Clarification of the Methodology of the People of the Sunnah and the Community in Sacred Law
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The Shaykh : ...belong to the methodology of the righteous Salaf, as opposed to those whom we disapprove of for their party affiliation. It is not merely an action, but also a testimony from them: the party of al-Tahrir, the party of the Muslim Brotherhood, and many of them acknowledge political pluralism. We say that comparing one who belongs to the methodology of the righteous Salaf to these groups is of the nature of what I quoted to you from Ibn Hazm. Based on his school of thought in rejecting analogical reasoning (qiyas) in its entirety and in detail, as a principle—even though he sometimes contradicted this and was forced to resort to the very qiyas he had rejected in its entirety and in detail—based on this rejection, he would say when discussing his opponents: "This is qiyas, and all qiyas is invalid. Even if there were truth in it, this would be the very essence of falsehood." We do not agree with Ibn Hazm in his absolute rejection of qiyas, but we take a lesson from his words that there are instances of qiyas which, as Ibn Hazm says, if there were any qiyas, this would be the very essence of falsehood. For example, it is well known in the Hanafi school of jurisprudence that if one speaks during prayer while in a state of forgetfulness, his prayer is invalid. They said this is by analogy to the one who does it intentionally. Here, Ibn Hazm's statement applies: "This is invalid qiyas. Comparing one who is held accountable to one who is not held accountable is the very essence of falsehood, just as comparing a killer by mistake to a killer by intent."
In summary, the two are not equal. For example, one who belongs to the methodology of the righteous Salaf is not like one who belongs to a person or a group. ... The point is that no party on earth shares our affiliation, for we belong, as we said earlier, to the Ummah. Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:110] We belong to these, who are the righteous Salaf. We belong to the group that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) made a distinguishing mark between those who merely claim to follow the Book and the Sunnah and those who confirm it by their affiliation to the distinguishing mark that is unique and safe from the misguided sects. You know his saying (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) when he mentioned the authentic hadith and said: We belong to this group. Therefore, the other parties do not share our affiliation. And so it is correct for me to say: "This difference between us is sufficient *** And every vessel emits what is in it". We therefore belong to the protected group, to the path of the believers, which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) made, by the explicit text of the Noble Qur'an, such that whoever departs from their path will be touched by Hellfire, and evil is the destination. So He the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:115]. Therefore, we belong to the Ummah, to the first group, to the group protected from going to any of the misguided sects. We belong to the path of the believers, which, according to the testimony of the Qur'an, whoever opposes it deserves to enter the Fire. How then is it correct to say to us: "You are like those whom you disapprove of for their party affiliation"? They are not the same.
Now I say the decisive word: Every Muslim who agrees with us on what we concluded during our discussion—and I do not say during our debate, but during our discussion—concluded that a Muslim cannot but say: "I am upon the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf." I say that whoever knows this reality is with us. Whoever disavows this affiliation is not a Muslim, because he contradicts the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah. It is not so for the one who says, "I am not a Muslim Brother, I am not a member of al-Tahrir," and so on. No responsibility is attributed to him at all. The reason for this is that those people belong to a person or to persons, but these persons do not represent the guided group mentioned in the Noble Qur'an. I think this completes the answer to the one who says, "You are like the Muslim Brotherhood," because, in brief, I say that this person who says such a thing does not have this clarification in his mind at all. But if we sat with him in a calm session, even if it were like our sessions when we are not sitting but ... walking, if he sat with us in such a session, the reality would change for him, and he would say, "In truth, there is a clear difference, like the sun in broad daylight, between one who belongs to the righteous Salaf and one who belongs to others." And in conclusion, I say
"This difference between us is sufficient *** And every vessel emits what is in it".
If there is anything left in the quiver, I hope you will emit what is in it!
In summary, the two are not equal. For example, one who belongs to the methodology of the righteous Salaf is not like one who belongs to a person or a group. ... The point is that no party on earth shares our affiliation, for we belong, as we said earlier, to the Ummah. Allah the Exalted said:
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ المُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِMy Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one. They said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: It is the group (al-Jama'ah).
وستفترق أمتي على ثلاث وسبعين فرقة كلها في النار إلا واحدة قالوا من هي يا رسول الله قال هي الجماعةAnd whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ المُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًاNow I say the decisive word: Every Muslim who agrees with us on what we concluded during our discussion—and I do not say during our debate, but during our discussion—concluded that a Muslim cannot but say: "I am upon the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf." I say that whoever knows this reality is with us. Whoever disavows this affiliation is not a Muslim, because he contradicts the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah. It is not so for the one who says, "I am not a Muslim Brother, I am not a member of al-Tahrir," and so on. No responsibility is attributed to him at all. The reason for this is that those people belong to a person or to persons, but these persons do not represent the guided group mentioned in the Noble Qur'an. I think this completes the answer to the one who says, "You are like the Muslim Brotherhood," because, in brief, I say that this person who says such a thing does not have this clarification in his mind at all. But if we sat with him in a calm session, even if it were like our sessions when we are not sitting but ... walking, if he sat with us in such a session, the reality would change for him, and he would say, "In truth, there is a clear difference, like the sun in broad daylight, between one who belongs to the righteous Salaf and one who belongs to others." And in conclusion, I say
"This difference between us is sufficient *** And every vessel emits what is in it".
If there is anything left in the quiver, I hope you will emit what is in it!