The Ruling on Describing Muslims as Extremists and Its Criterion
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Question:
And when the questioner mentioned the new terms used regarding Muslims, or some of them, such as rejecting Muslims by calling them extremists, hardliners, or terrorists, and so on, he then asked question number fifty-seven, saying: Do the Muslims consider their brothers to be from the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance? And what is the ruling? And what is obligatory upon them?
Answer:
There may be among the Muslims, in these circles, those who are terrorists and those who claim affiliation with Islam. Do they explode now and kill innocent lives? They slaughter people like sheep, children and boys, and they call this jihad in the path of Allah. Is this extremism or correct religion? There is no doubt that there is extremism among those who claim affiliation with Islam. There are also those who follow the path of the Khawarij among those who claim affiliation with Islam. It is obligatory to present matters to the Book and the Sunnah. What agrees with the Book and the Sunnah is truth; it is not extremism and not rigidity. What contradicts the Book and the Sunnah is rigidity and extremism, even if its proponent claims it is religion, that it is Islam, and that it is jihad in the path of Allah. The Khawarij in the past killed the Companions and said, "We are fighting in the path of Allah." They killed the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "We are fighting in the path of Allah." Is this extremism or is this truth?
So we do not say that there is no extremism at all among the Muslims, nor do we say that everyone who claims to be good and everyone who calls to Allah has extremism. It is obligatory that we be broad-minded and present matters to the Book and the Sunnah, so that extremism is distinguished from uprightness. We do not accept matters based on a vague excuse. No. Rather, it is necessary to make distinctions and it is necessary to present matters to the Book and the Sunnah. The people of knowledge do this, and whoever does not know should ask the people of knowledge, and the truth will become clear to him, if Allah wills. Yes.
And when the questioner mentioned the new terms used regarding Muslims, or some of them, such as rejecting Muslims by calling them extremists, hardliners, or terrorists, and so on, he then asked question number fifty-seven, saying: Do the Muslims consider their brothers to be from the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance? And what is the ruling? And what is obligatory upon them?
Answer:
There may be among the Muslims, in these circles, those who are terrorists and those who claim affiliation with Islam. Do they explode now and kill innocent lives? They slaughter people like sheep, children and boys, and they call this jihad in the path of Allah. Is this extremism or correct religion? There is no doubt that there is extremism among those who claim affiliation with Islam. There are also those who follow the path of the Khawarij among those who claim affiliation with Islam. It is obligatory to present matters to the Book and the Sunnah. What agrees with the Book and the Sunnah is truth; it is not extremism and not rigidity. What contradicts the Book and the Sunnah is rigidity and extremism, even if its proponent claims it is religion, that it is Islam, and that it is jihad in the path of Allah. The Khawarij in the past killed the Companions and said, "We are fighting in the path of Allah." They killed the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "We are fighting in the path of Allah." Is this extremism or is this truth?
So we do not say that there is no extremism at all among the Muslims, nor do we say that everyone who claims to be good and everyone who calls to Allah has extremism. It is obligatory that we be broad-minded and present matters to the Book and the Sunnah, so that extremism is distinguished from uprightness. We do not accept matters based on a vague excuse. No. Rather, it is necessary to make distinctions and it is necessary to present matters to the Book and the Sunnah. The people of knowledge do this, and whoever does not know should ask the people of knowledge, and the truth will become clear to him, if Allah wills. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 11 من 16 / شرح مسائل الجاهلية / المسألة التاسعة والخمسون/ صالح الفوزان / العقيدة/ كبار العلماء — youtube.com (57:09)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.