Imaam ash-Shaatibee
(rahimahullaah) said in al-I'tisaam (1/40-45):
…And Ibn Wahb said: "I heard Maalik saying: ‘There is no verse in the Book
of Allaah that is harder upon those in disagreement amongst the People of Desires than
this verse:
On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some
faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be
said): "Did you reject Faith after accepting it? Then taste the torment (in Hell) for
rejecting Faith." [Aali Imraan 3:106]
Maalik said: "And which words are more clearer than these?’ And I saw him
explaining these verses in reference to the People of Desires."
Ibn al-Qaasim reported this and added: "Maalik said to me: ‘This verse is about
the people of the qiblah [i.e. Muslims]." And what Imaam Maalik has said about this
verse has been narrated from more than one person as has preceded such as al-Hasan.
From Qataadah, that he said regarding the saying of Allaah:
And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs
had come to them [Aali Imraan 3:105]
"Meaning: The People of Innovation."
And from Ibn ‘Abbaas, that he said regarding the saying of Allaah:
On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some
faces will become black [Aali Imraan 3:106]
"The faces of Ahl us-Sunnah will become white and the faces of Ahl ul-Bid’ah
will become black."
And also amongst the verses [that are related to the censure of innovation] is His saying:
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths,
for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may
become Al-Muttaqûn" [Al-An’aam 6:153]
The ‘Siraat ul-Mustaqeem’ (Straight Path) is the path to which Allaah has
called and that is the Sunnah. And ‘Subul (other paths) are the paths of the people
of disagreement who turn away from the Straight Path, and they are the People of
Innovation. And the intent here is not the ‘paths of disobedience’ because no
one makes disobedience a path that he continuously treads upon - in imitation of and
resemblance to the legislation, but rather this description is specifically for the
invented innovations.
And what Ismaa’eel has narrated from Sulaimaan bin Harb gives evidence to this:
"Hammaad bin Zaid narrated to us from ‘Aasim bin Bahdalah from Abu Waa’il
from Abdullaah [Ibn ‘Abbaas] who said: ‘One Day the Messenger (sallallaahu
‘alaihi wasallam) drew for us a long, straight line’ and then Sulaimaan drew for
us a long, straight line, ‘and then he drew lines to its right and to its left and
then said: This is the Path of Allaah. Then he drew lines to its right and to its left and
said: These are different paths, upon each of these ways is a devil calling to it’,
and then he recited the verse:
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other)
paths…" [Al-An’aam 6:153]
meaning these paths
"…for they will separate you away from His Path" Al-An’aam
6:153]"
Bikr bin ‘Alaa said: "He meant the devils amongst men and these are the
innovations and Allaah knows best.
And the hadeeth has been reported in many ways.
And ‘Umar bin Salamah al-Hamdaanee said: "We were sitting in the circle of
Ibn Mas’ood in the mosque, which had been plain land after it had been covered with
gravel. ‘Ubaidullaah bin Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who had just returned from an
expedition, said to him: ‘What is the straight path O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmaan?’
He replied: ‘By the Lord of the Ka’bah, it is that which your father was firmly
established upon until he entered Paradise’ and then he swore firmly upon that three
times, Then he drew a line in the ground with his hand and also drew lines to either side
of it and said: ‘Your Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) left you upon this end
and its other end is in Paradise. So whoever remains steadily upon it will enter Paradise
and whoever takes any of these lines will be destroyed."
The Splitting and Differing in the Ummah is Due to the Innovations and Innovators
