Means of Salvation from Tribulations in the Quran and Sunnah

Yes.

Section. And know that the servant's salvation in this matter

lies in steadfastness and referring the matter to its people among the scholars and rulers,

holding fast to the Book and the Sunnah, and keeping to the Jama'ah,

and keeping company with those whose religion is trusted.

For indeed, this is a protection from tribulations.

Allah ﷻ said:

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allāh], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.”

“And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allāh any protectors; then you would not be helped.” (Quran 11:112-113)

“And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allāh any protectors; then you would not be helped.” (Quran 11:113)

And He said:

“And when there comes to them something [i.e., information] about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.” (Quran 4:83)

and if they had referred it

“And when there comes to them something [i.e., information] about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them,

then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.” (Quran 4:83)

On the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam (RA), he said:

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up one day to deliver a sermon among us

at a watering place called Khumm, between Makkah and Madinah.

He praised Allah ﷻ, extolled Him, exhorted, and reminded, then he said: 'To proceed.'

"O people, I am only a human being;

the messenger of my Lord is about to come and I will respond.

And I am leaving among

you two weighty things:

The first of them is the Book of Allah, in which is guidance and light.

So take the Book of Allah and hold fast to it.

He urged and encouraged adherence to the Book of Allah.

Then he said: 'And my household — I remind you of Allah regarding my household.'

'I remind you of Allah regarding my household. I remind you of Allah regarding my household.'

Narrated by Muslim.

And from Abu Hurairah (RA), that the Prophet ﷺ said:

A man follows the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look at whom he befriends.

Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is Hasan Gharib, and al-Hakim authenticated it.

Hudhayfah (RA) said: "People used to ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about good,

but I used to ask him about evil, fearing that it would overtake me."

I said: "O Messenger of Allah, we were in Jahiliyyah and evil, and Allah brought us this good.

Will there be any evil after this good?"

He said: "Yes." I said: "And will there be any good after that evil?"

He said: "Yes, but it will be tainted (dakhn)."

I asked: "What is its smoke?"

He said: "People who guide by other than my guidance; you will approve of some and disapprove of others."

I said: "Will there be any evil after that good?"

He said: "Yes, callers at the gates of Hell;

whoever responds to their call, they will throw him into it."

I said: "O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us."

He said, "They are from our own people and speak our language."

I asked, "What do you order me to do if I live to see that?"

He said, "Stick to the main body of Muslims and their leader."

I asked, "What if they have no main body and no leader?"

He said, "Then isolate yourself from all those sects,"

"even if you have to bite onto the root of a tree until death reaches you in that state."

Agreed upon, and this wording is from Muslim.

Among the things praised in Sharia is fleeing with one's religion from tribulations and increasing worship.

In Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA), he said,

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep

which he takes to mountain tops and rainy places, fleeing with his religion from tribulations."

And on the authority of Ma'qil ibn Yasar (RA), attributing it to the Prophet ﷺ, he said:

"Worship during turmoil is like emigration to me."

Narrated by Muslim.

And enjoining good, forbidding evil, and Jihad have a virtue mentioned regarding the believers.

On the authority of Al-Nu'man bin Bashir (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"The likeness of the one who stands for the limits of Allah ﷻ and the one who violates them

is like a people who drew lots for a ship, so some of them got the upper deck and others the lower deck.

Those who were in the lower deck, when they wanted to draw water, had to pass by those who were above them.

So they said, 'If we were to make a hole in our share and not harm those who are above us?'

If they let them do what they want, they will all perish,

but if they prevent them, they will be saved and all of them will be saved."

Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

On the authority of Mu'adh (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Whomever Allah ﷻ intends good for, He gives him understanding of the religion."

And a group of Muslims will not cease to fight for the truth,

victorious over those who oppose them, until the Day of Resurrection.

Agreed upon, and the wording is Muslim's.

And in reviving and spreading knowledge is the stability of religion and worldly life.

Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (RH) said:

Our past scholars used to say: 'Holding fast to the Sunnah is salvation.'

And knowledge will be taken away rapidly.

So reviving knowledge is the stability of religion.

So reviving knowledge is the stability of religion and worldly life.

And in the departure of knowledge is the departure of all of that.

Narrated by at-Tabarani, and its chain of narration is authentic.

And a good end for a servant is dying upon Islam and the Sunnah.

And on the authority of Nafi' that he heard Abdullah ibn Umar (RA)

while he was on as-Safa, supplicating and saying:

"O Allah, You have said: Call upon Me, I will respond to you. And indeed You do not break Your promise."

I ask You, just as You guided me to Islam, not to strip it from me until You cause me to die while I am a Muslim.

Narrated by Malik, and its chain of transmission is also authentic.

Hudhayfah al-Mar'ashi (RH) said: "Glad tidings to whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah."

Then he wept for a time that would come in which innovation would appear.

He said: "If it is so, then let him preserve from my words what Allah wills."

Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman. Abu Bakr al-Marwazi said...

Abu Bakr al-Marwazi (RH) said in Kitab al-Wara':

"I said,

'O Abu Abdillah'—meaning Ahmad ibn Hanbal—'whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah dies upon good.'"

He said to me: 'Be quiet! Whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah dies upon all good.'

And it is a great help for whoever looks into what has preceded of his explanation,

and it is his advice to himself and his brothers.

O you traveling caravan whose journey is directed towards Allah,

here is the aid of the Helper.

Proceed in your affairs rightly guided, holding fast to the Sharia, and beware of the sitting of Satan.

And follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnahs that are authentic from the Messenger ﷺ from Adnan.

Cast off the cloak of ignorance and imitation, and do not wear the garments of fanaticism.

And seek two migrations for your heart; they are heavy in the scale.

Sincerely devote yourself to Allah and follow His Messenger ﷺ, for they are the path of peace and excellence.

Devote yourself to Allah and follow His Messenger ﷺ.

Sincerely devote yourself to Allah and follow His Messenger ﷺ, for they are the path of peace and excellence.

Proclaim Allah's command in His rulings, and be patient and strive against the band of transgression.

Beware of the soul's evil if you strive against them, for if the soul transgresses, it leads to ruin.

For if the soul transgresses, it leads to ruin.

And Allah is the supporter of His religion.

And Allah is the helper of His religion, fulfilling His promise.

So sincerity is for the Most Merciful.

The advice of Salih has ended, and the advice of Salih has ended,

which he advised for himself, and all grace belongs to the Bestower.

Completed, with praise of Allah.

On the night of Monday, the 18th of Jumada al-Ula,

in the year 1436 AH.

The author, may Allah grant him success, concluded with a comprehensive chapter

calling in it to one of the best endeavors,

which is clarifying what leads to the servant's salvation,

which is clarifying what leads to the servant's salvation.

He mentioned that the servant's salvation in this matter,

meaning in the worldly life, lies in steadfastness,

referring matters to those in authority among the scholars and rulers,

holding fast to the Book and the Sunnah, and adhering to the community,

and keeping company with those whose religion is trusted,

for it is a safeguard against trials.

So these five mentioned matters

bring salvation in this world to whoever abides by them,

and he will praise the good outcome when he reaches the Hereafter.

Regarding the first of them, he mentioned the words of Allah ﷻ:

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allāh], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.” (Quran 11:112)

For He commanded adhering to istiqamah (steadfastness),

which is the servant maintaining himself upon the religion of Islam,

which is the servant maintaining himself upon the religion of Islam,

and it is the straight path which we were commanded to follow

in His saying: "And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it."

Then he mentioned the second, which is

referring the matter to its people among the scholars and rulers,

in His saying, Exalted is He:

“And when there comes to them something [i.e., information] about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.” (Quran 4:83)

meaning, they spread it.

