From Sh Fawzaan's hafizahullaah explanation of Sharh-us-Sunnah:
(lesson 6 - audio/text)

His saying, “It was not left up to the intellects of men and their opinions.” 

The Religion is not what men deem to be good or what they hold as their opinion, because this is not the Religion of Allaah. This is the Religion of the people, which they have newly invented. As for the Religion of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, then it is what He legislated.  As for that which the men hold as their opinion, based upon their own opinions, this is not the Religion of Allaah the Perfect and Most High.  Rather it is just a religion of whoever holds that opinion. So nothing can be ascribed to Allaah from the Religion except that which He legislated upon the tongue of His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. And as for what others besides Him legislated, then it cannot be ascribed to Allaah, rather it can only be ascribed to whoever legislated it, and Allaah is free of it.  He the Most High said:

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاء شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ 

Do they have partners who legislate for them religion which Allaah has not permitted (Sooratush-Shooraa (42), aayah 21)


His saying, “And its knowledge is with Allaah and His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.” The affairs of the Religion are towqeefiyyah (depend upon text); there must be proofs from Allaah and His Messenger with regard to the affairs of the Religion. The matter is restricted to what occurs in the Book and the Sunnah from the affairs of the Religion. And newly introduced matters and innovations are abandoned, that which Allaah has not sent down any proof for - even if their people hold them to be religion, and they draw closer to Allaah through them, then we turn no attention to these things and we do not believe in them, because the Religion of Allaah is what He legislated and His Messenger.


Because the Religion is based upon knowledge which came from Allaah and His Messenger. And do not follow the desires of the people and the opinions of the people and what they declare to be good and what they follow each other upon, and it has no basis in the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Just as he `alayhis-salaatu was-salaam said:


“Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected.”


And in one narration:


“Whoever does an action which our affair is not in accordance with, it is rejected”[1]


So the person who wishes that his action be righteous and be beneficial, then he should adhere to two matters:


The first matter: is that he makes his Religion pure for Allaah and free from shirk.


And the second matter: ittibaa` following the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, free of innovations and newly introduced affairs.


A person will indeed find many things which contradict what is correct in the `aqeedah, matters which contradict what is correct in matters of worship, many of them; (because) the people have desires, and have their own aspirations, and they have  their own opinions and they have their own ways (which  they follow). So we do not follow the people, rather we present whatever the people are upon to the Book and the Sunnah. So whatever conforms with the Book and the Sunnah then it is the Truth, and whatever contradicts these two then it is false and futile.

________________

[1] The checking of this has preceded on page 66. (Hadeeth of Aa`ishah radiyAllaahu`anhaa reported by Muslim and in the Saheeh of al-Bukhaaree)

[Translated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah]

Commenting on the aayah:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ‌ خِلْفَةً لِّمَنْ أَرَ‌ادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ‌ أَوْ أَرَ‌ادَ شُكُورً‌ا

«And He is the One who made the night and day to follow each other in succession, for whoever wants to be reminded of Allaah or whoever wants to give thanks for Allaah's favors.» 
[Sooratul-Furqaan (25):62]


Shaykh Fawzaan hafizahullaah said:
So the night and the day are a tremendous bounty to be earned for a person who utilizes them in obedience to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. The arena for action is the night and the day. You have nothing else besides the night and the day. They are the arena for action, for good, and for pure earning for this world and the Hereafter. So, in the night and in the day, there are lessons and fawaa`id (benefits). Therefore, Allaah swore an oath by al-`Asr. 
_____________

[Translator's note]:Imaam ibn Jareer at-Tabaree mentions the explanation of this aayah with a chain of narration from ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa) and from al-Hasan al-Basree (rahimahullaah) each of them saying the same thing:

And whoever misses out on something during the night, he could reach and catch it during the day, or if he misses out from the day, he could reach and catch it during the night.

