“Humiliation And Disgrace Has Been Placed Upon Whoever Opposes My Command.”

Opposition To The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

Second Type¹¹²

They are who oppose his command due to doubts or misconceptions, they are the people of desires and innovations. Each of them bear a portion of humiliation and disgrace in proportion to their opposition to his commands. Allāh the Exalted said:

Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood]. ¹¹³

All of the people of desires and innovations are (guilty of) fabricating lies against Allāh, and their innovations increase in severity in proportion to the frequency of their fabrications against Him. Indeed Allāh deems whoever makes Ḥarām(impermissible) what He has made Ḥalāl (permitted), and makes Ḥalāl what He has made Ḥarām, to be one who invents lies upon Him. Therefore, whoever says about Allāh that of whichhe has no knowledge, then he has fabricated lies against Him.
And whoever ascribes to Allāh what is not permissible to ascribe to Him, whether it is through Tamthīl or Ta'tīl,¹¹⁴or denies His decrees, then he has indeed invented a (great) lie about Allāh. Verily, Allāh the Glorified and Exalted, says:

So let those beware who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم)] order, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment. ¹¹⁵

Sufyān (ath-Thawrī) said, “The fitnah is that Allāh will set a seal on their hearts”.

That is why the punishment of the innovator is more severe than the punishment of the sinner, because the innovator fabricates lies against Allāh and contradicts the command of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم for the sake of own his whims and desires.


As for opposing some of the commands of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم due to a mistake, after having strove to come to the correct conclusion so as to follow him , as occurs frequently among the notables of the Ummah, such as its scholars and reformers, then there is no sin in this. Rather, if the scholar strove (sincerely) to reach the truth, then he is rewarded for his efforts and his mistake is excused.¹¹⁶

Nevertheless, this does not prevent the one who possesses knowledge of the Messenger's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) command, which has been (unintentionally) opposed by this (scholar), from explaining to the Ummah that this opposes the Messenger's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) command, out of sincerity to Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ), and as advice for the general Muslims.¹¹⁷
Needless to say, this does not impugn the dignity of the one who has contradicted the Messenger mistakenly, assuming that this person who opposes (his command) is from those who are respected, of noble status, and is loved by the believers. However, ultimately the right of the Messenger must take precedence over his right, as he ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) has more right to the believers than they do over themselves.

Therefore, it is an obligation upon everyone whom the command of the Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) has reached, and has understood it, clarify it for the Ummah and to advise them. He must enjoin them to follow his ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) command, even if it goes against the opinion(s) of the honorable ones of the Ummah. For indeed, the command of Allāh's Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) has more right to be honored and followed than the opinion of the honored ones who have mistakenly opposed his command in some instances.

Based on this, the Companions and those after them from among the scholars have refuted anyone that contradicted the Sunnah. Sometimes they were harsh in the refutation, not out of hatred towards the one who erred, rather he was loved and respected by them, the Messenger of Allāh ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) was more beloved to them and his command (to them) was above the whole of creation.

So, whenever there is a contradiction between the Messenger 's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) command and the command of others, the command of the Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) has more right to be given priority and to befollowed.


That does not prevent one honoring the one who (unintentionally) opposed his command, although he is forgiven.

Nay, the forgiven one who (erred and) contradicted the truth, does not dislike that his command is disobeyed (by the people) if the command of the Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) appears to contradict it.¹¹⁸

Rather, he is pleased with the people's disobedience (to him) and with their following the command of Allāh's Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) if it contradicts his.

Likewise, (Imām) ash-Shāfi‟ī advised that if a Ḥadīth was authentic, but contradicted his opinion, to follow the Ḥadīth and to leave his opinion. He also used to say, “I never debated someone desiring that he errs, nor have I debated someone worrying about whether the truth would be clarified on his tongue, or on mine.” This was because their debating was solely for the sake of clarifying the command of Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم), and was not for the sake of winning (the argument), or for the sake of personal recognition.

