In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Muslim does not look into the annals of the past for the sake of bearing grudges, seeking vengeance against people, or indulging in the idle gossip (qeel wal qaal) of men merely for the sake of knowing or speaking about them. Rather, the believer gazes into the past—examining both his own life and the lives of the nations and generations who came before him—from two distinct and necessary angles obligated by the Religion:

The First Angle: To recognize the paths of destruction of wicked predecessors (Salaf at-Talih) in order to avoid them (Ijtināb).

We study the mistakes of the people of the past, their worldly attachments, and the extreme partisanship (Hizbiyyah) that blinded them. We observe the Kufr (disbelief) and wickedness (fusooq) they harbored, how they were evil in their creed and worship, the manifestations of their Shirk (polytheism), and the corrupted manners (Akhlaaq) of past generations. Crucially, we reflect upon how Allah (ﷻ) dealt with them and the divine punishments that descended upon the transgressors. We undertake this study so that we do not fall into the exact same treacherous traps, thereby actively avoiding the Haram and protecting our souls from ruin.

As the Companion Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (رضي الله عنه) said:

كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْخَيْرِ، وَكُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الشَّرِّ، مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَنِي

“The people used to ask Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about the good but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them. (Sahih al-Bukhari 7084)

If we do not study the trials that ruined the nations and communities of yesterday, we will inevitably allow those exact same trials to ruin us tomorrow.

The Second Angle: To recognize the paths of righteousness of the righteous predecessors (Salaf as-Salih) in order to emulate them (Iqtidā’).

We look back to comprehend what true faith (Eman) and righteous action actually consist of. We study the past to understand the foundations of the religion (uṣūl ad-dīn), true worship (‘ibadah), asceticism (zuhd), and noble character (Akhlaaq). We look to the past to see what following the Prophets and Messengers looks like in practice, so that we may rectify our own souls, follow the way of the Salaf as-Salih (the Righteous Predecessors), and ultimately attain the immense reward mentioned by Allah: His eternal pleasure (Riḍwān) prepared for the believers.

Reflecting upon the events of yesterday through these two angles—examining the previous generations, whether wicked or righteous—is among the greatest means of insight for the believer. By understanding the past, he illuminates his present life and rectifies his tomorrow.

Ibn Taymiyyah on the Purpose of Studying History: Avoiding (Ijtināb) the Wicked Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Ṭāliḥ) and Emulating (Iqtidāʾ) the Righteous Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ)

As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) profoundly observed in Majmu’ al-Fatawa regarding the necessity of learning from the past:

And He, the Exalted and Most High, has indeed clarified in more than one place that the Sunnah (established pattern) does not alter, nor does it change. And the “Sunnah” is the custom which entails that He does in the second instance the likes of what He did with its first counterpart. For this reason, He, the Exalted and Most High, commanded taking a lesson (al-iʿtibār), and He said:

{ لقد كان في قصصهم عبرة لأولي الألباب }

“There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding.”

And taking a lesson (al-iʿtibār) is to couple a thing with its likeness, such that it is known that its ruling is like its ruling. This is just as Ibn ʿAbbās said: “Will you not take a lesson [by comparing] the fingers with the teeth?”

Thus, when He said: { فاعتبروا يا أولي الأبصار } “So take a lesson, O you of vision” and He said: { لقد كان في قصصهم عبرة لأولي الألباب } “There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding,” it yields the meaning that whoever performs deeds like their deeds will be recompensed with the likes of their recompense ; so that one may beware of performing deeds like the deeds of the disbelievers, and so that one may desire to perform deeds like the deeds of the believers, the followers of the Prophets.

He, the Most High, said: { قد خلت من قبلكم سنن فسيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين } “Similar situations [as yours] have passed on before you, so proceed throughout the earth and observe how was the end of those who denied.”

And He, the Most High, said: { وإن كادوا ليستفزونك من الأرض ليخرجوك منها وإذا لا يلبثون خلافك إلا قليلا } { سنة من قد أرسلنا قبلك من رسلنا ولا تجد لسنتنا تحويلا } “And indeed, they were about to frighten you from the land to evict you from it. And if they had, they would not have remained after you except for a little. [That is Our] established way (Sunnah) for those We had sent before you of Our messengers; and you will not find in Our way any alteration.”

