[From Kitaab-ul-Eemaan of Saheeh Muslim]:

From Yahyaa ibn Ya’mar who said: The first person who spoke with (the Bid’ah of denying) Qadr in Basra was Ma’bad al-Juhanee, so I and Humaid ibn ‘AbdirRahmaan al-Humairee went for Hajj or for ‘Umrah – so we said – if we meet one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu’alihiwasallam then we should ask him about that which these people say regarding Qadr. So we were able to come upon ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab entering the masjid. So I and my companion stood on each side of him, one at his right hand side and the other at his left. So I thought that my companion wished me to speak, so I said: “O Aboo ‘Abdirrahmaan! A group of people has arisen amongst us who recite the Qur’aan, but who lack knowledge (and he described their condition), and they claim that there is no Qadr and that things just occur randomly.” He said: “Then when you meet them, then tell them that I am free of them and that they are free of me. By the One Whom ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar swears by – if one of them had the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold and he spent it, then Allaah would never accept it from him up until he believed in Qadr. Then he said:

[‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar then narrated the hadeeth of Jibreel, in which the ProphetsallAllaahu’alaihiwasallam said that belief in Qadr is from Eemaan].

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Shaikh ‘Abdul-Muhsin al-’Abbaad said in explanation of this hadeeth (in his explanation of the second hadeeth of Nawawi’s 40):

And this clarifies for us that the Salaf of this Ummah they are the ones who should be referred back to, meaning that the Sahaabah, they were the ones who were to referred back to for the Taabi’oon, and that they would refer back to them regarding the affairs of the Religion. And that that which is obligatory in every time and place is to refer back to the people of knowledge, whenever difficult or problematic issues arise, then those who should be referred back to are the people of knowledge. It is not for every unreliable person to spread his untruths, or for every speaker to speak out, or for every person who talks to talk but rather the matter should only be returned to the people of knowledge.

Just as various issues relating to industry or trades or professions, then one should only refer back to those who are specialised in these fields. And one should not put oneself forward without knowledge. And no doubt, regarding the affairs of the Sharee’ah, it is even more the case that one should refer back in such issues to its people, and to those who have knowledge of it. So this was the state of the Salaf of this Ummah, that the Taabi’oon would refer back to the Sahaabah in trying to understand that which they found, or those issues which arose which appeared to contradict that which was known from the Book and the Sunnah, or that which was unclear, or any issue or doubt, then those referred to in such matters were the people of knowledge. And Allaah the Most High said:

فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ 

So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know [16:43]

And ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, when he responded, first of all he responded regarding the status of those people (the Qadariyyah), and explained their condition, and that he was free of them and they were free of him, and that nothing will be accepted from them, and that they will not enter Jannah up until they believe in Qadr, the good and bad of it. Then he brought the evidence. And in this there is also clarification of what the Sahaabah may Allaah be pleased with them, were upon in terms of explaining the ruling upon a matter along with its evidence. 

…

And this was the way of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them and may they be pleased with Him), when they mentioned the ruling (upon an issue) they would bring the evidence for it, even if they weren’t asked for it. And that is because bringing the evidence is the foundation upon which things are built. And that the questioner, when he hears the hadeeth of the Messenger sallAllaahu’alaihiwasallam, or he hears the evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, no doubt the people will then seek to worship (Allaah) through clinging to the Book and the Sunnah and through acting upon that which is in the Book and the Sunnah. So if the person who is asked responds to the questioner’s question, and then mentions the evidence after that, then this is from completeness in answering, and from completeness in showing ihsaan (goodness) and completeness in putting the questioner at ease in that the answer which he has been given is based upon a text from the Book of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic or the Sunnah of His MessengersallAllaahu’alaihiwasallam.

Translated by ‘Adnaan ibn Salmaan.