Narrated by Abū Dāwūd on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAmr al-Sulamī and Ḥujr ibn Ḥujr who said: We once visited the companion al-ʿIrbāḍ ibn Sāriyah—among the men regarding whom the following verse was revealed:

وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَا أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا مَا يُنفِقُونَ

“Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said: “I can find no mounts for you,” they turned back, while their eyes overflowed with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend (for jihād).”
(Al-Tawbah, 9:92)

Upon greeting him with the salām, we said: “We have come as visitors, granting reprieve to one who has fallen ill, and conscientiously seeking the attainment of your narrations”. So al-ʿIrbāḍ replied: “One day the Messenger of Allāh led us in ṣalāh. Upon its conclusion, he turned to face us and proceeded to admonish us in a manner which was the pinnacle of effectiveness, such that our eyes flowed (with tears) and our hearts filled (with fear). A man said: “O’ Messenger of Allāh! It seems as if this is your farewell admonishment, so what advice do you leave us with?” He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh [protect yourselves from His punishment by enacting His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions], and to hear and obey [your rulers in that which is not disobedient to Allāh], even if an Abbasinyan slave presides as a ruler over you. For indeed those among you granted an extended life shall encounter much differing after my demise. So hold on to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khalifas after me—firmly grasp it, biting onto it with your molar teeth. And I warn you from ever engaging in newly invented religious matters. For certainly every newly invented religious matter represents nought but an innovation (bidʿah), and every religious innovation represents misguidance.”¹

Imām al-Ājurrī said:

This ḥadīth comprises a trove of information, of which every single Muslim is in need of, their ignorance of its contents wholly unacceptable.²

Explanation of Key Points in The Farewell Address of the Prophet (ﷺ)

1. 1. The Meaning of: Admonishment
   2. The Meaning of: Hearts Filled (with Fear) and Eyes Flowing (with Tears)
   3. The Meaning of: Admonish Us in a Manner Which Was the Pinnacle of Effectiveness
   4. The Meaning of: O’ Messenger of Allāh! It Seems as if This is Your Farewell Exhortation
   5. The Meaning of: So What Advice Do You Leave Us With?
   6. The Meaning of: The Command to Have Taqwá and to Obey the Rulers
   7. The Meaning of: Even If an Abbasinyan Slave Presides as a Ruler Over You
   8. The Meaning of: My Sunnah
   9. The Meaning of: And the Sunnah of The Rightly Guided Khalifas
   10. The Meaning of: Firmly Grasp it, Biting onto it with your Molar Teeth
   11. The Meaning of: For, Indeed, Following My Demise Those Among You Granted an Extended Life Shall Encounter a Plethora of Differing
   12. The Meaning of: Newly Invented Religious Matters and Innovation
   13. The Meaning of: And Every Religious Innovation Represents Misguidance
   14. Additional Lessons Derived from the Farewell Address of the Prophet (ﷺ)

1. The Meaning of: Admonishment

Ibn Rajab explains,

Admonishment: advice and a reminder of the outcomes of one’s actions.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would frequently admonish his companions after Ṣalāt al-Fajr as in some narrations. In general, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would admonish his companions in a variety of circumstances, outside the reminders attributable to his Friday sermons or on the day of ʿĪd. This was done as a fulfillment of the command of the Allāh—the Most High:

وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا

“Admonish them, and speak to them an effective word (i.e. to believe in Allāh, worship Him, obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their inner selves.”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:63)

ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ

“Invite (mankind, O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islām) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qurʾān) and fair preaching”.
(Al-Naḥl, 16:125)

Although it should be noted that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would not always admonish them in a consistent or routine manner. Rather, he would only do so occasionally. As authentically narrated by Abū Wāʾil that Ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) used to provide a religious reminder to the people every Thursday, until a man said to him: “O’ Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān! We possess such strong admiration for your speech and yearn for it, to the extent that we had hoped that you may grace us with it daily.” He (رضي الله عنه) replied: “ It is only the fear I possess of boring you such that you grow fatigued and impatient that prevents me from speaking to you daily. Indeed, the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to confer his admonishment upon us at various times out of the dislike he harboured that we would become fatigued by its repetitiveness”.^{3 4}

2. The Meaning of: Hearts Filled (with Fear) and Eyes Flowing (with Tears)

Filled: that is, in fear. As in the saying of the Most High:

وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ

“Their hearts full of fear”
(Al-Muʾminūn, 23:60)

As if the circumstance was one deserving of fear, a reminder of impending punishment.

Our eyes flowed: that is, with tears.

These two descriptors are used by Allāh to praise the true believers, ascribing this behaviour to them upon hearing His remembrance (the Qurʾān):

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

“The believers are only those who, when Allāh is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts”
(Al-Anfāl, 8:2)

وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ ‎﴿٣٤﴾‏ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ﴿٣٥﴾‏

“And (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) give glad tidings to the Mukhbitīn [those who obey Allāh with humility and are humble from among the true believers [of Islamic Monotheism], whose hearts are filled with fear when Allāh is mentioned.”
(Al-Ḥajj, 22:34-35)

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

“Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allāh – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allāh’s Reminder (this Qurʾān), and that which has been revealed of the truth.”
(Al-Ḥadīd, 57:16)

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا مَّثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

“Allāh has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Qurʾān), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allāh.”
(Al-Zumar, 39:23)

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ

“And when they (who call themselves Christians) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognised.”
(Al-Māʾidah, 5:83)

Imām al-Ājurrī commented on the statement of the narrator: such that our eyes flowed and our hearts filled with [fear]:

“In this way, he granted distinction to the speech that was delivered. Note that he did not say: He exhorted us by screaming, shrieking, yelling, slapping our heads or hitting our chests, nor did he dance or move about in solemnity before us as some of the ignorant ones do. They scream at one another during their exhortations, shrieking and even fainting. This is all entirely from Shayṭān, a means by which he has managed to transform them into his play things—a form of religious innovation and misguidance. It should be said to such people: Know that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the most truthful exhorter that has ever existed, the most sincere in the advices he gave to his ummah, whose heart was more replete with compassion and kindness than anyone else, far superior to anyone subsequent to him. No intellectual person should harbour any doubts with regards to this. However, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never screamed when exhorting the people, nor did he yell, shriek, or dance. If such methods were correct, the companions would have been the most deserving of adopting it in his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) presence, but such affectations are all religious innovations, representative of misguidance, falsehood, and most objectionable. Know and recognise this well.”⁵

3. The Meaning of: Admonish Us in a Manner Which Was the Pinnacle of Effectiveness

Ibn Rajab explains:

