- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Sahaabah (Companions).
- The Taabi’een (the followers of the companions).
- The Atbaa’u-Taabi’een (the followers of the followers of the companions
Generally, this term refers to all those pious predecessors who followed the way of the Salaf and who have preceded us in time. This is the true manhaj of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa’ah.
Firstly, from The Noble Qur’an:
Allah Ta’ala says:
“And the former, the first from amongst the Muhajirun and the Ansaar, and those who followed them in righteousness Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them gardens of which rivers flow below, abiding therein forever, that is great success.,” (9:100)
Thus, Allah is unreservedly pleased with the Muhajirun and Ansar, and is pleased with those who follow them in righteousness. (i.e. The attainment of Allah’s pleasure for the companions is secure, whereas for those who come after them; this is not guaranteed, as it is dependent upon their adherence to the way of the companions in righteousness)
Allah Ta’ala also says:
“And whoever opposes the Messenger (salalahu alayhi wa salam) after the guidance has become clearly manifest to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We shall leave him to that which he has adopted and land him in hell; what an evil destination!” (4:115)
Allah threatens those who follow a different path to the companions with the punishment of hell, and in the previous ayah, He promises His pleasure to those who follow them.
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Secondly, from the Sunnah:
1. The Statement of the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam : “The best of people are my generation then those who succeed them, then those who succeed them” (al Bukhari 5/199, 7/6 and 11/460) and Muslim, 7/184 and 185)
This excellence and goodness which the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam attested to for these three generations, is an indication of their preference, precedene and majestic rank as well as their knowledge of Allah’s laws and intense adherence to the way of His Messenger salalahu alayhi wa salam.
The following ahadith emphasise these (virtues):
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2. The Messenger’s salalahu alayhi wa salam statement: “The Jews split up into seventy-one sects, the Christians split up into seventy-two sects and this Ummah will split up into seventy-three sects; all of them are in the Fire except one.” Someone asked: “Which is that one O Messenger of Allah? salalahu alayhi wa salam. He replied: “Whoever is upon that wwhich I am upon today and my companions”. (Related by Abu Dawud, 4596-4597; al-Tirmidhi 2640-2641; Imam Ahmad, (2/332, 3/120 145 and 4/120 and Ibn Majah, 3991-3993)
This is a hadith that is sahih and mash-hur (well known)
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3. His, salalahu alayhi wa salam, statement: “… for indeed, those who will still be alive after me will see many differences; so hold fast to my sunnah and to the sunnah of the rightly guided khalifahs after me. Adhere to and cling tightly to it and beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a deviation.” (related by Imam Ahmad, 4/126-127; Abu Dawud, 4607; al-Tirmidhi, 2676; al-Darimi, 1/44 and others.)
Hence, the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam encouraged his ummah to follow his sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided khalifahs after him at the appearance of splits and differences.
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Thirdly, from the statements of the Salaf and their Followers:
