Speaker: Hasan as-Somali 

Category: Manhaj

Date: 7th June, 2018

Download/ Listen [12:52 mins]

Brief Notes From The Lecture:

• Allāh says in His Book,

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٲنِ‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ
"Help you one another in al-Birr and al-Taqwá (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allāh. Verily, Allāh is Severe in punishment." (Sūrah al-Māʾidah 5:2)

• There are many benefits that can be derived from this verse but many—except those whom Allāh has mercy upon—misapply or misunderstand it.
• Imām Abū Muḥammad Ḥussayn b. Masʿūd al-Baghawī (d. 516 H) explained this verse saying, "Al-Birr has been explained by the Scholars of Islām to mean al-Islām and al-Taqwá has been explained to be mean al-Sunnah."
• Thus, in accordance to the explanation of a number of the Salaf, the meaning of the verse would be, 'Cooperate upon Islām and the Sunnah.'
• Regarding Allāh's statement, "...but do not help one another in sin and transgression", al-Baghawī said, "Some of the Scholars of Islām have explained al-Ithm to mean disbelief and al-ʿUdwān to mean oppression."
• So with this explanation, the meaning of the verse would be, 'Do not cooperate upon disbelief and oppression.'
• Al-Baghawī continued, "And some of the Scholars have explained al-Ithm to be al-Maʿṣiyah (disobedience) and al-ʿUdwān to be Bidʿah (innovation).”
• With this explanation, the meaning would be, ‘Do not cooperate upon disobedience and innovation.’
• Allāh commands us to cooperate upon Islām and the Sunnah and He forbids us from aiding one another upon disobedience, disbelief and innovation. This is why it is a must for the Muslim to be with the People of the Sunnah and the Jamāʿah.
• The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “There is not three people in a town where the adhān is not called nor is the prayer established in the congregation except that the devil overcomes them. Stick to the Jamāʿah because verily, the wolf devours the lone sheep.”
• Imām al-Ājurrī mentions in his book al-Sharīʿah, “A sign that Allāh wants good for a person is that they walk upon this path [which is] the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger and the ways of his Companions and the way of those who followed the Companions in goodness, and likewise those who walk upon the path of the Imāms in all of the lands up until the latter-day scholars like al-Awzāʿī, Sufyān al-Thawrī, Mālik b. Anas, al-Shafiʿī, Aḥmad b. Hanbal, Qāsim b. Sallām and whoever is upon the like of their path. And likewise, to stay away and abandon every belief/doctrine that these scholars criticised and we will clarify what they were pleased with, if Allāh wills.”
• Unfortunately, in the month of Ramaḍān you see people practicing various types of innovation and leaving the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And example of which is as it relates to breaking the fast. The Prophet said as found in Bukhārī and Muslim, “The people will not cease to be in a state of good as long as they hasten to break their fast.”
• This is from the signs of the People of the Sunnah. However, you find people opposing the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) for the statement of fulān (so and so). You find them delaying the breaking of the fast as a precautionary measure, which Allāh revealed no legislation in support of.