Sayings of the Salaf » Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq

Deviation is in Leaving the Sunnah

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:57:42 +0000

Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

I will not leave anything Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – did, except that I will also do it; for I fear that if I were to leave any of his commands and ways I would deviate.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh 2:386 hadîth no. 3093; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah article 77, and others.

Notes

After recording this narration, Ibn Battah states:

This, my brothers, is the greatest Siddîq (true believer i.e. Abû Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allâh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.

This is from Sayings of the Salaf - English translations of narrations from the Salaf - the earliest believers, our righteous predecessors, and true scholars of Islam. Selected and translated by Owais Al-Hashimi

Taking the pre-dawn meal as late as possible [Sunnah of Fasting]

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:08:56 +0000

Sâlim b. ‘Ubayd reports, “I used to stay in the house of Abû Bakr. One night, he prayed for as long as Allâh willed him to. He then said [to me], ‘Go and see if al-fajr has started,’ so I went, returned and said, ‘Whiteness has risen in the sky.’ So he prayed for as long as Allâh willed, then said [again], ‘Go and see if al-fajr has started.’ I went out, returned and said, ‘[The light] is spreading out and becoming reddish,’ to which he said, ‘Now bring me my drink (i.e. my pre-dawn meal, al-suhûr).’”

Al-Dâraqutnî, Al-Sunan 2:166. Al-Dâraqutnî grades its chain of transmission sahîh.

Taking sins Lightly

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:15:46 +0000

It is reported that Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “One of the worst sins is a person taking his sin lightly.” Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm article 2318. More: Mind your own business Hardship and prosperity, obedience and sin The signs of true Repentance The Curse of [...]

Abû Bakr to ‘Umar on his Deathbed

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:22:00 +0000

When Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq was on his deathbed he called ‘Umar – Allah be pleased with them – and said:

Fear Allah o ‘Umar, and know that Allah has deeds to be done for Him in the day which He will not accept if done at night, and He has deeds to be done for Him at night which He will not accept if done during the day. He will not accept extra (nâfilah) deeds unless you fulfill the obligatory deeds. The scales of those whose scales will be weighty on the Day of Resurrection will only be weighty because they followed the truth in this life and it was weighty to them. And scales in which the truth will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be heavy. And the scales of those whose scales will be light on the Day of Resurrection will only be light because they followed falsehood in this life and it was a light matter to them. And scales in which falsehood will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be light.

Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Paradise and mentioned them in the context of their best deeds, and overlooked their evil deeds, so when I remember them I say to myself: I fear that I will not be included with them. And Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Hell and mentioned them in the context of their worst deeds and rejected their best deeds, so when I remember them I say: I hope I won’t be amongst them. Allah’s worshippers should always be in a state of hope and fear, they shouldn’t wish flimsy wishes about Allah and neither should they despair of Allah’s mercy.

If you keep to this advice of mine, no one who is not with you now should be more beloved to you than death – and it is sure to come to you. But if you disregard this advice, no one who is not with you now should be more hated to you than death – and you cannot escape it.

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ` Vol.1 p18; and Ibn Al-Jawzî, Sifah Al-Safwah.