Some people are fanatical about certain shaykhs; what advice do you give them?
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The questioner : The Shaykh said: The fourth question: There are some people who are fanatical about certain shaykhs; what do you say to these people?
The Shaykh : What do they do?
The questioner : They are fanatical about certain shaykhs.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is not permissible for a Muslim to be fanatical about a person in this world except for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); for he is the one who was sent as a mercy and guidance to all the worlds, and he is the only one (peace and blessings be upon him) whom we were commanded to take as a good example. All the scholars from whom we benefit from their knowledge, we benefit from them not for their own selves or their persons, but because they are guides who direct us to the guidance and light that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) possessed. So if a Muslim becomes fanatical about one of the shaykhs, whether he is among the living or the dead, that means he has forgotten the message of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and he has clung to this person whom it is not permissible to equate with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in knowledge, or in character, or in perfection. So it is no wonder when I say that a Muslim’s fanaticism for a person or for one shaykh is a failure on his part in his testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, when I explain the testimony that Allah alone has no partner and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, I say: The first testimony obligates the Muslim not to take any worshipped being alongside Allah, otherwise it is shirk itself. Likewise, regarding the second testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, or His slave and His Messenger, whoever takes an example or a role model in this life other than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), as many of the fanatics do today, and as is the doctrine of the Sufis who follow their shaykhs, and some of these people have gone so far as to plan this great misguidance for their followers: that they not take alongsideThe Shaykh : another example. They said, without shame or modesty: "The example of the follower who takes two shaykhs is like the example of a woman who takes two husbands"!! And so they enslaved their followers and made them slaves to them, to the extent that we used to hear about some of them that he did not act in any of the affairs of his life except to consult his shaykh. They took the shaykhs as an example more than the Companions of the Messenger took the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). That is because the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask him about matters related to their acts of worship, but as for the affairs of their worldly lives, in their buying and selling and their trade, whether they should go, whether they should travel or not, they were free. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as part of the perfection of his call and his conveying of his Lord’s Shari'ah, said to them:. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear to his Companions that he did not come to teach them the affairs of this world, or to strive and travel across the earth in pursuit of sustenance, but rather he came to teach them what they need to fear Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) with, from acts of obedience and worship, and to avoid what is forbidden.
As for the shaykhs of the Sufis, they enslaved their followers completely, and deluded them into thinking that they must consult them in every matter of their worldly affairs, in addition to their religion. There were people we know by name who would not get married except with the opinion ofThe Shaykh : , and would not travel on a journey except with the opinion ofThe Shaykh : . If he said to him: Travel, he would travel, and if he said: Do not travel, he would not travel!! This enslavement surpasses any enslavement of a disbeliever, however high and exalted he may be!! For the disbelievers enslave people from a material aspect, whereas these people have enslaved them from a psychological aspect, so they are more humble than slaves with their shaykhs, their masters.
The Shaykh : What do they do?
The questioner : They are fanatical about certain shaykhs.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is not permissible for a Muslim to be fanatical about a person in this world except for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); for he is the one who was sent as a mercy and guidance to all the worlds, and he is the only one (peace and blessings be upon him) whom we were commanded to take as a good example. All the scholars from whom we benefit from their knowledge, we benefit from them not for their own selves or their persons, but because they are guides who direct us to the guidance and light that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) possessed. So if a Muslim becomes fanatical about one of the shaykhs, whether he is among the living or the dead, that means he has forgotten the message of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and he has clung to this person whom it is not permissible to equate with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in knowledge, or in character, or in perfection. So it is no wonder when I say that a Muslim’s fanaticism for a person or for one shaykh is a failure on his part in his testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, when I explain the testimony that Allah alone has no partner and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, I say: The first testimony obligates the Muslim not to take any worshipped being alongside Allah, otherwise it is shirk itself. Likewise, regarding the second testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, or His slave and His Messenger, whoever takes an example or a role model in this life other than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), as many of the fanatics do today, and as is the doctrine of the Sufis who follow their shaykhs, and some of these people have gone so far as to plan this great misguidance for their followers: that they not take alongsideThe Shaykh : another example. They said, without shame or modesty: "The example of the follower who takes two shaykhs is like the example of a woman who takes two husbands"!! And so they enslaved their followers and made them slaves to them, to the extent that we used to hear about some of them that he did not act in any of the affairs of his life except to consult his shaykh. They took the shaykhs as an example more than the Companions of the Messenger took the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). That is because the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask him about matters related to their acts of worship, but as for the affairs of their worldly lives, in their buying and selling and their trade, whether they should go, whether they should travel or not, they were free. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as part of the perfection of his call and his conveying of his Lord’s Shari'ah, said to them:
Whatever I have commanded you from matters of your religion, do as much of it as you are able, and whatever I have commanded you from matters of your worldly affairs, you are more knowledgeable about the affairs of your worldly lives.
ما أمرتُكم من شيءٍ من أمر دينكم ؛ فأتوا منه ما استطعتم ، وما أمرتكم من شيء من أمر دنياكم ؛ فأنتم أعلم بأمور دنياكمAs for the shaykhs of the Sufis, they enslaved their followers completely, and deluded them into thinking that they must consult them in every matter of their worldly affairs, in addition to their religion. There were people we know by name who would not get married except with the opinion ofThe Shaykh : , and would not travel on a journey except with the opinion ofThe Shaykh : . If he said to him: Travel, he would travel, and if he said: Do not travel, he would not travel!! This enslavement surpasses any enslavement of a disbeliever, however high and exalted he may be!! For the disbelievers enslave people from a material aspect, whereas these people have enslaved them from a psychological aspect, so they are more humble than slaves with their shaykhs, their masters.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.