Taken From SLF010004 @ SalafiPublications.Com (A Reply to the Doubts of the Qutubiyyah On Ascription to Sunnah and Salafiyyah). If you find this beneficial then please make reference to the above article, when quoting.
Know O Sunni, that the false claimants to Salafiyyah who have innovated and
become ahzaab (parties, sects) and rejoiced with that which is with them
of adulterated principles, love of talk of the occurrences of the life of this
world in the name of "Fiqh ul-Waaqi", and the gathering and amassing of herds,
then though they may hide and conceal much of that which is with them, they will
not be able to hide it in their companionship and those whom they befriend and
show love and loyalty for.
And this is from the manhaj of the Salaf, the very manhaj that the false
claimants to Salafiyyah have attempted to demolish and root out with their
innovated principle of al-Muwaazanah and what is besides that of raising,
aggrandising the promoting the Innovators and the groups and sects of
Innovation.
And here is the legacy of the Salaf, which alas, has been forgotten,
neglected or pushed aside, due mainly to the machinations of the Extreme
Murji’ah of the Era, those who accommodate and defend the Mockers of the
Prophets, the Revilers of Uthmaan, the Mukaffiroon of the Sahaabah and other
than them…And because this principle has been neglected or pushed aside or
hidden or adulterated by those with hidden agendas, those false claimants to
Salafiyyah, it has led many a sincere person to great confusion and
bewilderement, and so they are led to opposing the way of the Salaf and their
manhaj, without even realising it. So when they see someone whose loyalty is for
the Innovators, who defends them, promotes their books, propounds their
doctrines and so on, they make excuses for them, think that they are under
obligation to verifying matters with them, and not to judge them instantly and
other such matters which are a deviation from the beaten track of our Pious
Forefathers, and which but lead to further deviation, confusion and
bewilderment…
Quoted Jamaal bin Fareehaan al-Haarithee the following narrations, under the
chapter heading, "The Salaf Would Make A Judgement of an Invididual By His
Companionship", in "Lumm ad-Durr al-Manthoor", checked, and revised by
Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan.
Abu Qilaabah said, "May Allaah fight the poet [an expression of amazement in
Arabic] who said: Do not ask about a man, but ask about his companion. For
every person guides himself by his companion. This poetry is by Adee bin
Zaid, and al-Asma’ee said about it, "I have never seen a line of poetry which
resembles the Sunnah more than this saying of Adee bin Zaid."
Al-Ibaanah (2/439)
Abu Hurairah - radiallaahu anhu - said, the Messenger of Allaah said, "A
person is upon the deen of his friend, so let each one of you look at whom he
befriends." Saheeh. Refer to Silsilah as-Saheehah of al-Albaani (no.927)
Ibn Mas’ood - radiallaahu anhu - said, "Indeed a person walks alongside and
accompanies the one whom he loves and who is like him." Al-Ibaanah (2/476)
Abu ad-Dardaa - radiallaahu anhu - said, "It is from the fiqh (understanding
of a person) that he [chooses] those whom he walks with, whom he enters upon
(visits) and whom he sits with." Al-Ibaanah (2/477)
Yahyaa bin Katheer said, "Sulaimaan bin Daawood – alaihis salaam – said: Do
no pass a judgement over anyone with anything until you see whom he befriends."
Al-Ibaanah (2/464)
Moosaa bin Uqbah the Syrian approached Baghdad and this was mentioned to
Imaam Ahmad. So it was said, "Look at whose residence he goes to and with whom
he resides and finds shelter." Al-Ibaanah (2/480)
Imaam Al-Awzaa’ee said, "Whoever hides his innovation from us will not be
able to hide his companionship from us." Al-Ibaanah (2/476)
Al-A’mash said, "They (the Salaf) did not used to ask anything more about
a person after having asked about three affairs: Who he walks with, who he
enters upon (i.e. visits) and who he associates with amongst the people."
Al-Ibaanah (2/478)
Abdullaah bin Mas’ood – radiallaahu anhu - said, "Make consideration of the
(regions of the) Earth by the names given to them and make consideration of a
person by his companion." Al-Ibaanah (2/479)
Muhammad bin Ubaid al-Ghulaabee said, "The Ahl ul-Ahwaa (People of Desires)
hide everything except their intimate friendship and companionship." Al-Ibaanah
(2/482)
Mu’aadh bin Mu’aadh said to Yahyaa bin Sa’eed, "O Abu Sa’eed! A person may
hide his viewpoint from us, but he will not be able to hide that in his son, or
his friend or in the one whom he sits with." Al-Ibaanah (2/437)
Ibn ‘Awn said, "Those who sit with the People of Innovation are more severe
upon us than the People of Innovation themselves." Al-Ibaanah (2/273)
Yahyaa bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan said, "When Sufyaan ath-Thawree came to Basrah
he began to look into the affair of ar-Rabee’ bin Subaih and the people’s
estimation of him. He asked them, ‘What is his madhhab?’, and they said, ‘His
madhhab is but the Sunnah’. He then asked, ‘Who is his companionship?’ and they
replied, ‘The people of Qadr’ so he replied, ‘In that case he is a Qadari’."
Al-Ibaanah (2/453)
Ibn Battah (after quoting this) said, "Allaah’s mercy be upon Sufyaan
ath-Thawree. He has indeed spoken with wisdom and he spoke the truth. He spoke
with knowledge that is in agreement with the Book and the Sunnah and what is
necessitated by wisdom and what the people of sure insight know. Allaah the
Exalted said, "O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitânah (advisors,
consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those other than you (outside
your religion or upon other than the right way) since they will not fail to do
their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely." (Aali Imraan
3:118)."
[TN] The above athar of Yahyaa bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan shows that the manhaj of
the followers give evidence of the manhaj of the one that they are
following.
Abu Dawood as-Sijistaanee said, "I said to Abu Abdullaah Ahmad bin Hanbal: I
see a man from Ahl us-Sunnah with a man from Ahl ul-Bid’ah. Shall I leave his
speaking to him? He said, ‘No, inform him that the man that you saw him with is
a person of innovation, so if he leaves him, then speak to him, otherwise treat
him the same as him, as Ibn Ma’sood said, ‘A man is like his companion’."
Tabaqaat ul-Hanaabilah (1/160)
‘Utbah al-Ghulaam said, "Whoever is not with us, then he is against us".
Al-Ibaanah (2/437)
And when you have understood and reflected upon the way of the Salaf in the
narrations above and resolved yourself to become and remain an "hardcore
Athari", a follower of the narrations, and show your loyalty and disownment
for the Salafis, the true Salafis, those upon the aqidah and manhaj of the
Salaf, those who maintain it and defend it and raise it – while the Innovators
and their Allies try to destroy it – then you will have acquired a great deal of
good, and you will have distanced yourself from the paths that deviate from the
Straight Path, and you will not bite at your hands on the Day of Judgement,
wishing you had taken a path with the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)
rather than the paths of Innovation and Hizbiyyah and its
rowdies.
Judging A Claimant to Salafiyyah By His Companionship