"We follow and do not innovate in the Deen !"

In the Name of Allah, all praise belongs to Allah, and may the Salaah and Salaam be upon the best of creation, his Sahabah, and those who follow them. As for what follows: Firstly, it is necessary for a Muslim to know that he does not speak a word or give a ruling through a phrase or a sentence in regard to knowledge of this Deen except that he is responsible for it in front of Allah. This knowledge is a trust, so it requires that the one who has the responsibility of possessing it – meaning knowledge – imagines Jannah and the Fire in front of his very eyes. Due to this Imaam ibn Daqeeq Al-‘Īd said that once when he was acting as a judge, and was serving in Egypt. An opponent sin the court once said to him, “You have oppressed me”, and in some of the narrations they state that the opponent said to him, “Your statement is not said seeking the Face of Allah!” or something similiar. He replied, “By Allah, I have not uttered a single word in the part forty years except that I have prepared myself to answer for it in front of Allah.”

So everything a student of knowledge says in debates and dialogues, everything he says when relating rulings, everything he says in matters of knowledge, is fully recorded from him, and he is responsible for it in front of Allah. However, the questioning about knowledge is not like questioning about other matters. Everything someone says is recorded and he is duly responsible for it. But the questioning regarding knowledge is specific and distinct, as you are attributing it to the Deen and to what has been legislated by Allah. You are stating that the ruling of Allah in this issue is such and such, or that this specific matter is obligatory, or that matter is merely permitted without reward or punishment, or that this other matter is only recommended. So it is necessary to imagine the Jannah and the Fire in front of your eyes.

 

You should not give a ruling nor speak a word except that you have with you a portion of knowledge which you had come across or which was transmitted to you from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. As Allah says:

"Bring me a scripture prior to this or some trace of knowledge, if you are truthful."

 

Knowledge fro the truthful individual is transmitted knowledge, that knowledge which, if a person speaks from it, should originate fro the Scholars and from the esteemed and honored people of knowledge. Imam Ash-Shafi’ee said, “I am pleased to have Imaam Maalik as a proof and source for my assertion, between me and Allah.” By this meaning that if Allah asked him, “From whom did you take this knowledge?” He can say, “I took it from Imaam Maalik.” So if the issues are ones in which differences exist and those issues which are related to the collective affairs of the Muslimeen, then you are responsible and a holder of a trust and as such every word you speak, you will be held responsible for it.

 

So if you are able to firmly establish this then proceed to the second matter: This second matter is that we are those who follow and do not innovate new matters in the Deen. We point towards the transmitted knowledge from the past, as was stated by Imaam Maalik, “It is an obligation upon every student of knowledge to be upon tranquility and steadfastness, and upon the narrations of those who have passed before him.” Therefore, it is a requirement for him to posses this transmitted knowledge from the past. From this point we see that the first matter the successful focused student of knowledge must aim for is that he must not be deceitful in regard to his knowledge. From such a deception in his knowledge is that he acts as one who has the ability to independently derive rulings while he is not from their ranks. From such a deception in knowledge is that he sits to debate with his brother when he has not achieved the level of knowledge necessary to prepare him for such debates or discussions, as well as the possibility that second brother may not be from those whom it is proper to debate with.

Also from the ways of deception is one’s knowledge is when you bend the Texts and force them to hold a specific meaning by your using your opinion and independent reasoning. All this occuring while Allah is Witness from above the seven heavens that the one doing so does not have in his heart a fragment of true knowledge about that specific matter, or that in his heart he does not have a fragment of knowledge regarding that Hadith, or that he does not possess a fragment of knowledge regarding these Ayaat. But he takes these Texts and explains the Ayaat of the Qur’aan and explains Hadīth narrations according to his independent thoughts without having any proof for his explanations. The like of this man knows with certainty that he will be put forward towards the fire of Hell. Then at that time let him see whether these actions then seem insignificant or significant to him.

 

This is clear misguidance when a person does not rely upon any proof, support or evidence, but is simply grasping at conclusions randomly, debating and arguing, and sitting there stating principles as if he had reached such a high level of knowledge. This is very dangerous, and an error or lapse that every student of knowledge must seek refuge from. It is required to seek refuge in Allah from the tribulation of having a false sense of self importance because of one’s knowledge. Related to this mistake is the error of leaping too far ahead, especially for the beginning student of knowledge. It is said, “In the beginning of his affair he jumped too far and in the end he had only achieved anxiety and defeat,” meaning at that he brought defeat by Allah. Therefore it is necessary for the student of knowledge to weigh and assess himself with the scale of true piety, and to know that every Ayah and Hadīith will be a witness and proof upon him in front of Allah if he speaks about them without knowledge. Thus it is necessary that he only speak with a proof, as this makes matters simpler for him upon his path and towards his goals.

 

In addition, there is the Tafseer of the Qur’aan given by one of the Sahabah. When you come to the complied explanation of the Qur’aan by Ibn ‘Abbaas, it is a Tafseer of the entire Qur’aan but is not more than two hundred pages. As they were a people whose tongues were constrained, as they lived in an age of piety and fear of Allah. So a statement would not leave their mouths except that it was weighed and looked at, considering carefully whether it was based and formed from the Light of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah or not. Furthermore, if within their statement there was anything that was added, then it was something added to the degree that they would not be questioned about it in front of Allah. In their statements there was no pretentious statements or expressions, no devised phrases, nor words of pretense. The weighed carefully considered word shows that it is close to the truth, that it is correct in relation to the Sunnah, and that is suitable to be used as a proof, because what it contains from the Light of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah. Due to this it has been said by the Scholars, “Their speech was brief but tremendous in the blessings it possessed.” And when it is based upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah the student will not debate regarding issues except that he possesses the results of study and acquiring knowledge and a foundation of knowledge that can be built upon.

 

[By Ash-Shaykh Al-‘Allamah Muhammad Al-Ameen Ash-Shanqiti (rahimahUllah) - Various Questions, Islamic Ruling no. 9698]