The Shaykh's position on Shaykh Rabee's responses to Sayyid Qutb.

The questioner : It is as if Sayyid Qutb, in his books, declares the communities to be disbelievers because they do not believe in the sovereignty of Allah, and he does not distinguish between minor and major shirk (associating partners with Allah) either. He does not care about the religious innovations (bid'ah) around the graves, calling upon other than Allah, and the like; he only rambles on about sovereignty. Some people try to find an excuse for him, but what is his excuse?

The Shaykh : By Allah, Professor, we see that it is better for us to occupy ourselves with the living rather than the dead. This is the first point. Second, I told our brother, Dr. Rabee, that Sayyid Qutb was not a scholar; he was one of the Egyptian writers who did not grow up with knowledge and correct knowledge. However, he apparently had a flowing pen, and perhaps added to that, like many of the young people today, he had unbridled Islamic emotions. But as it is said, "Sa'd led them, and Sa'd was covered in dust *** This is not, O Sa'd, how camels are led". So his books, as Dr. Rabee explained—may Allah reward him with good—are loaded with scientific errors, both in creed and in jurisprudence. So when we say that we should occupy ourselves with the living rather than the dead, that is sufficient for us. I mean, we do not establish enmity between us and a person, but between us and his call. This is especially after he has died, meaning he has moved to the pardon of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), if Allah wills, and His mercy. This is from one aspect. And I told the Doctor, and I am still of this opinion, and I think most of our brothers among the students of knowledge and our Shaykhs are of this opinion, that the truth is, by its nature, heavy for the general people, except for whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills. So if the harshness and severity are added to the call and its heaviness on people, as we mentioned, then two harshnesses and two severities come together, and that becomes a cause for repelling people from the call of the truth. Whereas the intended purpose of the call is to attract them to it. None of us among the students of knowledge is unaware of the verses in the Noble Qur'an and the many hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that encourage gentleness and softness. The verses are well known, and we do not need to be reminded of them, such as the verse in which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) commanded Musa (peace be upon him) and his brother Harun when He said: .
And I do not think that anyone who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and whose account is with Allah, would declare this word. None of us imagines that no matter how deviated one is in his call, especially if he has not used harshness and severity with those he calls to his call, no matter how deviated it is from the truth, his status would reach even a speck of what Pharaoh was, the one to whom Musa and Harun were sent.
And yet, if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) commanded these two noble messengers, or the two chosen prophets, to soften their speech with the most tyrannical man on the face of the earth, as He said: , and yet He said: , etc.
So I believe that Sayyid Qutb does not reach the status of Pharaoh at all. The response to him is intended for his followers now, because he has gone with all his baggage, as they say. If the intention is therefore the living, then I will say about the living what I said about this one who died: that the evil of these people does not reach the evil of Pharaoh, who claimed prophethood.
Therefore, we should not combine two harshnesses. One of them is necessary, which is the call to the truth that distinguishes between the truth and falsehood, and distinguishes between a man and his brother. And so one of the names of the Noble Qur'an is al-Furqan (the Criterion), and one of the names of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is al-Fariq (the Distinguisher), because first he distinguished between the truth and falsehood, between tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and shirk (associating partners with Allah), and even distinguished between a man and his son, between a son and his father, and so on.
This is the nature of the call to the truth. So it is sufficient for us to call people to this call, as the Exalted said: . And what is good to mention here is by way of reminder, not by way of teaching, because this and that which we have mentioned is not hidden from the person. And so we exemplify by the saying of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) in the Qur'an: . When that Jew came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) with the greeting of the hateful, envious disbelieving Jew, "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah," what did he (peace and blessings be upon him) do but say: But Lady Aisha, who was behind the screen, was agitated and split into two, overcome by the zeal of Islam for the Prophet of Islam, where she said: "And upon you be the curse, the wrath, the brothers of the apes and the pigs". When the Jew left, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked Aisha and said to her: . So she explained her excuse, and this is the excuse of everyone who is zealous in the call and uses some degree of severity. She said: "O Messenger of Allah, did you not hear what he said?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . The matter ended. So, forget this severity, because severity does not bring good.
Therefore, in reality, we are very pleased with the activity of our brother the Doctor, but we advise him to use gentleness with these people who have deviated from the call of the truth with the call of a man who has no knowledge.
And we told the Doctor that Sayyid Qutb is not a scholar, and perhaps he would not be counted among the students of knowledge, like many of the writers, especially the Egyptians, meaning they write and think that they are among those who do well. This is my opinion.

