Resuming the discussion on the ruling of praying behind the people of innovation?

The Shaykh : I wanted to say that many issues involve excess and deficiency. Many of our brothers who hold fast to the Sunnah see no validity in praying behind the people of innovation. We say that these people of innovation are either, in our judgment, disbelievers as it has become apparent to us, or they are Muslims. If they are disbelievers, then praying behind them is not valid by consensus. If they are Muslims, then praying behind them is valid, even if they are people of innovation or misguided in some matters where they have deviated from the Sunnah. We have a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the imams: And another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, also, that a man from the governors—in some of the lands, and I think it was al-Madinah in the time of the Umayyads, and his name was 'Uqbah ibn al-Walid as I recall—prayed the Fajr prayer with the people for four rak'ahs one day because he was drunk, having consumed intoxicants, so he did not know what he was praying. And of his misguidance, when he finished the prayer with the taslim, he said to them: "Shall I add more for you?" He prayed Fajr four times, and on top of that, "Shall I add more for you?" And what was transmitted to us, and the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari which narrates the hadiths exactly as they came, word for word, did not transmit that those Salaf repeated the prayer that he prayed for them as four; why? Because of the first hadith This is from one aspect. And from another aspect, these people of innovation, without doubt, many of them intended the truth but erred. Therefore, our duty is to try to guide them and lead them to the right path, not to take them as rivals and enemies. And the criterion in this matter, which I mentioned earlier, is that as long as they are Muslims, they have what we have and they are obligated to what we are obligated to. And if they step out of the circle of Islam and become disbelievers, like those who say in the unity of existence, for example, then praying behind them is not valid. But these are not called people of innovation. The people of innovation are like the Khawarij, like the Mu'tazilah, like the Murji'ah. These were the imams of hadith who narrated hadith from them on the condition that they were truthful in what they narrated and preserved their narrations. And they did not declare them disbelievers nor expel them from the circle of Islam. But they gave them the ruling they deserved, which is their deviation from the Sunnah. Therefore, we do not get excited about warning people against praying behind the people of innovation. Rather, we are often asked directly: "So-and-so is the imam, he seeks nearness to Allah through the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous, do we pray behind him?" I say: Yes. Did he thereby step out of the circle of Islam...? And in this way, in my belief, it is possible to bring the viewpoints and differences among Muslims closer together. But if we rule that those who innovate one or more innovations in Islam have stepped out of Islam, the gap of disagreement between us and the Muslims increases. And this, without doubt, is not permissible. This is our viewpoint regarding praying behind the people of innovation. So I do not know if you have any observations, we will hear them and benefit from them.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And you as well.

The questioner : Because even the previous or old position that you were present for, and he was asking, praise be to Allah, was a harsh position toward them. And the basis of this matter has become a basis in the upbringing of the youth among us, meaning it has become difficult for them to break away from it.

The Shaykh : What is the previous position?

The questioner : Shaykh, it is the firm position toward the people of innovation. And for us, the people of innovation are everyone who seeks nearness to Allah through a means, he is an innovator. Everyone who calls for aid, he is an innovator. In fact, it reaches the point that everyone who did not move his finger in the tashahhud, meaning a position that is hardly good in this matter. So praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : So it became a basis in the position of the youth that the harshness toward the grave-worshippers, toward those who seek nearness to Allah through a means, is complete harshness. Because for us, Shaykh, the grave-worshippers, frankly, their matter is clear and evident. And their calling for aid other than Allah is clear, and no one among them hides it. Rather, they oppose the people of the Sunnah with it. And even they plot against the people of the Sunnah sometimes, as is the case now, and this caused problems. So when they heard this fatwa, some of them kept looking left and right. But praise be to Allah, the position of the people of knowledge among us was clear, and they understood your intent, O Shaykh. So praise be to Allah, they clarified the matters.

The Shaykh : In any case, may Allah bless you.

The questioner : And may Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : What you mention regarding your country, the affliction is general in all the lands of the world. It is like this, meaning the people of innovation dispute the people of the Sunnah and call them by many bad names. And they do not stop there, but they fabricate sayings about them and lie about them. In Syria, it was like this, and here we do not fail to find also those who throw at the followers of the Sunnah, or the Salafis, what is not in them. But what I want to say regarding our brothers in the unseen, who live in Iraq or in other lands, these did not connect with Al-Albani much, neither personally nor academically.