The Ruling on al-Shawkani and His Creed

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, he says: I sat with a man who declares al-Shawkani an innovator and misguides him, accusing him of having a defective creed. He told him that in his books, specifically *al-Fatah* and *al-Tuhaf*, there are defective articles. I asked him, "Why do our scholars not warn against such a person as you do?" He replied, "Our scholars have not looked into what I have looked into; had they looked into it, they would have warned against it." What is your opinion, Honorable Shaykh?

Answer:
Al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) has great good, and Allah benefited people through him in the field of hadith. He was Zaydi, but then he returned to the school of the people of hadith, focused on hadith, and rid himself of the Zaydi school in general. He may have had some remnants or traces, but in general, he rid himself of the Zaydi school and adopted the school of the people of hadith. So he has great good. But this does not mean he is free of errors; he has errors, but he has great good. He has, I mean, a bond with the truth and support for the truth; he has a great deal of this, especially in tawhid (the oneness of Allah). His tawhid against the grave-worshippers is good in this regard. He has books on our tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship) and calling to it, and he refutes the people of graves and the people of shrines. This is something for which he is to be thanked. If he receives reward from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for this, then one should not disparage him. He is a distinguished imam, and one should not disparage him. But he is not free from errors. However, he has knowledge and emphasis that cover his errors.