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The Islamic Refutation of the Mutazilah sect by the scholars of Islam
In the Name of Allah the most high ,there is no God beside him and Peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah and mercy be upon his companions and family.
This thread is dedicated to the refutation of the wrong beliefs this sect has which contradict pure Islamic beliefs.
Regarding the As Sifaat (the Attributes of Allah the most high) :
Ibn 'Abdul-Barr (d.463H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Ahlus-Sunnah are agreed in affirming all the Sifât (Attributes) which are related in the Qur‘ân and the Sunnah, having îmân (faith) in them and understanding them 'alal-haqîqah (in a real sense), not 'alal-majâz (metaphorically). How they are is not to be asked. However, the Jahmiwah, the Mu'tazilah and the Khawârij all deny them and do not carry them 'alal-haqîqah; claiming that whosoever affirms them has made tashbîh (resemblance), and they claim that whosoever recites them (as they are) is a mushabbih (a person doing tashbîh).” [9]
Ibn Qudâmah (d.620H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘The way of the Salaf is to have îmân (faith) in the Names and Attributes of Allâh that He has described Himself with in His Revelation, or upon the tongue of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhiwa sallam - without increasing, nor decreasing upon it, nor exceeding the limits, nor explaining them (i.e. like the Mu'tazilah), nor making a ta‘wîl of them in a way that opposes the dhâhirmeaning.'' [10]
9. at-Tamhîd (1/145) of Ibn 'Abdul-Barr
10. Dhammut-Ta‘wîl (p. 11) of Ibn Qudâmah al-Maqdisî
Shaykh 'Abdul-Qâdir al-Jîlânî (d.561H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘It is essential to carry the Attribute of al-Istiwâ (Allâh's Ascending) by His Dhât (Essence) over the Throne. Istiwâdoes not mean sitting and touching - as the Mujassimah and Karrâmiyyah say; nor does it mean 'uluww (grandeur and highness) - as the Ash'ariyyah say; nor does it mean istîlâ (conquering or dominating over) - as the Mu'tazilah say. None of this is related in the Sharî'ah. Neither has this been related from any of the Salafus-Sâlih, from the Companions and the Tâbi'în, nor from the Ashâbul-Hadîth (Scholars of Hadîth). Rather, it is related from them that they carried al-Istiwâ with its apparent meaning.'' [23]
[23] al-Ghunyatut-Tâlibîn (1/50) of 'Abdul-Qâdir al-Jîlânî
al-Qâdî Abû Ya'lâ (d.458H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘It is not permissible to repel these narrations - as is the way of a group from amongst the Mu'tazilah. Nor to become pre-occupied with ta‘wîl - as is the way of the Ash'ariyyah. It is obligatory to carry them upon their dhâhir meaning; and that the Attributes of Allâh do not resemble anyone from His creation, nor do we have an 'aqîdah (belief) that there is any tashbîh (resemblance) to them. Rather, [we believe] in what has been reported from our Shaykh and our Imâm, Abû 'Abdullâh Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hanbal, and other Scholars of Ashâbul-Hadîth.'' [20]
20. Ibtâlut-Ta‘wîlât (p. 4)
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal refutation as for itself is presented here :
In his biography of Imam Ahmad entitled al-Jawhar al-Muhsal, the Hanbali scholar as-Sa’idi narrates, in the chapter of the belief of Imam Ahmad, the following story:
Points to remember:
Referrences to the Above are here :
The view of Ahlus Sunnah
The Ahl al-Sunnah are agreed upon affirming the Attributes that occur in the Book and Sunnah, and to carry them in their real sense not figuratively (‘ala’l-haqîqa lâ ‘alâ’l-majâz), except that they did not inquire about the how-ness of anything of that. As for the Jahmiyyah, the Mu’tazilah and the Khawarij, all of them reject them. They do not carry anything from that upon its real sense (‘ala’l-haqîqah). They alleg that whosoever affirms them [upon its real sense] is a anthropomorphist!”
The Qadi Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’ al-Hanbali (d.458), the Imam of the Hanabilah in Baghdad of his time, said concerning this matter:
“Know that it is not permitted to reject these reports [on the Attributes] as a community of the Mu’tazilah did, nor to preoccupy oneself by interpreting (ta’wîl) them as the Ash’ariyyah do! What is obligatory is to take them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ); and that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, not resembling the ones which are described from the Creations; and not professing Tashbîh in them. Rather [profess in them] how it is transmitted on the authority of our Shaykh and Imam, Abu Abdallah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hanbal, and others from the Imams of the Ashab al-Hadith who said concerning these narrations: pass them on as they have come. So they carried them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ) with the belief that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, which do not resemble the rest of the ones that are described.”
[Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’, Ibtal al-Ta’wilat li-Akhbar al-Sifat p.43-44]
[1] Al-Awzâ'î (d. 157H) rahimahullâh - said:
“I asked az-Zuhrî and Makhûl about the âyât pertaining to the Sifât (Attributes of Allâh), so they said: Leave them as they are.” [1]
Al-Walîd ibn Muslim (d.194H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“I asked Mâlik, al-Awzâ'î, Layth ibn Sa'd and Sufyân ath-Thawrî - rahimahumullâh - concerning the reports related about the Attributes, so they all said: Leave them as they are, without asking how.” [2]
Imâm Ahmad (d.241H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“These ahadîth should be left as they are ... We affirm them and we do not make any similitude for them. This is what has been agreed upon by the Scholars.” [3]
Nu'aym ibn Hammâd (d.228H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Whosoever makes tashbîh (resemblance) of Allâh to His creation has committed kufr (disbelief), and whosoever denies what Allâh has described Himself with has also committed kufr. Indeed, all that Allâh has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with, then there is no tashbîh in it at all.” [4]
Imâm as-Sâbûnî (d.448H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Indeed, Ashâbul-Hadîth (the Scholars of Hadîth), [those who hold fast to the Book and the Sunnah] - may Allâh protect their lives and shower mercy upon those that have died - bear witness to the Tawhîd of Allâh and to the Messengership and Prophethood of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa âlihi wa sallam. They know their Lord - the Mighty and Majestic - by the Attributes which He has spoken of in His Revelation, and by what He has sent down, or testified to, by His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam ... They affirm for Allâh - the Mighty and Magnificient - what He affirms for Himself in His Book, or upon the tongue of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam. They do not believe in tashbîh (resemblance) to His Attributes from the attributes of the creation They say: Indeed, He created Âdam with His own Hands, as He - the Most Perfect - textually stated: “O Iblîs! What prevents you from prostrating to one whom I have created with My Own Hands.” [Sûrah Sâd 38:75] So they do not distort the words from their context, by carrying the meaning of Yadain (the two Hands of Allâh) to mean ni'matain (two bounties) or quwwatain (two powers) - which is the tahrîf (distortion) of the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah - may Allâh destroy them. They do not ask how the Attributes are, nor do they resemble them to His creation ... Allâh - the Most High -protected Ahlus-Sunnah from such tahrîf; takyîf and tashbîh, and favoured them with knowledge and understanding.” [7]
1. Related by Imâm al-Lâlikâ‘î in Sharh Usûlul-I'tiqâd Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamâ'ah (3/430) and also by Ibn Qudâmah al-Maqdisî in Dhammut-Ta‘wîl (p. 18) and the chain of narrators is hasan (good).
2. Related by al-Âjurrî in ash-Sharî'ah (p. 314), al-Bayhaqî in al-Asmâ‘ was-Sifât (p. 453) and also in al-I'tiqâd (p. 118) and the chain of narrators is hasan.
3. Related by Ibnul-Jawzî in Manâqibul-Imâm Ahmad (p. 155-156)
4. Related by Imâm adh-Dhahabî in al-'Uluww (no. 217)
7. 'Aqîdah Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamâ'ah Ashâbul-Hadîth wal-A‘immah (no. 3)
The Punishment in Grave :
Abûl-Hasan al-Ash’arî (d.324H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“The Mu’tazilah denied Punishment in the Grave. It has been related from the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam by many ways and by his Companions radiallâhu ’anhum. Nothing has been related from a single one of them denying or negating this, to the point where there is ’ijmâ (consensus) from the Companions of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam.” [22] He also said: “There is consensus that the Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, and that people will be tested and questioned in their graves. So may Allâh establish us with what He loves.”
Risâlah ilâ Ahlith-Taghr (p.279) of Abûl-Hasan al-Ash’arî.
The view of the Ahlus Sunnah
Regarding Qadr (which is predestinated)
It is Allahu ta'ala who creates qadar. Indeed, it is He who creates everything. Some hadith-i sharifs say (what means):
(Allahu ta'ala states: "I am the Lord of the worlds. None but I determine good and evil. Woe to him about whom I wrote evil. Happy is he about whom I wrote good.") [Ibn Najjar] (Allahu ta'ala certainly knows whether His servants will do good deeds or evil deeds and whether they will go to Hell or Paradise. And He writes what He knows. Man is not compelled to do something as He wrote it. The Jabriyyah sect says that Allah makes His servants do something by force. The Mu'tazila sect denies Allah's qadar.)