[Tranlsated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah - see lesson 4 of Usool-uth-Thalaathah (audio/text)]

From Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan's hafizahullaah Explanation of al-Usool-uth-Thalaathah:
Lesson 2 (audio/text):

As for worldly knowledge, then whoever is ignorant of it, then there is no sin upon him, and whoever learns it, then it is permissible for him, and if he utilises it to benefit the Ummah, then he is rewarded for it. And if a person died, and he was ignorant of this knowledge, then he would not be taken to account for it on the Day of Resurrection. However, whoever died and he was ignorant of al-‘ilm ash-shar‘ee the legislated (islaamic) knowledge, particularly essential knowledge, then he will be asked about it on
the Day of Resurrection, “Why didn’t you learn? Why didn’t you ask?”. The one who says when he is placed in his grave, “My Lord is Allaah, and Islaam is my religion, and my Prophet is Muhammad sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam”,this person will be saved.  

It will be said to him, “Where did you acquire this from?”. So he will say, “I read the Book of Allaah and I learnt it”.

As for the person who turns away from that, then when he is questioned in his grave, then he will say, “Haa, haa, I don’t know, I heard the people saying something so I said it”. Then this person, his grave will be made to blaze with fire upon him – and Allaah’s refuge is sought – and it will be crushed upon him, to such an extent that his ribs will cross over, and he will come to be in a pit from the pits of the hell-fire, because he did
not have knowledge and he did not read. So it will be said to him:

 لا دريت ولا تليت )  أو لا تلوت )

 “You did not know and you did not read (or you did not follow)”.[1]

 So he did not learn and he did not follow the example of the people of knowledge, rather he was wasted and lost in his life, so this is the person who ends up in wretchedness, and Allaah’s refuge is sought.


 [1] 

Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in abridged form as a hadeeth of Anas 1338, and also reported by Muslim in abridged form also as a hadeeth of Anas 2870, and reported by Aboo Daawood as a hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib in a long hadetth 4853. [Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth of Aboo Daawood saheeh].

[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank rahimahullaah]

From Sh Fawzaan's hafizahullaah explanation of Usool-uth-Thalaathah 
(Lesson 1; audio/text):

And beginning with these shorter works is the foundation for the students of knowledge, so the student of knowledge should begin by learning little by little, taking from the initial points of knowledge and its fundamentals and then proceed in stages through it.

 So these brief works are the path leading on to the longer works. So it is not possible for the longer works to be understood except after the brief works have been understood and then the person has proceeded on from them in stages. And therefore they said about the meaning of His saying, He the Most High:

وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ 

But rather be rabbaaniyyoon (wise scholars who cultivate the people) by your teaching them the Book and your studying it
[3:79]

The word rabbaaniyoon - they are those who begin with the small matters of knowledge before the greater ones. They cultivate themselves and their students beginning with the smaller matters and moving on to the larger matters, and this is something natural, because all things begin from their roots and their foundations and then they grow bigger and larger after that.

 As for the person who pounces upon knowledge from its top, then this person will just tire himself out and will not attain anything. Whereas the one who begins with the fundamentals and proceeds in stages, this is the person, who by the permission of Allaah will be proceeding in the correct way and with sound direction.

Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah.


(If you would like to study Usool-uth-Thalaathah you can do so here)

From Sh Fawzaan's explanation of Sharh-us-Sunnah:

So from the Sunnah is adhering to the Jamaa`ah – meaning adhering to the united body, of the Muslims, and what is meant by the Jamaa`ah here is the united body of the Muslims who are upon the Truth[1].

As for the jamaa`aat, the groups which are not upon the Truth, then these are not called the true Jamaa`ah.  Every Jamaa`ah which gathers upon misguidance or upon a methodology contrary to Islaam or upon a way contrary to Islaam, then it is not called the trueJamaa`ah that which is required and praiseworthy. 

So the Jamaa`ah, the united body, which is meant here, they are the people of the Truth and this does not necessitate that they must be numerous, rather even if it is a single person upon the Truth then he will be called the Jamaa`ah, the united body.  So theJamaa`ah is those who are upon the Truth, whether its people are few or whether they are many, so you adhere to whoever is upon the Truth and you do not contradict the Jamaa`ah which is upon the Truth, rather you should be with them upon the Truth. So whoever splits from the Jamaa`ah, the united body, then explanation of this will follow.