That is, his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) exhortation was one deserving of praise, for it instilled fear in the hearts, our eyes welling up because of it. Observing eloquence in one’s admonishments is considered a most exemplary practice, for it represents a manner of speaking that is closer to being accepted and ingrained into the hearts of the people. In this context, ‘eloquence’ may be defined as communicating the meaning of one’s intended speech in a manner that reaches the hearts of those listening through the utilisation of the most suitable, eloquent, and tender phraseology that clearly relays one’s intentions, in a manner that is both momentous and firmly entrenched in the hearts of the audience. In this vein, the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sermons were brief, not elongated or long-winded. Rather, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) admonished his companions in an effective manner, discussing only the most salient, relevant points in every circumstance. As narrated by Muslim on the authority of Abū Wāʾil who said: Ammār (ibn Yāsir) once delivered a Friday sermon that was both brief and effective such that, upon him descending from the minbar, we said: “O’ Abū al-Yaqḍhān! You have spoken in an effective but brief manner, such that we wish that you would extend and lengthen your speech”. He (رضي الله عنه) replied: “Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say: ‘Certainly, the lengthening of a man’s prayer, and the shortening of his sermons is an indication of the depth of his judicial understanding. So lengthen the Friday prayer and shorten the sermon. And, indeed, among the forms of eloquence and clear speech is that which may be considered sorcery (in that it captures the hearts of the people who hear it).’” ^{6 7}

4. The Meaning of: O’ Messenger of Allāh! It Seems as if This is Your Farewell Exhortation

Ibn Rajab explains:

This statement proves that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) admonished them on this occasion in a manner more effective and momentous than others, such that they understood that it represented a final, farewell admonishment. For indeed the one bidding farewell will attempt to be encompassing and comprehensive in terms of his speech and actions more so than anyone else. For this reason, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would command the people to pray every prayer as if it were their last, as the one who perceives the prayer they are performing to be the last will perform it in a serious, concentrated, unwavering manner, praying in the most perfect and complete way he can muster. It may also be that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) alluded to the finality of his admonishment in the speech he delivered such that the sentiment was understood, while not being explicitly stated by him (صلى الله عليه وسلم). In the same way that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) alluded to the finality of his speech during the sermon he delivered while performing the farewell pilgrimage, saying: “For I do not know; it may be that I am not able to meet you after the conclusion of this year”.⁸ Then he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) began bidding them farewell to the extent that the people began to term that pilgrimage: the farewell pilgrimage.⁹

5. The Meaning of: So What Advice Do You Leave Us With?

Ibn Rajab explains:

That is, what comprehensive advice do you leave us with from which we may find sufficiency in consideration of the finality of this occasion as understood by them. They are, here, seeking beneficial advice that shall serve them after his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) eventual demise, the enactors of this advice finding it sufficient for their circumstances, facilitating the attainment of happiness in this life and the next.¹⁰

Ibn al-Mulaqqin said:

In some narrations, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied: “I have left you upon a pristinely white path, traversing it during the night is akin to traversing it during the day. There are none that turn away from it except that they are destroyed,”¹¹ then he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “So hold on to what you are aware of from my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khalifas…” . ^{12 13}

6. The Meaning of: The Command to Have Taqwá and to Obey the Rulers

Ibn Rajab explains:

“I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh [protect yourselves from His punishment by enacting His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions], and to hear and obey [your rulers in that which is not disobedient to Allāh]: These two pieces of advice encompass every single thing that would stipulate happiness in this life and the next. ¹⁴

As for tawqá, it is responsible for the attainment of happiness in the hereafter for those who have truly adopted it, comprehensive of the rights of Allāh and His servants. For indeed, it is among the rights of Allāh over His servants that they fear Him as He should be feared.¹⁵ For this reason, it constitutes Allāh’s advice to the preceding and latter generations of people:

وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ

“And verily, We have recommended to the people of the scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allāh, and keep your duty to Him”.
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:131)

The linguistic origins of the word taqwá is that a servant of Allāh erects a protective barrier separating himself from that which he fears or feels wariness regarding. In the context of having taqwá of Allāh, it is for the servant of Allāh to seek protection from everything he fears from Allāh including His anger, annoyance, and punishment, by showing obedience to Him and abstaining from His disobedience.

The word taqwá is sometimes used in conjunction with the name of Allāh [as in this ḥadīth] and in the statements of the Most High:

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

“And fear Allāh to Whom you shall be gathered back.”
(Al-Māʾidah 5:96)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

“O you who believe! Fear Allāh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allāh. Verily, Allāh is All-Aware of what you do.”
(Al-Ḥashr 59:18)

If the word taqwá is utilised in conjunction with the name of Allāh, then it refers to seeking protection from, and being fearful of engaging in, the actions that are deserving of His wrath and anger, for this is considered the most magnanimous matter from which protection could be sought. It is because of it that His punishment—both in this worldly life and the hereafter—is exacted. As the Most High says:

وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ

“And Allāh warns you against Himself (His punishment)”.
(Āli-ʿImrān, 3:28)

هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

“He (Allāh) is the One, deserving that mankind should be afraid of, and should be dutiful to Him, and should not take any Ilāh (God) along with Him, and He is the One Who forgives (sins).”
(Al-Muddatthir, 74:56)

Thus, He is most deserving of being feared based on the knowledge of His punishment. Venerated, His majesty fully recognised. His greatness fully acknowledged in the hearts of His servants such that they worship and obey Him. For He is most deserving of majesty and honour, to Him belong only the most majestic and mighty of attributes. To Him belongs a grip (punishment) this is most severe¹⁶, and He is the One to whom strong and unwavering might belong.

The term taqwá is comprehensive of enacting all obligatory acts, while abstaining from all prohibitions (muḥarramāt) and religious matters that are not entirely clear (shubuhāt)¹⁷. It may also encompass engaging in that which is recommended (mandūbāt) and abstaining from all disliked acts (makrūhāt) which represents the highest echelon of taqwá. As the Most High said:

هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ‎﴿٢﴾‏ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ (٣) وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ (٤)

“A guidance to those who are al-Muttaqūn [the pious and righteous) who believe in the ghayb (unseen) and perform al-ṣalāh (iqāmat al-ṣalāh), and spend out of what we have provided for them [i.e., give zakāh, charity and spend in Allāh’s cause – jihād]. And who believe in (the Qurʾān and the Sunnah) which has been sent down (revealed) to you (Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) and in [the Tawrāh (Torah) and the Injīl (Gospel), etc.] which were sent down before you and they believe with certainty in the hereafter.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:2-3)

Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb said: Taqwá is to engage in Allāh’s obedience using Allāh’s light to do so (i.e., guidance from the Qurʾān and Sunnah), seeking by it Allāh’s reward. And it is to abandon Allāh’s disobedience using Allāh’s light while fearing His punishment.

Ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) said regarding the āyah:

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ

“Fear Allāh (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared.”
(Āli-ʿImrān, 3:102)

“It is that He is obeyed and never disobeyed, remembered and never forgotten, thanked for His blessings and never denied”. Here, showing gratitude to Him stipulates engaging in every obedient act. As for remembering and never forgetting Him, it is that the servant of Allāh shows cognizance of Allāh commands and orders in every move he makes, in his moments of relaxation and when speaking, such that he spends every waking moment fulfilling Allāh’s commands and abstaining from his prohibitions.