Similarly, the scholars and those aware of the truth used to advise one another to accept the truth from anyone that had said it, whether young or old, and to submit to his opinion.
¹¹⁹

It was said to Ḥātim al-Asim, “You are an inarticulate man, however never did you debate a man except that you over came him. So how do you triumph over your opponents?” He said,“With three (things): I am pleased if my opponent is correct, I am unhappy if he is wrong, and I withhold my tongue from saying anything that would harm him.” When this was mentioned to Imām Aḥmad (ibn Ḥanbal) he remarked, “How wise a man he is!”

It was narrated that it was said to Imām Aḥmad, “that 'Abd al-Wahhāb al-Warāq disapproves of such and such (practice or speech).” He replied that, “We are fine as long as there is still among us those that disapprove (of evil actions and speech).”

Along this sentiment, is the saying of 'Umar (ibn al-Khattāb) to the one that said to him, “O Commander of the Believers, fear Allāh!” To which he responded, “There is no good in you if you do not command us with this, and there is no good in us if we do not accept it from you.” Likewise, a woman once refuted him, so he turned to her saying, “A woman was right, and the man was wrong.” ¹²⁰

The people will remain good as long as the truth is among them and clarification of the commands of the Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) (occurs) for the one that mistakenly goes against them, even if he was excused because of his Ijtihād, and forgiven (by Allāh for his error). For this reason, contrary to the previous nations, from among that with which Allāh has favored this Ummah, in order to preserve its religion with which Allāh sent His Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم), is that it does not unite upon falsehood. ¹²¹

Hence, there are two issues:

1) The one who contradicts the Messenger's (صلي الله عليه وسلم) command regarding something, due to a mistake in his Ijtihād related to his obedience (to him) or the implementation of his commands, is forgiven and his status is not diminished (because of his error).

2) That, his position and our love for him does not deter us (in any way) from clarifying that his opinion contradicts the command of the Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) , and advising the Ummah by making clear the command of the Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) . Moreover, this same respected and loved person, were he to know that his statement contradicts the Messenger's (صلي الله عليه وسلم) command, would love whoever clarifies that for the Ummah and guides them to the Messenger's (صلي الله عليه وسلم) order, while dissuading them from (following) his opinion.


This point is (unfortunately) obscure to many of the ignorant people for a number of reasons:

Their (mistaken) assumption that to refute someone of high status, such as a scholar or a righteous person, is to belittle (and insult) them, when this is not the case. Due to the heedlessness in this regard, the religion of the People of the Book was distorted. For they followed the mistakes of their scholars (blindly), turning away from that with which their Prophets came, to the extent that they changed their religion and took their priests and rabbis as lords besides Allāh. They (the rabbis
and priests) made Ḥalāl the Ḥarām upon them and the ḤarāmḤalāl for them, and they (the people) obeyed them. It was in this manner that they worshipped them (besides Allāh).¹²²

This would similarly happen with every one of their leaders from amongst the kings; he would enjoy blind support from the kings, and thus be obeyed in everything he would say, and there would be none from amongst the people to refute, nor to clarify to the
people their contradicting of the religion.

However, Allāh has safeguarded this Ummah from uniting upon misguidance. Thus those who clarify the command of Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) must always be present among the Ummah. So even if the kings strove to gather the Ummah upon that which opposed it (i.e. the Messenger's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) command), they would never be able to accomplish it. Similar to this transpired with al-Ma'mūn, al-Mu'taṣim,¹²³ and al-Wāthiq. They strove to compel the
Muslims to adopt the false belief that [the] Qur'ān is created,‟ killing, torturing, and imprisoning (people who rejected this) for that purpose. So many of the scholars (of the time) conceded to them, resorting to Tuqyah¹²⁴ out of fear. However, Allāh brought forth a leader for the Muslims during their era: Aḥmad
Ibn Ḥanbal.¹²⁵

He refuted their falsehood and destroyed their false arguments, until the truth and the Sunnah¹²⁶ became triumphant throughout the lands of Islām.

