Fundamental Principles of the Sunnah

An Introduction to the Author

He^[1] is the Hafidh, the Imam, the Faqih, Abu Bakr 'Abdullah ibn Zubayr ibn 'Isa al-Qurayshi al-Asdi al-Humaydi. He learned from many scholars, from them: Waki' ibn Al-Jarrah, Al-Walid ibn Muslim, Ya'la ibn 'Ubayd, and Marwan al-Fazari. He also learned much from Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, to the point where Ash-Shafi'i said, "He memorised ten thousand ahadith from Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah." Abu Hatim ar-Razi said, "The people are in agreement about Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, and he is from the companions of Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, and he is reliable (thiqah) and a scholar."

Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, and Al-Bukhari testified to his scholarship, and he was from the most distinguished companions of Ash-Shafi'i in Makkah. Many people received knowledge from him, from them was Al-Bukhari who used him as an authoritative source in his Sahih, and he is the first man in his book. Al-Bukhari related from him the hadith, "Verily actions are by intentions."

The two Razis: Abu Zur'ah, and Abu Hatim also related from him, and Muhammad ibn Yahya adh-Dhuhali, and Yazid ibn Sufyan, and Bishr ibn Musa al-Asdi narrated his musnad from him. He died in the year 218H, may Allah have mercy upon him.^[2]

The Authenticity of this Treatise

Imam Al-Humaydi supplemented his musnad with this treatise, which was published in the year 1963CE, with the checking of Shaykh Habib ar-Rahman al-A'dhami. Indeed I authenticated this work from the preserved hand-written manuscript of Al-Musnad, from the preserved texts in Darul Kutubudth Dhahiriyyah in Damascus, and it is found under no. hadith - 541. The manuscript was collected in the year 681H.

Attributing the Treatise to its Writer

This treatise is authenticated from the writer, just as his musnad is. It is authentic according to the people of hadith, with sufficient proof. The Imams of the Salaf met it with approval, and it is authentically mentioned in the writings concerning the creed of the Salaf. So from that is: It was mentioned by the Imam, the accomadator of the Religion, Ibn Qudamah in Dhammut Ta'wil point no. 39, with a chain of narrators from Abi 'Ali as-Sawwaf - a narrator of the musnad - from Bishr ibn Musa, from Al-Humaydi who said, "The principles of the sunnah are ... and whatever is spoken about in the Qur'an'." So he mentioned what will follow in points 8-9. Shaykh ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah mentioned it when he said [in Majmu al-Fatawa (4/6)], "And it is established from al-Humaydi, 'Ali ibn Bishr, Abdullah ibn Zubayr, that he said, 'The principles of the sunnah are ... ' so he mentioned some things." So he agreed with what Ibn Qudamah mentioned. Likewise, the text itself from this treatise is quoted from Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim in Ijtima' al-Juyush al-Islami (p. 86). It is also mentioned by Al-Hafidh Adh-Dhahabi in Tadhkirat al-Huffadh (2/44) with a chain of narrators from Ibn Qudamah as has preceded. He quotes the conclusion of Al-Musnad.

The Name of the Treatise

It is mentioned in the beginning after the conclusion of the musnad with the following name: 'Usul as-Sunnah then 'Bishr ibn Musa informed us from Al-Humaydi. So the name of the treatise is established.

The Text

Bishr ibn Musa related to us that Al-Humaydi said:

The Sunnah is that a man believes in is:

• Pre-Decree, the good of it, and the evil of it, and the sweetness of it, and the bitterness of it. He should know that whatever afflictions befall him are not due to his wrong-doings, and his wrong-doings are not due to his afflictions; rather all of that is a virtue from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic;^[3]

• Iman is statement and action, it increases and decreases. A statement is not beneficial except with an action, and neither is an action or statement beneficial, except with an intention, and neither is an action, statement, or intention beneficial, except with the Sunnah. To pray for forgiveness upon all of the Companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him. So verily Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: "And those who came after them saying, 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith.' " [Al-Qur'an 59:10] So do not enjoin^[4] except with forgiveness for them. So whoever reviles them, or finds fault in them, or in one of them, then he is not upon the Sunnah, and he does not have any right to the booty^[5]. It was reported to us about Malik from more than one person that he said Allah, the Exalted, divided up the booty when he said "For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes." [Al-Qur'an 59:8] He said, "And those who came after them saying: 'Our Lord, forgive us.'" to the end of the verse. So (whoever)^[6] does not say this about them, then there is no booty for him;

• The Qur'an is the Word of Allah^[7]. I heard Sufyan saying, "The Qur'an is the Word of Allah, and whoever says that it is created, then he is an innovator. We have not heard anyone saying this.";

• I heard Sufyan^[8] saying, "Faith (iman) is knowledge and action, it increases and decreases." So his brother Ibrahim ibn 'Uyaynah said to him, "Do not say that it decreases." So he became angry and said, "Be silent you child, until nothing like this remains.";

• The affirmation of the ru'yah ^[9] after death;

• Whatever the Qur'an and ahadith speak about, like "And the Jews say the Hand of Allah is fettered. May their hands be fettered." [Al-Qur'an 5:64] Likewise, "And the Heavens shall be rolled up in His Right Hand." [Al-Qur'an 39:67] Whatever resembles this from the Qur'an and ahadith, we do not increase in them, and we do not explain them away. We say, "Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful) has ascended above the Throne." [Al-Qur'an 20:5] Whoever alleges other than this, then he is a lying Jahmi;

• We do not say as the Khawarij say: whoever commits a major sin, then he has indeed disbelieved. We do not declare a person to be a disbeliever due to something of sins, disbelief is only for the one who abandons the five^[10], about which the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Islam is built upon five: testifying that none has the right to be worshipped, except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and the establishment of prayer, and giving charity (zakat), and fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House." ^[11] So as for three from them, then there is no difference concerning the one who abandons them: Whoever does not testify to the two testimonies, and does not pray, and does not fast, even though there is nothing to delay from him from its time. There is no punishment for the one who makes it up after his intentional negligence in it from its time. So as for charity (zakat), then when does not offer it, being content with it - then he is a sinner for holding it back. So as for pilgrimage (hajj), then it becomes obligatory upon him, if the means for him is present. It is not generally obligatory upon him, until he has no reason to avoid it. When he performs it, he becomes one of those who have performed it, and he is not a sinner for delaying it if he performs it, as he would be a sinner in charity. This is because charity is a right of the needy Muslims, if he holds it back from them, then he is a sinner until he gives it to them. So as for pilgrimage, then it is between the servant and his Lord. If he performs it, then he has indeed performed it. If he dies and the affordability was present, yet he did not perform pilgrimage, he will ask to be returned to this world for pilgrimage.^[12] It is obligatory for his family to perform pilgrimage for him, and it is obligatory upon the one who offers it for him to return it to him as if it were a debt upon him, so he recompenses him after his death.