(All deeds are from Allahu ta'ala, whether good or bad.) [Tabarani]
(The Qadariyyah has no share from Islam. They say that evil was not predestined.) [Bayhaqi] [The Qadariyyah refers to the Mu'tazilah]
The view of the Ahlus Sunnah
(There is no one whose death is not conditional upon Allah's permission.) [Al-i 'Imran 145]
(It is Allah alone who decrees the time of death.) [Al-An'am 2]
(Everything they did, small or great, is written line by line in the books.) [Al-Qamar 52, 53]
(Every nation has a time of death. When it comes, it neither remains behind nor goes forward by a moment.) [Al-A'raf 34]
(We created everything by qadar [according to a measure].) [Al-Qamar 49]
(Allah knows the place where every living creature stands and where it will be left in the end. All of them are in a clear book [Al-Lawh al-Mahfuz].) [Hud 6]
(Not an atom's weight of thing in the heavens or on earth remains hidden from Him. Anything smaller or greater than that is in a clear book.) [Saba' 3]
(The lifetime granted to a living being and its being diminished are certainly in a book.) [Fatir 11]
Our Master the Prophet explained the above-mentioned Qur'anic verses. Belief in qadar is one of the six fundamentals of faith. It is stated in hadith-i sharifs:
(Iman [faith] is to believe in Allah, angels, books, prophets, the Day of Resurrection [that is, Paradise, Hell, the Reckoning, and the Balance], qadar, that good and evil are from Allah, death, and the Resurrection after death. It is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am His servant and messenger.) [Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai]
Making wrong assumption about the meaning of certain quranic verses as explained by Imam Ibn Hajar al Asqalani (rah)
[i]Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, while explaining one of the versions of the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sometimes referred to as hadith an-Nuzul (and which would give the impression that God descends on Earth every night, in his book Fath al-Bari, volume 3, page 23 (you would find pages 22 and 24 scanned above, only so that you can read the full context if needed, but the passage translated below is contained in page 23):
Page 22 :
Page 23 :
Page : 24
here is another refutation also included that of Imam Al Bukhari (rah) but not at full lenght,we will not rely on this
to be continued inshaAllah.
This thread is dedicated to the refutation of the wrong beliefs this sect has which contradict pure Islamic beliefs.
Regarding the As Sifaat (the Attributes of Allah the most high) :
Ibn 'Abdul-Barr (d.463H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Ahlus-Sunnah are agreed in affirming all the Sifât (Attributes) which are related in the Qur‘ân and the Sunnah, having îmân (faith) in them and understanding them 'alal-haqîqah (in a real sense), not 'alal-majâz (metaphorically). How they are is not to be asked. However, the Jahmiwah, the Mu'tazilah and the Khawârij all deny them and do not carry them 'alal-haqîqah; claiming that whosoever affirms them has made tashbîh (resemblance), and they claim that whosoever recites them (as they are) is a mushabbih (a person doing tashbîh).” [9]
Ibn Qudâmah (d.620H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘The way of the Salaf is to have îmân (faith) in the Names and Attributes of Allâh that He has described Himself with in His Revelation, or upon the tongue of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhiwa sallam - without increasing, nor decreasing upon it, nor exceeding the limits, nor explaining them (i.e. like the Mu'tazilah), nor making a ta‘wîl of them in a way that opposes the dhâhirmeaning.'' [10]
9. at-Tamhîd (1/145) of Ibn 'Abdul-Barr
10. Dhammut-Ta‘wîl (p. 11) of Ibn Qudâmah al-Maqdisî
Shaykh 'Abdul-Qâdir al-Jîlânî (d.561H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘It is essential to carry the Attribute of al-Istiwâ (Allâh's Ascending) by His Dhât (Essence) over the Throne. Istiwâdoes not mean sitting and touching - as the Mujassimah and Karrâmiyyah say; nor does it mean 'uluww (grandeur and highness) - as the Ash'ariyyah say; nor does it mean istîlâ (conquering or dominating over) - as the Mu'tazilah say. None of this is related in the Sharî'ah. Neither has this been related from any of the Salafus-Sâlih, from the Companions and the Tâbi'în, nor from the Ashâbul-Hadîth (Scholars of Hadîth). Rather, it is related from them that they carried al-Istiwâ with its apparent meaning.'' [23]
[23] al-Ghunyatut-Tâlibîn (1/50) of 'Abdul-Qâdir al-Jîlânî
al-Qâdî Abû Ya'lâ (d.458H) - rahimahullâh - said:
‘‘It is not permissible to repel these narrations - as is the way of a group from amongst the Mu'tazilah. Nor to become pre-occupied with ta‘wîl - as is the way of the Ash'ariyyah. It is obligatory to carry them upon their dhâhir meaning; and that the Attributes of Allâh do not resemble anyone from His creation, nor do we have an 'aqîdah (belief) that there is any tashbîh (resemblance) to them. Rather, [we believe] in what has been reported from our Shaykh and our Imâm, Abû 'Abdullâh Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hanbal, and other Scholars of Ashâbul-Hadîth.'' [20]
20. Ibtâlut-Ta‘wîlât (p. 4)
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal refutation as for itself is presented here :
In his biography of Imam Ahmad entitled al-Jawhar al-Muhsal, the Hanbali scholar as-Sa’idi narrates, in the chapter of the belief of Imam Ahmad, the following story:
‘He was a follower of the madh-hab of the Salaf, by declaring Allah exempted [from any resemblance to the Creation] and by the negation of any anthropomorphism. It even happened that he interpreted in some situations. Hanbal (the son of the paternal uncle of Imam Ahmad) said: ‘One day, I heard the son of my uncle say: ‘They [the mu'tazilah] have used as a proof against me, the day of the great debate, [the following hadith whose apparent meaning is]: ‘On the day of judgement, Surat al-Baqarah will come, and Surat Tabaaraka will come!’
[Explanation: the Mu'tazilah, a misguided group, based themselves on this hadith to maintain that teh Qur'an is created and therefore implied that Allah does not have the attribute of al-Kalam, which is a blasphemous belief. Imam Ahmad did not accept to utter this statement, and on the day of the trial of Imam Ahmad, they tried to use this hadith as a proof by saying that if it mentioned that these 2 Surahs will come, therefore it could only mean according to them, that these surahs have been created, as they will move from one place to another] I said to them ‘It is the reward [that will come'], [indeed] it is the manifestation of His power that will come [qudratuhu]. The Qur’an is full of metaphors, exhortations, commandments, prohibitions and others’.
[Explanation: this means that Imam Ahmad answered to them that the Qur'an says 'Wa jaa'a Rabbuka' too, so are you going to say that this means that Allah will come too and move? (Imam Ahmad knew that even though they had other wrong beliefs, they did not use to say that God moves or that He is created. It is as if he had told them : 'you and I know that this is not the meaning referred to here. On top of that he explained that when it is mentioned int the hadith that these Surahs will come, truly what is meant is that the rewards due to reading these Surahs will come.]Points to remember:
- Imam as-Sa’idi died in 900 after the Hijrah, i.e. more than 500 years ago. He was a hanbalite, and this book is specifically dedicated to the life of Imam Ahmad.
- Imam as-Sa’idi starts the chapter of the belief of Imam Ahmad by explaining the belief of the Salaf, and by mentioning the fact that Imam Ahmad did happen to perform interpretations.
- We also learn that Imam Ahmad only performed an interpretation because there was a need, i.e. he needed an argument to prove a misguided group wrong, and this forced him to demosntrates how he understood the verse ‘wa jaa’a Rabbuka’. In other situations, the scholars of the Salaf did not use to make detailed interpretation, but they were performing a ‘general’ interpretations by saying that the apparent meaning is not to be taken into account.
- this interpretation is also narrated by Ibn Kathir (in this website), who quotes al-Bayhaqi who said that the chain of transmission of this event cannot be contested
The Ahl al-Sunnah are agreed upon affirming the Attributes that occur in the Book and Sunnah, and to carry them in their real sense not figuratively (‘ala’l-haqîqa lâ ‘alâ’l-majâz), except that they did not inquire about the how-ness of anything of that. As for the Jahmiyyah, the Mu’tazilah and the Khawarij, all of them reject them. They do not carry anything from that upon its real sense (‘ala’l-haqîqah). They alleg that whosoever affirms them [upon its real sense] is a anthropomorphist!”
The Qadi Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’ al-Hanbali (d.458), the Imam of the Hanabilah in Baghdad of his time, said concerning this matter:
“Know that it is not permitted to reject these reports [on the Attributes] as a community of the Mu’tazilah did, nor to preoccupy oneself by interpreting (ta’wîl) them as the Ash’ariyyah do! What is obligatory is to take them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ); and that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, not resembling the ones which are described from the Creations; and not professing Tashbîh in them. Rather [profess in them] how it is transmitted on the authority of our Shaykh and Imam, Abu Abdallah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hanbal, and others from the Imams of the Ashab al-Hadith who said concerning these narrations: pass them on as they have come. So they carried them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ) with the belief that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, which do not resemble the rest of the ones that are described.”
[Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’, Ibtal al-Ta’wilat li-Akhbar al-Sifat p.43-44]
[1] Al-Awzâ'î (d. 157H) rahimahullâh - said:
“I asked az-Zuhrî and Makhûl about the âyât pertaining to the Sifât (Attributes of Allâh), so they said: Leave them as they are.” [1]
Al-Walîd ibn Muslim (d.194H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“I asked Mâlik, al-Awzâ'î, Layth ibn Sa'd and Sufyân ath-Thawrî - rahimahumullâh - concerning the reports related about the Attributes, so they all said: Leave them as they are, without asking how.” [2]
Imâm Ahmad (d.241H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“These ahadîth should be left as they are ... We affirm them and we do not make any similitude for them. This is what has been agreed upon by the Scholars.” [3]
Nu'aym ibn Hammâd (d.228H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Whosoever makes tashbîh (resemblance) of Allâh to His creation has committed kufr (disbelief), and whosoever denies what Allâh has described Himself with has also committed kufr. Indeed, all that Allâh has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with, then there is no tashbîh in it at all.” [4]
Imâm as-Sâbûnî (d.448H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Indeed, Ashâbul-Hadîth (the Scholars of Hadîth), [those who hold fast to the Book and the Sunnah] - may Allâh protect their lives and shower mercy upon those that have died - bear witness to the Tawhîd of Allâh and to the Messengership and Prophethood of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa âlihi wa sallam. They know their Lord - the Mighty and Majestic - by the Attributes which He has spoken of in His Revelation, and by what He has sent down, or testified to, by His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam ... They affirm for Allâh - the Mighty and Magnificient - what He affirms for Himself in His Book, or upon the tongue of His Messenger sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam. They do not believe in tashbîh (resemblance) to His Attributes from the attributes of the creation They say: Indeed, He created Âdam with His own Hands, as He - the Most Perfect - textually stated: “O Iblîs! What prevents you from prostrating to one whom I have created with My Own Hands.” [Sûrah Sâd 38:75] So they do not distort the words from their context, by carrying the meaning of Yadain (the two Hands of Allâh) to mean ni'matain (two bounties) or quwwatain (two powers) - which is the tahrîf (distortion) of the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah - may Allâh destroy them. They do not ask how the Attributes are, nor do they resemble them to His creation ... Allâh - the Most High -protected Ahlus-Sunnah from such tahrîf; takyîf and tashbîh, and favoured them with knowledge and understanding.” [7]
1. Related by Imâm al-Lâlikâ‘î in Sharh Usûlul-I'tiqâd Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamâ'ah (3/430) and also by Ibn Qudâmah al-Maqdisî in Dhammut-Ta‘wîl (p. 18) and the chain of narrators is hasan (good).
