A Response To Those Who Follow Other Than The Four Schools of Thought
By
Al-Hafith Shaikh Zain Ud-Deen Abu Faraj Abdur-Rahman bin Ahmed bin Rajab Al-Hanbali (d. 795 AH)
The following is an excerpt from “A Response To Those Who Follow Other Than The Four Schools of Thought”
Be warned from abandoning preserving the science of being precise in dependable texts and statements (hadeeth and athaar), thus, becoming preoccupied with quarreling, heated debates, and excessiveness with “he said, she said” discussions as well as busying one’s self with strengthening one sheikh’s statement over another using the criteria of one’s own intellect (rather than sound knowledge and reliable texts). Sometimes, this person doesn’t even know the reality of the statements of the sheikh he is defending or even if the scholar is from those who follow the path of the Pious Predecessors or not!
I warn you from speaking about The Book of Allah or the hadeeth of his Messenger (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) with things not mentioned by the Salaf (righteous predecessors). This is what your Imam (Ahmed bin Hanbal, mercy of Allah be upon him) pointed towards in order to prevent you from missing out on beneficial knowledge and wasting away your years.
Truly, beneficial knowledge is what is preserved in the hearts on the authority of the Messenger (salla Allahu aliahi wa sallam) or those that followed him.
Beneficial knowledge is not “I think” or “It is said”. The prophet’s companions and those after them prohibited this. They are the ones, who, if you follow their way you will be guided. So how can it be correct that you ascribe yourself to those imams (or leaders) while you persist in deviating from their path!
So know, may Allah grant you success, the more you busy yourself with this path (of the righteous predecessors) and traverse this road that leads to Allah (upon clarity and truth), exercise fear of Allah and keep a close watch on your soul and its desires, look deeply into the lives of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) and how sweet their outcome was, your understanding of Allah and his commandments will increase and following every whim and fancy of the soul will become like a disgusting morsel-difficult to swallow. This is better (busying yourself with the path of the righteous predecessors), to work hard on your soul and stay far away from the deviations of the people.
Translated by Iyare Omoruyi
Found in:
Al-Qawlul Mufeed, September 2009
