[Part C: Observations on Dr Ibraaheem Ar-Ruhayli’s Deficient and Defective Advice To Ahlus Sunnah- Dr Shaikh Abdullah Al-Bukhaari Establishes a Third Goal, Aim and Intent Behind Boycotting]

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

The third aim (or goal) behind boycotting is to fulfil the obligation of [Al-Amr Bil Ma’roofi Wan-Nahyi Anil Munkar- to enjoin good and forbid evil] because a Mubtadi is one who innovates (something) in the Sharee’ah Muhammadiyyah [i.e. the divine legislation revealed by Allaah to the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam)]. Therefore, it is obligatory to disapprove (or reject) this evil in order that Allaah’s Word is elevated [i.e. the commands, prohibitions, sound creed, acts of worship, sound principles in the religion etc) because that is from the greatest types of jihad in the path of Allah.  This aim or (goal) is pointed out by the following:

Allaah (The Most High) said:

لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

كَانُوا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do. [5:78-79]

Imaam Ash-Shawkaaniy (rahimahullaah) stated in [Fat-hul Qadeer 2/65] that the curse against them was due to disobedience and transgression and not due to something else. Allaah clarified their act of disobedience and transgression, saying: [كَانُوا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ – They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they committed]; so Allaah attributed the act to them because the  perpetrator of the deed is one amongst them, even though not all of them committed the act….. up until the Imaam stated: Enjoining good and forbidding evil is from the most important principles of Islam and the loftiest legislated obligatory duties- and due to this, the one who abandons it (i.e. whilst having the ability to do so) is a partner [in crime] of the one who commits an act of disobedience and he is deserving of Allah’s anger and vengeance, just as what happened to the people of the Sabat [i.e. see Surah Al-A’raaf… Aayaat 163-166]

Then Allaah declared the act of refraining from forbidding evil as something vile, saying:

[لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ – Vile indeed was what they used to do] because they abandoned the obligation of rejecting (disapproving of) that which they were obligated to reject.

Allaah  (The Most High) said:

لَوْلَا يَنْهَاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ الْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ

Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing. [5:63]

Allaah [Glorified be He] rebuked the leading personalities (or people of distinction)- and they are the scholars who abandon enjoining good and forbidding evil- with a harsher and more severe rebuke than the one who perpetrates the act of disobedience. So the scholars should lend an ear to this verse and open their hearts to it, for it contains an unequivocal clarification for them that they refrain from disobedience by not abandoning the obligation of rejecting those who do evil; rather their affair is more severe and carries greater evil consequences than that of the sinners. So may Allaah have mercy upon the  scholar who fulfils what is obligated upon him in relation to enjoining good and forbidding evil, for it is the greatest of that which Allaah obligated on him and the most obligatory with regards to that which he should stand up for.

Imaam Muhammad Ibn Yahyah Adh-Dhuliy said: I heard Yahyah Ibn Maeen saying: Defending the Sunnah is better than jihad in the path of Allaah.” So I said to Yahyah, “A person spends his wealth, exerts himself and strives (in jihaad), yet this (i.e. defending the sunnah) is better than it.” He said: Yes, by a lot more.” [Siyar A’laam  An-Nubulaa  10/518]

Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: The one who rebuts Ahlul  bidah is a Mujaahid, so much so that Yahyah Ibn Yahyah used to say: Defending the Sunnah is better than jihaad. [Majmoo 3/13]

Shaikhul Islaam also said, ‘’Likewise, this is what the Sunnah [obligates] in relation to companionship with the oppressors, the adulterers, the people of bidah and wickedness, and regarding all sins – it is neither permissible to accompany nor mix with them (i.e. these type of people), except in a manner that will save a person from Allaah’s punishment, and the least of that is that one rejects their acts of oppression; showing one’s hatred for them and hatred towards that which they are upon as much as possible, as stated in the hadeeth, ‘’Whoever sees an evil deed should stop it with his hand; and if he is not able, then with with tongue; and if he is not able, then with his heart and that is the weakest of Eemaan. ’’[Majmoo 15/324]