He said:

“And when there comes to them something [i.e., information] about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.” (Quran 4:83)

"...could draw correct conclusions from it." And "those in authority" are his companions.

Authority in Islam goes back to two things:

one of them is governance and ruling,

and the other is fatwa and knowledge.

By the first, people's worldly life is set straight, and by the second, their Hereafter becomes good.

The first is entrusted to the rulers, and the second is entrusted to the scholars.

They are the ones to whom the matters concerning the Muslims are referred,

in terms of what we mentioned.

Then, regarding the third point, which is adhering to the Book and the Sunnah, he mentioned the hadith of Zayd bin Arqam (RA),

in which the Prophet ﷺ said:

"I am leaving among you two weighty things"—and a "thiql" is a great matter—

"the first of them is the Book of Allah, in which is guidance and light. So hold fast to the Book of Allah," as he directed.

to that, the Prophet ﷺ.

And the Prophet ﷺ made the mention of his family a sign for the second.

For indeed, a man's household are the people most duty-bound to uphold what he brought.

For indeed, a man's household are the people most duty-bound to uphold what he brought.

So the Sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ followed, of the religion that Allah ordained for him—

the people most duty-bound to adhere to it and call to it are his household ﷺ.

And they, among those of that generation—namely, the generation of the Companions (RA)—are the best of them.

For the household of the Prophet ﷺ who accompanied him are the best of his household ﷺ,

and they remained upright upon what the Prophet ﷺ was upon, of religion and Sunnah.

Then he mentioned the fourth point: accompanying someone whose religion is trusted,

the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“A man is upon the religion of his close friend,”

meaning, he will be upon the religion of the one he takes as a close friend,

meaning, a companion with whom love is so complete that it permeates the heart of that beloved one.

So between them is a sincere, confirmed love, and a servant's religion follows the religion of his close friend.

For this reason, he ﷺ said: “So let one of you look to whom he takes as a close friend,”

meaning, let him look at which people he takes as a close friend,

because the strength of his religion is in accordance with what is in his close friend.

So whoever takes one whose religion is trustworthy as a close friend, religion will be perfected in himself,

and whoever takes one whose religion is weak as a close friend, his own religion will weaken,

for a close friend has an influence on his close friend.

Then he mentioned the fifth matter, which is adhering to the community.

The hadith of Hudhayfah (RA) regarding tribulations,

in which the Prophet ﷺ said when Hudhayfah asked him,

"What do you order me to do if that should overtake me?" He said,

"Adhere to the congregation of Muslims and their Imam."

So the safety of the servant lies in adhering to the congregation of Muslims,

represented by the leaders, the people of authority (ahl al-hall wal-aqd),

and who governs over them as an emir and imam.

Hudhayfah said: If there is no jamā'ah and no imam for them,

he said: then keep away from all those factions,

even if you must bite onto the root of a tree — meaning, clench your teeth onto the trunk of a tree,

even if you clench your teeth onto the trunk of a tree, seeking safety in your religion.

This is a metaphor for complete withdrawal from these warring factions

abandoning them, and the servant seeking his salvation by holding his tongue.

For the one who is biting onto the trunk of a tree cannot speak,

and what most ignites fitnah is the tongue.

Then he mentioned that it is legislatively praised to flee with one's religion from tribulations,

and to increase worship during them. So if tribulations follow one another and multiply,

it is legislatively praised for a person to flee from them,

and to take refuge in worship, as the Prophet ﷺ said

in the hadith of Abu Sa'id:

"A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep

which he takes to the tops of mountains and places of rainfall, fleeing with his religion from tribulations."

Fleeing from tribulations is legislatively required and is part of faith,

as Al-Bukhari (RH) titled a chapter in his Sahih.

And among the ways to flee is turning to Allah ﷻ in worship.

And in the hadith of Ma'qil ibn Yasar (RA), the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Worship during times of turmoil is like emigration to me."

Al-Harj is the mixing of affairs (confusion).

And the greatest form of it is the occurrence of killing.

