Have We take a Right Way in Our Religious Life?

Have We take a Right Way in Our Religious LifeIt is undeniable that the religion of Islam “was born” about more than 14 centuries ago. And this very long period of time unarguably makes it possible for a deviation to occur among the muslims themselves. Well, let alone the 14 centuries span, even in a very brief period of time, a nation could go astray, just as happened to the children of Israel when Prophet Moses – peace be upon him- left them for forty days. They, who used to worship Allah alone, ended up worshipped an idol.

Likewise, this probability of deviation is enhanced with a very long distance between us and the centers of Islam propagation in the past, such as Medina, Mecca, Baghdad, Egypt, etc. To be able to reach Indonesia, the propagators of Islam should take a cruise and travel a long journey.

based on the historical documents, at the beginning of Islam entering Indonesia, it was chiefly enjoined by the muslim merchants who interacted with the local people. They were widely assumed as scholars who truly understood the Islamic sciences profoundly, as the scholars who resided in the centers of Islam propagation in the past. However, If it was true that they were scholars with profound knowledges, we would surely have their scientific artifacts, as writings, the narration of their sayings, or their famousness in Islamic world.

But in fact, we do not find any of it. Thus we could conclude that Islam that was taught at the dawn of its arrival in Indonesia wasn’t conveyed by people who has achieved the degree of a scholar with profound knowledge. If that is the case, then it was possible that Islam was tarnished with their lack of knowledge. And it is also a highly contributing factor to the digression in Islam in Indonesia.

As we also know that there were many religions that already existed and spread in Indonesia before the arrival of Islam, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, Dynamism, and atheism. Whether we realized it or not, there was also a possibility of mixing between Islam and those previously existed religions. Not to mention the many varieties of culture which nowadays could be seen affecting the muslims in Indonesia. This is also a contributing factor to the raise of digression.

Having read the passages above, we could see that Indonesia is a very potential “ground” for digression and deviation to occur. Therefore, on being a muslim, we should pay a very serious attention to the Islam that we’re currently practicing now, whether it is a true and straight Islam, that is far from any deviations, or not. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- told us in a hadith of Abu Huraira:

« افْتَرَقَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفَرَّقَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِى عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً/كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ مِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً)).

“The Jews had split into 71 or 72 sects. The Christians also had split into 71 or 72 sects. Whereas my followers will be split into 73 sects [1]. All in hell except one group.” [2]

This hadith explicitly pointed out that the muslims will split into many sects, and that there will be only one group that will be safe. This phenomenon is something that we should believe, since it was the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- himself who conveyed it to us.

It is also revealed to us that the seventy groups will still be regarded as the follower of Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- and still muslims, hence, although they are slipped into digression, later in the Hereafter, they will still be under Allah’s will. If Allah wants to torture them, then He will. But if He doesn’t, then He wont. However, in the end, all of them will enter the Paradise.

I need to remind that there are some groups in Islam that refer themselves to Islam, but in essence, they are not among the followers of Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- , such as the Ahmadiya, The Liberal Islamic Network, some of the sufi and Shia sects which have gone extreme, etc. These groups are not included in the seventy groups that was mentioned in the hadith.

The next question is who is the one group that was mentioned in the hadit? To answer to this question, we are not allowed to make a one-sided claim thar we’re the only one that walk upon the truth, unless we have a supporting indication from the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. And we are supposed to feel uncertain and worry that whether or not the Islamic teaching that we’re currently practicing now is the true one. Hence, we’ll be enthusiast to find that truth.

The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- described the group in the continuation of the above hadith:

(( فَقِيلَ لَهُ : مَا الْوَاحِدَةُ ؟ قَالَ : مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ الْيَوْمَ وَأَصْحَابِي))

The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- was asked, “Who is that one group, O Messenger of Allah?”. Then he -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- answered, “They are the ones who appropriate what I and my companions are practicing today.”

Therefore, the truest of Islam is the practice of Islam that goes according to the teaching of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- without any addition or reduction in it, and also the practice of Islam as explained by the companions of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- , since they were the ones who directly received the Islamic knowledges from the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-.

Today we see many people who claim that their groups are the most correct one, since it is based on the Qur’an and the sunnah.

But why there is still any disunity among them, thus one group accused another group of infidelity, and the other one labelled another group as “deviant group”?

It all happened because they comprehended the Qur’an and the sunnah according to their own minds or they felt enough with the arabic language that they’ve mastered, thus  they do not know whether they’ve committed deviation themselves or not.

Honorable readers, may Allah have mercy on us all, if the Qur’an and the sunnah were interpreted or explained using mankind’s intelligence, there would be diversity of understanding, since every person has a different level of comprehension compared to the others. And if this diversity is preserved, then Islam in every period of time would be different and it would be a new religion that is distinctly differ from the religion that was brought by the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him.