In summary, the command to have taqwá should be considered Allāh’s advice to all of His creation and the advice of His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to this entire ummah. For this reason, when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would deploy a military detachment, he would advise its commander privately to conduct himself with taqwá, and to behave with goodness and in an exemplary manner with the Muslims under his care¹⁸. Just as the pious predecessors would advise one another to have taqwá, as Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) used to say in his sermons: “To proceed, I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh, to commemorate Him in a manner that He is deserving of, to allow the hope you possess of Allāh’s reward to intermingle with the terror you feel with regards to His punishment, and to quell your importunity with general, comprehensive, serious, and resolute requests¹⁹. For indeed, Allāh praised Zakariyā and his household saying:

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ

“Verily, they used to hasten to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.”
(Al-Anbiyāʾ, 21:90)

Even on his deathbed when Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) bequeathed the khilāfah to ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه), the first piece of advice he offered him was: “O’ ʿUmar! Have taqwá of Allāh”. Just as ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) himself once wrote to his son ʿAbdullāh: “To proceed, I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh—the Exalted in Might. For indeed those who have taqwá of Him will be protected by Him from His punishment. And whoever lends money to Allāh [by spending in His cause] will be rewarded by Him. And whoever shows gratitude to Him will be granted more than he possesses. So make the attainment of taqwá a focal, sought after goal before your eyes, a matter to which your heart attaches great import.” Just as ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) advised the general of one of his military detachments: “I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh—the One with whom your meeting is inevitable. The conclusion of your affair cannot occur without Him, for He possesses all that is in this worldly life and the hereafter”. And ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz once wrote to a man: “I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh—the Exalted in Might. For He does not accept other than taqwá, nor does He show mercy except to its adopters, and He only rewards those who conduct themselves with it. And indeed, those who admonish the people towards it are plenty, but those who actually act in accordance with it are few. So may Allāh make myself and you among those who have taqwá”.²⁰

As for the statement “and to hear and obey [your rulers]”, it facilitates the attainment of happiness in this worldly life, a means by which the various matters that necessitate uprightness in a servant’s life find order, balance, and harmony. For showing obedience to the rulers allows communities to ultimately practice Islām openly, displaying its superiority over all other ways, and in doing so showing obedience to their Lord. As ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) once said: “Indeed, the affairs of mankind shall never find uprightness except when resided over by an imām—whether he is pious or wicked. For even if he is wicked, the true believers will still worship their Lord and eventually his time will come.” Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said regarding the rulers: “They facilitate five of our matters: the Friday sermons, the congregational prayers, the Īd celebrations, military detachments that remain watchful over vulnerable enemy insertion positions, and the execution of legislative punishments. By Allāh! This religion may not be practiced in a correct manner in their absence—even if they are unjust and oppress their people. By Allāh! The goodness that they facilitate outweighs the corruption they cause despite the fact that—by Allāh—their obedience may be the source of rage. However, showing disobedience to them is a form of disbelief.”²¹

Imām Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn comments:

Take note of the manner in which he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentions listening to and obeying the commands of the rulers here despite it already being encompassed in his previous command to have taqwá. This indicates the great importance of showing obedience to the rulers, and the magnanimity of disobedience.²²

7. The Meaning of: Even If an Abbasinyan Slave Presides as a Ruler Over You

Ibn al-Mulaqqin explains:

The scholars say: Slaves may not assume the mantle of ruler. The statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) here is meant in the metaphorical sense. This is not unlike his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying: “Whoever builds a masjid for the sake of Allāh—even if it be the size of the hollow dug out for a sand grouse’s nest—Allāh will build a masjid for him in Paradise”.²³ It is well-known that such a hollow is of insufficient capacity to ever be an actual masjid. These statements are metaphorical; that is, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) intended by it to illustrate the degree of corruption present such that the position of ruler shall be granted to one so undeserving and unsuited for it, to the extent that it is granted to a slave. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commands us that, when the matter becomes as described, listen and obey the commands of this slave. For, in doing so, you would have adopted the lesser of the two evils. That is, to show patience to the evil attributable to an undeserving man assuming the position of ruler in order to prevent the occurrence of that which is even more evil which is the sowing of blind, deaf, encompassing, indiscriminate societal discord, dissension and chaos, for which no cure or means of escape exists. In another narration, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says: “the rulers harm their people with oppression”. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commands us in such circumstances: “Listen and obey their commands, as long as they judge you in accordance with the Book of Allāh”. ^{24 25}

Ibn Rajab explains:

His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) allusion to the ruler being a slave and—in many narrations—an Abbassinyan slave represents his foretelling of what shall occur in his ummah after his demise, the mantle of rulership over his people being taken by slaves. As authentically narrated on the authority of Anas (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Listen and obey the commands of your rulers, even if an Abbassinyan slave presides over you, his head akin to a raisin.”²⁶ The narrations in this regard are quite numerous.²⁷

Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn comments:

Listening to and obeying the commands of the rulers is obligatory, as evidenced by the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah. Allāh—the Most High—said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ

“O’ you who believe! Obey Allāh and obey the Messenger (Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), if you believe in Allāh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:59)

Note that obedience to the rulers occupies the third level after Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and that Allāh does not repeat the word ‘obey’ prior to the command to obey them. This is meant as an indication that obedience to the rulers must be consistent with that which is also obedient to Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), such that if the ruler was to command his people to engage in an act that is disobedient to Allāh and His Messenger, there should be no listening or obeying him in that command. The apparent meaning of the ḥadith is that one should show obedience to their ruler even if he is disobedient to Allāh—the Exalted in Might, as long as he does not command his subjects to disobey Allāh—the Exalted in Might, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Listen and obey the commands of your rulers even if they beat your backs and steal your wealth”.²⁸ This beating and stealing is undoubtedly devoid of legislative justification. As such, a person should never say to his ruler: “I will not show obeisance to you until you show obedience to your Lord”. This is a ḥarām position to adopt. Rather, one should show obeisance to his ruler regardless of whether his ruler is obedient to Allāh [i.e., sinful in his personal affairs, not in the commands issued to his people] or not.²⁹

8. The Meaning of: My Sunnah

Ibn al-Mulaqqin said:

The word “Sunnah” linguistically refers to an upright path that is practiced or adopted; a clear way.³⁰

Ibn Rajab explains:

The word “Sunnah” here is meant to be comprehensive of his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) Sunnah, as well as the practices of the rightly guided khalifas that shall follow him in terms of their beliefs, actions and statements. This is considered the most complete, encompassing meaning of the word Sunnah. For this reason, the pious predecessors used this word in an encompassing manner, referencing the practices of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his khalifas inclusively, as narrated from the statements made by al-Ḥasan [al-Baṣrī], al-Awzāʿī, and al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ. There are also a multitude of contemporary scholars that specifically use the word Sunnah in reference to matters of creed and beliefs, as it represents the fundamental basis of the religion itself. As such, those who oppose these fundamentals are in extreme danger of abandoning the religion altogether.

Note here the underlying implication of mentioning one holding steadfast to the Sunnah immediately following the command to listen and obey the commands of the rulers. It is meant as an indication that there is no obedience to the rulers except in matters that are also considered obedient to Allāh, as authentically narrated that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Showing obedience to the rulers applies only to that which has been Islamically ordained (al-Maʿrūf)”. ^{31 32}

9. The Meaning of: And the Sunnah of The Rightly Guided Khalifas

Ibn al-Mulaqqin explains:

Those upon whom true guidance encompassed, referring—by consensus agreement—to Abū Bakr, al-Fārūq [ʿUmar], ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, may Allāh be please with all of them and the rest of the companions in their entirety.

