When does a man exit the circle of the people of the Sunnah and the community?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may the prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever follows him with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Your Eminence,The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good. I have some issues that have become difficult for me and for others from the people of Madinah, so if you would be kind and may Allah reward you with good by answering them in detail, as is expected of you. One of them is: when does a man exit, when is a man expelled from the people of the Sunnah? Is it if he holds a belief other than their belief? And if he falls into something that contradicts the people of the Sunnah, is it permissible to label him as an innovator immediately, or only after establishing the proof? And if establishing the proof is not feasible, either because that man has died and a long time has passed, or because it is not possible to meet with that man, it is not possible to meet with him so that the proof can be established against him, so please inform us, may you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Your question, may Allah bless you, contains many questions.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : So if you would separate one question from another.
The questioner : Okay, good.
The Shaykh : Because, or place the paper in front of me so that I can give you the answer regarding these branches and the many questions contained in the single question.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, I will repeat the issue with...
The Shaykh : If.
The questioner : Point by point.
The Shaykh : Point by point.
The questioner: Okay
The Shaykh : The first question.
The questioner : The first question: When does a man exit the people of the Sunnah? Is it if he holds a belief other than their belief, or if he falls into a small amount of what contradicts their belief?
The Shaykh : Yes, I say, and I ask Allah the Mighty and Exalted for success in what I say. It has become well-known among many scholars, both past and present, that if a Muslim errs in what is called by scholars the branches, he is excused, but if he errs in the fundamentals of creed, he is not excused. We believe that this distinction, first, has no evidence from the Shari'ah, and second, we believe that it is obligatory for the Muslim to always and forever intend to know the truth in what people differ in, whether that relates to the fundamentals or the branches, or to the creeds or the rulings. If he exerts his effort to know the truth in what they differ in, then if he hits the mark, he has two rewards, and if he errs, he has one reward, as is known from the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated in the authentic collections:Mishkat al-Masabih 3732 This is the first principle. Second, if the Muslim is eager to know the truth and then errs, even if it is in creed or in the fundamentals, he is not held accountable first, but rather he is rewarded for his error with one reward, second, as mentioned previously. This is confirmed by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his companions) said, as is also in the authentic collections from the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and other noble companions, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his companions) said: So Allah the Mighty and Exalted forgave this man, even though he fell into disbelief and associating partners with Allah, because of this will of his, which perhaps has no parallel in all the wills that we have learned and reached our knowledge of, in terms of its injustice and oppression. So Allah did not hold him accountable, but rather forgave him, because He knew that he did not make this unjust will except out of fear of Him. So the Muslim now... the summary of the answer: If the Muslim seeks the face of Allah the Mighty and Exalted in everything by which he worships Allah and believes in it, but he errs in the truth, then there is no doubt that Allah the Mighty and Exalted will forgive his error, and rather reward him with one reward. This is what we profess to Allah and what we issue rulings on always and forever. And the summary of that is that it is contrary to the principle and the rule that Allah does not hold a person accountable for what he erred in, but only for what he did intentionally. And second, because of this authentic hadith. This is the answer to the first question. So what comes after it?
The questioner : And after that, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Iqtida' that a man may be rewarded when he attends a birth or an innovation according to his intention and purpose. What do you say about that?
The Shaykh : This is not a question. This was not read just now. You read a question that contained many branches.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you jumped like the gazelles.
The questioner : Meaning you jumped.
The Shaykh : Why did you jump?
Abu Layla : We return, meaning from the beginning.
The questioner : We return from the beginning? Yes.
The Shaykh : We said your first question contained questions.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the first branch, you repeated it to me and I gave you the answer, because you built your first question on whether he is expelled from the people of the Sunnah and the community, and many questions came in the same first question.
The questioner: Okay
The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning there are things you have now jumped over. I do not know if you are satisfied with them, that is your affair, but I feel that you need the rest of the questions.
The questioner : Yes, we said: When does a man exit the Sunnah? Is it if he holds a belief other than their belief? And if he falls into something contrary to what the people of the Sunnah were upon, even if it is in one branch, is it permissible to label him as an innovator?
The Shaykh : Ah, this is an important question, but its answer can be understood in light of the answer to the previous question. We say: If he sought the truth and correctness and then erred, it is not permissible to say that he is not from the people of the Sunnah and the community merely because he fell into an error, or to say, as came in your question, that he fell into an innovation.
Many, as students of knowledge know, let alone scholars, many scholars fall into what is forbidden, but do they intend the forbidden? God forbid. Do they sin because of that? The answer is no.
So there is no difference between a scholar who falls into deeming permissible what Allah has forbidden through his independent legal reasoning, for which he is rewarded, or another scholar who falls into an innovation without intending it, but rather he intended the Sunnah and erred. There is no difference between this and that. And therefore, we complain now of this upheaval that has arisen in Saudi Arabia now among the people of the Sunnah themselves, where it has appeared among them one who thinks that he has contradicted the people of the Sunnah in some issues, so they labeled him an innovator and expelled him from the people of the Sunnah. It is sufficient for them to say that he erred, first, and then they must establish the proof from the Book and the Sunnah and what the righteous Salaf were upon, second. As for increasing in division, faction, and disagreement, that is never the custom of the people of the Sunnah and the community. Therefore, it is not permissible to reject one who may err in an issue, according to the details mentioned previously, whether it is a fundamental or a branch, whether it is creedal or jurisprudential. It is not permissible to declare him misguided, but rather he should be treated with what is best for him.
