All praise be to Allah who has made our faith complete and perfected the grace He always bestows on us. Peace and blessings be to Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah whom Allah sent as bearer of glad tidings and a warner, giving him the role of one who calls people to Allah by His leave and a light-giving beacon.
Guidance is the greatest blessing Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, bestows on anyone, and the most important guidance He grants is the one that shows the right faith, which is the only one Allah accepts from His servants. That is Islam, which means submission to Him. Allah Almighty has commanded His servants to request Him for guidance in every unit of their prayers, saying: 'Guide us along the right path'.
In his infinite wisdom, Allah let Muslims differ for a variety of reasons, some differences are the result of ignorance while others are due to following one's own desire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold of such differences among Muslims.
He said: 'The Jews split into seventy-one different groups: one of these will be in heaven and seventy in hell. The Christians split into seventy-two groups: seventy-one of which will be in hell and one in heaven. By Him who holds Muhammad's soul in His hand, my nation will split into seventy-three groups; only one of which will be in heaven and seventy-two in hell'. He was asked: 'Messenger of Allah, who are these?' He said: 'The group.' (Abu Dawud, 4597).
The fact that such differences in faith may exist makes it a biding duty of every Muslim who is keen to follow the truth to look for the path followed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions. It is a path of knowledge and action. Every Muslim should follow their example.
The work we present you today is a brief book in which the author has tried to present what the Prophet and his companions followed in the most important area of religion, which is 'beliefs'.