“Rightly” that is, those who have been directed to that which is right such that they have ascribed themselves to it.

“Guided”: that is, who have been guided by Allāh to the most upright and correct of all paths.

It was also authentically confirmed that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Imitate the two that shall follow me: Abū Bakr and ʿUmar”³³, thus did he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) specify two among the four. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم), also once said to a woman who had asked him: “What should I do if I am unable to find you?” to which he replied: “You will find Abū Bakr”³⁴. In this way, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) specified him from the two, proving his special position among those already considered special.

Ibn Rajab explains:

As for the specification of ‘the rightly guided khalīfas’, they are Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī (رضي الله عنهم) as evidenced by the ḥadīth of Safīnah (رضي الله عنه): “The khilāfah shall persist for thirty years following my demise. Thereafter, rulership shall become monarchic”.³⁶ This narration was graded authentic by Imām Aḥmad and used by him to evidence the caliphate of the four imams.³⁷

As for them being described as “rightly guided”, it is due to their collective recognition of the truth, issuing judgements in accordance with it. Rightly guided is antithetical to misguided which is a term used to describe one who recognises the truth but chooses to oppose it. In another narration, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) describes them as “those who have been guided aright”; that is, that Allāh is the One who has facilitated their guidance to the truth, preventing them from straying away from it. In consideration of this, in terms of relationship to the truth, there are three categories of people:

1. 1. Rightly guided
   2. Misguided
   3. Those who have gone astray

The rightly guided are those who recognise and follow the truth, while the misguided are those who know the truth but refuse to follow it, and those who have gone astray remain completely ignorant of it. Every rightly guided person is also one whom Allāh has chosen to guide, just as every person granted complete and encompassing guidance will be considered rightly guided. This is because true guidance is also only attained when one recognises and acts in accordance with the truth.³⁸

Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ādam said:

As for the wisdom behind those being described as being on the right path also being ascribed to guidance, it is implying that those who are not themselves guided may not guide others, but rather they will encourage misguidance while not perceiving it. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, ʿUmar al-Fārūq, Dhū al-Nūrayn ʿUthmān, and Abū Turāb ʿAlī (رضي الله عنهم) were the best of the companions, men who were well accustomed to extracting mercy from the clouds of prophethood, whose lofty positions were specified by Allāh, who had fully acclimated to hardship and rigour, struggling in the way of Allāh against their own desires and whims, fighting the disbelievers and were, therefore, most deserving of the holding the mantle of absolute rulership over the Muslims, occupying a place of authority over them that would facilitate the propagation of the wise teachings of Islām, raising the station of the distinguishing aspects of this religion among communities, such that the levels of these khalifas are also raised with it and their reward is exponentially multiplied.³⁹

The phrase ‘guided aright’ is used to describe those who have correctness ascribed to their true intentions, those who have been guided to the actions and statements that are most upright and righteous. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentions their Sunnah after mentioning his own for two reasons:

1. 1. His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) awareness that they would not be mistaken in their efforts to implement the various aspects of his Sunnah.
   2. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also knew that several aspects of his Sunnah were not widely known during his lifetime, except to a few companions, and these aspects that were from his Sunnah originally would reach prominence in the time of the companions, after his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) death, which may stipulate rejection of these practices under the guise that they are from the practices of those companions and not him (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Thus, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advised them to follow the Sunnah of the companions as well as a means of mitigating this possibility.⁴⁰

Ibn al-Mulaqqin explains:

He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ordered them to remain steadfast in their adoption of their Sunnah (i.e., the Companions) specifically in two instances:

1. Adoption of their opinion in judicial matters of difference for those unable to return back to the sources of legislation.
2. Granting their opinion precedence when the companions differed in matters of jurisprudence, such that the narrations of the khulafāʾ (Abū Bakr) al-Siddīq and (ʿUmar) al-Fārūq are adopted before others. This is also the position taken by Mālik in his Muwaṭṭaʾ.41

Ibn Rajab explains:

The scholars have differed with regards to the matters in which the four rightly guided khalifas have found consensus agreement and whether it should be considered ijmāʿ and an independent source of evidence if some of the other companions held a different opinion. They have also differed regarding if all four of them hold an opinion but some of the other companions differ regarding it, should the opinion of the four rightly-guided khalifas be given precedence? The scholars have two views on both issues. The position of Imām Aḥmad is that the opinion of the four khalifas should be given precedence over anyone else among the companions, as evidenced by the statements of most of the pious predecessors. This is especially applicable to the statements of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه), regarding whom the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Indeed, Allāh has allowed the truth to manifest itself upon ʿUmar’s tongue and in his heart”.⁴² ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz used to follow his rulings evidencing this ḥadīth, and would say, as narrated by Mālik: “Adoption of the practices enacted by the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the rulers who followed him is the very same as close adherence to the Book of Allāh, a manifestation of strength in the practice of Allāh’s religion. It is not within the rights of anyone to exchange those practices for anything else, nor alter them in any way, nor should he even consider or weigh matters that clearly contradict them. Whoever seeks to be guided by the emulation of their practices will be guided aright and whoever seeks victory by adopting their way will be granted it. Whoever abandons it, following other than the way of the believers, will be kept in the path he has chosen for himself and will be burned in Hell—and what an evil destination!”⁴³

In any case, regarding the matters of jurisprudence which ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) facilitated the agreement of all the companions, uniting them upon a certain view devoid of conflict or differing within that time period, the opinion adopted by them all should be considered the absolute truth in those issues—concerning which there is no doubt. As evidenced by the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “I saw myself in a dream drawing from a well, until Abū Bakr approached and drew a handful or two from it, although there was some deficiency in his allotment—and Allāh shall forgive him for that. Then ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb approached, possessing a massive vessel, such that I did not see another whose efforts were akin to his. By means of him, the people and their camels’ thirst was sated”, and in another narration: “So I did not see the likes of such a prime, commanding, senior personality among the rest of mankind able to draw an amount approaching what he had taken”.⁴⁴ This ḥadīth alludes to the fact that ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) did not die until he had ensured setting the affairs of the people aright, all matters corrected and settled in an exemplary fashion. This was facilitated by the long duration of his reign, him spending the requisite time to deal with the occurrences and incidents affecting his subjects, and the effort and attention he paid to settling these affairs. This is incomparable to the reign of Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) which was comparatively brief, his time consumed with the orchestration of conquests and the deployment of military detachments which resulted in him not having the time to settle every specific incident affecting the people. To the extent that there may even have been occurrences during his time regarding which he remained completely ignorant, nor was his ruling sought in relation to them. Instead, these incidents would be raised to ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) who would judge in accordance with the truth, returning the people to that which is correct and righteous.

