Right Way

Determining the Right Way in Islam

Introduction

All the Praises are for Allah and Salutation is for the Messenger and his family and all those follow him doing good works until the Day of Resurrection.

This article undermining the division among Muslims because of their different beliefs and understanding that leads to the division.

We have no intention further to give additional burden to the said situation, but to ponder among the believers and guide them to the right path.

As we read the following elucidation, the readers may realize where to go in order to attain the reality or truth.

The Reality

The Muslims although they are now the fastest growing nation in the world, are also the most divided(Majority in Europe by 2020 and USA by 2050). This division was predicted by the Messenger, who said: "The Jews were divided into seventy one (71) groups and the Christians were divided into seventy two (72) and my Ummah (nation) will divide into seventy three (73), each of which would be in the Fire except one…” The companions asked: "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "They are those who are on the like of what I and my companions and generations are upon." (in another narration: "Those who are on the like of what I and my companions are upon this day") Dawud :: Book 40 : Hadith 4579, Abu Dawood (2/503), Ahmad (4/102) and al-Haakim (1/128.

Although this prediction is established in the Hadith above, yet it is not approved by Islam. On the contrary, Allah had commanded the Muslims to unite, He said: "Hold fast all together to the rope of Allah and be not divided." [al-Qur'aan 3:103]

How it was started:

The division of this Ummah started very early after the death of the Messenger of Allah. After Islam became strong and its enemies found that they could not defeat it physically they started to attack it by undermining the faith of the common people and those newly converted to Islam by introducing new concepts that were alien to the Islam brought by Muhammad. This wave of attack brought about an almost total standstill to the quest for sound knowledge and facilitated the easy spread of deviant concepts and new innovations in this Deen(religion).

The vast majority of Muslims are now totally lost and their understanding of Islam was very much diluted with deviant ideas which allowed anyone who wanted to capitalize on the ignorant to do so with ease. People now lost the correct way and so they did not know what method to use to understand this Deen.Therefore, instead of referring matters of belief ('Aqeedah) to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah they turned to the books of philosophy which, although written by Muslims, were all affected by the Greek, Persian,Converts and other prevalent thoughts of that time.

Issues of fiqh on the other hand were completely restricted to their Imams(School of Thoughts for Sunni and Imamate for Shiite). And so as time went by the people became totally fanatical about their Madshab (school of thought)or Imamate for Shiite. This caused the noble Imaams to be treated by their followers as the prophets ought to be treated (i.e. as if they were protected from errors, infallible as in Shiite). Whatever any of them said was taken as totally correct by those who followed them (as if it were revelation). Even if a verse from the Qur'aan or an authentic saying of the Messenger was brought as an argument against what the Imaam said, their followers left what Allaah or the Messenger said and followed their Imaams. This dangerous state of affair led to blind following (Taqleed) of humans at the expense of revelation.

Blind following of other than Allaah and His Messenger along with widespread ignorance was definitely the major sources of all the division that occurred in the Deen. This was now what Islaam became to the people. And this attitude closed the doors of Ijtihad. Proofs were no longer looked into to understand anything in the Islaam and the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Messenger which must be used for our guidance now became means for the Muslim of acquiring blessings (Barakah).

This further led to the state where anyone could now give Fatawas (Legislative rulings in Islaam) and also say anything he felt like saying about Islaam because there was no threat that anyone would ask for proof from the Qur'aan or the Sunnah. On the other hand the people who were listening to him had no basis to determine whether what they are hearing is correct or not because they themselves have lost any attachment to sources of Islamic law. This condition of ignorance and blind following was also predicted by the Messenger, who said: "Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but (this is done) by causing (the death) of the Scholars until none of them is left alive. People would then appoint ignorant leaders for themselves who would be consulted in matters of religion and they would give Fatawas without knowledge, falling into misguidance and misguiding others." [Muslim]. (6/1999).

The Solution

The Messenger of Allah said in his final sermon in Mecca at the summit of Mt. Arafat: "O mankind, I leave behind me two things, the Book of Allah and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray. “ [Muwatta 46/3]. Or Quran & my family (ibn hanbal 4/366; darimi 23/1, nu 3319)., or the Quraan only( Kharijites, Abu dawud 11/56).

Even the location of the Final sermon was debatable as different narrators contradict its other. Some say in Medina and other at Mt. Arafat in Mecca.

This Hadith is laying the basis for the Muslim if he does not want to go astray. It follows, therefore, that if at anytime some one finds himself going astray, then he is not holding on to one or both of these sources, Shia’s claimed the “ The book of Allah and My Family”(The Holy Prophet’s prophet hood covered entire humanity not for his family alone unlike Moises just for the freedom of Israelites from the bondage of slavery on the hands Pharaon or Jesus Christ just for the lost sheep of the house of Israel,Math. 15:22-28).“ The problem we face, however, is that every Muslim stand by this claim that they are holding on to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. So how can anyone determine whose claim is correct?

The Messenger of Allah left this way very clear for us as he said: "I am leaving you on a clear way, its night is like its day and none turns away from it except that he would be destroyed." He told us that the way he left is very clear and then in the following Hadith he explained for us what it is.

And in another Hadith, he said: "The best people is my generation then those that follow them." In the above Hadith the prophet is telling us the way to understand the Qur'aan and the Sunnah is the way the Sahabaahs understood and practiced it.

If the understanding of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of any group coincides with the understanding of the Companions in all issues, then that group would be the one that is on the truth.

It must also be very clear that only one group of all the groups that are existing is on the correct way as is explained in the Hadith.

One Way

The saying of Allah further emphasizes that there is only one way. He said: "Whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has been clearly shown to him, and follows other than the way of the believers, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in hell, and what an evil destination." [al-Qur'aan 4:115]

So Allah is also making it very clear that there is only one way i.e. the way of the Messenger and his companions.

"So if they (i.e. the people) believe in the like of what you all believe, (only) then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He is the all-Hearer, the all-Knower." [al-Qur'aan 2:137]

Who are the people Allah refers to, as "...in the like of what you all believe.", during the time of this verse being revealed, were they not the first generation of believers who witnessed the revelation?. So once again Allah makes it clear that there is only one way i.e. the way of the Messenger and his companions. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam has also stated: "Whoever introduces something (new, bida’a or innovations) into this matter of ours (i.e. Islam), will have it rejected." [Sahi Bukhari] "Whoever does an act which we have not commanded, it will be rejected" [Sahi Muslim].”

“And whatsoever the messenger (PBUH) gives you, take it, and whatsoever forbids you, abstain it (or stop whatever he stops you from doing)” ( Surah Al-Hasr: verse 7). Once the final verse revealed, "Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favors upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (Surah Maidah:verse 3), no more new commandment or innovations(bidaah) in religion shall be accepted.

Life is too short so we must make sure that before we die we secure the key that will take us to Al-Jannah (Heaven). Let us not follow Allah's religion based on customs and based on our desires but let us keep an open mind and beg Allah to guide us to the Truth that was left very clear for us by Him and His Messenger. Remember also :“Verily God is Pure and He does not accept that which isn’t good and pure(halal).” Thus when one presents himself to God he should be in a state of purity from the inner depths of his body to his outer appearance so that his prayers and duaa may be accepted, God willing”(Imam Nawawi in his 40 hadith)