The questioner : Shaykh Rabee, in the previous visit, we spoke about the book "Islamic Lights on the Creed of Sayyid Qutb", and you told me that there is severity in it. So I asked you for evidence, and you promised me another time at our brother Abu Kamal's place. I also asked you for evidence, and you told me it does not come to mind now. So I want to see the severity in his books so that I can advise him.

The Shaykh : Okay, and have you not read his books?

The questioner : I read his books, but I did not find the severity.

The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah!

The questioner : Yes, give us the proof of his severity in his book "Islamic Lights on the Creed of Sayyid Qutb".

The Shaykh : I did not think you would need such evidence.

The questioner : I will prove it.

The Shaykh : Verification is for those who have not studied. But since you have studied the book from beginning to end, and studied his other books, did you not find anything of severity?

The questioner : I did not find it. When you wrote a letter of recommendation for him and you agreed with him, then you divided those who opposed him into two groups: a group of scholars, and a group... and in the end you said this second group is also... meaning very harsh words, more than what he said.

The Shaykh : What is the second one?

The questioner : The second one, which is out of desire or such, and you said this must be broken and must be such and such and such, and I found this to be more severe!

The Shaykh : Severity from whom?

The questioner : From you, when you wrote to him in the letter. You wrote to Shaykh Rabee that you thank him for his scholarly activity and such and such, and you advise him and say that those who oppose him are two groups: a group such and such, and a group such and such, and the second one, this must be broken and must be removed, and you spoke harshly about the second group, which...

The Shaykh : Okay, are you now adopting the Doctor's opinion, or the Doctor's style?

The questioner : No, I am not adopting it, but I want the severity.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, you are now, as they say in our region in Syria, half the speech has no answer! Did you understand what I mean by saying "you are now"?

The questioner : Yes

The Shaykh : So be patient with me. You are now adopting the style of Dr. Rabee. Listen, my brother, may Allah guide you, be patient with me. I mean, when you say there is no severity in his style, then you are adopting this style. How can you say no?

The questioner : Because I am denying the severity about him! And I want to see where the severity is!

The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! There is no benefit in repeating the speech, unless some of us do not understand each other. I have understood from you now, but I am saying now, based on what I heard from you, that you are adopting the Doctor's style in his response to Sayyid Qutb and to the Muslim Brotherhood and to all those who deviate from the Sunnah. Is this what I am saying correct?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Now, is it correct to say about a person that he said this out of desire, and we have not opened his heart? First of all, is it not sufficient in the style of the call to say that this is an error, or this is misguidance, and forget delving into what is in the hearts and saying that he said it out of desire, especially after he has moved to the highest companion, to the mercy and favor of Allah? I ask you now, is this from the style of the gentle call that we exemplified earlier with some verses and hadiths?

The questioner : He says it out of desire?

The Shaykh : You say so.

The questioner : I said that Shaykh Rabee said it out of desire? I want the severity in Shaykh Rabee's book? And the book is with you, and you promised it to me.

The Shaykh : What did you attribute to me? Did you say that this matter must be delayed? What is it?

The questioner : That is your statement.

The Shaykh : I understood my own words, yes, my words are that we should leave aside accusing people of acting out of personal desire (hawa).

The questioner : No, you were saying that among those who oppose Shaykh Rabee, some oppose him out of personal desire, and some oppose him in such a way, and that such and such must be done to them.

The Shaykh : What is to be done to him?

The questioner : To this person who says this.

