BENEFIT 150: Adhere to the daleel even if those around you oppose you!

Sheikh Yūsuf Al-Jazaa’iri hafidahullāh said: [Allāh ﷻ said] {اتبعوا ما أنزل إليكم من ربكم ولا تتبعوا من دونه أولياء} "Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow besides Him any allies." We are commanded to follow the evidence, to follow the revelation, because the revelation is infallible. "And do not follow besides Him any allies," because allies - other than the prophets - are not infallible; they may fall into error and misguidance. Certainly, relying merely on numbers/majority as evidence, as is well known and mentioned in the book of Imam Muhammad ibn Abdil wahhab, "Al-Masail Al-Jahiliyyah," where he considered this among the ignorant practices; relying on numbers alone. There arises a question, for example: Sheikh Al-Albani issued a fatwa on a certain matter, and the majority of scholars disagreed with him. We look at the evidence of the majority and the evidence of Sheikh Al-Albani, not the personalities aligned with the majority, which may include Ahmad, Ash-Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifa, and others who are more knowledgeable than Sheikh Al-Albani. Would one say Sheikh Al-Albani is more knowledgeable or Imam Malik? A rational person would not say that. These imams are more knowledgeable about the texts than Sheikh Al-Albani and he himself acknowledges that. So, do we follow the opinion of Sheikh Al-Albani or other scholars because he is in the minority and others are [more more in number and] more knowledgeable? Whoever follows this criterion has fallen into bias. Whoever follows utilises numbers and considers this the criterion by which truth is known has fallen into a branch of ignorance and a branch of bias (ta'assub), as mentioned by Imam Ash-Shawkani in "Adab At-Talab." Also, the default rule is that utilising numbers alone is something dispraised in the shari'ah, [as Allāh ﷻ said] {وَمَاۤ أَكۡثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوۡ حَرَصۡتَ بِمُؤۡمِنِینَ} "And most of the people, even if you strive [for it], are not believers," [Surah Yūsuf: 103] and other numerous evidences indicating that numbers alone is not a sufficient criterion, but rather the affair of numbers is only praiseworthy if it coincided with the truth. Moreover, one individual may be commendable over others [who are more than him in number]. Why? Because he is in line with the truth, as affirmed by Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim in "I'lam Al-Muwaqqi'in" and he was preceded to it by Ibn Hazm in his book "Ahkam Al-Ahkam." In summary, they say that shudhoodh (fringe) among people is when an individual is isolated from the majority in the view he holds. They explained that this (definition) is invalid; as shudhoodh is whatever is contrary to the truth, even if those contrary to the truth are the majority of the people on earth. We say these individuals have fallen into shudhoodh, and this one individual is correct. Why? Because he is line with the Quran and Sunnah. Similarly, can it be said that they are isolated (waḥeed)? This (description) too is invalid. Why? Because they have adhered to the Quran and Sunnah, and whoever adheres to the Quran and Sunnah is not isolated. Why are they not isolated? Because Allah is with them, {حَسۡبُكَ ٱللهُ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ} "And sufficient is Allah as an Accountant, and those who follow you among the believers." [Surah Al-Anfāl: 64] Isn't it enough that Allah is with you? Isn't it enough that you adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ? What else do you need? {إِنَّ إِبۡرَ ٰ⁠هِیمَ كَانَ أُمَّةࣰ قَانِتࣰا للهِ حَنِیفࣰا} "Indeed, Abraham was an Ummah (nation) obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth." [Surah An-Naḥl: 120] He was alone, yet an Ummah, why? Because he followed the truth and adhered to it, so Allah referred to him as an Ummah even though he was alone. Similarly, Zaid ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, may Allah be pleased with him, died before the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ and he was a monotheist.