The Shaykh’s clarification that the Muslim community has reached a point where disagreement among them extends to the fundamentals.

The Shaykh : The Muslims are in disagreement, even in matters of creed. It is not as the majority of scholars today claim, that the disagreement among Muslims is only in the branches and not in the fundamentals. This is a tune we know from Akhzam. You hardly read a religious magazine without finding the same refrain and the same tone: that the disagreement among Muslims is only in the branches and not in the fundamentals. Then they add a straw to a camel’s load by saying, “And disagreement in the branches is a mercy.” This is all wrong on both counts. The first count is that the disagreement has extended beyond the branches to the fundamentals. In fact, the disagreement has occurred in the very root of all fundamentals, which is faith in Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Some of you are unaware of the disagreement between, for example, the Maturidiyyah and the people of the Sunnah and the community as a whole regarding faith. Does faith admit of increase and decrease, or not? Are righteous deeds part of its definition, or not? The majority, and the texts of the Book and the Sunnah are in agreement on this, hold that faith increases and decreases, and that righteous deeds are part of faith. As for the Maturidiyyah, they continue to say that faith does not increase or decrease, and that any faith that admits of increase is disbelief. Any faith that admits of increase is disbelief, because they believe that faith is something that never admits of increase or decrease. There is nothing but the faith that has nothing beyond it in terms of increase, and nothing below it but disbelief. To this day, this school of thought dominates, and perhaps dominates the largest area of the Islamic world. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This means returning to the religion, not returning to the existing disagreements among Muslims since ancient times, but rather returning to the religion in the correct sense. I say this word in the correct sense. It is also a word of agreement among Muslims today. But what is the correct concept of the religion? The matter is as it was said: “Everyone claims a connection to Layla,” “But Layla does not acknowledge that for them.” For example, the Maturidiyyah, when they understand that faith does not admit of increase or decrease, believe that this is the truth. So they are calling all Muslims today to join them in this creed. And they believe in the validity of the marriage of tahil. So they are calling Muslims to believe their belief, even though this creed and this jurisprudence are all contrary to the Book and the Sunnah. No, I do not want to lengthen the examples; they are only a reminder, and the reminder benefits the believers. My only aim is to draw attention to the fact that the religion which the Messenger (peace be upon him) made a cure for the Muslims can never be this religion with multiple concepts, even in the fundamentals, not just in the branches. So what is the correct concept, and what is the path to knowing this correct concept of the religion, so that when we resolve to follow the guidance of Allah and take heed of the admonition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we return to the religion? What is the correct concept? This is the crux of the matter, as they say.