The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E P T I O N S
asked to repent .. .' 1 0 7
'Umar Ibn 'Abdu'l-'Aziz told a man who asked him about deviant
sects: 'follow the practice of school children and the desert Arabs,
and abandon everything else.'108
And he also said: 'If you see a group of people discussing matters
of religion (in seclusion) away from the general public, then be sure
that they are in the process of establishing deviance.'109
'Umar Ibn 'Abdu'l-'Aziz once wrote to one of his governors: 'I
advice you to fear Allah and follow the Sunnah of His Messenger. I
encourage you to abandon that which was introduced by those who
came later. They should know that they were sufficed the hassle of
coming up with something new. Know that He who has established
the Sunnah knew what harm will result from following other things.
It was out of knowledge that the previous tabi'in adhered to the
Sunnah (and did not feel compelled to add to it).'110
In another report he added: 'They were more capable of understanding
things. Those who introduced things did not follow their
way.'
Sufyan al-ThawrI said: 'stick to the way of porters, housewives
and school children; in beliefs and actions.'
If someone says: 'This is what a weak person would do (to stick to
101
Lalaka'i in Shari; Usiil al-FtiqridAhlu'l-Sunnah, 2/314/295.
108
Lalaka'i in Shari; Usiil al-l'tiqridAhlu'l-Sunnah, 1/135/250.
109 Lalaka'i in Shari; Uslil al-l'tiqridAhlu'l-Sunnah, 1/135/250.
110
Abu Nu'aym in al-lfi!Jah 5/338.
162