A discussion on the importance of returning to the Book and the Sunnah in matters of disagreement, while respecting scholars whose statements are refuted when they contradict the truth.
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The Shaykh : ... The main point is, I do not know the extent of your culture and knowledge.
The questioner : It is simple.
The Shaykh : So, allow me, so that we can say whether it is simple or not simple, but we have nothing but to speak within the limits of what we hear. Now, is this a problem, Professor, or is it not a problem?
The questioner : It is a problem.
The Shaykh : It is a problem, and a problem means it must be solved, or must it?
The questioner : It must be; we suffer from it to some degree.
The Shaykh : Very good.
The questioner : You do not imagine how much we are suffering!
The Shaykh : You are declaring, and as you said, "It is apparent to us," that you and those like you have not reached the level of Zayd, Bakr, and 'Amr.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : In whose hands is the solution to the problem, young men, in your opinion?
The questioner : In the hands of the scholars.
The Shaykh : Good. What do you think of this professor over there who proposed a solution to the problem? What do you think if we said, choose whom you wish from the scholars of knowledge whom you say, "I am not like them," because you are also saying to us, "I am not like you"? So there are scholars whose knowledge you trust. What do you think, choose for yourself one, two, or three: first, you trust their knowledge, and second, you trust their morals; because the truth is, knowledge without character is of no benefit, just as character without knowledge is of no benefit, is that right or not?
The questioner: Correct.
The Shaykh : Well, what do you think of such a proposal?
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : Do you commit to this?
The questioner : By Allah, I will try.
Another questioner : Before he commits, I mean, we are ready at any time and in any place and with whomever you wish.
The questioner : I want to try this attempt, the intention of which is to unite the Muslims, not the intention of establishing proof against one another in a procedural manner.
The Shaykh : You have now—no offense—gone beyond the goal. You are speaking about what is in hearts. We have left what is in hearts to the Knower of the Unseen.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Of course, we say this is a problem; what is its solution? The solution is that the scholars whose knowledge you trust gather together. As for the intention being such or such, that is a given; that is called achieving the inevitable, as you know. So the important thing now is to engage in ways to resolve the issue. And I am putting forward something to you, Professor, perhaps you are not aware of the matter, or you were aware of it at some point and then it slipped your mind: the scholars you refer to and appreciate, as you appreciate others or more so; do they meet with us on a common word, which is:[An-Nisa 4:59]? Do you believe them to be so?
The questioner : Yes, I believe so.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : I believe in all scholars.
The Shaykh : No, allow me, no, this is a specific generality from you; meaning, you rushed into it.
The questioner : I mean, this is my opinion; I mean, I trust all our scholars, and I love them and revere them, and you are the first among them.
The Shaykh : My sir, may Allah reward you with good, this is not our topic. This—no offense—is called rhetorical speech... Our research is scientific, precise scientific research.
The questioner : I am not lying, my Shaykh.
Another questioner : No, no, he did not say you are a liar!!
The questioner : I mean, it is rhetorical, poetic speech; I do not say that.
The Shaykh : You do not mean that, my dear, but my point is that you appreciate the scholars and we are among them. What does that have to do with the topic? We did not doubt you so that you would say, "I appreciate and I appreciate." Do you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But our problem now is that we do not know what the root of the cause is; what is the cause of causes? And therefore I asked you: do these scholars you allude to meet on this common word? And that is if we disagree on something, we return to what Allah said and what the Messenger of Allah said. Because I will tell you in advance: if you have in your mind a person who says to you, "I am a Hanafi, and it is not permissible for me to understand from here and here and here," or Zayd or Bakr from among the people, immediately, as they say in our region in the Levant, call it unemployment. It is not possible for there to be a meeting; because it is not hidden from you that any research into any matter in any science must have agreed-upon principles and rules, is that right or not? For example, when we want to argue with a Christian, we argue with him on the basis that he believes in the Creator, but he does not believe in our Book. But when we want to argue with a Muslim, we argue with him on the basis that he believes in our Book. But if he says, "What do I understand from the Qur'an? And what do I understand from the Sunnah, and the authentic and the weak, and the general and the specific, and the absolute and the restricted?" How do you reach an understanding with this person? You, before you say that the solution to the problem is gathering and that is the truth, think about these people you choose to gather, if they wish to gather. Are they with us on this fundamental issue, which I do not imagine anyone else would imagine that a Muslim scholar cannot disagree with us on it? Because the text is explicit:[An-Nisa 4:59]. We and they are different; is this not the problem?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the solution to the disagreement? Returning to the Book and the Sunnah. If returning to the Book and the Sunnah is not at all possible for him; because there is no one who understands the Book and the Sunnah, and you are now—no offense—you are saying: "We have not reached this level." By Allah, I do not know what level you have reached or not, but I judge you by your own mouth. You say we have not reached this level. Well, the doctor orThe Shaykh : the scholar you want to bring, if he says, "We are... we are a group of followers of taqlid!!" Is the problem solved?
The questioner : I disagree with you.
The Shaykh : I am not telling you to disagree with me, I am asking you, my sir; do you know these people that they call to our call? They call to following the Book...
... The sound one, if he does not fast Ramadan, he cannot fast it in other than Ramadan, exactly like the prayer that is time-bound in its time. As for fasting a vow, this is originally not something our Lord obligated on this one who made the vow; rather, he obligated it on himself. This is a time-bound obligation from himself, not from his Lord. Therefore, the one who vowed a vow of fasting and died, and his son knew that his father had a vow; then he fasts on his behalf, as a substitute for him, exactly like performing Hajj on behalf of one who is unable. So the ruling for the one who left Hajj and it became obligatory on him is that there is no way for any of his children to perform it on his behalf.
