Principles Ignored, Evaded, Or Sidetracked By Some Following The Death Of Some Senior Scholars

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi al-Mad’khali, may  Allah have mercy upon him, stated, while addressing Falih Al-Harbi:

You said — may Allah pardon you — in the continuation of the answer to the third question: “My brother, these people have deceived the people (or confounded truth with falsehood for the people) because indeed they are ignoramuses, yet they teach people principles which they claim are the principles of Ahlus Sunnah regarding judging men. The men involved in narration (Riwāyah) are not the same as the men involved in Fatwa and knowledge. These people have misled the world with this principle (i.e. that these things are the same). Their situation is that they come along with a principle from the science of hadith transmission (ʿilm al-riwāyah) and apply it to speaking about the people of Bidah by the scholars of Ahus Sunnah”.

I (i.e. Shaikh Rabee) say: Yes, indeed, the people of vain desires do have false principles, but the principle that ‘the reasons for criticism must be explained when criticism and commendation conflict’ is a sound principle. It is – without doubt – one of the principles of Ahus Sunnah, and it must be applied when Tabdee is declared against a Muslim who is known for Salafiyyah, or (when) he is declared sinful, accused of disbelief, or accused of spying and collaboration (espionage, treachery).  Have you seen (or considered) that if an Ālim or Mutaʿālim came along and accused Shaikh Fālih of Bidah or fisq, etc., would you accept this from him, submit to it, and not ask him to explain the reason for this Tabdee or (judgement regarding) Fisq, and to establish proof and evidence for his claim?! I say:

And I say: O my brother, the question was about the requirement of explaining the reasons for a criticism (with regards to) when a person is well known among people that indeed he is a Salafi – claims that about himself – (which is not the same) as a person who is, for example, well known for Rafḍ (Rafidism), Sufism, grave worship, illegal partisanship, nor (is it the same) about teaching a book that discusses deviant sects, or a lecture being given by a scholar who is speaking about these sects.

O brother, if you were to go to any scholar among the scholars of Sunnah – such as Ibn Baz, al-Albani, Ibn Uthaymin, or al-Fawzan – with ill speech against one of their students, about whom they believe to be from Ahlus Sunnah – the Salafis – and about whom they believe wage war against Bidah and its people; if you were to make Tabdee of one of their students or a group, would he accept this principle from you through which you have distinguished between speech about the subject of (riwāyah) and speech regarding the subject of Tabdee?

Would these scholars agree with you that the principle about explaining the reasons for criticism when there is a conflict between criticism and commendation, or when there is a need to clarify the reasons, is a false principle? Would they agree with you that whoever holds this principle misguides the people through it?

And in your discussion with the questioner, you added in your statement: “O brother, that which its path is [السماع – transmitting reports, either the student receiving verbal transmissions directly from the teacher or the student reading to the teacher, etc.], the field regarding this is Riwayah [transmission of hadith with its methods of preservation], and Riwayah is one of the disciplines of knowledge. As for that which is based on derivation and deduction based on what has been heard and transmitted from the Shariah – from the day it was revealed until Allah completed it, and Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed away and revelation came to an end – its field is related to Fatwa, and one refers in this matter to the scholars.”

I (i.e. Shaikh Rabee) say: Indeed, the question of the questioner was about the requirement of explaining the reasons behind criticism, while he finds himself living in trial and tribulation, in whose midst are profuse raging arguments, Qeel Wal Qaal, Tabdee, and claims of misguidance from every side claiming to be from Ahl al-Sunnah. So, the correct answer is that indeed when one side or (opposing) sides declare Tabdee or declare others misguided, the reasons for this Tabdee must be explained – a clear and sufficient explanation through which proof is established, the roots of the fitna are eliminated, and it is made clear to people that the rulings of the side making the Tabdee are based on knowledge, evidence, and proof. Have you not seen that those who oppose you claim that they are the true people of the Sunnah and the true Salafis, and that indeed you are upon falsehood, an oppressor, a spiteful one, and envious? And they have their bold initiatives and repeated engagements here and there.

What if they made Tabdee of you and those with you, declare you misguided, and spoke ill of you with whatever they wished? Then, when people denounce them and demand that they explain the reasons for this declaration of Tabdee, misguidance, and ill speech (against you), they respond (saying) that they are not obliged to explain the reasons based on this distinction you make, emphasise, and declare misguided the one who does not make this distinction!

Source: An Excerpt from Juhud Al-Allamah Rabee Al-Mad’khali Fee Naqd Shubuhat Al-Hizbiyyeen 225-228. Paraphrased.

To be continued InShaAllah