al-Shabi said to me, "Whatever they tell you about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ˹said˺ then take it, but whatever they say based on their own opinions, then cast it aside."  

قَالَ لِيَ الشَّعْبِيُّ «مَا حَدَّثُوكَ هَؤُلَاءِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَخُذْ بِهِ وَمَا قَالُوهُ بِرَأْيِهِمْ فَأَلْقِهِ فِي الْحُشِّ»  

[Machine] "They do not ask me, and I do not ask them. One of them only says, "Have you seen, have you seen?"  

أَنْ لَا يَسْأَلُونِي وَلَا أَسْأَلُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَرَأَيْتَ أَرَأَيْتَ؟  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew a line for us one day and said, "This is the way of Allah." Then he drew lines to his right and left and said, "These are various paths, on each of them there is a devil who calls to it." Then he recited, "And that this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for they will separate you from His way." [Surah Al-An'am: 153]  

خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا خَطًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ «هَذَا سَبِيلُ اللَّهِ» ثُمَّ خَطَّ خُطُوطًا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «هَذِهِ سُبُلٌ عَلَى كُلِّ سَبِيلٍ مِنْهَا شَيْطَانٌ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ» ثُمَّ تَلَا {وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ} [الأنعام 153]  

[Machine] About mujahid [And do not follow the ways] [Al-Anam 153] He said: Bid'ah (innovation in religion) and doubtful matters.  

عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ {وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ} [الأنعام 153] قَالَ الْبِدَعَ وَالشُّبُهَاتِ  

[Machine] We were sitting at the door of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud before the morning prayer. When he came out, we walked with him to the mosque. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari came to us and said, "Has Abu Abdur-Rahman come out to you?" We said, "No, not yet." So he sat with us until he came out. When he came out, we all stood up to go with him. Abu Musa said to him, "O Abu Abdur-Rahman, I have just seen something in the mosque that I rejected, but thanks to Allah, I saw only good." Abdullah ibn Mas'ud asked, "What is it?" Abu Musa replied, "If you live, you will see it." Then he said, "In the mosque, I saw some people sitting in circles waiting for prayer. In each circle, there was a man and in their hands were pebbles. He would say, 'Say Allahu Akbar (Takbir) a hundred times,' so they would say it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'Say La ilaha illallah (Tahlil) a hundred times,' so they would say it a hundred times. And he would say, 'Say Subhanallah (Tasbih) a hundred times,' so they would say it a hundred times." Abdullah ibn Mas'ud asked, "What did you say to them?" He replied, "I didn't say anything to them, waiting for your opinion or your order." Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "You should have ordered them to count their evil deeds and assured them that their good deeds would not be lost."

Then he proceeded, and we accompanied him until he came to one of those circles. He stood over them and said, "What is this I see you doing?" They said, "O Abu Abdur-Rahman, these are pebbles we are using to count the Takbir, Tahlil, and Tasbih." He said, "Count your bad deeds, and I assure you nothing will be lost from your good deeds. Woe to you, O nation of Muhammad! How quickly you have perished! These are the Companions of your Prophet ﷺ, abundant still. His garments have not worn out and his vessels are not broken. By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, you are either following a way more guided than the way of Muhammad ﷺ or you are opening a door of misguidance." They said, "By Allah, O Abu Abdur-Rahman, we only intended good." He said, "How many intend good but do not achieve it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us that there would be people who recite the Quran, and it does not go past their throats. By Allah, I do not know, perhaps most of them are from you." Then he turned away from them. Amr ibn Salamah commented, "We saw most of those circles fighting against us on the day of Nahrawan with the Khawarij."  