2. Related by al-Âjurrî in ash-Sharî'ah (p. 314), al-Bayhaqî in al-Asmâ‘ was-Sifât (p. 453) and also in al-I'tiqâd (p. 118) and the chain of narrators is hasan.
3. Related by Ibnul-Jawzî in Manâqibul-Imâm Ahmad (p. 155-156)
4. Related by Imâm adh-Dhahabî in al-'Uluww (no. 217)
7. 'Aqîdah Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamâ'ah Ashâbul-Hadîth wal-A‘immah (no. 3)
Abûl-Hasan al-Ash’arî (d.324H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“The Mu’tazilah denied Punishment in the Grave. It has been related from the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam by many ways and by his Companions radiallâhu ’anhum. Nothing has been related from a single one of them denying or negating this, to the point where there is ’ijmâ (consensus) from the Companions of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam.” [22] He also said: “There is consensus that the Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, and that people will be tested and questioned in their graves. So may Allâh establish us with what He loves.”
Risâlah ilâ Ahlith-Taghr (p.279) of Abûl-Hasan al-Ash’arî.
The view of the Ahlus Sunnah
’Âishah - radiallâhu ’anhâ - said:
A Jewess came to her and mentioned the Punishment of the Grave, saying to her: May Allâh protect you from the Punishment in the Grave. So she asked the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam about it and he said: “Yes! There is Punishment in the Grave.” ’Âishah - radiallâhu ’anhâ - said: After that, I never saw the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam except that he sought refuge in the Punishment in the Grave in every prayer that he prayed. [9]
[ii] Ibn ’Abbâs - radiallâhu ’anhumâ - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam once passed by two graves and said: “They are being punished, not for something great.” Then he said: “Rather, one of them used to spread gossip and carry tales, whilst the other never protected himself from being soiled by his urine.” Ibn ‘Abbâs said: He then took a green leaf and split it into two pieces and placed each piece upon each grave, and then said: “May their punishment be lightened until these two pieces become dry.” [10]
[iii] Ibn Mas’ûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed the dead are punished in their graves and the animals hear them.” [11]
[iv] Hânî, the freed slave of ’Uthmân, related:
Whenever ’Uthmân radiallâhu ’anhu stood at a grave he would weep until his beard would become soaked in tears. It was said to him: Paradise and Hell are mentioned to you, and you do not weep, but you weep over this. So he said: Indeed the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed the grave is the first stopping place for the Hereafter. So if he is saved therein, then what comes after is easier than that. If he is not saved there from, then that which comes after is harder.” [12]
[v] From Abû Hurayrah - radiallâhu ’anhu: The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “When one of you finishes the last tashahhud, he should seek refuge in Allâh from four things: From the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the Grave, from the trials of life and death and from the evil trials of Masîhud-Dajjâl.” [13]
[vi] Umm Khâlid bint Khâlid - radiallâhu ’anhâ - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Seek Allâh’s protection from the Punishment of the Grave, since Punishment of the Grave is haqq (a true fact).” [14]
9. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1372).
10. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1378)
11. Sahîh: Related by at-Tabarânî (3/78/2) and was authenticated by al-Albânî in as-Sahîhah (no. 1377).
12. Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhî (no.2424) and Ibn Mâjah (no.4267) and it has been authenticated by Shaykh al-Albânî in Takhrîjul-Mishkât (no.132).
13. Related by Muslim (2/93), Abû Dâwûd (no.983) and others from Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.
14. Sahîh: Related by at-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr from Umm Khâlid bint Khâlid ibn Sa’îd ibn al-’Âs radiallâhu ’anhâ. It was authenticated by al-AIbânî in as-Sahîhah (no. 1444).
A Jewess came to her and mentioned the Punishment of the Grave, saying to her: May Allâh protect you from the Punishment in the Grave. So she asked the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam about it and he said: “Yes! There is Punishment in the Grave.” ’Âishah - radiallâhu ’anhâ - said: After that, I never saw the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam except that he sought refuge in the Punishment in the Grave in every prayer that he prayed. [9]
[ii] Ibn ’Abbâs - radiallâhu ’anhumâ - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam once passed by two graves and said: “They are being punished, not for something great.” Then he said: “Rather, one of them used to spread gossip and carry tales, whilst the other never protected himself from being soiled by his urine.” Ibn ‘Abbâs said: He then took a green leaf and split it into two pieces and placed each piece upon each grave, and then said: “May their punishment be lightened until these two pieces become dry.” [10]
[iii] Ibn Mas’ûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed the dead are punished in their graves and the animals hear them.” [11]
[iv] Hânî, the freed slave of ’Uthmân, related:
Whenever ’Uthmân radiallâhu ’anhu stood at a grave he would weep until his beard would become soaked in tears. It was said to him: Paradise and Hell are mentioned to you, and you do not weep, but you weep over this. So he said: Indeed the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed the grave is the first stopping place for the Hereafter. So if he is saved therein, then what comes after is easier than that. If he is not saved there from, then that which comes after is harder.” [12]
[v] From Abû Hurayrah - radiallâhu ’anhu: The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “When one of you finishes the last tashahhud, he should seek refuge in Allâh from four things: From the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the Grave, from the trials of life and death and from the evil trials of Masîhud-Dajjâl.” [13]
[vi] Umm Khâlid bint Khâlid - radiallâhu ’anhâ - said:
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Seek Allâh’s protection from the Punishment of the Grave, since Punishment of the Grave is haqq (a true fact).” [14]
9. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1372).
10. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1378)
11. Sahîh: Related by at-Tabarânî (3/78/2) and was authenticated by al-Albânî in as-Sahîhah (no. 1377).
12. Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhî (no.2424) and Ibn Mâjah (no.4267) and it has been authenticated by Shaykh al-Albânî in Takhrîjul-Mishkât (no.132).
13. Related by Muslim (2/93), Abû Dâwûd (no.983) and others from Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.
14. Sahîh: Related by at-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr from Umm Khâlid bint Khâlid ibn Sa’îd ibn al-’Âs radiallâhu ’anhâ. It was authenticated by al-AIbânî in as-Sahîhah (no. 1444).
Regarding Qadr (which is predestinated)
It is Allahu ta'ala who creates qadar. Indeed, it is He who creates everything. Some hadith-i sharifs say (what means):
(Allahu ta'ala states: "I am the Lord of the worlds. None but I determine good and evil. Woe to him about whom I wrote evil. Happy is he about whom I wrote good.") [Ibn Najjar] (Allahu ta'ala certainly knows whether His servants will do good deeds or evil deeds and whether they will go to Hell or Paradise. And He writes what He knows. Man is not compelled to do something as He wrote it. The Jabriyyah sect says that Allah makes His servants do something by force. The Mu'tazila sect denies Allah's qadar.)
(All deeds are from Allahu ta'ala, whether good or bad.) [Tabarani]
(The Qadariyyah has no share from Islam. They say that evil was not predestined.) [Bayhaqi] [The Qadariyyah refers to the Mu'tazilah]
The view of the Ahlus Sunnah
(There is no one whose death is not conditional upon Allah's permission.) [Al-i 'Imran 145]
(It is Allah alone who decrees the time of death.) [Al-An'am 2]
(Everything they did, small or great, is written line by line in the books.) [Al-Qamar 52, 53]
(Every nation has a time of death. When it comes, it neither remains behind nor goes forward by a moment.) [Al-A'raf 34]
(We created everything by qadar [according to a measure].) [Al-Qamar 49]
(Allah knows the place where every living creature stands and where it will be left in the end. All of them are in a clear book [Al-Lawh al-Mahfuz].) [Hud 6]
(Not an atom's weight of thing in the heavens or on earth remains hidden from Him. Anything smaller or greater than that is in a clear book.) [Saba' 3]
(The lifetime granted to a living being and its being diminished are certainly in a book.) [Fatir 11]
Our Master the Prophet explained the above-mentioned Qur'anic verses. Belief in qadar is one of the six fundamentals of faith. It is stated in hadith-i sharifs:
(Iman [faith] is to believe in Allah, angels, books, prophets, the Day of Resurrection [that is, Paradise, Hell, the Reckoning, and the Balance], qadar, that good and evil are from Allah, death, and the Resurrection after death. It is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am His servant and messenger.) [Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai]
Making wrong assumption about the meaning of certain quranic verses as explained by Imam Ibn Hajar al Asqalani (rah)
[i]Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, while explaining one of the versions of the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sometimes referred to as hadith an-Nuzul (and which would give the impression that God descends on Earth every night, in his book Fath al-Bari, volume 3, page 23 (you would find pages 22 and 24 scanned above, only so that you can read the full context if needed, but the passage translated below is contained in page 23):
“As for his saying ‘Yanzilu Rabbuna ‘ila s-Samaa’i d-Dunya“, those who confirm a direction to Allah, have relied on this text and said that it is the direction of ‘above’ (al-uluww), and this has been refuted by the scholars (al-jumhur), because talking like that equals limiting Allaah, who is exempted from that. Thereafter people have diverged about the meaning of an-nuzul: some took it according to its literal meaning and verily, these are the anthropomorphists (al-mushabbihah) , and Allaah is absolutely free (exempted) from what they say. Others have resorted to deny the truthfulness of all the hadiths which have been narrated in that regard: those are the Khawaarij and the Mu’tazilah, and these are really astonishing because on the one hand they interpret what has reached [us] in the Qur’an which is similar to this, and on the other hand they deny what has come from hadith, either due to ignorance, or to stubbornness. Others have read those texts as they were revealed, believing in them in general, while freeing Allaah from the manner [kayfiyyah] of the anthropomorphists, and these are the majority of the Salaf. [On top of that], al-Bayhaqi and others have narrated from the four imams, from the two Sufyan, the two Hammad, al-Awza’i, from al-Layth and others, that they DID interpret this text according to what befits Allaah, and what is in use in the language of the Arabs. Some other ones went so far in their interpretation that it ended up being a type of distortion. Others [still] made a difference between what is a ‘close’ interpretation’, i.e. in use in the language of the Arabs, and what would be a ‘far-fetched’ one, and as a result they have interpreted in some cases and made tafweed [i.e. leaving the meaning to Allaah] in some cases, and this has been narrated from imam Malik. It has been confirmed by Ibn Daqiq al-Id that al-Bayhaqi said that the safest [of all these methods] is to believe in those texts without a how (bila kayf) and to not speak about what is intended.”
