Path of the Sahabah

Path of the Sahabah

Sheikh Kamal El Mekki

Introduction

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. Alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. Was-salatu was-salamu ala rasulil ameen wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'een. Amma ba'd, thank you for coming, for taking the time out from your evening. Barakallahu feekum.

And thank you for the organizers and MRM and all the wonderful brothers and sisters who it's a pleasure to be with. I wanted to talk about the path of the sahaba, the religious path of the sahaba. The religious one, right? And so I have a few bulleted points that I want to go through.

The Most Successful Generation

First of all, they're the most successful generation, the best generation of Muslims, and the most successful people religiously. So it already, to a sane person, makes sense to follow them. It makes sense to follow them. Now, you would think this would be a very easy life, because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala praised the companions in the Quran.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) multiple times praised them and mentioned that they're upon the truth and so on and so forth. That it should be easy and everyone should just follow their way. But of course, many obstacles come in the path that we're going to discuss.

The Hadith of the Generations

So, we said that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala praised them in the Quran, and Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also praised them. And he spoke about that generation. So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the very famous hadith says,

(Sahih Bukhari 2652, Sahih Muslim 2533)

The best of generations is my generation.

Then the ones coming after them. Then the generation coming after them. Then the lies will spread.

So what does it mean lies will spread? The scholars say by lies here, some scholars said it means the innovations, people adding things into the religion, strange acts of worship, strange things being added into the religion of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Now, and this of course when you add something into the religion, it's called a bidعة. Now if you say the word bidعة, you're labeled as something yourself. So as if these things don't exist.

People constantly adding things to the religion of Allah. And no one has a right to add or take away from the deen except for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and his messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). But all kinds of crazy things happen and everyone says, No, it's a good thing to do it.

The Story of the Dream and the Adhan

It's always a good thing. Show me one bidعة where the guy who created it said, Oh, this is a very bad thing. Okay, but we're just gonna do it for a few months. It's always a good thing. And sometimes just a ridiculous thing. This happened actually in a region in Al-Sham.

Where someone saw a dream. This is a true story. Someone saw a dream in which they were making adhan. So he saw himself making the adhan. And in the adhan he said,

I bear witness that our master Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. So he added this word "سيدنا".

More respect, right? So he tells this dream. When he woke up, he tells this dream to someone. That guy liked it. He said, I'll try it. So he made the adhan and he said,

Another mu'adhin heard it. I like that.

And it came to after a while, that entire region was making the adhan in that way. Sometimes just a dream. Like this is what it takes now. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) fought and was injured and fought so hard for this religion. And now just one dream can change something that he's taught us or initiated.

The Quality of That Generation

Something else about the dream, the hadith of the generations. So we said the best of generation are the first three. Then you're gonna see more lies coming into the religion, things changing into the religion. But the scholars said something interesting.

They said, this hadith isn't just saying the Muslims of his generation (صلى الله عليه وسلم) were the best. It's a very interesting point. They said even the non-Muslims of his generation were better than non- Muslims later on.

And if you look at this, you'll see that it's very true. It's very true. So the non-Muslims at the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)are better than the non-Muslims today. They had, let's be honest, they had some values Muslims don't have today.

The Story of Abu Jahl

Remember Abu Jahl, right? Abu Jahl, when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Abu Bakr left for the Hijrah. Actually they stayed in the cave, right? For three days first. So Abu Jahl then, they go looking for

the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Abu Bakr. So they go to the house of Abu Bakr. And they asked Asma, the older sister of Aisha, Where is your father? And she said, I don't know.

So he hit her. He slapped her. And some narrations say that he slapped her, and she was wearing an earring, and so she started to bleed from the slap.

Now, this is Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl people, he tells Abu Sufyan who was with him

Do not tell anyone that I hit her. Why? He was ashamed. He was ashamed. Can you imagine this man? He was ashamed that he hit a woman. Now, should I tell you stories about the hitting women now? MashaAllah.

Modern Examples

Forget the lay people hitting women. One time I wanted to give a Jumu'ah khutbah in a masjid in America. The Imam took me to his house. We had breakfast. He was nice and everything and good host. Now he's driving me to his masjid to give the Jumu'ah khutbah.