And He, the Most High, said: { لئن لم ينته المنافقون والذين في قلوبهم مرض والمرجفون في المدينة لنغرينك بهم ثم لا يجاورونك فيها إلا قليلا } { ملعونين أينما ثقفوا أخذوا وقتلوا تقتيلا } { سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل ولن تجد لسنة الله تبديلا } “If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease and those who spread rumors in al-Madīnah do not cease, We will surely incite you against them; then they will not remain your neighbors therein except for a little. Accursed wherever they are found, [being] seized and massacred completely. [This is] the established way of Allah with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.”

And Allah revealed this āyah prior to [the battle of] Al-Aḥzāb, the manifestation of Islam, and the humiliation of the hypocrites. Thus, they were unable to manifest after this what they used to manifest prior to it—before Badr and after it, and before Uḥud and after it. So they hid their hypocrisy and concealed it; and for this reason, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not kill them.

And with this, the one who does not kill the zanādiqah (heretics) answers. He says: “If they conceal their heresy (zandaqah), it is not possible to kill them; but if they manifest it, they are killed by virtue of this āyah, due to His saying: { سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل ولن تجد لسنة الله تبديلا } { ملعونين أينما ثقفوا أخذوا وقتلوا تقتيلا } ‘Accursed wherever they are found, [being] seized and massacred completely. [This is] the established way of Allah with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.’“

Qatādah said: “It was mentioned to us that the hypocrites used to manifest the hypocrisy that was within themselves; so Allah threatened them with this āyah. Then, when He threatened them with this āyah, they kept that secret and concealed it.”

“{ سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل } [This is] the established way of Allah with those who passed on before.” He [Qatādah] says: “Such is the Sunnah of Allah regarding them if they manifest hypocrisy.“

The Principle of Emulation (Iqtidā’): Taking the Righteous Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ) as Role Models

Having understood the divine patterns regarding the ruin of past nations, the believer must then turn his gaze toward the ultimate standard of salvation. As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله), further states in the same volume regarding the absolute superiority of the Salaf and the necessity of emulating them:

And the “intended meaning” is that Allah informed that His Sunnah (established pattern) will never be altered and will never be changed. And His Sunnah is His custom in which He equates a thing with its past counterpart. And this necessitates that He, the Exalted, judges similar affairs with similar rulings.

And for this reason, He said: { أكفاركم خير من أولئكم } “Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones]?”

And He said: { احشروا الذين ظلموا وأزواجهم } “Gather those who committed wrong, and their kinds (azwājahum),” meaning their likenesses and their counterparts.

And He said: { وإذا النفوس زوجت } “And when the souls are paired,” He coupled the counterpart with its counterpart.

And He, the Most High, said: { أم حسبتم أن تدخلوا الجنة ولما يأتكم مثل الذين خلوا من قبلكم } “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you?“

And He said: { قد كانت لكم أسوة حسنة في إبراهيم والذين معه إذ قالوا لقومهم إنا برآء منكم ومما تعبدون من دون الله كفرنا بكم وبدا بيننا وبينكم العداوة والبغضاء أبدا } “There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Ibrāhīm and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have rejected you, and there has arisen between us and you enmity and hatred forever.'”

And He said: { والسابقون الأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه وأعد لهم جنات تجري تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها أبدا ذلك الفوز العظيم } “And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.”

Thus, He made those who followed them with good conduct partners with them in what He mentioned of pleasure (riḍwān) and Paradise.

And He, the Most High, has indeed said: { والذين آمنوا من بعد وهاجروا وجاهدوا معكم فأولئك منكم } “And those who believed after [the initial emigration] and emigrated and strove with you – they are of you.”

And He, the Most High, said: { والذين جاءوا من بعدهم يقولون ربنا اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذين سبقونا بالإيمان ولا تجعل في قلوبنا غلا للذين آمنوا ربنا إنك رءوف رحيم } “And those who came after them, saying, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.'”