As for the matters of jurisprudence regarding which ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) did not unite the companions upon a single opinion, but he (رضي الله عنه) held a view in the matter and he deemed it permissible for others to hold a different view—like sharing of inheritance in which grandparents and brothers are the only recipients, or whether complete divorce may occur by saying ‘ṭalāq’ (you are divorced) thrice in a single instance—then, in such issues, it is most apparent that the specific opinion of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) should not be given precedence over other companions. And Allāh knows best.⁴⁵

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advising them to follow his Sunnah and that of the rightly guided khalifas after him, immediately after ordering them to listen to and obey the commands of their rulers, indicates that the practices of the rightly guided khalifas should be followed, and that this does not apply to those rulers and khalifas besides them.⁴⁶

Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn explains:

Among the lessons derived from this ḥadīth is that the Sunnah of the rightly guided khalifas should be followed and the practices instated by them should be considered among the practices of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) due to his approval of them, as in this ḥadīth he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) orders the adoption of their Sunnah.⁴⁷

Ibn al-Mulaqqin said:

“The rightly guided Khalifas”: the word ‘the’ here—according to Ahl al-Sunnah—is meant to refer to that which was previously alluded to: the four khlaīfahs as in other narrations. However, the Muʿtazilah and the Shīʿah have chosen to interpret ‘the’ here as anyone that matches the description mentioned. That is, anyone who they term ‘rightly guided’ among all the khalīfas that shall exist after his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) demise. They claim this in order to negate these descriptors from those who took the khilāfah prior to ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه), and their [false] claim that the khilāfah was granted to others, besides Banū Hāshim or the people among whom prophethood was granted. All the narrations and the consensus of scholars refute what they have alleged.⁴⁸

10. The Meaning of: Firmly Grasp it, Biting onto it with your Molar Teeth

Ibn al-Mulaqqin explains:

“Molar teeth”: That is, the teeth at the very back of one’s mouth. In it, there is an allusion to biting on to it with one’s entire mouth, not a cursory bite that is accomplished only with the tips of one’s teeth. This is an indirect expression meant to denote extremely diligent and conscientious adherence, as the molar teeth are specified such that one is firmly attached, clinging unflinchingly to that which is bitten using them, never abandoning or dropping it.

11. The Meaning of: For, Indeed, Following My Demise Those Among You Granted an Extended Life Shall Encounter a Plethora of Differing

Ibn al-Mulaqqin comments:

Here, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) informs his companions of the copious amount of differing that shall occur in his ummah following his demise, and the preponderance of widespread objectionable practices. This was well-known to him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) both in the general and detailed sense, although he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not clarify the details of this squabbling and bickering to everyone but, rather, alludes to it here in a general, encompassing sense. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also detailed some of it to certain companions like Hudhayfah and Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنهما); both of whom occupied a noble, close relationship to him (صلى الله عليه وسلم). His foresight into these differences represents one of his many miracles.⁴⁹

Ibn Rajab explains:

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) informs us here of the copious, indiscriminate differences that shall occur among his ummah related to the fundamental and actionable aspects of this religion, its statements, actions and beliefs. This is also consistent with the ḥadīth in which he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) informs us of the splintering of his ummah into seventy-two sects, and that all of them shall be punished in the Fire except for a single one who are those that have remained steadfast in their practice of what he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his companions had adopted.⁵⁰ Just as in this ḥadīth he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advised them that, in the face of differences and squabbling, they should grasp firmly to his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) Sunnah, and the practices of his rightly guided khalifas who shall follow him.⁵¹

12. The Meaning of: Newly Invented Religious Matters and Innovation

Ibn al-Mulaqqin explains:

These are of two types (of innovation):

1. Whose rampant adoption is related only to popularity, fame, in accordance with the personal desires of the people. All such practices are categorically false.
2. Newly invented matters that stem from analogisation of matters that bear resemblance to one another. This category represents the Sunnah of the rightly guided khalifas and the blessed religious leaders. Note here that the words “innovation” and “newly invented matter” do not linguistically refer to that which is inherently blameworthy, rather it is one of the meanings that is ascribed to these terms that is deserving of blame. For example, the Most High said:

مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ

“Comes not unto them an admonition (a chapter of the Qurʾān) from their Lord as a recent revelation”
(Al-Anbiyāʾ, 21:2)

Or the saying of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) [regarding the reviving of the Sunnah of praying tarāwīh in congregation as done during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)]: “How exemplary is this innovation!” As such, blameworthy innovations are those that oppose the Sunnah, and invite towards misguided acts. In consideration of this, the ḥadīth is referring specifically to every innovation that is not supported by legislative evidence from the Qurʾān or Sunnah. This is because the entire truth is encompassed in these two sources such that any act that is not in some way derived from either one must represent a form of misguidance. For what is there after the truth but falsehood?⁵²

“Innovation”: linguistically refers to any unprecedented, newly invented matter. From a religiously legislative standpoint, it refers to a newly invented matter that opposes the commands of legislation and its evidence.⁵³

Ibn Rajab explains:

“Innovation”: newly invented matters that lack legislative foundations that may be used to support them. As for the matters that are supported by legislative foundations from which evidence for them may be derived, these are not considered legislative innovations, even if they are deserving of the term in a purely linguistic sense. It is the blameworthy variety of innovation that is being referenced in the hadīth of Jābir (رضي الله عنه) who narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would say in his sermons: “Indeed, the most superior discourse is that contained within the Book of Allāh, the most superior guidance is that of Muḥammad, the most evil affairs are the newly invented ones, and every innovation is act of going astray”. ^{54 55}

13. The Meaning of: And Every Religious Innovation Represents Misguidance

Ibn Rajab explains:

This is among the examples of his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) encompassing speech that does not exclude anything. It also represents a fundamental principle of this religion, akin to his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying in another ḥadīth: “Whoever invents an innovation in this matter of ours [Islām] will have this newly invented matter rejected [by Allāh]”.⁵⁶ Therefore, every single person who invents a matter of his own accord then ascribes it to this religion while it is in actuality baseless, completely devoid of legislative foundations used to support it, will have his invention represent a form of misguidance. Furthermore, this religion is innocent from ever being ascribed to it, regardless of whether the newly invented matter is related to creed, acts of worship, verbal statements or thoughts.

As for the narrations from the pious predecessors in which it would appear as if they approved of innovation and are pleased with it, it is referring to innovation in the linguistic sense only. An example of this is the statement made by ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) upon seeing the people gather behind a single imām in the masjid to perform the night prayers during Ramaḍān: “How exemplary an innovation is this!”⁵⁷ It was also narrated that he (رضي الله عنه) said: “If this is an innovation, then how exemplary is it!” Ubayy ibn Kaʿb (رضي الله عنه) responded to him saying: “Indeed, this was not done previously [i.e., in recent times during his reign]” to which ʿUmar responded: “I recognise that, but it represents goodness”.⁵⁸ He meant that the night prayers of Ramaḍān were not performed in this fashion before this current time period, although performing it in this way is supported by legislative foundations that may be used to evidence it. Among them is that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to encourage and galvanise the people towards the performance of the night prayer during Ramaḍān. During the time of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه), the people would pray in scattered groups or by themselves in the masjid, despite the fact that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) led his companions in the night prayer during Ramaḍān on more than one occasion. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) subsequently abandoned this practice citing fear that its performance would eventually become an obligation upon his followers, one that they would be unable to fulfil. However, this fear is allayed following his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) demise.⁵⁹ Just as it was also narrated that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would lead his companions in the night prayer specifically on the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramaḍān.⁶⁰ Besides this, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commanded us to follow the practices of his rightly guided khalifas anyway, and the people would gather behind a single imām to perform the night prayer during Ramaḍān during the reigns of ʿUmar, ʿUthamān, and ʿAlī (رضي الله عنهم).