And he [Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah] was ask about the hadeeth: ‘’There is no Gheebah in the case of the faasiq (i.e. one is not guilty of back biting if he speaks against the open sinner)….so he replied saying that as for this hadeeth, it is not the Prophet’s speech; but it has been reported that Al -Hassan  Al Basri  said, ‘’Do you refrain from mentioning the (affair) of the wicked one?! Make a mention of him regarding what he does, so that the people are cautious of him.’’ [Al-Fataawa Al-Kubraa 2/693]

In another hadeeth:) ”Whoever removes the veil of shyness, then there is no Gheebah regarding him (i.e. those who speak about him are not guilty of back biting).

It is permissible to backbite these two types of people and the scholars do not disagree regarding this. The first of them is that one who openly commits wicked deeds, such as oppression, lewdness and bidah in opposition to the Sunnah; so if he manifests the evil deed, he is to be shown rejection based on one’s ability, just as the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: ”Whoever sees an evil deed should stop it with his hand; and if he is not able, then with his tongue; and if he is not able, then with his heart and that is the weakest of Eemaan.”

Therefore, whoever manifests an evil deed, it is then obligatory to disapprove of him, boycotted [i.e. based on the severity of the deed and after asking the scholars in some cases] and rebuked. This is the meaning of the statement: ”Whoever removes the veil of shyness, then there is no Gheebah regarding him (i.e. those who speak about him are not guilty of back biting).”

As for the one who hides his sin, it should be hidden for him; but he is to be given advice in private and boycotted by the one who knows his state of affairs until he repents, and his affair is mentioned by way of advice.

Then Shaikh Abdullah Al-Bukhaari quoted a statement of Imam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) in As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah 1/301-302, who stated that exposing the faults of these ones (i.e. people of bidah and falsehood); clarifying their disgraceful acts and their principles is from the best of Jihaad in the path of Allaah. Indeed the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said to Hassan Ibn Thaabit, ”The Holy Spirit will continue to support you, so long as you are defending Allah and His Messenger.” He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam also said to Hasan): ”Lampoon them (i.e. Quraish) and Jibril (Gabriel) is with you.” He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam also said): ”O Allaah aid him (i.e. Hasan) with the Holy Spirit as long as he is defending Your Messenger.’’ He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam stated about Hasan’s rebuke against the Quraish: “By Allaah! It will hurt them more than arrows.”

Then Ibnul Qayyim said:

So how can this not be from Jihaad in the path of Allaah when it is the case that many of these interpretations (i.e. those uttered by the deviants) are in opposition to the path of the Salafus Saaleh – the Sahaabah, the Taabieen, Ahlul Hadeeth and the Imaams of Islaam whom Allaah has granted honour and are mentioned with good praise by the Ummah- and are tantamount to jesting with the texts and harbouring evil suspicion towards them (i.e. the texts), which is a type of the evil speech that was uttred by those who slandered the Messenger and his religion. That is because these false interpretations contain false claims and what is apparent from the speech of its utterer is slander; something that is impossible to ascertain; disbelief; misguidance; Tashbeeh (i.e. false affirmation that Allaah resembles His creation in most of His Attributes); Tamtheel (false affirmation that Allaah is like His creation in every way) or deception; then he (i.e. the deviant utterer of such statements) changes them into meanings whose intended aim behind such words is known to be a type of intentional usage of words to cause ingenuity in ascertaining their sound meanings and to cause beguilement, which does not occur from one who intends to give sincere advice and sound clarification. Therefore, defending the speech of Allaah and that of His Messenger is from the best of deeds, the most beloved to Allaah and the most beneficial for the servant.

To be continued…..In-Shaa-Allaah

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[Source: At-Ta’aqqubaat As-Sareehah Alaa Risaalah An-Naseehah Lid-Duktoor Ibraaheem Bin Aamir Ar-Ruhayli’ page:  72-77..Abridged and paraphrased]