• In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imam Al-Barbahaaree, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Whoever realises what the innovators have abandoned of the Sunnah and left behind and he clings to it, he is a person of the Sunnah and the Jamaa’ah. He should be followed, helped and protected.  He is one of those whom the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, bequeathed that he should be looked after.

Al-Allamah Salih al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, commented saying:

That is “They are those upon that which I (the Prophet) and my Companions are upon today”.  He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised (by way of command) that one should be with them – this Jamaa’ah, these people, this group- upon that which the Messenger and his Companions were upon. However, this requires two matters:

The First Matter: Knowledge, we learn what the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Companions were upon. As for the ignorant one, he does not learn, while thinking that what the one in opposition is upon is what the Messenger was upon.

The Second Matter: To be firm upon what the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Companions were upon because the one who follows the Sunnah will receive grief, trouble and intimidation from the people, but he must exercise patience and not turn away from the truth. He does not bargain [the truth] nor abandon anything of it. And due to this, it has been reported (in a hadith) regarding the one who adheres to upon his religion at the end of time is like one holding a burning coal or prickles due to what he will receive of hardship, grief and trouble from the people. So he requires patience.[1]

Imam Al-Barbahaaree, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

May Allah have mercy upon you! Know that if the people were to desist from newly introduced matters, not entering into any of them at all and did not say anything for which there was no narration from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or from his Companions, there would not be any innovation.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, commented:

If they desisted and did not enter into them, restricted themselves to the Sunnah and did not abandon it for Bidah, certainly they would have received safety.  But whoever relinquishes the Sunnah and innovate statements that have no proof in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he will eventually be with the innovators and the deviated sects.  And there is no safety except through the Sunnah which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, left for us. He said: “Indeed, I have left amongst you two things, if you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray; the book of Allah and my Sunnah”.

And in another hadith: “I have left you upon white plain (i.e. clear guidance), its night is like its day, and none deviates from it except he who is destroyed”.

This is the path to safety: the Sunnah of the Messenger and that which his companions were upon…. [2]

[1]: An Excerpt from It’haf Al-Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Sunnah Lil Imam Al-Barbahaaree Barbahaaree, 2/68-69. Slightly paraphrased

[2]: An Excerpt from It’haf Al-Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imam Al-Barbahaaree Barbahaaree, 2/82-83. Slightly paraphrased