Some of the young men, upon learning that you would be reading a book by al-Shawkani, left the lesson and said, “We do not attend to the books of innovators!”

The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: Some of the young men (may Allah guide them) who attend these lessons with you, when you began reading this book by Imam al-Shawkani, left the lesson and said, “We do not attend to the books of innovators like al-Shawkani and others, because they have deviations from the creed of the Salaf.”

The Shaykh:
We complain to Allah.

The questioner:
So how do we respond to that, may Allah grant you success?

The Shaykh:
Leave them. If they accept advice, advise them. Al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) only calls to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and forbids shirk (associating partners with Allah). If they accept, praise be to Allah; if they do not accept, leave them. These are the extremists about whom al-Shawkani said, “They are the extremists.”