What is Islam?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in a famous hadith narrated by ‘Imraan bin Husayn :

إن خيركم قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم

“Verily the best among you (to follow) is my generation (the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions (radhi Allahu anhum), then those who follow, and then those who follow them…” [Sahih Muslim 2535]

1 - The first generation – the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions

2 - The second generation – those who followed the first generation (known as the Taabi’een)

3 - The third generation (ended 240-260 AH) – those who followed the Taabi’een (known as Taabi’ ut-Taabi’een)

All those righteous predecessors came in those three generations during this era. they are known as salaf-us-salih. the three praised generations.

So it is the first three generations – the Salaf-us-Saalih – whose era has been praised with an excellence, whose path is to be followed and whose understanding of the Religion is to be accepted and affirmed.

’Aa‘ishah – radiyallaahu ’anhaa – said: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, ‘Who is the most excellent of mankind?’ So the Prophet ﷺ said, “The generation which I am in, then the second, then the third.

Related by Muslim (no. 2536)

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It is not permissible to invent an interpretation about a verse or a Sunnah which was not found in the time of the Salaf, if they did not have any knowledge concerning it, and if they did not explain it to the Ummah. Since this would imply that the Salaf were ignorant of the Truth in this matter and failed to reach it, whereas the late-coming opponent is somehow guided to the Truth!"

[Refer to as-Saarimul-Munkee (p. 427)]

We do not allow any ignorant to come on here and say what ever he thinks. It doesn't matter what he quotes. The most important thing is understanding. Even if he quotes the whole Qur'an we will not accept from him until he comes with the understanding of the As-Salaf-As-Salih.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy upon him, said:

"Whoever thinks that he can simply take from the Book (the Qur'ān) and the Sunnah without following the Sahābah (the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, may Allāh be pleased with them), and pursues a path other than theirs, is from the people of innovations."

[Source: Mukhtasar Al-Fatāwā Al-Misriyyah p556]