The Ruling on Raising Doubts in the Shari'ah and Seeking Knowledge

The questioner:
They pay the jizyah (the tax on protected non-Muslims). We say, rather, they are the wrongdoers, because they disbelieved in Allah and defied the command of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So they are the wrongdoers. As for what is done with them, it is justice and a punishment for their disbelief and defiance. Yes. We say that perhaps among the great and numerous secrets and aspects of the wisdom behind taking the jizyah from them by hand while they are humbled, there are these great secrets.

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
Do you mean that the discomfort of some Muslims with such matters in Islam is evidence of their lack of knowledge and ignorance of the rulings of Islam?

The Shaykh:
This is without a doubt.

The questioner:
I mean, we do not attribute to them that they dislike something that the Messenger of Allah brought, but rather that they are ignorant of its wisdom.

The Shaykh:
Whoever dislikes something from what came in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, he is a disbeliever.

The questioner:
We ask Allah for safety.

The Shaykh:
But if something of doubt arises in his heart, he must be certain that what Allah and the Messenger legislated is the truth, but the wisdom in it is hidden from him and he does not know it, so he suspends judgment. But if he proceeds to doubt or question, this is not permissible.

The questioner:
If he is certain that what Allah legislated is the truth, and he feels discomfort in his heart and suspends judgment, does that harm him?

The Shaykh:
It harms him, but if he speaks and questions, this diminishes his religion.

The questioner:
But it is also upon him.

The Shaykh:
It leads him to apostasy.

The questioner:
What Allah willed.

The Shaykh:
It is obligatory for the Muslim to be certain and believe that what Allah and His Messenger legislated is the truth.

The questioner:
Since if he knew the secrets of that through knowledge and asking the people of knowledge, the doubt would be removed from him, does this make us advise on the importance of seeking knowledge and knowing the secrets of the Shari'ah?

The Shaykh:
The issue of him asking the scholars to remove the doubt and remove what is difficult for him, there is nothing wrong with that. Allah the Exalted said: "So ask the people of knowledge"

The questioner:
Yes.

The Shaykh:
You did not know, but the fact that he raises this with his ignorance in gatherings, or raises it in newspapers or magazines, so that there is something of doubt and difficulty in the hearts of people regarding what Allah and His Messenger legislated, this is the blameworthy thing. But the fact that he goes and asks the people of knowledge about what is in his heart to remove it, this is a good thing. And a man came to the Companions and said to them: "In my heart is something regarding the qadar (divine decree). Allah is the Greatest. So tell me something, perhaps Allah will remove what is in my heart." So they explained to him (may Allah be pleased with them) the obligation of believing in the qadar and the warning for whoever does not believe in the qadar, and Allah removed what was in his heart. So the fact that he asks the people of knowledge, there is no harm in it. But the fact that he raises these doubts and these shubhah (doubtful matters)

The questioner:
resulting from his ignorance.

The Shaykh:
resulting from the deficiency of his understanding. Yes, he raises them and writes them, he raises them in his conversations or writes them in his books or in the newspapers, and then those who come after him from the weak in faith inherit them, so this returns to him with a deficiency in his religion, and perhaps this will lead him to apostasy. Yes, we ask Allah for well-being, we ask Allah for well-being.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you and may He reward you with good. Our dear listeners, this was the end of our episode in explaining Zad al-Mustaqn' fi Ikhtisar al-Muqni' by the Honorable Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan. May Allah thank our Shaykh for what he has graciously provided.