Guidelines to Books Free of Religious Innovation and a Warning Against Innovative Sects
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Fatwa No. ( 4272 ):
Q: First: We are in the village of Baqur , in the center of Abu Tija , in the governorate of Asyut . We are living through a period of anxiety due to the introduction of matters that are not part of the religion. We want a comprehensive answer from you regarding what has been innovated, so that we do not become confused, and so that we apply the principles of Islam with clarity, reject innovations, and rebuke the innovators. Also, what are the books that point to this? May Allah guide you and us to what is good and right. Second: We are young people who are eager to embrace our religion, despite the stubbornness and tyranny of our fathers, who have been overcome by materialism and have neglected the matters of their religion. What are the sound books that are free of innovations, and the means that guide one to the correct path, even though our fathers forbid us even from spending money because of
our eagerness to turn to our religion and our rejection of the ignorance and absurdity in the religion that they have innovated. We want a list from your eminence, if possible, so that we can buy some of them to worship Allah with knowledge. Are there fabricated and weak hadiths in them, and how do we know them, especially since we find many of them circulating on the tongues of some imams? Third: What is the reality of these many sects among us, such as: the Shadhiliyyah , the Ahmadiyyah , the Sa'diyyah , the Barhaniyyah , and others? How do we respond to them, and what are the satisfactory books on this? Are they in the right as they claim? Fourth: We see that the imams are each on a school of thought that contradicts the other, and the matter often ends in a fight between them, leading to some of the worshippers leaving the prayer. We want a satisfactory and sufficient answer on this topic. Do we follow one school of thought, and how do we reconcile between the schools of thought so that the matter is settled? Fifth: Some people may overstep regarding the Book of Allah by interpreting the verses according to their desires to mislead people from that. For example, in Surat Ali 'Imran, Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:191], and they interpret that as dancing in the dhikr, humming, and mumbling incomprehensible words, swaying to the right and left while saying: Allah
is alive. And so on, and other matters where they permit family planning and singing for women, and praising the Messenger, using musical instruments and debauchery in doing so. We want you to enlighten us about the matters of our religion and understanding them correctly, and to respond to the innovators in the religion with the satisfactory books on this.
A: First: You did not mention the innovations you want an answer about, so that we can give you the answer. However, we would like to alert you to a great principle, which is that the default in the chapter of worship is prohibition until evidence comes for it in the Shari'ah. So it is not said: that this worship is prescribed in its origin, or in its number, or in its form, except with a legal proof. So whoever innovates in the religion of Allah what Allah has not prescribed, then what comes from him is rejected. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1718b, and in another narration: Sahih Muslim 1718a. Second: We advise you to learn the Book of Allah, recite it frequently, reflect upon it, act upon it, and call to it. And learn from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what is needed, so read [Sahih al-Bukhari] and [Sahih Muslim] and other books of the Sunnah, and ask the people of knowledge about what is difficult for you. Third: The Shadhiliyyah , Ahmadiyyah , Sa'diyyah , Barhaniyyah , and similar sects are paths of misguidance. It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow any one of them. Rather, it is obligatory for him to follow the path of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his successors
and his Companions after him who took hold of his Sunnah, and likewise those who took hold of it after them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 3651 . And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . As for refuting them, it requires that you know the details of their beliefs, innovations, and doubts, and you present that to the Book and the Sunnah. We see that you should seek help in that with the books written on the subject; such as [Al-Sunan wa al-Mubtada'at], [Masr' al-Tasawwuf] by Abd al-Rahman al-Wakil, [Al-I'tisam] by al-Shatibi, [Al-Ibtida' fi Mudhar al-Ibtida'] by Shaykh Ali Mahfuz, and [Ighathat al-Lahfan min Makayid al-Shaytan] by the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim, and books like these. Fourth: The disagreement existing in the branches of jurisprudence among the imams of the four schools of jurisprudence is due to the causes that led to it, such as a hadith being authentic with some of them and not with others, or a hadith reaching one of them and not the other, among other causes of disagreement. So it is obligatory for the Muslim to have good
opinion of them, for each one of them is a scholar who exerts independent legal reasoning in the jurisprudence that comes from him, seeking the truth. If he is correct, he has two rewards: the reward of his independent legal reasoning and the reward of his correctness. And if he is mistaken, he has the reward of his independent legal reasoning, and his mistake is forgiven. As for following these four imams without knowing their evidence, whoever is able to take the truth with evidence must take the evidence. And if he is not able, he follows the most trustworthy scholar in his view according to his ability. And this disagreement in the branches does not result in preventing the disagreeing parties from praying behind one another; rather, it is obligatory that some of them pray behind others. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to disagree in branch issues and some of them would pray behind others, and likewise the generation after the Companions and those after them with excellence. Fifth: The sound method for interpreting the Qur'an: is to interpret the Qur'an with the Qur'an, the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the sayings of the Companions and the generation after the Companions with excellence, and seeking help with that through the styles of language and the objectives of legislation. As for the interpretation you mentioned for the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ali 'Imran 3:191] , and that some people interpret it with dancing, dhikr, and humming, and they mumble incomprehensible words and lean to the right and left while saying: Allah is alive, to the end of what was mentioned in the question. This is an invalid interpretation that has no basis absolutely.
