al-Itisam bil-Kitab wal-Sunna Asl al-Saada fi al-Dunya wal-Akhira wa Naja min Mudillaat al-Fitan
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safir Press
al-Iti‘sam bi-l-Kitab wa-l-Sunnah Asl al-Sa‘adah fi al-Dunya wa-l-Akhirah wa-Najah min Mudillat al-Fitan (Adherence to the Book and the Sunnah: The Source of Happiness in This Life and the Hereafter and Salvation from Misleading Tribulations) is a theological and ethical treatise by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) . The short work outlines the Islamic obligation to adhere firmly to the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, warning against internal division, unsubstantiated opinion, and spiritual discord .
Composition and Context
The text originated as an invited article requested by the Undersecretariat for Da‘wah at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da‘wah, and Guidance in Saudi Arabia . It was first published on Friday, 17 Sha‘ban 1422 AH (November 2001) on page 27 of issue number 10,627 of the Saudi newspaper al-Jazirah . al-Qahtani completed dating the treatise on the eve of Friday, 17 Sha‘ban 1422 AH . It was subsequently circulated as an independent booklet and included as the fourteenth treatise within his broader multi-volume collection ‘Aqidat al-Muslim fi Daw’ al-Kitab wa-l-Sunnah .
Structure and Content
The treatise begins with an introduction outlining its central thesis: that clutching firmly to revealed guidance serves as a protective rope (habl Allah) against misleading trials (al-fitan) and ideological deviations . The core discussion is arranged across ten distinct headings:
- The Concept of Adherence (Mafhum al-i‘tisam bi-l-Kitab wa-l-Sunnah): Defines i‘tisam linguistically and conceptually as holding firmly (al-istimsak) to the Quran and the covenant of God .
- The Obligation to Rely on the Quran and Sunnah (Wujub al-akhdh bi-l-Kitab wa-l-Sunnah): Emphasizes returning all disputed matters to divine revelation, while warning against unanchored personal opinion (al-ra'y al-mujarrad) and speaking about religious matters without knowledge . It details the hierarchy of evidence—Quran, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘), statements of the Companions, and disciplined legal analogy (qiyas) —and quotes early scholars such as Umar ibn al-Khattab, Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ibn Abd al-Barr censuring baseless opinion .
- The Quran as Comprehensive Clarification (al-Quran al-Karim bayyana Allahu fihi kulla shay'): Demonstrates that the Quran contains foundational principles and clarity for all human needs across time and place .
- Revelation for Practical Application (al-Quran al-‘Aziz unzila li-l-‘amal): Explains that divine scripture was sent down for implementation, citing the historical example of Nafi ibn Abd al-Harith appointing Ibn Abza over Mecca due to his mastery of the Quran and inheritance law .
- Guidance and Prosperity for Followers of Revelation (al-Hidayah wa-l-salah wa-l-falah): Collects Quranic proofs that adherence guarantees preservation from misguidance and misery in both worlds .
- The Primary Prophetic Testament (al-Quran wa-l-Sunnah a‘zam wasaya al-Nabi): Examines the Prophet’s instructions at Mount Arafat, Ghadir Khumm, and during his final illness, directing the Muslim community to preserve the scripture and Sunnah .
- The Command for Unity and Prohibition of Schism (al-Quran al-Karim ya'muru bi-l-ijtima‘ wa-yanha ‘an al-ikhtilaf): Discusses verses ordering communal cohesion and reports from exegeses such as that of Ibn Kathir against sectarian fracturing .
- Adherence as Salvation in Times of Turmoil (al-I‘tisam... najat min mudillat al-fitan): Analyzes the hadith of al-Irbad ibn Sariyah commanding obedience and adhering to the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs during discord, drawing historical lessons from the Companions' submission during the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah .
- Defiance of Revelation as the Root of Humiliation (Mukhalafat al-Kitab wa-l-Sunnah asl al-khidhlan): Addresses the spiritual and worldly perils of abandoning revelation or prioritizing rationalist presuppositions over explicit scriptural texts, drawing on citations from Ibn Taymiyyah .
- Discord as the Root of Division (al-Ikhtilaf sabab al-shurur wa-l-furqah): Explores narrations regarding sectarian splitting, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman’s hadith on avoiding corrupt factions by clinging to the mainstream community and its leadership, and Abdullah ibn Mas'ud’s deference during prayer at Mina under Uthman ibn Affan to avert communal discord, concluding with the hadith of the enduring Victorious Group (al-Ta'ifah al-Mansurah) .
Answer updated