When we get there, I was wearing a suit and tie. He said, I have a favor if you don't mind. Can you take off your tie? I said, Sure. Does it bother the community? Because if it bothers the community, I'll take it off. It's not wajib to put on a tie. And if it'll make my khutbah more understandable and reach more hearts because I have no tie on, I'll take off the tie.

I took off the tie, gave the khutbah. I came back maybe a year or so later. And I asked, How is Imam so and so? Turns out that he had imprisoned his wife in the home. He used to like abuse her and everything. And she was imprisoned in the house. And one day she broke free and ran to the neighbors and called the police.

So, Abu Jahl felt ashamed that he hit a woman. And now religious people hitting women and doing all kinds of things.

The Honesty of Abu Sufyan

The honesty also with the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari of Abu Sufyan, when he was questioned by Hiraql. So, Hiraql, Hiraqlius, he had Abu Sufyan stand in the front like this. And his companions stand behind him. The friends of Abu Sufyan who were traveling with him.

And he's their leader, stood behind him. So, Hiraql said, If he lies, he's not gonna see you if you snitch on him. If he lies, let me know that he's lying. Abu Sufyan said, I know. They're my friends and I'm their leader. And I know they're not going to. If I lie to Hiraql, they're not gonna turn me in. They don't even know Hiraql. They're not gonna turn me in.

He said, I didn't want people to say that I'm a liar. This is Abu Sufyan who was at that point the number one enemy of Islam. So, you see a lot of really good qualities in the non-Muslims of old. And they're

better than the non-Muslims of today. So, the scholar said, The best of generations from Muslims and from amongst non-Muslims as well.

Following the Saved Sect

Now, so we know that this is the best generation of Muslims. These first three. Wouldn't it be logical that when we look for religious leadership, we kind of look at that direction? You would imagine that would be the case. We look at that direction for religious leadership because they're the best of generations.

And they're also the saved sect, right? And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) spoke about that the Ummah will break into 70 odd groups. 70 odd, 73, 75, 77, 79, 70 odd groups. Just to show a large number, right? And he said, they'll all be in the hellfire except for one.

Now, the scholars explained this, It doesn't mean that they're all kuffar or anything. That's why they're in the hellfire. Meaning they're all under the threat of going to the hellfire. They all have error except for one.

The companions were amazing people. They always asked questions because they want to make sure the path is clear ahead of them. So they said, okay, which one is the one that's saved? So today if you tell people, there'll be 70 odd groups in the hellfire, one is saved. They'll be like, that's interesting. But they won't ask you which one is saved.

So they said, which is the one that's saved? What's their description? And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said

(Sunan Tirmidhi 2641)

The religion that I'm upon and my companions.

Why Follow the Companions?

So, why then are we to follow the way of the companions? Because they're the ones who received and learned from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They're the ones who received and learned from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

As Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, they were the ones who lived, or were alive when a verse was revealed. And some of them, the verses were concerning them. Or an action that some of them have done. And it was revealed and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explained, No, this is not what it means, this is exactly what it means.

So they're the ones who understood the Book of Allah and the words of Allah azza wa jal. Better than any group, better than any generation in history, obviously.

And that's why this group, these three generations are known as Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah. And that's what it means when they say Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah. It means this group, the companions, the

generation after them, the understanding that they were upon, those are who are Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah.

The Challenge of Individual Interpretation

The ones who learned from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Today people will give you this interpretation, and that's your understanding, that's how you understand this verse, that's how I understand it, and so on and so forth. We're gonna come to these arguments in a little bit.

But can you compare that to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud for example, who swears by Allah, there's not a verse of the Quran, except I can tell you where it was revealed, when it was revealed. If it was during night or during the day time. And if it was in a flat land or in a high area.

I'm gonna leave the statement of someone who knows the Quran that well, and listen to some guy now who's gonna tell me some new nonsense.