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here is another refutation also included that of Imam Al Bukhari (rah) but not at full lenght,we will not rely on this
All praise is for Allaah, lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow in their footsteps until the last day. "Actions are but by their intentions and there is for every person only that which he intended." {Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1 / p1 / no. 1. also refer to Sahih Muslim, vol. 3 / p 1056 / no. 4692.}. The following is a letter in response to a member of one the two groups mentioned in the title.
I am continuing this discussion for one reason and one reason only; that is that I am assuming that you seek only the truth, and when it comes to you, there will be no resistance in your submission to it. If you believe that you are upon the haq and nothing will change you then there is no need for you to read on as the truth only permeates those hearts as are free from Hizbiyah and Ta'asub (rigidity bigoted upon a track or way). If you feel free from these then please read on as then Allaah will open your heart if you are sincere. My intention within the bounds of this discourse is not to attack you personally, but it is solely to make you understand that the track which you are upon, leads to nothing except destruction ! - may Allaah protect us from this. I have deliberately tried to keep the subject matter free from any opinions that I may hold as an individual. Rather, it is more suitable that we gauge our views in the light of the Qur'ân and authentic Sunnah of the messenger of Allaah (SAW), as understood and practised by the best of generations, and those who followed them in belief and methodology. Indeed this the best course of action to take for as Allaah almighty says: "Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know" {Soorah An-Nahl: 43}.
We know that Allaah, the most high sent 124,000 messengers and prophets {Sunan Abu Dawood} to mankind and as He, the most high, says: "I sent a Messenger to every nation calling them to My worship" {Qur'ân). We also know that the one thing that was common amongst all of the prophets and messengers was their belief !. They may have come with different rulings, but their belief was one. For example Adam's (AS) children were allowed to marry each other; some prophets were allowed to be kings - e.g. Daawood (AS); and so on, culminating in that which our Prophet (saas).
However, inspite of this difference in rulings (Ahkam) etc., the belief of the prophets was the same and never differed. This is self evident, if one was to study the belief of each prophet, from Adam (AS) right down the chain to Muhammad (saas), to the return of Eesa ibn Maryam (AS), we would find that no difference in belief is to be found. Therefore, it is only reasonable that our discussion begins here - for the sake of argument, I will agree to accept that you have a case; even though your methodology (Manhaj) is away from the truth. One aspect we cannot differ upon is belief ('Aqeedah). If we differ in this, then there is no point in us continuing this discussion. To give you some examples of the importance of this fundamental issue in Islaam refer to 'Al-Ibaanah Magazine' in the English language which shows just a handful of these works from our Salaf.
The issue of Khilafah is one of major importance to the Muslims !. Further, this is not an empty statement on my part, rather pay heed to the statement of our Shaikh Saleem al-Hilalee (hafidhullah): We say: the one who denies the need to work for Khilafah is sinful; but the one who strives to bring Khilafah about through education (tarbiyah) upon and spreading the correct knowledge that he is the one striving to establish the Sharee'ah in Allaah's way, So, yes Khilafah is necessary. Also: "The position of the Salafees is clear - that we strive to re-establish the Islaamic life and to establish Allaah's laws upon the land by way of correction and education. We Strive and hope for good always; due to the hadeeth of the Messenger (saas): 'Prophethood will be amongst you for as long as Allaah wills, then Allaah will raise it up when He wills, then there will be Khilafah upon the way of Prophethood, then Allaah will raise it up when He wills, then there will be kingship, then oppressive kingship, then Khilafah upon the way of Prophethood'; so we wait for the Khilafah in the way of the Prophethood and we work to bring it about again. With regard to his (saas) saying 'Khilafah upon the way of the Prophethood', it is clear that the criterion for the successful establishment of the Khilafah is that it must adhere to the way of the Prophethood. This point is of prime importance, especially if we want Allaah to grant us this supreme victory. Further, upon analysis, a number of points are evident:
1.Those who will restore the rightly guided Khilafah are the Salafees, since they are the ones who carry upon the Prophetic Way.
2.The Khilafah which will come about will not be in the way of the Abbasids, the Umayads, nor the Uthmaanis; rather it is certain that it will be upon the way of the Rightly Guided Khulafa.
Thus, the men who will bring about the return of this Khilafah will be upon the way of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs and the way of the Companions of Allaah's Messenger (saas). It is clear to me that the methodology you are upon and using is itself upon the way of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' and 'al-Muhajirun' parties. I do not say you are a member, but this much is clear, you are upon the same track that these groups are upon. Then I ask you the question, do you just take from their Politics (siyaasah) or do you take from them everything in your deen (belief etc..). If you take from them everything - then your 'Aqeedah is definitely deviated from the way of the Salaf us-Saaliheen (the first three generations within this Ummah) - and this puts both you and them amongst the Ahl ul-Bid'ah (people of innovation and division from the Salaf us-Saaliheen). If you take from them only politics - then from where do you get your belief (Aqeedah)?, if you get your belief from elsewhere, then do you not trust the same people with your politics !!. If, however, you claim to go back to the sources (Qur'ân, Sunnah, Ijma, Salaf etc.) then what ability do you have ? i.e. in Arabic language skills, knowledge of tafseer, ahadeeth, isnaad, nasikh wa mansukh, takhees wa taqyeed, usool ul-fiqh, al-aam wa khaas, al-mutlaq wal muqayyid etc. Then, whichever of the three above options you choose, you will be in ignorance and confusion - and Allaah knows best.
Before we continue, allow me to give an example of the belief that just one of the Salaf had, which he summarised into a small treatise. It is the 'Aqeedah of Imaam Muhmammad bin Isma'eel al-Bukhari (the author of many works including Sahih al-Bukhari), as reported by Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee in his "Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl us-Sunnah' (2 / 172) . In this classical work, Imaam al-Bukhari says: "I met more than a thousand scholars amongst the people of knowledge from the people of al-Hijaz, al-Makkah, al-Madina, al-Kufah, al-Busra, Wasit, Baghdad, Sham, and Misr (Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt). I met them many time, generation after generation, and again generation after generation. I met them while they were ample and widespread for over 46 years; (then he continues enumerating and naming them...For their biographies refer to Siyar A'laam An-Nubala of Imaam Adh-Dhahabi.), and not a single one amongst them differed with respect to the following matters:
1.That the religion consists of both speech and action. [Then the Imaam continues to give his proofs - in refutation of a sect called the Murji'ah].
2.The Qur'ân is the speech of Allaah, not being created. [The Imaam continues to give his proofs in refutation of the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and of latter times the Ash'aiyrah].
3. And that good and evil is by the preordainment (Qadr) of Allaah. [Proofs are given in refutation of the Qadariyyah and other misguided sect whom hold similar heretical beliefs].
4. And, none of them used to declare any one from among the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever on account of committing a sin, [in refutation of the Khawaarij and other sects - the Imaam cites his proofs].
5. And I never saw amongst them any one who would take something from the honour from the companions of Muhammad (saas), [further proofs are given in refutation of the Shia, Khawaarij etc.].
6. And they used to forbid and prevent people from the innovations (Bid'ah) that the Prophet (saas) and his Companions (raa) were not upon [in refutation of all the sects and Imaam al-Bukhari gives proofs to substantiate this statement].
7. And they used to urge people to follow what the Messenger (saas) and his Companions were upon [proofs are provided against the Murji'ah and others, whom are soft, weak, or reject the Sunnah].
8. And that we do not contend with or attempt to take away the command from the Rulers. [Again Imaam al-Bukhari gives proofs to refute groups such as the Khawaarij, Mu'tazilah and all those who follow this Deviant path]. And then the Imaam continues with the sayings of those whom preceded him, to show that his position is concensus (Ijma') amongst the Ulema]." And in this manner I could bring you volume after volume of the beliefs of the Salaf - but this is not the point here. The point here is that you have chosen a way other than the way of the believers, i.e. the first Generation of Muslims.
Now a little on Hizb-ut-Tahrir / Mahajiroon and how they have strayed upon belief. And when one deviates upon belief - then how can they be guided upon rules, regulations or politics: From the early sects which denied Eemaan (firm faith) in The Punishment of the Grave were the Khawaarij and other groups from the Mu'tazilah sect. This is because they innovated a rule that only the Mutawatir ahaadeeth amount to knowledge, whereas the Authentic Aahaad Ahaadeeth do not !!. And this saying of theirs, that the aahaad Ahaadeeth do not amount to knowledge means that such Ahaadeeth - in their false opinion - are not free from the possibility of falsehood or error. The Punishment of the Grave (which is established by aahaad Ahaadeeth) is part of the Muslim Creed and therefore aahaad Ahaadeeth do make our 'Aqeedah (Belief):
From the Sunnah: Hadeeth related by 'Ai'sha (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1372. Hadeeth related by Ibn Abbaas regarding The Punishment of the Grave Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1378. Hadeeth related by Ibn Masood (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in At-Tabaraanee, 3/78/21. Hadeeth of Hanee of Uthman regarding The Punishment of the Grave in At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. Hadeeth by Abu Hurayra (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in Saheeh Muslim, 2/93, and Abu Daawood, no. 983. Hadeeth related by Umm Khaalid bint Khaalid regarding The Punishment of the Grave by At-Tabaraanee in Al-Kabeer.
