Is there any problem with the statement: "Tolerance toward the people of innovation is not problematic"?
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The questioner : But regarding the term "tolerance," does not our Shaykh see that this conflicts with what came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), from his Companions, and from the Salaf of this Ummah, in the form of warnings against religious innovations? This is exemplified by the statement of al-Barbahari, which you quoted in some of your books: "Beware of small innovations, for they will return until they become large." And the statement of Ibn Mas'ud to those groups he saw sitting in circles in the mosque; in the end of the hadith, the narrator of the hadith from Ibn Mas'ud from Abu Musa said: "I saw those groups attacking us on the day of al-Nahrawan." So, is there any problem with the term "tolerance" that is being raised against it?
The Shaykh : I do not understand from the word "tolerance" that you quoted from the person referred to that tolerance is related to the person's belief. No, tolerance is related to the other person who holds the belief. That is, there are two men; let us describe one as a Salafi and the other as a Khalafi. This Khalafi is an innovator drowned in religious innovation. So, I, the Salafi, am tolerant toward him. It is not that I am tolerant toward the religious innovation itself. So, I distinguish between a severe innovation, in his expression, and a light innovation. It is not permissible for me to adopt the light innovation without the severe one. No, that is not the intention. The intention is that I, the Salafi, am tolerant toward the Khalafi regarding the light innovation, not the severe one. This is what I understand. If there is a basis for the other understanding, I believe that this is undoubtedly an error, because the Muslim must walk together on the straight path in everything that came from Allah and His Messenger. There is no difference now; I say in the practices between an obligatory act and a confirmed recommended practice, and a voluntary act. All of this, and this, and this, must be adopted by the Muslim first: as a belief that this is prescribed, and secondly as an action within the limits we mentioned earlier, according to the school of that Bedouin who said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah..."
The Shaykh : I do not understand from the word "tolerance" that you quoted from the person referred to that tolerance is related to the person's belief. No, tolerance is related to the other person who holds the belief. That is, there are two men; let us describe one as a Salafi and the other as a Khalafi. This Khalafi is an innovator drowned in religious innovation. So, I, the Salafi, am tolerant toward him. It is not that I am tolerant toward the religious innovation itself. So, I distinguish between a severe innovation, in his expression, and a light innovation. It is not permissible for me to adopt the light innovation without the severe one. No, that is not the intention. The intention is that I, the Salafi, am tolerant toward the Khalafi regarding the light innovation, not the severe one. This is what I understand. If there is a basis for the other understanding, I believe that this is undoubtedly an error, because the Muslim must walk together on the straight path in everything that came from Allah and His Messenger. There is no difference now; I say in the practices between an obligatory act and a confirmed recommended practice, and a voluntary act. All of this, and this, and this, must be adopted by the Muslim first: as a belief that this is prescribed, and secondly as an action within the limits we mentioned earlier, according to the school of that Bedouin who said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah..."
Source
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