Actions which the Salaf were able to do but didn’t

Question:

What’s the ruling on sending messages into groups? For example the admin, reminding people to make the morning and evening remembrances, and to recite the salaat and the salaam upon the Prophet ﷺ?

For example :

[Reminder]
“Don’t forget to make Wudhu, and the remembrances before sleeping, standing up in prayer at night, the Witr and to pray Fajr.”

Answer:

From the people of knowledge are those that permitted this, with the reason being that:

(As long as they’re ordering with something established from the Messenger ﷺ then there’s no harm in using the phone to remind, or other than it)

As what appears to be most correct, -and Allah knows best-.

Is that sending these types of reminders continuously, is not correct.

It was not from the way of the Salaf –as far as I’m aware– that they would remind each other every day continuously to recite the morning and evening remembrances, while they were able to do this; this points to that it’s impermissible, because what wasn’t religion then, is not religion now.

With the fact that they were more eager upon the religion of Allah and His remembrances than us.

And anything that was able to be done at the time of the Salaf and then wasn’t practised by them, then this ‘Sunnah in lack of doing (an action)’ is at the same strength as legislative texts. It has precedence upon all universalities and analogies.

As established by Shaykh-Ul-Islām in “Iqtidaa” and Ibn Ul-Qayyim in “Al-I’lām” and Ash-Shātibi in “Al-I’tisām“.

So there’s no turning, after this clarification, to any usage of general evidence -in what relates to advising and conveying and the sorts- to establish that which the Salaf didn’t do, while they were able to do it.

After this, continuously sending the likes of these reminders contains harms, from them being:

➖1- Accustoming the people to laziness and lack of eagerness in performing the remembrances; if the telephone was to stop working, many of those that were accustomed to performing these remembrances only due to these messages, would not perform the remembrances of the day or night except if Allaah wished for them to do so.

➖2- The reward of those that perform the remembrances are of different levels. Like those who are eager and their hearts are attentive, and in a state of feeling the greatness of the reward of the remembrances. To the extent that the time of these remembrances don’t come in except that he prepared himself for it, to those whose hearts aren’t attentive and not remembering except when reminded.

➖3- Continuously coming across these messages could result in boredom with some people.
In the two ‘Sahihs’ on the authority of Abu Waail, that he said:

“Abdullah bin Mas’ūd used to give us a religious talk on every Thursday. Once a man said, “O Aba `Abdur-Rahman! Indeed we treasure your lectures, we wish if you could preach to us daily.” He replied, “The only thing which prevents me from doing so, is that I hate to bore you”.

That which is befitting for a person to embark upon every now and then is, to teach the people and to help them understand the rulings relating to the remembrances and it’s mannerisms, and tying it to the Tawhīd of Allah and to encourage them with what has come in the legislative texts of great rewards, this is what has come from the Prophet ﷺ and his companions.

This is what makes the hearts alert to the remembrance of Allah, the Most High.

And Allah, the Most High, said:

(ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ)

“Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”
[Ar-Ra’d:28]

And Allah knows best.

Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allah preserve him.

Source:
t.me/abouhatem/105

Answered on:
11th, Saffar, 1438H.

Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani.