Innovative Excuses
Abu Rumaysah
It is with much thought and debate amongst
ourselves that we write this article. We understand the hostile reaction
that it may cause, but we feel that there are sufficient, and important reasons
for putting pen to paper about this subject. Over the past year or so we
have been continually criticised by the local hierarchy, who have accused us of
being "Wahabis", "followers of Arabs", "modernist
Muslims" and of misleading the youth. It is with this constant
criticism in mind that we write this article, in order to set the record
straight. We ask all of you to keep an open mind; do not approach this
subject from an emotional point of view, but rather an Islamic one. We
ask the brothers and sisters to look for the 'clear argument', to consider the
evidence that is provided herein. Do not let this article be a cause for
creating more fitna (trials), but instead an opportunity to see a way forward
for some reconciliation. If you do disagree with this article, then let
this be a chance to start a dialogue between us and you rather than a war of
words. You know our evidence, please show us yours and let us approach
the issue with the scholastic behaviour of our predecessors. [Remember
that at times, due its inherent power the truth can be somewhat painful
at first, but acceptance and submission to it is ultimately the objective of
every sincere student of knowledge. As Allaah The Truth says (what means),
"Nay, we fling down the truth against
falsehood so it smashes through its mind, and behold, it vanishes."
al-Anbiya 21:18 - Abu Hanna]
Finally we praise Allaah, and ask for His
forgiveness; we witness that there is only one Allaah, and that Muhammad
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is His last Messenger and slave. May Allaah
always guide us closer to the truth, ameen.
Many people today are unaware of the many
innovations (bid'ah) that have entered the religion, nor the importance of
staying away from them. It is now common to see the people who speak out
against innovations, being abused and vilified, and accused of being backed by
Saudi Arabia etc. So we felt it our duty, as part of enjoining the good
and forbidding the evil, to clarify the position of Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah
regarding this important subject.
We shall begin by examining the proofs
that the deen (religion) is complete, and is therefore in no need of being
added to. Next we illustrate the importance of sufficing with and
submersing oneself in the Sunnah, along with some strikingly relevant
prophecies regarding its abandonment, and a definition of the term
'bid'ah'. In case that is not enough to convince you, we then provide
statements of the Sahaabah and scholars from the following two generations to
reinforce these principles. With the ammunition in place, we then apply
it to refute modern-day justifications for bid'ahs.
The Deen is complete
Allaah says (what means), "This day I have perfected your religion for you,
completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your
religion." [al-Maa'ida 5:4] This ayah embodies a
clear statement that the deen has been completed and thus has no need of
addition or deletion. Also the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
said, "There is nothing that Allaah ordered
you with except that I have ordered you with it, and there is nothing that
Allaah forbade you from except that I have forbidden you from it."
[Bayhaqi] So the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam fulfilled the
trust placed upon him by Allaah completely, explaining the religion to the
people in its outward and inward form, making clear the lawful from the
prohibited, the encouraged from the discouraged, to the extent that he taught
us the manners of using the toilet, having sex with our spouses etc.
Allaah says in His Book (what means), "And We have revealed to you a Book explaining
everything." [16:89]
"We have neglected
nothing in the Book."
[6:37]
So in the Qur'an are explained the
principles of the religion, tawheed in all its categories, and even the manners
of sitting in circles, visiting other people's houses, correct clothing and
much more.
The Importance of Sticking to the
Sunnah
Allaah says (what means), "Indeed you have in the Messenger of Allaah an
excellent example for the one who hopes in Allaah and looks to the Last
Day." [33:21]
He also says (what means), "So if you obey him (Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam), then you will be guided." [24:54]
Also the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said, "I have left behind me two
things: as long as you cling to them you will never go astray. They are
the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah (life example)."
[al-Haakim] And he also said, "...and
you will live to see great differing, so cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of
the rightly-guided Khalifas after me, even if it be with your molar
teeth..." [Bukhaaree]
The taabi'ee [2nd generation Muslim] Imaam
az-Zuhree commented, "Clinging to the Sunnah is
to be saved, as Imaam Maalik said, 'like the Ark of Nuh,' he who embarked upon
it was saved, whereas he who did not was destroyed." [ad-Daarimee,
one of the main collections of hadith that deals mainly with the sayings of the
Sahaabah and those after them.]
In these narrations are clear evidence
that the way of salvation and safety is to closely follow the Sunnah of the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and not to deviate from his path; not
accepting the guidance of another individual, nor a corrupted form of the
Sunnah. Yet, we are taught that there will come a time when the Sunnah will
become so corrupted that this corruption will become accepted as the norm by
the general people, and those that call to reviving and purifying the Sunnah
will be regarded as strangers and slandered. The Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam said, "Islaam began as
something strange and it will return as something strange, the way it
began. So Tooba (a tree in Paradise) is for the strangers." He
was asked, "Who are the strangers?" to which he replied, "Those
that purify and correct what the people have corrupted of my
Sunnah." [at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer 6/202]
And what is this corruption of the
Sunnah? It is innovation, introducing into the pure religion of Allaah
the Most High new ways of worshipping Him which He has not taught us,
blemishing His religion with our whims and desires, something which Allaah
Himself condemns when He says (what means), "...or
do they have partners that legislate some religion which Allaah has not given
permission for?" [42:21]
And the Companion Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood
lamented, "How will it be when the trials
overcome you, in which the old grow senile and the young grow up. And the
people take the bid'ah as the Sunnah, and when it changes they say the Sunnah
has changed." It was then said, "When will that be O Abu
Abdurrahmaan?" He replied, "When
your speakers are many and your scholars are few, and your wealthy ones are
plenty and trustworthy ones are few." [ad-Daarimee]
How true this statement is today, when the
innovations have become so widespread in the religion that the people have
taken them as the Sunnah. And when the true scholars speak out against
the innovations they are looked down upon and called abusive names like
'Wahhaabee', because to the common folk it seems that the scholars are changing
the Sunnah. To Allaah we complain of the ignorance of our time!
Only Allaah has the right to tell us
how to worship Him
Allaah Says (what means), "Follow that which has been revealed from your Lord and
do not follow as Friends and Protectors other than Him."
[7:3] Ibn Kathir says that in this verse is a categorical statement that
the privilege to tell people how to worship Allaah belongs to Allaah alone
[paraphrased from his tafseer 2/208].
And how could it be otherwise when the
true meaning of ibaadah (worship) is to worship Allaah in a way which He is
pleased with - not according to our desires: "...and
who is more astray than the one who follows his own whims and desires, devoid
of Revelation?" [28:50]
In this regard Rasulallaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam said, "I warn you of the
newly invented-matters (in the religion), and every newly-invented matter is an
innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in
Hellfire." [an-Nisaa'ee]
He also used to say at the beginning of
his lectures, "...and the best speech is the
speech of Allaah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, and the worst of all affairs are the newly-invented matters
(in the religion)." [Muslim]
And he commanded us, "Whosoever does an action which we have not commanded
then it will be rejected," [Muslim] and also, "Whosoever introduces into this religion of ours that
which is not part of it then it must be rejected." [Ahmad]
"And in this hadith is
clear evidence that every action which is not legislated in the Sharee'ah
(Islamic law) must be rejected."
[Jamia al-Usool 1/120 of Ibn Rajab, the eighth century Hanbali scholar
well-known for his extensive knowledge and great piety.] So every bid'ah
that is introduced in the religion has to be rejected because only Allaah and
His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam have the right to legislate in the
Sharee'ah of Islaam. So in the light of these hadith what is the complete
Islamic definition of a bid'ah? "A newly-
invented way (in beliefs or actions) in the religion, in imitation of the
Sharee'ah, by which nearness to Allaah is sought, not being supported by any
authentic proof - neither in its foundations nor in the manner in which it is
performed." [As defined in 'al-I'tisaam' 1/231 of ash- Shaatibee,
the sixth century Maaliki scholar of Usool.]
And in what has preceded is ample evidence
for any fair-minded Muslim that all bid'ah is blameworthy and in fact a major
sin.
The claims of the misguided people
Unfortunately however, the Muslims are in
such a state today that the words of Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam are no longer enough to convince them. Certain groups
of Muslims have come up with a new belief - the belief of "bid'ah
hasanah". They claim that a scholar can introduce a new action of worship
in Islaam, as long as it does not contradict any of the principles of Islaam, a
belief which has absolutely no foundation in Islaam at all. So we are now
forced to resort to the statements of the great Imaams of guidance after the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in response.
The sayings of the Companions
Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people
regard it as good." [ad- Daarimee] This narration is
sufficient to demolish the idea of a 'good bid'ah', for you have the like of
this Companion from amongst the most knowledgeable Companions of Rasulallaah
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying the exact opposite. So who do you
choose to follow, Ibn Umar or these modern day shaykhs and mullahs who are
Imaams of their own whims and desires?
Abdullah bin Abbaas said, "Do not sit with the people of innovation, for surely
their sittings are a sickness for the hearts." [ash-Sharee'ah of
al-Ajuri p65]
Whenever he sat in a circle of knowledge,
Mu'aadh ibn Jabal used to say, "...and I warn
you of what is innovated, for all that is innovated is misguidance."
[ash-Sharee'ah p55 and Abu Dawud with similar wording.]
Abdullah ibn Mas'ood said, "Follow the Sunnah of Muhammad and do not innovate,
for what you have been commanded is enough for you."
[ad-Daarimee]
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, "Every act of worship which the Companions did not
do, do not do it." [Abu Dawud]
'Amr ibn Salmah said, "We used to sit by the door of Abdullah ibn Mas'ood
before the morning prayer, so that when he came out we would walk with him to
the masjid. (One day) Abu Moosa al-Ash'aree came to us and said, 'Has Abu
'Abdurrahmaan come out yet?' We replied, 'No.' So he sat down with
us until h (ibn Mas'ood) came out. When he came out we all stood
along with him, so Abu Moosa said to him, 'O Abu Abdurrahmaan! I have
just seen something in the masjid which I deemed to be evil, but all praise is
for Allaah, I did not see anything except good.' He enquired, 'Then what
is it?' (Abu Moosa) replied, 'If you live you will see it. I saw in
the masjid people sitting in circles awaiting the prayer. In each circle
they had pebbles in their hands and a man would say, "Repeat Allaahu Akbar
a hundred times." So they would repeat it a hundred times.
Then he would say, "Say Laa ilaaha illallaah a hundred times."
So they would say it a hundred times. Then he would say, "Say
subhaanallaah a hundred times." So they would say it a hundred
times.' (Ibn Mas'ood) asked, 'What did you say to them?' (Abu
Moosa) said, 'I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to hear
your view or what you declared.' (Ibn Mas'ood) replied, 'If only you had
ordered them to count up the evil deeds they acquired and assured them that
their good deeds would not be lost!' Then we went along with him (Ibn
Mas'ood) until he came to one of these circles and stood and said, 'What is
this which I see you doing?' They replied, 'O Abu Abdurrahmaan!
These are pebbles upon which we are counting takbeer, tahleel and
tasbeeh.' He said, 'Count up your evil deeds. I assure you that
none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam! How quickly you go to destruction!
These are the Companions of your Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and who
are widespread. There are his sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam clothes which
have not yet decayed and his bowl which is unbroken. By Him in Whose Hand
is my soul! Either you are upon a religion better guided than the
religion of Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam or you are opening the door
of misguidance.' They said, 'O Abu Abdurrahmaan! By Allaah, we only
intended good.' He said, 'How many there are who intend good but do not
achieve it. Indeed Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said
to us, "A people will recite the
Qur'aan but it will not pass beyond their throats." By Allaah! I do not know, perhaps most of
them are from you.' Then he left them."
Umar ibn Salmah (the sub-narrator)
said, "We saw most of those people fighting
against us on the day of Nahrawaan, along with the Khawaarij."
[ad-Daarimee in his Sunan, 1/79]
Isn't this enough? The companions
tell us to follow the way of Rasulallaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and not
invent new ways worship? "Whomsoever
Allaah guides to the truth, none can misguide, and whomsoever Allaah misguides,
none can guide." [Muslim]
The sayings from the second and third
generation scholars
Hasan al-Basree said, "Do not sit with the people of innovation. Do
not debate with them or listen to them." [ad-Daarimee 1/121]
Abul 'Aaliyah said, "Learn Islam. Then when you have learned Islam, do
not turn away from it to the right or to the left, but be upon the Straight
Path and be upon the Sunnah of your Prophet and that which his Companions were
upon... and beware of these innovations because they cause enmity and hatred
amongst you, but stick to the original state of affairs that was there before
they divided." [al-Hilya of Abu Nuaym 2/218]
Sufyaan ath-Thawri said, "Innovations are more beloved to shaytaan than sin,
since a sin may be repented from but an innovation is not repented from."
[Sharh Usool I'tiqaad of al-Laalikaaee (d. 414h) no.238, the great 4th century
Imaam who wrote on the belief of Ahl usSunnah.] This is because the
innovator believes he is doing something good and therefore sees no need to
repent. He also said, "...so cling to the original state of
affairs," [al-Hilya 6/376] meaning the way of the Prophet
sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and his companions.
Imaam al-Awzaa'ee said, "Patiently restrict yourselves to the Sunnah, and
pause where the people paused, say what they said, and avoid what they
avoided. Take to the path of the Salaf (predecessors), for indeed, what
was sufficient for them is sufficient for you." [ash-Sharee'ah p58]
Ibraaheem al-Masayrah said, "He who honours an innovator has assisted in the
demolition of Islaam." [Sharh Usool I'tiqaad 1/139]
The sayings of the Four Imaams
Imaam Abu Hanifah said, "Stick to the narrations and the way of the Salaf,
and beware of newly-invented matters for all of it is innovation."
[Sawnul Mantaq of as-Suyuti p32]
Imaam Malik said,
"He who innovates an innovation in Islaam regarding it as something good,
has claimed that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has betrayed his trust
to deliver the message as Allaah Says (what means), "This day I have perfected for you your religion." And whatsoever was not part of the religion then,
is not part of the religion today." [al-I'tisaam] He also
said, "How evil are the people of innovation,
we do not give them salaam." [al-Ibaanah of Ibn Battah (died 387h)
no. 441]
Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee said, "Whosoever considers an innovation to be good has
corrected the Prophet." [Bulghul Maraam of Ibn Hajar (available in
English) p190 footnote 2] And all that has been related from him that
contradicts this statement, regarding innovation as being of two types is
either weak or baseless as al-Haafidh adh-Dhahabee and others from the scholars
of hadith state.
Imaam Ahmad said, "The
fundmental principles of the Sunnah with us are: ... avoiding innovation and
every innovation is misguidance." [Usool usSunnah (available in
English) p.1]
Imaam al-Bukhari said, "I have met more than a thousand scholars...(then he
named the more prominent in each of the lands he visited) and I found that they
all agreed on the following points: ...they all used to prohibit bid'ah - that
which the Prophet and his Companions were not upon, because of the saying of
Allaah, '...and hold fast to the rope of Allaah and do not separate.' "
[From his article on belief, quoted in Sharh Usool I'tiqaad 1/170.
Amongst the scholars he met were Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Ubaid al-Qaasim, ibn
Ma'een, ibn Aasim, ibn Abi Shaybah, and Abu Saalih the scribe of Layth bin
Sa'ad]
What we have narrated to you here is a
small number of narrations from amongst literally hundreds from the early
scholars of Islaam with regard to the sin of innovation. It is
unfortunate that the later generations of Muslims have lost contact with our
Salaf, for it is through them that we gain the true understanding of the
religion, and they were prolific in speaking out against and writing about
innovation - even today we have whole volumes of works from them dealing with
this topic alone. If only we would turn our attention to the legacy of
our Salaf!
