The stance toward groups that adhere to the Book and the Sunnah, but do not follow the guidance of the righteous predecessors.

The questioner: In other words, a set of questions all revolve around what you mentioned, which is the scholarly methodology of the call to truth. You also mentioned in your speech that there are groups—you said—that adhere to the Book and the Sunnah, but do not follow the guidance of the righteous predecessors. Many of the brothers say,The questioner: What is our stance toward one who rejects, for example, a hadith, or interprets one of these verses? What is our stance toward such people?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: Given that they are, as I said, within the framework of the people of the Book and the Sunnah?

The Shaykh: There is no doubt that among the virtues of Islam is that it came to unite people, not to divide them, but on the basis of the Book of Allah and the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and in the detail previously explained. If we see some of the people we referred to, or others, who have not adhered to the sound methodology—the methodology of the righteous predecessors—or have rejected an authentic hadith, or have interpreted a hadith with an incorrect interpretation; then, first of all, it is not permissible for us to declare them disbelievers, because declaring someone a disbeliever is a very serious matter in Islam, and because declaring someone a disbeliever is only done by a person who knows the truth and then denies and rejects it. We cannot assume that any Muslim who testifies with us that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, who prays our prayer, faces our qiblah, and performs Hajj to the House of our Lord, is a disbeliever, unless he explicitly states that he does not believe in such-and-such, even though it is mentioned in the Book of Allah or in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the first point. The second is that we must advise them, remind them, and explain to them the error in what they are doing, as we have mentioned: that they have deviated from the methodology of the righteous predecessors, or denied an authentic hadith, or interpreted a hadith with an incorrect interpretation. We explain this error to them, perhaps they will return and perhaps they will be guided. We have no part in the matter except explanation. And if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who was sent to all people as a bringer of good news and a warner, was addressed by his Lord (Mighty and Majestic) in the Qur'an with His saying: ; then, in that case, we convey our call to them, with wisdom and good exhortation, as stated in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). After that, we leave them to their own affairs, . From this, some of the witty contemporary callers to Allah said: "Cast your word and walk on." Cast the word of truth and do not stand there; this is not a place for you to dispute and argue with him. If the truth becomes clear to him, he will respond; if it does not become clear to him, he is excused; and if he persists in obstinacy, his reckoning is with Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).