about the Takfir Group.

The questioner : ... In the lands of the Muslims, there is a group that calls itself "The Group of the Muslims." They do not pray in the mosques of the Muslims and they declare the Muslims to be disbelievers; on the pretext that they judge by the Noble Qur'an; so what is your opinion?

The Shaykh : We regret this; because this group had appeared a few years ago, and it stirred up problems among the Muslim youth, and they deviated them from what our righteous predecessors (the Salaf) were upon. The investigation into this is, in reality, long and complex; because these people were driven by unbridled Islamic emotions that were not accompanied by correct knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah. We had met with many groups there in Damascus, and then in Amman, about ten years ago, and we exchanged research and discussion with them for a long time, and a very long time. I remember that we gathered one night after the Maghrib prayer, and the discussion continued. Their leader had brought up the book "The Shadows" by Sayyid Qutb (may Allah have mercy on him), and the book "Tawhid" and its commentary. They argued with some articles or statements that appeared there to declare the Muslims disbelievers in general and in detail. So they did not attend the Friday prayer or the congregation, and they did not pray in the mosques of the Muslims, and they declared them all disbelievers, starting from the ruler who rules by other than what Allah has revealed—and this is undoubtedly a sad reality, even if this generalization is not entirely correct in its place—but they did not take Islam as their ruling and their law. The point is: starting from the ruler to the janitor who cleans the mosque, all these people are disbelievers in their view. The conversation continued until the Adhan for Isha, so we said to one of them, "Call the Adhan." He asked for permission, and we realized that they do not pray behind us, so they left, and we prayed, having agreed with them to meet in their house on another night that we designated. So the second meeting was in their house and continued until midnight, from after the Maghrib prayer to midnight. Before midnight, we established the Isha prayer, and we felt that our effort and toil on this night and the previous night had not gone to waste—and praise be to Allah—because they joined us in the prayer, on the night or in the second meeting. Then we agreed to meet on a third night, and that happened, so the meeting continued from after the Maghrib prayer to the Adhan for Fajr. It was a heavy blow, but it was the decisive blow—as they say—in sports and wrestling and the like. And they are still with us to this day—and praise be to Allah—because it became clear to them that they were in manifest error. They did not understand some of the texts from the Book and the Sunnah except in the manner of the early Khawarij.
And therefore, we did not affiliate ourselves to the Salaf in vain, and we do not say in vain when we say: It is not enough for the Muslims to say, "We call to the Book and the Sunnah only." Rather, we add and say: To the Book and the Sunnah, and upon the methodology of the righteous predecessors (the Salaf). What is the reason? Where did this addition come from? From His saying—Exalted is He—and from His saying—peace and blessings be upon him—from that, for example, His saying—Mighty and Majestic—: , so we find here in this verse our Lord—Mighty and Majestic—says: . Do you see His saying—Mighty and Majestic—: ? Does this phrase have a benefit? Does it have a wisdom for its mention? Or was it mentioned for the sake of additional clarification? If it were removed, would it diminish anything from its ruling?
Of course, the answer is: The speech of Allah—Mighty and Majestic—is all wisdom and all truth. So His saying—Blessed and Exalted is He—: is a ruling that Imam al-Shafi'i clarified when he used this verse as evidence for establishing the consensus (ijma') of the Muslims; that is: establishing the practice of the Muslims on something; so it is a proof against those who come after them. These verses and hadiths that these people—who are sometimes called "The Takfir Group," or "The Hijrah Group," or "The Khawarij," or the like—use as evidence, these verses must be understood in light of what the righteous predecessors (the Salaf) were upon. So they do not turn their heads to what came in the exegeses of our scholars from the Salaf, rather they twist their heads, and they interpret the texts with incorrect interpretations, in a way that contradicts some of the texts that came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And to conclude the speech on this issue, I say: If you know that the discussion took place on the first night from after Maghrib to Isha, and on the second night from after Maghrib to near midnight, and on the third night from after Maghrib to the dawn of Fajr; then you know that the issue is not so easy that we would enter into a discussion with these people regarding their evidence, or—more accurately—regarding their illusions. So we ask Allah—Mighty and Majestic—for their guidance and success to follow what our righteous predecessors (the Salaf) were upon in their understanding of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah.
Yes, please go ahead.