Dying while Adhering to the Sunnah

Translated by

Abbas Abu Yahya

1 – From Mu’tamar bin Sulayman -Rahimullaah- who said:

‘I visited my father while I was heart broken and he said: ‘What is wrong?’

I said: ‘My friend has died.’

He asked: ‘Did he die upon the Sunnah?’

I answered: ‘Yes.’

He said: ‘Then do not worry about him.’

[Al-Laalkaa’iee 1/67/61]

2 -Imam Malik ibn Anas -Rahimullaah- (d. 179 A.H.) said:

«لو لقي الله رجل بملء الأرض ذنوباً ثم لقي الله بالسنة لكان في الجنة مع النبيين والصديقين والشهداء والصالحين وحسن أولئك رفيقاً».

‘If a person meets Allaah with the equivalent of the earth in sins, but meets[1] Allaah while upon the Sunnah, then he will be in Paradise with the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, the righteous and how excellent are these companions.’

[Dhum al-Kalam wa Ahlihi 5/76-77]

3 – Imam Ahmad -Rahimullaah- (d. 241 A.H.) said:

<< «مَنْ مَاتَ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَالسُّنَّةِ مَاتَ عَلَى الخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ

‘Whoever died upon Islaam and the Sunnah then he has died upon all goodness.’

[Seer Alaam an-Nubala (11/296)]

4 – Yahya bin Jafar -Rahimullaah- said:

“لو قدرت أن أزيد في عمر محمد بن إسماعيل-أي البخاري-من عمري لفعلت،فإن موتي يكون موت رجل واحد،وموته ذهاب العلم”

‘If I had the capability to increase the age of Muhammad bin Ismaeel -i.e. al-Bukhari- taken from my age I would have done so, since indeed my death is the death of one man, but his death was the going away of knowledge.’

[Tareekh al-Baghdad 2/24]

5 – From Hasan -Rahimullaah- who said:

يا أهل السنة ترفقوا رحمكم الله فإنكم من أقل الناس.

‘O Ahl-ul- Sunnah be gentle may, Allaah have mercy on you since indeed you are from the fewest in number.’

[Al-Laalkaa’iee 1/57/19]

6 – Ayoob -Rahimullaah- said:

إني أُخبر بموت الرجل من أهل السنة وكأني أفقد بعض أعضائي

‘Indeed I am informed of the death of a man from Ahl-ul-Sunnah and it is as if I have lost a limb.’

[Al-Laalkaa’iee 1/60/29 & Hileeyah 3/9]

7 – From Sufyaan ath-Thawree -Rahimullaah- who said :

استوصوا بأهل السنة خيرا فإنهم غرباء

‘Show concern for the Ahl-ul-Sunnah with goodness since indeed they are the Ghuraba[2].’

[Al-Laalkaa’iee 1/64/49]

8 – From Sufyaan ath-Thawree -Rahimullaah- who said:

إذا بلغك عن رجل بالمشرق صاحب سنة وآخر بالمغرب فابعث إليهما بالسلام وادع لهما ما أقل أهل السنة والجماعة

‘If it is conveyed to you that there is a man in the east who is a man upon the Sunnah and another in the west then send Salam to them, with gentleness to them, since the Ahl-ul-Sunnah are few.’

[Al-Laalkaa’iee 1/64/50]

9 – Imam Ahmad -Rahimullaah- said at the end of his letter which he sent to Imam Musadad bin Musarhad -Rahimullaah:

أحبوا أهل السنة على ما كان منهم . أماتنا الله وإياكم على السنة والجماعة ، ورزقنا الله وإياكم اتباع العلم . ووفقنا وإياكم لما يحبه ويرضاه

‘Love the Ahl-ul-Sunnah for what is with them. May Allaah cause us and you to die upon the Sunnah wal Jammah, may Allaah grant us and you to follow knowledge. May Allaah give us and you success in that which He loves and is pleased with.’[3]

[Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/345]

[1] T.N. – means he was upon the Sunnah, even though he had many sins, & Allaah knows best.

[2] The Hadeeth about Ghuraba

From Abdullah bin Masood -Radhi Allaahu anhu- from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- who said:

‘Indeed Islaam began as a strange thing, and it will return as a strange thing as it began, and Tooba (a tree in Paradise) is for the Ghuraba.’

It was asked: ‘Who are they O Messenger of Allaah?

He answered: ‘Those who correct or are righteous when the people are corrupt.’

[Collected by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad & Saheehah no. 1273]

And in another narration from Amr bin al Aas -Radhi Allaahu anhu:

‘They are the righteous people from amongst many of the evil people, those who disobey the righteous people are more than those who obey them.’

[Collected by Ahmad, authenticated by Albaani in Saheehah No. 1619]

[3] T.N. – Ameen.