The arguments of the innovators
This is a time when everyone is satisfied
with his opinion, hence the multitude of innovations commonly witnessed today,
despite the plethora of proofs presented above. Know that every example
which the ignorant ones bring, from the actions of the Companions, to support
their belief in 'good innovations', is misunderstood and manifests their lack
of knowledge and concern for the Sunnah. All of the following examples
either have a clear basis in the Sharee'ah, or occurred due to necessity, or
from the ijtihaad of the Companion in question - none of them being an
innovation. Insh'Allaah we shall mention a few of the more common
excuses:
1. When Umar, raddi Allaahu anhu, was the
Khalifah, he collected the Muslims to pray in congregation for tarawih prayers,
and said, "What a good bid'ah this is."
[Bukhari] From this, they derive their belief of a good innovation.
Firstly, it becomes necessary to explain the context of what happened.
When the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam first emigrated to Madeenah, the
Muslims prayed tarawih individually, and then for three nights they prayed in
congregation behind the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. After this,
he stopped them doing so saying, "I feared
that it would become obligatory upon you." So after this
the Muslims would pray individually or in small congregations throughout the
rule of Abu Bakr, and the beginning of 'Umar's rule. Then 'Umar came to
the masjid and saw the Muslims praying in small groups behind different Imaams,
so he collected them together in one congregation behind one Imaam and made the
aforementioned statement [Bukhari]. So how can this action of 'Umar be
understood to be a new act of worship when the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam did it during his lifetime? Secondly, the Prophet sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam gave the reason why he stopped the congregational prayer,
because revelation was still descending, and he feared that praying in
congregation might become obligatory upon his nation and hence make the
religion hard upon them.
After the death of Rasulallaah sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam, revelation ceased so this concern was no longer
necessary. Hence Umar raddi Allaahu anhu reinstated the tarawih prayer in
congregation during his rule because he knew that his action could not be made
obligatory upon the Ummah. Thirdly, all the companions agreed upon this
action of 'Umar, thus there was a consensus (ijma) on it. And the scholars
of Usool (fundamental principles) have stated that ijma cannot occur except
when there is a clear text for it in the Sharee'ah.
So what is the correct understanding of
'Umar's words, "a good bid'ah"? The word bid'ah here is to be
understood in its linguistic sense, "something new," because tarawih
in one congregation was not present during the rule of Abu Bakr and the
beginning of 'Umar's rule, hence in that sense it was something new. The
Sharee'ah sense (defined earlier) cannot be understood here because it does not
fulfi the conditions of being a new act of worship. Abu Yusuf said,
"I asked Abu Hanifah about the tarawih and what
'Umar did and he said, 'The tarawih is a stressed Sunnah, and 'Umar did not do
that from his own opinion, nor was there in his action any innovation, and he
did not enjoin it except that there was a foundation for it with him and
authorisation from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.'"
[Sharh Mukhtaar as quoted from him in al- Ibdaa of Shaykh Ali Mahfooz p80]
2. The collection of the Qur'aan into one
book after the death of Rasulallaah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and the
statement of Abu Bakr, "How can we do that
which was not done by the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam."
[Bukhari] The proof, according to them, being that the companions
collected the Qur'aan in a book form after the time of the Prophet sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam without him enjoining it - hence it being an innovation which
the companions agreed upon as being good.
Upon closer examination this is actually
an evidence against these people, not for them. When 'Umar came to Abu
Bakr and said that the Qur'aan had to be collected as a book, he did not argue
on the basis of bid'ah hasanah, rather he argued on the basis of necessity -
because many of the people who h d memorised the Qur'aan by heart were being
martyred, and therefore the Qur'aan was in danger of being lost and hence it
had to be collected in book form. When Abu Bakr replied, he did not say, "Oh yes I agree with you, this is a bid'ah
hasanah," rather he argued that the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam did not do this, so how could they? It was only after the
necessity was made clear to him that he agreed.