And He, the Most High, said: { وآخرين منهم لما يلحقوا بهم وهو العزيز الحكيم } “And [to] others of them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

So whoever follows the first forerunners is of them. And they are the best of people after the Prophets; for indeed, the Ummah of Muḥammad is the best Ummah brought forth for mankind, and those [forerunners] are the best of the Ummah of Muḥammad, just as it is established in the Ṣiḥāḥ (authentic collections) from more than one route that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

{ خير القرون القرن الذي بعثت فيهم ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم }

“The best of generations is the generation in which I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”

And for this reason, knowing their statements regarding knowledge and religion, and [knowing] their actions, is better and more beneficial than knowing the statements of the later generations and their actions in all the sciences of the religion and its deeds, such as Tafsīr, the foundations of the religion (uṣūl ad-dīn) and its branches, asceticism (zuhd), worship (ʿibādah), manners (akhlāq), Jihād, and other than that.

For indeed, they are better than those who came after them, as indicated by the Book and the Sunnah. Thus, taking them as role models (iqtidāʾ) is better than taking those who came after them as role models. And knowing their consensus (ijmāʿ) and their disputes (nizāʿ) in knowledge and religion is better and more beneficial than knowing what is mentioned of the consensus of others and their disputes.

And that is because their consensus is never except infallible (maʿṣūm) وذلك أن إجماعهم لا يكون إلا معصوما. And if they dispute, then the truth does not depart from them; so it is possible to seek the truth in some of their statements. And error is not judged upon any statement among their statements until the indication of the Book and the Sunnah is known to be contrary to it.

He, the Most High, said: { أطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول وأولي الأمر منكم فإن تنازعتم في شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسول إن كنتم تؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر ذلك خير وأحسن تأويلا } “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”

Tremendous Benefits Derived From This Foundation

The Quran is the speech of the Mighty and Majestic, Rabbul Alameen (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), revealed by the Lord of the Worlds. It is the most truthful book regarding history; there is no other book and no other speech that gives the exact, true accounts of the people of the past—from the people of wickedness and fisq (transgression), to the people of Emaan and truthfulness, to the Prophets (عليهم الصلاة والسلام), the Siddiqeen (the truthful), the Shuhada (the martyrs), and the Messengers of Allah.

{ لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ } “There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding.” (Surah Yusuf, 12:111)

When reading the speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on these matters, we truly understand the profound and comprehensive Fiqh that Allah blessed this man with. It is precisely because of this immensely deep knowledge that the people of Islam have given him the title Shaykh-ul-Islam. Major scholars of our time—such as Imam Ibn Baz, Imam Al-Albani, Shaykh Rabee’, and many others—have heavily emphasized and commented on the importance of reading the books of Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim.

This is due to their deeply rooted understanding of the Sunnah and the Salafi methodology. You can see this clearly in how Ibn Taymiyyah structures his arguments: he brings Ayah after Ayah, filling his writings with the speech of Allah and extracting profound benefits from them. We can witness his deep Fiqh simply by observing how he derives rulings directly from the Book of Allah. Subhan Allah.

Know, may Allah bless you, that from this profound elucidation by Shaykh al-Islam, immense and necessary benefits become apparent for the seeker of truth:

1 First and Foremost: The Realization of Tawheed (The Oneness of Allah) and Recognizing His Perfect Actions.

The ultimate and most fundamental lesson derived from studying the history of both the wicked and the righteous is Tawheed. This is the very core message with which every single Prophet and Messenger was sent, and the history of nations serves as an undeniable, manifest proof of it.

Proof of Rububiyyah (Lordship): The accounts of the past demonstrate Allah’s absolute sovereignty, ownership, and control over the creation. He alone raises empires, destroys tyrants, and controls the worlds, proving that He is the sole Lord and Disposer of affairs.

Proof of Asma was-Sifat (Names and Attributes): History contains the manifest signs (Āyāt) and clear consequences (Āthār) of Allah’s perfect Names and Attributes. In the destruction of the transgressors, Allah manifests the reality of His Power (Al-Qadeer) and His Justice (Al-ʿAdl) through His decisive actions. In the deliverance of the believers, He manifests His Mercy (Ar-Raḥmān) and His Kindness (Al-Laṭeef), fulfilling His truthful promise (Al-Waʿd). Everything that occurs in history is a direct result of His perfect actions and absolute Will—He does whatever He wills, and the effects of His Attributes are witnessed in the outcomes of nations.

