The Ruling on Testifying to Paradise and Disavowing the Companions
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The questioner:
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted from Ibn Khafif his statement: "Testifying to Paradise and disavowing are innovations."
The Shaykh:
Testifying to Paradise and disavowing means we do not declare a specific person to be in Paradise, nor do we know who is in the Fire except by evidence. We have mentioned this to you before, so why the error? It is not that we declare a specific person to be in Paradise or the Fire; that is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). However, we hold a good opinion of the Muslim and hope for him the best. We hold a bad opinion of the non-Muslim and fear for him the Fire. Yes.
The questioner:
He asks: Is the intent here what the Shi'ah believe regarding testifying to the People of the House in general for Paradise, and the Shi'ah belief in disavowing the Companions except for three, or except for seven?
The Shaykh:
No, this is a fundamental issue in the books of creed. We only testify for a specific person for Paradise or the Fire if the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for him. As for disavowal among the Shi'ah, they demand it in the last part of the creed, where it becomes clear that they mean disavowing the people of the Sunnah. Because, in their view, the people of the Sunnah are jurists who call the polytheists "mushrikin" and attack the people, then they supplicate to the polytheists while they declare the Muslims to be disbelievers. This is what they mean by disavowal.
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted from Ibn Khafif his statement: "Testifying to Paradise and disavowing are innovations."
The Shaykh:
Testifying to Paradise and disavowing means we do not declare a specific person to be in Paradise, nor do we know who is in the Fire except by evidence. We have mentioned this to you before, so why the error? It is not that we declare a specific person to be in Paradise or the Fire; that is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). However, we hold a good opinion of the Muslim and hope for him the best. We hold a bad opinion of the non-Muslim and fear for him the Fire. Yes.
The questioner:
He asks: Is the intent here what the Shi'ah believe regarding testifying to the People of the House in general for Paradise, and the Shi'ah belief in disavowing the Companions except for three, or except for seven?
The Shaykh:
No, this is a fundamental issue in the books of creed. We only testify for a specific person for Paradise or the Fire if the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for him. As for disavowal among the Shi'ah, they demand it in the last part of the creed, where it becomes clear that they mean disavowing the people of the Sunnah. Because, in their view, the people of the Sunnah are jurists who call the polytheists "mushrikin" and attack the people, then they supplicate to the polytheists while they declare the Muslims to be disbelievers. This is what they mean by disavowal.
Source
الشهادة والبراءة — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.