In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said:
One of the plots and deceptions employed by Shaytaan is to entice a servant of Allah towards sinful behavior by using good manners, friendliness, and cheerfulness, so a person is approached in this manner by someone whose evil one cannot escape except with a smirk, frowning and turning away from him. The enemy (shaytaan) makes it fair-seeming to him to approach this person with a warm demeanor, a pleasant countenance, and charming words, thus establishing a bond with him. However, once he desires to distance himself from this person, he finds himself incapable of doing so. The enemy (shaytaan) persists in his efforts until he attains his objective, thus he cunningly manipulates a servant of Allah through the guise of good behavior and a pleasant countenance. Hence, the knowledgeable scholars concerning the (ailments, weaknesses, and strengths) of the heart advised that one should turn away from the advocates of Bidah- neither greeting nor displaying a friendly demeanor towards them, and instead meeting them with a frown and turning away. [1]
The Stance of As-Salaf As-Saalih [The Pious Predecessors] Against Ahlul Bidah
Ibn Abbaas [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said, “Do not sit with the people of desires, because indeed it causes sickness of the heart”. [2]
Sallaam Ibn Abee Mutee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: A man from the people of (vain) desires said to Ayyoub As-Sakhtiyaanee, “O Abaa-Bakr! I want to ask you about some statement”. Ayyoub walked away and started gesturing with his finger, saying, “Not even half a statement”. [3]
Shu’aib [may Allaah have mercy upon him] narrated: I said to Ibn Seereen, “What is your view with regards to listening to the people of (vain) desires (i.e. ahlul bidah)?” He said, “We neither listen to them nor honour (them)”. [4]
Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad said, “Whoever sits with a person of bidah has not been given wisdom”. Al-Allaamah Saaleh Al-Fawzaan commented on this statement, saying,”He (i.e. the one who sits with a person of bidah) is deprived of wisdom, and wisdom is understanding of the religion ordained by Allah. The one who sits with ahlul bidah is deprived of understanding of the religion as punishment for him”. [5]
Allah [The Most High] said: [وَلَا تَرۡكَنُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ – And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you]. [Surah Hud: Ayah 113]
Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him] said: The word [ظلم –wrong] can be disbelief, bidah and immoral behaviour because (ظلم) can apply to all [i.e. in different contexts]. Therefore, we refrain from inclining towards the evildoers, the people of bidah, the Kuffaar, the secularists and other than them. And we protect ourselves, our Aqeedah, the Iemaan and the sound religion which Allah has bestowed on us. It is enough for us to remember that the Salaf [pious predecessors] fled from temptations- neither mixing nor sitting and debating with the people of temptation. Even amongst them, such as the likes of Ayyoub As-Sakhtiyaanee and Ibn Seereen did not listen to the speech of those (people of bidah). And when Ibn Seereen was asked, “Why do you not speak? Why do you not listen to them?” He said, “Indeed, my heart is not in my hands! I am not in control of my heart, I fear for myself that I may be misguided”. So the likes of these Imaams feared temptation and deviation for themselves, but you the needy one possess that bravery to enable you to challenge ahlul bidah….!!! Many people say, “We sit with ahlul ahwaa (i.e. the people of vain desires) and we take (from them), we distinguish between truth and falsehood, we take what is truth and abandon falsehood”, whilst he (i.e. the utterer of this speech) is a needy one (in knowledge and Imaan) who can neither distinguish between truth and falsehood nor is he in control of his heart. How many young people have been put to trial through this satanic view and thus he is degraded, reverted on his heels (into misguidance) and depraved? He falls prey in the arena of the people of temptation! Therefore, it is obligated to a student of knowledge not to ((regard) himself safe from ahlul bidah because he is not more knowledgeable than Ayyoub and Ibn Seereen, nor can he reach their station (in knowledge, piety etc) and those who followed them. [6]
Imaam As-Saabooni [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:
They [i.e. Ahlul Hadeeth] hated Ahlul-Bid’ah – those who initiated into the religion what is not from it. They neither loved them nor kept company with them. They neither listened to their speech nor sat with them. They neither argued with them about the religion nor debated with them”. Al-Allaamah Rabee [may Allah preserve him] stated after quoting this statement: “How is this (the case)? Is this (view initiated) from themselves or guidance from Allah and His Messenger, and that which the pious predecessors adhere to? Allah [Glorified and Exalted be He] warned against Ahlul Bidah and clarified for us that they are people of (vain) desires and that they follow Mutashaabihaat (i.e. texts that are not entirely clear in what they indicate, so they are referred back to other texts to be explained) and they abandon the Muhkamaat (i.e. very clear texts). Aa’isha [may Allah be pleased with her] said: The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] recited this Ayah:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
It is He Who has sent down to you [Muhammad] the Book [this Qur’an]. In it are Verses that are (entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkaam (commandments, etc.), Al-Faraa’id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudood (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others are Mutashaabihaat (i.e. not entirely clear in what they indicate, so they are to be referred back to the Muhkamaat to be explained]. So, as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking its ambiguous meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings except Allaah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: ‘’We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord.” And none receive admonition except men of understanding.’’ [Surah Aal Imraan. Aayah 7] She said: The Messenger said, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named (as having deviation from the truth)] so beware of them”. [Bukhaari Number 4547]
Allah clarified that they (i.e. ahlul bidah) harbour (vain) desires and deviation, and that they intend to misguide themselves and other people! They desire temptation and intend to misguide the people, and that is why the Messenger mentioned them and described their condition to us. He said, “Indeed there will appear a people out of my Ummah in whom desires will run through them just as rabies runs through a dog”.