The Salaf: Sufyan ibn Uyainah (d.197H), said: "The Sunnah is ten. Whosoever accepts them has completed the Sunnah, and whoever abandons anything from them has abandoned the Sunnah: Affirming al-Qadr. Giving precedence Abu Bakr and Umar. The Pond in Paradise. Shaf'aa (Intercession). The Scales. The Bridge over Hellfire. Eemaan is Statement and Action. The Qu'ran is the Speech of Allaah. The Punishment of the Grave. The Resurrection on the Day of Judgement, and not testifying that any Muslim will definitely be in Paradise and Hell. {Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl us-Sunnah, Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee, no. 312.}.
Imaam Shafi'ee (d.204H), said: "Indeed the Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, the Resurrection is a true fact ..." {Manhaj ash-Shafi'ee, of al-Bayhaqi, 1/415.}
Imaam Ahmad (d. 241H): "Eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave. {Refer to Usool us-Sunnah, no. 8 and Risalat us-Sunnah, p72. by Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.}.
Abu Daawood (d.275H): Chapter: Questioning in the Grave and The Punishment in the Grave {Kitab us-Sunnah, Abu Dawood, p900.}.
Ibn Qutaybah (d.278H): "Upon Eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave" {Taweel Mukhtalif ul-Hadeeth, Ibn Qutaybah, p8.}
Imaam at-Tahaawee (d.278H): "We have Eemaan ... in The Punishment of the Grave" {Aqeedah Tahaaweeyah, Imaam at-Tahawi, no. 79-80.}. And we can continue with Abul- Hasan al-Ashari (d.324H); Imaam Aajuree (d.360H); Ibn Abee Hastim (d.327H); Imaam Barbaharee (d.329H); al-Isma'eelee (d. 371H); Al-Qayrawani (d.386H); Ibn Abee Zamneen (d. 399H); Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee (d.418H); Imaam al-Bayhaqi (d.458H). In addition, there are countless others that we can bring in evidence of the issue at hand. We can quote from book after book, even to the extent of including actual chains of narrations; as we have them also!! So this shows without a shadow of a doubt that Aahaad Ahaadeeth were taken as part of our 'Aqeedah by the Salaf for without them we have no 'Aqeedah - except that of those who are under Allaah's punishment. Sufficient for us are our Salaf for explaining our religion !!
However, we now have the saying of the later corrupted generations, those of little knowledge coming after the Salaf, those in this century who ignore the teachings of the Salaf. Among these group of people is of Taqee-ud-deen an-Nabahani - the founder of Hizb ut-Tahrir. He said in his book Ad-Dawsiyyah, p.6 "Indeed from them are those which require action, so they are acted upon (i.e. the Aahaad Ahaadeeth). So from Abu Hurayrah who said: When any of you finishes the last tashahud, he should seek refuge with Allaah from the four things: from The Punishment of the Hellfire, from Punishment of the Grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil trials of the Dajjal". From A'isha: from the Prophet (saas): that he used to make supplication in prayer: "O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from The Punishment of the Grave, I seek refuge in You from the trials of the Maseehud-Dajjaal, I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from debt and sin". So these two ahaadeeth are aahaad narrations and they contain requirement of an action, i.e. to carry out this supplication after tashahud, and it is permissible to attest (tasdeeq) to what is contained in them. However, what is haraam (forbidden) is to hold it with certainty - meaning: to have it as part as one's 'Aqeedah- as long as it has been reported in the aahaad hadeeth, a dhannee (non-mutawatir) proof. However, if it occurs in mutawatir form, then it is obligatory to make it part of one's 'Aqeedah;. This statement clearly represents the innovated ways of the Qadariyyah and the Mu'tazilah. Differentiating between tasdeeq and 'Aqeedah is innovated speech and away from the Salaf. And then we have a speech by Omar Bakri Muhammad - available on audio tape: "Punishment of the Grave", Regents Park Mosque, 22nd May 1992 CE. Within his speech he states:
"We trust it, and I encourage all of you to have tasdeeq (attest to) in The Punishment of the Grave. I encourage all of you to have tasdeeq in the coming of the Mahdee. I encourage you for that. But whoever believes in that, he is sinful".
Now, I hope you can see why our discussion should begin with belief - for if your belief 'Aqeedah is different from the Salaf - then your politics will be further away from them regardless of what you may think. For verily the Prophets had one belief !!. YES - of course we need Khilafah - I never denied this fact - and the Salafees and their Scholars have never denied this fact. But the Khilafah must be established using the Manhaj of the Prophethood - not the Shi'a, Khawaarij, Bralewiya, Sufiya etc., for this would not be blessed by Allaah for all these are opponents of the way of the Salaf and the way of the Companions!! 'So examine - may Allaah have mercy upon you - the speech of everyone you hear from, particularly in your time. Do not act in haste, nor enter into anything from it until you ask and see: Did any of the Companions of the Messenger (saas) speak about it, or any of the scholars. So if you find a narration from them about it, then cling to it. Do not go beyond it and do not give precedence to anything over it and thus fall into the fire' {Kitaab Sharh us-Sunnah, no. 5}. Qaadee Shareek (d.177H) said 'Ibaad ibn al-Awaam said: 'Shareek ibn Abdullah came to us more than fifty years ago, so we said to him: 'O Abu Abdullah! there are a group of the Mu'tazilah who deny the ahaadeeth about Allaah descending to the Lowest Heaven and that the people of Paradise see their Lord. So Shareek quoted about ten ahaadeeth like that, and then said: "As for us, we have taken our deen from the sons of the Sahaabah, from the Tabi'een. From whom did they take theirs ?".{Ibn Mandah in At-Tawheed, Q. 1/97.} So we see from just a few of the statements of the Salaf (which can go into volumes - and can be provided upon request; for those who seek the truth) - that they affirmed their belief upon one way - and their belief was as the belief of the Prophets - and what do we expect, for indeed the Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets - not us!! In addition, this is not the time or place to go into the details of the Mustalah ul-Hadeeth (Science of Hadeeth) - as there is not need to go into this science unless we know the people / scholars of the Salaf who gave us this Science and their belief; and their way. For verily they accepted the khabar ul-aahaad in Belief - and Allaah is sufficient as a witness. For further reading in English see Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee's 'ar-Risaala' on the Chapter X on "Evidence to the necessaty of accepting the Aahaad Khabar" and in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, English translation, volume 9, "Chapter: What is said regarding the acceptance of the information given by one truthful person...".
Now covering some of your points regarding the narrations of the Prophet (saas) and the claim that he was 'after establishing authority'. The scholar, Shaikh Rabee' ibn Haadi al-Madkhali, said in his book Manhaj al-Anbiyah min ad-Dawah ill-Allaah: "They (the Prophets) thus establish the obligation upon them of fighting Jihaad to raise the Word of Allaah, and of following and applying the Sharee'ah and the prescribed punishment and other matters prescribed for them by Allaah. This is what happened with our Prophet Muhammad (saas) and his noble Companions. Allaah crowned their Eemaan, their righteous actions, and their exemplary perseverance when facing the harm and the oppression of the Mushriks, by aiding them and making their Deen uppermost, and by establishing them upon the earth, as Allaah - the Most High says:
"Allaah has promised those who truly believe (have true Eemaan) amongst you and act in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger (saas), that He will grant them rulership (Khilaafah) upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them authority to practise the religion He chose for them and ordered. And He will certainly change their situation to one of security , after their fear, providing they worship and obey Me; not associating anything else in worship with Me." {Soorah an-Noor, 24:55}.
Then sovereignty was offered to Allaah's Messenger (saas) in Makkah but he refused, except that he should continue calling to Tawheed and in waging war against Shirk and the idols. So when Quraysh became troubled by the call of Allaah's Messenger (saas) they sent Utbah ibn Rabee'ah and he came to Allaah's Messenger (saas) and said: "O son of my brother, you know the excellence you hold amongst us with regard to your position in the tribe and your lineage, but you have a matter which is very serious for your people. Because of it you have split their united body, caused their youth to behave foolishly and abused their idols with it, and their religion. You have declared their forefathers infidels because of it. So listen to me and I will offer you something which you may consider, and hopefully some of them will be acceptable to you". So Allaah's messenger (saas) said in reply "Speak, O Abul-Waleed, I will listen". He said "O, son of my brother, if what you desire by this matter which you have come with is wealth, then we will gather wealth for you from amongst our wealth until you are one of the richest of us. And if you wish by it high position, then we will give you such authority that we will not do anything without your approval, and if you wish by it sovereignty, then we will make you sovereign over us. But if it is the case that what comes to you is a demon which you see and can not get rid of, then we will seek after a medical cure for you and we will expend our money until we can get you cured of it. Since a demon may take hold of a person until he is cured and relieved of it". And Allaah's Messenger (saas) was listening to him, then he (saas) said "Have you finished O Abul Waleed ?", he said "Yes". He (saas) said "Then listen to me", he replied "I will do so". So he (SAW) said "In the name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, Bestower of Mercy. Haa Meem, this Qur'ân is the revelation sent down by the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. A book whose ayahs are made clear a recital in pure Arabic for those who know, bringing them good tidings of paradise if they believe in it and act upon it, and as a warning to those who disbelieve in it and do not act in obedience to Allaah, that they will receive punishment and dwell in the Hell in the hereafter. But most of them turn away haughtily and refuse to listen to it" {Qur'aan 41:4} Then Allaah's Messenger (saas) continued reciting to him. So when Utbah heard it, he remained silent and sat with his hands behind his back, resting upon them and listening. So when Allaah's messenger (SAW) came to the ayah of prostration in it, he prostrated and then said: " You have heard what you have heard O Abul Waleed, so now it is upon you". So Utbah went back to Quraysh, and when he sat with them, they said : "What has happened to you, O Abul Waleed ?". He said "What happened is that I heard the like of which I have never heard by Allaah. By Allaah, it is not sorcery, nor poetry, nor divining. O Quraysh - obey me and let the decision be mine. Leave the man and let him continue in what he is upon. Keep away from him since, by Allaah, his saying which I have heard will come to have great importance. So if the other Arabs kill him, then you will be rid of him due to the action of others, and if he conquerors the Arabs, then his sovereignty is your sovereignty , his power is your power, and you will be the ones fortunate with regard to him". They said, "by Allaah, he has performed magic upon you with his tongue - O Abul Waleed". He said "This is my opinion with regard to him, you may do what ever you see fit" {Seerah Ibn Ishaq, as-Seerah ibn Hisham, 1 /293 -294.
