Advice to the Youth Regarding Warning Against Division
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Your Eminence! It is known that some preachers were suspended by the Committee of Senior Scholars, pursuant to a letter from His Eminence, the Shaykh, our father, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him). This letter is in the hands of the youth, and at its end it was mentioned that the suspension of these preachers was to protect the society from their errors, may Allah guide them. If a person comes to warn against these errors and draw attention to them, such as the glorification of the names of some people of innovation, the people rise up against the one who warns against these errors, accusing him of slandering the preachers. They become fanatical about these preachers, and they form alliances and enmities on their account. This has caused fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and division among the youth of the awakening! So what is your guidance, may Allah reward you with good?
Our guidance to our brothers and sons: First: Let their concern not be gossip; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited gossip.
Second: Let their concern not be asking too many questions: What happened to so-and-so? And what became of so-and-so? For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited asking too many questions.
Third: And let their concern not be wasting time and consuming their lives; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited wasting wealth. And wasting lives is a greater calamity than wasting wealth.For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mu'minun: 99-100] ,He did not say: So that I may build a building, or build palaces, or ride in luxurious vehicles, or marry beautiful women, or the like of that. He did not say this.Rather He said: [Al-Mu’minun: 100], and this indicates that life is more precious than everything in this world, and wasting the time of youth in such matters is a loss.
So what I see is that if the people trust the Committee of Senior Scholars, and at their head is Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz, then let them place the matter in their trust and under their responsibility.
And if they do not trust them, then this is a great affliction! That the people do not trust their rulers, be they scholars or princes; for the rulers are the scholars and the princes, as the people of knowledge have explicitly stated.
So I say: We should seek a role that benefits the people, and build with it what has been demolished, and not go back to words from which they do not benefit and by which they do not benefit others. Perhaps it will lead some of them to lying, backbiting, and slandering others, so that division occurs after unity, enmity after alliance, and evil results.
We must now look at how we work? And how we call to Allah? Is the call to Allah restricted by conditions that a person must be cautious of, and take things as they are, without innovating a matter that leads to his suspension? We command that one call to Allah with insight; but we also command that there be wisdom in the call, aiming for building, and aiming for the reform of creation in their religion and their worldly affairs.
As for circulating what the questioner mentioned from the book of Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah grant him success), addressed to the Minister of the Interior, I do not see that; I do not see that people should circulate it. What is the benefit of that?! This is from what incites people on one of two paths: The path of people who are fanatical for the Committee of Senior Scholars, saying: These people have errors from which the society must be protected.
The path of people who are fanatical for these, saying: The scholars erred and went astray.
So factionalism occurs, either for these or for those. The obligatory thing is to extinguish the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and remove the division within it. So I do not see that people should circulate this book. I see that whoever has something of it, if there is a benefit in preserving it, let him keep it; otherwise, let him tear it up.
I also see that the most severe and dangerous of what people circulate is what is sent to this country from abroad, publishing what is claimed to be negligence by the government, or neglect of a duty upon it, or violation of a forbidden thing.Then this is the least that can be said about it: It is backbiting; because it fully applies to the limit set by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for backbiting. What did he say when asked about backbiting?He said: (Mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes), and there is no doubt that the state dislikes that these things attributed to it are published; it certainly dislikes them.Therefore: So it is backbiting, and backbiting is among the major sins that prayer does not expiate, nor fasting, nor the lesser pilgrimage, nor the major pilgrimage, and in which a person is in danger of being punished. This is if what is published is true and established. But if it is not true, by direct observation and hearing the call to prayer, then it is added to being backbiting that it is slander; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, and it was said to him: (What do you think if there is in my brother what I say?He said: If he has what you are saying, then you have backbitten him, and if he does not have what you are saying, then you have slandered him).
And according to what we hear about some of these publications, some of them contain lies with no truth, and the only intention is to tarnish.
So we warn against circulating these publications, and we see that in their circulation there is sin; because it does not add to the mud except wetness, and it does not earn the person except sin; because the status of scholars and the status of princes and sultans is a sensitive status. The backbiting of a scholar is not like the backbiting of a man of the street, and the backbiting of the one in authority is not like the backbiting of a sweeper or the like. The backbiting of a scholar is a direct attack on him, and then a diminishment of trust in what he publishes of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And this is the dangerous point; if the trust of people in what the scholar says decreases, then all of his knowledge or most of it is lost, and his knowledge is from the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And if the awe of the rulers, the princes and sultans, decreases, then the submission of people to them decreases, and their following of their orders which do not go beyond the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And if that decreases, chaos occurs, and every person does as he pleases. So the matter, my brothers, is serious! Now, if one of the people writes a publication, and the one to his right or left from the general people—and may Allah be pleased with them, for there is good among them—wants to publish it among the people, is this not an aggression against them? This is aggression, without doubt, and backbiting.
This is despite the fact that if the trust of people in them decreases, or their status lowers in the eyes of people, it would not affect anything, neither in security nor in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). How then if the backbiting undermines security, or undermines the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law)? And I have elaborated on this because I saw people who love good, who think that in publishing these publications there is benefit. And I bear witness to Allah, and then I bear witness to you, that my belief is that publishing these publications which contain nothing but backbiting and cursing is from the major sins, and that a person does not increase thereby except in sin, and that any corruption that occurs in the society as a result of these publications, the person will bear its sin.
How do we demolish this security with our own hands? Security, prosperity, and tranquility. How do we demolish it with our own hands? Have you not known that among people there are those who rose up with armed call against governments that are not like our government, and which explicitly state that they rule by other than what Allah has revealed, and they impose French, or English, or American, or Russian laws; to judge between the Muslim servants of Allah with these laws? So what happens? And what will be the result?! The result will be: Harm, and an increase in the violence and authority of these governments, and no stability and no security! And then we see that if the governments go, who will succeed them? Will a man like 'Umar ibn al-Khattab succeed them? Answer! One worse than them will succeed them, and this is a tested thing.
