Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali reported: Al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Our knowledge of Tasawwuf is defined by the Book and the Sunnah. Whoever does not memorize the Quran, nor write the prophetic teachings, nor study their understanding, he is not to be followed in it.” Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 10/255 عن أبي …
Junayd on Tasawwuf: True Sufism based on Quran, Sunnah, and Fiqh Read More »
Malik ibn Anas reported: Wahb ibn Kaysan, may Allah have mercy on him, would sit with us and he would not stand to leave until he said to us, “Nothing will reform the latter of this nation except what reformed the beginning of it.” Source: Musnad al-Muwaṭṭaʼ lil-Jawharī 1/584 عَنْ مَالِكٍ بن أنس قَالَ كَانَ …
Malik on Salaf: Way of righteous predecessors our only option Read More »
Ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Follow the example of these two men from my companions after me, Abu Bakr and Umar. Be guided by the guidance of ‘Ammar and adhere to the advice of Ibn Mas’ud.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3805 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani …
Hadith on Sahaba: Virtues of Abu Bakr, Umar, ‘Ammar, and Ibn Mas’ud Read More »
Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever does not desire my Sunnah is not a part of me.” Source: al-Sunnah li-Ibn Abī ‘Āṣim 52 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ …
Hadith on Sunnah: Whoever forsakes Sunnah is not part of Muhammad Read More »
‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Amr reported: We were with Al-A’mash, may Allah have mercy on him, while he was asking Abu Hanifa about legal issues and Abu Hanifa answered him. Al-A’mash said to him, “From where did you get this?” Abu Hanifa said, “You narrated to us from Ibrahim as such. You narrated to us from Al-Sha’bi …
A’mash on Hadith: Fiqh scholars are doctors, Hadith scholars pharmacists Read More »
Al-‘Irbad ibn Sariyah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I have left you upon a clear path, its clarity is the same by night or day. No one deviates from it after me but that he will be ruined.” Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 44 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani عَنْ …
Hadith on Sunnah: I left you upon a clear path, the Sunnah Read More »
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah blocks the repentance of all who are committing heretical innovations.” Source: al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ 4204 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَجَبَ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ صَاحِبِ …
Hadith on Bid’ah: Repentance not accepted until heresy abandoned Read More »
Sa’id ibn Wahb reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “People will continue to be virtuous as long as they take knowledge from the companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and their elders. If they take their knowledge from the young, that is when they will be ruined.” …
Ibn Mas’ud on Knowledge: Learn from the Prophet’s companions, elders Read More »
Al-Qayrawani reported: Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The prophetic Hadith cause misguidance, except for the scholars of Fiqh.” Source: al-Jāmi’ fī al-Sunan wal-Ādāb 1/118 عن القيرواني قال سفيان بن عيينة رحمه الله الحديث مَضِلَّة إلا للفقهاء 1/118 الجامع في السنن والآداب والمغازي والتاريخ
Al-Tabari reported: Abu Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Goodness is in peace of mind and evil is in doubt. Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt.” Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 67:15 عن الطبري وَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ رضي الله عنه الْخَيْرُ فِي طُمَأْنِينَةٍ وَالشَّرُّ فِي رِيبَةٍ فَذَرْ مَا يُرِيبُكَ …
Abu Darda on Doubts: Leave what is doubtful for certainty Read More »
Abdullah ibn Nafi’ reported: Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the saying of Allah Almighty, “The Most Merciful rose above the Throne,” (20:5). The man said, “How is His rising?” Malik said, “The rising is acknowledged, its modality is unknown, and asking about it is an innovation. I see you …
Malik on Divinity: Attributes of Allah affirmed, modality unknown Read More »
Ibn Abdul Barr reported: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Al-Awza’i had opinions, Malik had opinions, Sufyan al-Thawri had opinions. Each of them had opinions, and it is all the same to me. Indeed, the proof is only in the narrations.” In another narration, Ahmad said, “Do not uncritically follow me, …
Ahmad on Sunnah: Do not blindly follow me, follow Sunnah Read More »
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi reported: Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, said to his student Abu Yusuf one day, “Woe to you, O Ya’qub! Do not write down everything you hear from me. Indeed, I may have an opinion today and abandon it tomorrow, or I may have an opinion tomorrow and abandon it the …
Abu Hanifa on Sunnah: Follow the Sunnah first, jurists second Read More »
Al-Nawawi reported: Al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “If a prophetic narration is authenticated and it contradicts my opinion, act according to the narration and abandon my opinion.” Source: al-Majmū’ Sharḥ al-Muhadhab 1/104 عن النووي عَنْ الشَّافِعِيِّ قَالَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إذَا صَحَّ الْحَدِيثُ خِلَافَ قَوْلِي فَاعْمَلُوا بِالْحَدِيثِ وَاتْرُكُوا قَوْلِي 1/104 المجموع شرح المهذب
Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would let his hair hang down, while the idolaters would part their hair. The people of the Book would let their hair hang down and the Prophet liked to agree with the people of the Book in matters for which he received …
Hadith on Dress: The Prophet’s way of wearing his hair Read More »
Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib reported: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Take knowledge wherever you find it and do not uncritically accept the opinion jurists have of one another. Indeed, they differ with each other like goats in a pen.” Source: Jāmi’ Bayān al-‘Ilm 1308 عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضي …
Ibn Abbas on ‘Ilm: Learn from many sources, blindly follow no one Read More »
Al-Zarkashi reported: Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Seeking the best option is nine tenths of knowledge.” Al-Baji said, “Istihsan, as applied by the Maliki scholars, means to seek the opinion that is based on the stronger of two indications in the text.” Source: al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ 2/97 عن الزركشي قَالَ مالك بن …
Malik on Istihsan: Seeking best ruling is nine tenths of knowledge Read More »
Ibn al-Jawzi said, “If you find a prophetic narration disagreeing with sound reason, contradicting established revelation, or conflicting with the principles, know that it is inauthentic.” Al-Suyuti said, “The meaning of conflicting with the principles is that it falls outside the literature of Islam, the transmitted sciences and the famous books.” Source: Tadrīb al-Rāwī 1/327 …
Ibn Jawzi on Hadith: How to recognize a Hadith is weak or fabricated Read More »
Al-Bayhaqi reported: Al-Shafi’i, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “You must acquire understanding in the religion before assuming leadership. If you assume leadership first, there will be no way to acquire understanding.” Source: al-Madkhal ilā al-Sunan al-Kubrá 271 عن البيهقي قال الشافعي رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَفَقَّهْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَرَأَّسَ فَإِذَا تَرَأَّسْتَ فَلا سَبِيلَ إِلَى …
Shafi’i on Fiqh: You must understand religion before leadership Read More »
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi reported: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Three types of books have no basis: chronicles of military history, great battles at the end of time, and Quranic exegesis.” Al-Khatib said, “These words should be understood at face value as they are. The meaning is that there are some specific …
Ahmad on Apocrypha: Many books of history, exegesis are baseless Read More »