The Will of ‘Allāmah Shaykh Rabī’ bin Hādī ‘Umayr al-Madkhalī, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 1447 H)
Scribe: Dr. Khālid bin Ḍaḥawī Al-Ẓafīrī, may Allah preserve him
Translation (from Arabic to Urdu): Umm Muḥammad Khushnumā Muṣliḥuddīn
All praise and glorification are for Allah alone, who has no partner. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We also seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide.
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, He is One and has no partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad ﷺ is Allah’s servant and His Messenger.
يٰۤـاَيُّهَاالَّذِيۡنَاٰمَنُوۡااتَّقُوااللّٰهَحَقَّتُقٰتِهٖوَلَاتَمُوۡتُنَّاِلَّاوَاَنۡـتُمۡمُّسۡلِمُوۡنَ
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." - [Āl ‘Imrān: 102]
يٰۤـاَيُّهَاالنَّاسُاتَّقُوۡارَبَّكُمُالَّذِىۡخَلَقَكُمۡمِّنۡنَّفۡسٍوَّاحِدَةٍوَّخَلَقَمِنۡهَازَوۡجَهَاوَبَثَّمِنۡهُمَارِجَالًاكَثِيۡرًاوَّنِسَآءًۚوَاتَّقُوااللّٰهَالَّذِىۡتَسَآءَلُوۡنَبِهٖوَالۡاَرۡحَامَؕاِنَّاللّٰهَكَانَعَلَيۡكُمۡرَقِيۡبًا
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." - [Al-Nisā’: 1]
يٰۤـاَيُّهَاالَّذِيۡنَاٰمَنُوااتَّقُوااللّٰهَوَقُوۡلُوۡاقَوۡلًاسَدِيۡدًا(٧٠)يُّصۡلِحۡلَـكُمۡاَعۡمَالَـكُمۡوَيَغۡفِرۡلَـكُمۡذُنُوۡبَكُمۡؕوَمَنۡيُّطِعِاللّٰهَوَرَسُوۡلَهٗفَقَدۡفَازَفَوۡزًاعَظِيۡمًا
"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. (70) He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a great attainment." - [Al-Aḥzāb: 70-71]
After praise and salutations:
Indeed, the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muḥammad ﷺ. The worst of matters are the newly invented matters (in religion), and every newly invented matter is an innovation, every innovation is a misguidance, and every misguidance leads to the Hellfire.
After praise and salutations:
This is a will from a humble servant, who is close to departing from this transient world and is turning towards the everlasting abode, addressed to the general body of Muslims. That they (the Muslims) should fear Allah as He rightfully deserves to be feared, hold fast collectively to the rope of Allah (the Qur’ān and Sunnah), not fall into the mire of discord and disunity, and not poison their religion with the venom of sectarianism. Indeed, in the fear of Allah and in holding fast to His rope (the Book and the Sunnah) lies the success and prosperity of Muslims in this world and the Hereafter. Whereas, factionalism and disunity are the true causes of disgrace and degradation. The unity and harmony of Muslims can only be established upon the foundation of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger ﷺ. Therefore, Muslims should adopt this great means of salvation, which is the cause of felicity in this world and the Hereafter, and distance themselves from its opposite, i.e., discord and division, which is a precursor to disgrace and destruction in both worlds (this world and the Hereafter).
And I especially advise the Salafī Muslims, who are distinguished in holding fast to the Book and the Sunnah and calling towards them, that they should redouble their efforts to reform the condition of the Muslims in all spheres of life—be it creed, worship, politics, economics, or social matters—based upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ. Furthermore, they should explain this matter clearly to all Muslims, clarify their sincerity and good intentions for them, and prove that they desire nothing but all forms of goodness for the Ummah. They only wish to remove all the evils and calamities that have befallen the Ummah due to its distance from the Book and the Sunnah.