In the Hadith in the Sahih, we asked, "What is Al-Harj?" He said, "Killing."

Meaning, the highest form of confusion and turmoil

is when bloodshed and loss of lives occur among Muslims.

Worship during times of tribulation was made equivalent to emigration to the Prophet ﷺ,

because the servant leaves with his heart what the people are upon,

and he is like the emigrant who used to separate with his body and heart from what the polytheists were upon,

then move to the Prophet ﷺ in Medina.

So that person who leaves the current events and the state of the times, as they say,

and turns to Allah ﷻ,

he detaches himself, his heart, and his focus from seeking out the affairs of people,

and turns with his heart to Allah ﷻ,

so Allah ﷻ strengthens his heart and saves him,

and he receives of goodness this great reward mentioned in the Hadith.

Then the author said: Enjoining good and forbidding evil...

...and Jihad have a virtue in saving the believers.

The adverse conditions that Muslims go through at different times in their history

are repelled by complying with what Sharia has commanded, bringing about salvation,

and among this is enjoining good, forbidding evil, and Jihad in the cause of Allah ﷻ.

The author mentioned two Hadiths to clarify this,

the first of which is the Hadith of Al-Nu'man ibn Bashir (RA),

which is an explicit Hadith stating that enjoining good

...and forbidding evil saves the believers,

as the Prophet ﷺ said at its end:

"and if they prevent them, they will be saved, and they will all be saved."

For he likened people to those aboard a ship,

and that the one who prevents the breach

is like the one who restrains those who abandon good and fall into evil,

so he is saved, and those who were restrained are saved.

In the second, he mentioned the marfu' Hadith of Mu'awiyah (RA), in which the Prophet ﷺ said:

"A group of Muslims will not cease to fight for the truth,

victorious over those who oppose them, until the Day of Resurrection."

Thus, Jihad is a hallmark of Muslims,

and it is a means by which harm, humiliation, deficiency, and evil are repelled from Muslims.

Regarding these two matters,

the proper path in them is what Ibn Taymiyyah the grandson mentioned

concerning one of them, in his statement at the end of Al-Wasitiyyah:

"And among the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah

is enjoining good and forbidding evil

in the manner prescribed by the Sharia." End quote.

And similarly, it can be said:

"And among the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah

is Jihad in the cause of Allah as required by Sharia.

What is meant by this is that these two great matters, which

are made among the symbols of Muslims and the greatest causes of salvation, will achieve their purpose

if they are in accordance with Sharia,

meaning in accordance with what Sharia has permitted of the Word of Allah or the words of His Messenger ﷺ.

For if one pursues a path other than the Sharia path in them,

it will not bring them this praiseworthy outcome mentioned in the two Hadiths.

Then the author said:

"And in reviving and spreading knowledge is the stability of religion and worldly life."

Meaning, that by which religion remains and is preserved,

and by which life continues,

and the conditions of the creation flourish,

and their religion and worldly affairs are set straight by spreading and conveying knowledge.

And he mentioned the statement of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri,

who is from the junior Tabi'un,

that he said: "Those of our scholars who passed away"— meaning the Companions (RA)—

and the senior Tabi'un used to say: 'Adhering to the Sunnah is salvation, and knowledge is taken away rapidly.'

So reviving knowledge—meaning reviving and spreading it—is the stability of religion and worldly life,

meaning, through it, religion and worldly life remain.

So when knowledge becomes well-known and widespread, and people know the rulings of Sharia

regarding their religion and worldly life,

then if people comply, the affairs of their religion and worldly life will be upright.

And if knowledge is lost, their religion and worldly life will be lost to them.

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) pointed to this meaning in 'I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in',

and the Sheikh of our Sheikhs, Ibn Bulayhid (RH), in his Manasik,

stating that knowledge is the life of countries, and ignorance is the death of countries.

So if knowledge is present, the country lives by it and revives, and religion and worldly affairs grow strong.

