[2] Gentle Admonitions to Those Confused by Some of The Repackaged Mid and Late 90s Sentiments…

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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

It is obligated to you to give detail and make a distinction, because unrestricted and general (statements)without clarification have indeed corrupted this existence (the world), and misguided the intellect and views in every era.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, commented on the above statement:

There has to be a detailed explanation. The one who is not proficient in giving detail should keep quiet, because benefit is not acquired from his speech. And every time error occurs, its cause is due to an absence of detailed explanation regarding truth and falsehood. There has to be detailed explanation and distinction and not to mix up [affairs]. Indeed, it may be that there is something of truth and falsehood in an opponent’s statement, so all of it is neither deemed to be false nor truth; rather there has to be a distinction between its truth and falsehood. All of it is neither rejected nor accepted; rather a distinction is made regarding the truth and what is correct and the falsehood and error in it. And if you are not proficient in giving detail, then you should not enter into this field.  [1]

Al-Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:

The questioner says: We request a comment from you on this statement: “Indeed both Sunnah and Bidah may be gathered in a man, thus, if the Sunnah is predominant in him, he is a Sunni Salafi. And if bidah is predominant in him, he is an innovator, a misguided one”. Benefit us (i.e. with a comment) and may Allah reward you.

Response: This (statement) is from the [مغالطات-i.e. those misleading statements or matters that are brought forth for the purpose of deception or sophistry].

There is no doubt that the one in whom Bidah is predominant is an innovator in religious matters, but it is not a condition, for example, that he has thirty (matters) of bidah with him and twenty (matters) of Sunnah, because he may have one bidah with him, thus declared an innovator in religious matters. Rather the verdict of disbelief may be passed against him. (footnote a) Because if he adheres to all the Sunnah, but then he says, “Indeed, the Qur’an is created”, do we say that the Sunnah is predominant in this (person)? The Salaf (pious predecessors) declared (people) disbelievers due this because the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah and not created. The Salaf held a consensus regarding this. If he says, “I am a Sunni and the Qur’an is created”, we say: ”You are an innovator in religion, a misguided one, rather this innovation of yours is tantamount to disbelief.  Either you recant or else you are a disbeliever.”  We clarify the truth for him and unless he recants, otherwise he is a disbeliever. He rejects the Ruyah (i.e. he rejects the fact that the believers will see Allah on the day of judgement) and says: “I am a Sunni in everything except in this, for I do not believe that Allah will be seen in the Afterlife.” This one (i.e. the person who says this) has belied the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

This principle (i.e. that a person is a Sunni Salafi or an innovator depending whether the Sunnah or Bidah is predominant in him) is false; and how many with a single bidah – among the major bidah- were declared innovators by the Salaf?! Jad Ibn Dirham had two innovations- negation of the attributes of Allah and the statement (i.e. the belief) that the Qur’an is created, while he used to pray, observe fasting and worshipped Allah. And how many of Ahlul bidah and the devout worshippers have numerous (practices) of Sunnah, but alongside this he is an innovator!

Therefore, it is obligated to the Sunni to be solely dedicated to the truth and that his religion (Creed, Methodology and acts of worship) are pure and not stained by anything from the (matters) of bidah.

However, if he falls into a Bidah khafiyyah, while he is desirous of the truth and seeking after it, then if the people were to inform him about it he would recant. Thus, we do not pass the judgement of Tabdee against this person. If he had passed away we ask Allah to forgive him and we do not pass the verdict of Tabdee against him. If he is alive, we advice him, and unless he accepts (the truth), we pass the verdict of Tabdee against him. [2] [End of quote]

NB: The details in the above article are not intended to pass a specific judgement on anyone who has fallen into Bid‘ah. Rather, our intent is to clarify a misconception, along with similar misconceptions uttered by certain people on social media, who haphazardly seek to find a middle ground instead of returning to the detailed statements of the scholars.

So, once again, we are not applying this article as Tabdee against anyone who has recently fallen into serious errors. Rather, it is intended – generally –  as a means of returning to old principles dealing with the issue of mistakes and stances against them.

Just because some people—despite being guilty of praising Ahlul Bid‘ah, concealing a fatwa of Al-Allamah Rabee, involving themselves in harmful politics, cutting and pasting the statements of others, and seeking to blackmail a person who has testimony to give against them—have uttered false and oppressive Tabdee, this does not mean that we should engage in the same sin in retaliation. This is because Tabdee is a ruling in the Shariah, and it is a matter left to those who are qualified to issue such rulings. May Allah grant us Ikhlas, Sidq and Husnul Khatimah. Amin.

[1] An Excerpt from At-Ta-leeqaat Al-Mukhtasar Alaa Al-Qaseedah an-Nuniyyah: 1/216] [end of quote]

[2] Bahjah Al-Qaaree Bi-Fawaa’id Manhajiyyah Wa Durus Tarbawiyyah Min Kitab Al-i’tisam Bi Al-Kitab Was-Sunnah Min Sahih Al-Bukhari. Question number 13. Pages 92-93