And I advise the students of knowledge and the scholars of various schools of thought to fear Allah concerning the affair of their Ummah. Fear Allah for the sake of this Ummah! And strive with all your capacity to return the Ummah to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger, and the methodology of the pious predecessors (Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ), whether in creed, worship, politics, social life, or morals. Stay completely away from all forms of desires and causes of disagreement that have played a destructive game with the Ummah. It is now their (the scholars’ and students’) duty to rise to fulfill these great objectives and to save the Muslims from everything that plunges them into weakness and humiliation. Remember! The reformation of this Ummah is only possible through the same way its first generation was reformed. Everyone must understand this reality: this Ummah attained superiority over all other nations only because it is the best nation produced for mankind—it enjoins what is right, forbids what is wrong, and believes in Allah.
And (remember that) the pious predecessors, meaning the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) and their followers, attained this virtue due to the testimony of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as he stated:
خَيْرُأُمَّتِيقَرْنِيثُمَّالَّذِينَيَلُونَهُمْثُمَّالَّذِينَيَلُونَهُمْ،ثُمَّإِنَّبَعْدَكُمْقَوْمًايَشْهَدُونَوَلَايُسْتَشْهَدُونَ،وَيَخُونُونَوَلَايُؤْتَمَنُونَ،وَيَنْذُرُونَوَلَايَفُونَوَيَظْهَرُفِيهِمُالسِّمَنُ
“The best of my Ummah is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them. Then after you, there will come a people who will bear witness without being asked to, who will be treacherous and untrustworthy, who will make vows and not fulfill them, and obesity will become common among them.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3650]
He ﷺ also said:
يَذْهَبُالصَّالِحُونَالْأَوَّلُفَالْأَوَّلُ،وَيَبْقَىحُفَالَةٌ−أوحُثَالَةٌ−كَحُفَالَةِالشَّعِيرِأَوِالتَّمْرِ،لَايُبَالِيهِمُاللَّهُبَالَةً
“The righteous will pass away one after another, and what will remain will be the dregs, like the husks of barley or the refuse of dates, for whom Allah will have no concern.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6434]
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the bearers of knowledge (scholars and students) to fulfill the duty of sincere advice for the sake of Allah, His Book, His Messenger ﷺ, and for all Muslims, both the common folk and the elite. They must do this until Allah rescues the Muslims from the contemptible and worthless state (of religious and moral decline) into which they are falling day by day. The only reason for this humiliation is that most Muslims have distanced themselves from holding fast to the Book of Allah, submitting to the command of Allah the Almighty, and referring to the judgment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thus, when they (the scholars and students) propagate this message with a sincere heart, full effort, and seriousness, there will be immense good for this Ummah.
We pray to Allah Almighty that He fulfills this objective (of the Ummah’s reformation) and protects the Muslims from every cause of disgrace that exists among them in the form of disunity, mutual envy, malice, and enmity—the devastating and lethal effects of which are clearly felt by everyone who desires good for this Ummah.
This (will) was verbally dictated by Shaykh Rabī’ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī, may Allah have mercy on him, on the evening of Thursday, 25th Dhul-Ḥijjah 1420 H.
And this (will) was written by his student, Khālid bin Ḍaḥawī Al-Ẓafīrī, may Allah preserve him, and the Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, instructed him to disseminate it everywhere through newspapers, magazines, and other means of communication.
وَلَاتَمُدَّنَّعَيۡنَيۡكَاِلٰىمَامَتَّعۡنَابِهٖۤاَزۡوَاجًامِّنۡهُمۡزَهۡرَةَالۡحَيٰوةِالدُّنۡيَا
"And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [certain] categories of them, [it is but] the splendor of worldly life." - [Ṭāhā: 131]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 1421 H), explaining the meaning of this verse, says:
“Meaning, do not look towards the people of this world and the bounties they are enjoying, such as luxury, conveyances, expensive clothing, magnificent houses, and other worldly possessions; because all of this is the flower (adornment and splendor) of worldly life, and the fate of a flower is always to wither, dry up, and perish. For this reason, Allah has described it as ‘Zahrah’ (a flower). This flower is the epitome of beauty in its radiance, charm, and fragrance (if it is fragrant), but it withers very quickly. Similarly, the glamour of this world is like a flower that will soon wither and turn to dust.”
[Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn (3/45)]
We ask Allah to grant us a share and portion in the Hereafter.
Selection and (Urdu) Translation by: Umm Muḥammad Khushnumā Muṣliḥuddīn
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