What is the ruling on a group that says: explaining the truth to people, and that is by enjoining good and forbidding evil, is a calamity, because if the proof is established against them, they might commit disobedience?
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The questioner : I sat with some of the young men who go out with some of the callers to Allah, believing that they have a great share of correctness in calling to Allah. I sat with him and mentioned the verse [Al-Anbya 21:107] So I said, meaning, it is from the mercy of Allah the Exalted and Majestic for this Ummah that He made us enjoin good and forbid evil. So his answer was that this is a calamity, because if you establish the proof!
The Shaykh : Excuse me, so that I understand you, or him, that this is a calamity. What is this?
The questioner : That we establish the proof against people, because in the case of establishing the proof against people, this is a calamity, because it is possible that they might commit disobedience?
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : So I said to him, if he commits disobedience, then the proof has been established against him, and this is what Allah commanded us to do, to establish the proof and to forbid!
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So among his beliefs regarding the call in the beginning is that we must be as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was, calling to the oneness of Allah (tawhid), as if we are now being addressed with the details of the Islamic religion, because it is the oneness of Allah, and we do not blame any person if he commits another innovation, because we must educate him, and in the case of his education in the mosque, and you now, meaning we who are in the call to Allah the Exalted and Majestic with the methodology of evidence, that people turn away from you, and you are harsh with people!
The Shaykh : You almost inclined to them a little.
The questioner : He says, if you were on the truth, most of them would not have opposed you!
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, what Allah willed.
The questioner : So what is the response to this?
The Shaykh : This is the problem, my brother, that we always and forever go around and around!
The questioner : And are we, O honorable Shaykh, addressed with the details or with the religion in its entirety now, so that we proceed, if we see a person, we call him to the oneness of Allah (tawhid), such that if we see him committing a great sin or an evil, we do not tell him, so that in the beginning we educate him and say... or do we establish the proof against him?
The Shaykh : The meaning of the words of this man you are referring to is that we are today in the Meccan period, and this is very dangerous. I think that if he is reminded of it and its danger becomes clear to him, he will retract his false claim, because the meaning of this statement is that if we see a person who does not pray, we leave him and his misguidance, and if we see another person committing unlawful sexual intercourse, likewise, drinking intoxicants, and so on. Why? Because these things are from the forbidden things that were moved in the Medinan period, whereas the Meccan period was a focus of the call around the oneness of Allah (tawhid). Indeed, I do not think a person reaches such ignorance and foolishness as to commit to this commitment that we commit him to, because the meaning of your words, O Shaykh, is that we are now in a situation most resembling the Meccan situation, so we are not obligated with anything except the oneness of Allah (tawhid), and this is disbelief that no Muslim on the face of the earth says, absolutely not. This is one thing, and the second thing is, are they truly calling to the oneness of Allah (tawhid)? Do they know the oneness of Allah (tawhid)? We mentioned briefly earlier that they blame those who research the oneness of Allah (tawhid) if they do not proceed with them, because the problem with them is not to research a topic that causes disagreement among the attendees. Therefore, he tells you, if your call is a call of truth, people would not have turned away from you. And this is evidence from hundreds of evidences of the ignorance of these people. And therefore, when they go out claiming to call in the path of Allah, they have not known the path of Allah so that they call to it. And as is said in the old examples, "He who lacks a thing cannot give it". It came in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: - meaning the Jews are a very large nation - And all of these are prophets. We mean, not like our story, meaning it is possible for one of us to be ignorant, having learned how many issues... it is possible for his style to be bad, so instead of bringing people to Islam, the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) applies to him: The prophets are free from such a possibility. So they are correct in their ideas and in their call, and successful in their style. Why did these results differ? The nation of Musa (peace be upon him) blocked the horizon. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), of course, his nation is greater and greater... the group and the two groups, and the Prophet with him the man and the two men, and the Prophet with no one with him. Does that mean that the style of these differed and their call differed? Of course not. What is the meaning of the fruit of the difference of the call of these prophets, and it is their call, one call? The cause is the land in which they were plowing and planting; it was land not suitable, not growing.
The questioner : Tawhid, tawhid, tawhid. Allah does not ask us about what is in the al-Tahawiyyah creed.
The Shaykh : Do you see how it is! This is what we are referring to, and earlier I said you...
The questioner : There are many contradictions.
The Shaykh : I am telling you, otherwise... I said earlier that above all, we start with the oneness of Allah (tawhid). They do not know the oneness of Allah (tawhid), and now they have refuted their claim with their own hands. They do not call except to things known to people or agreed upon, that one does not commit unlawful sexual intercourse and does not drink. Yet with that, he tells you, do not enjoin good and do not forbid evil. We are not permitted except to adopt Islam as a whole. No, it is not divisible. We are not permitted to adopt Islam except as a whole, not divisible, with its foundations and branches, with its beliefs and rulings, with its conduct and its manners. But there is no doubt that the circle of Islam is very wide, and we cannot imagine a prophet after our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who encompasses Islam in understanding and conveying like him. This is an impossible matter. But every one of the scholars of the Muslims has a share of this call, and it is obligatory upon him what he has reached of knowledge: first, to act upon it, and second, to call people to it. Otherwise, this statement you mentioned is in fact one of the things that is censured in these people. And we advise them to sit in the mosques and study the knowledge, and understand the Qur'an, and then call people to what they have learned of knowledge. But as they go out, they do not understand anything of Islam, so they are more harmful to Islam than those who do not call to Islam. So we ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic...
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner: Abu Layla's eyes turned red.
