Specifying the Saved Group - Mawlana Muhammad Idris Kandehlawi rahimahullah

 

Nubuwwat has ended and the religion has been perfected. Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam prophesized that after him, differences in his Ummah will arise; different sects will come about. All of these groups and sects will be in the fire, and only one group will be saved. He also explained what the standard and gauge of truth and salvation will be, ma ana 'alayhi wa ashabi, i.e., the group that treads my path and the path of my companions will be the saved group. 

Hence, it follows that the purport and understanding of the Noble Qur'an and the Blessed Sunnah, and the knowledge drawn from these two sources, it will only be that which the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum understood. 

Every innovator and deviate claims that he has drawn his corrupt beliefs - according to his or her understanding - from the Noble Qur'an and the Blessed Sunnah. Hence, the only purport and understanding acceptable and worthy will be that of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum; there is no consideration given to any purport and understanding that contradicts theirs. 

Whoever explains any purport or understanding of the Noble Qur'an and the Blessed Sunnah contrary to that of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum - it will be taken to be a proof of the deviation and senselessness of that person. If the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum did not understand, then this person who cannot talk proper Arabic, nor proper English, where will he understand? 

We have stated that such a person cannot talk Arabic properly because a person who can speak and understand Arabic properly will understand the same thing that the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum, Tabi'in and pious predecessors understood. If he understands and speaks English properly, and has no idea of Arabic, then, if he is intelligent, he will not open his mouth about the Noble Qur'an and the Blessed Sunnah.

The reason for this is that an intelligent person will never be bold to explain the meaning and purport of this blessed book, the book whose language he does not know. Just as a person who studied Arabic cannot open his mouth and comment on English law, in the same way, a person who knows English cannot open his mouth about the explanation of the Noble Qur'an and the Blessed Ahadith. The proof of a person being ignorant is when he simply looks at the translation and feels that he has understood the law and can comment on it.

Just as obedience of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is an example of obedience to Allah Ta'ala, in the same way, the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum are an example of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, just as the Sunnat-e-Nabawi and the prophetic example cannot be separated from the divine path, in the same way, the example of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum cannot be separated from the example of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The Deen (religion) of Allah Ta'ala and his laws reached us through these two means. The Noble Qur'an is filled with the praise of the Sahabah of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Without these two means, the religion that is accepted remains no more.

Hence, the saved group will be that group that accepts and believes in these two means, i.e., the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the path of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum. This group is the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama'ah. 

The Shias have declared the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum as disbelievers and astray. The Khawarij have declared half the galaxy of Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum as disbelievers. The Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama'ah have embraced the Sunnat-e-Nabawi, and they have also taken the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum and the Ahl-ul-Bayt radiyallahu 'anhum as their examples and ideals. The Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama'ah are pleased with those whom Allah Ta'ala and his Rasul are pleased with, and they understand treading the path of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum and the Ahl-ul-Bayt radiyallahu 'anhum to be a means of acquiring the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala and his Rasul. 

Allah Ta'ala is pleased with the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum. The Noble Qur'an is filled with 'radiyallahu 'anhum wa radu 'anhu'. If a wretched person is not pleased with the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum, then do not be pleased with the calamity. After the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala, there is no need for the pleasure of anyone else. Such a person must think how he will please Allah Ta'ala. 

The 'Ulama' have written that the people of desires (Ahl-e-Hawa) and the innovators (Ahl-e-Bid'at) have six groups as their main source:

1. Khawarij

2. Shia

3. Qadariyyah (a branch of them is the Mu'tazilah)

4. Murji'ah

5. Mushabbiha

6. Jahamiyyah

Then, these six groups have branches. All of them join and reach seventy-two. The beliefs of all these groups are different and astray from the beliefs of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum. Therefore, they are referred to as the Firaq-e-Daallah, i.e., the astray groups. 

The 'Ulama engaged in beliefs have counted these seventy-two groups in their books. However, this is not free from magnification. The reason for this is that if we look at the famous groups and sects, then they number much less than seventy-two. If the famous and the not so famous groups and sects are counted, then they will number more than seventy-two.

The demand of caution is that it should be said that Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam did not make the sects of the Ummah specific with a certain time and place. It is possible that some groups and sects have not been born as yet, and they will come about in the future. Moreover, when the principles of two groups differ, then they will be two different ones, but when they outwardly appear to be different but agree in their principles, then they will be joined and will be understood to be one. In this way, all the branches of the groups, when joined, then in terms of the basic split, In sha Allah, they will not exceed seventy-two. 

 

Because all these sects and groups are people of the Qiblah, that is why the condition will be that they must not deny or refute any of the fundamentals of Islam, and established matters of Deen. The person who denies any of the fundamentals of Deen will not be part of the people of the Qiblah. For example, if a Rafidi, i.e., Shia, has the view of divinity of Sayyiduna 'Ali radiyallahu 'anhu, or he has the belief of Tahreef-ul-Qur'an, or he believes that Jibreel 'alayhi as-salaam errred in bringing the revelation, then such people who have these beliefs can never be part of the people of the Qiblah. - 'Aqa'id-ul-Islam, Mawlana Muhammad Idris Kandehlawi rahimahullah, pp.282-285