The Shaykh : We must not argue based on personal desire; we must present the texts. Where is this statement?

The questioner : It is from the words of Shaykh Rabee.

The Shaykh : Tell me where, so that we can look at it, my brother.

The questioner : The letter of recommendation (tazkiyah) that the Shaykh wrote for Shaykh Rabee on a sheet of paper.

The Shaykh : We gave you the books of this Rabee!

The questioner : There was a sheet that was outside the book.

The Shaykh : And what is behind this, Professor?

The questioner : I mean, he is a man, and may Allah count him among the good. People say, "That is enough; Shaykh Nasr says his style is not correct and he is severe." So we want to see where the severity is.

The Shaykh : In all his books, the severity is present.

The questioner : Do you have "Islamic Lights"?

The Shaykh : Here now he says: "This shows Sayyid Qutb's insistence on attacking the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, and his insistence on the extreme socialism he established in this book, and his insistence on casting all Islamic societies as jahili (pre-Islamic) societies, meaning disbelieving". Is this not severity?

The questioner : Where is the severity? Where is it?

The Shaykh : Meaning disbelieving.

The questioner : He did not say "jahiliyyah," he did not say it.

The Shaykh : My brother, do not repeat the words, may Allah be pleased with you. Let us stay with the word we are discussing now. You know in the authentic hadith Does this mean that he is a disbeliever?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : Okay, if Sayyid Qutb described his society as a jahili society, where do we get the right to interpret and attribute to him that he declares this society disbelieving?

The questioner : When he said, "These muezzins who say there is no god but Allah."

The Shaykh : We are here now. Do not answer me from your side, my brother. We are discussing the phrase between us, and for every phrase we have our observation and discussion, etc. I am saying now: "The society is jahili," meaning disbelieving. We say "meaning disbelieving." Is this leniency?

The questioner : As for this word, it is not correct, but as for what came before.

The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah be pleased with you. We say that every word and every phrase, he is severe in it. You denied just now that there is severity in his writings and that you did not see anything of severity in them. This is a thing of severity, and your admission now is sufficient, please. And therefore, we do not want to be biased for persons or against persons. I mean, we do not want to be biased for Zayd or against Zayd. We do not want to be biased for our brother Rabee because the truth is with him, and we do not want to be biased against Sayyid Qutb because the error and the mistake are with him. We want to be in between that . If I were free solely for the sake of Rabee, I would waste my time just to give a signal that there is severity in this. You are moving your head, but it is as if I am plastering the walls here, in the Syrian expression. Allow me, may Allah guide you, you and our brother. Do you think that Shaykh Al-Albani has nothing to occupy him except reading the books of his friends and brothers in the methodology and the books of his opponents, and then sitting and clearing things up? No, we are satisfied with clearing up the Sunnah, and we are not satisfied, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Therefore, do not be enthusiastic either with our old friend. You say, "Why don't you clarify?"

The questioner : I convey to him if I find something; I convey it to him and clarify it to him.

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner : The word "disbelieving"—we ask him, "Why did you say this?"

The Shaykh : Understand what I am saying.

The questioner : By Allah, I understand.

The Shaykh : Are you asking me to flip through his book for him, or not?

The questioner : Yes, you say there is severity. Okay, where is this severity? From this word, for example? I say, based on what he read before, that they are jahili societies and did not rule by Islam, he interpreted it with something past, with something that has passed.

