Do the common people study the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and fighting that occurred among the Companions, or do they attend university theses on it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Does this include even extracting lessons and lessons learned?
The Shaykh : Up to what extent?
The questioner : And this statement includes even what concerns extracting lessons and morals from those fitnahs (trials, discord or temptations) that occurred, meaning the door is closed completely, or
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is described exactly as such, especially among the common people. Even for a student of knowledge, I see that it is safer for you to leave this matter alone and not investigate it. What is the benefit?[Al-Baqarah 2:134] There is no benefit. Moreover, when a person investigates or reads history, his heart inevitably inclines toward one party and despises the other. This is very dangerous. No one has gone astray except through this. The Rafidah went astray by their Shi'ism for 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Khawarij went astray by rising against him. So a person is bound to be affected if he reads about it. As for the common people, there is no harm in it; they say, "If this was the action of the Companions, and they are the Companions, then those who came after them are even more likely to fight each other." Yes.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, with the increase of university theses on this topic, what is your opinion, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : University theses are written.
The questioner : Here, some students are conducting scientific research.
The Shaykh : As for me, my opinion is that safety is better, safety is better. One does not conduct scientific research unless a person is studying a specific issue, for example, if the Rafidah (the Twelver Shi'ah) spread their views on this topic, or the Khawarij (an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers) spread their views on this topic, then one verifies to refute them. That means we do not use it except only as a defense.
The questioner : It is necessary to present its worth.
The Shaykh : Yes, only as a defense.
The Shaykh : Up to what extent?
The questioner : And this statement includes even what concerns extracting lessons and morals from those fitnahs (trials, discord or temptations) that occurred, meaning the door is closed completely, or
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is described exactly as such, especially among the common people. Even for a student of knowledge, I see that it is safer for you to leave this matter alone and not investigate it. What is the benefit?
That was a nation which has passed on. It will have
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَاThe questioner : Our Shaykh, with the increase of university theses on this topic, what is your opinion, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : University theses are written.
The questioner : Here, some students are conducting scientific research.
The Shaykh : As for me, my opinion is that safety is better, safety is better. One does not conduct scientific research unless a person is studying a specific issue, for example, if the Rafidah (the Twelver Shi'ah) spread their views on this topic, or the Khawarij (an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers) spread their views on this topic, then one verifies to refute them. That means we do not use it except only as a defense.
The questioner : It is necessary to present its worth.
The Shaykh : Yes, only as a defense.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 1321 - 4600 هل يدرس العوام ما جرى بين الصحابة من فتنة وقتال أو يحضر فيها رسائل جامعية؟ ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.