It also has a supporting witness in the hadeeth of Jabir which is reported by Ibn Humayd and Abu Ya'la.} And Ibn Ishaaq reports with his chain of narration to Ibn Abbaas (raa) that a group of Quraysh gathered and made an offer close to the offer made by Utbah. So he (saas) answered by saying: "I am not afflicted by what you say. I have not come with this seeking your wealth, nor seeking status above you, nor sovereignty over you, but rather Allaah has sent me as a Messenger to you, and has sent down a book to me, and has ordered me to be a bringer of good tidings and a warner to you. So I have conveyed to you the revealed messengers from my Lord, and I have sincerely advised you. So if you accept what I have brought to you then you will have your share in this world and the hereafter. But if you refuse to accept it from me then I will patiently wait Allaah's order, until Allaah judges between me and you".{As-Seerah of ibn Hisham, 1 / 295-296, and this one strengthens the previous narration, each of them supporting the other.}. Likewise Allaah's Messenger (saas) rejected the request of one of the tribes that they should be in charge of the affairs after his death, if the report is authentic. Ibn Ishaq said: 'az-Zuhree narrated to me that Allaah's Messenger (saas) came to Banu 'Aamir ibn Sasa'ah and called them to Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic, and presented himself to them. So a man from them called Bayharah ibn Firas said: " By Allaah, if we were to take hold of this young man from Quraysh I would devour the Arabs with him". Then he said: "If we were to give you our pledge of allegiance upon your affair, then Allaah gives you victory over those who oppose you, then will we be in authority after you ?". He (saas) said: "The affair is for Allaah, he places authority where ever He wills". So he said to him: "Are we to risk our necks before the Arabs for you, then when Allaah grants you victory, authority will be for other than us. We have no need of your affair". So they rejected him. {Ibn Hisham, 1/424-425. Also refer to as-Seeratun-Nabayiyah of adh-Dhahabee, p189-190.}. So Prophets (sas), did not come to bring about the downfall of one state and to replace it with another. They did not seek after sovereignty, nor did they organise parties for that. Rather they came for the guidance of mankind and to save them from misguidance and shirk, and to take mankind out of the darkness and into the light, and to remind them of the days when Allaah had sent favours upon them. If rule and sovereignty had been offered to them, they would have rejected it and continued upon their Dawah. Indeed Quraysh offered sovereignty to Allaah's Messenger (saas) and he refused it. It was also offered to him (by Allaah) that he should be a Prophet-King or Slave-Messenger. {Imaam Ahmad, 2 / 231}. So he had not used to take a pledge of allegiance from the Ansar or others except for Paradise, despite the fact that the pledge of the Ansar was given in the most severe and difficult circumstances, yet it contained no promise or position or authority, nor sovereignty, nor leadership, nor wealth, nor any other temporal gain. From Ubadah bin as-Samit (ra) who said: "I am one of those chiefs who gave the Aqabah pledge to Allaah"s Messenger (saas)". And he said: "We gave the pledge that we would not worship anything besides Allaah, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill a person whose killing Allaah had made unlawful - except rightfully, nor rob each other, nor disobey, and Paradise would be ours".{Sahih al-Bukhari, 9 / 6 no. 12. Also refer to Sahih Muslim 3 / 925 no. 4238} And, By Allaah, we could continue with evidence after evidence, fully referenced with the quotes and understanding of the Salaf - the scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaah, from the earliest generations, and all of them with the certainty of them being authentic. So rather than prolonging this further, allow this to suffice for now. And my advise to you is to first correct your belief and come whole heartedly into the Dawah Salafiah, the Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaah, the Ahlul-Hadeeth, or whatever names the followers of the Prophet (saas) and the Companions used. Once you have done this then put your self upon a path of Tarbiyah (education and cultivation) and Tasfiyah (purifying ourselves from Bid'ah, innovations, that have been added to this religion) - and you will bear its fruits and Allaah will give us what we deserve, as He gave it to those before us. He will give us the opportunity to fight for His deen - if we are worthy of that. Find out about the Saved Sect - the Firqatun-Najiyah, and what the Salaf said about who they are, and how to distinguish them from the other 72 sects the Prophet (saas) said will be in the Fire. And know that the Saved Sect is recognised by its belief and methodology ('Aqeedah and Manhaj) - so it is not the belief of the Khawaarij, Shia, Sufiyah, Qadariyyah and their likes. Let us finish here. May Allaah guide us, Praise be to Allaah, and peace and blessings upon his Messenger. And by way of a note: There was no need for you in your response to write to me about the validity of the Khilafah or the importance of applying the Laws of Allaah - by Allaah, this is already established with us. What we are looking at is your belief and methodology with regard to this Deen. To correct this first and put it in line with that of the Salaf. I do not wish to debate with you further, however any questions you have - I am quite willing to research the answers for you with full references. Even if that means checking for you the references that you thought were from the scholars of the past and now you wish to re-check. Wassalam Alaykum. And Allaah is the Lord of the Worlds.
I am continuing this discussion for one reason and one reason only; that is that I am assuming that you seek only the truth, and when it comes to you, there will be no resistance in your submission to it. If you believe that you are upon the haq and nothing will change you then there is no need for you to read on as the truth only permeates those hearts as are free from Hizbiyah and Ta'asub (rigidity bigoted upon a track or way). If you feel free from these then please read on as then Allaah will open your heart if you are sincere. My intention within the bounds of this discourse is not to attack you personally, but it is solely to make you understand that the track which you are upon, leads to nothing except destruction ! - may Allaah protect us from this. I have deliberately tried to keep the subject matter free from any opinions that I may hold as an individual. Rather, it is more suitable that we gauge our views in the light of the Qur'ân and authentic Sunnah of the messenger of Allaah (SAW), as understood and practised by the best of generations, and those who followed them in belief and methodology. Indeed this the best course of action to take for as Allaah almighty says: "Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know" {Soorah An-Nahl: 43}.
We know that Allaah, the most high sent 124,000 messengers and prophets {Sunan Abu Dawood} to mankind and as He, the most high, says: "I sent a Messenger to every nation calling them to My worship" {Qur'ân). We also know that the one thing that was common amongst all of the prophets and messengers was their belief !. They may have come with different rulings, but their belief was one. For example Adam's (AS) children were allowed to marry each other; some prophets were allowed to be kings - e.g. Daawood (AS); and so on, culminating in that which our Prophet (saas).
However, inspite of this difference in rulings (Ahkam) etc., the belief of the prophets was the same and never differed. This is self evident, if one was to study the belief of each prophet, from Adam (AS) right down the chain to Muhammad (saas), to the return of Eesa ibn Maryam (AS), we would find that no difference in belief is to be found. Therefore, it is only reasonable that our discussion begins here - for the sake of argument, I will agree to accept that you have a case; even though your methodology (Manhaj) is away from the truth. One aspect we cannot differ upon is belief ('Aqeedah). If we differ in this, then there is no point in us continuing this discussion. To give you some examples of the importance of this fundamental issue in Islaam refer to 'Al-Ibaanah Magazine' in the English language which shows just a handful of these works from our Salaf.
The issue of Khilafah is one of major importance to the Muslims !. Further, this is not an empty statement on my part, rather pay heed to the statement of our Shaikh Saleem al-Hilalee (hafidhullah): We say: the one who denies the need to work for Khilafah is sinful; but the one who strives to bring Khilafah about through education (tarbiyah) upon and spreading the correct knowledge that he is the one striving to establish the Sharee'ah in Allaah's way, So, yes Khilafah is necessary. Also: "The position of the Salafees is clear - that we strive to re-establish the Islaamic life and to establish Allaah's laws upon the land by way of correction and education. We Strive and hope for good always; due to the hadeeth of the Messenger (saas): 'Prophethood will be amongst you for as long as Allaah wills, then Allaah will raise it up when He wills, then there will be Khilafah upon the way of Prophethood, then Allaah will raise it up when He wills, then there will be kingship, then oppressive kingship, then Khilafah upon the way of Prophethood'; so we wait for the Khilafah in the way of the Prophethood and we work to bring it about again. With regard to his (saas) saying 'Khilafah upon the way of the Prophethood', it is clear that the criterion for the successful establishment of the Khilafah is that it must adhere to the way of the Prophethood. This point is of prime importance, especially if we want Allaah to grant us this supreme victory. Further, upon analysis, a number of points are evident:
1.Those who will restore the rightly guided Khilafah are the Salafees, since they are the ones who carry upon the Prophetic Way.
2.The Khilafah which will come about will not be in the way of the Abbasids, the Umayads, nor the Uthmaanis; rather it is certain that it will be upon the way of the Rightly Guided Khulafa.
