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

Allaah [The Most High] said:

[وَلَا تَرۡكَنُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ -And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you]. [Surah Hud: Ayah 113]

The word [ظلم –wrong] in [this ayah] can [mean] disbelief; it can mean bidah and it can be [فسوق  i.e. sinful, immoral behaviour], because (ظلم) can be applicable to all [i.e. in different contexts]. Therefore, we refrain from inclining towards the evil doers, the people of bidah, the Kuffaar, the Ilmaaniyyoon and other than them. And we protect ourselves, our Aqeedah, the Eemaan and sound religion which Allaah has bestowed on us.

It is enough for us to remember that the Salaf fled from Fitan – not mixing, sitting and debating with the people of Fitan. And even amongst them, such as the likes of Ayyoub As-Sakhtiyaanee and Ibn Seereen did not listen to the speech of those [people of bidah]. And when Ibn Seereen was asked,  “Why do you not speak; why do you not listen to them?” He said, “Indeed, my heart is not in my hands! I am not in control of my heart; I fear for myself that I may be misguided”. So the likes of these Imaams feared fitna and deviation for themselves; but you the Miskeen possess that bravery to enable you to challenge ahlul bidah….!!! Many people say, “We sit with ahlul ahwaa [i.e. the people of desires] and we take [from them]; we distinguish between truth and falsehood; we take what is truth and abandon falsehood”, whilst he [i.e. the utterer of this speech] is a Miskeen who can neither distinguish between truth and falsehood nor is he in control of his heart. How many a young person has been put to trial through this satanic view and thus he [becomes] degraded, reverts back on his heels [into misguidance] and depraved, and Allaah’s Aid is sought. He falls prey in the arena of the people of fitan! Therefore, it is obligated on a student of knowledge not to [regard] himself safe from ahlul bidah, for indeed he is not more knowledgeable than Ayyoub and Ibn Seereen, nor can he reach their station [in knowledge, piety etc] and those who followed them.

[Source: An Excerpt from (الذريعة إلى بيان مقاصد كتاب الشريعة ) Vol 1 pages 192-193. Slightly paraphrased]