Evaluating the Tabligh Group
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His Eminence the Shaykh: There are some students of knowledge who warn against the Tabligh Group in Saudi Arabia, and the preachers say: "Do not pay attention to them, for they have no creed," and they exaggerate greatly in their criticism of them. What do you say, O honorable Shaykh? And should we go with them or not?
As for the Tabligh Group, my evaluation of them is: They have a lot of ignorance, and some of them are fanatical and cannot be turned away from their opinion. However, they have much good in terms of conduct and worship. How many have Allah guided through their hands who were astray? How many of the most sinful people have Allah guided through their hands? This is a lot. Likewise, how many disbelievers have embraced Islam through their hands? So they have good in them and evil in them, but ignorance prevails over them.And some of them, as I told you: He is stubborn, so even if you clarify the truth to him, he will not accept it from you. And as for those we have here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I do not think there is anything in their creed that tarnishes it.If you asked him: Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?He said: Yes.
Do you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day?He said: Yes.
Do you believe that the pillars of Islam are five?He said: Yes.
But they are criticized, as I said, for their ignorance.And from their ignorance: They arranged six characteristics for their methodology, and this arrangement is wrong. If they had arranged for their methodology what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: that it is the religion, and that is what is included in the hadith of Jibril, when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Islam, faith, excellence in worship, the Hour, and its signs.Then he said at the end of the hadith: (This is Jibril who has come to you to teach you your religion). If these six characteristics, which are taken from the Qur'an and the Sunnah but are insufficient, if they had left them and made the hadith of Jibril the foundation of their methodology, it would have been better for them and more appropriate.
The important thing is that we do not warn against them, but we see that it is necessary for students of knowledge to go out with them in order to correct them and adjust them; because they have an influence on people that we have not known anyone to have like their influence in guiding the open sinner and the disbeliever; because they have softness and flexibility in the call.And as for if a person wishes, he says: What do you think, should I go out with them or stay and seek knowledge?We say to him: Stay and seek knowledge, and do not let going out with them prevent you from seeking knowledge.
And in any case, people differ on this. And some of our brothers from the people of Buraydah went to their gathering this year and submitted a report and praised the gathering. They said: It is all about the oneness of Allah.
Even the one who was preaching to them from the Maghrib call to the fourth hour, meaning four hours, said: We are ready for any person to clarify our error to us, so we are ready. And he called upon the scholars of Saudi Arabia specifically to clarify the truth, so perhaps Allah has guided them from what they were upon before.
As for the Tabligh Group, my evaluation of them is: They have a lot of ignorance, and some of them are fanatical and cannot be turned away from their opinion. However, they have much good in terms of conduct and worship. How many have Allah guided through their hands who were astray? How many of the most sinful people have Allah guided through their hands? This is a lot. Likewise, how many disbelievers have embraced Islam through their hands? So they have good in them and evil in them, but ignorance prevails over them.And some of them, as I told you: He is stubborn, so even if you clarify the truth to him, he will not accept it from you. And as for those we have here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I do not think there is anything in their creed that tarnishes it.If you asked him: Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?He said: Yes.
Do you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day?He said: Yes.
Do you believe that the pillars of Islam are five?He said: Yes.
But they are criticized, as I said, for their ignorance.And from their ignorance: They arranged six characteristics for their methodology, and this arrangement is wrong. If they had arranged for their methodology what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: that it is the religion, and that is what is included in the hadith of Jibril, when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Islam, faith, excellence in worship, the Hour, and its signs.Then he said at the end of the hadith: (This is Jibril who has come to you to teach you your religion). If these six characteristics, which are taken from the Qur'an and the Sunnah but are insufficient, if they had left them and made the hadith of Jibril the foundation of their methodology, it would have been better for them and more appropriate.
The important thing is that we do not warn against them, but we see that it is necessary for students of knowledge to go out with them in order to correct them and adjust them; because they have an influence on people that we have not known anyone to have like their influence in guiding the open sinner and the disbeliever; because they have softness and flexibility in the call.And as for if a person wishes, he says: What do you think, should I go out with them or stay and seek knowledge?We say to him: Stay and seek knowledge, and do not let going out with them prevent you from seeking knowledge.
And in any case, people differ on this. And some of our brothers from the people of Buraydah went to their gathering this year and submitted a report and praised the gathering. They said: It is all about the oneness of Allah.
Even the one who was preaching to them from the Maghrib call to the fourth hour, meaning four hours, said: We are ready for any person to clarify our error to us, so we are ready. And he called upon the scholars of Saudi Arabia specifically to clarify the truth, so perhaps Allah has guided them from what they were upon before.