The outstanding attributes of al-Firqatun-Naajiyah (the Saved Sect)

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Question: What are the most outstanding attributes of al-Firqatun-Naajiyah (the Saved Sect)? And does a shortcoming in any of these attributes remove a person from the Saved Sect?

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

The most outstanding attributes of the Saved Sect are adherence to the path of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in beliefs, worship, character and conduct – one finds that the Saved Sect is distinguished in all these four aspects:

In beliefs, one finds them holding fast to what is proven by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم sincerely declaring the Tawheed (Oneness) of Allaah in matters of worship, Lordship, and His Names and Attributes.

Celebrating Birthdays (summary):

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

➡ It is considered as an act of Bid`ah because those who celebrate birthdays mark it as a special occasion. [Shaikh Ibn Baaz, Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen, Shaikh al-Fawzaan, The Lajna and others]

➡ People celebrate it annually, making it like a third Eid after Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adh-haa. The word Eid is derived from `Aada, Yu`eed (return, repeat). It is thus called Eid because it returns every year.

➡ Narrated Anas ibn Malik: When the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم came to Madeenah, the people had two days on which they engaged in games. He صلى الله عليه وسلم asked: ❝What are these two days (what is the significance)?❞ They said: “We used to engage ourselves on them in the pre-Islaamic period.” The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝Allaah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice (Yaum al-Nahr) and the day of the breaking of the fast (Yaum al-Fitr).❞

📚 [Sunan Abu Dawood (1134) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

➡ The two days which the people marked as special days for playing games and having fun and were not considered by them as acts of worship, yet these days were replaced by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with the days of Eid.

➡ Celebrating birthdays is like self-glorification.

➡ It is an act adopted from the pagans. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝You will indeed follow the ways of those before you...❞ (meaning: the Jews and Christians) [Saheehain]

➡ It is imitating the Kuffaar. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝Whoever imitates a people then he is one of them.❞ [Sunan Abu Dawood (4031) and graded as “Hasan-Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

➡ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not celebrate his birthday at all during his lifetime nor did he ever order it to be celebrated, and nor did he teach such to his Companions.

➡ The rightly-guided caliphs and all the Companions did not celebrate it. They were the most knowledgeable of the people concerning the Prophet's Sunnah and they are the most beloved to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

➡ We have books of History (Taareekh) and biographies like al-Bidaayah wal-Nihaayah, Siyar A`laam al-Nubalaa’, Taareekh Damishq, in which dates of birth and death of major personalities have been recorded, which means that marking dates were done even in the past, but none celebrated their birthdays.

➡ The same ruling will be applied on "mother's day", "father's day", "Hijaab day" etc.

And Allaah is the One Who grants success.

Laymen should avoid engaging into politics:

When politics is involved, it is better to restrain your tongues, particularly when it will lead to discord:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:

❝I have memorized two kinds of knowledge from Allaah's Messenger ﷺ. I have propagated one of them to you and if I propagated the second, then my pharynx (throat) would be cut (i.e. I would be killed).❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (120)]

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

❝What is evident from this Hadeeth is Abu Hurairah learned two types of knowledge from the Prophet صلى الله عله وسلم. One type of knowledge is related with the Sharee`ah, which he رضي الله عنه informed, explained and propagated.

As for the second, then it was related with the Khilaafah (Caliphate). It was as if he رضي الله عنه was scared of the Fitnah (that would arise because of it) which would engulf him and others. This is why he delayed it. We do not say that he hid (the knowledge), because he did not wait till his last breath to speak about it. Rather, he had spoken about it earlier in his life, and thereafter he may have delayed speaking about it till there was no fear of the Fitnah arising because of it.❞

📚 [Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1/319)]


🎓 In Fath al-Baaree, Ibn Hajar رحمه الله said:
❝(The knowledge which Abu Hurairah deferred from speaking about), scholars took this to refer to those Ahaadeth in which the names of the tyrant rulers, their condition, and their era are mentioned. Abu Hurairah used to refer to some of them with nicknames, and would not speak about them openly, fearing for himself. Like he used to say: “I seek Allaah’s refuge from the starting of the 60th year (of Hijrah) and the leadership of the youth”, referring  to the Khilaafah of Yazeed Ibn Mu`aawiyah, as he came to power in the 60th year of Hijrah. And Allaah تعالى accepted his Du`aa, and he died a year before (Yazeed became the ruler).❞ 
📚[Fath al-Baari  (1/216)]

Removing the Doubts: “Not all Ahl al-Kitaab are Kaafir”

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Some of the Western speakers misinterpret the Aayah # 105 of Surah al-Baqarah to support their claim that not all Ahl al-Kitaab are Kaafir. Among such people who spread this misunderstanding are Nouman Ali Khan, Hamza Yusuf and others.

NOTE: This is a 4 part response to the claim that “not all Ahl al-Kitaab are Kaafir” which were posted as different posts on Facebook over the years.

🌴🌴🌴

PART 1:

Explanation of Surah al-Baqarah (2), Aayah (105) by Shaikh Ibn al`Uthaymeen رحمه الله:

For those who have already watched that (in)famous 3 minute clip of Nouman Ali Khan where he used his logic to conclude that not ALL Ahl al-Kitaab are Kaafir, this is the response from Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen's Tafseer.