Striving to follow the Correct Way

The only correct way, which every Muslim must follow, is the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, the path of the victorious group and the saved sect, the people of pure ‘aqeedah and sound methodology, the followers of the Sunnah and the (sound) evidence. The Muslim must be distinct from the enemies of Allah and be different from the people of falsehood.

If you want to know the value of this in standing firm, then ask yourself: why have so many people, in the past and nowadays, been led astray? Why have they become confused? Why have their feet not stood firm on the Straight Path? Why did they not die following it, or why did they come to it so late in life, after wasting so much precious time?

So you see them, moving from one kind of misguided bid’ah to another, from philosophy to ‘ilm al-kalaam (Islamic philosophy), from Mu’tazili thought to the way of twisting and misinterpreting the clear aayaat of the Qur’an, from one Sufi tareeqah to another…

Thus are the people of bid’ah, confused and shaky in their faith. See how the people of ‘ilm al-kalaam are deprived of steadfastness at the time of death. Hence the salaf said, “The people who suffer the most doubt at the time of death are the people of al-kalaam.” But think about it: has any follower of Ahl al- Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah ever turned his back on this way in discontent after he has come to know and understand it? People may abandon it because of their whims and desires, or because of doubts if their understanding is weak, but no one has left because he saw something more correct or because he thought this way was wrong.

The proof of this is to be seen in the questions posed by Heraclius to Abu Sufyaan about the followers of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He asked, “Has anyone ever left this religion out of discontent after entering it?” Abu Sufyaan said, “No.” Then Heraclius said, “This is how it is when the joy of faith fills the heart.” (Reported by al-Bukhari, al-Fath, 1/32)

We have heard a lot about great leaders who moved from one kind of bid’ah to another and others whom Allah guided and so they left falsehood behind and joined the madhhab of Ahl al- Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, despising their former ways. But do we ever hear about the opposite?

If you want to stand firm in your Islam, then you must follow the way of the believers.