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