[2] Truth Remains Crystal Clear, Even As Persistent, Unapologetic Wrongdoers Attempt to Cloak Themselves In The Tweets and Words of Scholars and Students of Knowledge

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

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “One of you looks at the speck in his brother’s eye while forgetting the stump in his own eye.” [1]

Al-Allamah Zayd Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khalee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: 

This narration shows that it is obligatory to preoccupy himself with his faults before looking at those of others. It is a severe heedlessness that a Muslim becomes heedless of his faults and delays rectification of himself, yet he criticises others even though his faults are more and greater than those of others. Therefore what is obligated to a Muslim and a Muslimah is to strive to prevent oneself from violating Allah’s commands and prohibitions. Also, one should strive to call others to the (path of) Allaah, so that they are distanced from sins – as sins are a heavy burden on a person in this life and the next- and make them inclined towards obedience to Allah, which will make their scales of good deeds heavy, earns a person paradise and the pleasure of Allah, and saves him from Allah’s anger and His painful punishment. 

However, it must be borne in mind that warning against ahlul bidah – those who call to their bidah through speech and books-is not tantamount to seeking after the faults of others, for indeed to warn against ahlul bidah is an established Sunnah- obligated by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. That is because to abandon the mention of a Mubtadi to warn against him is tantamount to abandoning enjoining good and Forbidding evil. Therefore, we must make a distinction to know what is commanded and what is prohibited, and the difference between warning against (innovators, innovations) and the (blameworthy act) of seeking after the faults of others. [2] [End of quote]

We ask Allah to include us among those who diligently reflect upon their own shortcomings, who are preoccupied with their shortcomings, and who earnestly endeavour to rectify themselves. Furthermore, may Allah include us among those who advocate for righteousness, discourage wrongdoing, and graciously accept counsel from all who offer us the light of truth. Imam Fudayl Ibn Iyad, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Humility is that you humble yourself to the truth and accept it from the one who says it. Humility is that you accept the truth, even if heard from a child or the most ignorant person”. [3]

Once more, we have witnessed a group of unapologetic, self-entitled, and self-important individuals emphasising a tweet by Shaikh Muhammad Bin Ghalib Al-Omari, may Allah preserve him. It is crucial to remind ourselves that not everyone who advocates for refraining from scrutinising the shortcomings of others possesses the moral fortitude to uphold such a principle, nor does every individual who asserts that criticism must be grounded in accuracy, justice, and piety is one who genuinely adheres to this standard. For instance, during the lockdowns, we witnessed a troubling trend where individuals, now champions of subjective justice and virtuous conduct, engaged in mockery and harsh treatment of others. Despite the undeniable evidence that their behaviour during this period was wholly inappropriate, they have yet to offer an apology. In addition, they are also required to apologise for other misdeeds. Some of them, who retweeted Shaikh Muhammad’s tweet, are infamous for their victim mentality. They exhibit a reluctance to recognise their responsibilities to others and frequently resort to various online strategies to evade accountability, all while minimising the gravity of their actions. Therefore, each claimant must undergo a meticulous evaluation, considering their statements, behaviours, and the surrounding context. Let us revisit the original tweet by Shaikh Muhammad:

نصيحة لبعض الأفاضل من طلبة العلم

لا تجعل نظرك إلى غيرك نظر النقد دائما،

فالنقد للكتاب أو العبارة أو الصوتية؛ يحتاج إلى علم وعدل وورع؛ وإلا وقعت في جهل وظلم وفجور.

ليس من الصواب أن يكون قولك صوابا دائما، فذلك قول رسولنا صلى الله عليه وسلم لا غيره.

عوّد نفسك على قبول الحق؛ ولو كان من عدوّك، فذلك دليل رجاحة عقلك، وهو عنوان تعظيم الحق

An advice for some of the virtuous ones from the students of knowledge: Do not consistently view others through a lens of criticism. Critiquing a text, statement, or audio requires knowledge, justice, and ورع [4]; otherwise, you risk falling into ignorance, injustice, and evil doing. It is not correct to assume that your perspective is always correct, as only the speech of our Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, hold that distinction. Train yourself to accept the truth, even if it comes from an adversary, as this reflects the soundness of your intellect and signifies an exaltation of the truth. [End of quote] [Paraphrased]

May Allah include us among those who embrace and submit to the truth. Nevertheless, this tweet does not diminish the importance of pursuing the specific matter that warrants promoting good and asking those individuals to recant their bad behaviour. Those who have made some specific clear mistakes and continue in them, despite being advised to correct their ways, cannot use this tweet as a defence against scrutiny. Furthermore, they cannot assert that anyone seeking an apology is acting out of ignorance or malice. Anyone making such claims, whether directly or indirectly, and regardless of their standing in the eyes of the people in the East or the West, must provide evidence to support their position. We do not rely on the likes of these general statements to absolve anyone of responsibility, nor can any retweeter – who pursues an agenda to deflect responsibility – make this statement of Shaikh Muhammad take precedence over the concrete evidence of their misdeeds that they are required to address. The most effective course of action is to stop lamenting about the alleged unfair scrutiny they are experiencing or the risk that those advocating for proper conduct may succumb to ignorance and wrongdoing. Instead, they should maturely acknowledge their errors, reflect on the circumstances, and offer a sincere apology. Although this approach can be challenging and often leads individuals to deflect blame and engage in psychological avoidance, we must all ask Allah to grant us the Tawfeeq to adhere to the truth.

The habitual use of deflection on social media based on some of the statements of scholars and their students is becoming a detrimental trend. It serves as a means to manipulate the narrative. This should not discourage us; rather, whenever people utilise this deflection and cast themselves as victims of unwarranted scrutiny, we will address it. Ultimately, anyone who chooses to defend them—regardless of their position—and makes statements that are erroneous, speculative, or partially true will be met with a response, whether they are located in the East or the West. We undertake this task only when attempts to manipulate the narrative are executed discreetly, with the perpetrator hiding behind the broad or specific remarks of individuals deemed important by the public.

We ask Allah:

[اللهم كما حَسَّنْت خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي – O Allah! Just as You made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful as well].

[1] Sahih Mawqoof (As-Saheehah 1/74-75) 

[2] Awnul Ahadis Samad Sharh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. 2/205

[3] Madarij As-Salikin 2/342

[4]: الورع  – Al-Wara (apprehensive fear): The translation of this term as “Apprehensive fear” was taken from one of Shaikh Abu Iyad’s articles