A Concise Legacy
Shaykh
Muhammad Saalih al-Uthaymeen
Indeed
all praise is for Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His help and we seek
forgiveness from Him. And we seek refuge in Allaah from the evils within our
own souls and our evil actions. Whomsoever Allaah guide, then none can misguide
him; and whomsoever Allaah leaves to stray, then none can guide him aright.
Indeed it is Allaah who sent His Messenger Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth, and he conveyed this
Message, fulfilled his trust, fought Jihaad as it should be fought, and
he did not die except that he left his Ummah (nation) upon a clear path, its
night is like its day, and no one deviates from it except that he is destroyed.
And may Allaah extol and send blessings of peace upon His Messenger Muhammad,
and upon his Family, his Companions, and those who follow them in goodness.
Then to proceed:
So
on this night, Sunday the 27th of Rabee'ul-Awwal 1417H - which corresponds to
the 10th of August 1996CE - I am pleased to have this opportunity to say a few
words to you. I hope that Allaah would bless them and that He would also bless
our brothers in England; who have traveled from various places in order to here
these few words on the telephone, for which they will receive - with the help
of Allaah - that promise which has been mentioned by the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam when he said:
"Whosoever treads a path to seek knowledge, then
Allaah would make easy for him a path to Paradise." [1]
So
I ask from my brothers to accept these wasaayah (legacies and sincere
advices) which I hope would be of benefit to them:-
THE
FIRST LEGACY
So
I advise you to have the taqwaa of Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic -
both in private and public. And taqwaa means that a person should stand
firm upon the obedience of Allaah, doing what Allaah ordered him to do, and
abandoning what He prohibited him from, starting with establishing the Salaah
(Prayer) in their fixed and stated times, and in congregation, for those who
are obliged to do so. Along with the five daily Prayers, you should also pray
the rawaatib (stressed and recommended Prayers) which are connected to
the five daily Prayers - and they are four rak'ahs before the Dhuhr
Prayer and two after it. Two rak'ahs after the Maghrib Prayer.
Two rak'ahs after the 'Ishaa Prayer. And two rak'ahs
before the Fajr Prayer. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
said:
"There is no Muslim who prays twelve optional rak'ahs
from the non-obligatory Prayer every day, except that Allaah will build for him
a house in Paradise." [2]
Likewise,
you should pay the Zakaah; which is an obligatory amount taken from your wealth
and given to the poor and the needy. Allaah - the Most High - said to his Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
"Take charity from their wealth in order to purify
them and to sanctify them by it." [Soorah a-Tawbah 9:103].
The
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said to Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, when he
was sending him to Yemen:
"And inform them that Allaah has obligated upon them
to give charity from their wealth, to be taken from the rich and given to the
poor." [3]
Likewise,
one should fast in the month of Ramadaan, because Allaah has prescribed it for
this Ummah, and one should make the Hajj (Pilgramage) and the 'Umrah
(Lesser Pilgramage) for whosoever has the ability to do so. These are the
pillars of Islaam, after the first pillar which is the Shahaadatain (the
two testimonies); to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except
Allaah, and to testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
THE
SECOND LEGACY
I
advise my brothers that they should unify their ranks, and that they should be
like a single body seeking to establish the Religion of Allaah, as Allaah - the
Most High - said:
"Allaah has prescribed for you the same Religion which
He prescribed to Noah, and that which We revealed to the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, and that which We prescribed to Ibraaheem, Moses and
Jesus 'alayhimus-salaam, saying: That you should establish the Religion
by doing that which you were commanded with, and that you should not make any
divisions in it."
[Soorah ash-Shooraa 42:13].
Thus
it becomes very clear that what is required from us - as it was required from
the Prophets who were foremost in resolve - is to establish the Religion and
not to make any divisions therein. So our Lord - the Mighty and Majestic -
ordered us to establish the Religion and not to make any divisions in it. O my
brothers! Unite your ranks, and do not differ, since Allaah - the Most High -
said:
"And do not dispute with each other, unless you loose
courage and your power departs, but be patient. For indeed Allaah is with those
who are patient."
[Soorah al-Anfaal 8:46].
Do
not label each other as being deviant, nor label each other as being sinners.
If you see in any of your brothers that which is objectionable, then go to them
and debate with them about this, until your word is unified, and thus cause the
Ummah to remain united. None of you should try to slander his brother, since
this will cause a great deal of enmity and hatred. Likewise, none of you should
declare his Muslim brother to be a disbeliever, innovator or a sinner - since
this is not from the nature of a Muslim.
