Advice from Shaykh Al-Fawzan regarding the classification of preachers and scholars and sowing discord between them?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Now, the second question? The second question, may you live long, is the proliferation of classifications among scholars and preachers. This one is a Jammi and that one is an Ikhwan, especially our preachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What is the Shaykh’s opinion on this matter? Yes, thank you.
Answer:
There is no doubt that this is a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) stirred up by the wicked or the ignorant. This is a fitnah among the people, the general public, the general Muslims, even the common folk. It is not permissible to incite or sow discord between Muslims. How much less so between scholars? And these titles they invent and bestow upon those they do not like, all of this is from falsehood.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says[Al-Hujurat 49:10] so it is not permissible to sow discord between Muslims with this description, this incitement, and these titles. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says [Al-Hujurat 49:11] It is obligatory that when you see any of this, you reconcile the people and you forbid the one who incites and sows discord between the people; you should advise him and declare his action wrong. As for these matters that have disfigured Islam, divided the Muslims, and filled hearts with hatred, these are from the devils of mankind and jinn. It is obligatory to reject them, leave them, reconcile the people, strive for good among the people, and unite their words. This is what is obligatory. Yes.
Now, the second question? The second question, may you live long, is the proliferation of classifications among scholars and preachers. This one is a Jammi and that one is an Ikhwan, especially our preachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What is the Shaykh’s opinion on this matter? Yes, thank you.
Answer:
There is no doubt that this is a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) stirred up by the wicked or the ignorant. This is a fitnah among the people, the general public, the general Muslims, even the common folk. It is not permissible to incite or sow discord between Muslims. How much less so between scholars? And these titles they invent and bestow upon those they do not like, all of this is from falsehood.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says
The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy.
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَand do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 2238 - نصيحة من الشيخ الفوزان حول تصنيف الدعاة والعلماء ونشر الفرقة بينهم؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.