Thus, the men who will bring about the return of this Khilafah will be upon the way of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs and the way of the Companions of Allaah's Messenger (saas). It is clear to me that the methodology you are upon and using is itself upon the way of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' and 'al-Muhajirun' parties. I do not say you are a member, but this much is clear, you are upon the same track that these groups are upon. Then I ask you the question, do you just take from their Politics (siyaasah) or do you take from them everything in your deen (belief etc..). If you take from them everything - then your 'Aqeedah is definitely deviated from the way of the Salaf us-Saaliheen (the first three generations within this Ummah) - and this puts both you and them amongst the Ahl ul-Bid'ah (people of innovation and division from the Salaf us-Saaliheen). If you take from them only politics - then from where do you get your belief (Aqeedah)?, if you get your belief from elsewhere, then do you not trust the same people with your politics !!. If, however, you claim to go back to the sources (Qur'ân, Sunnah, Ijma, Salaf etc.) then what ability do you have ? i.e. in Arabic language skills, knowledge of tafseer, ahadeeth, isnaad, nasikh wa mansukh, takhees wa taqyeed, usool ul-fiqh, al-aam wa khaas, al-mutlaq wal muqayyid etc. Then, whichever of the three above options you choose, you will be in ignorance and confusion - and Allaah knows best.
Before we continue, allow me to give an example of the belief that just one of the Salaf had, which he summarised into a small treatise. It is the 'Aqeedah of Imaam Muhmammad bin Isma'eel al-Bukhari (the author of many works including Sahih al-Bukhari), as reported by Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee in his "Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl us-Sunnah' (2 / 172) . In this classical work, Imaam al-Bukhari says: "I met more than a thousand scholars amongst the people of knowledge from the people of al-Hijaz, al-Makkah, al-Madina, al-Kufah, al-Busra, Wasit, Baghdad, Sham, and Misr (Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt). I met them many time, generation after generation, and again generation after generation. I met them while they were ample and widespread for over 46 years; (then he continues enumerating and naming them...For their biographies refer to Siyar A'laam An-Nubala of Imaam Adh-Dhahabi.), and not a single one amongst them differed with respect to the following matters:
1.That the religion consists of both speech and action. [Then the Imaam continues to give his proofs - in refutation of a sect called the Murji'ah].
2.The Qur'ân is the speech of Allaah, not being created. [The Imaam continues to give his proofs in refutation of the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and of latter times the Ash'aiyrah].
3. And that good and evil is by the preordainment (Qadr) of Allaah. [Proofs are given in refutation of the Qadariyyah and other misguided sect whom hold similar heretical beliefs].
4. And, none of them used to declare any one from among the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever on account of committing a sin, [in refutation of the Khawaarij and other sects - the Imaam cites his proofs].
5. And I never saw amongst them any one who would take something from the honour from the companions of Muhammad (saas), [further proofs are given in refutation of the Shia, Khawaarij etc.].
6. And they used to forbid and prevent people from the innovations (Bid'ah) that the Prophet (saas) and his Companions (raa) were not upon [in refutation of all the sects and Imaam al-Bukhari gives proofs to substantiate this statement].
7. And they used to urge people to follow what the Messenger (saas) and his Companions were upon [proofs are provided against the Murji'ah and others, whom are soft, weak, or reject the Sunnah].
8. And that we do not contend with or attempt to take away the command from the Rulers. [Again Imaam al-Bukhari gives proofs to refute groups such as the Khawaarij, Mu'tazilah and all those who follow this Deviant path]. And then the Imaam continues with the sayings of those whom preceded him, to show that his position is concensus (Ijma') amongst the Ulema]." And in this manner I could bring you volume after volume of the beliefs of the Salaf - but this is not the point here. The point here is that you have chosen a way other than the way of the believers, i.e. the first Generation of Muslims.
Now a little on Hizb-ut-Tahrir / Mahajiroon and how they have strayed upon belief. And when one deviates upon belief - then how can they be guided upon rules, regulations or politics: From the early sects which denied Eemaan (firm faith) in The Punishment of the Grave were the Khawaarij and other groups from the Mu'tazilah sect. This is because they innovated a rule that only the Mutawatir ahaadeeth amount to knowledge, whereas the Authentic Aahaad Ahaadeeth do not !!. And this saying of theirs, that the aahaad Ahaadeeth do not amount to knowledge means that such Ahaadeeth - in their false opinion - are not free from the possibility of falsehood or error. The Punishment of the Grave (which is established by aahaad Ahaadeeth) is part of the Muslim Creed and therefore aahaad Ahaadeeth do make our 'Aqeedah (Belief):
From the Sunnah: Hadeeth related by 'Ai'sha (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1372. Hadeeth related by Ibn Abbaas regarding The Punishment of the Grave Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1378. Hadeeth related by Ibn Masood (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in At-Tabaraanee, 3/78/21. Hadeeth of Hanee of Uthman regarding The Punishment of the Grave in At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. Hadeeth by Abu Hurayra (raa) regarding The Punishment of the Grave in Saheeh Muslim, 2/93, and Abu Daawood, no. 983. Hadeeth related by Umm Khaalid bint Khaalid regarding The Punishment of the Grave by At-Tabaraanee in Al-Kabeer.
The Salaf: Sufyan ibn Uyainah (d.197H), said: "The Sunnah is ten. Whosoever accepts them has completed the Sunnah, and whoever abandons anything from them has abandoned the Sunnah: Affirming al-Qadr. Giving precedence Abu Bakr and Umar. The Pond in Paradise. Shaf'aa (Intercession). The Scales. The Bridge over Hellfire. Eemaan is Statement and Action. The Qu'ran is the Speech of Allaah. The Punishment of the Grave. The Resurrection on the Day of Judgement, and not testifying that any Muslim will definitely be in Paradise and Hell. {Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl us-Sunnah, Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee, no. 312.}.
Imaam Shafi'ee (d.204H), said: "Indeed the Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, the Resurrection is a true fact ..." {Manhaj ash-Shafi'ee, of al-Bayhaqi, 1/415.}
Imaam Ahmad (d. 241H): "Eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave. {Refer to Usool us-Sunnah, no. 8 and Risalat us-Sunnah, p72. by Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.}.
Abu Daawood (d.275H): Chapter: Questioning in the Grave and The Punishment in the Grave {Kitab us-Sunnah, Abu Dawood, p900.}.
Ibn Qutaybah (d.278H): "Upon Eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave" {Taweel Mukhtalif ul-Hadeeth, Ibn Qutaybah, p8.}
Imaam at-Tahaawee (d.278H): "We have Eemaan ... in The Punishment of the Grave" {Aqeedah Tahaaweeyah, Imaam at-Tahawi, no. 79-80.}. And we can continue with Abul- Hasan al-Ashari (d.324H); Imaam Aajuree (d.360H); Ibn Abee Hastim (d.327H); Imaam Barbaharee (d.329H); al-Isma'eelee (d. 371H); Al-Qayrawani (d.386H); Ibn Abee Zamneen (d. 399H); Imaam al-Laalikaa'ee (d.418H); Imaam al-Bayhaqi (d.458H). In addition, there are countless others that we can bring in evidence of the issue at hand. We can quote from book after book, even to the extent of including actual chains of narrations; as we have them also!! So this shows without a shadow of a doubt that Aahaad Ahaadeeth were taken as part of our 'Aqeedah by the Salaf for without them we have no 'Aqeedah - except that of those who are under Allaah's punishment. Sufficient for us are our Salaf for explaining our religion !!
However, we now have the saying of the later corrupted generations, those of little knowledge coming after the Salaf, those in this century who ignore the teachings of the Salaf. Among these group of people is of Taqee-ud-deen an-Nabahani - the founder of Hizb ut-Tahrir. He said in his book Ad-Dawsiyyah, p.6 "Indeed from them are those which require action, so they are acted upon (i.e. the Aahaad Ahaadeeth). So from Abu Hurayrah who said: When any of you finishes the last tashahud, he should seek refuge with Allaah from the four things: from The Punishment of the Hellfire, from Punishment of the Grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil trials of the Dajjal". From A'isha: from the Prophet (saas): that he used to make supplication in prayer: "O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from The Punishment of the Grave, I seek refuge in You from the trials of the Maseehud-Dajjaal, I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from debt and sin". So these two ahaadeeth are aahaad narrations and they contain requirement of an action, i.e. to carry out this supplication after tashahud, and it is permissible to attest (tasdeeq) to what is contained in them. However, what is haraam (forbidden) is to hold it with certainty - meaning: to have it as part as one's 'Aqeedah- as long as it has been reported in the aahaad hadeeth, a dhannee (non-mutawatir) proof. However, if it occurs in mutawatir form, then it is obligatory to make it part of one's 'Aqeedah;. This statement clearly represents the innovated ways of the Qadariyyah and the Mu'tazilah. Differentiating between tasdeeq and 'Aqeedah is innovated speech and away from the Salaf. And then we have a speech by Omar Bakri Muhammad - available on audio tape: "Punishment of the Grave", Regents Park Mosque, 22nd May 1992 CE. Within his speech he states:
"We trust it, and I encourage all of you to have tasdeeq (attest to) in The Punishment of the Grave. I encourage all of you to have tasdeeq in the coming of the Mahdee. I encourage you for that. But whoever believes in that, he is sinful".
Now, I hope you can see why our discussion should begin with belief - for if your belief 'Aqeedah is different from the Salaf - then your politics will be further away from them regardless of what you may think. For verily the Prophets had one belief !!. YES - of course we need Khilafah - I never denied this fact - and the Salafees and their Scholars have never denied this fact. But the Khilafah must be established using the Manhaj of the Prophethood - not the Shi'a, Khawaarij, Bralewiya, Sufiya etc., for this would not be blessed by Allaah for all these are opponents of the way of the Salaf and the way of the Companions!! 'So examine - may Allaah have mercy upon you - the speech of everyone you hear from, particularly in your time. Do not act in haste, nor enter into anything from it until you ask and see: Did any of the Companions of the Messenger (saas) speak about it, or any of the scholars. So if you find a narration from them about it, then cling to it. Do not go beyond it and do not give precedence to anything over it and thus fall into the fire' {Kitaab Sharh us-Sunnah, no. 5}. Qaadee Shareek (d.177H) said 'Ibaad ibn al-Awaam said: 'Shareek ibn Abdullah came to us more than fifty years ago, so we said to him: 'O Abu Abdullah! there are a group of the Mu'tazilah who deny the ahaadeeth about Allaah descending to the Lowest Heaven and that the people of Paradise see their Lord. So Shareek quoted about ten ahaadeeth like that, and then said: "As for us, we have taken our deen from the sons of the Sahaabah, from the Tabi'een. From whom did they take theirs ?".{Ibn Mandah in At-Tawheed, Q. 1/97.} So we see from just a few of the statements of the Salaf (which can go into volumes - and can be provided upon request; for those who seek the truth) - that they affirmed their belief upon one way - and their belief was as the belief of the Prophets - and what do we expect, for indeed the Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets - not us!! In addition, this is not the time or place to go into the details of the Mustalah ul-Hadeeth (Science of Hadeeth) - as there is not need to go into this science unless we know the people / scholars of the Salaf who gave us this Science and their belief; and their way. For verily they accepted the khabar ul-aahaad in Belief - and Allaah is sufficient as a witness. For further reading in English see Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee's 'ar-Risaala' on the Chapter X on "Evidence to the necessaty of accepting the Aahaad Khabar" and in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, English translation, volume 9, "Chapter: What is said regarding the acceptance of the information given by one truthful person...".
