In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Abdullaah Al-Bukhaari [hafidhahullaah] said:

The Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said:

“Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away death of the religious scholars till none of the scholars remains alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Al-Haafidh Al-Qurtubiy [rahimahullaah] stated in Al-Mufhim, “This text (proves) that indeed the disappearance of knowledge will not be by way of its removal from the hearts [of the people]; but [its disappearance] will be through the death of the scholars; [then] the ignorant people will remain- those who will occupy the place of the scholars in the [field] of giving verdicts and teaching.  They will teach and give verdicts based on ignorance, so ignorance will spread and become manifest”.

So, if the Sound Sunni knowledge is taken away, then acting upon it will be taken away; is that not the case? When ignorance manifests, acting upon it will become manifest; so both knowledge and acting upon [Knowledge] will disappear, ignorance will manifest and acting upon [ignorance] will become widespread just as Al-Haafidh Al-Qurtubiy (rahimahullaah) clarified in Al-Mufhim. [Ref 1]

Shaikh Saaleh al-Fawzaan [hafidhahullaah] said:

The Prophet [sallal laahu-alayhi wasallam] said:

“There will not cease to be a group amongst my Ummah upon the truth; neither will they be harmed by those who betray them nor those who oppose them until the command of Allaah arrives [i.e. the day of judgement]”. [Bukhaari]

This group will not cease to exist in the Ummah. The Ummah will not be deprived of this Sunni Group. This Taa’ifah can be one group. If it adheres to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, it is the Taa’ifah Al-Mansoorah [The Victorious Group], even if it is only one. The Ummah will not lose this Sunni Group, this good group, and all praise be to Allaah – until the command of Allaah comes to pass [i.e. the day of judgment]. ‘They will not be harmed by those who forsake them’.  Amongst the people are those who forsake them and those who oppose them, but they will not be harmed. This is from Allaah’s Grace upon His servants and that He will establish the truth for the one who aids the truth and call to it, even if evil is rife. There will be those who adhere to good, call to it and disseminate it amongst the people. Not all the Ummah will be misguided, but some will remain upon truth, but they might be strangers [i.e. their affair will be strange to the people], just as the Prophet [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] said, “Islam began as a strange thing and it will return as a strange thing, and glad tidings to the strangers”, so they said, ‘Who are the strangers O Messenger of Allaah? He said, ‘They are those who will be upright when the people become corrupt’.. and in another version of this hadeeth, “Those who rectify what the people have corrupted’. These are the strangers, because the majority of the people oppose them, belittle, forsake and keep away from what they are upon, but this will not harm them, “They will never be harmed by those who forsake them nor by those who oppose them’. Allaah will make them remain so that His Proofs remain amongst the creation until the end of time. This group might be in the East, the West, or the North etc…They are not in a specific place, but they are present. Whoever wants will find it. It is present and all praise is due to Allaah. Alhamdulil laah, we – at present – are upon a correct methodology, upon a sound methodology; our methodology is that which the Qur’aan and sunnah necessitate, our learning is based upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. We study Tafseer, hadeeth and its explanation, the Aqeedah of the pious predecessors and that which they were upon. Alhamadulil laah at present we are upon a correct path, a sound methodology and straight path. We ask Allaah to keep us firm upon it until we meet him, neither substituting nor changing it. [Ref 2]

Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadee [hafidhahullaah] said:

It is obligated on the Taa’ifatul Mansoorah [i.e. the aided group] – those whom Allaah’s Messenger gave glad tidings that they will remain [upon truth] and will be aided, neither harmed by those who betray them nor by those who oppose them till the end of time – to establish [sound] brotherhood for the sake of Allaah, co-operate upon righteousness and piety, roll up their sleeves and get to work, so that this great status is maintained, which is that they will be manifest upon the truth, neither harmed by those who forsake them nor by those who oppose them. And acquaintance with the truth cannot be [reached] except by way of the knowledge inherited from the Prophets and Messengers [alayhimus salaam], and from the seal of the Prophets [i.e. the Messenger Muhammad (sallal laahu alayhi wasallam)]. The scholars are the inheritors of the [knowledge left behind by] the Prophets in calling to the path of Allaah, [in propagating] Allaah’s Message to [mankind], and in enjoining good and forbidding evil. [Ref 3]

Read: The Propagated Signposts of The Sunnah for the Creed of the Saved and Aided Group:

http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=SCL&subsecID=SCL11&loadpage=displaysubsection.cfm

[Ref 1: Source: Al-Hajr Fee Daw-il Kitaab Was-Sunnah Wa Fahm Salaf Al-Ummah. page: 15-16]

[Ref2: Paraphrased Excerpt: Listen to audio here: https://safeyoutube.net/w/TlUI ]

[Ref 3: An Excerpt from Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm’ page 200. slightly paraphrased]