Loving the Salaf of the Ummah and disparaging the Imams of knowledge
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The Shaykh:
Yes, yes. This is what everyone says: we all love the Salaf of this Ummah, praise be to Allah, may Allah be pleased with them and have mercy on them. This is a sign of caution[Al-Hashr 59:10]. So loving the Salaf of the Ummah is a sign of caution.
We cannot have a sound methodology and a sincere belief except by following their example. This is correct, and proceeding according to their pattern. However, there are signs of deviation from this sound methodology from those who claim to be following the methodology of the Salaf. This, if Allah wills, is not found in the lands of the Muslims, especially in this land that was established upon tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and calling to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So this is not found, if Allah wills. They are following the methodology of the righteous Salaf. It is said that they have started disparaging the people of knowledge and virtue from the Imams of the Salaf, such as Abu Hanifah, al-Nawawi, and Ibn Hajar, claiming that they are innovators. No, it is not permissible to speak in this way. If they attack the Imams of Islam, who will remain? These are the Imams of Islam, so it is not permissible to speak ill of them, even if it is possible that some of them erred in some issues. We seek mercy for them, because their errors are submerged in the virtue and abundance of correctness they possess. A person is not infallible; error occurs, error occurs, but it is due to ijtihad (independent legal reasoning), not due to intentional wrongdoing.
And the fact that Ibn Hajar or al-Nawawi or others have some errors, this does not diminish their status and virtue, nor what they devoted to Islam and knowledge of their time, their work, and their authorship. May Allah have mercy on them; we seek mercy for them. And if this sign appears, there is no power and no strength except with Allah, it is a sign of evil. It has come in the athar (narration) that in the end times, the last of this Ummah will curse the first. This is a sign of evil. And we hope that Allah protects us and you from that. We must know the status of the Salaf and seek mercy for them, as you heard in the verse,[Al-Hashr 59:10]. Yes, as for the innovators who are known for bid'ah (religious innovation) and known for evil and the misguided sects, yes, no love and no honor for them. But as for the people of the Sunnah, we honor them and value them, especially the people of hadith; we honor them and value them. And if some errors occur from them, they are submerged in their virtues.
Yes, yes. This is what everyone says: we all love the Salaf of this Ummah, praise be to Allah, may Allah be pleased with them and have mercy on them. This is a sign of caution
And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed
وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواWe cannot have a sound methodology and a sincere belief except by following their example. This is correct, and proceeding according to their pattern. However, there are signs of deviation from this sound methodology from those who claim to be following the methodology of the Salaf. This, if Allah wills, is not found in the lands of the Muslims, especially in this land that was established upon tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and calling to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So this is not found, if Allah wills. They are following the methodology of the righteous Salaf. It is said that they have started disparaging the people of knowledge and virtue from the Imams of the Salaf, such as Abu Hanifah, al-Nawawi, and Ibn Hajar, claiming that they are innovators. No, it is not permissible to speak in this way. If they attack the Imams of Islam, who will remain? These are the Imams of Islam, so it is not permissible to speak ill of them, even if it is possible that some of them erred in some issues. We seek mercy for them, because their errors are submerged in the virtue and abundance of correctness they possess. A person is not infallible; error occurs, error occurs, but it is due to ijtihad (independent legal reasoning), not due to intentional wrongdoing.
And the fact that Ibn Hajar or al-Nawawi or others have some errors, this does not diminish their status and virtue, nor what they devoted to Islam and knowledge of their time, their work, and their authorship. May Allah have mercy on them; we seek mercy for them. And if this sign appears, there is no power and no strength except with Allah, it is a sign of evil. It has come in the athar (narration) that in the end times, the last of this Ummah will curse the first. This is a sign of evil. And we hope that Allah protects us and you from that. We must know the status of the Salaf and seek mercy for them, as you heard in the verse,
And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed
وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-039-الفقه في الدين|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:11:14)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.