The Shaykh’s commentary on a treatise concerning the fitnah (trial) of 'Ali and Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Our Shaykh, may Allah bless you, one of the sheikhs sent me some papers containing statements. I want to read them to you, and I want to keep it brief so as not to burden you, may Allah preserve you. The author comments in this book on the issue of the disagreement between Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and what happened regarding Mu'awiyah’s victory over 'Ali, and so on, as is well known. He says: "Mu'awiyah’s victory was the greatest catastrophe to befall the spirit of Islam, which had not yet taken root in people’s hearts. Had it been decreed that 'Ali should have won, his victory would have been a triumph for the true spirit of Islam—the moral, just, and elevated spirit that does not use dirty weapons in its struggle. But this spirit was defeated, and before a full half-century had passed, it was destroyed and never rose again, except for a few years under 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz. Then that lamp went out, and only the outward forms of the true spirit of Islam remained. The patchwork of Islam may have expanded under Mu'awiyah and those who came after him, but the spirit of Islam shrank, was defeated, and indeed went out. If a person rejoices at the defeat of the true spirit of Islam in its cradle and the extinguishing of its flame by the rise of that oppressive tyranny, that is undoubtedly a psychological and moral error."
The Shaykh : Exaggeration. Who is the one who rejoices? Who is the one who rejoices?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Who is the one who rejoices?
The questioner : I heard and said, "If a person rejoices," meaning if a person rejoices, then this is...
The Shaykh : Among the people of the Sunnah, there is nothing of this sort.
The questioner : Yes, I understood, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : He says: "However, we are not in need, on any day, to call people to Mu'awiyah’s plan, for it is part of the general nature of people. Rather, we are in need to call them to 'Ali’s plan, which requires a moral elevation that many strive hard to attain. If a generation needs to be called to Mu'awiyah’s plan, it will not be the present generation, generally speaking. The Machiavellian spirit that controlled Mu'awiyah centuries before Machiavelli is the one that controls the people of this generation, and they are more knowledgeable about it than anyone who would call them to it, for it is a utilitarian spirit that misleads individuals, groups, princes, and governments. And after all, I am not a Shi'i to assert what I am saying; rather, I am looking at the issue from its spiritual and moral side. A person does not need to be a Shi'i to champion noble morality that is elevated above low, degrading opportunism, and to champion 'Ali over Mu'awiyah and 'Amr. Rather, that is a victory for elevation, purity, and uprightness. And he errs who believes that practical success is the utmost that an individual or humanity seeks, for that is a short-lived success that is exposed after a little while." This is the statement, yes.
The Shaykh : Have you ever seen me say something like this?
The questioner : A little.
The Shaykh : This is an action like this.
The questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : What does he want Mu'awiyah to be? To be 'Ali? Let alone to be infallible? No, there is no doubt that Mu'awiyah made a mistake. How is it sufficient for that to be his saying, peace and blessings be upon him:Sahih al-Bukhari 447 It is sufficient that this authentic hadith, which is mentioned in the books of the people of the Sunnah more than in the books of the Shi'ah.
The questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : More than in the books of the Shi'ah, and it is a very clear testimony that Mu'awiyah was at the head of the rebellious faction. What does this man want more than this testimony? He wants, as Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in many of his writings, that it is not permissible to judge a person by looking at only one side, such as the bad deeds, thereby discarding the good deeds and casting him into the depths, or looking at the good deeds and not the bad deeds, thereby elevating him to the sky. Rather, his good and bad deeds are weighed against each other, as is the ruling of Allah the Exalted, the Just, after whom there is no justice, on the Day when people are resurrected and reckoned. So whoever’s scales are heavy is the successful one on the Day of Resurrection. As for it being impossible for him to have any bad deeds, that is impossible, as you know. So what does this man gain from this statement other than stirring up the Shi'ah against the people of the Sunnah by claiming that he is not a Shi'i?
The questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : What is the fruit of this article? Is there anyone who says that Mu'awiyah was better in his rebellion against 'Ali? No one, neither from the people of the Sunnah nor from the people of the Shi'ah. The people of the Shi'ah are known, of course. So I do not know what this person aims at with this criticism of Mu'awiyah’s rebellion, but he exaggerated in it to the utmost degree, for he did not mention the good deeds. Here we remind you of the word of Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) when he mentions the difference between the people of the Sunnah and the people of innovation. He says: The people of the Sunnah mention what is in their favor and what is against them, whereas the people of desires mention only what is in their favor and do not mention what is against them. This is the opposite of the balance. To mention the bad deeds, or a bad deed, of this ruler in Islam—let us imagine scholars and rulers; can it be imagined that they would not slip up even once? That is impossible.Sahih Muslim 2749 And finally, what did you intend by reciting these words?
The Shaykh : 'AliAl-Halabi : Only, my Shaykh, to know your opinion, may Allah preserve you.