Ahlul Sunnah – no doubt – hate Ahlul bidah and Imaam (As Saabooni)] mentioned a number of them [i.e. senior scholars of ahlul hadeeth] that they all agreed upon hating (Ahlul bidah). However, amongst them [i.e Ahlul bidah] there are du’aat [callers to their bidah]- they are neither to be sat with nor debated with, except in cases of necessity and for a Maslahah [i.e. a carefully assessed benefit identified by rightly guided scholars amongst the scholars], (otherwise), it is not permissible to enter into debate with them. It is not permissible to enter into a specific debate with the Rawaafid if you are weak (i.e. in knowledge and character), except if one is a man who is firmly grounded in knowledge and religion, (very proficient in) establishing proofs, clever and a possessor of (force and strength that enables him to easily excel in debate with the clear proofs without being affected by doubts). Then if he sees a benefit in debating them, he debates them. [وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ – and argue with them in a way that is better]. This is the legislated debate. Allah did not close the issue of debate completely, therefore, if we have a way of establishing the proof and guiding the people to good, we follow it. The one who is debated with may not benefit but others may benefit.
As for the weak one, then no (i.e. he does not engage in debate). Even amongst the scholars, there is one who is weak and led to be mistaken through Shub’hah [i.e. a statement or affair that resembles the truth but is falsehood in reality]. He may be a scholar but his character is weak, so he becomes weak in the presence of Ahlul bidah, even if they are younger than him and lesser in knowledge! Indeed, it has happened to many of those who ascribe to the Sunnah and Hadeeth due to their weakness and opposition to the methodology of the pious predecessors. Al Bayhaqqi was from the seniors of Ahlul hadeeth and their scholars and was deceived by some of the Ashaa’irah such as Ibn Fawrak and his ilk, so he fell into Ash’ariyyah! How many among the youth- in this era – have been ruined at the hands of Ahlul bidah?! How many youths, middle-aged men, and graduates from universities have been deceived by Ahlul bidah, and thus they fall into their arms?! They are deceived by the parties (of illegal partisanship) and thus fall into their arms! Why is this? Because they did not act upon the statement of the Messenger, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named (as having deviation from the truth) so beware of them”. The strong one calls Ahlul bidah, he calls the Christians; there has to be Dawah in the path of Allah and there have to be strong scholars who disseminate the religion of Allah, and when necessary, they debate so that the proofs are established and benefit one who is to benefit. [7]
[1] Ighaathatul Laffaan 1/140
[2] Reported by: Imaam Al-Aajuree in Ash-Shari’ah 1/453
[3] Reported by Imaam Al-Aajuree in Ash-Sharee-ah 1/440
[4] Siyar A’laam Nubulaa 4/611
[5] It’haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree. 2/318
[6] An Excerpt from (الذريعة إلى بيان مقاصد كتاب الشريعة ) Vol 1 pages 192-193. Slightly paraphrased
[7] An Excerpt from ‘Sharh Aqeedah As-Salaf Ashaab Al-Hadeeth’ pages 301-304′. slightly paraphrased
