What is the ruling on one who says: There is a difference between disagreement in methodology and disagreement in Islamic jurisprudence, and that he warns against one who opposes the correct methodology, and a fatwa from the Shaykh regarding this

The questioner : May Allah preserve you, here, allow me, of course, to remove, if Allah wills (Blessed and Exalted is He), ignorance from my brothers in this matter. He tells you some of the examples you mentioned regarding the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), such as 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and Uthman; these are matters of Islamic jurisprudence, not matters of methodology. As for one who errs in methodology, or errs in that he praises the people of innovation, or incites or stirs up people against the rulers or others, then he must be warned against. So this is a difference, and this is a difference; there is a difference between the matters. So how is the response to him, O Shaykh? What is the matter? He makes it his obsession, or he always speaks with this. I give you an example, may Allah bless you: A fatwa came from Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him) regarding the question about the tapes of Salman and Safar, and so on, and that benefit can be derived from them if they contain scholarly material. As for the error, everyone takes from his words and rejects them, except the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So one of the brothers spoke and read this fatwa. It was presented to him in one of the lessons, so he read the fatwa. After he read the fatwa, he said, "Yes," and added to that fatwa with specific words, saying, "We take these errors and put them on a tape if this is the case, and we warn against the errors that are present, but we do not warn against the men or attack the individuals; rather, we warn against the words that are present—the error—and we take what is in them of good, if there is good in them." After this, many of the young people said, "How can he read this fatwa in front of a gathering? This is proof of praising these people and listening to their tapes, and so on." Then they began to warn against that person. The matter reached this degree, even attacking the man's religion! Glory be to Allah, He has no partner.

The questioner : WithThe Shaykh : Ibn Baz, meaning withThe Shaykh : Ibn Baz.

The questioner : No, he said, "By Allah, I did not read this fatwa except for that noble scholar. When I read this fatwa, it is to calm these people, that this matter was spoken about by a scholar from the scholars of the Ummah who is pointed to with the finger (in praise). So if the matter comes fromThe Shaykh : Nasir, or Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, or Ibn Uthaymeen, then these are the imams of this world. He says this to calm the situation. But there is no power and no strength except in Allah; they began to spread it, to stir up that matter, and it became a problem with no end.

The Shaykh : In any case, my professor, now the issue is not a scholarly issue; it is a moral issue, a moral issue. And I have mentioned earlier that desire may intervene in the subject. Settling this matter from the scholarly side is, as I said in the last words, just as we do not become fanatical toward any of the four Imams, and they are agreed upon in their knowledge and virtue and their fear of their Lord, and that they did not say anything except while being confident in its correctness, even though they were exposed to error as we mentioned. So we advise these people not to be fanatical toward individuals who are neither in the caravan nor in the baggage (i.e., insignificant) compared to the early Imams. Rather, they should take the truth from any person from whom this truth emanates. Treating these desires is one of the most difficult things. Therefore, we command them to fear Allah the Exalted and Mighty, and to avoid the hatred and repulsion that we have forbidden in the Book of Allah and in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The evils of character and bad upbringing are not treated with a word of admonition or advice. The error is demonstrated by the Book and the Sunnah. But if a person knows the truth and deviates from it, knowing that this person is not infallible, yet he becomes fanatical toward him, knowing that this other person is like the first, yet he becomes fanatical against him, this has no cure except that he fears Allah the Exalted and Mighty in himself. And Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You, I testify that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.