Imām Aḥmad would not be partial towards anyone in regards to (their) opposing anything from the Messenger's ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) command, even in the smallest of matters and regardless of the reverence held for them in the people's hearts. He spoke explicitly against oneof the notable scholars regarding an issue in which he erred. He
exposed his issue to the extent that when he died only four people prayed the funeral prayer upon him.
¹²⁷ Every time he would speak about an individual (because of their misguidance) they would fall, as his words were (only) to glorify the order of Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) and was not for his personal whims and desires.

(An example illustrating this point, is when) Bishr al-Hāfī used to say whenever someone would ask him about his illness, “I praise Allāh to you; I am afflicted with such and such
(ailments).” When the people mentioned to Imām Aḥmad, that, “He starts with praising Allāh before complaining about his disease,” Aḥmad said, “Ask him from where did he take this(practice)?” - meaning, that if this was not authentically relayed
by the salaf then this is not accepted from him. Bishr replied that, “I have a narration regarding it,” and then proceeded to narrate it via a number of the salaf, saying:

“Whoever, before complaining, begins by praising Allāh, will not be have it written against him as a (blameworthy) complaint.”

When this reached Imām Aḥmad, he accepted it.¹²⁸ Indeed, it has been authentically narrated that the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“He who does something contrary to our way (i.e. Islām) will have it rejected.”

¹²⁹

Therefore, Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) ordered us to oppose
anyone who opposes the command of Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم).

However, refuting those who oppose the command of Allāh and His Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) should only be done by someone who possesses adequate knowledge of that which the Messenger of Allāh ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) came with , and who sufficient experience (in this regard). As such, some of the Imām‟s (scholars) used to say that, “Knowledge is not to be taken except from those known for seeking knowledge themselves.” ¹³⁰

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112 The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) has compiled in this categorization the three differences:

The disbelievers, the people of whims and innovations, and the Mujtahidīn who made mistakes. And there isn't anything after this categorization except the people of truth and correctness, and they are the people that act upon what Allāh, Glorified is He, has said and his Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم )of what coincides the required of them, which is to be correct – by following the proof – and purely for Allah the Exalted with a sincere intention.
113 Sūrah al-A‟rāf (7):152
114 Dr. Muhammad Khalil Harras explains in his commentary on ibn Taymiyyah's Al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah (p.33), “( تعطيل (Ta'tīl means leaving and vacating. In the present context it means negating the attributes of Allāh and denying them…”

While ( تمثيل” (Tamthīl means to believe that the attributes of Allāh are like the attributes of the creation,” (or vice versa). Rather the (correct) belief should be to adhere to Allāh's exalted statement about Himself in Sūrah ash-Shūrā (42:11),

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer

115 Sūrah an-Nūr (24):63
116 While the one who strives and is correct has two rewards, as comes in the
ḥadīth recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1716), 'Amr ibn al-'Ᾱs reported that he heard Allāh's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم )as saying,

"When a judge gives a decision, having tried his best to decide correctly and is right, there are two rewards for him; and if he gave a judgment after having tried his best (to arrive at a correct decision) but erred, there is one reward for him."

117 The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said, in a narration collected in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (55), narrated by Tamīm ad-Dārī ,

"The religion is sincerity.” We said, “To whom.” He replied, “To Allāh, His Book, His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims, and their common folk."

In another narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (56), Jarīr (ibn 'Abdullāh) said, “I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allāh upon establishing the prayer, paying the Zakāh, and sincerely advising every Muslim.”
118 i.e. Those qualified to make Ijtihād, and do so whilst sincerely striving for
the truth and Allāh's pleasure, such as those referred to in the ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1716) that has preceded (footnote 116)
119 Indeed, the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) himself advocated this approach, evident in the following narration in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (5010),

Narrated Abū Hurayrah: Allāh's Messenger ordered me to guard the Zakāh revenue of Ramadhān. Then somebody came to me and started stealing of the foodstuff. I caught him and said, “I will take you to Allah's Messenger!” Then Abū Hurayrah described the whole narration and said, That person said (to me), “(Please do not take me to Allah's Messenger and I will tell you a few words by which Allāh will benefit you.) When you go to your bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursī, (2:255) for then there will be a guard from Allāh who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn.” (When the Prophet heard the story) he said (to me), “He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; and it was Satan.”

