Authored by Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmān al Barrāk ﷲ ﺣﻔظﮫ
Translated by a Brother
Allāh has sent our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with guidance and the religion of truth (Islâmic Monotheism) to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the Mushrikûn hate it, and this was fulfilled as He (Allāh) ﷻ promised the Prophet ﷺ, continued to call towards Allāh day and night, secretly and openly, with his words and his actions, until the people entered the religion of Allāh in crowds, so the Prophet ﷺ, did not pass away until Allāh perfected for him and his Ummah their religion, and completed his favor upon them, as it has come in the noble verse that was revealed upon the Prophet ﷺ, while he was standing in 'Arafah, and he has left this Ummah upon a path of brightness whose night is like its day, meaning: that he ﷺ has explained the Dīn with the complete explanation, then he conveyed the message of his Lord as Allāh commanded him to with His saying:
''O Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allâh will protect you from mankind. Verily, Allâh guides not the people who disbelieve.'' [Sūrah Al-Mā’idah: 67].
And he (the Prophet) commanded his companions -may Allāh be pleased with them- that they convey (the message); in his Khutbah, in the farewell pilgrimage: “Let those who are present convey to those who are absent.” And he ﷺ said: “Convey from me, even if it be a verse”. So his companions -may Allāh be pleased with them conveyed by establishing, da'wah (calling unto Allāh) and Jihād (striving in the way of Allāh); like their Prophet ﷺ and Islām spread throughout the globe: east and west.
And he ﷺ informed that it will take place in this Ummah: splitting and disagreements, and he explained that the Firqah An-Nājiyyah (the Saved Sect), they are those who are upon the likes of what he ﷺ, and his companions -may Allāh be pleased with them- were upon, as he ﷺ informed that Islām began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began.
And the issues happened as he ﷺ foretold, divisions began in the Ummah since the emergence of the Khawārij, the Rāfidah, the Murji'ah and the Qadariyyah, then the sects branched out and multiplied, and the bid'ah of Ta’tīl (negation of attributes) emerged whose adherents are known by its founder “Jahm Ibn Safwān” and they are the Jahmiyyah, then the bid'ah of Ta’tīl branched out into various sects, and their schools were confused in the attributes of Allâh, and in His words, and in destiny (Qadr), then these sects spread over this Ummah.
But Allāh has ensured the protection of His Book and His Dīn, so it has not ceased, that from this Ummah someone who establishes the matters of Dīn with its exposition, as it came in the famous Hadīth: “In every successive century those who are reliable authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and the interpretations of the ignorant.” (Mishkāt al-Masābih 248). And in another hadith: “Allāh will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years is the one who will revive its religion for it.” (Sunan Abī Dawūd 4291).
And with these divisions and disagreements: It is necessary to refer any disputes or differences among people back to the Book of Allāh and Sunnah of His Rasūl ﷺ and consider them in light of what the companions -may Allāh be pleased with them- were upon, as they were upon the straight guidance, and Allāh has promised them with contentment and Paradise: As for the foremost from the Emigrants and the Helpers and those who follow them in goodness, as Allāh ta'ālā said:
{And the foremost to embrace Islâm of the Muhâjirûn and the Ansâr and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allâh is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.} [Sūrah At-Tawbah: 100]
And the truth is only known by the meaning of the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, the truth is not known by the majority, for Allāh the Almighty has invalidated that, as He made it clear that the majority are not reliable, as the Almighty said: ''but most of men know not.'' (Yūsuf:21) and the Almighty said: ''but most men thank not.'' (Yūsuf:38) and the Almighty said: "And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allâh’s Path..." (Al-An'ām:116).
And the Sunnah is what the companions of the Messenger ﷺ where upon, and it is proved by the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. And the ''Ashā’irah'' is a sect from the sects of Islām, and even though they claim to follow the Sunnah, neither does their doctrine conform to what the Companions -may Allāh be pleased with them- were upon, nor does it align with what the Qur’ān and hadīth indicate. So the Ash’ari doctrine includes contradictory matters, such as denying many of the Attributes, as they affirm only seven of the Attributes, and they claim: “īmān is merely belief.” Meaning they exclude the actions from being part of īmān, and this is the doctrine of the Murji’ah.
And from the foundations of their doctrine is the denial of the effect of causes on their main reasons, and from that: is the denial of slave's ability to impact his actions, and they claim: that Allāh’s speech has a metaphorical meaning and His Speech cannot be heard; because (according to them) it is neither a letter nor a sound, and that this Qur’ān is an expression of the words of Allāh,and not His actual speech; thereby Mūsa did not hear the Speech of Allāh, but rather a speech created by Allāh in the tree and this is but an expression of the metaphorical meaning. And this would represent a great defect for Allāh, as this saying involves comparing Allāh to the mute (as a mute cannot speak in actual words).
And these sayings/beliefs are not considered even if some of the elders and the virtuous from the people of knowledge said it, for they are not infallible, and any contradictory statements they made in contrast to the doctrine of the righteous predecessors are considered to be their errors which should not be followed, and they strived (towards the truth) and will be rewarded for it.
And it is incumbent upon the Muslim: to judge by the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ and not to be fanatically attached to an Imām, or a school, for every opinion is subject to examination and scrutiny, except for the Messenger ﷺ and Allāh knows best.
All praise be to Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists).