Topic: Imam Ahmad`s Shunning of the innovators


Abo_Ishaaq    -- 30-09-2008 @ 7:46 PM
  Salam Alaikum.This is from the book "The biographi of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal" (p. 48-49) English translationHis shunning of the innovators was closely bound to his love for the Sunnah and his adherence to it, for if someone loves Sunnah, he adheres to it; and if a person adheres to the Sunnah, he mus perforce shun innovation and hate it; and if a person hates a thin, he will hate thos who do it. For this reason it was not surprisin that Imam Ahmad should shun the innovators and remain distant from the- and we have seen his love for sunnah and his strong devotion to it.His son Salih reported something which confirms his shunning of the innovators, indeed, even thos who had contact with them, although they were not innovators; he said: "Al Hazzami came to my father and he had gone over to bin Abi Dawood, so when he came out and saw him, he closed the door in his face and went back inside." (Tabaqat Al-Hanabilah, vol 1, p.250)Abu Dawood As-Sijistani asked Ahmad bin Hanbal: "If i see a man from Ahlus-Sunnah with a man from among the innovators, should i stop talking to him?" He said: "No, on the contrary, you should inform him that the person with whom you saw him is an innovator, then if he stops speaking to him (all well and good), but if not, consider him to be with him (i.e. an innovatro also). Bin Mas`ood (ra) said: "A person is (known) by the company he keeps." (Al-Manaqib, p 250).He - may Allaah have mercy on him - considered tha knowledge of Hadeeth is what protects a Muslim from falling into innovation, which is why he said: "I do not know of any time when the people needed to acquire knowledge of Hadeeth more tha those living in this time." He was asked: "And why is that?" He said: "Innovation have appeared, and whoever does not have knowledge of Hadeeth will fall into them". (Al-Manaqib p. 251)

Salam alaikum


SalafiTalk.Net : http://www.salafitalk.net/st
Topic: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=9&Topic=7024