Ahl us Sunnah: The Source of Muslim Unity
So basically, I’ve begun research on the essay (outlined below) whose basic premise is that many of the claims that Sunnis are a ’sect’ that foment disunity is patently false and that history shows that Ahl us Sunnah waal Jam’ah has been one of the greatest sources of Muslim unity. It cannot be construed as a ’sect’, both linguistically, textually, or rationally.
Anyhow, as I was researching, I came accross an excellent work of Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio thanks to my beloved brother in Islam, AMuslim4Life.
Here is a very profound excerpt from his book:
“Realize that which saved the Umma from discord was the Messenger of Allah 
, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being among them. And nothing will save them from the appearance of discord after him except the revival of the Sunna. Thus, the revival and adherence to his Sunna is obligatory upon you forever. And you should avoid innovation because all good is contained in adherence, while all evil is contained in innovation.â€
-Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio-
InshaAllah, after I complete this essay and another essay on Islamic governance, the text of “The Fundamentals of the Faith” will be complete. I will have to undergo some serious revisions and inshaAllah, it’ll be published. Within the next 1 to 5 years.
Keep me in your duas.
Sphere: Related ContentPublished September 16, 2006 . Filed under: Muslim Unity
Posts
It is interesting what you said, and i couldn’t agree more. But let me show you an act of in innovation writen down in Sahih, Bukhari:
This is testimony that some companions themselves have changed the tradition of the Prophet.
Abu Saeed al-Khudari said: On the first days of ‘Id al-Fitr [breaking the fast of Ramadan] and ‘Id al-Adha [celebrating the end of the Pilgrimage], the first thing the Messenger of Allah
(saw) used to do was to say his prayers in the mosque, then he went to see the people, who sat in rows in front of him, and then he started to deliver advice or orders or even finalize outstanding issues, and after all that he would leave. Abu Saeed added: The situation continued to be like that, until one day, either Fitr or Adha, I went with Marwan, who was the governor of al-Medinah. When we arrived at the mosque, which had a new pulpit built by Kathir ibn al-Salt, Marwan headed for the pulpit (before praying), so I pulled him by his clothes, but he pushed me and went up on to the pulpit. He addressed the people before he prayed, so I said to him, “By Allah 
you have changed it.” He replied, “O Abu Saeed, what you know has gone.” I said, “By Allah 
, what I know is better than what I do not know.” Marwan then said, “People did not sit for us after the prayers, so I put [it] before the prayers”. [20]
[20]
Sahih, Bukhari, vol 1 p 122 (al Idayn book)
April 30, 2008 @ 10:10 am
So have been change in prayers.
Anas ibn Malik said: I knew nothing during the lifetime of the Prophet(saw) better than the prayer. He said: Have you not lost what you have lost in it? Al-Zuhri said: I went to see Anas ibn Malik in Damascus, and found him crying, I asked him, “What is making you cry?” He answered, “I have known nothing but these prayers, and they have been lost.” [30]
[30]
Sahih, Bukhari, vol 2 p 134
April 30, 2008 @ 10:11 am
Al-Bukhari and Muslim, both stated in their books that the Messenger of Allah
(saw) performed two prayers at Mina, and Abu Bakr after him, then Umar and Uthman who later performed four prayers. [31]
[31]
Sahih, Bukhari, vol 2 p 154
Sahih, Muslim, vol 1 p 260
April 30, 2008 @ 10:11 am
Brother, It is a Muslim’s duty to be curious, study, analyse, and then find The Path that is the Most Balanced.
April 30, 2008 @ 10:12 am