Ruling on the Annual Gathering of the Tabligh Group
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Your Eminence! You mentioned in your answer to the question before the last one that you do not see going to Pakistan, and you mentioned that there are some superstitions there. Do you, Your Eminence, go to this gathering, or do you send someone you trust to speak about this gathering?
As for me, I have not gone, nor have I sent anyone in an official capacity, but those who went and returned from there also divided into two groups: one group said: We did not see any sermons except sermons,Meaning: that do not contradict Islam, but the mere gathering at a specific time in a specific place with such a large number is like a recurring festival or like a Hajj season, and the mere occurrence of this matter, we know of no basis for it in the Shari'ah, neither in the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs nor those who came after them.
Then most of the brothers who speak say: They have an innovation in this gathering, even if it is not known through the sermons, but they choose some of the group leaders and speak with them about things, especially if they are from outside (Saudi Arabia), so Allah knows best.
And we say: As long as there is a possibility of harm in the matter, and as long as the origin of this gathering at a fixed time every year has no basis in the Sunnah or in the practice of the Caliphs, leaving it is preferable.
The questioner: Your Eminence! This gathering is not the objective; rather, the objective is to devote time to da'wah and sacrifice in the path of Allah?The Shaykh: If that is their objective, it is said to them: You are not more eager than the Rightly Guided Caliphs or the Imams who preceded you, and we have not heard that they gathered, even in Madinah, which is the origin of Islam and the origin of the Sunnah. We have not heard of a gathering like this one taking place there, where they sometimes reach a million people. We have not heard of this.
And in truth, my position regarding them is not like the position of the brothers who are strict with them, describing them as innovators and describing them as misguided, and warning against them. But my position, by which I testify to Allah, is that they have an influence without parallel in reforming people and softening hearts, but they have matters that need correction,We have written to some of the brothers, we said to them: if they were to make the foundation of what they call to the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the coming of Jibril (peace be upon him) in his questioning about Islam, faith, and excellence in worship; because when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) finished, he said: (Do you know who the questioner was? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best,He said: this is Jibril who came to you to teach you your religion).
The laws of the religion and the rituals of the religion are present in this hadith. If they were to make this hadith the foundation, it would be preferable.
But if we make these six attributes the foundation, who established them? They were established by a certain person known to them, and by this, there is in the heart of the person following this individual and neglecting following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because he made this the foundation of his religion and his da'wah. And this is serious. This is shirk in the message, not shirk in divinity and worship, but it is shirk in the message. If it is established in his heart that he follows these six foundations established by that person, and that this is the worship and this is the religion, then the matter is serious, and a person must purify two things in which he does not associate anyone: sincerity to Allah in worship, and this is sincerity in intention, and sincerity to the Messenger by following him, and this is sincerity in following.
And this matter is great, as Ibn al-Qayyim said in the al-Nuniyyah: Make for yourself two migrations,The first migration: to Allah,And the second migration: to the Messenger,As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (So whoever his migration is to Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is to Allah and His Messenger) Your migration to Allah is by the sincerity of tawhid, and your migration to the Messenger is by the purity of following, such that you do not follow except the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner: He took the word "La ilaha illa Allah," so how does their speech remove the defective certainty from the heart, like the worship of things, and enter the certainty regarding the Self of Allah?The Shaykh: So "La ilaha illa Allah" is the singling out of worship for Allah alone,Meaning: no worshipped entity is right except Allah, and "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" is the singling out of following for him alone.
The questioner: In the visits they say: How will the religion live in us and in all people,Meaning: if people visit, how will the religion live in them and in the people who are in their state?The Shaykh: In any case, their intention, if Allah wills, is good. We do not say anything about their intention. Their influence is great and their morals are rare to find, but they need correction in their methodology. Every person makes mistakes; if he gets something right, he gets something else wrong. But how do we treat this error? That is the point of discussion.
As for me, I have not gone, nor have I sent anyone in an official capacity, but those who went and returned from there also divided into two groups: one group said: We did not see any sermons except sermons,Meaning: that do not contradict Islam, but the mere gathering at a specific time in a specific place with such a large number is like a recurring festival or like a Hajj season, and the mere occurrence of this matter, we know of no basis for it in the Shari'ah, neither in the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs nor those who came after them.
Then most of the brothers who speak say: They have an innovation in this gathering, even if it is not known through the sermons, but they choose some of the group leaders and speak with them about things, especially if they are from outside (Saudi Arabia), so Allah knows best.
And we say: As long as there is a possibility of harm in the matter, and as long as the origin of this gathering at a fixed time every year has no basis in the Sunnah or in the practice of the Caliphs, leaving it is preferable.
The questioner: Your Eminence! This gathering is not the objective; rather, the objective is to devote time to da'wah and sacrifice in the path of Allah?The Shaykh: If that is their objective, it is said to them: You are not more eager than the Rightly Guided Caliphs or the Imams who preceded you, and we have not heard that they gathered, even in Madinah, which is the origin of Islam and the origin of the Sunnah. We have not heard of a gathering like this one taking place there, where they sometimes reach a million people. We have not heard of this.
And in truth, my position regarding them is not like the position of the brothers who are strict with them, describing them as innovators and describing them as misguided, and warning against them. But my position, by which I testify to Allah, is that they have an influence without parallel in reforming people and softening hearts, but they have matters that need correction,We have written to some of the brothers, we said to them: if they were to make the foundation of what they call to the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the coming of Jibril (peace be upon him) in his questioning about Islam, faith, and excellence in worship; because when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) finished, he said: (Do you know who the questioner was? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best,He said: this is Jibril who came to you to teach you your religion).
The laws of the religion and the rituals of the religion are present in this hadith. If they were to make this hadith the foundation, it would be preferable.
But if we make these six attributes the foundation, who established them? They were established by a certain person known to them, and by this, there is in the heart of the person following this individual and neglecting following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because he made this the foundation of his religion and his da'wah. And this is serious. This is shirk in the message, not shirk in divinity and worship, but it is shirk in the message. If it is established in his heart that he follows these six foundations established by that person, and that this is the worship and this is the religion, then the matter is serious, and a person must purify two things in which he does not associate anyone: sincerity to Allah in worship, and this is sincerity in intention, and sincerity to the Messenger by following him, and this is sincerity in following.
And this matter is great, as Ibn al-Qayyim said in the al-Nuniyyah: Make for yourself two migrations,The first migration: to Allah,And the second migration: to the Messenger,As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (So whoever his migration is to Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is to Allah and His Messenger) Your migration to Allah is by the sincerity of tawhid, and your migration to the Messenger is by the purity of following, such that you do not follow except the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner: He took the word "La ilaha illa Allah," so how does their speech remove the defective certainty from the heart, like the worship of things, and enter the certainty regarding the Self of Allah?The Shaykh: So "La ilaha illa Allah" is the singling out of worship for Allah alone,Meaning: no worshipped entity is right except Allah, and "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" is the singling out of following for him alone.
The questioner: In the visits they say: How will the religion live in us and in all people,Meaning: if people visit, how will the religion live in them and in the people who are in their state?The Shaykh: In any case, their intention, if Allah wills, is good. We do not say anything about their intention. Their influence is great and their morals are rare to find, but they need correction in their methodology. Every person makes mistakes; if he gets something right, he gets something else wrong. But how do we treat this error? That is the point of discussion.