And if ignorance spreads in that country,

it dies, and the uprightness of people's affairs in their religion and worldly life is lost.

Then he said: "And a good end for a servant is to die upon Islam and the Sunnah."

Meaning, the best state in which a servant's life is sealed at his death...

...is that Allah ﷻ causes him to die upon Islam and the Sunnah.

May Allah cause us and you to die upon Islam and the Sunnah.

Meaning, that the servant dies upon the religion of Islam,

and that the state he is in

is the state conforming to the religion brought by the Prophet ﷺ.

For the term "Sunnah" is specific to the Islam brought by the Prophet ﷺ,

as the texts of Sharia indicate that people will dispute and split concerning the term Islam,

and those of them who remain upon the Islam brought by the Prophet ﷺ

is the Islam that is upon the Sunnah,

and this is the state that a servant should ask his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, to cause him to die upon.

He mentioned what was reported from Nafi', that he heard 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA)

on Al-Safa, supplicating: "O Allah, You said: 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you,' and You do not fail Your promise,

I ask You, just as You guided me to Islam, not to strip it from me until You cause me to die while I am a Muslim."

Narrated by Malik, with an authentic chain.

And the Islam to which Ibn 'Umar was guided is the Islam that the Prophet ﷺ was upon,

so he was upon the pure Sunnah.

The matter of division began in the time of the Companions (RA) with the views of Ma'bad al-Juhani and others, and the Khawarij,

then it increased among the people until this day of ours.

He mentioned the saying of Al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad: "Glad tidings to whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah."

Meaning, congratulations to whoever dies in this state.

And "Tuba" means the good life; meaning, he will have the complete good life in this world and the Hereafter.

Then he wept over a time that would come— meaning after him—in which bid'ah would appear.

He said, "If that is the case, let him frequently say: Masha'Allah."

What is the meaning of this? "Let him frequently say: Masha'Allah."

Yes. Well done. Meaning, submitting to the decree of Allah ﷻ,

meaning, submitting to the decree of Allah ﷻ.

For whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever Allah ﷻ wills, He does,

in submission to His command and acknowledgment of His decree.

Then he mentioned that Abu Bakr al-Marwazi, author of Kitab al-Wara' and companion of Imam Ahmad, said:

"I said to Abu 'Abdillah—meaning Ahmad ibn Hanbal—'Whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah dies upon good.'"

"So he said to me, 'Be quiet!

'Whoever dies upon Islam and the Sunnah dies upon all good.'"

Whoever dies in this state has died upon the religion brought by the Prophet ﷺ,

and whoever dies upon the religion brought by the Prophet ﷺ is the most deserving of people of Paradise.

In the Sahih, when the Prophet ﷺ was asked by Abu Hurayrah (RA),

"O Messenger of Allah, who will be the happiest of people with your intercession?"

For he ﷺ said: 'Whoever says: "La ilaha illa Allah" sincerely from his heart.'

And in this is an indication that whoever maintains the religious rituals in accordance with

the Prophet's Sunnah is the most deserving of people of the high ranks

in accompanying the Prophet ﷺ in Paradise.

May Allah ﷻ make me and you among them.

Then the author concluded

with a poem he called "Najdat al-Mu'wan"

meaning what the author uses to aid his brothers

for it is

a counsel they can use to adhere to what is necessary.

He said: "O rider whose journey is blessed, by Allah, what a great help you are!

Proceed in your affairs rightly guided, holding fast to the Sharia, and beware of the ambush of Satan,"

meaning, Satan lying in wait for you. Indeed, Satan lies in wait for each of us

to mislead him and beautify for him what takes him out, at times, from Islam to Shirk,

at times from the Sunnah to Bid'ah, and at times from obedience to disobedience.

He said: "And follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnahs..."

...and the Sunnahs that are authentic from the Chosen One of Adnan,"

meaning Muhammad ﷺ, for he is the elite of the children of Adnan.