The Doctor's Misguided Approach

There was a doctor in America, and I knew this woman. And she basically says, I don't need anyone to tell me what Allah is saying to me. Okay? I don't need any sheikh, I don't need any scholar, I don't need a mufassir. I read the Quran because the Quran is Allah's message to me. I read it and I understand it however I understand it.

I understand whatever Allah is saying to me personally. And Allah might say something different to you, and something different to you, and something different to you. So I understand what Allah is saying to me. And don't come and force me upon what you understood from the Quran. Everyone understands something different.

The sad part of the story is that she doesn't even understand Arabic. So what's she reading then? What is she reading? A translation. Now, if you actually look at the translation of the Quran, if you read it carefully, it's actually based off of tafsir. So she's already relying on tafsir from someone else. I don't need a scholar. I read the book of Allah and I see what Allah is saying to me.

As if there isn't one message of the Quran, but there are multiple messages of the Quran.

Guidance for Times of Differences

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says, he knows that there are going to be changes. And he says

(Sunan Abu Dawud 4607)

Whoever of you lives long after me, he will see many differences. We know and we live in this world with many differences. So hadith is for these kinds of times.

A very important point. Deviant groups, break off of mainstream Islamic groups. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) didn't draw the straight path, then a line off of it, then a line off the line. Did he ever do that in the diagram? He never drew a line off of a line. They all came off of the straight path.

Which means, whenever a deviant group arises or emerges, it emerges out of the mainstream Muslims. And one of the best examples is that, the Khawarij came out of the army of Ali radiallahu anhu. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said in a hadith مَارِقَةٌ تَمْرْق )Sahih Bukhari 3610) - And that's why in the beginning, the Khawarij were known as Al-Mariqah. Because they emerged, came out.

Even Khawarij, Khuruj, to break away, to break out of, to come out of. So they came out of the army of Ali. So Ali radiallahu anhu, does that mean there's something wrong with his aqeedah, or belief, or something wrong with his group? Because a deviant came out of it? No, that's actually proof that his group is upon this line.

Because from this line, break off other groups. Some people now try to tell you things like, we see that Islamic, a lot of extremist groups, they break off of Ahlus Sunnah wa Jama'ah. They never break off from this group. They never break off from that group. That's like a good thing for those groups. No.

They never break off from those groups, because those groups aren't the mainstream. The deviations come out of the mainstream.

The Death of the Author Concept

There's something that's, it's been going on for a while now in the west, it's called the death of the author. The idea is called the death of the author. Some of you who deal with literature and everything, are familiar with this.

The death of the author is basically saying now, that I am free to understand whatever I want to understand, from this piece of work, this piece of literature, or this poem. I understand it however I want to understand it. The author is dead as far as I'm concerned.

So the author writes a poem, about, I don't know, whatever, appreciating flowers. And when he wrote it, he really meant flowers. But someone will say, no, it's not speaking about flowers. Flowers here is a symbolism for nasi lamak. Just make up something, right? Then you put your post on the internet. And then the author contacts you, he said, no, actually I didn't mean nasi lamak, I really meant flowers.

I like flowers, I'm a horticulturalist or whatever. And I meant flowers. So okay, so now with this new idea, you tell him, it doesn't matter what you meant. What matters is how it spoke to me. See what's happening? And now this is crept into the minds of Muslims now.

So they tell you, no, it doesn't matter how you understand the verse, or what the Mufassireen said about the verse, or what Ibn Abbas said about the verse. What matters is how I understood the verse. That's

what it spoke to me.

The Clarity of the Quran

But then when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says something in his book, you wanna apply that. Look at how Allah described his book. First of all, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed it,

in a clear Arabic tongue.

Then the verses of the Quran آيات بينات - Ayaat that are clear. Ayaat that clarify other issues. So Allah says, we revealed in it

in other parts,

Allah is talking about his book being clear, the language of the book being clear.

And you're telling me, no, no, as many Muslims exist on earth, each one can understand something different from this book. And everyone can see it in a different way. So then what is Allah saying that's clear then? Then what is the value of the Quran as a book of guidance?

If someone reads it and goes, and if I give you a map like that, I give five brothers the same map, everyone reads the same map, it's supposed to take them to the same place, but everyone goes in a different direction completely. What would you say about this map? It's good, it's clear, it guides? It doesn't guide.

