawiyah. As for those who are saved, then they
are upon guidance because they hold on to the
rope of Allaah:
‘‘And hold on to the Rope of Allaah and do not
become divided.’’
[Soorah Aali-’Imraan 3:103]
Indeed Allaah has informed that the one who holds
on to the Rope of Allaah is guided:
‘‘And whoever holds on to the Rope of Allaah,
then he will indeed be guided to the Straight
Path.’’ [Soorah Aali ’Imraan 3:101]
The Straight Path is what the Messenger of Allaah
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and his
Companions were upon. So due to that, the
methodology (manhaj) of the Salaf
is the way of the Saved-Sect.
Fourthly:
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi
wa sallam) informed that salvation (najaat)
is what the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions were
upon. This shows that the clear distinction
between those who are saved and those who are
destroyed is the following of the Companions in
what they were upon, because that is what the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) was upon. Due to that, the
entrustment of salvation and guidance is the
methodology of the Salaf, it is the way of
the Saved-Sect.
Fifthly:
Salvation from the many differences - which
resemble the sects - is the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) and his Rightly Guided Caliphs, as is
found in the hadeeth of Irbaadh Ibn
Saariyah (radiyallaahu ’anhu): ‘‘So
whosoever from amongst you lives, then he will
see many differences. So hold firmly to my
Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly
Guided Caliphs after me; hold on to it with your
molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters.
So verily every newly invented matter is an
innovation and every innovation is misguidance
and every misguidance is in the Fire.’’ [8] So
this dictates that the methodology of the
Salaf is the way of the Saved-Sect, and that
is established from various angles:
1.
The ‘many differences’ are sects that
deviated from the Saved-Sect.
2.
The ‘many differences’ are not from Allaah:
‘‘And if it had been
from other than Allaah, you would have
found in it many differences.’’ [Sooratun-Nisaa
4:82]
3.
The Saved-Sect is safe from the differing and
division, so it is upon the methodology (manhaj)
from Allaah.
4.
Salvation from the differences is from the
adherence to the Sunnah of the Messenger
of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
and in the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs.
5.
Therefore, the Sunnah of the Messenger
of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs is the methodology (manhaj) from
Allaah.
6.
Therefore, the methodology of the
Salafus-Saalih is the path (sabeel)
leading to salvation, so it is the path of the
Saved-Sect.
THE VICTORIOUS GROUP:
From Mugheerah Ibn Shu’bah (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) who said: ‘‘There shall always remain
a group from my Ummah, apparent upon the
truth, until the Command of Allaah comes and they
are apparent.’’ [9]
From Mu’aawiyah (radiyallaahu ’anhu) who
said: I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi
wa sallam) saying: ‘‘There shall always
remain a group from my Ummah, upholding
the affair of Allaah, not being harmed by those
who seek to mislead them, nor by those who oppose
them, until the Command of Allaah comes and they
are upon that.’’ [10]
From Thawbaan (radiyallaahu ’anhu) who
said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘There shall always
remain a group from my Ummah apparent upon
the truth. They will not be harmed by those who
forsake them until the Command of Allaah comes
and they are like that.’’ [11]
From Jaabir Ibn ’Abdullaah (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) saying: ‘‘There shall
always remain a group from my Ummah
fighting upon the truth, until the Day of
Judgement.’’ [12]
From ’Imraan Ibn Husayn (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘There will always
remain a group from my Ummah fighting upon
the truth, apparent over those who burden them,
until the last of them fight the
Maseehud-Dajjaal (Anti-Christ).’’ [13]
From Qurah Ibn Iyaas al-Muzanee (radiyallaahu
’anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘When the people of
Shaam become corrupt, then there will be no good
in you. There shall always remain a group from my
Ummah, victorious, those who forsake them
will not be able to harm them, until the Hour is
established.’’ [14]
Ahaadeeth
relating to this topic have been reported by
Jaabir Ibn Samurah, Sa’d Ibn Abee Waqqaas, ’Uqbah
Ibn ’Aamir, ’Abdullaah Ibn ’Umar Ibnul-’Aas, Zayd
Ibn Arqam, Abee Hurayrah, ’Umar Ibnul-Khattaab,
Salamah Ibn Nufayl al-Kandee, Nuwaas Ibn Sam’aan,
Abee Umaamah al-Baahilee, Murah Ibn Ka’b al-Fahree,
Sharaaaheel Ibnus-Samt, Mu’aadth Ibn Jabal and
Abee ’Unbah al-Khawlaanee - may Allaah be pleased
with all of them. [15]
The ahaadeeth of the Victorious Group
inform that the continuation of good in the
Ummah of Islaam id due to the adherence to
the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions. That
is confirmed from various angles:
Firstly:
The Victorious Group is the Saved-Sect, there is
no difference because it consists of one reality.
