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

Question to Sheikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him]: When we give advice to some of those who educate and nurture the youth against the evil scholars, they say: ‘take the good they have with them and abandon their mistakes’. Is this correct?

Answer: And all praise belongs to Allaah; there are scholars of the Sunnah and uprightness. Allaah (subhaanah) has not made you to have a need of the evil scholars and the books of misguidance, whilst we have authentic books. Therefore, we hold onto these affairs and we neither go to the scholars of misguidance nor the innovators, nor to the books that are mixed (with falsehood). And all praise belongs to Allaah; we have pure and good books and scholars, so we hold onto the scholars and the authentic books. [Al-Ijaabaatul Muhimmah (Vol 1, page: 144-145)]

Question To Sheikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him): What is the ruling on the one who defends a person of innovation and he says: ‘(This person) has good deeds and has given service to Islaam in such’, since this has become widespread amongst some of the callers.  What is the ruling on this?

Answer: We clarify errors in order that the people may keep away from it. As for possessing good deeds, then this is with Allaah. We do not have knowledge of that.. Whatever his good deeds are, they will not be lost with Allaah and we are not a scale by which good and evil deeds are weighed. Good and evil deeds have their scale on the Day of Judgement with Allaah (The Most High).  Our intention is not to diminish the individual, rather our intention is to clarify the truth and unveil errors so that people may not fall to it. As for the (personal/private affairs of the person), we do not enter into that. If he has good deeds, then his good deeds will not be lost with Allaah. We neither talk about his good deeds nor do we say that he has no good deeds. Allaah is more knowledgeable about his good deeds and our intention is to clarify errors in order that people do not incline towards it. [Source: Al-Ijaabaatul Muhimmah (Vol 1, page 145)]