Cling to the Sunnah and the Ṣahabah
Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Banná
Concise advice regarding the importance of clinging to the Qurʾān and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) as well as the Sunnah of the Ṣahābah.
The Shaykh began by mentioning after the Khuṭbah al-Ḥājjah:
It is with the likes of these kalimāt that the Messenger (ﷺ) used to begin his khuṭab; begin the different aspects of the sermon and the like; and he ordered those who came after him to begin their sermons with the Khutbat-ul-Ḥājjah, and he did that and he used to repeat it and he used to order the believers to repeat it in order that the meaning of the Khutbat-ul-Ḥājjah may be firm in the minds of the believers; and he mentioned that in the Khutbat-ul-Ḥājjah, there are various meanings and various issues that are discussed, and from them the important issue of singling Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿāla) out in worship, and explaining that the best thing that Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿāla) is worshipped by way of, is the Book of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿāla); and likewise that the best of paths that can be followed by mankind is the Path of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) and he went on to mention likewise, that the most evil of affairs are newly invented affairs; therefore it is a must that a person cling to the Sunnah in regards to his dīn, because the most evil of affairs are the newly invented ones.
As for the Ṣaḥābah, then they were individuals who understood this; they were individuals who knew that the best way was the way of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) and they were the best of the people to understand that way. Therefore, our understanding of the Kitāb and the Sunnah is to be in the light of their understanding; and all of the newly invented affairs are affairs that are in the Fire and the Messenger of Allāh ((ﷺ) mentioned in the ḥadīth concerning the 73 Sects.This was the affair that was revealed to the Messenger Muḥammad (ﷺ) and from the statements that the Messenger (ﷺ) was that,
‘Indeed the one who lives long from amongst you then he will see much difference. So cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Khulafā al-Rāshidīn.’
So here we find that the Messenger (ﷺ) explained to us the Path of Success by informing his Ṣaḥābah to cling to his Sunnah and to cling to the Sunnah of the Khulafā al-Rāshidīn. So therefore, the Shaykh said that it is a must that after clinging to the Sunnah that a person not only clings to the Sunnah of the Messenger (ﷺ), but likewise that he clings to the Sunnah of the Ṣaḥābah.
[The above is a partial transcript of the introduction of the lecture given by our Shaykh (raḥimahullāh)]