Sahaba - The Blessed

fruits of their endeavours to carry out the commandment (which
said), “Fa’tabirû,” (in the Qur’ân al-kerîm). As a matter of fact, it
is an error and an act of violation for a person who has attained
the grade of ijtihâd to follow someone else’s ijtihâd in matters
whose solutions necessitate ijtihâd. However, ijtihâd is not
practicable in rules that are clearly stated in the Qur’ân al-kerîm
or in hadîth-i-sherîfs. It is farz for every Muslim to obey such
rules.
In conclusion, we would like to say briefly that all the Ashâb-ikirâm
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ led a life far from
ostentation, always trying to purify their hearts and habits, and
free from anxiety to have themselves liked by others. They paid no
attention to outward appearance and held essence and truth of
highest importance. Their essential concern was to do Rasûlullah’s
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ commandments and to avoid hurting
him. They sacrificed their parents, their children and their families
for the sake of that Sarwar. Their belief in him was so strong and
so true that they would drink his spit before it touched the ground,
as if it were autumnul rain. When he had a haircut or trimmed his
beard, they would jump for the clippings and catch them before
they fell on the ground, for the honour of carrying one of his hairs
was more valuable to them than crowns and thrones. Khâlid bin
Walîd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, a hero who devastated the stupendous
Roman armies and conquered many fortresses and countries, said
that he owed all his victories to the saqal-i-sherîf [1]
he had been
carrying on his head.
These (blessed hairs that are called) saqal-i-sherîf are
keepsakes handed down from one generation to another and
devoted to mosques. They are visited on holy days. It is a widely
known fact, and an evidence for their strong belief in and true
attachment to that Sarwar, that whenever he had himself bled they
would drink his blood. If those great people, who are quite far
from dirty habits such as lies and slanders, are heard to have said
something that appears to be unseemly towards him, we should
interpret them with good will and attain salvation by thinking of
the purpose rather than of the words.
Question: When the ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya (rules derived by way
of ijtihâd) may be erroneous, how can we ever trust the ahkâm-i-
[1] Hairs from the Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ blessed beard.
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