120 It is a weak ḥadīth in all of its of different wordings. Refer to Irwa' al-
Ghalīl (6/348). Ref to aṣ-Ṣallābī's 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb: His Life and Times
121 From this principle comes the third (divine) source of Islāmic legislation,
after the Qur'ān and Sunnah of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) . The evidence for this is found in the noble verse in Sūrah an-Nisā' (4:59),

And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allāh and the Messenger

With the scholars commentating that if the Ummah does not disagree on an issue, it must therefore be the true, as they have only been commanded to refer issues in which they disagree to Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ).

In another ḥadīth recorded in al-Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī (2167), the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم )said,

"Indeed, Allāh will not unite my Ummah” - or he said, “

The Ummah of Muhammad , upon misguidance. And the Hand of Allāh is with the congregation, and whoever opposes (the congregation) is in the Fire."

122 [...]
123 He is Abī Ishāq, Muhammad al-Mu'taṣim Billāh. He descended from 'Abdullāh ibn 'Abbās (the companions), and his father - Harūn ar-Rashīd, grandfather - al-Mahdī, and great grandfather - al-Manṣūr, were all Caliphs.

Ibn Kathīr related that it was narrated that he inflicted crushing defeats on the Romans, and “his passion was neither sons, nor anything else, but war.” (Al-Bidāyah wa'n-Nihāyah, 7/357) He died in the year 227 hijrī.
124 Tuqyah or Tuqiyyah, is a denial of a religious belief in the face of
persecution or coercion. Nevertheless, today the term has become synonymous with the Shi'a, who have adopted this action as pillar of their religion
125 He was Shaykh al-Islām Abū 'Abdullāh, Aḥmad ibn [i.e. Muḥammad ibn
Ḥanbal, adh-Dhuhlī, ash Shaybānī al-Marzī, al-Baghdādī. He was born in the year 164 hijrī and began seeking knowledge at the age of 15. He studied under many of the greatest scholars of his time, and himself taught many of the greatest scholars of his day. Amongst his students and those who narrated from him were al-Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dawūd, ash-Shāfi'ī, 'Alī ibn al-Madīnī, and Yahyā ibn Ma'īn. His status cannot be over-estimated, much in part to his stance, despite his imprisonment and subsequent torture, in defence of the Sunnah during the fitnah wherein the rulers (Caliph) of the time adopted the heretical opinion that ,the Qur'ān was created. He died in the year 241 hijrī. Qutaybah ibn Sa'īd said about him, “The best of the people of our time is 'Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak, and then this young man (meaning Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal) - and if you see a man who loves Aḥmad, then know that he is a person of the Sunnah. If he had reached the time of ath-Thawrī, al-Awzā'ī and al-Layth, he would have been the one having precedence amongst them.” So it was said to Qutaybah, “You would mention Aḥmadalong with the Tābi'īn (the successors: students of the companions)?” So he said, “With the greater Tābi'īn.” (Foundations of the Sunnah, p.67) 'Alī ibn al-Madīnī also said (about him), “Allāh honoured and strengthened this Religion with (Abū Bakr) aṣ-Ṣiddīq on the day of Apostasy, and with Aḥmad on the day of the trial (al-Miḥnah).” (ibid, p.68) [...]
126 In this context, the term "Sunnah" is referring, not just to the general body
of practices of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ), but to the correct belief about Allāh and His religion. As such, many of the early books on 'Aqīdah (belief) written by the Salaf, were named after the Sunnah, such as Imām Aḥmad's Uṣūl as-Sunnah, Imām al-Barbahārī's (d. 329H) Sharḥ as-Sunnah, al-Athram's as-Sunnah , Abū Dawūd's (d. 275H) Kitāb as-Sunnah, at-Ṭabarānī's (d. 360H) as-Sunnah, and several other books on the same topic carrying similar names.
127 He was al-Ḥārith al-Mahasibī. Imām Aḥmad and others spoke against him
because of his books about taṣawwuf (Sufism).
128 Refer to Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah (1/208), and Tārīkh Baghdād (11/567)
129 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1718)
130 Meaning, seeking knowledge of the religion

