“They scrutinise too much!”
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah [The Most High] said:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَاۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [Surah An-Nisaa. Ayah 135]
The Mu’mayyi’ah (see footnote a) are the first to call for calm when obstinate aggressors and persistent liars are refuted and silenced by the Tawfeeq of Allah; they neither confront those who violate the sound Salafi Manhaj nor encourage anybody to refute the opposers, rather, you hear them saying, “Your elder Salafi teachers and some of their younger brothers studying abroad and those giving lectures in your Maraakiz scrutinise too much.”
First of all, the Salafi scholars and their students do not seek after the secret of people, instead, obstinate and aggressive opponents of the Sunnah are dealt with according to what they utter or write. When opponents openly embrace Tamyi, bidah, or extremism and call the common people to this misguidance, then indeed silence will lead to the propagation of bidah and evil. Muhammad Bin Bandaar [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “I said to Ahmad, it is very difficult for me to say that so and so is a weak (narrator) and so and so is a liar”. So, he said, if you remain silent and I remain silent, then when will an ignorant person know the sound (narration) from the weak?” [Al-Kifaayah 92]
The Salafi scholars and their trustworthy students – elders and youth- seek to emulate that which Shaikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated as follows: The Imams of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaa’ah – the people of knowledge and Imaan – are endowed with Knowledge, justice, and mercy. They know the truth as it should be known: in accordance with the Sunnah and free from bidah. They deal justly with those who are outside of it (i.e. those who are outside of the truth and the Sunnah), even if they oppress them, as Allah [The Most High] said:
وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ
And let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety. [Surah Al-Maa’idah. Ayah 8]
They are merciful to the creation and wish them good, guidance, and knowledge. They do not set out wishing evil for them; rather, when they reprimand them and clarify their mistakes, ignorance, and wrongdoing, their intention is to clarify the truth, show mercy on the creation, enjoin good, and forbid evil, in order that the entire religion is established sincerely, and Allah’s statement (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) is made the uppermost. [Ar-Radd Alal Bakriy page: 490]
Imaam Barbahaaree [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: “Know that leaving the correct path occurs in two ways. Firstly: that a man strays from the correct path intending nothing but good, so his error is not to be followed since it leads to destruction. Secondly, a man who deliberately opposes the truth and acts contrary to the Pious ones who came before him, he is astray, leading others astray, a rebellious devil within the Ummah. It is a duty upon those who know of him to warn the people against him and to explain his condition to them so that no one falls into his innovation and is destroyed”.
Al-Allaamah Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] said:
After the Shaikh [i.e. Imaam Barbahaaree] described the correct path in his previous statement-the correct path that is obligated to the Muslim to follow in his Aqeedah and Religion, he then mentioned that the one who leaves the correct path is one of two men: the first man is the one who leaves the (correct path) without the intention (to do so), rather he intended good but followed other than the path of good. Striving (alone) is not sufficient, and even if the person has a righteous intention and a good aim, then that has to be upon the correct path. Therefore, this (person) is considered mistaken and whoever agrees with him upon that and follows with him upon error will be destroyed because this is a path of destruction even though the (person) did not intend to leave (the correct path); rather his quest was (to attain) good. This is the state of many of those who initiate newly invented affairs -from themselves – in the knowledge of Aqeedah (Creed). This is not permissible and they should not adhere to it. The person (upon this path) is not upon correctness. Allah [The Mighty and Majestic] said:
وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ
And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path]. [Surah Al-An’aam. Ayah 153]
Therefore, we reject any path that exits us from the Straight Path even if the one who (calls) to it aims for good and has a good intention. We do not follow him upon that whilst he continues upon his error, eventually leading to destruction because whoever abandons the correct path in his journey and takes a path of ruin will be destroyed.
As for the second person, he is the one who intends to leave (the correct path). He knows the truth and that what he embarks upon is falsehood, but he intends to leave the truth with the intention of misguiding the people. The intention of the first is to bring about benefit for the people, but he did not follow the correct path. The second intended to misguide the people and turn them away from the correct path, so this one is a devil because the devils take people away from the Straight Path. [لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ -Surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path]. [7:16]
He intends to turn them away from it and (direct them) toward the deviated paths. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] gave us an example when he drew a straight line and drew other lines on its sides, he then said about the straight line, “This is the path of Allah” and he said about the other lines, “These are the other paths, and on each path is a devil calling to it”. This is a clear example that is in agreement with what the Shaikh [i.e. Imaam Barbahaaree] has mentioned here. The one who takes the people away from the Straight Path to the innovated paths of the innovators in religious affairs is not one who intends good for them; rather he intends destruction for them. He is a devil, be it that he is a devil from amongst the Jinn or the People. It is obligated to us to be more careful of this (second) person than the first one because this one intends to misguide the people.
And regarding the statement of Imaam Barbahaaree: “He is astray, leading others astray, a rebellious devil”. (Meaning), he is misguided and misguiding others. He is a rebellious devil, a rebel intending to turn the people from the Straight Path.
And regarding the statement of Imaam Barbahaaree: “It is a duty upon those who know of him to warn the people against him and to explain his condition to them so that no one falls into his innovation and is destroyed”. (Meaning), it is not permissible to keep quiet about this one who leaves the truth intentionally; rather it is obligatory to unveil his affair and uncover his vileness until the people are warned about him. And it is not to be said that people are free to hold views, freedom of speech, and respect the views of others, as say present with regards to (having) respect for the views of others. The affair is not about views; (rather) the affair is about Ittibaa [i.e. following the authentic proofs narrated from the Messenger accompanied by the understanding of the pious predecessors). Allah has outlined a clear path for us and He told us to adhere to it. Allah [Glorified be He] stated:
[وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ – And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it]. [Surah Al-An’aam. Ayah 153]
Therefore, if any person comes to us and wants us to leave this straight path, then first we reject his statement. Second, we clarify and warn the people against him and we do not keep quiet about him because if we keep quiet about him the people will be deceived by him, especially if he is an eloquent person, (with) good speech, (and skillful) writing and educated, for indeed the people will be deceived by him and will say, “This one is competent, this one is from the thinkers”, as is taking place today.
The affair is very dangerous and is a reason to refute the one in opposition, as opposed to what those ones say, “Abandon the refutations, leave the people, everyone has his own views and have respect for him”. By way of this respect for the views and freedom of speech, the Ummah will be destroyed. The pious predecessors did not keep quiet about the likes of these people; rather they exposed and refuted them due to their knowledge of the danger upon Ummah. We do not keep quiet about their evil; rather that which Allaah has revealed must be clarified. And unless (we do so), we will be from those who conceal the truth-those whom Allah spoke of (saying):
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ
Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences, and the guidance, which We have sent down after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allaah and cursed by the cursers.'[2:159]
And the affair is not limited to the Mubtadi, rather it is extended to the one who keeps quiet about him, for indeed rebuke and punishment is extended to him because it is obligatory to clarify for the people. Our intention is to clarify the truth. Our intention is not to (merely) disparage or speak about the people. The intent is to clarify the truth and this is a trust entrusted upon the Scholars. It is not permissible to keep quiet about these people. [An Excerpt from It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharhis Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree, Vol 1, page: 110-115. slightly paraphrased]
Footnote a: The Mu’mayyi’ah are those who seek to water down the solid principles of Salafi through which robust stance are taken against the people of Bidah. Read below
http://salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=BDH05&articleID=BDH050007&articlePages=1
The stance of the Sunnī towards those who are lenient with Ahlul-Bid’ah and harsh with Ahlus-Sunnah | Ahmad b. Hanbal with Alī b. Al-Madīnī
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