Proof of Uloohiyyah (Worship): Most importantly, because history proves His exclusive Lordship and perfect Attributes, it stands as the ultimate proof of His Uloohiyyah—that He alone is the true deity, and none has the right to be worshipped except Him, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. The false deities of the past could not save the wicked from ruin, while Allah alone delivered the righteous.

Allah (ﷻ) uses the annals of history to make His slaves realize this absolute reality: the righteous were granted salvation solely because they upheld Tawheed, and the wicked were ruined because they abandoned it through Shirk and Fusooq. When we study history and observe the recompense of the people who disobey Him versus those who obey Him—both in this worldly life and in the Hereafter—we are witnessing the reality of His divine actions, an established fact that demands we single Him out alone in absolute submission and worship.

2 Second: Recognizing the Unchanging Sunnah (Established Way) of Allah.

The Sunnah of Allah regarding His creation does not alter nor change. He deals with people in an established manner: whoever walks upon the path of wickedness (Fisq) receives its ruin, and whoever traverses the path of faith (Eman) receives its recompense.

whoever performs deeds like their deeds will be recompensed with the likes of their recompense

This reality is known even to the disbelievers, the Jews, and the enemies of the Prophets and Messengers. They study history, recognizing that human nature and Allah’s decree do not change, and they seek to exploit these historical patterns for worldly gain. But as for the believer—the Salafi, upon the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah—he studies these unchanging patterns seeking solely the Hereafter, the Pleasure of his Lord, and the perfection of his Tawheed.

3 Third: Emulating the Righteous Predecessors (Iqtidā’) Through the Best Generations

That the greatest, most rewarding, and most necessary endeavor in the study of history is learning the biography (Seerah) of the best of mankind, the Prophet (ﷺ). Following this is the obligation to learn the history of the best of generations: the Companions (Sahabah). The believer studies the path of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and the rest of the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) so that he may follow exactly how they followed the Prophet (ﷺ), anchoring himself upon their infallible consensus.

so that one may desire to perform deeds like the deeds of the believers, the followers of the Prophets.

4 Fourth: Avoiding the Paths of Misguidance (Ijtināb) and Innovated Sects

That just as the believer learns the path of guidance to walk upon it, he must learn the paths of misguidance to avoid them (Ijtināb). Ahlus Sunnah learns the history of the innovated sects—the Shia/Rawaafid, the Khawarij, the Murji’ah , the Jabariyyah, the Qadariyyah, the Jahmiyyah, the Mu’tazilah, the Ashairah and the Soofiyyah, —and study the deviations of their figureheads in order to abandon them entirely. And it is strictly from this angle that we speak about contemporary figures and modern ideologies; by recognizing the patterns of ancient misguidance, the Sunni Salafi is equipped to identify, warn against, and avoid the contemporary iterations of sects, such as the Mumayyi’ah, the Haddadiyyah, the Ikhwaniyyah, and their modern figureheads.

so that one may beware of performing deeds like the deeds of the disbelievers

Read: A Brief History of the Innovated Sects

“It’s important to know historical realities regarding innovation, sects, splitting and division within the Ummah as concisely mentioned by Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H, rahimahullāh), the effects of which are still very evident till this day. How many people still hold or defend innovated beliefs, methodologies or principles derived or repackaged from those early sects (and their leading figureheads) today? (Fb IslamTeesDawah: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cr3ZEWEdy/)

Abu Bakr b. Abu Dawud narrated to us saying: al-Musayyib b. al-Wādih narrated to us saying: I heard Yusuf b. Asbat say:

“The origins of innovations are four: the Rawafid, the Khawarij, the Qadariyyah and the Murji’ah. Then from each sect there branched eighteen sects. This is the seventy-two sects, and the seventy-third is the Jama’ah about which the Prophet said: ‘It is the saved sect’.” [Al-Sharī’ah, vol. 1, chapter 3, Imām Muhammad b. al-Husayn Al-Ajurri (d. 360H, rahimahullāh)].

