THE SAHAABAH THE CRITERION OF TRUTH

Today a critical situation has developed in the ranks of many of our modern and westernised Muslims. A severe epidemic of disbelief is sweeping amidst their ranks. The danger of Kufr –disbelief- has manifested itself in a symptom which clearly reveals the trend which the modernist Muslim is travelling towards. This grave symptom is their desire to REMOVE THE GREAT SAHAABAH OR COMPANIONS OF RASOOLULLAH (SAW) FROM THE LOFTY RANK ASSIGNED TO THEM BY ALLAH AND HIS RASOOL.

The seeds of this cancer have been sown deliberately by certain enemies of the Deen, and the processes of germination and development of these seeds of Kufr have been greatly facilitated by a society of loose morals and weak faith. Those who have become the slaves of desire and the followers of Shaitaan – yet calling themselves Muslims- have realized that the one and sure method of unshackling themselves from the Divine restrictions and commands of Allah , is to destroy the great and wonderful edifice of this Deen of Islaam . However, they have realized that it is not possible to succeed in this devilish task as long as the image of the Sahaabah remains shadowing this Deen of Allah. They have therefore deemed it a pre-requisite to annihilate the colossal and holy image of the noble Sahaabah. They are fully aware of the fact that should they succeed in effacing the Sahaabah's image of glory and sanctity from the minds of Muslims the structure of the Shari'ah will come down tumbling. But these enemies of the Deen are in for a rude shock, for Allah has declared in His Holy Book:

“And, they desire to extinguish the Light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it.”

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The Companions of Rasoolullah (SAW) are the Criterion of the Truth. It was from the Sahaabah that the world learned what this Deen of Islaam was. It is from the Sahaabah that we obtained the Sunnah of our Nabi (SAW).

There is an accepted rule that if one desires to reject a narration, firstly discredit the narrator, and , automatically the narration will likewise be discredited. Employing this rule as their chief weapon the enemies of the Sahaabah are endeavouring to the best of their intellectual prowess to defile and distort the history of the illustrious and valiant sons of Islaam – the Sahaabah of our Nabi(SAW). They endeavour to cast reflections on the integrity and truth of the Sahaabah so as to eliminate the reverence the Muslim world has for these great upholders of Islaam . Because the Sahaabah were the very first narrators and disseminators of the Deen delivered to humanity by Muhammad (SAW), the mischief-makers, quite logically, made the Sahaabah their first and foremost target for their pernicious onslaught to dislodge the sacred and hallowed image and lofty pedestal which the Sahaabah occupy in the Ummah of Muhammad(SAW). But the modernist is doomed to a disastrous failure for Allah is the Protector of Islaam .

There exists one common factor in all the sects which have gone astray from the Seeratul Mustaqeem – the Path of the Sunnah. Yes, despite their mutual differences, all the sects which drifted from the Sunnah suffer from the same disease, viz., rejection of the Sahaabah and the desire to demote the sahaabah to the rank of ordinary members of the Ummah. It is therefore imperitave that Muslims be on their guard against all who attempt to belittle the position of the Sahaabah. The noble Companions of Rasoolullah (SAW) whom the followers of lust desire to discredit are the very Men whom Allah has cited as the “Criterion of Imaan ”. Says Allah in the Holy Qur'aan:

“Believe like the people have believed…”

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The term, An-Nass (the people) mentioned in this aayat refers to the Sahaabah(RA). The Mufassireen say that the aayat is a reference to the high degree of Imaan of the Sahaabah. Allah has, thus cited the Imaan of the Sahaabah as the standard of Imaan .

The followers of Satan desire to destroy the noble image of the Sahaabah who were those valiant sons of Islaam who spread and nourished Islaam with their sweat and blood. Allah bears witness to the truth and integrity of the Sahaabah. In the following verse of the Holy Qur'aan Allah cites the Sahaabah as the “Criterion of Truth and Integrity”:

“They(the Sahaabah) are such Men who have fulfilled the pledge made with Allah. Some among them (Sahaabah) have sacrificed their lives, and others are waiting in expectation of sacrificing their lives. They have not changed in their steadfastness and resolution.”

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These are the Men(the Sahaabah) for whose truth and integrity Allah , Himself vouches. And, these are the Men whom our ignorant ‘Mujtahids' and miserable ‘philosophers' of today desire to discredit. It is very clear that should the enemies of the Sunnah succeed in their unholy task of destroying the integrity of the Sahaabah, it would be easier for them to rip apart the structure of Islaam because the entire Shari'ah – the Ahaadith and the Qur'aan- has been handed to us by the narration of the Sahaabah. We did not receive this Deen directly by means of revelation to us. The revelation was to our Nabi(SAW) alone, and this revelation was transmitted to us by the Sahaabah and then by the great authorities of Islaam – the Fuqaha and Muhaditheen. However, Allah had full knowledge of all this evil and mischief of the enemies of the Sahaabah, hence He declares in the Holy Quran:

“And, Allah will perfect His Noor (His Light) even though the unbelievers detest it.”

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The Sahaabah constitute the pivots of this Deen of Islaam . They were the upholders and the defenders of this Deen of Allah. History can not show another group which has sacrificed so much sweat and blood for the glory of Allah's Name than the Sahaabah – may the pleasure of Allah be with them perpetually!

Precisely for this reason Allah reveals to the ummah time and again, the glorious and sacred pedestal occupied by the Sahaabah of Muhammad (SAW). Allah pays tribute to the glory of the Sahaabah in the following words:

“These are the people (Sahaabah) in whose hearts Allah has impregnated Imaan. And, Allah has strengthened them (the Sahaabah) with a special spirit from His side.”

