..."It does not behove and befit a true believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to belong to any self-invented and man-made sect

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

In reference to a previous question (Question No.3877)

[in what i must say seems to be one of your best answers!]

 

Where you mentioned:

 

and i quote..."It does not behove and befit a true believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to belong to any self-invented and man-made sect; but rather he should be proud to be recognized with the name his Lord Most Gracious has chosen for his believing slaves: ie. 'muslims'."

 

But what about those people who call themselves 'Salifs' or 'The Saviour Sect'

 

Your previously sent me a good email about the term Salif aqeedah, However if the above quote is correct then that contradicts those who call themselves 'Salifs' - May i add that on one website i found that they said it was ok InshAllaah to refer to themselves as that...according to the Qur'aan and Sunnah.

 

I don't mean to be awkward, i am just trying to get this clear, and yet the more research i do the more confusing things seem to get...

 

 

Anyway i hope my question is clear, and that you are not feeling offended.

 

Regards.

 

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Call Oneself Salafis or sect name

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 49 Surah Hujuraat verse 13:

13      O mankind!  We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other).  Verily the most honored of you in the Sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.  And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

 

My dear and beloved Brother in Islam, Allah Subhanah created all humanity from a single pair of common parents and made mankind aligned to a nation or tribe or race so that we may recognize each other.  Thus if one belongs to the nation of Arabia, there is absolutely no harm if one claims and declares that he is from the geographical location of Arabia so that he is recognized.  If one wishes to be further recognized, there is absolutely no harm if one claims or declares that he belongs to a particular tribe (eg. Hijazi, Najdi, Ansari, Qurayshi, etc.), or even a particular family (eg. Banu-Makhzoom, Banu-Hashim, etc.).  Thus the recognition of the Prophet Mohamed (saws) would be that he (saws) was an Arab from the land of Arabia, of the tribe of Quraysh, from the family of Banu-Hashim, etc. 

 

But to segregate and recognize one who has professed belief in the Supreme Oneness of Allah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger by breaking down his belief into sects and creeds is absolutely against the guidance and Commands of Allah Subhanah.

 

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32

This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has.

 

Allahs says in Chapter 42 Surah Ash-Shura aayat 13

He (Allah) has appointed for you the same Way of Life,  which He had ordained for Noah, and which (O Mohamed (saws)) We have now revealed to you, and which We had already enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus, stressing this: "Establish this Way and be not divided in it".

 

The Messenger of Allah (saws), his noble companions, his noble family, and all the true believers who followed them in belief and in deeds neither called themselves Shias, or Sunnis, or Salafees or by any other prefix or self-invented sect name….they were all proud to be recognized by the name Allah Subhanah has chosen for the believers; ie. ‘muslims’!

 

There is absolutely no harm if one dissects one geographical or tribal liaison and narrows it down to a family or a house for his recognition; but to dissect a ‘muslim’ by his belief so that one may be recognized as a Shia, or a Sunni, or a Hanafi, or a Shafei, or a Salafee, etc. when the Lord Most High has Himself named the believers ‘muslims’ is absolutely inappropriate and against the guidance of Islam.  

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78:

O you who have believed,  do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success!  Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah,  as one should.   He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion.   Therefore,  be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham.   Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also,  so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you,  and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

 

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, Shias, Sunnis, Ismailis, Bohris, Salafees, etc. are all sect names which man has named and chosen for himself; the name Allah has chosen for the believers is ‘muslims’!

 

It does not behove and befit a true believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to belong to any self-invented and man-made sect; but rather he should be proud to be recognized with the name his Lord Most Gracious has chosen for his believing slaves: ie. ‘muslims’.

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 171         Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘There will befall my Ummah exactly (all those) evils which befell the people of Isra'il, so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother there will be among my Ummah one who will do that, and if the people of Isra'il were fragmented into seventy-two sects, my Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects!  All of them will be in Hell Fire except one sect.  They (the Companions) said: ‘O Allah's Messenger (saws), which one is that?’  Whereupon he (saws) replied: ‘It is one to which I and my companions belong.’

 

Your Statement: Anyway i hope my question is clear, and that you are not feeling offended.

Beloved brother in Islam, never ever hesitate or apologize for asking any questions in the deen; for the deen or ‘way of life’ called Al-Islam is based on the Perfect Wisdom and Knowledge of the All Knowing Lord, and every single command of the All Wise Lord is abundant in common-sense and logic.  Asking any type of questions in Islam to gain more knowledge, or to confirm the Truth so that one’s heart is more content, or to understand and thus follow with more conviction the dictates of the deen is not only permissible, but absolutely encouraged in Islam.  It is the right of the brother or sister to ask anything they wish to clarify in the deen; and it is the responsibility and duty of the good scholars to address the question asked to the best of their knowledge and ability, and in the most polite and humble manner.

 

What is discouraged in Islam is if one asks questions for the sake of asking, or arguing to ridicule the Truth with absolutely no intention of obeying or following when the Truth is made clear to them, etc.   But if one asks questions to clarify and seek knowledge so that one may better follow the deen; such seeking of the Knowledge of Truth is absolutely encouraged in Islam

 

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),   one can be assured of never ever being misled;   but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.  

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

Burhan

 

 
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