5 Fifth: The Recognition of the Divine Wisdom in Cause and Effect (al-Asbāb wal-Musabbabāt)

The recognition of the divine wisdom in Cause and Effect (al-Asbāb wal-Musabbabāt). Allah, the Exalted, is the Originator of all causes (Musabbib al-Asbāb); He is the One who created both the cause (sabab) and its resulting effect. He established these recurring historical and physical patterns—His Sunnah—as a profound mercy and necessity for mankind. If Allah had not placed these consistent patterns within His creation, humanity would be entirely lost, misguided, and unable to navigate the affairs of this world or the Hereafter. We are only able to draw lessons (al-iʿtibār) and compare a thing with its likeness because of this predictability.

taking a lesson (al-iʿtibār) is to couple a thing with its likeness, such that it is known that its ruling is like its ruling.

6 Sixth: Pondering the Severing of False Worldly Causes in the Quran

That the Qur’an continuously exposes the ultimate realities of these causes and effects so that the believer may ponder the results before it is too late. The daily recitation of the Book of Allah grants the believer profound insight (Basirah) into how worldly actions definitively manifest in the Hereafter.

For example, regarding the devastating effect of blindly following misguidance and relying on corrupted worldly causes, Allah reveals the ultimate breakdown of these ties in Surah Al-Baqarah:

{ إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ } { وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا مِنَّا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ } “[And they should consider that] when those who have been followed disassociate themselves from those who followed [them], and they [all] see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties [of relationship/causes]. Those who followed will say: ‘If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us.’ Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.” [Al-Baqarah 2:166-167]

Notice how Allah explicitly states وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ (“and cut off from them are the ties/means/causes”), الْأَسْبَابُ (al-Asbāb — the ties/causes/means). In the Hereafter, all the worldly Asbāb, alliances, and loyalties of misguidance that people relied upon will be completely severed. This ruin did not occur in a vacuum; Allah established the Asbāb of following falsehood, and its inevitable, unchanging result is eternal regret.

Immediately after detailing this terrifying severing of worldly causes, Allah directs mankind to the blessed, correct Asbāb in the very next verse:

{ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ } “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” [Al-Baqarah 2:168]

Here, Allah commands us to utilize the lawful causes (eating Halal) and explicitly warns against following the destructive causes (eating Haram) (the footsteps of Satan). Seeing the profound connection between Allah’s commands and the explicit mention of Asbāb being severed illuminates the immense benefit of obeying Him (ﷻ).

Conversely, Allah directs the believers to the blessed Asbab of His provision and the required effect of gratitude, stating just a few verses later:

{ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ } “O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.“ [Al-Baqarah 2:172]

Seeing the profound connection between Allah’s commands and their precise outcomes illuminates the immense benefit of obeying Him (ﷻ).

7 Seventh: Correct Reliance upon the Creator of Causes (Musabbib al-Asbāb) over Materialism

The correct Islamic understanding of reliance upon causes (Asbāb) versus reliance upon the Creator of the causes (Musabbib al-Asbāb). While Allah has made righteous deeds a cause (sabab) for attaining His pleasure and entering Paradise, and evil deeds a cause for His anger and Hellfire, the believer knows that salvation is not attained solely by one’s actions. Rather, entry into Paradise is fundamentally by the ultimate Mercy (Raḥmah) and Grace of Allah (ﷻ), stemming from His perfect Attributes and Actions. Because of His immense generosity, He multiplies one righteous deed into ten rewards or more. Thus, the believer’s reliance (Tawakkul) is never upon the sabab (the deed itself), but completely upon the Lord who placed the effect within the sabab.

This serves as a profound contrast to the disbelievers who view the world purely through a materialistic lens. They are entirely preoccupied with the physical cause and effect of the Dunya, blindly obsessing over worldly Asbāb while completely forgetting the True Causer. The believer, on the other hand, acts upon the Asbāb, but his heart remains anchored entirely in the Mercy and perfect Attributes of Allah.

8 Seventh: The Unchanging Sunnah of Allah in Humiliating Those Who Humiliate His Servants and the People of Truth

Among the established patterns (Sunan) of Allah in His creation is that the recompense is of the exact same nature as the deed (al-Jazā’u min Jins il-ʿAmal). Whosoever seeks to belittle, defame, or humiliate those whom Allah has elevated, Allah will inevitably humiliate them.

