It is known that many of the Salaf declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers and declared disbelievers those who said that the Qur'an is created, and other matters that entail disbelief. Is there any harm in declaring these people disbelievers in the manner of the Salaf?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. It is known that many of the Salaf declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers and declared disbelievers those who said that the Qur'an is created, and other matters that entail disbelief... one of the two positions, which is not declaring them disbelievers...?
The Shaykh : ...Regarding the declaration of disbelief by the Salaf against the Jahmiyyah or the Jahmi, in my opinion, the scholars of the Salaf established the proof against those people, and they persisted in their misguidance and deviation. We do not doubt that such a declaration of disbelief is on the right path. However, other misguidances are not measured by the misguidance of the Jahmiyyah, because in my opinion, there is no one today who establishes the proof, as we mentioned in some gatherings, against those who have deviated from the correct Islamic creed. Therefore, we differentiate and say: this is disbelief (kufr) and this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), but we do not rush to declare someone a disbeliever and expel the one who has fallen into disbelief from the religion, except after establishing the proof.
Regarding what came in the question about the Salaf declaring the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers, the answer, in my opinion, is that they believed that the proof had been established against them from many angles, especially since the circumstances were favorable for the people of the Sunnah to establish the proofs indicating the misguidance of these Jahmiyyah. Despite that, they persisted in their misguidance, and in return, the scholars of the Salaf persisted in declaring them disbelievers.
Shaykh Rabee: ...Now we explain to people that these matters... this is one thing... and this is another... and the Salaf declared disbelief regarding it, but we do not declare disbelief except when the proof is established. We fear that many of you, I mean, may actually be polytheists in reality. Declaring people disbelievers, because when people come to this coldly, without drawing attention to the positions of the Salaf regarding these innovations, I mean, they are Muslims and that's it... a Muslim, a Muslim, as long as the proof has been established against him, is a polytheist. These are matters regarding which the Salaf declared disbelief. We declare disbelief, but these matters are very serious, and we must warn people and we must all cooperate, the callers to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), in saving the Muslims from this danger. So this is a matter regarding which the Salaf declared disbelief. We do not declare disbelief, but its matter is serious, and many Muslims may be... in the Fire. So we strive earnestly to save people from this, which the Salaf declared disbelief for, and they ruled that its perpetrator is a polytheist. So we do not issue a fatwa saying this... and it is over. If I mention alongside this the declaration of disbelief by the Salaf and their strictness in this matter, it may serve as a deterrent for many people from persisting in committing this act of disbelief... So should we use this method as a deterrent for people?
The Shaykh : I do not hesitate at all regarding this addition that you propose.
Shaykh Rabee: May Allah reward you with good. May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : But I say, if it is said that this is disbelief and shirk and misguidance and expels one from the religion, this is not an easy matter...
The questioner : It is not sufficient.
The Shaykh : No, I say if we add it, it is better, but this is not an easy matter. When we say this, what you do is disbelief and it is shirk, meaning it expels its doer from the religion, in the case of... But the phrase you said leaves no room for denial...
The questioner : The Shaykh of Islam did not declare the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers. He even said to the Jahmiyyah, "Let him declare himself a disbeliever," meaning he does not consider them...
Shaykh Rabee: We do not declare all people disbelievers, but we want the good for people. We want deterrents for people that restrain them from these innovations that entail disbelief. We say that the Salaf declared these issues to be disbelief. They declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers by their actions... They declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers, and now Muslims have acts of shirk and things more dangerous than those issues regarding which Muslims declared disbelief... The positions of the Salaf... because people now have buried the opinion of the Salaf and their positions... they have buried it completely...
The Shaykh : This speech, may Allah bless you, as we said earlier, and there should be no disagreement in it.
Shaykh Rabee: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : But this, in my opinion, is speech of promise and guidance, which is easier than scientific speech. If one of those people were to say to us, "Why did the Salaf declare those Jahmiyyah and their like to be disbelievers, while you are cautious and say we do not declare disbelief... except after establishing the proof?"
The questioner : ...But I say, I mean, many have exploited the fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah. I see that Ibn Taymiyyah narrates the positions of the Salaf in his speech. He presents the statements of the Salaf in the issues, then he expresses his opinion, then people come and cling to the statements of Ibn Taymiyyah for purposes and desires in their hearts... so that you declare Muslims disbelievers, while Ibn Taymiyyah does not declare them disbelievers!
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. There is no room for eliminating it, but it... regarding what concerns us and our method that I mentioned, there is no disagreement in it, and we do not clash over it, as it was said in old times... in the issue, in the topic, and in...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I fear...