So it is obligatory for a person to look at the consequences and results, and then look at what he will meet with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection [Al-Inshiqaq: 6]. What will he say to Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Why does he publish the faults of the scholars, and the faults of the princes are published? What is the benefit? So we ask Allah the Exalted to guide our brothers to insight in the religion of Allah, and wisdom in dealing with the servants of Allah.
Our guidance to our brothers and sons: First: Let their concern not be gossip; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited gossip.
Second: Let their concern not be asking too many questions: What happened to so-and-so? And what became of so-and-so? For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited asking too many questions.
Third: And let their concern not be wasting time and consuming their lives; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited wasting wealth. And wasting lives is a greater calamity than wasting wealth.For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back (100) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُThat I might do righteousness in that which I left behind
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُSo what I see is that if the people trust the Committee of Senior Scholars, and at their head is Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz, then let them place the matter in their trust and under their responsibility.
And if they do not trust them, then this is a great affliction! That the people do not trust their rulers, be they scholars or princes; for the rulers are the scholars and the princes, as the people of knowledge have explicitly stated.
So I say: We should seek a role that benefits the people, and build with it what has been demolished, and not go back to words from which they do not benefit and by which they do not benefit others. Perhaps it will lead some of them to lying, backbiting, and slandering others, so that division occurs after unity, enmity after alliance, and evil results.
We must now look at how we work? And how we call to Allah? Is the call to Allah restricted by conditions that a person must be cautious of, and take things as they are, without innovating a matter that leads to his suspension? We command that one call to Allah with insight; but we also command that there be wisdom in the call, aiming for building, and aiming for the reform of creation in their religion and their worldly affairs.
As for circulating what the questioner mentioned from the book of Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah grant him success), addressed to the Minister of the Interior, I do not see that; I do not see that people should circulate it. What is the benefit of that?! This is from what incites people on one of two paths: The path of people who are fanatical for the Committee of Senior Scholars, saying: These people have errors from which the society must be protected.
The path of people who are fanatical for these, saying: The scholars erred and went astray.
So factionalism occurs, either for these or for those. The obligatory thing is to extinguish the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and remove the division within it. So I do not see that people should circulate this book. I see that whoever has something of it, if there is a benefit in preserving it, let him keep it; otherwise, let him tear it up.
I also see that the most severe and dangerous of what people circulate is what is sent to this country from abroad, publishing what is claimed to be negligence by the government, or neglect of a duty upon it, or violation of a forbidden thing.Then this is the least that can be said about it: It is backbiting; because it fully applies to the limit set by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for backbiting. What did he say when asked about backbiting?He said: (Mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes), and there is no doubt that the state dislikes that these things attributed to it are published; it certainly dislikes them.Therefore: So it is backbiting, and backbiting is among the major sins that prayer does not expiate, nor fasting, nor the lesser pilgrimage, nor the major pilgrimage, and in which a person is in danger of being punished. This is if what is published is true and established. But if it is not true, by direct observation and hearing the call to prayer, then it is added to being backbiting that it is slander; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, and it was said to him: (What do you think if there is in my brother what I say?He said: If he has what you are saying, then you have backbitten him, and if he does not have what you are saying, then you have slandered him).
And according to what we hear about some of these publications, some of them contain lies with no truth, and the only intention is to tarnish.
So we warn against circulating these publications, and we see that in their circulation there is sin; because it does not add to the mud except wetness, and it does not earn the person except sin; because the status of scholars and the status of princes and sultans is a sensitive status. The backbiting of a scholar is not like the backbiting of a man of the street, and the backbiting of the one in authority is not like the backbiting of a sweeper or the like. The backbiting of a scholar is a direct attack on him, and then a diminishment of trust in what he publishes of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And this is the dangerous point; if the trust of people in what the scholar says decreases, then all of his knowledge or most of it is lost, and his knowledge is from the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And if the awe of the rulers, the princes and sultans, decreases, then the submission of people to them decreases, and their following of their orders which do not go beyond the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). And if that decreases, chaos occurs, and every person does as he pleases. So the matter, my brothers, is serious! Now, if one of the people writes a publication, and the one to his right or left from the general people—and may Allah be pleased with them, for there is good among them—wants to publish it among the people, is this not an aggression against them? This is aggression, without doubt, and backbiting.
This is despite the fact that if the trust of people in them decreases, or their status lowers in the eyes of people, it would not affect anything, neither in security nor in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). How then if the backbiting undermines security, or undermines the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law)? And I have elaborated on this because I saw people who love good, who think that in publishing these publications there is benefit. And I bear witness to Allah, and then I bear witness to you, that my belief is that publishing these publications which contain nothing but backbiting and cursing is from the major sins, and that a person does not increase thereby except in sin, and that any corruption that occurs in the society as a result of these publications, the person will bear its sin.
How do we demolish this security with our own hands? Security, prosperity, and tranquility. How do we demolish it with our own hands? Have you not known that among people there are those who rose up with armed call against governments that are not like our government, and which explicitly state that they rule by other than what Allah has revealed, and they impose French, or English, or American, or Russian laws; to judge between the Muslim servants of Allah with these laws? So what happens? And what will be the result?! The result will be: Harm, and an increase in the violence and authority of these governments, and no stability and no security! And then we see that if the governments go, who will succeed them? Will a man like 'Umar ibn al-Khattab succeed them? Answer! One worse than them will succeed them, and this is a tested thing.
So it is obligatory for a person to look at the consequences and results, and then look at what he will meet with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection