What is your opinion of the book (Al-Awasim min al-Qawasim fi al-Dhubb 'an Sunnat Abi al-Qasim)?
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The questioner : Some of the brothers are asking, meaning about the book Al-Awasim min al-Qawasim. Some of the sheikhs said about it that it is "Al-Qawasim min al-Awasim." Is it appropriate, meaning to disparage this book, that it is disparaged?
The Shaykh : Why did he not criticize it?
The questioner : He did not mention what was said during...The Shaykh
The Shaykh : Do not listen to such talk absolutely. Regarding its defects, seek the words with explanation. This author is a learned, virtuous man and a very great scholar. He was originally from the Zaydis, then Allah the Exalted guided him to judge by the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the pious predecessors. He faced very strong resistance from the people of his Zaydi school, but Allah refused to complete anything except his book. If you find some matters in it, the matter is as Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Allah refused to complete anything except his book." Then what is the standard for reading books? Certainly, no book is infallible except the Noble Qur'an, or what is authentic from the infallible Messenger. As for any book, it must contain error and truth. If we say do not read except an infallible book, it means as if we say do not read except the Qur'an and do not benefit except from the Qur'an. The Qur'an needs interpretation, and there are many books of interpretation. Is there an interpretation that does not contain error? This is impossible. So what is the criterion to know which book to read? The book in which its truth predominates over its error is the one that we must read; otherwise, no book would be safe for us. This is what you are referring to: he reversed the name of the book. Why? Because he found in it one, two, three, four errors, and so on. I do not know why? He should have first explained why, even if he was not asked. Then it was upon the one who heard this talk from him to clarify it, to ask him why. If he said he erred in such and such, well, there is no book that does not err in such and such. So you say he erred in the creed. What is the creed in which he erred?
The questioner : He did not clarify the truth, in fact.
The Shaykh : What... May Allah reward you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of my words?
The Shaykh : Why did he not criticize it?
The questioner : He did not mention what was said during...The Shaykh
The Shaykh : Do not listen to such talk absolutely. Regarding its defects, seek the words with explanation. This author is a learned, virtuous man and a very great scholar. He was originally from the Zaydis, then Allah the Exalted guided him to judge by the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the pious predecessors. He faced very strong resistance from the people of his Zaydi school, but Allah refused to complete anything except his book. If you find some matters in it, the matter is as Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Allah refused to complete anything except his book." Then what is the standard for reading books? Certainly, no book is infallible except the Noble Qur'an, or what is authentic from the infallible Messenger. As for any book, it must contain error and truth. If we say do not read except an infallible book, it means as if we say do not read except the Qur'an and do not benefit except from the Qur'an. The Qur'an needs interpretation, and there are many books of interpretation. Is there an interpretation that does not contain error? This is impossible. So what is the criterion to know which book to read? The book in which its truth predominates over its error is the one that we must read; otherwise, no book would be safe for us. This is what you are referring to: he reversed the name of the book. Why? Because he found in it one, two, three, four errors, and so on. I do not know why? He should have first explained why, even if he was not asked. Then it was upon the one who heard this talk from him to clarify it, to ask him why. If he said he erred in such and such, well, there is no book that does not err in such and such. So you say he erred in the creed. What is the creed in which he erred?
The questioner : He did not clarify the truth, in fact.
The Shaykh : What... May Allah reward you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of my words?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.