كُنَّا نَجْلِسُ عَلَى بَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ فَإِذَا خَرَجَ مَشَيْنَا مَعَهُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَجَاءَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيُّ فَقَالَ أَخَرَجَ إِلَيْكُمْ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قُلْنَا لَا بَعْدُ فَجَلَسَ مَعَنَا حَتَّى خَرَجَ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ قُمْنَا إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو مُوسَى يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ آنِفًا أَمْرًا أَنْكَرْتُهُ وَلَمْ أَرَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِلَّا خَيْرًا قَالَ فَمَا هُوَ؟ فَقَالَ إِنْ عِشْتَ فَسَتَرَاهُ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ قَوْمًا حِلَقًا جُلُوسًا يَنْتَظِرُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فِي كُلِّ حَلْقَةٍ رَجُلٌ وَفِي أَيْدِيهِمْ حصًا فَيَقُولُ كَبِّرُوا مِائَةً فَيُكَبِّرُونَ مِائَةً فَيَقُولُ هَلِّلُوا مِائَةً فَيُهَلِّلُونَ مِائَةً وَيَقُولُ سَبِّحُوا مِائَةً فَيُسَبِّحُونَ مِائَةً قَالَ فَمَاذَا قُلْتَ لَهُمْ؟ قَالَ مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ شَيْئًا انْتِظَارَ رَأْيِكَ أَوِ انْتظارَ أَمْرِكَ قَالَ «أَفَلَا أَمَرْتَهُمْ أَنْ يَعُدُّوا سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَضَمِنْتَ لَهُمْ أَنْ لَا يَضِيعَ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِمْ»

ثُمَّ مَضَى وَمَضَيْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى أَتَى حَلْقَةً مِنْ تِلْكَ الْحِلَقِ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ «مَا هَذَا الَّذِي أَرَاكُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ؟» قَالُوا يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حصًا نَعُدُّ بِهِ التَّكْبِيرَ وَالتَّهْلِيلَ وَالتَّسْبِيحَ قَالَ «فَعُدُّوا سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ فَأَنَا ضَامِنٌ أَنْ لَا يَضِيعَ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِكُمْ شَيْءٌ وَيْحَكُمْ يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ مَا أَسْرَعَ هَلَكَتَكُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ صَحَابَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ ﷺ مُتَوَافِرُونَ وَهَذِهِ ثِيَابُهُ لَمْ تَبْلَ وَآنِيَتُهُ لَمْ تُكْسَرْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّكُمْ لَعَلَى مِلَّةٍ هِيَ أَهْدَى مِنْ مِلَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ أوْ مُفْتَتِحُو بَابِ ضَلَالَةٍ» قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَا أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا الْخَيْرَ قَالَ «وَكَمْ مِنْ مُرِيدٍ لِلْخَيْرِ لَنْ يُصِيبَهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ» قَوْمًا يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَا يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ مِنْكُمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ سَلَمَةَ رَأَيْنَا عَامَّةَ أُولَئِكَ الْحِلَقِ يُطَاعِنُونَا يَوْمَ النَّهْرَوَانِ مَعَ الْخَوَارِجِ  

[Machine] "Abdullah said, 'Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed.'"  

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ «اتَّبِعُوا وَلَا تَبْتَدِعُوا فَقَدْ كُفِيتُمْ»  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a speech, praised Allah and thanked Him, then he said: "Verily, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ , and the worst of matters are those newly invented (in religion), and every innovation is misguidance."  

خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ»  

[Machine] "The most truthful word is the word of Allah Almighty, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ . The most miserable person is the one who is miserable in the womb of his mother. The worst narrations are the narrations of lies, and the worst matters are the newly-invented ones. And everything that is coming is near."  

«إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْقَوْلِ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ ﷻ وَإِنَّ أَحْسَنَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَالشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَإِنَّ شَرَّ الرَّوَايَا رَوَايَا الْكَذِبِ وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مَا هُوَ آتٍ قَرِيبٌ»  

[Machine] "A man who adopts an innovation shall refer back to the Sunnah."  