He said: "Cast off the cloak of ignorance, discard its twin — fanaticism; how evil are these two garments!"

Meaning, beware of two garments that usually envelop people: one is the garment of ignorance, and the other is the garment of fanaticism.

The first garment is mostly found in those who are stripped of knowledge.

The first garment is mostly found in those stripped of knowledge.

And the second garment is mostly found in those who associate with knowledge.

So the one who lacks knowledge wears the garment of ignorance,

And the one who wears the garment of knowledge often wears the garment of fanaticism.

For he is fanatical toward whatever opinion he holds.

He said: How ugly are these two garments — the worst of all ugliness.

Then he said: Seek for your heart two migrations,

both weighing heavily in the scale — sincerity to Allah ﷻ and following His Messenger ﷺ; for they are the path of peace and goodness.

And these two migrations are the migration of the heart.

For the heart migrates to Allah ﷻ through sincerity,

and to Muhammad ﷺ through following him.

For the heart migrates to Allah ﷻ through sincerity,

and to Muhammad ﷺ with following.

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) mentioned this meaning in "Al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah" and "Al-Risalah al-Tabukiyyah",

and he has a beautiful discussion at its beginning on this migration.

Then he said: "They are the path of peace and excellence,"

meaning, that by which the servant secures the path of complete Islam,

through submission to Allah ﷻ, and excellence by adhering to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ.

Then he said: "And proclaim the command of Allah in His rulings,"

meaning, clarify to the people the command of Allah ﷻ regarding Sharia rulings, in news and demands.

"And be patient, and strive against the band of tyranny,"

meaning, strive against all who transgress the command of the Sharia.

"And beware of the soul's evils if you strive against them."

"For if the soul transgresses, it leads to abandonment."

Meaning, if you stand up striving among the people to bring them back from Shirk to Tawhid, or from innovation to the Sunnah,

or from disobedience to obedience, then beware of the evil consequences...

which often destroys those who call to Islam, namely arrogance.

For some people are pleased with their state of being upon Tawhid,

and others being polytheists, or being upon the Sunnah while others are upon bid'ah,

or being upon obedience while others are in disobedience,

and this leads him to seek self-exaltation and corruption in the land,

turning from calling people to the Lord of mankind to calling people to himself, even if he does not realize it.

This is the meaning of the Imam of Da'wah's (RH) statement in Kitab at-Tawhid:

"For many people, even if they call to Allah, they are calling to themselves."

And that is when the state of arrogance overcomes him when calling people, leading him to abandonment,

for Allah continues to twist the rope for the servant...

of the evils he commits against himself,

until when He seizes him, He ﷻ does not grant him respite.

So if the servant becomes tyrannical and oppressive, even with knowledge and truth, Allah ﷻ does not love the arrogant,

And Allah ﷻ commanded the servant to purify his intention in calling people

to Allah ﷻ, as He, the Exalted, said:

“Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allāh with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allāh; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."” (Quran 12:108)

So the servant follows the path of the Prophet ﷺ in being a caller to Allah ﷻ,

he does not call to himself, nor to his country, nor to his party, nor to his sect,

nor to those he loves, but calls to the Sharia objectives.

When this is before his eyes, it breaks his soul away from tyranny,

and he fears for himself that what he has might be stripped away.

For he who sees himself today as a monotheist should fear becoming a polytheist.

And he who sees himself today as a Sunni follower

should fear for himself turning into an innovator.

And he who sees himself today as obedient

should fear regressing and returning to disobedience.

The Salaf (RH) used to observe this greatly, even at the time of death.

For 'Amir ibn 'Abd Qays al-Kufi,

who was one of the leading worshippers among the Tabi'un,

when he was on his deathbed, he was in distress.

Some of his companions came to comfort him and remind him of his acts of obedience,

so he said, "Where is the saying of Allah ﷻ:

“And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in truth, when they both made an offering [to Allāh], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. Said [the latter], "I will surely kill you." Said [the former], "Indeed, Allāh only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].” (Quran 5:27)

Meaning, how do I know I performed acts of obedience for Allah ﷻ?