Other examples include the additional adhān on the day of Jumuʿah⁶¹, supplemented by ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) as a response to the needs of the people. Concerning this, Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) said: “It is an innovation”; that is, he (رضي الله عنه) meant the word linguistically in the same sense as his father [ʿUmar, referencing the tarāwīḥ prayers]. Also, the compiling of the dispersed parts of the Qurʾān in a single volume, an issue regarding which Zayd ibn Thābit (رضي الله عنه) sought neutrality, saying to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar: “How could you two suggest what was never before done by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?” before finally identifying its compilation to represent immense benefit and goodness for the Muslims and ultimately agreeing with their suggestion.⁶² For this was an action that possessed legislative foundations, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to order that the Qurʾān be written and there is no difference between these writings being separate from one another, or compiled in a single volume. Its compilation proffered the greatest benefit to the Muslims of that era over having it exist in the form of dispersed, individual records.⁶³

Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn explains:

In consideration of this ḥadīth, we are able to recognise the foolishness attributable to those who claim to follow the Sunnah, while actively opposing it through rejection of the practices initiated by the rightly guided khalifas. For example, they will claim that the addition of another adhān on the day of Jumuʿah is an innovation because it was never done during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), but was among the practices initiated during the reign of ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه). It should be said to such claimants: “Is the Sunnah of ʿUthmān a form of useless waste or should it be adopted insofar as it does not contradict the Sunnah of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?” The answer is undoubtedly the latter. Here, ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) did not oppose the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the addition of the first adhān as the circumstances that justified this addition were absent during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). During his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) time, the city of al-Madīnah was small, its landmarks close to one another such that a single adhān sufficed. Then, during the reign of ʿUthmān, the city and its population expanded, causing a degree of carelessness to be displayed by some of them towards the Friday sermon, such that the addition of another adhān acted as a reminder, a preamble to the adhān that signified the arrival of the imām to the minbar.

This action of ʿUthmān is the truth, among the practices considered to be from the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), as there is a precedence from the Sunnah that supports it. For, during Ramāḍan, both Bilāl and Ibn Umm Maktūm would call their own adhans at different times. Bilāl (رضي الله عنه) would call it before Fajr time and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) clarified that his call was not for Ṣalāt al-Fajr, but rather meant to awaken those asleep and to notify those performing the night prayer of the time for suḥūr.⁶⁴ In the same way, ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) added an adhān on the day of Jumuʿah to act as an indication to those living far from the masjid that it was time to begin their traversal towards it, to facilitate their preparation in advance of the sermon. This adhān is, therefore, Sunnah in two ways:

1. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advising us to follow the practices initiated by the rightly guided khalifas, and the stance of ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) is better than any opinion we possess from ourselves.
2. The addition of an adhān when there is a need for it has a fundamental precedence from the Sunnah.⁶⁵

14. Additional Lessons Derived from the Farewell Address of the Prophet (ﷺ)

Ibn al-Mulaqqin said:

Among the lessons derived from this ḥadīth:

1. It is recommended for one to exhort his companions in a beneficial manner that extends to both their worldly life and the hereafter.
2. The imām utilising eloquence and speaking in an effective, emotive manner when exhortating to facilitate an expeditious response. As in the āyah:

   وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا

   “And speak to them an effective word (i.e. to believe in Allāh, worship Him, obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their inner selves.”
   (Al-Nisāʾ, 4:63)

   It was also among the habits of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that, when delivering a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his veins would swell and bulge behind his skin, as if he was issuing a warning to an army of soldiers. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would say: “[The enemy may attack you] in the morning or the evening [so be prepared]⁶⁶”.⁶⁷

3. The permissibility of judging a situation in accordance with its context and cues. This is realised from their deduction of the finality of the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) exhortation highlighted by its greater eloquence and emotiveness relative to his other (sermons).
4. It is considered recommended (mustaḥabb) to seek exhortation and advice from those qualified to provide it. For this represents a means towards capitalising on the time spent with such people before its inevitable expiry.⁶⁸ Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn comments:Should the requesting of advice as in this ḥadīth be done in every situation even if there is no real impetus for it, or should it only be sought when there is a clear need? The latter appears most apparent as it is not considered to be among the practices of the companions that every time one of them would meet another, he would say: “advise me”. Rather, if there is a reason or preamble to it like, for example, if a person stands and exhorts the people with clarity, then it may be most appropriate to seek further advice from him. In the absence of a clear reason, then advice should not be sought in this way. Also among the reasons could be, for example, if a person is about to travel and sees a scholar, it may be fortuitous for him to seek his advice prior to his embarkation.⁶⁹
5. The comprehensive, encompassing nature of the statement: “I advise you to have taqwá of Allāh”. This statement is one that comprises all other forms of advice as taqwá is attained only by enacting all of Allāh’s commands while abstaining from all of His prohibitions. This single advice, therefore, is inclusive of every legislative responsibility and excludes nothing. The term taqwá is derived from wiqāyah (a protective covering or shield). This derivation is quite pertinent, as the person ascribed to taqwá has erected a protective covering that separates him from Allāh’s disobedience, bolstered by the strength of his determination to abandon sin, to the extent that his heart derives comfort in that abstinence.
6. From his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) statement: “For indeed those among you granted an extended life shall encounter a plethora of differing after my demise”, it is most apparent that his knowledge of this eventuality was gained through revelation. This is consistent with the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) acquaintance with all the occurrences that shall precede the entering of the People of Paradise into Paradise and the People of the Fire into the Fire, as authentically narrated in the ḥadīth of Abū Saʿīd (رضي الله عنه) and others.⁷⁰ Although it is also plausible that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) knew of the occurrence of differences in his ummah by reasoning and deduction. For arguments and differing in the desires and intentions of the people go hand-in-hand with the heterogeneity of the opinions and views they express. It may also be that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) foresaw the occurrence of arguments and differing in his ummah by analogising them with the nations of the preceding prophets, as in the ḥadīth: “Indeed, there has never existed a prophethood that was not followed by differing”.⁷¹
7. The inherent warning in his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) statement: “And I warn you from ever engaging in newly invented religious matters”. That is, be wary of ever adopting such matters for they represent innovations in the religion. So “I warn you” from them; that is, distance yourselves from them and be fearful of falling into them. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) intends by this every baseless innovation, devoid of any foundation or legislative evidence. Even emulation of the khulafāʾ should be based on legislative foundations from the Qurʾān and Sunnah. For if, hypothetically, there existed a rightly guided khalif who enacted a practice unsupported by the Qurʾān or Sunnah, it would be considered impermissible to follow his example insofar as that practice is concerned. We say ‘hypothetically’ here, although it should never be said: “Such an occurrence is an impossibility, for their rightly guided status precludes them from ever engaging in such a baseless act”. We respond: A person who is consistently upon sound correctness may sometimes be mistaken, a traverser of the straight path may mistakenly step off it, even if it be for just a moment in time. As in the ḥadīth: “There is no forbearance except with occasional slippage [such that the person is forbearing to others who have perpetrated the same mistake as him], no true wisdom exists except through experiencing [different mistakes]”.⁷²
8. It was also mentioned in some narrations of this ḥadīth: “Verily, every newly invented religious matter is an innovation, and every religious innovation represents misguidance, and every act of misguidance is in the Fire” that is, the one who originates it or follows the actions of others who have done so will be in the Fire.⁷³ Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn comments:In this ḥadīth, there is a precautionary warning from ever engaging in newly invented matters; that is, those that are related to the religion only. As for the newly invented matters that pertain to the worldly life, they may be classified as either deserving of praise or dispraise in relation to the outcomes and effects that occur as a result of their usage. For example, the various cutting-edge methods of warfare or communication technologies are considered new unprecedented inventions; among them are those whose usage has resulted in goodness and prosperity while others have led to the spreading of corruption. Although the warning in this ḥadīth concerns only those that are related to this religion, regardless of whether it is related to creed, statements, or actions. Every newly invented matter in this religion—major or minor—is considered an innovation as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said.[Q]: How do we commensurate between the encompassing statement made in this ḥadīth “Verily, every newly invented religious matter is an innovation” and his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying in another ḥadīth: “Whoever initiates a practice of goodness in Islām will be rewarded for it and for every single person that engages in it until the Day of Judgement”.⁷⁴