The questioner : It is simple.
The Shaykh : So, allow me, so that we can say whether it is simple or not simple, but we have nothing but to speak within the limits of what we hear. Now, is this a problem, Professor, or is it not a problem?
The questioner : It is a problem.
The Shaykh : It is a problem, and a problem means it must be solved, or must it?
The questioner : It must be; we suffer from it to some degree.
The Shaykh : Very good.
The questioner : You do not imagine how much we are suffering!
The Shaykh : You are declaring, and as you said, "It is apparent to us," that you and those like you have not reached the level of Zayd, Bakr, and 'Amr.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : In whose hands is the solution to the problem, young men, in your opinion?
The questioner : In the hands of the scholars.
The Shaykh : Good. What do you think of this professor over there who proposed a solution to the problem? What do you think if we said, choose whom you wish from the scholars of knowledge whom you say, "I am not like them," because you are also saying to us, "I am not like you"? So there are scholars whose knowledge you trust. What do you think, choose for yourself one, two, or three: first, you trust their knowledge, and second, you trust their morals; because the truth is, knowledge without character is of no benefit, just as character without knowledge is of no benefit, is that right or not?
The questioner: Correct.
The Shaykh : Well, what do you think of such a proposal?
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : Do you commit to this?
The questioner : By Allah, I will try.
Another questioner : Before he commits, I mean, we are ready at any time and in any place and with whomever you wish.
The questioner : I want to try this attempt, the intention of which is to unite the Muslims, not the intention of establishing proof against one another in a procedural manner.
The Shaykh : You have now—no offense—gone beyond the goal. You are speaking about what is in hearts. We have left what is in hearts to the Knower of the Unseen.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Of course, we say this is a problem; what is its solution? The solution is that the scholars whose knowledge you trust gather together. As for the intention being such or such, that is a given; that is called achieving the inevitable, as you know. So the important thing now is to engage in ways to resolve the issue. And I am putting forward something to you, Professor, perhaps you are not aware of the matter, or you were aware of it at some point and then it slipped your mind: the scholars you refer to and appreciate, as you appreciate others or more so; do they meet with us on a common word, which is:
And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger
فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِThe questioner : Yes, I believe so.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : I believe in all scholars.
The Shaykh : No, allow me, no, this is a specific generality from you; meaning, you rushed into it.
The questioner : I mean, this is my opinion; I mean, I trust all our scholars, and I love them and revere them, and you are the first among them.
The Shaykh : My sir, may Allah reward you with good, this is not our topic. This—no offense—is called rhetorical speech... Our research is scientific, precise scientific research.
The questioner : I am not lying, my Shaykh.
Another questioner : No, no, he did not say you are a liar!!
The questioner : I mean, it is rhetorical, poetic speech; I do not say that.
The Shaykh : You do not mean that, my dear, but my point is that you appreciate the scholars and we are among them. What does that have to do with the topic? We did not doubt you so that you would say, "I appreciate and I appreciate." Do you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But our problem now is that we do not know what the root of the cause is; what is the cause of causes? And therefore I asked you: do these scholars you allude to meet on this common word? And that is if we disagree on something, we return to what Allah said and what the Messenger of Allah said. Because I will tell you in advance: if you have in your mind a person who says to you, "I am a Hanafi, and it is not permissible for me to understand from here and here and here," or Zayd or Bakr from among the people, immediately, as they say in our region in the Levant, call it unemployment. It is not possible for there to be a meeting; because it is not hidden from you that any research into any matter in any science must have agreed-upon principles and rules, is that right or not? For example, when we want to argue with a Christian, we argue with him on the basis that he believes in the Creator, but he does not believe in our Book. But when we want to argue with a Muslim, we argue with him on the basis that he believes in our Book. But if he says, "What do I understand from the Qur'an? And what do I understand from the Sunnah, and the authentic and the weak, and the general and the specific, and the absolute and the restricted?" How do you reach an understanding with this person? You, before you say that the solution to the problem is gathering and that is the truth, think about these people you choose to gather, if they wish to gather. Are they with us on this fundamental issue, which I do not imagine anyone else would imagine that a Muslim scholar cannot disagree with us on it? Because the text is explicit:
And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger
فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the solution to the disagreement? Returning to the Book and the Sunnah. If returning to the Book and the Sunnah is not at all possible for him; because there is no one who understands the Book and the Sunnah, and you are now—no offense—you are saying: "We have not reached this level." By Allah, I do not know what level you have reached or not, but I judge you by your own mouth. You say we have not reached this level. Well, the doctor orThe Shaykh : the scholar you want to bring, if he says, "We are... we are a group of followers of taqlid!!" Is the problem solved?
The questioner : I disagree with you.
The Shaykh : I am not telling you to disagree with me, I am asking you, my sir; do you know these people that they call to our call? They call to following the Book...
... The sound one, if he does not fast Ramadan, he cannot fast it in other than Ramadan, exactly like the prayer that is time-bound in its time. As for fasting a vow, this is originally not something our Lord obligated on this one who made the vow; rather, he obligated it on himself. This is a time-bound obligation from himself, not from his Lord. Therefore, the one who vowed a vow of fasting and died, and his son knew that his father had a vow; then he fasts on his behalf, as a substitute for him, exactly like performing Hajj on behalf of one who is unable. So the ruling for the one who left Hajj and it became obligatory on him is that there is no way for any of his children to perform it on his behalf.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.