THE
THIRD LEGACY
I
also advise you - O brothers - to do those actions which will be the cause of
love and affection to develop between you. Many people do not truly understand
the Religion of Islaam. Indeed many people think that the Religion of Islaam
includes certain bad traits - even though Islaam in reality objects to them -
because some Muslims portray a false image of Islaam. Rather, the Religion of
Islaam is a Religion of truthfulness, righteousness and justice. It is a
Religion which calls for reconciling people. It is also a Religion which wages
war against all bad actions and characteristics; such as lying, cheating,
deception and transgressing upon others. Allaah - the Most High - said:
"Indeed Allaah enjoins upon you justice, kindness and
the giving of good to relatives and near ones, and He prohibits you from all
shameful and evil deeds, oppression and transgression. He admonishes you, in
order that you may take heed and be reminded. And fulfil the Covenant of Allaah
when you have made it, and do not break your oaths after you have confirmed
them, and indeed you have appointed Allaah as your Guarantor. Indeed Allaah
knows all what you do." [Soorah an-Nahl 16:90-91].
O
my brothers, da'wah (calling to Islaam) is to be done by your actions,
as you are commanded to do it with your speech However, da'wah through
actions will be more effective than da'wah which is merely done with
speech. So I say again, that those who practice Islaam in a wrong manner, they
will create a false understanding of Islaam in people's view. Allaah - the Most
High - has said about those who invite to what is correct, but do not practice
themselves:
"O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do
not do. It is most hateful to Allaah that you say that which you do not
do." [Soorah
as-Saff 61:2-3].
THE
FOURTH LEGACY
I
advise you all to safeguard your time and to occupy yourselves in that which is
beneficial. You should know that time is more precious than wealth, as Allaah -
the Most Blessed, the Most High - said:
"Until when death comes to him, he says: O my Lord!
Give me respite so that I may then do righteous actions." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:333].
Time
is such that when it departs it does not return, whereas wealth, when it
departs, then it is possible to replace it. So time is of the utmost
importance. This is why I advise you to safeguard your time, and to occupy
yourselves in that which benefits. Keep away from qeela wa qaal
(gossiping) - that so and so said such and such about this and that person -
because the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said in an authentic
narration:
"Indeed Allaah hates qeela wa qaal (gossip mongering),
asking too many questions, and wasting one's wealth." [4]
Unfortunately,
many of the youths - after returning to the correct path, and uniting their
hearts and unifying their word - have become disunited and fragmented into many
factions, and this is due to the whisperings of Shaytaan amongst them and the
disuniting of their word. So I advise the brothers to utilise your time in
beneficial matters, and to keep away from qeela wa qaal. Indeed, time is
like a sword; either you strike it, or it will strike you!
THE
FIFTH LEGACY
Call
to Allaah with mildness, forebearance, and intending to rectify matters - not
with harshness, nor intending to cause divisions. This is because Allaah - the
Most Perfect - said to His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
"Call mankind to the way prescribed by your Lord, with
wisdom, and admonish them with the examples and warnings that Allaah has
provided in His Book, and argue with them in a way that is better." [Soorah an-Nahl 16:125].
"By the mercy of Allaah you behaved with gentleness
towards them. Had you been severe or harsh-hearted they would have left you and
departed. So pass over their faults, and ask Allaah to forgive them, and
consult them in the affairs." [Soorah Aali-'Imraan 3:159].
Thus,
it is obligatory for the Believer to follow the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam in this, and to be mild and forebearing in calling to Allaah -
the Most Blessed, the Most High - since it is authentically established from
the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam that he said:
"Indeed Allaah is gentle and loves gentleness, and He
gives due to gentleness that which He does not give due to harshness." [5]
THE
SIXTH LEGACY
Striving
hard in acquiring knowledge, since that is the reason why you have left your
cities and homes, and have left your family and friends. So it is upon you all
to strive hard in gaining knowledge, and to study deeply - not merely to take
an exam, rather it is for the knowledge itself. So strive hard in seeking
knowledge. Finally, I ask Allaah that He enables us to utilise our time in a
beneficial way, according to what Allaah - the Most Blessed, the Most High -
has made us responsible for.
[1] Related by Muslim (no.1888), Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu 'anhu.
[2] Related by Muslim (no.728), from Ummu Habeebah radiallaahu 'anhaa.
[3] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no.7372) and Muslim (no.19).
[4] Related by Muslim (no.1715), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu 'anhu.
[5] Saheeh: Related by Ibn Maajah (no.3688), from Abu Hurayrah. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.1771).