The Crime of Belittling the People of Truth: The worst and most severe manifestation of this sin is directed toward the people of truth. Throughout history, those who belittled and harmed the Messengers of Allah were seized by Allah with exemplary and severe punishments. Similarly, those who belittled the noble Companions (Sahabah)—such as Abu Bakr, and the rest of the early generation of yesterday—incurred nothing but divine humiliation. This pattern remains constant for the remaining followers of the Prophets; those who mock or forsake the Victorious Group (at-Tā’ifatul Mansūrah), Allah will forsake and lower them.

The Humiliation of Those Who Belittle the Rulers (Sultān): After the foundational call to Tawheed, the preservation of the unity and cohesion of the Muslim Ummah is among the greatest objectives of the Shariah. In our contemporary times, we have witnessed the devastating effects of those who incite rebellion, speak ill of the Muslim rulers, and fracture the unity of the believers.

Regarding this destructive path, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) explicitly warned:

مَنْ أَهَانَ سُلْطَانَ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ أَهَانَهُ اللَّهُ “Whoever humiliates the ruler of Allah on earth, Allah will humiliate him.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2224)

This reality extends to the general treatment of the believers. Yahya ibn Jabir (رحمه الله) stated:

“A person never belittled someone due to a deficiency except that Allah trials him with the exact same deficiency.”

Cutting the Paths to Knowledge: Speaking ill of the scholars of Sunnah is far more severe than defaming ordinary people. Defaming a wicked person affects only that individual, as people do not look to him for guidance. However, when lies are fabricated against the scholars of the Sunnah, it directly cuts off the paths of the masses from accessing sacred knowledge and the true Religion of Allah. We ask Allah to defend those who defend Ahlus Sunnah, and to humiliate and lower those who seek to belittle them.

Thus, this constitutes the beneficial study of history; any exploration of the past devoid of these two objectives is a futile endeavor and a squandering of time. Examining the annals of nations through these two aforementioned angles serves as the ultimate criterion (Al-Furqan) to distinguish that which earns the pleasure of Allah from that which incurs His wrath. Therefore, by actively avoiding the deviations of the ruined predecessors and sincerely emulating the righteous Salaf, the believer anchors his path upon the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks (al-Urwat al-Wuthqa).

We ask Allah (ﷻ) to grant us the insight to learn from the trials of yesterday, the sincerity to rectify our today, and the steadfastness to remain upon the path of the Salaf as-Salih until tomorrow. May He protect our unity, purify our manners, and gather us with the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.

مجموع فتاوى ابن تيمية – جزء 13 – صفحة 20
ابن تيمية – أحمد بن عبد الحليم بن تيمية الحراني

 وقد بين سبحانه وتعالى أن السنة لا تتبدل ولا تتحول في غير [ ص:
 20 ] 
موضع و ” السنة ”  هي العادة التي تتضمن أن يفعل في الثاني مثل ما فعل بنظيره الأول ; ولهذا أمر سبحانه وتعالى بالاعتبار وقال : { لقد كان في قصصهم عبرة لأولي الألباب } . والاعتبار  أن يقرن الشيء بمثله فيعلم أن حكمه مثل حكمه كما قال ابن عباس : هلا اعتبرتم الأصابع بالأسنان ؟ فإذا قال : { فاعتبروا يا أولي الأبصار } وقال : { لقد كان في قصصهم عبرة لأولي الألباب } أفاد أن من عمل مثل أعمالهم جوزي مثل جزائهم ; ليحذر أن يعمل مثل أعمال الكفار ; وليرغب في أن يعمل مثل أعمال المؤمنين أتباع الأنبياء قال تعالى : { قد خلت من قبلكم سنن فسيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين } وقال تعالى : { وإن كادوا ليستفزونك من الأرض ليخرجوك منها وإذا لا يلبثون خلافك إلا قليلا } { سنة من قد أرسلنا قبلك من رسلنا ولا تجد لسنتنا تحويلا } وقال تعالى : { لئن لم ينته المنافقون والذين في قلوبهم مرض والمرجفون في المدينة لنغرينك بهم ثم لا يجاورونك فيها إلا قليلا } { ملعونين أينما ثقفوا أخذوا وقتلوا تقتيلا } { سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل ولن تجد لسنة الله تبديلا } وهذه الآية أنزلها الله قبل الأحزاب وظهور الإسلام وذل المنافقين فلم يستطيعوا أن يظهروا بعد هذا ما كانوا يظهرونه قبل ذلك قبل بدر وبعدها وقبل أحد وبعدها فأخفوا النفاق وكتموه ; فلهذا لم [ ص:
 21 ] 
يقتلهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم . وبهذا يجيب من لم يقتل الزنادقة . ويقول : إذا أخفوا زندقتهم لم يمكن قتلهم ولكن إذا أظهروها قتلوا بهذه الآية ; بقوله : { ملعونين أينما ثقفوا أخذوا وقتلوا تقتيلا } { سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل ولن تجد لسنة الله تبديلا } قال قتادة : ذكر لنا أن المنافقين كانوا يظهرون ما في أنفسهم من النفاق ; فأوعدهم الله بهذه الآية فلما أوعدهم بهذه الآية أسروا ذلك وكتموه { سنة الله في الذين خلوا من قبل } يقول : هكذا سنة الله فيهم إذا أظهروا النفاق .

