What is meant by Ibn Khafif's statement: "And the testimony and disavowal are an innovation"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted from Ibn Khafif his statement: "And the testimony and disavowal are an innovation."
The Shaykh:
By "testimony and disavowal," he means that we do not testify for a specific person that he is in Paradise, nor do we disavow him from the Fire, except with evidence. This has been mentioned to you before and repeated to you; you know that we do not testify for a specific person regarding Paradise or the Fire, for that is up to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). However, we hold a good opinion of the Muslim and hope for him the best, and we hold a bad opinion of the non-Muslim and fear for him the Fire. Yes.
The questioner:
He asks: Is the intention here what the Shi'ah believe, namely testifying to the People of the House in general that they are in Paradise, and that disavowal is the Shi'ah belief in disavowing the Companions except for three, or except for seven?
The Shaykh:
No, he is not referring to that. He is referring to the fundamental issue in the books of creed. We do not testify for a specific person that he is in Paradise or the Fire, except for those for whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified. As for the disavowal that the Shi'ah demand at the end of Hajj, it has become clear that they intend disavowal of the people of the Sunnah. Because the people of the Sunnah are considered disbelievers by them, and they call them polytheists. They mislead people by saying that you are supplicating for the polytheists, when they actually mean the Muslims. That is their intention, and that is the basis of their disavowal. Yes.
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted from Ibn Khafif his statement: "And the testimony and disavowal are an innovation."
The Shaykh:
By "testimony and disavowal," he means that we do not testify for a specific person that he is in Paradise, nor do we disavow him from the Fire, except with evidence. This has been mentioned to you before and repeated to you; you know that we do not testify for a specific person regarding Paradise or the Fire, for that is up to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). However, we hold a good opinion of the Muslim and hope for him the best, and we hold a bad opinion of the non-Muslim and fear for him the Fire. Yes.
The questioner:
He asks: Is the intention here what the Shi'ah believe, namely testifying to the People of the House in general that they are in Paradise, and that disavowal is the Shi'ah belief in disavowing the Companions except for three, or except for seven?
The Shaykh:
No, he is not referring to that. He is referring to the fundamental issue in the books of creed. We do not testify for a specific person that he is in Paradise or the Fire, except for those for whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified. As for the disavowal that the Shi'ah demand at the end of Hajj, it has become clear that they intend disavowal of the people of the Sunnah. Because the people of the Sunnah are considered disbelievers by them, and they call them polytheists. They mislead people by saying that you are supplicating for the polytheists, when they actually mean the Muslims. That is their intention, and that is the basis of their disavowal. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [638 -1024] ما المقصود بقول ابن خفيف: والشهادة والبراءة بدعة؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.