The questioner : A group from Pakistan, the group of hadith... and I want to translate for them.
The Shaykh : This requires a special session.
The questioner : These people rushed.
The Shaykh : ...Regarding the declaration of disbelief by the Salaf against the Jahmiyyah or the Jahmi, in my opinion, the scholars of the Salaf established the proof against those people, and they persisted in their misguidance and deviation. We do not doubt that such a declaration of disbelief is on the right path. However, other misguidances are not measured by the misguidance of the Jahmiyyah, because in my opinion, there is no one today who establishes the proof, as we mentioned in some gatherings, against those who have deviated from the correct Islamic creed. Therefore, we differentiate and say: this is disbelief (kufr) and this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), but we do not rush to declare someone a disbeliever and expel the one who has fallen into disbelief from the religion, except after establishing the proof.
Regarding what came in the question about the Salaf declaring the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers, the answer, in my opinion, is that they believed that the proof had been established against them from many angles, especially since the circumstances were favorable for the people of the Sunnah to establish the proofs indicating the misguidance of these Jahmiyyah. Despite that, they persisted in their misguidance, and in return, the scholars of the Salaf persisted in declaring them disbelievers.
Shaykh Rabee: ...Now we explain to people that these matters... this is one thing... and this is another... and the Salaf declared disbelief regarding it, but we do not declare disbelief except when the proof is established. We fear that many of you, I mean, may actually be polytheists in reality. Declaring people disbelievers, because when people come to this coldly, without drawing attention to the positions of the Salaf regarding these innovations, I mean, they are Muslims and that's it... a Muslim, a Muslim, as long as the proof has been established against him, is a polytheist. These are matters regarding which the Salaf declared disbelief. We declare disbelief, but these matters are very serious, and we must warn people and we must all cooperate, the callers to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), in saving the Muslims from this danger. So this is a matter regarding which the Salaf declared disbelief. We do not declare disbelief, but its matter is serious, and many Muslims may be... in the Fire. So we strive earnestly to save people from this, which the Salaf declared disbelief for, and they ruled that its perpetrator is a polytheist. So we do not issue a fatwa saying this... and it is over. If I mention alongside this the declaration of disbelief by the Salaf and their strictness in this matter, it may serve as a deterrent for many people from persisting in committing this act of disbelief... So should we use this method as a deterrent for people?
The Shaykh : I do not hesitate at all regarding this addition that you propose.
Shaykh Rabee: May Allah reward you with good. May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : But I say, if it is said that this is disbelief and shirk and misguidance and expels one from the religion, this is not an easy matter...
The questioner : It is not sufficient.
The Shaykh : No, I say if we add it, it is better, but this is not an easy matter. When we say this, what you do is disbelief and it is shirk, meaning it expels its doer from the religion, in the case of... But the phrase you said leaves no room for denial...
The questioner : The Shaykh of Islam did not declare the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers. He even said to the Jahmiyyah, "Let him declare himself a disbeliever," meaning he does not consider them...
Shaykh Rabee: We do not declare all people disbelievers, but we want the good for people. We want deterrents for people that restrain them from these innovations that entail disbelief. We say that the Salaf declared these issues to be disbelief. They declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers by their actions... They declared the Jahmiyyah to be disbelievers, and now Muslims have acts of shirk and things more dangerous than those issues regarding which Muslims declared disbelief... The positions of the Salaf... because people now have buried the opinion of the Salaf and their positions... they have buried it completely...
The Shaykh : This speech, may Allah bless you, as we said earlier, and there should be no disagreement in it.
Shaykh Rabee: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : But this, in my opinion, is speech of promise and guidance, which is easier than scientific speech. If one of those people were to say to us, "Why did the Salaf declare those Jahmiyyah and their like to be disbelievers, while you are cautious and say we do not declare disbelief... except after establishing the proof?"
The questioner : ...But I say, I mean, many have exploited the fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah. I see that Ibn Taymiyyah narrates the positions of the Salaf in his speech. He presents the statements of the Salaf in the issues, then he expresses his opinion, then people come and cling to the statements of Ibn Taymiyyah for purposes and desires in their hearts... so that you declare Muslims disbelievers, while Ibn Taymiyyah does not declare them disbelievers!
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. There is no room for eliminating it, but it... regarding what concerns us and our method that I mentioned, there is no disagreement in it, and we do not clash over it, as it was said in old times... in the issue, in the topic, and in...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I fear...
The questioner : A group from Pakistan, the group of hadith... and I want to translate for them.
The Shaykh : This requires a special session.
The questioner : These people rushed.