Imaam al-Aajurree (d.360H) said:
‘‘So his statement: ‘So it shall return to being
something strange…’ [16] Its meaning - and Allaah
knows best - is that there will be many misguided
desires, so many of the people will become
misguided by them. There will remain the people
upon the truth who will be upon the Sharee’ah
(Divinely revealed Law) of Islaam, strangers
amongst the people. Have you not heard the
statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi
wa sallam): ‘My Ummah will split into
seventy three sects, all of them being in the
Fire except one.’ So it was said: Who are the
saved ones? He said: ‘Those who are upon what I
am upon today and my Companions.’’’ [17]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab (d.751H) said:
‘‘As for the fitnah (trials/tribulations)
of doubt and misguided desires, then the reason
for it is the splitting of the Muslims and their
becoming sects, and their declaring each other to
be disbelievers, and their becoming sects and
groups and parties after them being brothers in
their hearts upon the heart of one man. So none
of these sects will be saved except one, and they
are the ones mentioned in his (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) statement: ‘There shall
always remain a group from my Ummah
apparent upon the truth. Those who forsake them
will not be able to harm them, until the Command
of Allaah comes and they are upon that.’ And in
the later ages, they are the strangers mentioned
in these ahaadeeth.’’ [18]
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) says in
the introduction to his book al-’Aqeedatul-Waasitiyyah:
‘‘To proceed, So this is the creed (I’tiqaad)
of the Saved Victorious Group, Ahlus-Sunnah
wal-Jamaa’ah.’’ [19]
Then he said in the conclusion of the same book:
‘‘However, when the Prophet (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) informed that this
Ummah would split into seventy-three sects,
all of them being in the Fire except one and it
is the Jamaa’ah; there occurs in a
hadeeth from him (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) that he said: ‘‘They are upon the
likeness of what I am upon today, and my
Companions.’’ It refers to those who hold fast to
Islaam, the descent pure from defilement. They
are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, and from
amongst them are the Saadiqeen (truthful
ones), and the Shuhadaa (martyrs), and the
Saalihoon (righteous ones). And amongst
them are those who know the guidance, and the
illuminators of darkness, and those whose great
deeds have been narrated and who virtues have
been mentioned. And amongst them are the
abdaal, [20] and amongst them are the
scholars of the Religion, and they are the
Victorious Group about whom the Prophet (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘‘There shall always
remain a group from my Ummah, victorious
upon the truth. Those who forsake them or oppose
them will not be able to harm them, until the
Hour is established.’’ We ask Allaah to make us
from them, and not to allow our hearts to deviate
after He has guided us.’’ [21]
Imaam al-Laalikaa‘ee (d.418H) said:
‘‘So this is the Victorious Group, the
Saved-Sect, the Guided Clique, the trustworthy
Jamaa’ah holding fast to the Sunnah.’’
[22]
This is what has become clear to the people of
knowledge from the Salaf and if reflected
upon, the descriptions of the Victorious Group
and the Saved-Sect are not found to have
contradictions or differences between them.
Indeed the authentic reports mentioned from the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) specify descriptions of the
Victorious Group and the Saved-Sect in
methodology (manhaj) and condition (haal)
and in reality (waaqi’) and in the
resulting consequence (maal). As for the
methodology and condition, then indeed three
phrases have been mentioned in illumination of
its definition:
a.
‘‘What I am upon today, and my Companions.’’
b.
‘‘The Jamaa’ah.’’
c.
‘‘The Great Majority (as-Suwaadul-A’dtham).’’
So these prophetic phrases are in agreement, not
differing, they are harmonious, not in
opposition, they are the same, not varying, as
al-Aajurree explained. So he said: ‘‘Then he -
may the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon him -
was asked: Which is the Saved Sect? So he - may
prayers and peace be upon him - said in the
hadeeth: ‘‘That which I am upon today, and my
Companions.’’ And he said in a hadeeth:
‘‘The Great Majority (as-Suwaadul-A’dtham).’’
And he said in a hadeeth: ‘‘One is in
Paradise and it is the Jamaa’ah.’’ So I
say their meaning in one, if Allaah the Exalted
wills.’’ [23] This Victorious Group is the
Jamaa’ah, because the Jamaa’ah is what
agrees with the truth, even if it is one person.
From ’Umar Ibn Maymoon al-Awdee who said:
Mu’aadth Ibn Jabal came to us in the time of the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam), so love for him developed in my
heart. So I clung to him until he was buried in
the sand of Shaam, then I clung to the most
knowledgeable of people after him: ’Abdullaah Ibn
Mas’ood. So one day, delaying the Prayer from its
time was mentioned to him, so he said: ‘‘Pray in
your houses and make your Prayer with them a
supererogatory prayer.’’ So I said to him: Then
how will we be in the Jamaa’ah? So he said
to me: ‘‘O ’Umar Ibn Maymoon! Verily the Majority
of people are those who have separated from the
Jamaa’ah. The Jamaa’ah is only that
which agrees with the obedience to Allaah, even
if you are one person.’’ [24]
Imaam Aboo Shaamah (d.665H) said:
‘‘When the command to cling to the Jamaa’ah
comes, then the meaning is to adhere to the truth
and to follow it, even if those who hold onto to
it are few and the opponents are many. This is
because the truth is what the first Jamaa’ah
from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) and his Companions (radiyallaahu
’anhum) were upon. And do not look at the
great numbers of the people of falsehood after
them.’’ [25]
So with this it becomes clear the Victorious
Group and Saved-Sect is the Suwaadul-A’dtham.
Ishaaq Ibn Raahawayh (d.238H) said:
‘‘If you ask the ignorant people about the
Suwaadul-A’dtham, they will say it is the
majority of the people. They do not know that the
Jamaa’ah is the scholar ho holds on to the
narrations of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi
wa sallam) and his path. So whoever is with
him and follows him, then he is the Jamaa’ah.’’
[26]
Imaam ash-Shaatibee (d.790H) said:
‘‘So look at what he (Ishaaq Ibn Raahawayh)
mentions in explanation of the error of the one
who thinks that the Jamaa’ah is the
majority of the people, even if there is no
scholar amongst them; and this is the
understanding of the common-folk, not the
understanding of the scholars. So let the person
who agrees plant his feet in those places where
slips occur, so that he does not deviate from the
correct path, and there is not success except
with Allaah’’[27]
Ibn Hibbaan (d.354H) said:
‘‘The command to adhere to the Jamaa’ah is
general in wording, and its meaning is specific.
Because the Jamaa’ah is the consensus (ijmaa’)
of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam). So whoever clings to what
they were upon and leaves off what occurred after
them, then he has not broken off from the
Jamaa’ah, nor separated from it. Whoever
restrains himself from them and follows those who
came after them, he has separated from the
Jamaa’ah. The Jamaa’ah after them are
the people who are united upon the Religion and
the intellect and the knowledge, and they adhere
to the leaving off of desires, even if they are
few in number. They are not the riffraff (awbaash)
from the people, even if they are many.’’ [28]
There is no doubt that the Victorious Group is
upon what the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions were
upon. So with this it becomes clear that the
distinguishing sign of the methodology of the
Saved-Sect and the Victorious Group is the Book
and the Sunnah with the understanding of
the Salaf of the Ummah; Muhammad (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) and those who were with
him and those who followed them in goodness,
until the Day of Judgement.
As for the reality (waaqi’) and the
resulting consequence (maal), then indeed
it has been mentioned that this group is saved
and victorious, without fault or error. So in
this world, it is saved from the differing and
innovations and it is saved from the Fire in the
Hereafter. It is victorious in the world due to
its being apparent upon the truth, and it is
victorious in the Hereafter due to its
achievement which places it in the gardens of
Paradise, in the chair of truthfulness with the
King of Power.
CLEARING A MISCONCEPTION:
Indeed some of the present day callers think that
victory cannot exist except for those who fight.
So due to that they allege that the Victorious
Group is other than the Saved-Sect, and this is
self-delusion which has overtaken them, it is not
established upon truth, nor does it have any
proofs. Allaah the Exalted said:
‘‘And indeed Our Word has preceded for Our
servants, the messengers, that they will be given
victory. And Our soldiers will be those who
overcome.’’
[Sooratus-Saaffaat 37:171-173]
So can this victory which is promised by the Lord
of the Worlds to His messengers and the Believers
by in the muddy battlefields?! And is the Day of
Judgement a day established for the martyrs?
Allaah the Exalted said:
‘‘And indeed we conferred favour upon Moosaa
and Haaroon, and We saved them and their people
from the great affliction. And We supported them,
so it was they who overcame.’’
[Sooratus-Saaffaat 37:114-116]
So was the victory (intisaar) of Moosaa
and Haaroon over Fir’awn and Haamaan and Qaaroon
in the arenas of combat and in the field of
battle and with the enlistment of falsehood, or
was it from the fruits of their patience and
perseverance and steadfastness and the taqwaa
(fear) of Allaah? Allaah the Exalted said:
‘‘If you do not aid him, Allaah has already
aided him (the Prophet), when those who
drove him out as one of two, when they were in
the cave and he said to his companion: Do not be
sad, Allaah is with us. So Allaah sent down His
tranquility upon him and supported him with
soldiers (angels) and you did not see when
He made the word of those who disbelieved the
lowest, while the Word of Allaah is the highest.
And Allaah is Mighty and Wise.’’
[Sooratut-Tawbah 9:40] |