He was asked about the statement of Imam Ahmad: “Whoever rejects the Sunnah has committed disbelief.”
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The questioner : What is their position regarding the statement of Imam Ahmad: “Whoever rejects the Sunnah has committed disbelief”?
Al-Halabi : We seek help from Allah.
The Shaykh : Of course, the intended meaning of rejecting the Sunnah as a principle is correct.
The questioner : But I say, meaning, when Imam Ahmad cited it in the context of the story—which I do not recall right now—where a man was informed of a hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and rejected it, he said, “Whoever rejects the Sunnah has committed disbelief.”
The Shaykh : If we take this phrase and interpret it to mean rejecting the Sunnah absolutely, and the occasion for this phrase was a part of it, then there is no doubt that rejecting the Sunnah absolutely is apostasy. But regarding the rejection of a hadith in itself, I do not say this about a specific hadith. I distinguish between rejecting the Sunnah in its entirety and in detail, and rejecting a part of the Sunnah. If this rejection of the part is accompanied by the acknowledgment that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did or said it, then it is also apostasy. But if the rejection is as is the case with many of the people of desires and innovations, because it was not established for them, even due to their ignorance, then I believe it is open sinfulness, not disbelief. The greatest example today is these men we were speaking of just now, al-Saqaf, and before him, Hassan.
Al-Halabi : We seek help from Allah.
The Shaykh : Of course, the intended meaning of rejecting the Sunnah as a principle is correct.
The questioner : But I say, meaning, when Imam Ahmad cited it in the context of the story—which I do not recall right now—where a man was informed of a hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and rejected it, he said, “Whoever rejects the Sunnah has committed disbelief.”
The Shaykh : If we take this phrase and interpret it to mean rejecting the Sunnah absolutely, and the occasion for this phrase was a part of it, then there is no doubt that rejecting the Sunnah absolutely is apostasy. But regarding the rejection of a hadith in itself, I do not say this about a specific hadith. I distinguish between rejecting the Sunnah in its entirety and in detail, and rejecting a part of the Sunnah. If this rejection of the part is accompanied by the acknowledgment that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did or said it, then it is also apostasy. But if the rejection is as is the case with many of the people of desires and innovations, because it was not established for them, even due to their ignorance, then I believe it is open sinfulness, not disbelief. The greatest example today is these men we were speaking of just now, al-Saqaf, and before him, Hassan.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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