The Shaykh : But not on us!! So we ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic to teach us what benefits us, and to guide us to act upon what He has taught us, and to increase us in knowledge. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.
و ما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمينThe Shaykh : Excuse me, so that I understand you, or him, that this is a calamity. What is this?
The questioner : That we establish the proof against people, because in the case of establishing the proof against people, this is a calamity, because it is possible that they might commit disobedience?
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : So I said to him, if he commits disobedience, then the proof has been established against him, and this is what Allah commanded us to do, to establish the proof and to forbid!
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So among his beliefs regarding the call in the beginning is that we must be as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was, calling to the oneness of Allah (tawhid), as if we are now being addressed with the details of the Islamic religion, because it is the oneness of Allah, and we do not blame any person if he commits another innovation, because we must educate him, and in the case of his education in the mosque, and you now, meaning we who are in the call to Allah the Exalted and Majestic with the methodology of evidence, that people turn away from you, and you are harsh with people!
The Shaykh : You almost inclined to them a little.
The questioner : He says, if you were on the truth, most of them would not have opposed you!
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, what Allah willed.
The questioner : So what is the response to this?
The Shaykh : This is the problem, my brother, that we always and forever go around and around!
The questioner : And are we, O honorable Shaykh, addressed with the details or with the religion in its entirety now, so that we proceed, if we see a person, we call him to the oneness of Allah (tawhid), such that if we see him committing a great sin or an evil, we do not tell him, so that in the beginning we educate him and say... or do we establish the proof against him?
The Shaykh : The meaning of the words of this man you are referring to is that we are today in the Meccan period, and this is very dangerous. I think that if he is reminded of it and its danger becomes clear to him, he will retract his false claim, because the meaning of this statement is that if we see a person who does not pray, we leave him and his misguidance, and if we see another person committing unlawful sexual intercourse, likewise, drinking intoxicants, and so on. Why? Because these things are from the forbidden things that were moved in the Medinan period, whereas the Meccan period was a focus of the call around the oneness of Allah (tawhid). Indeed, I do not think a person reaches such ignorance and foolishness as to commit to this commitment that we commit him to, because the meaning of your words, O Shaykh, is that we are now in a situation most resembling the Meccan situation, so we are not obligated with anything except the oneness of Allah (tawhid), and this is disbelief that no Muslim on the face of the earth says, absolutely not. This is one thing, and the second thing is, are they truly calling to the oneness of Allah (tawhid)? Do they know the oneness of Allah (tawhid)? We mentioned briefly earlier that they blame those who research the oneness of Allah (tawhid) if they do not proceed with them, because the problem with them is not to research a topic that causes disagreement among the attendees. Therefore, he tells you, if your call is a call of truth, people would not have turned away from you. And this is evidence from hundreds of evidences of the ignorance of these people. And therefore, when they go out claiming to call in the path of Allah, they have not known the path of Allah so that they call to it. And as is said in the old examples, "He who lacks a thing cannot give it". It came in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The nations were presented to me, and I saw a great blackness on the horizon, so I said, "What is this?" He said, "This is Musa and his people."
عرضت عليّ الأمم فرأيت في الأفق سوادا عظيما فقلت ما هذا ؟ قال هذا موسى و قومهThen he looked to the other side and saw an even greater blackness, so he asked about it. He was told, "This is your Ummah." He said, peace be upon him—and here is the point of interest—then the Prophets were shown to me, and with them were groups of people, and pairs of people, and the Prophet was shown to me with one man, and two men, and the Prophet was shown to me with no one with him.
فنظر في الجانب الآخر رأى سوادا أعظم فسأل عن ذلك فقال هذه أمتك قال عليه السلام - و هنا الشاهد - ثم عرضي علي النبي و معه الرهط و الرهطان و عرض علي النبي ومعه الرجل و الرجلان و عرض عليه النبي و ليس معه أحد"Indeed, among you are those who drive people away."
إن منكم لمنفرينThe questioner : Tawhid, tawhid, tawhid. Allah does not ask us about what is in the al-Tahawiyyah creed.
The Shaykh : Do you see how it is! This is what we are referring to, and earlier I said you...
The questioner : There are many contradictions.
The Shaykh : I am telling you, otherwise... I said earlier that above all, we start with the oneness of Allah (tawhid). They do not know the oneness of Allah (tawhid), and now they have refuted their claim with their own hands. They do not call except to things known to people or agreed upon, that one does not commit unlawful sexual intercourse and does not drink. Yet with that, he tells you, do not enjoin good and do not forbid evil. We are not permitted except to adopt Islam as a whole. No, it is not divisible. We are not permitted to adopt Islam except as a whole, not divisible, with its foundations and branches, with its beliefs and rulings, with its conduct and its manners. But there is no doubt that the circle of Islam is very wide, and we cannot imagine a prophet after our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who encompasses Islam in understanding and conveying like him. This is an impossible matter. But every one of the scholars of the Muslims has a share of this call, and it is obligatory upon him what he has reached of knowledge: first, to act upon it, and second, to call people to it. Otherwise, this statement you mentioned is in fact one of the things that is censured in these people. And we advise them to sit in the mosques and study the knowledge, and understand the Qur'an, and then call people to what they have learned of knowledge. But as they go out, they do not understand anything of Islam, so they are more harmful to Islam than those who do not call to Islam. So we ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic...
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner: Abu Layla's eyes turned red.
The Shaykh : But not on us!! So we ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic to teach us what benefits us, and to guide us to act upon what He has taught us, and to increase us in knowledge. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.