This Is from My Heart to Your Heart
This is a localized write-up, pardon me for the local nuance you may find inside.
Agreed, the disunity among the Muslims is evident and saddening. The Muslims are at one another’s throats. The Muslims are having gross mutual misunderstanding that is commonplace. It is one week, one issue, if not one day, one issue.
My brother, don’t’ kill yourself over that. I am talking to only you; please don’t kill yourself.
Allaah the Mighty told our Prophet – sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam:
ÙÙŽØ¥Ùنَّ ٱللَّهَ ÙŠÙضÙلّ٠مَن يَشَآء٠وَيَهۡدÙÙŠ Ù…ÙŽÙ† يَشَآءÙÛ– Ùَلَا تَذۡهَبۡ Ù†ÙŽÙۡسÙÙƒÙŽ عَلَيۡهÙÙ…Û¡ ØَسَرَٰتÙÛš Ø¥Ùنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلÙيمÙÛ¢ بÙمَا يَصۡنَعÙونَ
For indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So do not let yourself perish over them in regret. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do. [Faatir: 8]
If indeed Allaah had willed, He would have made us a nation with no differences:
ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ شَآءَ ٱللَّه٠مَا ٱقۡتَتَلَ ٱلَّذÙينَ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¢ بَعۡدÙÙ‡ÙÙ… مّÙÙ†Û¢ بَعۡد٠مَا جَآءَتۡهÙم٠ٱلۡبَيّÙنَٰت٠وَلَٰكÙن٠ٱخۡتَلَÙÙواْ ÙÙŽÙ…ÙÙ†Û¡Ù‡ÙÙ… مَّنۡ ءَامَنَ ÙˆÙŽÙ…ÙÙ†Û¡Ù‡ÙÙ… مَّن ÙƒÙŽÙَرَۚ ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ شَآءَ ٱللَّه٠مَا ٱقۡتَتَلÙواْ وَلَٰكÙنَّ ٱللَّهَ ÙŠÙŽÙۡعَل٠مَا ÙŠÙرÙيدÙ
If Allah had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends. [al-Baqarah: 253].
He even declared – may He be glorified – that mutual misunderstanding would persist:
ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ شَآءَ رَبّÙÙƒÙŽ لَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ Ø£Ùمَّةٗ ÙˆÙŽÙ°ØÙدَةٗۖ وَلَا يَزَالÙونَ Ù…ÙخۡتَلÙÙÙينَ Ø¥Ùلَّا Ù…ÙŽÙ† رَّØÙÙ…ÙŽ رَبّÙÙƒÙŽÛš ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙذَٰلÙÙƒÙŽ خَلَقَهÙÙ…Û¡Û— وَتَمَّتۡ ÙƒÙŽÙ„Ùمَة٠رَبّÙÙƒÙŽ لَأَمۡلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ Ù…ÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱلۡجÙنَّة٠وَٱلنَّاس٠أَجۡمَعÙينَ
And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ. Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them. But the word of your Lord is to be fulfilled that, "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together." [Hood: 118-119]
This Iraadah [Wish] from Allaah is what the people of knowledge term, al-Iraadah al-Kawniyyah [Universal Wish] whereby Allaah the All-Wise will permit something unpleasant to exist in His creation simply for an Infinite Wisdom only He knows.
Allaah the All-Wise allows misunderstanding to exist among His creatures, though He, the Mighty, loathes it, for a reason best known to Him. and He is not to be questioned.
Conversely speaking, Allaah the Mighty loves that we are all united, He will reward people who work towards unity, He loves the peacemakers, yet He knows that this unity cannot be absolutely be, if not, best friends will not split, ‘perfect’ couples will not file for divorce, people of the same tribe will not fight over mere land boundaries, etc.
And He would not have allowed the Muslims, the best people evolved for mankind, to have differences such that they would raise swords against one another, as it happened between the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with all.
But His Plan is that some people will earn an everlasting perdition. O Allaah, save me from that, you know I am Your weakest slave. My brother, join me to ask pardon from Allaah and that He saves us His Anger.
Some people are destined to earn destruction. But Allaah the Mighty is never unjust to anyone.
وَمَا ظَلَمۡنَٰهÙÙ…Û¡ وَلَٰكÙÙ† ظَلَمÙوٓاْ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسَهÙÙ…Û¡Û–
And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. [Hood: 101]
Some people are just intrinsically ingrate and evil; Allaah gave them the intellect but they misuse it. Allaah gave them wealth but they spend it to fight Allaah.
There is none that will be made to enter the Hell except that it will be made crystal clear to him that he did merit it. He will without any defence hands down that he is guilty.
ÙŠÙنَبَّؤÙاْ ٱلۡإÙنسَٰن٠يَوۡمَئÙØ°ÙÛ¢ بÙمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ بَل٠ٱلۡإÙنسَٰن٠عَلَىٰ Ù†ÙŽÙۡسÙÙ‡ÙÛ¦ بَصÙيرَةٞ ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ أَلۡقَىٰ مَعَاذÙيرَهÙÛ¥
Man will be informed that Day of what he sent ahead and kept back.