The Shaykh : Your question, may Allah bless you, contains many questions.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : So if you would separate one question from another.
The questioner : Okay, good.
The Shaykh : Because, or place the paper in front of me so that I can give you the answer regarding these branches and the many questions contained in the single question.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, I will repeat the issue with...
The Shaykh : If.
The questioner : Point by point.
The Shaykh : Point by point.
The questioner: Okay
The Shaykh : The first question.
The questioner : The first question: When does a man exit the people of the Sunnah? Is it if he holds a belief other than their belief, or if he falls into a small amount of what contradicts their belief?
The Shaykh : Yes, I say, and I ask Allah the Mighty and Exalted for success in what I say. It has become well-known among many scholars, both past and present, that if a Muslim errs in what is called by scholars the branches, he is excused, but if he errs in the fundamentals of creed, he is not excused. We believe that this distinction, first, has no evidence from the Shari'ah, and second, we believe that it is obligatory for the Muslim to always and forever intend to know the truth in what people differ in, whether that relates to the fundamentals or the branches, or to the creeds or the rulings. If he exerts his effort to know the truth in what they differ in, then if he hits the mark, he has two rewards, and if he errs, he has one reward, as is known from the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated in the authentic collections:
When a judge gives a decision having tried his best to decide correctly and is right, he will have a double reward; and when he gives a decision having tried his best to decide correctly and is wrong, he will have a single reward.
إذا حكم الحاكم فاجتهد فأصاب فله أجران وإن أخطأ فله أجر واحدThere was among those before you a man who had never done any good. When death approached him, he gathered his sons around him and said to them: "What kind of father was I to you?" They said: "The best of fathers." He said: "Indeed, I am a sinner with my Lord, and if Allah has power over me, He will punish me with a severe punishment. So when I die, take me and burn me with fire, then scatter half of me in the sea and half of me in the wind." So the man died, and they burned him with fire and scattered half of him in the sea and half of him in the wind. Allah the Mighty and Exalted said to him: "Be so-and-so." So he became a sound human being. He said to him: "O My servant, what drove you to what you did?" He said: "My Lord, I feared You." He said: "So I have forgiven you."
كان فيمن قبلكم رجل لم يعمل خيرا قط فلما حضرته الوفاة جمع بنيه حوله فقال لهم: أيّ أب كنت لكم ؟ قالوا: خير أب قال: فإني مذنب مع ربي ولئن قدر الله عليّ ليعذبني عذابا شديدا فإذا أنا مت فخذوني وحرقوني بالنار ثم ذرّوا نصفي في البحر ونصفي في الريح, فمات الرجل وحرقوه بالنار وذروا نصفه في البحر ونصفه في الريح قال الله عز وجل له: كوني فلانا فكان بشرا سويا, قال له: أي عبدي ما حملك على ما فعلت ؟ قال: ربي خشيتك, قال: فإني قد غفرت لكThe questioner : And after that, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Iqtida' that a man may be rewarded when he attends a birth or an innovation according to his intention and purpose. What do you say about that?
The Shaykh : This is not a question. This was not read just now. You read a question that contained many branches.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you jumped like the gazelles.
The questioner : Meaning you jumped.
The Shaykh : Why did you jump?
Abu Layla : We return, meaning from the beginning.
The questioner : We return from the beginning? Yes.
The Shaykh : We said your first question contained questions.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the first branch, you repeated it to me and I gave you the answer, because you built your first question on whether he is expelled from the people of the Sunnah and the community, and many questions came in the same first question.
The questioner: Okay
The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning there are things you have now jumped over. I do not know if you are satisfied with them, that is your affair, but I feel that you need the rest of the questions.
The questioner : Yes, we said: When does a man exit the Sunnah? Is it if he holds a belief other than their belief? And if he falls into something contrary to what the people of the Sunnah were upon, even if it is in one branch, is it permissible to label him as an innovator?
The Shaykh : Ah, this is an important question, but its answer can be understood in light of the answer to the previous question. We say: If he sought the truth and correctness and then erred, it is not permissible to say that he is not from the people of the Sunnah and the community merely because he fell into an error, or to say, as came in your question, that he fell into an innovation.
Many, as students of knowledge know, let alone scholars, many scholars fall into what is forbidden, but do they intend the forbidden? God forbid. Do they sin because of that? The answer is no.
So there is no difference between a scholar who falls into deeming permissible what Allah has forbidden through his independent legal reasoning, for which he is rewarded, or another scholar who falls into an innovation without intending it, but rather he intended the Sunnah and erred. There is no difference between this and that. And therefore, we complain now of this upheaval that has arisen in Saudi Arabia now among the people of the Sunnah themselves, where it has appeared among them one who thinks that he has contradicted the people of the Sunnah in some issues, so they labeled him an innovator and expelled him from the people of the Sunnah. It is sufficient for them to say that he erred, first, and then they must establish the proof from the Book and the Sunnah and what the righteous Salaf were upon, second. As for increasing in division, faction, and disagreement, that is never the custom of the people of the Sunnah and the community. Therefore, it is not permissible to reject one who may err in an issue, according to the details mentioned previously, whether it is a fundamental or a branch, whether it is creedal or jurisprudential. It is not permissible to declare him misguided, but rather he should be treated with what is best for him.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.