Speaking ill of the ʿUlamā and Students of Knowledge and causing confusion
Question #330:
There are a group of brothers in the United States of America who claim to be “upon clarity” and upon Salafiyyah. These brothers have some traits that they have carried forward from before they were Muslims:
- Seeking out the faults of the ʿUlamā, students of knowledge, and laymen (from Ahlus-Sunnah).
- Harboring suspicious thoughts (without established facts or knowledge) of the ʿUlamā, students of knowledge and laymen (again, we are speaking about well-known salafis whose trustworthiness has been affirmed).
- Working as a group (making Walāʾ and Barāʾ) whether or not their decisions are based on the Qurʾān and Sunnah (upon the understanding of the Salaf) and not returning back to the ʿUlamā before doing so.
- Causing fitnah in the lands of the muslims (and elsewhere) by pressurizing individuals not to sit in certain durūs of well-known Salafi ʿUlamā and students of knowledge based upon what they may perceive to be incorrect (And they do this even though it contradicts the speech (advice) of the salafi ʿUlamā regarding this same matter. For example, recently some from this group decided to stop attending the durūs in the markaz in Perlis (Malaysia) due to what they perceived was an incorrect position that one of the mashāyikh took in a matter of Ijtihād . And a similar situation occurred in Egypt (at the only Salafi Markaz there). These individuals openly warn against that Markaz even though Shaykh Yaḥyā has advised the people to attend the durūs there (of Shaykh Muḥammad bin Ibrahīm).
Oh Shaykh, What is your advice to these individuals? Are any of these characteristics such that a person would leave the fold of Ahlus-Sunnah?
Answer:
The question was asked to Shaykh Abul Yamān al-Masqarī Ḥafidhahullāh. The question was posed to the Shaykh in Arabic with slight variation (non-significant) from what was mentioned above. The Shaykh answered saying:
Translation:
We advise these brothers to hold fast to the Kitāb and the Sunnah and to act upon them. And it is not the meaning of “holding fast”, to boycott the brothers and blame them with matters which are not in them. So, they should keep Taqwā of Allāh and they should know that they will be taken into account (in the Ākhirah) for whatever they say and (the Prophet Sallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam said:)
الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ، لَا يَظْلِمُهُ، وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ
“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he does not oppress him, nor does he betray him.” Reported by Muslim
And, the Prophet (Sallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) said:
ولا تدابروا
“and do not desert one another” Al-Bukhārī – 6064
As long as the brother is a salafi and upon your way (both are on the same manhaj), even if he makes a small mistake or he is upon a considerable opinion (different from your stance), then it is not upon you to defame him or to have contempt for him, as having contempt for a Muslim is from the greatest sins, we seek protection of Allāh from that.
So we advise all with brotherhood and to have good thoughts regarding each other. And as for a person to be amazed by himself and think that there is no one having firmness as him and no one is being upon salafiyyah as he is, up until he slanders all the Sighār (younger ones) and the Kibār (elders – in knowledge), then this is unnecessary and let him have Taqwā of Allāh.
And it is applicable to him what is applicable to the scholars and his brothers and upon him is to return to the people of knowledge, and to not be hasty. And upon him first is to leave the lands of kufr. And he should know that his staying there is a harm upon him and it is a defect in him. And upon him is to acknowledge his mistake (of remaining in lands of kufr) before accusing his brothers who are in the lands of the Muslims.This (is what I want to say).
Allāh, He is the one Who Grants success, the One who Corrects us and we ask Allāh to reconcile between the brothers and to give them tawfīq.
Wallāhul Mustaʿān.
Answered by: Shaykh Abul Yamān ʿAdnān al-Masqarī Ḥafidhahullāh
Translated by: ʿAbdunNūr al-Hindī