But will Allah ﷻ, Mighty and Majestic, accept them from me?

And you now, when you call to Tawheed, or call to the Sunnah, or call to obedience,

how do you know that Allah ﷻ has accepted that from you?

And how do you know that your soul is free from the corrupting evils that ruin sincere calling

to Allah ﷻ and to the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ?

A servant should always fear abandonment for himself, by falling into transgression,

and then being stripped of Tawheed, or stripped of the Sunnah, or stripped of obedience.

Then he said: "Allah ﷻ will aid His religion, so be certain of His promise, for truthfulness belongs to the Most Merciful."

Meaning, Allah ﷻ has guaranteed the victory of His religion, and He ﷻ is truthful in His promise.

The Exalted said:

“But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allāh, [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.” (Quran 4:122)

And the Exalted said:

“Allāh - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.” (Quran 4:87)

Then he said in conclusion: 'The advice of Salih has ended,

and he advised himself with it, and all grace belongs to the Bestower of favors.'

We ask Allah ﷻ to benefit us all by what we have said,

and to make it beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds,

and that He takes us under His guardianship and protects us with His care,

and that He guides us to the paths of goodness and keeps us from the paths of evil.

O Allah, grant our souls their piety and purify them,

You are the best to purify them, You are their Guardian and Master.

O Allah, we ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency.

O Allah, grant us of Your fear that which stands between us and disobeying You,

and of Your obedience that which carries us to Your Paradise,

and of certainty that which makes the trials of this world easy for us.

O Allah, grant us the use of our hearing, sight, and strength for as long as You keep us alive, and make it last till we meet You.

O Allah, give us life in the best of states, cause us to die in the best of states, our hearts all at their best.

O Allah, let us live upon Islam and the Sunnah, and let us die upon Islam and the Sunnah.

This concludes the explanation of the meanings of this book as required by the context.

Write down the audition record.

"Heard from me the entirety," for whoever heard the whole thing.

"Heard from me the entirety of Al-Da'i ila Khayr al-Masa'i."

And in the second blank: "by the recitation of someone else."

The reader writes "by his recitation," and for the recitation of someone else: "our companion..." writing his full name:

So-and-so, son of so-and-so, son of so-and-so.

This was completed for him in two sessions, with the makeup session recorded in its proper place in his copy,

and I have authorized him to narrate it from me with a specific ijazah, from a specific person to a specific person for a specific text.

And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. This is correct.

Written by Salih bin 'Abdullah bin Hamad al-'Usaymi on

Saturday, the first of the month of Jumada al-Akhirah,

in the year 1439 AH,

in the Prophet's Mosque in the city of the Messenger ﷺ.

be upon him.

This questioner says:

Some of the brothers cannot go to the university tomorrow to attend the lesson after Asr.

So if it were possible after Maghrib in the Prophet's Mosque — they requested that, but we had already agreed

so we cannot change this, even though the Mosque is more beloved to us than anywhere else. However, in order to spread and propagate knowledge, the lesson was scheduled there.

This questioner says: Why was the virtue of Tawhid put before the virtue of Islam?

Why was the chapter on Tawhid put before the chapter on the virtue of Islam?

Because the Islam mentioned in the second chapter is not realized except with the existence of Tawhid;

so whoever singles out Allah ﷻ in worship becomes submissive to Him.

This brother says: In this chapter,

renewing the following of the Messenger ﷺ was mentioned,

and yesterday's lecture mentioned the greatness of following as a quality of scholars.

And this is true, for the scholars were only ordered to be followed because they

are followers of the Prophet ﷺ.

And he is the one who said: "Follow those after me," meaning Abu Bakr and Umar (RA).

So emulation is following.

And this concludes our session.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah's peace and blessings

upon His servant and Messenger Muhammad, and his family and all his companions.