And when you guide, you have a specific location where you're taking everyone. So the Quran being a book of guidance should guide all people to one place.

The Evidence for Specific Understanding

Here's other evidence, strong evidence, that there's a specific understanding Allah wants you to have. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,

Ask the people of knowledge if you don't know.

The scholars say this verse is proof that there's an intended understanding, not four or five. And that is, if you could understand the Quran anyway you wanted to, why would Allah ask you, ask the people of knowledge?

Asking the people of knowledge indicates that there's a specific understanding that Allah wants you to have. And if you don't have it, go to these people, the scholars, who are the ones who will have it. Why am I going to them if I'm free to understand it my own way? Why did Allah tell me to go to them?

If Allah revealed the Quran for every believing man and woman to understand it in any way they wanted to, why would Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tell you to go to the people of knowledge to get the specific understanding?

Q&A Session

Question About Muhkamat and Mutashabihat

Question: How about, like, you know, there is muhkamat and mutashabihat in the Quran. So, because if we restrict the understanding, then where is the position of ijtihad?

Answer: Excellent. Our brother asked a very intelligent question. And he's saying that I mean, basically he's citing from the Quran evidence that says that there are some verses that are vague and unclear in meaning.

(Quran) (3:7) - Right? And actually the scholars mentioned this issue.

So when we're speaking in general terms, about how, did the companions differ on issues? Absolutely. Did they differ on fiqh issues? Plenty. And they respected the different fiqh issues they had. Did they differ on some issues of belief? There were a few issues of belief they differed upon.

But in general, if you go back to the time of the sahaba and the tabi'een, do you see them as one body upon, more or less, one belief, or do you see them broken up? You see them upon one belief with variations.

Now, the verses of the Quran, the scholars said, they're broken up also into groups. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did that already. So, there are certain verses where nobody understands what they're saying. Such as,

Nobody knows exactly what they mean. That's one.

Then there's some categories of verses that are so clear, they don't need tafsir, they don't need clarification.

(Quran 112:1) - Nobody who understands basic Arabic, hears that verse and thinks more than one maybe. One, it's clear.

Then there's some verses that are vague and they're clarified by other. Other verses will clarify them. Or their understanding isn't with the common folks. But when you go and ask a mufassir or a scholar, they'll give you what the verse means.

So that means, even the Quran wasn't meant to be just one type of verses, even though Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala refers to His verses as clear, because in general that is the case.

Question About Allah's Location

Question: Some people attribute that Allah is not staying in one place, as if Allah has no place, and some others are saying that Allah is in the same place. So I consider this as an aqidah issue, and people argued quite a lot on this. So how do we reconcile on this matter?

Answer: So you heard the question, and the question wasn't which one do you believe, the question was how do you reconcile it, right? And something as important as this can't be one where you cannot reconcile, and it can't be one where you cannot find the truth, or Allah didn't make the truth clear, or the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his companions didn't have a specific understanding.

An issue that is so important has to have an answer for it. It can't be that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala neglected to talk about it, or the companions if you go trace them back, none of them had an issue about it this way or that way. So you can find the truth, and it's the one that has the clear evidence without explanation.

Here's a rule, any time when your position is just to deny what the other person is saying, you're probably at a bad position. Like when every time someone brings you a clear evidence, and you just deny it. That's not a good position to be in.

So the evidence is... the point is to answer your question, how do you reconcile it? It's not difficult to reconcile. It's just through someone putting whatever their bias or whatever their baggage that comes with them aside, and just looking at the evidences. What is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala saying to us clearly? And move away from this whole mystical explanation.

There's always a secret behind the explanation. Or somebody says a statement, oh there's a secret behind it. Or someone makes a statement of kufr, yes but there's a secret behind it. There's always a secret. Is this the religion of secrets? And did Allah reveal this religion to be understood by the masses, or just a few people got the secret?

So anyways, I think that's our time. Jazakumullahu khair. Barakallahu feekum. For attentive listening. And thank you for coming again. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.