The Excuse of the Common People in Lands Where Innovations and Shirk Are Widespread

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: The common person or the student of knowledge who grew up in a land where bid'ah (religious innovations) are widespread, and where shirk (associating partners with Allah) is widespread, and where the scholars of that land affirm bid'ah and shirk with weak evidence—are these common people excused for that?

Answer:
As long as he hears the Qur'an or reads the Qur'an, he is not excused, because the proof has reached him . He also hears the lectures and lessons, the prohibition of shirk, and the warning against shirk; he hears them. But they say, "This is the Wahhabi madhhab, a fifth madhhab; do not obey them, do not believe them." Or they say, "This has not reached us." But they say, "No, this is the Wahhabi madhhab, a fifth madhhab, the madhhab of the Khawarij; do not believe this." So he has no excuse; the proof has reached him, and the proof has been established against him.