And we advise you to review [Tafsir Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, and al-Baghawi] and similar works in interpreting this verse mentioned in the question and similar ones, so that you may know the truth in that from the words of the trusted people of interpretation. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: First: We are in the village of Baqur , in the center of Abu Tija , in the governorate of Asyut . We are living through a period of anxiety due to the introduction of matters that are not part of the religion. We want a comprehensive answer from you regarding what has been innovated, so that we do not become confused, and so that we apply the principles of Islam with clarity, reject innovations, and rebuke the innovators. Also, what are the books that point to this? May Allah guide you and us to what is good and right. Second: We are young people who are eager to embrace our religion, despite the stubbornness and tyranny of our fathers, who have been overcome by materialism and have neglected the matters of their religion. What are the sound books that are free of innovations, and the means that guide one to the correct path, even though our fathers forbid us even from spending money because of
our eagerness to turn to our religion and our rejection of the ignorance and absurdity in the religion that they have innovated. We want a list from your eminence, if possible, so that we can buy some of them to worship Allah with knowledge. Are there fabricated and weak hadiths in them, and how do we know them, especially since we find many of them circulating on the tongues of some imams? Third: What is the reality of these many sects among us, such as: the Shadhiliyyah , the Ahmadiyyah , the Sa'diyyah , the Barhaniyyah , and others? How do we respond to them, and what are the satisfactory books on this? Are they in the right as they claim? Fourth: We see that the imams are each on a school of thought that contradicts the other, and the matter often ends in a fight between them, leading to some of the worshippers leaving the prayer. We want a satisfactory and sufficient answer on this topic. Do we follow one school of thought, and how do we reconcile between the schools of thought so that the matter is settled? Fifth: Some people may overstep regarding the Book of Allah by interpreting the verses according to their desires to mislead people from that. For example, in Surat Ali 'Imran, Allah the Exalted said:
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْis alive. And so on, and other matters where they permit family planning and singing for women, and praising the Messenger, using musical instruments and debauchery in doing so. We want you to enlighten us about the matters of our religion and understanding them correctly, and to respond to the innovators in the religion with the satisfactory books on this.
A: First: You did not mention the innovations you want an answer about, so that we can give you the answer. However, we would like to alert you to a great principle, which is that the default in the chapter of worship is prohibition until evidence comes for it in the Shari'ah. So it is not said: that this worship is prescribed in its origin, or in its number, or in its form, except with a legal proof. So whoever innovates in the religion of Allah what Allah has not prescribed, then what comes from him is rejected. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردand his Companions after him who took hold of his Sunnah, and likewise those who took hold of it after them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
A group from my Ummah will remain upon the truth, supported, and those who abandon them or oppose them will not harm them until the command of Allah comes.
لا تزال طائفة من أمتي على الحق منصورة لا يضرهم من خذلهم ولا من خالفهم حتى يأتي أمر اللهThe best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter
خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهمThe Jews split into seventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects, and this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Fire except one. They said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Those who are upon what I am upon today and my Companions.
افترقت اليهود على إحدى وسبعين فرقة، وافترقت النصارى على ثنتين وسبعين فرقة، وستفترق هذه الأمة على ثلاث وسبعين فرقة، كلها في النار إلاَّ واحدة، قالوا: من هي يا رسول الله؟ قال: من كان على مثل ما أنا عليه اليوم وأصحابيopinion of them, for each one of them is a scholar who exerts independent legal reasoning in the jurisprudence that comes from him, seeking the truth. If he is correct, he has two rewards: the reward of his independent legal reasoning and the reward of his correctness. And if he is mistaken, he has the reward of his independent legal reasoning, and his mistake is forgiven. As for following these four imams without knowing their evidence, whoever is able to take the truth with evidence must take the evidence. And if he is not able, he follows the most trustworthy scholar in his view according to his ability. And this disagreement in the branches does not result in preventing the disagreeing parties from praying behind one another; rather, it is obligatory that some of them pray behind others. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to disagree in branch issues and some of them would pray behind others, and likewise the generation after the Companions and those after them with excellence. Fifth: The sound method for interpreting the Qur'an: is to interpret the Qur'an with the Qur'an, the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the sayings of the Companions and the generation after the Companions with excellence, and seeking help with that through the styles of language and the objectives of legislation. As for the interpretation you mentioned for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْAnd we advise you to review [Tafsir Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, and al-Baghawi] and similar works in interpreting this verse mentioned in the question and similar ones, so that you may know the truth in that from the words of the trusted people of interpretation. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.