It has appeared among some of the youth that any author in whose books some religious innovations are found, or who speaks of some religious innovations, or who has notes regarding his creed, is not to be accepted; rather,
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : Among some of the committed youth, a phenomenon has appeared that requires a clear distinction. Some of them say that any author who has committed a religious innovation in his book, or who is among those who speak of some religious innovations, or who has notes regarding his creed, is not to be accepted; rather, his words are rejected and he is not to be prayed for with mercy. Likewise, they have declared people disbelievers for any sin they see or for any shortcoming in them. We ask for clarification of this. May Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : The question now has two parts. The first part: If one of the scholars speaks of a religious innovation or follows the methodology of the people of innovation in one of the issues, is he considered one of them? The answer: No, he is not considered one of them and is not attributed to them. If he agrees with them in one of the issues, he has agreed with them in that issue, and it is not correct to attribute him to them absolutely. For example, we now follow what Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) held in our jurisprudence. But if we take an opinion that al-Shafi'i held, does that mean we are Shafi'is? Or if Malik held it, are we Malikis? Or if Abu Hanifah held it, are we Hanafis? Likewise, if they take an issue that Imam Ahmad held, are they Hanbalis? No. So, if we see a person from the recognized scholars, known for their sincerity, who takes something from what the people of innovation held, it is not fitting for us to say they are among them and are on their methodology. We say that, based on the sincerity we see in them toward the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), O servants of Allah, if they err in this issue, that error is the result of independent legal reasoning. Whoever among this Ummah exercises independent legal reasoning and is correct has two rewards, and if he errs, he has one reward. And whoever rejects all the truth because of a word in which the one who spoke the truth erred, is misguided, especially if the error he perceives as an error is not actually an error. Because some people, when someone disagrees with them, say he is in error, and they declare his error or his misguidance, or perhaps declare him a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that. And this is an extremely bad methodology. Yes.
The questioner : The second part.
The Shaykh : The second part?
The questioner : Declaring people disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Yes, the second part is not about declaring people disbelievers. Read it.
The questioner : It says: Do some people perhaps declare people disbelievers for the slightest reason or for any sin whatsoever?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is also the case with the one who declares people disbelievers for any reason or for any sin. If this description is true—that he declares them disbelievers for any sin whatsoever—then his methodology is more severe than the methodology of the Khawarij, an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers. Because the methodology of the Khawarij is to declare the doer of a major sin a disbeliever, not every sin. So, if there is now someone who declares Muslims disbelievers for any sin, he is misguided, contrary to the Book and the Sunnah, and exceeds the methodology of the Khawarij whom Ali ibn Abi Talib fought. The Muslims differed regarding declaring them disbelievers; some declared them disbelievers, and some declared them open sinners and considered them among the rebels and oppressors. Does not Allah say:[An-Nisa 4:31] What is it? [An-Nisa 4:31] So, by avoiding the major sins, Allah forgives the minor sins, provided one does not persist in the minor sin. But if he persists, the scholars said: "Persisting in a minor sin makes it a major sin". So, this statement is undoubtedly misguidance. Then, let this one who declares Muslims disbelievers for sins know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It will return to him, and he will be the disbeliever. And this was said by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And if he is not a disbeliever, he is a disbeliever in the sight of Allah, because the Messenger said that one of them must be the disbeliever. Yes.
The Shaykh : The question now has two parts. The first part: If one of the scholars speaks of a religious innovation or follows the methodology of the people of innovation in one of the issues, is he considered one of them? The answer: No, he is not considered one of them and is not attributed to them. If he agrees with them in one of the issues, he has agreed with them in that issue, and it is not correct to attribute him to them absolutely. For example, we now follow what Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) held in our jurisprudence. But if we take an opinion that al-Shafi'i held, does that mean we are Shafi'is? Or if Malik held it, are we Malikis? Or if Abu Hanifah held it, are we Hanafis? Likewise, if they take an issue that Imam Ahmad held, are they Hanbalis? No. So, if we see a person from the recognized scholars, known for their sincerity, who takes something from what the people of innovation held, it is not fitting for us to say they are among them and are on their methodology. We say that, based on the sincerity we see in them toward the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), O servants of Allah, if they err in this issue, that error is the result of independent legal reasoning. Whoever among this Ummah exercises independent legal reasoning and is correct has two rewards, and if he errs, he has one reward. And whoever rejects all the truth because of a word in which the one who spoke the truth erred, is misguided, especially if the error he perceives as an error is not actually an error. Because some people, when someone disagrees with them, say he is in error, and they declare his error or his misguidance, or perhaps declare him a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that. And this is an extremely bad methodology. Yes.
The questioner : The second part.
The Shaykh : The second part?
The questioner : Declaring people disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Yes, the second part is not about declaring people disbelievers. Read it.
The questioner : It says: Do some people perhaps declare people disbelievers for the slightest reason or for any sin whatsoever?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is also the case with the one who declares people disbelievers for any reason or for any sin. If this description is true—that he declares them disbelievers for any sin whatsoever—then his methodology is more severe than the methodology of the Khawarij, an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers. Because the methodology of the Khawarij is to declare the doer of a major sin a disbeliever, not every sin. So, if there is now someone who declares Muslims disbelievers for any sin, he is misguided, contrary to the Book and the Sunnah, and exceeds the methodology of the Khawarij whom Ali ibn Abi Talib fought. The Muslims differed regarding declaring them disbelievers; some declared them disbelievers, and some declared them open sinners and considered them among the rebels and oppressors. Does not Allah say: