Is it permissible to pray behind an Ibadi imam, and a discussion on Musnad al-Rabi'
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The sound of a ringing telephone
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : I am asking you about the Ibadis, specifically behind this shaykh of theirs who claims, or believes, in the createdness of the Qur'an and that the believers will not see their Lord. How is the prayer behind this man?
The Shaykh : This question, my brother, you and others keep repeating. We say: as long as you rule that he is a Muslim, the prayer behind him is valid. And if you rule that he is a disbeliever—and this is not an easy matter—then it is not permissible to pray behind him.
The questioner : Is there a specific criterion by which we rule that he is a disbeliever or a Muslim?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : Given my limited knowledge, is there anyone who knows the dividing line between disbelief and faith in such matters?
The Shaykh : Who knows?
The questioner : For example, the common people, the beginners, who cannot distinguish between this man's disbelief or his Islam; regarding the ruling, they are unable to judge based on evidence.
The Shaykh : Yes, and praise be to Allah, they are unable to rule that he is a disbeliever. What does that mean?
The questioner : I mean, he prays behind him, and he does not have the knowledge that this belief makes him a disbeliever or something like that?
The Shaykh : My brother! May Allah guide you. The answer was comprehensive and inclusive.
The questioner : Yes, the answer, without a doubt. I am just saying that this person is asking me for this answer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, our Shaykh. The claim that the hadiths of the Vision are ahad, as this man claims. Did you read once in...?
The Shaykh : A liar and a deceiver, or at least an ignorant person.
The questioner : Regarding their book?
The Shaykh : What is their book?
The questioner : Musnad al-Rabi'. They claim in their books—I do not know, have I seen their sources? I do not know if I have looked into their papers, which they call answers and biographies? Their papers which they say are old and were found long ago.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
The questioner : And they say that they mentioned the Musnad in them. I do not know, how is your familiarity with these books of theirs?
The Shaykh : These are like the other sects, and the Shi'ah are better than them. They have no principles to which they refer. If you studied the book Musnad al-Rabi', you would find that al-Rabi' was approximately in the second century, and you would find in this book someone speaking with a chain of narration in the fourth century; meaning, it is like the books of One Thousand and One Nights, having nothing to authenticate it and nothing to verify it.
The questioner : And the Ibadis say that Jabir ibn Zayd is the founder of the school?
The Shaykh : What do you want with these branches, may Allah guide you? What do you want with them?! Now, if they put you before the misguided sects and you want to say: the Druze say this, the Ibadis say this, the Zaydis say this, the Yazidis say this, and so on, what do you want with these things?! Master your religion and know the Sunnah of your Prophet, then you will know that all of that beyond it is false; because "by its opposite, things become clear." But you, in this way, you waste your state.
The questioner : So, what do you advise me to do first? That I leave them aside and seek knowledge?
The Shaykh : Or what?
The questioner : And when will the truth become clear to me, given that I have daily contact with them? When one is silent about these students, the ignorant ones among them; meaning, a strange misguidance prevails in them, meaning, glory be to Allah!
The Shaykh : My brother! Save yourself now.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The Shaykh : And this is now the beginning of the Ibadis.
Abu Layla : What Allah willed! Our Shaykh spoke on the tape for a duration, comprehensive and inclusive, what Allah willed!
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : I am asking you about the Ibadis, specifically behind this shaykh of theirs who claims, or believes, in the createdness of the Qur'an and that the believers will not see their Lord. How is the prayer behind this man?
The Shaykh : This question, my brother, you and others keep repeating. We say: as long as you rule that he is a Muslim, the prayer behind him is valid. And if you rule that he is a disbeliever—and this is not an easy matter—then it is not permissible to pray behind him.
The questioner : Is there a specific criterion by which we rule that he is a disbeliever or a Muslim?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : Given my limited knowledge, is there anyone who knows the dividing line between disbelief and faith in such matters?
The Shaykh : Who knows?
The questioner : For example, the common people, the beginners, who cannot distinguish between this man's disbelief or his Islam; regarding the ruling, they are unable to judge based on evidence.
The Shaykh : Yes, and praise be to Allah, they are unable to rule that he is a disbeliever. What does that mean?
The questioner : I mean, he prays behind him, and he does not have the knowledge that this belief makes him a disbeliever or something like that?
The Shaykh : My brother! May Allah guide you. The answer was comprehensive and inclusive.
The questioner : Yes, the answer, without a doubt. I am just saying that this person is asking me for this answer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, our Shaykh. The claim that the hadiths of the Vision are ahad, as this man claims. Did you read once in...?
The Shaykh : A liar and a deceiver, or at least an ignorant person.
The questioner : Regarding their book?
The Shaykh : What is their book?
The questioner : Musnad al-Rabi'. They claim in their books—I do not know, have I seen their sources? I do not know if I have looked into their papers, which they call answers and biographies? Their papers which they say are old and were found long ago.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
The questioner : And they say that they mentioned the Musnad in them. I do not know, how is your familiarity with these books of theirs?
The Shaykh : These are like the other sects, and the Shi'ah are better than them. They have no principles to which they refer. If you studied the book Musnad al-Rabi', you would find that al-Rabi' was approximately in the second century, and you would find in this book someone speaking with a chain of narration in the fourth century; meaning, it is like the books of One Thousand and One Nights, having nothing to authenticate it and nothing to verify it.
The questioner : And the Ibadis say that Jabir ibn Zayd is the founder of the school?
The Shaykh : What do you want with these branches, may Allah guide you? What do you want with them?! Now, if they put you before the misguided sects and you want to say: the Druze say this, the Ibadis say this, the Zaydis say this, the Yazidis say this, and so on, what do you want with these things?! Master your religion and know the Sunnah of your Prophet, then you will know that all of that beyond it is false; because "by its opposite, things become clear." But you, in this way, you waste your state.
The questioner : So, what do you advise me to do first? That I leave them aside and seek knowledge?
The Shaykh : Or what?
The questioner : And when will the truth become clear to me, given that I have daily contact with them? When one is silent about these students, the ignorant ones among them; meaning, a strange misguidance prevails in them, meaning, glory be to Allah!
The Shaykh : My brother! Save yourself now.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The Shaykh : And this is now the beginning of the Ibadis.
Abu Layla : What Allah willed! Our Shaykh spoke on the tape for a duration, comprehensive and inclusive, what Allah willed!
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.