و ” المقصود ” أن الله أخبر أن سنته لن تبدل ولن تتحول وسنته عادته التي يسوي فيها بين الشيء وبين نظيره الماضي وهذا يقتضي أنه سبحانه يحكم في الأمور المتماثلة بأحكام متماثلة ; ولهذا قال : { أكفاركم خير من أولئكم } وقال : { احشروا الذين ظلموا وأزواجهم } أي أشباههم ونظراءهم وقال : { وإذا النفوس زوجت } قرن النظير بنظيره وقال تعالى : { أم حسبتم أن تدخلوا الجنة ولما يأتكم مثل الذين خلوا من قبلكم } وقال : { قد كانت لكم أسوة حسنة في إبراهيم والذين معه إذ قالوا لقومهم إنا برآء منكم ومما تعبدون من دون الله كفرنا بكم وبدا بيننا وبينكم العداوة والبغضاء أبدا } وقال : { والسابقون الأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه وأعد لهم جنات تجري تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها أبدا ذلك الفوز العظيم } . فجعل التابعين لهم بإحسان مشاركين لهم فيما ذكر من الرضوان والجنة وقد قال تعالى : { والذين آمنوا من بعد وهاجروا وجاهدوا معكم فأولئك منكم } وقال تعالى : { والذين جاءوا من بعدهم يقولون ربنا اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذين سبقونا بالإيمان ولا تجعل في قلوبنا غلا للذين آمنوا ربنا إنك رءوف رحيم } وقال تعالى : { وآخرين منهم لما يلحقوا بهم وهو العزيز الحكيم } فمن اتبع السابقين الأولين كان منهم وهم خير الناس بعد الأنبياء فإن أمة محمد خير أمة أخرجت للناس  وأولئك خير أمة محمد كما ثبت في الصحاح من غير وجه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : { خير القرون القرن الذي بعثت فيهم ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم } . ولهذا كان معرفة أقوالهم في العلم والدين وأعمالهم خيرا وأنفع من معرفة أقوال المتأخرين وأعمالهم في جميع علوم الدين وأعماله كالتفسير وأصول الدين وفروعه والزهد والعبادة والأخلاق والجهاد وغير ذلك ; فإنهم أفضل ممن بعدهم كما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة فالاقتداء بهم خير من الاقتداء بمن بعدهم ومعرفة إجماعهم ونزاعهم في العلم والدين خير وأنفع من معرفة ما يذكر من إجماع غيرهم ونزاعهم . وذلك أن إجماعهم لا يكون إلا معصوما وإذا تنازعوا فالحق لا يخرج عنهم فيمكن طلب الحق في بعض أقاويلهم ولا يحكم بخطأ قول من أقوالهم حتى يعرف دلالة الكتاب والسنة على خلافه قال تعالى : { أطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول وأولي الأمر منكم فإن تنازعتم في شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسول إن كنتم تؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر ذلك خير وأحسن تأويلا } .