Assalamu ALaykum,
assalamu alaykum brother,
We must stick to the Quran and Sunnah at all times for our Islam. Every aspect of our Deen (religion) can be traced back to these sources. From the way we raise our hands in prayer, the amount we give in inheritance, through to the dua we read when entering the Masjid.
The correct way is to utilise ALL the Scholars not just one. And if their guidance or advice conflicts with something that you know evidently is true, i.e someone shows you an authentic hadith. Then you must follow that authentic hadith and not be stuck on what an Imam has said.
Unfortunately, there are some Muslims who deny the hadith and stick to what they were doing before because an Imam taught them so. This is wrong and is called Taqleed (blind following). We only follow the Prophet. And one must keep in mind, that all Four of the great Imams warned Muslims not to blindly follow them but to take the Quran and Hadith as evidence.
This topic has been discussed before:
Whats the difference in the four schools?
The Sayings of the Four Imams on blind-following (Taqlid)
Guidelines for Following Madhhabs
I follow the Madhab of RasulAllah and his companions.
Islam is very simple,
We follow the Quran and the Sunnah with the understanding of the first three generations, this is in accordance to what Allah and his Prophet taught us.
the Prophet Said:
"Hold on to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. Hold on to it firmly. And beware of heretical innovations (Bid'ah) because each heretical innovation (Bid'ah) is a falsehood and each false- hood is a deviation from the right path." (Reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi who said it is a good and sound hadith, and Ibn Majah)
The Prophet also said:
"The example of the believers in their affection and compassion and benevolence is like the body; If one part of it becomes ill the whole body comes to its aid with fever and
sleeplessness." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
"A group of my 'Ummah will continue to follow the truth prominently. Whoever betrays them or opposes them can never harm them to the Day of Judgment." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
We Must Stick to the Quran and Sunnah with understanding of the pious predecessors.
This has been emphasised many times in the Hadith:
The Messenger of Allaah said: "I counsel you to have Taqwaa of Allaah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave were to command you. For, verily, whoever amongst you lives (to grown old), he will see many differences. So stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs. Cling tightly onto it and hold onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters. For, indeed, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a thing that leads astray, and everything that leads astray is in the Hellfire." [Abu Dawood ]
The Salaf were the best of people:
The Prophet said:
"The best of people are my generation, then the second, then the third, then there will come a people, having no good in them." [[related by Ibn Mas'ood]
We must call ourselves Muslims,
Allah says in the Quran:
And strive hard in Allâh's Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islâmic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islâm), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islâmic Monotheism). It is He (Allâh) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur'ân), that the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform As­Salât (Iqamat-as-Salât), give Zakât and hold fast to Allâh [i.e. have confidence in Allâh, and depend upon Him in all your affairs] He is your Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.) and what an Excellent Helper! [Surah Al-Imrân 3:78]
We Are Sunni, meaning people of the Sunnah. But we can also say that we are upon the manhaj or methedology of the salaf. Salaf simply means the pious predecessors.
This can further bring distinction to make sure people understand that we are not some Sufi or person who inclines to modernism or extremism, but someone who acknowledges the Islam of the Quran and sunnah and that of the Salaf.
At the time of the Prophet the truth was apparent. The Prophet was alive and hence the Muslims only needed to call themselves Muslims.
This name is true today of course and shall be forever. And it is the one we use.
There is nothing wrong with a person saying that they are upon way of the Salaf. Likewise a person can say he is an Atharee, meaning he belongs to the people who like the athaar of hadeeth. Or Ahlul Hadith, the people of Hadeeth. It is the same thing.
Imaam adh-Dhahabee (d.748H rahimahullaah) - said: "It is authentically related from ad-Daaraqutnee that he said: There is nothing more despised by me than 'irnul-kalaam (innovated speech and rhetorics). I say: No person should ever enter into 'ilmul-kalaam, nor argumentation. Rather, he should be a follower of the Salaf." [Siyar 16/457]
Abu Haneefah (d. 150H rahimahullaah) said: "Adhere to the athar (narration) and the tareeqah (way/following) of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) and beware of newly invented matters for all of it is innovation" [Reported by As-Suyootee in Sawn al Mantaq wal-Kalaam p.32]
Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H rahimahullaah) says: "There is no blame on the one who manifests/proclaims the way (madhdhab) of the Salaf, who attaches himself to it and refers to it. Rather, it is obligatory to accept that from him by unanimous agreement (Ittifaaq), because the way (madhdhab) of the Salaf is nothing but the Truth (Haqq)." [From Majmoo al-Fataawaa, 4:149.]
The salaf are those who have gone before us in the past.
Our Madhab or way is that of the Salaf. It is not permissible for anyone to call himself a person of the Salaf. We aspire to be among them. Nor is it a Sect.
A person can not say he is from the Salaf or that he is rightly guided. Only Allah knows this. We are weary of any arrogance and must always remain humble. "Everyone of the tribe of Adam sins. And the best of the sinners are the ones who (constantly) make repentance." Surat-ul-Ana'aam [3:153].
We try to live Islam just as the Prophet and his companions did. So we value the Quran and the Authentic hadith.
As Muslims we should not be tied down to any personality, group etc, but we take that which is mentioned in the clear texts of Islam
wasalam.