«مَا أَخَذَ رَجُلٌ بِبِدْعَةٍ فَرَاجَعَ سُنَّةً»  

[Machine] From the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "Verily, what I fear for my nation is the misleading leaders."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «إِنَّمَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ»  

[Machine] A man entered upon us at noon, so I said, "O Abdullah, where have you come from?" He replied, "I came with my companion to a brothel, where my companion went in seeking pleasure. Meanwhile, I entered to find some shade and have a drink." Then, I went to a sour pit and perhaps she may have said to me, "Then, I went to a sour pit and gave him some to drink from it, so he drank and I drank." She said, "And I observed him, so I said, 'O Abdullah, who are you?' He said, 'I am Abu Bakr.' I said, 'Are you Abu Bakr, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whom I have heard about?' He said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Then, I mentioned the conquest of Khaybar and our expedition against each other during the pre-Islamic period, and what Allah brought us of unity and severing the ties of those who opposed us. Ibn 'Awn showed us his fingers and described it for us. Mu'adh and Ahmad also showed it for us.' So I said, 'O Abdullah, until when do you think this matter of the people will continue?' He said, 'As long as the Imams are upright.' I said, 'Who are the Imams?' He said, 'Have you not seen a chief among a group, and they follow him and obey him? Such are not the upright ones.'"  

دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ بِالظَّهِيرَةِ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَقْبَلْتَ؟ قَالَ «أَقْبَلْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبٌ لِي فِي بُغَاءٍ لَنَا فَانْطَلَقَ صَاحِبِي يَبْغِي وَدَخَلْتُ أَنَا أَسْتَظِلُّ بِالظِّلِّ وَأَشْرَبُ مِنَ الشَّرَابِ» فَقُمْتُ إِلَى لُبَيْنَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ ورُبَّما قَالَتْ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى ضَيْحَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ فَسَقَيْتُهُ مِنْهَا فَشَرِبَ وَشَرِبْتُ قَالَتْ وَتَوَسَّمْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ «أَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ» قُلْتُ أَنْتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ بِهِ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَتْ فَذَكَرْتُ غَزْوَنَا خَثْعَمًا وَغَزْوَةَ بَعْضِنَا بَعْضًا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَا جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْأُلْفَةِ وَأَطْنَابِ الْفَسَاطِيطِ وَشَبَّكَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ أَصَابِعَهُ وَوَصَفَهُ لَنَا مُعَاذٌ وَشَبَّكَ أَحْمَدُ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ حَتَّى مَتَى تَرَى أَمْرَ النَّاسِ هَذَا؟ قَالَ «مَا اسْتَقَامَتِ الْأَئِمَّةُ» قُلْتُ مَا الْأَئِمَّةُ؟ قَالَ «أَمَا رَأَيْتَ السَّيِّدَ يَكُونُ فِي الْحِوَاءِ فَيَتَّبِعُونَهُ وَيُطِيعُونَهُ؟ فَمَا اسْتَقَامَ أُولَئِكَ»  

“The thing that I most fear for my nation is the action of the people of Lut.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2563)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ أَخْوَفُ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ»  

Abu Bakr went to a lady from the Ahmas tribe called Zainab bint Al-Muhajir and found that she refused to speak. He asked, "Why does she not speak." The people said, "She has intended to perform Hajj without speaking." He said to her, "Speak, for it is illegal not to speak, as it is an action of the pre-islamic period of ignorance. So she spoke and said, "Who are you?" He said, "A man from the Emigrants." She asked, "Which Emigrants?" He replied, "From Quraish." She asked, "From what branch of Quraish are you?" He said, "You ask too many questions; I am Abu Bakr." She said, "How long shall we enjoy this good order (i.e. Islamic religion) which Allah has brought after the period of ignorance?" He said, "You will enjoy it as long as your Imams keep on abiding by its rules and regulations." She asked, "What are the Imams?" He said, "Were there not heads and chiefs of your nation who used to order the people and they used to obey them?" She said, "Yes." He said, "So they (i.e. the Imams) are those whom I meant." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3834)  

دَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ أَحْمَسَ يُقَالُ لَهَا زَيْنَبُ قَالَ «فَرَآهَا لَا تَتَكَلَّمُ» فَقَالَ مَا لَهَا لَا تَتَكَلَّمُ؟ قَالُوا نَوَتْ حَجَّةً مُصْمِتَةً فَقَالَ لَهَا «تَكَلَّمِي فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَا يَحِلُّ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ» قَالَ فَتَكَلَّمَتْ فَقَالَتْ مَنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ أَنَا امْرُؤٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ قَالَتْ مِنْ أَيِّ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ؟ قَالَ «مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ» قَالَتْ فَمِنْ أَيِّ قُرَيْشٍ أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ إِنَّكِ لَسَئُولٌ أَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَتْ مَا بَقَاؤُنَا عَلَى هَذَا الْأَمْرِ الصَّالِحِ الَّذِي جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ «بَقَاؤُكُمْ عليْهِ مَا اسْتَقَامَتْ بِكُمْ أَئِمَّتُكُمْ» قَالَتْ وَمَا الْأَئِمَّةُ؟ قَالَ «أَمَا كَانَ لِقَوْمِكِ رُؤَسَاءُ وَأَشْرَافٌ يَأْمُرُونَهُمْ فَيُطِيعُونَهُمْ؟» قَالَتْ بَلَى قَالَ «فَهُمْ مِثْلُ أُولَئِكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ»  

[Machine] I saw Ibn Mas'ud giving advice to men and women, saying, "Whoever meets a man or a woman, the first greeting should be the first greeting, as you are upon the primordial nature." Abdullah said, "The first greeting is the correct way."  

رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يُوصِي الرِّجَالَ وَالنِّسَاءَ وَيَقُولُ «مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْكمْ مِنَ امْرَأَةٍ أَوْ رَجُلٍ فَالسَّمْتَ الْأَوَّلَ السَّمْتُ الْأَوَّلُ فَإِنَّكُمْ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ» قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ السَّمْتُ الطَّرِيقُ  

[Machine] For me, Omar said: "Do you know what destroys Islam?" I said, "No." He said, "It is destroyed by the slip of a knowledgeable person, the arguments of a hypocrite with the Book, and the judgments of misguided leaders."  

لِي عُمَرُ «هَلْ تَعْرِفُ مَا يَهْدِمُ الْإِسْلَامَ؟» قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ «يَهْدِمُهُ زَلَّةُ الْعَالِمِ وَجِدَالُ الْمُنَافِقِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَحُكْمُ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمُضِلِّينَ»  

[Machine] "Do not sit with the people of disputes, for they delve into the signs of Allah."  

«لَا تُجَالِسُوا أَصْحَابَ الْخُصُومَاتِ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ»  

[Machine] "Your tradition, By Allah, there is no deity except Him, stands between extravagance and deprivation. So be patient with it, may Allah have mercy on you. As the people of the Sunnah were the fewest of people in the past, they are also the fewest of people in what remains, those who did not join the people of divisions in their divisions, nor with the people of innovations in their innovations. They have persevered upon their Sunnah until they meet their Lord. So may you be like that, if Allah wills."  

سُنَّتُكُمْ وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَيْنَ الْغَالِي وَالْجَافِي فَاصْبِرُوا عَلَيْهَا رَحِمَكُمُ اللَّهُ فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ كَانُوا أَقَلَّ النَّاسِ فِيمَا مَضَى وَهُمْ أَقَلُّ النَّاسِ فِيمَا بَقِيَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا مَعَ أَهْلِ الْإِتْرَافِ فِي إِتْرَافِهِمْ وَلَا مَعَ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ فِي بِدَعِهِمْ وَصَبَرُوا عَلَى سُنَّتِهِمْ حَتَّى لَقُوا رَبَّهُمْ فكذاكمْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَكُونُوا  

[Machine] "The intention in the Sunnah is better than the effort in innovation."  

«الْقَصْدُ فِي السُّنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الِاجْتِهَادِ فِي الْبِدْعَةِ»