Now covering some of your points regarding the narrations of the Prophet (saas) and the claim that he was 'after establishing authority'. The scholar, Shaikh Rabee' ibn Haadi al-Madkhali, said in his book Manhaj al-Anbiyah min ad-Dawah ill-Allaah: "They (the Prophets) thus establish the obligation upon them of fighting Jihaad to raise the Word of Allaah, and of following and applying the Sharee'ah and the prescribed punishment and other matters prescribed for them by Allaah. This is what happened with our Prophet Muhammad (saas) and his noble Companions. Allaah crowned their Eemaan, their righteous actions, and their exemplary perseverance when facing the harm and the oppression of the Mushriks, by aiding them and making their Deen uppermost, and by establishing them upon the earth, as Allaah - the Most High says:
"Allaah has promised those who truly believe (have true Eemaan) amongst you and act in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger (saas), that He will grant them rulership (Khilaafah) upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them authority to practise the religion He chose for them and ordered. And He will certainly change their situation to one of security , after their fear, providing they worship and obey Me; not associating anything else in worship with Me." {Soorah an-Noor, 24:55}.
Then sovereignty was offered to Allaah's Messenger (saas) in Makkah but he refused, except that he should continue calling to Tawheed and in waging war against Shirk and the idols. So when Quraysh became troubled by the call of Allaah's Messenger (saas) they sent Utbah ibn Rabee'ah and he came to Allaah's Messenger (saas) and said: "O son of my brother, you know the excellence you hold amongst us with regard to your position in the tribe and your lineage, but you have a matter which is very serious for your people. Because of it you have split their united body, caused their youth to behave foolishly and abused their idols with it, and their religion. You have declared their forefathers infidels because of it. So listen to me and I will offer you something which you may consider, and hopefully some of them will be acceptable to you". So Allaah's messenger (saas) said in reply "Speak, O Abul-Waleed, I will listen". He said "O, son of my brother, if what you desire by this matter which you have come with is wealth, then we will gather wealth for you from amongst our wealth until you are one of the richest of us. And if you wish by it high position, then we will give you such authority that we will not do anything without your approval, and if you wish by it sovereignty, then we will make you sovereign over us. But if it is the case that what comes to you is a demon which you see and can not get rid of, then we will seek after a medical cure for you and we will expend our money until we can get you cured of it. Since a demon may take hold of a person until he is cured and relieved of it". And Allaah's Messenger (saas) was listening to him, then he (saas) said "Have you finished O Abul Waleed ?", he said "Yes". He (saas) said "Then listen to me", he replied "I will do so". So he (SAW) said "In the name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, Bestower of Mercy. Haa Meem, this Qur'ân is the revelation sent down by the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. A book whose ayahs are made clear a recital in pure Arabic for those who know, bringing them good tidings of paradise if they believe in it and act upon it, and as a warning to those who disbelieve in it and do not act in obedience to Allaah, that they will receive punishment and dwell in the Hell in the hereafter. But most of them turn away haughtily and refuse to listen to it" {Qur'aan 41:4} Then Allaah's Messenger (saas) continued reciting to him. So when Utbah heard it, he remained silent and sat with his hands behind his back, resting upon them and listening. So when Allaah's messenger (SAW) came to the ayah of prostration in it, he prostrated and then said: " You have heard what you have heard O Abul Waleed, so now it is upon you". So Utbah went back to Quraysh, and when he sat with them, they said : "What has happened to you, O Abul Waleed ?". He said "What happened is that I heard the like of which I have never heard by Allaah. By Allaah, it is not sorcery, nor poetry, nor divining. O Quraysh - obey me and let the decision be mine. Leave the man and let him continue in what he is upon. Keep away from him since, by Allaah, his saying which I have heard will come to have great importance. So if the other Arabs kill him, then you will be rid of him due to the action of others, and if he conquerors the Arabs, then his sovereignty is your sovereignty , his power is your power, and you will be the ones fortunate with regard to him". They said, "by Allaah, he has performed magic upon you with his tongue - O Abul Waleed". He said "This is my opinion with regard to him, you may do what ever you see fit" {Seerah Ibn Ishaq, as-Seerah ibn Hisham, 1 /293 -294.
It also has a supporting witness in the hadeeth of Jabir which is reported by Ibn Humayd and Abu Ya'la.} And Ibn Ishaaq reports with his chain of narration to Ibn Abbaas (raa) that a group of Quraysh gathered and made an offer close to the offer made by Utbah. So he (saas) answered by saying: "I am not afflicted by what you say. I have not come with this seeking your wealth, nor seeking status above you, nor sovereignty over you, but rather Allaah has sent me as a Messenger to you, and has sent down a book to me, and has ordered me to be a bringer of good tidings and a warner to you. So I have conveyed to you the revealed messengers from my Lord, and I have sincerely advised you. So if you accept what I have brought to you then you will have your share in this world and the hereafter. But if you refuse to accept it from me then I will patiently wait Allaah's order, until Allaah judges between me and you".{As-Seerah of ibn Hisham, 1 / 295-296, and this one strengthens the previous narration, each of them supporting the other.}. Likewise Allaah's Messenger (saas) rejected the request of one of the tribes that they should be in charge of the affairs after his death, if the report is authentic. Ibn Ishaq said: 'az-Zuhree narrated to me that Allaah's Messenger (saas) came to Banu 'Aamir ibn Sasa'ah and called them to Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic, and presented himself to them. So a man from them called Bayharah ibn Firas said: " By Allaah, if we were to take hold of this young man from Quraysh I would devour the Arabs with him". Then he said: "If we were to give you our pledge of allegiance upon your affair, then Allaah gives you victory over those who oppose you, then will we be in authority after you ?". He (saas) said: "The affair is for Allaah, he places authority where ever He wills". So he said to him: "Are we to risk our necks before the Arabs for you, then when Allaah grants you victory, authority will be for other than us. We have no need of your affair". So they rejected him. {Ibn Hisham, 1/424-425. Also refer to as-Seeratun-Nabayiyah of adh-Dhahabee, p189-190.}. So Prophets (sas), did not come to bring about the downfall of one state and to replace it with another. They did not seek after sovereignty, nor did they organise parties for that. Rather they came for the guidance of mankind and to save them from misguidance and shirk, and to take mankind out of the darkness and into the light, and to remind them of the days when Allaah had sent favours upon them. If rule and sovereignty had been offered to them, they would have rejected it and continued upon their Dawah. Indeed Quraysh offered sovereignty to Allaah's Messenger (saas) and he refused it. It was also offered to him (by Allaah) that he should be a Prophet-King or Slave-Messenger. {Imaam Ahmad, 2 / 231}. So he had not used to take a pledge of allegiance from the Ansar or others except for Paradise, despite the fact that the pledge of the Ansar was given in the most severe and difficult circumstances, yet it contained no promise or position or authority, nor sovereignty, nor leadership, nor wealth, nor any other temporal gain. From Ubadah bin as-Samit (ra) who said: "I am one of those chiefs who gave the Aqabah pledge to Allaah"s Messenger (saas)". And he said: "We gave the pledge that we would not worship anything besides Allaah, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill a person whose killing Allaah had made unlawful - except rightfully, nor rob each other, nor disobey, and Paradise would be ours".{Sahih al-Bukhari, 9 / 6 no. 12. Also refer to Sahih Muslim 3 / 925 no. 4238} And, By Allaah, we could continue with evidence after evidence, fully referenced with the quotes and understanding of the Salaf - the scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaah, from the earliest generations, and all of them with the certainty of them being authentic. So rather than prolonging this further, allow this to suffice for now. And my advise to you is to first correct your belief and come whole heartedly into the Dawah Salafiah, the Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaah, the Ahlul-Hadeeth, or whatever names the followers of the Prophet (saas) and the Companions used. Once you have done this then put your self upon a path of Tarbiyah (education and cultivation) and Tasfiyah (purifying ourselves from Bid'ah, innovations, that have been added to this religion) - and you will bear its fruits and Allaah will give us what we deserve, as He gave it to those before us. He will give us the opportunity to fight for His deen - if we are worthy of that. Find out about the Saved Sect - the Firqatun-Najiyah, and what the Salaf said about who they are, and how to distinguish them from the other 72 sects the Prophet (saas) said will be in the Fire. And know that the Saved Sect is recognised by its belief and methodology ('Aqeedah and Manhaj) - so it is not the belief of the Khawaarij, Shia, Sufiyah, Qadariyyah and their likes. Let us finish here. May Allaah guide us, Praise be to Allaah, and peace and blessings upon his Messenger. And by way of a note: There was no need for you in your response to write to me about the validity of the Khilafah or the importance of applying the Laws of Allaah - by Allaah, this is already established with us. What we are looking at is your belief and methodology with regard to this Deen. To correct this first and put it in line with that of the Salaf. I do not wish to debate with you further, however any questions you have - I am quite willing to research the answers for you with full references. Even if that means checking for you the references that you thought were from the scholars of the past and now you wish to re-check. Wassalam Alaykum. And Allaah is the Lord of the Worlds.
to be continued inshaAllah.
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