Benefits from Ittihāf Al-Uqūl [1]

Benefit [1] from Ittihāf Al-Uqūl (A Gift to the Intellects) – An Explanation of “The Three Fundamental Principles” by Al-‘Allāmah ‘Ubayd al-Jābirī (رحمه الله)

[The Two Criteria for Accepting or Rejecting the Statements and Actions of People]

Al-Allāmah ash-Shaykh ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Abdullāh Al-Jābirī (رحمه الله) stated:

Imām Mālik used to say at the end of his lessons:
“Every statement can be accepted or rejected—except the statement of the one in this grave (referring to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم).”

For this reason, Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah (the People of the Sunnah & the Jama’ah) — the People of Salafiyyah — evaluate the statements and actions of people using two criteria, and there is no third to these criteria.

These two criteria are:

1. The legislative text (an-Nass), and
2. The consensus of the scholars (al-Ijmā‘).

The legislative text (an-Nass) comprises the Book (The Qur’ān) and the Sunnah.

Therefore, whoever conforms to the legislative text or the consensus, their statements and actions are accepted. And whoever contradicts the legislative text or the consensus, their statements and actions are rejected.

Source: Ittihāf Al-Uqūl Bi Sharh al-Thalāthah al-Usool, Dāru al-Mīrāth al-Nabawiyy’s Print, 3rd Edition, pg. 9.

Translated by Abu ‘Umar ‘Abdul-Hakeem & Abu Tayyibah Sādiq.

قال العلامة عبيد الجابري رحمه الله تعالى:ـ

وكان الإمام مالك رحمه الله يقول بعد درسه: كل كلام فيه مقبول ومردود إلا كلام صاحب هذا القبر، (يعني النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم)؛ ولهذا فإن أهل السنة والجماعة – أهل السلفية – يزينون أقوال الناس وأعمالهم بميزانين لا ثالثَ لهما. وذلكم الميزانان هما: النص والإجماع. فالنص: يشمل الكتاب والسنة، فمن وافق نصا او إجماعا قُبل منه، ومَن خالف نصا أو إجماعا رُد عليه قَولُه وفِعلُه

المصدر: إتحاف العقول بشرح ثلاثة الأصول، ط. دار الميراث النبوي، الطبعة الثالثة، صـ 9