Advice for one who is fanatical about a sect and rejects the words of the other
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Question : Your Eminence the Shaykh! We ask for guidance and advice for one who follows one of the sects that exist in this age, is fanatical about it, and rejects every statement that comes from the other sect, even if it is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah.
Answer : It is obligatory for the Muslim to have truth as his guide always, seeking nothing else, whether he belongs to a school of jurisprudence or is from the other school.
So fanaticism toward schools of jurisprudence, opinions, and men is a blameworthy matter, and the duty of the Muslim is to seek the truth wherever it may be.
For this reason, we see the precise scholars who built their jurisprudence on the principles of one of the Imams; we find that they may depart to another school, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. He often preferred the school of al-Shafi'i, or Malik, or Abu Hanifah over the school of Imam Ahmad, even though the man had studied jurisprudence according to the school of Imam Ahmad; because he sought the truth. And so it is obligatory for us not to be fanatical about an opinion, or a view, or a school, or a sect, except for the truth wherever it may be. And let the person know that he will be questioned about every word that came from his tongue, by the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Qaf 50:18].
And let him know that Allah the Exalted knows what is in his heart, as He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said:[Qaf 50:16] [Qaf 50:16-18].
Answer : It is obligatory for the Muslim to have truth as his guide always, seeking nothing else, whether he belongs to a school of jurisprudence or is from the other school.
So fanaticism toward schools of jurisprudence, opinions, and men is a blameworthy matter, and the duty of the Muslim is to seek the truth wherever it may be.
For this reason, we see the precise scholars who built their jurisprudence on the principles of one of the Imams; we find that they may depart to another school, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. He often preferred the school of al-Shafi'i, or Malik, or Abu Hanifah over the school of Imam Ahmad, even though the man had studied jurisprudence according to the school of Imam Ahmad; because he sought the truth. And so it is obligatory for us not to be fanatical about an opinion, or a view, or a school, or a sect, except for the truth wherever it may be. And let the person know that he will be questioned about every word that came from his tongue, by the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌAnd let him know that Allah the Exalted knows what is in his heart, as He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said:
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُand We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (17) When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. (18) Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
Source
لقاء مع طلاب جامعة الإمام بمسجد الإسكان — archive.org (17:49)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.