So, in conclusion, the collection of the
Qur'aan as a book was something the companions agreed upon due to necessity,
not considering it to a good bid'ah.
3. The hadith, "Whoever
starts in Islaam a good practice (sunnah), he gets the reward of it and the
reward of all those that act on it. And whosoever starts in Islaam an
evil practice (sunnah), he gets the evil of it and the evil of all those that
act on it." [Muslim] The evidence that they derive from
this hadith is that people can invent new practices in Islaam which are either
good or bad. Of course, if they were to take the hadith in its full
context then it is not possible to derive this meaning.
The context of the hadith states that a
group of poor people came to the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam so he
asked those around him to give charity, but no one came forward - so much so
that signs of anger could be discerned on the face of Rasulallaah sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam, so one of the companions stepped forward and gave charity, so
the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said the above hadith.
Firstly, the word 'sunnah' which is used
in this hadith cannot be understood to mean the Sunnah of Rasulallaah
sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, because that would imply that there is something
bad in the Sunnah; rather it is to be understood in its linguistic meaning of
'practice'.
Secondly, this action the companion did
was not something new in Islaam, since giving charity was already legislated
from the very first days of Islaam; rather he was simply implementing it, so
the statement of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam "a good
sunnah" was said at a time when the people were reluctant to give charity,
so one man started to give the charity and others followed him in it.
Thus, he revived a Sunnah at a time when the people were reluctant to practice
it, and this is the meaning of "a good sunnah." Hence, in the
early works of 'aqeedah, this hadith was included under the chapter headings,
"The reward of the one who renews the Sunnah." [For example Sharh
Usool I'tiqaad 1/50]
The meaning of "a bad sunnah" is
similar. It is renewing or starting something that the Sharee'ah has
already declared to be bad, and the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam gave
the example of the two sons of Aadam alayhis salaam wa 'alaa Nabiyina, one
killing the other. So upon the murderer was the sin of the killing and
the sin of all those that killed after him, without their sins being reduced.
Thirdly, the hadith uses the terms 'good'
and 'bad', and the Sharee'ah has already defined in its totality all that is
good and all that is bad. This is what is pointed to in the statement of
Imaam ashShaafi'ee in his refutation of Istihsaan (declaring something to be
good) when he said, "Whoever declares something to be good, he has
declared it part of Sharee'ah." [ar-Risaala]
These are just a few of many of the feeble
examples that these misguided people bring to support their belief, and it
should now be clear that none of them hold any weight, so let us learn from
this the great importance of studying the Qur'aan and Sunnah in its context,
with the explanation of the Companions - after that, we leave them floundering
in the abyss of misguidance that they have dug for themselves, whilst asking
Allaah to guide them!
So once this basic subject becomes clear,
a subject which no one can deny, then know that all these innovations in the
deen such as kissing the thumbs when the name of Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam is mentioned, doing dhikr in congregation with one voice, doing dhikr
with excessive bodily movements such as swinging the head from left to right or
dancing in circles, invoking salaam upon the Prophet sallaallaahu alayhi wa
sallam before the adhaan is called, seeking intercession and blessings at the
graves of dead 'saints', raising graves and building memorials over them, the
'Eed of the Prophet's birthday and hundreds of others; all of them are a clear
denial of the above ayaat, ahaadeeth and narrations of the Salaf, for none of
them were practised by the Companions.
We leave you with this hadith: "...so he who follows my Sunnah has been guided, and
he who follows the innovation has been destroyed." [Ahmad]
And the Saying of Allaah the Most Wise
(which means), "And whosoever contends with
the Messenger after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a
way other than the way of the believers (the Companions), We shall leave him in
the path he has chosen and land him in Hell - what an evil destination!"
[4:115]
And Allaah Knows Best.