   [A]: We may answer this question in two ways:

   1. His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) statement “Whoever initiates a practice of goodness in Islām” is referring only to a person who initiates acts that are in accordance with the Sunnah. The evidence for this interpretation is that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made this statement when encouraging the people to give charity to the ambassadors that had come to Madīnah such that every companion donated what they could, until a man from among the Anṣār brought a bag that was so laden with wealth that it had weighed down his hand, sinking down because of its heaviness. Upon placing this bag in the compartments of the Prophet, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Whoever initiates a practice of goodness in Islām will be rewarded for it and for every single person that engages in it until the Day of Judgement”; that is, a practice that is an already established Sunnah and not a completely new practice (in the religion). Rather, it is referring to a person who acts in accordance with the Sunnah, whose actions then act as an encouragement and an example for others, an avenue before them to also engage in righteousness.
   2. The meaning of his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) statement: “Whoever initiates a practice of goodness in Islām” refers to a person who initiates a path towards an already legislated act of worship. For example, the compiling of the muṣḥaf by the companions undoubtedly represents a practice of goodness in Islām because it represented a means towards preventing division and discord among the Muslims relating to them labelling one another as misguided [due to them reading the Qurʾān differently]. Another example is the compiling and collecting of aḥādīth in books, then dividing them into ordered, synchronous, indexed chapters represents a practice of goodness that facilitated the preservation of the Sunnah.

   Therefore, the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) “Whoever initiates a practice of goodness in Islām” may be interpreted as referring to the initiation of a means towards a legislatively established Sunnah. This interpretation is most appropriate as there can be no contradiction in the statements of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Also, if we were to grant anyone the free reign to innovate in this religion, adding to it that which was never from it, this ummah would splinter and divide. As Allāh—the Exalted in Might—said:

   إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

   “Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) have no concern in them in the least. Their affair is only with Allāh, Who then will tell them what they used to do.”
   (Al-Anʿām, 6:159)⁷⁵

   Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn also said:

9. When one’s heart is filled with fear, it results in the flowing of tears from the eyes. However, when one’s heart has become hardened [due to sin and transgression]—we ask Allāh to distance us from such a state—one loses the ability to weep [from Allāh’s remembrance].⁷⁶
10. This ḥadīth also proves that all religious innovation represents misguidance without exception, and that there is no form of guidance that can result from engaging in them. Rather, it inclusively represents unadulterated evil even if its innovators perceive such acts as righteous and good. They are not righteous acts, nor do they contain goodness, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Every religious innovation represents misguidance” without mentioning any exception to this encompassing statement. In consideration of this, we may fully recognise the mistake of those who divide innovation into five or three classes. This classification is completely false as the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the most knowledgeable of Allāh’s legislation; the most sincere and well-intentioned advisor to the servants of Allāh that has ever existed among His creation. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) possessed the most eloquent manner of speaking and he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the most truthful in terms of the information and news he related. The statements of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) are attributable to all four of these characteristics in the truest, most complete and encompassing way. Considering this, there are people who proceeded him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in this ummah who dare to oppose him saying: “Religious innovation does not all represent misguidance, rather innovation may be classified as being either good, permissible, disliked, impermissible and even obligatory”. Glory be to Allāh—the Most Great! If it were not for the fundamentally positive presumption that we possess for the scholars, we would have perceived such a view to represent an immense folly from them⁷⁷; that is, that they could ever classify that which has been categorically termed misguidance as possibly being either good or detestable. Consequently, we unequivocally state: Whoever innovates in this religion and claims his innovation to represent goodness has either not innovated in actuality or the act in question does not represent goodness.
    For example, there are those who claim that compiling the muṣḥaf in a single volume, or writing aḥādīth in compiled books, or building study accommodations dedicated specifically for students seeking Islamic knowledge are all forms of good innovation. We reply to them saying: These all undoubtedly represent goodness but should not be considered innovations in any way. This is because, in actuality, they are all avenues towards an already established legislative goal. As such, we have not innovated a new form of worship. Rather, we have been commanded with the fulfilment of a particular goal and we perceive these activities to represent the easiest avenue that facilitates its fulfillment and thus we have incorporated them. For there is a clear difference between that which is considered a means or avenue towards the attainment of something and an established legislative goal. The perceptive one will note that everything identified as being ‘good’ innovations are all merely avenues and means towards the attainment of an already legislatively desirable goal.Another example are those who claim that the use of a microphone in the masjid that amplifies sound to far distances is an innovation and therefore impermissible. We reply: It is a means that facilitates goodness and the fulfilment of a desirable purpose akin to the way the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) selected men with the loudest voices and strongest delivery to call the adhān⁷⁸ because the call would be more far-reaching. In this way, speaking in a loud, clear register is desirable in these circumstances and the microphone simply enables and facilitates this goal. For this reason, when the microphone was introduced for the first time in the grand mosque here in ʿUnayzah during the time of our Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir al-Saʿdī, he (رحمه الله) delivered the khuṭbah into it for the first time and praised the enactor of good who had—may Allāh have mercy on him—installed it in the masjid. I remember him saying: “This is a blessing”, and he (رحمه الله) spoke the truth. For it facilitates the attainment of an established goal.Another example is the advent of phones that allow us to communicate with people on the other side of the world. Should we say that the usage of phones is an innovation and therefore impermissible? We do not make such a claim. Rather, phones are merely tools that may be used for good or evil. In any case, delineation is required to separate that which is itself a goal (i.e., intention) and that which represents a means to an end (i.e., the technology).

    As for those, for example, that have innovated various methodologies of remembering Allāh (dhikr) claiming that their hearts find contentment and happiness through engagement in these practices, should we, in consideration of these feelings, say then that these are good innovations or not? We reply: No, they are not “good innovations”. Rather, they represent an invented practice that is being attributed to Allāh’s religion while not being from it, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never incorporated such forms of worship (e.g., ṣufī dhikr circles). In this vein, a similitude can be made to other innovations.