__________
[1] Translator’s side point:  This is something which is authentically reported as the statement of the noble Companion `Abdullaah ibn Mas`oodradiyAllaahu `anhu that he explained with this same meaning what is meant by ‘Jamaa`ah’.  Shaykh al-Albaanee rahimahullaah mentioned in his notes to Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, Volume 1, page 61, the statement of `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood radiyAllaahu `anhu in that regard, that he said, “The Jamaa`ah is whatever conforms to the Truth even you are alone.”  Shaykh al-Albaanee said this is reported by Ibn Asaakir in his Taareekh Dimashq, volume 13, page 322 part number 2, with an authentic, a saheeh chain from him.

[translated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah]

(listen to the whole lesson here)
(listen to the whole transcript here)

From the Explanation of Sharh-us-Sunnah by Sh Fawzaan hafizahullaah:

His saying ‘so we ask Him for success in attaining that which He loves and is pleased with’ - a person should ask Allaah for firmness even though he knows the truth and acts upon it and holds it as his belief, then still he should not feel secure that he will not deviate or be put to trial, such that trials and tribulations come to him and overcome him so that he strays away from the path of Allaah, and therefore, he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِيْنِكَ


Ya Muqallib al-quloob thabbit qalbee `alaa deenik
O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm upon your religion 


And al-Khaleel (His especially beloved one - the Prophet Ibraaheem, the one described as the father of the Prophets) alayhis-salaatu wassalaam said in his supplication:

And keep me and my sons far removed from worshipping the idols.  O my Lord they have caused the misguidance of many of the people.
(Soorah Ibraaheem (14), aayahs 35 and 36)

He feared for himself and likewise the stronger a person’s eemaan in Allaah is then the more he will fear and not feel secure with regards to trials and tribulations and he will not commend himself (declare himself pure, good, fine and so forth) rather he will always and continually ask Allaah for firmness and for a fine conclusion to his life and he will fear having an evil conclusion and he will fear trials and tribulations and he will fear deviation and misguidance and the callers to evil.


[translated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah]

(listen to the whole lesson here)
(read the whole transcript here)

From Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Sh Fawzaan:

بِالأَدِلَّةِ   

With the proofs.7

 _______________________________________________________________

[7]:

His saying, “With the proofs”: not due to taqleed (blind following), but rather with the proofs from the Qur’aan and from the Sunnah – this is knowledge.

Ibn ul-Qayyim said in Al-Kaafiyat-ush-Shaafiyah:

Knowledge is Allaah said, His Prophet said,
     The Companions said – they are the possessors of knowledge and awareness

Knowledge is not that you foolishly raise up a disagreement
     Between the Messenger and the opinion of so-and-so.

This is what is knowledge, knowledge is the knowledge contained in the Book and the Sunnah. As for the sayings of the’ulemaa (the scholars), then they only explain and clarify the speech of Allaah and the speech of the Messenger sallallaahu’alaihiwasallam, and some of them may contain a mistake, and the proofs are not the speech of the ’ulemaa, rather the proofs are the aayahs of the Qur’aan and the Prophetic ahadeeth. As for the speech of scholars, then it explains and clarifies that, except it is not a proof in itself.

[Translated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah]

(listen to the whole lesson here)
(read the whole transcript here)

From Sh Fawzaan's explanation of Sharh-us-Sunnah by Imaam al-Barbahaaree:

Quote:

...as for it being said that ‘we will gather together upon what we agree about and as for what we disagree about then we’ll just pardon each other’.  This is something impossible if it refers to differing in `aqeedah.  However if it is differing in the matter of fiqhand matters of questions of fiqh which are possible can be this way or that way, then that may be allowable, even though even there what is still obligatory is following the evidence even in matters of fiqh.  He the Most High said:

  فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

So if you differ about anything then refer it back to Allaah and to the Messenger

Sooratun-Nisaa (4), aayah 59

[Translated by Abu Talhah rahimahullaah]

Listen to the whole lesson here
Read the whole transcript here