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Allahu Akbar! Allah has fortified the sahaabah with a special power directly emanating from Him, yet the enemies of the Sunnah – the modern ‘revivers of the faith' among us – the protagonists of so-called “enlightened reasoning” – venture to display their audacity and narrow-mindedness by casting doubts on the knowledge, truth and perfect integrity of the Sahaabah. Fie upon them!

Hazrat Shah Waliullah (Rah) has recorded in his book, “Izaalatul Khifaa”, approximately one hundred verses of the Qur'aan which put the seal on the sanctity and the elevated position of the Sahaabah. The Holy Quran raises the Sahaabah to such a lofty status that to compare them (Sahaabah) with non-Sahaabah would be a grievous and a dastardly error relegating one's Imaan to a despicable level of degradation. Allah speaks of the Sahaabah in the following glowing terms:

“They (the Sahaabah) are the ones who have received guidance.”

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“They (the Sahaabah) are those who have taken precedence and were the first (to accept Islaam) among the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, and those who have followed them (the Sahaabah) with belief. Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Allah.”

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The Holy Qur'aan bears testimony to the fact that the Sahaabah of Muhammad(SAW) are the “Criterion of Truth”. Who then is more despicable than that person who dares deny the testimony of Allah? The modernist must take notice of this fact. For safe-guarding his Faith, the modernist must beware of making the Sahaabah the target of his attacks and criticisms. When next the modernist (who believes that he is a Muslim) attempts to equate himself with the Sahaabah, he should bear in mind the following warning of our Nabi (SAW):

“Fear Allah! Fear Allah with regard to my Sahaabah. Do not make them a target after me. Whosoever loves the Sahaabah loves them because of my love. And, whosoever dislikes them, dislikes them because he dislikes me. He who harms them has harmed me. And, he who harms me has caused hurt to Allah. And, he who causes hurt to Allah, Allah will soon grab hold of him.”

[Tirmidhi]

Our Nabi(SAW) has informed us that Allah , Himself has appointed the Sahaabah as the Helpers and Protectors of this Deen. The following Hadith of our Nabi (SAW) is recorded in Muatta Imaam Muhammad as well as in other books of Hadith:

“Verily, Allah gazed into the hearts of His servants and chose Muhammad whom He sent with His Message. Then, Allah gazed at the hearts of His servants and chose for Muhammad companions. Thus, Allah made these companions of Muhammad the Helpers and the Ministers of the Deen…”

The Sahaabah are the leaders of mankind no matter how much this fact may be detested by those present-day ‘revivers of the faith'; and, the Sahaabah will be Leaders on the Day of Qiyaamah as well. Says our Nabi(SAW):

“On the Day of Qiyaamah my Sahaabah will be raised as Leaders and as Light for the people of the land wherein they(Sahaabah) died.”

The modernist Muslim must desist in colouring Allah 's Laws with his own fanciful interpretations. He must, for the sake of his own Imaan see the Laws of Allah in the light of the interpretation given by the Sahaabah of our Nabi(SAW). Nabi(SAW) has commanded so:

“Regard my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my righteous Khalifas as an obligatory duty upon you…”

If Muslims desire the safety of their Imaan , they have to follow the Sahaabah and not the slaves of ‘modernity'. Said our Nabi (SAW):

“Follow those (the Sahaabah) after me.”

Our Nabi (SAW) commanded us to cling on firmly to the Sunnah by following in the footsteps of the Sahaabah. Thus Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

“Hold on firmly to the Sunnah with your jaws.”

The Imaan of Muslims has become today highly vulnerable because of lack of Islaam ic knowledge and because of the un- Islaam ic upbringing and environment to which they are subjected. Atheism, materialism and modernism operating under the garb of “progressive religion” and “enlightened thinking” are preying upon and plundering the Imaan of the unwary Muslim by trying to ensnare him away from the Sunnah of our Nabi(SAW). Pure Islaam is only the Sunnah of Muhammad(SAW). No brand of modernistic ‘ Islaam ' is compatible with the Shari'ah – with the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (SAW). In these difficult times of Kufr, Muslims must be doubly awake and guard themselves against the cunning and treacherous enemy of the sunnah who sets himself up as the guardian and custodian of the Deen of Islam.

Muslims must realise that knowledge of the English language, a couple of university degrees and diplomas do not qualify one to be a Faqih ( Islaam ic Jurist). No amount of western education –no amount of philosophy and theosophy – qualifies one to be an authority of Islaam . For this reason Muslims should not be misled by the modernist who endeavours to portray himself as an authority on Islaam ic Law. In fact, the modernist is openly flouting and rejecting the Sunnah of our Nabi(SAW) and endeavours to sell his own desires and fancies as Islaam ic Law. Therefore, should you follow him you will most assuredly go astray – far, far from the Path of Allah. Allah says about such false preachers:

“Verily many are the people who lead astray(others) by their desires because they have no knowledge. “

[Surah An'aam]

“And, if you follow them you will become unbelievers.”

[Surah An'aam]

Let us pray and supplicate to Allah to protect us from the mischief of the enemies of the Sunnah.

Ambiyaa And Auliyaa

A Wali (plural-auliyaa) can never attain the rank of a Nabi. It is kufr to believe that a Wali is superior to or equal to a Nabi in rank. The Karaamiyah sect and the Shiah sect believe in the superiority of Saints and Imaams over some of the Ambiyaa.

Sahaabah And Non-Sahaabah

A non-Sahaabi can never attain the rank of a Sahaabi. The difference in rank of Sahaabah and non-Sahaabah is so vast that the greatest Wali after the Sahaabah is not equal in rank to the lowest Sahaabi.