Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 3

294 THE LIVES OF THE SAHABAH @,@&3 (Vol-3)
"Beware of asking, 'What is your opinion? What is your opinion?' because those
before you were destroyed because
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they asked, 'What is you opinion? What is you
opinion?' You should also not judge one thing by another because your feet will
then slip after being firm. In addition to this, whenever any of you are asked
about something that he does not know, he should say, 'Allaah knows best,'
because this constitutes a third of knowledge." ('1
Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood once said, "Every year is followed by a
year that is worse. While no year is essentially worse than another, no nation is
essentially worse than another. However, what will happen is that when your
Ulema and righteous ones leave the world, such people will come about who
will analyse matters using their personal opinions, because of which they will
destroy and perforate Islaam." ('1
Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas !&%%Hj said, "The basis (of lslaam and the
Shari'ah) is Allaah's Book and the Sunnah of Rasulullaah @%. Whoever says
anything else based on his personal opinion, I cannot say whether he will find
this amongst his good deeds or his sins." (3)
Hadhrat Ataa narrates from his father that when a Sahabi was questioned
about something, he said, "I am too shy before my Rabb to employ my personal
opinion in commenting on a matter that affects the Ummah of Muhammad
pJ3g."(4)
3iW+%%
The ~jtihaad'~' of the Sahabah +@,GW
Hadhrat Mu'aadh bin Jabal ag#@j Tells
Rasulullaah that he will Practise Ijtihaad
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without Compromising on Diligence
Hadhrat Mu'aadh bin Jabal5B!ZW$ narrates that when Rasulullaah @$% sent him
to Yemen, Rasulullaah @% asked him, "How will you pass judgement when a
case comesbeforeyou?""Ishall pass judgement by Allaah's Book," Hadhrat Mu'aadh
replied. Rasulullaah @I@ asked further, "And what if you do not find the
solution in the Book of Allaah?" "Then," Hadhrat Mu'aadh ?iWW said, "I shall
judge by the Sunnah of Allaah's Rasool m." Again Rasulullaah @% asked, "And
what if you do not find the solution in the Sunnah of Allaah's Rasool m?"
Hadhrat Mu'aadh ?%@I%%j replied by saying, "I shall then practise Ijtihaad
without compromising on diligence." Rasulullaah then placed his hand on
Hadhrat Mu'aadh !B%!~?s
chest saying, "All praise belongs to Allaah Who has
inspired the envoy of Rasulullaah with that which pleases Rasulullaah
(1) Tabraani. Haythami (Vol.1 Pg.180) has commented on the chain of narrators.
(2) Tabraan~ in his mbeer. Haythami (Vol.1 Pg.180) has commented on the cham of narrators. Ibn
Abdul Birr has reported a similar narration in his Jaami (Vo1.2 Pg.135).
(3) Ibn Abdul Birr in his Jaami (Vo1.2 Pg.136).
(4) Ibn Abdul Birr in his Jaami (Vol.2 Pg.136).
(5) ljtihaad briefly refers to applying one's mind to the source references of the Shari'ah to extract
laws that are not explicitly stated. This is, of course, the work of a person whose proficiency in
lslaamic jurisprudence in unqutstionabie.