    In conclusion, it is obligatory for us to state: We have heard, fully believe, and attest to the truthfulness of the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) statement that all innovation represents misguidance, and that religious innovation may not be ascribed to any form of goodness. As such, regarding any innovators that ascribe their innovative acts to goodness; either it is not actually good while they perceive it to be, or the act is not actually an innovation to begin with. As for an act being both a religious innovation and representing goodness, it is an absolute impossibility. This belief must be adopted as a creed. For there is no other way to debate the people of falsehood except by unequivocally proclaiming that all innovation represents misguidance.

    As for the misguidance that pertains to innovation, it may be classified as either a misguidance that stipulates disbelief, or that which is representative of major sin, or misguidance that is excusable in relation to a well-intentioned but false interpretation. Concerning the latter, I mention here the example of al-hāfiẓān: Ibn Ḥajar and al-Nawawī, both of whom are seen as reliable, fundamental sources of knowledge, trustworthy among the Muslims.

    As for al-Nawawī, he is undoubtedly among the sincerest advisors and scholars, a man with a legacy of truthfulness in Islām as evidenced by the fact that there is almost no masjid on the face of the planet except that his book Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn is regularly read. This is a clear indication of the acceptance of his works, and the sincerity attributable to his advice. However, he (رحمه الله) was mistaken in his interpretation of the āyāt that pertained to Allāh’s attributes, wrongly twisting their meanings. Should we say concerning him: This man was an innovator? We say: The statements he made in that issue were innovative, but he is not an innovator. This is because he, in actuality, aimed to interpret these āyāt correctly, expending effort to this end for which he is deserving of a single reward. How, then, would it be appropriate for us to label him an innovator and alienate the Muslims from his works? The statements made here should be separated from the speaker who made them, just as a person may utter a statement of disbelief without being considered as having abandoned Islām [until the fulfillment of the conditions of takfīr are met]. For have you not heard of the ḥadīth of the man who had lost his mount in the desert, so weary, forlorn and devoid of the hope of ever regaining it, such that he surrendered himself to his inevitable fate of eventual death, lying prone under a tree? When suddenly, his reverie was interrupted by the appearance of his camel. He reached out and, upon touching it, out of intense relief and happiness stated: “O’ Allāh! You are my servant and I am your Lord”. These are words of disbelief, although the man is not considered a disbeliever for merely uttering them, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “He made an error that was borne out of intense happiness”⁷⁹. Or what is the ruling on a person that is compelled or coerced into uttering words of disbelief, should he be considered a disbeliever? The answer is no. The act and the statement made here are, in isolation, representative of disbelief but the enactor and the speaker are not themselves disbelievers. Another example is the ḥadīth that relates the story of the man who, before reaching his demise, directed his family saying: “If I die, then burn me and spread my ashes in the sea. For—by Allāh—if my Lord possesses the power and ability to influence my affair, He shall punish me in a manner that is unlike what He has subjected any other created being to”, surmising his bequest would facilitate safety for him from Allāh’s torment. This represents a plainly evident doubt in Allāh’s power and ability which is itself disbelief, but this man did not die as a disbeliever. Rather, as in the ḥadīth, Allāh re-formed his body, then asked him: “Why would you have such a thing done [to your body]?” to which he replied: “Out of fear of You” and in another narration: “It is because of the knowledge-based fear I possessed of You”, so Allāh chose to forgive him.⁸⁰

    As for the second ḥāfiẓ, he is Ibn Ḥajar who—according to the information that has reached me—sways between views in the issues of Allāh’s attributes. At times, he appears to have adopted the position of the pious predecessors and in other instances he appears to interpret Allāh’s attributes in the manner of the innovators, even though we would consider these ‘interpretations’ to represent a corruption and displacement of the texts from their intended meanings.

    Despite this, would it be permissible for us to criticise, de-value, and tear down the likes of these two men? The answer is of course not, but at the same time we refuse to accept their mistakes as truth. Rather, the effort they made in pursuit of the truth is one matter, and their mistakes are another one. I say this because two or three years ago there began a movement towards severe and harsh attacking of these two scholars, characterised by a recommendation to burn Fatḥ al-Bārī and Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. I seek refuge in Allāh! How can people be so bold as to encourage such acts?! It comes only from delusion, sanctimonious self-amazement, self-aggrandisement, and harboring intense hatred for others.

    As for the innovations that stipulate disbelief or major sin, we do not label those who engage in them as either a disbeliever or fāsiq (rebellious sinner) until the evidence to that effect is presented to them clearly. This is supported by the saying of the Most High:

    وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِي أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرَىٰ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ

    “And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until He sends to their mother-town a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof are ẓālimūn (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allāh, oppressors and tyrants).”
    (Al-Qaṣaṣ, 28:59)

    وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا

    “And We never punish until We have sent a messenger (to give warning).”
    (Al-Isrāʾ, 17:15)

    For if a person was actually considered a disbeliever without any form of evidence being presented to him first, he would have been subjected to punishment. Allāh—the Exalted in Might—said:

    رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ

    “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allāh after the Messengers.”
    (Al-Nisāʾ, 4:165)

    It is most appropriate then for us to show conscientiousness and detailed care, avoiding hastiness such that we do not label a person as an innovator in relation to the one innovation ascribed to him, all the while there are thousands of acts of Sunnah which he has clarified and espoused.

    [Q]: Is it appropriate for us to describe these two men and others like them as being from the Ashāʿirah?

    [A]: No, because the Ashāʿirah have their own views in a litany of other issues including the names and attributes of Allāh but also issues that pertain, for example, to īmān (belief) and the various states, circumstances and events of the hereafter. Thus, if a person was to make a statement that pertains to the attributes of Allāh that is in agreement with one of their views, he should not immediately be ascribed to them. In the same way that a person who studied the jurisprudence of Imām Ahmad is not ascribed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī if he adopts his opinion in an issue.

    I advise you to pay due care and attention to these complex and intricate issues. Do not be hasty in such matters, and do not minimise or trivialise the backbiting of scholars—whether contemporary or classical. This is because backbiting a scholar is a criticism and disavowal of him that applies not only to his personality, but also to the parts of legislation that he delivered and espoused. It mandates the people perceive him in a negative light, refusing and opposing any of Allāh’s legislation that reaches them from him. This, therefore, is a catastrophe whose ramifications frequently affect the laws of this religion.

    For indeed you will find people traversing this dishonorable and disgraceful path, so I encourage you to advise them. Likewise, if you find among yourselves those whose tongues are loose—who speak about the scholars freely and without reservations—then advise and caution them. Say: “Fear Allāh! You were not tasked with His worship in this way. What benefit do you derive from saying “So-and-so did such-and-such?”” Rather, speak about the ideas they have espoused without mentioning the speaker [except if there is benefit in doing so]. Having said this, it may also be most fortuitous for us to mention certain people by name to prevent others from being tricked or deceived by them, as there are certain people who will not comprehend who is being referred to if his ideas are discussed in a more general sense. In such situations, mentioning the specific name of the person is permissible when there is a need for it. Otherwise, the salient purpose here is to refute and disprove falsehood. And with Allāh belongs true guidance.⁸¹