The Commands Of The Messenger

صلى الله عليه وسلم

As for the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) commands, they are of two types:

The first type relates to the apparent actions of the (external) organs, such as the prayer, fasting, the pilgrimage, Jihād, and the likes. As for the second type, it relates to the internal (actions) performed by the heart, such as belief in Allāh, loving
Him, fearing Him, exalting and glorifying Him, being pleased with His decree, and remaining patient with His trials (through which He tests His slaves).

The knowledge regarding all of this is not to be taken except from those possessing knowledge of the Book (i.e. the Qur'ān) and the Sunnah. Therefore, those that do not recite the Qur'ān,nor write Ḥadīth (i.e. the people of knowledge), are not to be
followed, according to our knowledge. So whoever speaks about anything from this (which has been mentioned above), despite his ignorance in regards to that with which the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) came, then he is included amongst those who fabricate lies against Allāh, those who say about Allāh what they do not know. ¹³¹

And if in addition to that he does not accept the truth from the one who rebukes him due to his falsehood, because of his (claim to possess) knowledge of what the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) came with, rather he disparages it saying, “I inherited from the Messenger; as the scholars are the inheritors of his knowledge”, then he combines between fabricating lies about Allāh and denying the truth that He revealed:

“So who is more unjust than one who lies about Allāh and denies the truth when it has come to him? Is there not in Hell a residence for the disbelievers?” ¹³²

So this person is arrogant towards the truth and towards yielding to it, thereby submitting to his desires and ignorance, misguiding others while he himself is misguided.

Indeed, the inheritors of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) are but those who know his ways and then follow him. For indeed, the one who does not possess knowledge of his
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) life, from where would he have inherited? ¹³³

The likes of this (person) did not appear in the time of the Righteous Predecessors (Salaf aṣ-Ṣāliḥ), who would have waged Jihād as it ought to be waged in this regard. Rather, this (type of person) only appeared in a time in which knowledge was scant and ignorance abounded. Nevertheless, it is a must that Allāh raises individuals to clarify to the Ummah the misguidance of such an individual, and (to explain) that for him is a portion of humiliation and lowliness in accordance with his opposition to
the command of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) .

O Allāh the astonishment! If someone claimed (to possess) knowledge of a craft from among the worldly crafts, while the people neither know him to possess such knowledge nor have they seen him with the tools thereof, they would disbelieve him
his claim (to be qualified) and would not trust him with their property. Furthermore, they would prevent him from practicing that profession to which he lays claim! So how about the person who claims knowledge of the Messenger's (صلى الله عليه وسلم )commands, but it has never been witnessed that he ever recorded the Messenger's (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) knowledge, accompanied its people, or studied it? So by Allāh, it is astonishing! How could people of (sound) intellect accept his claim and refer to him in (matters pertaining to) their religion, (resulting in) him corrupting it with his false claims?

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131 Allāh جل جلاله says in Sūrah al-Baqarah (2:168-169),

Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allāh what you do not know.

Ibn Kathīr says in his Tafsīr on the above verse, “The verse means: , Your enemy, Satan, commands you to commit evil acts and what is worse than that, such as adultery and so forth. He commands you to commit what is even worse, that is, saying about Allāh without knowledge.‟ So this includes every innovator and disbeliever.” (1/466)
132 Sūrah az-Zumar (39): 32
133 The Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said, “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets, for the Prophets do not leave behind dinar or dirham as inheritance, rather they leave behind knowledge. So whoever takes hold of it, has acquired a great deal.” (Sunan Abī Dawūd, Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī, and ibn Ḥibbān)