Characteristics of The Saved Sect – by Shaikh ‘Abdullaah Al-Bukhaaree (hafidhahullaah)

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba’d

[The following is a summary of an extremely beneficial portion of a highly beneficial advice the shaikh gave a few years ago]

Shaykh ‘Abdullaah al-Bukhaaree said:

This Saved Sect, who are also this Aided and Victorious Group, those who are upon this blessed da’wah, they are known through different characteristics and signs. We will mention the most important of them, as a summary.

In summary, the people of The Saved Sect are upon the manhaj of the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (radiallaahu ‘anhum) after him. They are not upon anything else. This is a summary, the answer in brief.

In detail [the shaikh mentioned nine points:]

1- From the main characteristics of what distinguish The Saved Sect and those who adhere to it is that they are those who establish servitude to Allaah alone. And they [establish] the Deen sincerely for Allaah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. They worship Allaah alone, not associating anyone or anything with Allaah in worship.

2- They single out the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in ittiba’ (following). They follow the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

3- They adhere to the understanding of the Salaf-us-Saleh (radiallaahu ‘anhum), the righteous predecessors. And we have [already] brought to you the adila (the proofs) from the legislation, wherein we are commanded to adhere to the way of the Salaf-us-Saleh, and we have been prohibited from going against that which they were upon.

4- To beware of and warn against bid’ah and Innovators, and sin and sinners.

5- Al-Waasatiyah (adhering to the middle course in this religion) between the two extremes – al-ghuloo (going beyond the boundaries) and jafaa` (negligence).

6- They are firm upon the haqq (truth) and adhere to it.

7- They are so eager and diligent and concerned to be united in the most harmonious way upon the truth – upon the Book and the Sunnah. And you find them against division and differing. They call the people to be united and kind and gentle with one another and to have harmony, and likewise they call against division and differing. And they do all this upon the truth, while using the truth itself. So they call to the true unity upon the truth, using the truth itself to call to it. Not any [kind of] unity [such as the people of bid'ah - such as Ikhwanul Muslimeen - who call to uniting upon falsehood]. And they warn against division and differing, in truth – using the truth itself.

8- They constantly busy themselves with seeking knowledge, the beneficial knowledge. They learn beneficial knowledge of this Deen, and they disseminate it amongst the people and call to it, (and) while doing all this – learning, disseminating and calling – they are patient upon the harms they may encounter and face.

9- Acting upon the knowledge, not just having knowledge.

And there are so many proofs from the revelations [Qur`an and Sunnah] and the Seerah of the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his companions, and the Imams of this religion. They’re all proof to what we mentioned. From all these proofs, I will choose only one, a great hadeeth that comprehensively comprises all that we have mentioned – the hadeeth of Al-’Irbaad ibnu Saariyah (radiallaahu ‘anhu), which we mentioned earlier. However, in sha` Allaah, there will be a benefit in repeating this matter.

Al ‘Irbaad bin Saariyah (radiallaahu ‘anhu) said:

“The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) admonished us one day after the early morning prayer. The admonition was heartfelt and eloquent and caused the eyes to shed tears and the hearts to tremble. A man from amongst us said, ‘Certainly, it is as if this is a farewell admonition, so with what do you advise us, O Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)? He replied:

“I advise you to fear Allaah, and to listen and obey those in authority over you even if it were a slave. Indeed, whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differing. So incumbent upon you is my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khulafaa (Caliphs) after me. Bite onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters (in the religion), for verily every newly invented matter (in the religion) is a bid’ah, and every bid’ah is a misguidance.”

Contemplate carefully upon this great hadeeth that comprises all these characteristics of this noble methodology that distinguish The Saved Sect.

1- It includes the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) advising us with Taqwa, and by achieving Taqwa you will achieve the ‘Uboodiyah (the worship of Allaah alone).

2- And it includes the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) commanding us with his Sunnah, this means that you single out the Prophet in following, and he is to be followed in this Deen.

3- And it includes the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) advising us with following the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khulafa (Caliphs), and in it is a command to follow their understanding, the understanding of the Salaf-us-Saleh, as has already preceded.

4- And it includes the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) warning against bid’ah. We take from that to beware and warn against bid’ah and its people.

5- That you understand the Sunnah [the whole Deen] with the understanding of the Salaf-us-Saleh; this is how you will be from those people who always stay on the middle course, not to fall into one extreme or the other. Likewise, it is taken from the statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam): Whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differing. —> This difference is due to either one extreme or the other – Ghuloo and Jafaa`.

6- Warning against division, that division and separation that is blameworthy. This is taken from the Prophet’s statement: Whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differing… So therefore, the one who holds firmly onto the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), he is saved from differing and division. And from that also is the command to be united upon the truth – also taken from the Prophet’s statement: So incumbent upon you is my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khulafaa (Caliphs) after me. Bite onto it with your molar teeth.

It is well known, my dear brothers, that these characteristics and these beautiful distinguishing points of The Saved Sect, it is impossible to put them into application without beneficial knowledge. Ibnu Taymeeyah (rahimahullaah Ta’aala) said: All good and rectification and perfection is limited to beneficial knowledge and righteous actions.

So if someone wants good and rectification and reform that is correct, it is limited and restricted to beneficial knowledge and acting upon it with righteous actions…

Earlier, Shaykh ‘Abdullaah al-Bukhaaree had said: The Saved Sect are pleased with Allaah as a Lord, Islaam as a religion, and Muhammad (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a Prophet and Messenger.

Post Courtesy: Maher ibn Ahmad Attiyeh al-Maqdisi