If that is the case, then whose understanding should we follow? The answer is, the understanding of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, his companions, and those who follow their examples correctly.

But are those people still exist today? The answer is yes, people who followed the understanding of the companions of the Prophet and those who follow their examples in the best possible manner are still exist until today, even until the Day of Resurrection. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said, :

(( لاَ تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِى ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ )).

“There will always be a group of people among my followers that are known for the truth  that they hold. Others who ignore them will not be able to harm them until the time of Allah’s order, and they will still be upon the truth.” [3]

Why we should follow the understanding of the companions and those who followed them in the best possible manner? There are at least four reasons why we should follow their comprehension, namely:

Allah the Glorified and Exalted had granted them His approval if the Qur’an, with His decree:

{رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ}

“Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him. All this is for him who fears his Lord.” (QS Al-Bayyinah/The Clear Proof : 8)

They were the best of nation in front of Allah:!

(( خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ))

“The best of men is the ones who live in my time, then those who live after my time, then those after them.” [4]

Allah had threaten those who went against them in the Qur’an with His decree,

وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا (115)

“As for him who sets himself against the Messenger and follows a path other than that of the believers even after true guidance had become clear to him, We will let him go to the way he has turned to, and We will cast him into Hell – an evil destination.” (QS An-Nisa’ /The Women: 115)

“Path of the believers”, who are they? They are non other than the companions of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-.

{ وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ (100) }

“And of those who led the way – the first of the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Helpers (Ansar), and those who followed them in the best possible manner – Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Allah. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow; therein they will abide forever. That is the supreme triumph.” (QS At-Taubah/The Repentance: 100)

In this verse, Allah mentioned to us about the virtue of the emigrants and the helpers and also those who followed them in the best possible manner. Allah is well pleased with them and He has prepared for them later the Paradise. Therefore, we should be able to follow their examples so that we could be as those who were mentioned after the emigrants and the helpers, and receive the virtue of Allah’s pleasure and His paradise.

The next question is how could we be certain that the teaching of Islam that we’re practicing now is the teaching of Islam that goes according to their understanding? To make sure of it, there is no other way but we have to study this religion seriously and apply the scientific method in comprehending and practicing it. We shouldn’t accept, practice, and believe of something unless it truly has a supporting indication from the Qur’an and hadith of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. In addition to that, the hadith of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him – that currently spread out in Islamic world should be selected carefully, because it has various statuses: there are valid and good hadith (both are the only ones that could be used as indication/basis of our religion); and there are also weak and fabricated hadith (both can’t be used as indication/basis of belief or deed in our religion).

Still not enough with those steps, we should conduct further study upon whether or not our comprehension over the Qur’an interpretation and hadith has matched the comprehension of the pious predecessors (the predecessors from among the companions, tabeen, students of tabeen, and those who followed them in the best possible manner), by referring to the excerpts of their sayings quoted in the books of the scholars whose level of knowledge are widely acknowledged and trusted.

If regarding our worldly matter we should go scientific in selecting various kinds of information, for example:

In medical field, the physicians will not accept a treatment method unless it is based on experiments and scientific evidence. Likewise in technology, the scientists will refuse to claim that a certain invention is a part of science until it could be proven and explained with scientific theories.

then regarding our religion, the case is even more serious. We must use scientific approach in learning and practicing our religion, so that we wont be mistaken in understanding it and as a result, wont deviate.

We should also avoid any fanaticism over particular school of jurisprudence / Islamic law, such as the school of Shafi’i, Hanbali (Ahmad), Hanafi, and Maliki. The imams of those schools weren’t not free from sin, thus it is possible for them to commit mistakes at times.

None of those schools of jurisprudence but having truth and also mistakes in it. Anything that is correct and appropriate the indication, should be followed, and anything that is incorrect or against the indication, should be refused. An absolute truth is not the privilege of any particular schools.

Hence, is your way of understanding and practicing this religion already correct? If it is not, yet, lets mend it together, by being tolerant to accept the truth and not overbearing.

As my last words, I hope that all readers here could help to spread the goodness in this writing by conveying it to those around you, your family, and other muslims. May this writing benefit us all. Amin.

Author: Abu Ahmad Said Yai

Footnotes:

[1] Narrated by Abu Dawud no. 4596, At-Tirmidhi no. 2640 and Ibn Maja no. 3991 (Sheikh Al-Albani classified it as a valid hadith).

[2] Narrated by Al-Marwazi in “As-Sunnah” no. 59 and Al-Hakim in “Al-Mustadrak” no. 444. It has a supporting narration from Anas Ibn Malik, as revealed by Ath-Thabrani in “Al-Mu’jam Al-Aushath” no. 4886.

[3] Narrated by Muslim no. 5059

[4] Narrated by Al-Bukhari no. 2652 and Muslim no. 6635

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