A Lighthouse of Knowledge From a Guardian of the Sunnah

Compiler’s Introduction

Verily, all praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whoever Allaah guides, no one can lead him astray and whoever is caused to go astray, there is no one that can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah alone with no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger, peace and salutations be upon him, his household, his Companions, and all those who follow his guidance until the day of Judgment. To proceed:

This compilation discusses many of the challenges and issues which today confront the sincere Muslim who simply wishes to properly understand and practice the religion of Islaam. It is only by Allaah’s mercy that so many Muslims, young and old, have been blessed with guidance and have committed themselves to Islaam and continue to step forward and affirm that the only true Islaam is that which descended from the heavens upon the final Messenger of Allaah, Muhammad, may Allaah’s praise and salutations be upon him. They openly affirm that there are no true “new and improved” or “personalized” versions of Islaam, despite the numerous so- called “Islamic” callers who would have us believe so. Rather they state that there is only a single unchanging path of perfect guidance and light which came from the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, which stands as the sole path of success until the Day of Judgement. Indeed, as the noble scholar Imaam Sa’adee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, has explained in his work explaining the Qur’an, ‘Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahman fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Manaan’ concerning the verse of the Qur’an, ﴾ Oh you who have believed, enter into Islaam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Shaytaan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. ﴿-(Surah al-Baqarah: 208)

“This is the command of Allaah, the Most High to the believers to enter ﴾…into Islaam completely…﴿, meaning: in all of the commands and guidelines of the religion, and to not abandon from them any matter. And do not be from those who have taken their desires as their lord, such that if a matter from the Sharee’ah conforms to their desires then they comply and act upon it, but if it conflicts with their desires, they turn away and abandon it.

Rather, it is obligatory that your desires be made to comply and conform to the commands and guidelines of the religion; and that you do everything that you actually have the ability to do from good and beneficial actions. Additionally, those matters which you do not have the ability to do, you still affirm and hold to them, intending and resolving to do them, such that you understand and recognize how to establish them.

As when someone enters into Islaam completely, it is not possible nor conceivable that this be anything other than differing from and opposing the various paths of Shaytaan. And Allaah says, ﴾ ...and do not follow the footsteps of Shaytaan ﴿ meaning: those actions which transgress against what Allaah has commanded, ﴾...Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy ﴿ a clear enemy means: that he, meaning Shaytaan, doesn’t direct you towards anything except that it is evil, disgraceful, and that which will bring some harm to you.”