Rather, man, against himself, will be a witness,
Even if he presents his excuses. [Qiyaamah: 13-15]
However Allaah the Mighty has explained, also through His Messenger – salaLlalhua lahyi wa sallam -, the do’s and the don’t’s.
Among what He commanded is unity, and He forbids disunity. If you work towards unity, you will be rewarded, and if you work towards the other, you will be punished, if Allaah wills.
But He did not ask you to kill yourself because of the Muslim disunity! That’s the theme here, don’t forget. Don’t get depressed! Don’t get dejected! Don’t get perplexed. Just don’t kill yourself because of the controversies among the Muslims.
It may sadden you that the Muslims are disunited but that is not an excuse to harm yourself.
It is only Allaah that can unite the hearts. You don’t have the power to, though you may achieve a lot by your own good conduct, perhaps in your masjid, street, town, city, state, or country. But that you can unite everyone, forget it. You will notice that even in your that ‘small’ masjid, some people will still hate you. You may make efforts day and night to see to their well-being, yet some people will speak ill of you and have bad thought about you. So when you find out that some people are still ‘bad,’ will you kill yourself? Will you stop the good things you are doing? I believe your answer will be a ‘no.’
So just try to be on the righteous path! Which path? The path of Sunnah! The path of the Salaf! Some people will hiss at the mention of ‘Salaf.’ Didn’t I just said you can satisfy all? They will say, ‘why the Salaf?’ 'Why not the Khalaf?' 'Why not us?' 'Why not our formation?'
So we are back to our ‘mutual controversy.’
Please, listen to me, and you may wish not to, I am not going to fret over you if you care not to listen to me, or do you want me to kill myself when I am telling you not to kill yourself?
I am not here to create a chaos for you. I am here to tell you, your rest of mind in the midst of these controversies is in following the path of the Salaf; being constant and steadfast on its path.
‘But there are many Salafiyyahs today now!’ As if I could hear your heart saying that.
‘So which one do you want us to follow?’
‘Shey ti Ede ni, tabi ti Eko, tabi ti Ilorin, tabi ti ’Ibadan?’
‘Is it Salafiyyah of Shaykh Lagbaja or Tamedo?’
‘Is it Salafiyyah of Ustadh Umar, Bakr or Uthmaan?’
Oh!
If there is truly any Salafiyyah ascribed to any of those places or persons you have mentioned, please don’t follow it. That can never be Salafiyyah. So don't follow it, if you follow it, you are still entangled in the web and the predator is coming to devour you.
‘Okay, which one then?’
Follow the path of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam – who said:
مَنْ يَعÙشْ Ù…ÙنْكÙمْ بَعْدÙÙŠ Ùَسَيَرَى اخْتÙلاÙًا ÙƒÙŽØ«Ùيرًا ÙَعَلَيْكÙمْ بÙسÙنَّتÙÙŠ وَسÙنَّة٠الْخÙÙ„ÙŽÙَاء٠مÙنْ بَعْدÙÙŠ الرَّاشÙدÙينَ الْمَهْدÙيّÙينَ عÙضّÙوا عَلَيْهَا بÙالنَّوَاجÙØ°Ù
‘Whoever lives [long] among you after me shall see a lot of differences [among the Muslims], upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Righteous and Guided Successors after me; hold unto it with your molar teeth…’
You have heard the hadeeth before, haven’t you? So you don’t have to go far, you don’t have to kill yourself, follow the Sunnah of the Prophet – salaLLaahu alahyi wa sallam – and the Sunnah of the Companions. Hold to it ferociously.
The Sunnah of the Prophet and the Companions is the path of the Salaf I am telling you about. Someone will hiss again, ‘haa-haa!’
My brother, are you confused?
Don’t mind those guys beside you, like that guy who just wrote a book to disparage the path of the Salaf [are they still celebrating it?], just follow what your Messenger – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam – had said, you will be safe from all the noise in the cyberspace and otherwise, Inshaa Allaah. Indeed the noise is massive and defeaning.
Let your question be, ‘Sir, this thing you are saying [or doing], is it in the Sunnah of the Messenger or the Companions?’
Wait for the answer of that person you think is a good teacher or a motivational speaker, or a ‘bestseller’ writer [‘blockbuster’ author, a Fool Ibn] when he begins to dilly-dally, just pack your shoes and run away.
You always need to be on the path of knowledge, but watch out, there are many teachers out there today that are actually calling to hell. Just be careful, choose your teachers wisely, ask Allaah for guidance, don’t follow rabble-rousers masquerading as teachers.
Inshaa Allaah, we still have a handful of righteous teachers in places.
May Allaah continue to guide me and you. Please, always supplicate to Allaah to guide you in your quests. Don’t depend on your intellect or any knowledge you may acquire, ask Allaah for guidance.
You will be guided Inshaa Allaah.
But don’t forget, don’t kill yourself over anything or anybody. If you do, you will have yourself to blame one day, I pray it will not be on the Day of Recompense. Remember no defence will save you, you will stand before your Lord alone.
My brother, let me pause here. If you really find this beneficial, know that it is from heart to heart. I hate destruction for myself so I desire you are saved too. So, please ask Allaah for guidance for me, behind my back, because I am His weakest slave. And that He forgives me for whatever error I must have committed in this piece.
