Reflect when one new to Islam suddenly becomes a speaker and starts making strange statements

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

Allah [The Exalted] said:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

And thus do We explain the signs (to you O Muḥammad) in detail, and so that the way of the criminals may become evident (to you). [Surah Al-An’aam. Ayah 55] [1]

Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Meaning, Allah [The Exalted] stated that just as He explained what was previously explained of the arguments and evidence on the path of guidance and sound judgment, and censured argumentation and stubbornness; also, He explains the signs (proofs, evidence, lessons), which those being addressed need;

ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين

“And so that the way of the criminals may become evident”.

Meaning, so that the path of the criminals – those who oppose the Messengers – may become evident. [2]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Those who know Allah, His Book, and the religion He has ordained are acquainted with the path of the believers and that of the criminals in detail- the two paths are visible to them, just as a path leading to its destination and the path leading to destruction is made visible. They are the most knowledgeable among the creation- the ones who benefit (the people) the most, the ones with the most useful advice and they are evidence of right guidance. This is why the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) have excelled over all those to come after them until the Day of Judgment because they were brought up upon the path of misguidance, Shirk, and the paths leading to destruction, and they knew them in detail; then the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] came to them and took them out from darkness (and entered them) into complete light- from shirk (polytheism) into Tawhid (pure Islamic Monotheism), from ignorance into knowledge, from misguidance into guidance, from injustice into justice, from confusion and blindness into guidance and clear-sightedness. They knew the worth of that which they received and were triumphant by way of it. They knew the worth of that which was contained in what they received since what is in opposition to the (truth and right guidance) manifests the goodness of what it opposes because affairs are made clear by way of their opposites. So, they (Sahabah) increased in desire and love of that which they embraced, disliked, and hated that which they had turned away from. And of all the people, they had the most love for Tawhid, Iman, and Islam, and had the most hatred for that which was in opposition to it. They were the most knowledgeable of the (right) path in detail.

As for those who came after the Sahabah, among them, is one who was brought up in Islam but knows not what is in opposition to it. Therefore, some of the details of the path of the believers and that of the criminals became confusing to him because confusion occurs due to the weakness of one’s knowledge regarding both paths or one of them, as Umar Ibn Al-Khattab [may Allah be pleased with him] said:

“The robust signposts of Islam will be undone one after the other when a people who grew up in Islam know not what Jahiliyyah-[Pre-Islamic Ignorance] is”.

This (statement shows an aspect of) Umar’s perfect knowledge. There is that one who is neither acquainted with the path of the criminals nor has it been made clear to him, or he has doubts and thus thinks that some of their ways are from the ways of the believers. This has occurred in this Ummah in many affairs of Creed, Knowledge, and deeds regarding the path of the criminals, the disbelievers, and the enemies of the Messengers, (which) was brought into the path of the believers by the one who does not know the (detailed distinction between) the path of believers and the path of the criminals, so he called to (this path), excommunicated the one in opposition and declares lawful that which Allah and His Messenger made unlawful, just as what has occurred with many of the people of bidah, such as the Jahmiyyah, the Qadariyyah, the Khawaarij, the Rawaafid and their ilk- among those who initiated a Bidah, called to it and excommunicated those who opposed it.

The people are four categories in this subject matter (i.e. their knowledge of the path of the believers and the criminals).

The first group is those who know the path of the believers and that of the criminals in detail– in both knowledge and action. They are the most knowledgeable among the creation.

The second group is those who are blind to both paths- those resembling animals. The path of the criminals is presented to them and they follow it.

The third group is those who concern themselves with (seeking) knowledge of the path of the believers and not its opposite- only acquainted with (the path of the criminals) by way of its opposition to the (path of the believers) and in a general way, and that all that is in opposition to the path of the believers is falsehood, even though that is not illustrated to him in detail; rather, turns away when he hears some of that which contradicts the path of the believers and does not preoccupy himself in understanding and knowing its falsity (i.e. by way of learning from the upright people of knowledge). This person is in a state (similar) to one who is safeguarded from following desires- whose heart is neither put at risk nor is he called to (such desires)- as opposed to those who are aware of (such desires) and their souls are inclined towards them, but they strive against it for the Sake of Allah. A letter was written to Umar Ibnul Khattaab [may Allah be pleased with him] and he was asked about this affair, as to which of the two men is the better- a man who is not put at risk by way of desires and does not go through its difficulties, or a man who is urged towards it but abandons it for the Sake of Allah? Umar wrote back saying, “The one who is desirous of sin but abandons it for the Sake of Allah is from ‘those whose hearts Allaah has tested for piety. For them, there is forgiveness and a great reward’”. [Al-Hujuraat.3]

The fourth group knows the path of evil, bidah, and kufr in detail and the path of the believers in general. This is the situation of many of those who concern themselves with the beliefs of the previous nations and that of the people of bidah (proponents of religious innovation). They are acquainted with (these affairs) in detail, but not with what the Messenger came with; rather they are acquainted with it in general even though they may know some of its affairs in detail. Whoever examines their books will see that. Likewise, those who know the paths of evil, oppression, and corruption in detail and are followers of it, if they repent, abandon these (affairs) and return to the path of the pious believers, then their knowledge of it will only be general. They will not be acquainted with it in that detailed manner known to those who spend their lives (studying) its regulations and ways.

The Objective: Indeed, Allah [Glorified be He] loves that one should know the path of His enemies to avoid and hate it, just as the path of His Awliyaa (close friends, allies) should be known and followed. [3]

[1]: Translation by Shaikh Abu Iyaad: https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/6_55%5D

[2]: Tafseer ibn Katheer

[3]: An Excerpt from ‘Al-Fawaa’d pages 167-180