The questioner : A word, my Shaykh. In your last statement, you mentioned regarding the mention of good and bad deeds. You had previously answered regarding the people of weighing who say that in the critique and vindication of narrators, it is necessary to mention all of this and that. And your statement in this issue was clear previously, because no rational person says to mention all the good and bad deeds. It may be understood by some who cling to the apparent wording of phrases that you have returned from your first statement, or that you have two statements in this issue.
The Shaykh : For every occasion, there is a statement. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. So no one clings to this. Good. A final word, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : 'AliAl-Halabi : My Shaykh, in the first session, you spoke about how this weighing is said specifically for the people of the Sunnah, whose methodology is straight and sound. As for those who are from the people of innovation and deviation, over whom this side has prevailed, then that is what is said about them.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Exaggeration. Who is the one who rejoices? Who is the one who rejoices?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Who is the one who rejoices?
The questioner : I heard and said, "If a person rejoices," meaning if a person rejoices, then this is...
The Shaykh : Among the people of the Sunnah, there is nothing of this sort.
The questioner : Yes, I understood, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : He says: "However, we are not in need, on any day, to call people to Mu'awiyah’s plan, for it is part of the general nature of people. Rather, we are in need to call them to 'Ali’s plan, which requires a moral elevation that many strive hard to attain. If a generation needs to be called to Mu'awiyah’s plan, it will not be the present generation, generally speaking. The Machiavellian spirit that controlled Mu'awiyah centuries before Machiavelli is the one that controls the people of this generation, and they are more knowledgeable about it than anyone who would call them to it, for it is a utilitarian spirit that misleads individuals, groups, princes, and governments. And after all, I am not a Shi'i to assert what I am saying; rather, I am looking at the issue from its spiritual and moral side. A person does not need to be a Shi'i to champion noble morality that is elevated above low, degrading opportunism, and to champion 'Ali over Mu'awiyah and 'Amr. Rather, that is a victory for elevation, purity, and uprightness. And he errs who believes that practical success is the utmost that an individual or humanity seeks, for that is a short-lived success that is exposed after a little while." This is the statement, yes.
The Shaykh : Have you ever seen me say something like this?
The questioner : A little.
The Shaykh : This is an action like this.
The questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : What does he want Mu'awiyah to be? To be 'Ali? Let alone to be infallible? No, there is no doubt that Mu'awiyah made a mistake. How is it sufficient for that to be his saying, peace and blessings be upon him:
May Allah be Merciful to `Ammar. He will be inviting them (i.e. his murderers, the rebellious group)
ويح عمار تقتله الفئة الباغيةThe questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : More than in the books of the Shi'ah, and it is a very clear testimony that Mu'awiyah was at the head of the rebellious faction. What does this man want more than this testimony? He wants, as Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in many of his writings, that it is not permissible to judge a person by looking at only one side, such as the bad deeds, thereby discarding the good deeds and casting him into the depths, or looking at the good deeds and not the bad deeds, thereby elevating him to the sky. Rather, his good and bad deeds are weighed against each other, as is the ruling of Allah the Exalted, the Just, after whom there is no justice, on the Day when people are resurrected and reckoned. So whoever’s scales are heavy is the successful one on the Day of Resurrection. As for it being impossible for him to have any bad deeds, that is impossible, as you know. So what does this man gain from this statement other than stirring up the Shi'ah against the people of the Sunnah by claiming that he is not a Shi'i?
The questioner : Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
The Shaykh : What is the fruit of this article? Is there anyone who says that Mu'awiyah was better in his rebellion against 'Ali? No one, neither from the people of the Sunnah nor from the people of the Shi'ah. The people of the Shi'ah are known, of course. So I do not know what this person aims at with this criticism of Mu'awiyah’s rebellion, but he exaggerated in it to the utmost degree, for he did not mention the good deeds. Here we remind you of the word of Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) when he mentions the difference between the people of the Sunnah and the people of innovation. He says: The people of the Sunnah mention what is in their favor and what is against them, whereas the people of desires mention only what is in their favor and do not mention what is against them. This is the opposite of the balance. To mention the bad deeds, or a bad deed, of this ruler in Islam—let us imagine scholars and rulers; can it be imagined that they would not slip up even once? That is impossible.
if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.
لو لم تذنبوا لذهب الله بكم ولجاء بقول يذنبون فيستغفرون الله فيغفر لهمThe Shaykh : 'AliAl-Halabi : Only, my Shaykh, to know your opinion, may Allah preserve you.
The questioner : A word, my Shaykh. In your last statement, you mentioned regarding the mention of good and bad deeds. You had previously answered regarding the people of weighing who say that in the critique and vindication of narrators, it is necessary to mention all of this and that. And your statement in this issue was clear previously, because no rational person says to mention all the good and bad deeds. It may be understood by some who cling to the apparent wording of phrases that you have returned from your first statement, or that you have two statements in this issue.
The Shaykh : For every occasion, there is a statement. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. So no one clings to this. Good. A final word, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : 'AliAl-Halabi : My Shaykh, in the first session, you spoke about how this weighing is said specifically for the people of the Sunnah, whose methodology is straight and sound. As for those who are from the people of innovation and deviation, over whom this side has prevailed, then that is what is said about them.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.