The Family's Position on the Disagreement Among Scholars' Rulings
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
And in your hand, behind us, we sought refuge in some questions that were imposed on us and are not ours. So a questioner says, and this matter, may Allah guide you, is not the responsibility of the scholars as is well known. Destroying the door of religion from this in two answers, and this is what you see from you and Allah has made you known in this night, and my question is: What is the family's position regarding the people's disagreement among the scholars' rulings in matters where disagreement may be necessary?
Answer:
O my brothers, the recognized scholars never contradict each other in their rulings; rather, it is the ignorant, or those who think they know, or the people of desires and claims who contradict. As for the divine scholars, they do not contradict in their rulings. Also, the scholars have a reference point; they have leaders to whom they return, to whom they refer matters, and upon whom they rely, so the dispute and disagreement are resolved. But if everyone takes his own opinion, or if everyone claims to be a scholar, then this is a sign of spreading, a sign of branching out, and a sign of confusion. People must have a reference point to whom they return, to the people of knowledge, and they return to the recognized people of knowledge, known for knowledge, trustworthiness, religion, and piety, and there is never any contradiction or disagreement among them. Yes. May Allah reward you. Among the matters, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, there is no god but Allah, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, that it be absolute or that it be good. Whoever has a good intention has not criticized the call of the Companions, carrying from the Wahhabis. This is the intention. Pray, clarify regarding the Shaykh if he is pressuring the Shaykh, it is a mistake, clarify it here, clarify the Shaykh's mistake for us. Praise be to Allah, his books are available, his writings are available.
Do not err in any writing or any letter of his, may Allah have mercy on him; rather, they are filled with verification, knowledge, and advice, such that if you read them, you find light in your heart, and you find in your heart love for good and calling to Allah the Exalted and Majestic. But what is strange? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was accused and spoken about at length by the enemies, saying he is a sorcerer, that he is a madman, and that he is, and that he is, as Allah the Exalted and Majestic mentioned that in the Qur'an. They said he is a poet, a teacher, a madman, and other such statements.
And they said regarding the prophets before them that they wanted to dominate the people and seize power. They said this about Musa and Harun (peace be upon them both):[Yunus 10:78] So he, he is just a man who wants, they said regarding Nuh (peace be upon him) that he is [Al-Mu'minun 23:24] upon you. That he wants elevation, he wants elevation over them, so it is Nuh (peace be upon him) and that he wants elevation, and to be superior and arrogant toward the people.
This is not strange at all. And we write to the Shaykh, the Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, and say what they say. This is a statement about the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). But we return to the Shaykh's statements and writings. And we look. So if there is an error in them, we will clarify this error. And we direct the people. But if they are as they are, and praise be to Allah.
They are all a good summary from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and the guidance of the righteous Salaf. So it is not permissible for the Muslim except to acknowledge the truth and to submit to the truth, because one is tested and afflicted with insight, because if a person becomes clear to him the truth and he does not accept it, he is tested, and may Allah protect us, with falsehood, tested with falsehood, and they turn their hearts and their eyes as they did not the first time, and they are in their transgression, they know. So when they came, Allah answered their hearts, and Allah does not guide the people.
The wicked. So it is obligatory for the Muslim to accept the truth before he is tested with falsehood, and from insight and deviation, and may Allah protect us. Or he hears the words of people. If you pray, who says about the Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-'Abd al-Wahhab this bad talk, do not accept it until you return to the Shaykh's books, return to the Shaykh's articles and his books and his letters.
And in your hand, behind us, we sought refuge in some questions that were imposed on us and are not ours. So a questioner says, and this matter, may Allah guide you, is not the responsibility of the scholars as is well known. Destroying the door of religion from this in two answers, and this is what you see from you and Allah has made you known in this night, and my question is: What is the family's position regarding the people's disagreement among the scholars' rulings in matters where disagreement may be necessary?
Answer:
O my brothers, the recognized scholars never contradict each other in their rulings; rather, it is the ignorant, or those who think they know, or the people of desires and claims who contradict. As for the divine scholars, they do not contradict in their rulings. Also, the scholars have a reference point; they have leaders to whom they return, to whom they refer matters, and upon whom they rely, so the dispute and disagreement are resolved. But if everyone takes his own opinion, or if everyone claims to be a scholar, then this is a sign of spreading, a sign of branching out, and a sign of confusion. People must have a reference point to whom they return, to the people of knowledge, and they return to the recognized people of knowledge, known for knowledge, trustworthiness, religion, and piety, and there is never any contradiction or disagreement among them. Yes. May Allah reward you. Among the matters, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, there is no god but Allah, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, that it be absolute or that it be good. Whoever has a good intention has not criticized the call of the Companions, carrying from the Wahhabis. This is the intention. Pray, clarify regarding the Shaykh if he is pressuring the Shaykh, it is a mistake, clarify it here, clarify the Shaykh's mistake for us. Praise be to Allah, his books are available, his writings are available.
Do not err in any writing or any letter of his, may Allah have mercy on him; rather, they are filled with verification, knowledge, and advice, such that if you read them, you find light in your heart, and you find in your heart love for good and calling to Allah the Exalted and Majestic. But what is strange? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was accused and spoken about at length by the enemies, saying he is a sorcerer, that he is a madman, and that he is, and that he is, as Allah the Exalted and Majestic mentioned that in the Qur'an. They said he is a poet, a teacher, a madman, and other such statements.
And they said regarding the prophets before them that they wanted to dominate the people and seize power. They said this about Musa and Harun (peace be upon them both):
and so that you two may have grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you."
وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَnot but a man like yourselves who wishes to take precedence
إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتَفَضَّلَThis is not strange at all. And we write to the Shaykh, the Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, and say what they say. This is a statement about the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). But we return to the Shaykh's statements and writings. And we look. So if there is an error in them, we will clarify this error. And we direct the people. But if they are as they are, and praise be to Allah.
They are all a good summary from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and the guidance of the righteous Salaf. So it is not permissible for the Muslim except to acknowledge the truth and to submit to the truth, because one is tested and afflicted with insight, because if a person becomes clear to him the truth and he does not accept it, he is tested, and may Allah protect us, with falsehood, tested with falsehood, and they turn their hearts and their eyes as they did not the first time, and they are in their transgression, they know. So when they came, Allah answered their hearts, and Allah does not guide the people.
The wicked. So it is obligatory for the Muslim to accept the truth before he is tested with falsehood, and from insight and deviation, and may Allah protect us. Or he hears the words of people. If you pray, who says about the Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-'Abd al-Wahhab this bad talk, do not accept it until you return to the Shaykh's books, return to the Shaykh's articles and his books and his letters.
Source
الفوزان - أسباب الفجوة بين كبار العلماء والصحوة (فتاوى) — archive.org (4:42)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.