The Shaykh : There is a lot of that from him, may Allah bless you. But you read the book with deliberation and attention, not with Zayd and not against 'Amr, but with the truth wherever it is, in style and goal. If you read it, you will find many things, and very many things. We agree with him in knowledge, briefly, but we do not agree with him in style. And the society now, I had people here recently, and a discussion took place about the style of da'wah. And what the discussion revolved around was the legal boycott (hajr) and the Muslim boycotting the disbeliever, and even the Muslim innovator. So I said, and this is what I testify to Allah and advise people, that the principle of boycott in Islam is a wonderful principle and a great educational means, but it must be placed in its place and its time. And the story of the three who were left behind is sufficient as an indication of that. But I do not see today the Muslim boycotting his Muslim brother who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah because he has deviated, either in thought or in action. Rather, he should accompany him and advise him. If he fears that he will be affected by something of the ideological or moral stain of his companion, he should distance himself from him. But as for one who has an argument and is protected in his own self and has upright character, etc., it is not appropriate in this era to announce the principle of boycott and severance. And I mentioned on this occasion recently, and repeatedly, and perhaps this is recorded on some tapes, the story told among us in Syria that a man was afflicted with abandoning prayer, then he repented and turned to Allah the Exalted and Majestic in what appeared of him, and he resolved that the first prayer he would go to the mosque to pray. So when he went to the mosque, he found the mosque closed. He said, "You are drunk and I am invalid." Do you know this Syrian joke? Okay, today, we and the deviants from the da'wah are like this man exactly. Meaning, we are now in the time of estrangement (ghurabah) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spoke about in more than one hadith, including that he described the strangers as .
So now, if we start raising the banner of boycott and severance, those people around us who we might think have the potential to be brought to good will not remain, this one and that one.
No, now we are most like the first period. I mean, we are now strangers, and the description of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is sufficient. We are oppressed, whether by the rulers or by the general society that Sayyid Qutb called the jahili society, because the actions of the first jahiliyyah prevail over them. Now, the display of adornment by women has surpassed the women of the jahiliyyah, etc., let alone doctrinal, ideological, and practical deviations, and the spread of riba, zina, and immorality, which was not in the time of the first jahiliyyah. The point is, if we use severity, and among that is the prescribed boycott, it means that we have moved away from the da'wah, and as they express it today, we have isolated ourselves. So I want, sincerely for our friend, and I do not say for our former student, to continue in his knowledge and struggle, but to soften his speech with his opponents, and that is all.

The questioner : This is what I said. He is dead, and we want the living among them. His brother now, Muhammad Qutb, is the one who is supervising the editing of his book "The Shadows" (al-Zilal) and printing millions and thousands of copies... I said, "Professor Muhammad, you are responsible for "The Shadows" and you printed it. Why do you not comment on your brother's book "The Shadows"?" He said, "I do not change or alter."

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner : I said, "I am not asking you to change or alter; I am asking you to comment, in accordance with the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) . So you can say in the footnote, at the point of the Unity of Existence in Surat al-Hadid, that this is a slip of the foot from my brother, and this is an error, and this Unity of Existence is among the Sufis and is contrary to tawhid, and other comments and other errors." So he was silent for a while, then he said, "May Allah reward your effort." I said to him, "If Allah wills, you will comment and give me a copy with your comments." This is what I see as advice for the living who are supervising the printing of his books.

The Shaykh : And is there disagreement in this?

The questioner : Good, yes.

The Shaykh : I ask you, is there disagreement in this?

The questioner : No, if Allah wills, there is none.

The Shaykh : This is what we seek, and this is what we revolve around. And perhaps you know that the first to respond to Sayyid Qutb's statement on the Unity of Existence is the one you are speaking with now, and he responded to him in the magazine al-Mujtam' with the title "Shaykh Al-Albani declares Sayyid Qutb a disbeliever."

The questioner : This is Abdullah 'Azzam... So we do not declare him a disbeliever, but as I said, and also Muhammad Qutb says in his book "There is no god but Allah: The Escape from Human Nature"... and Adam escaped, and he brought the verse . I said to him, "Shaykh Muhammad, Adam disobeyed . Adam escaped from the legal obligations."

The Shaykh : My friends, these are not scholars. You stay with me. Scholars who are not good at expressing themselves? Scholars who are more knowledgeable than us but not good at expressing themselves? So these are books, not scholars. I am telling you.

The questioner : We advise them.

The Shaykh : I am telling you, do not advise them.

The questioner : Even if they are studying at the university and writing for people, and people trust them, it is obligatory upon us to clarify.

The Shaykh : No one disagrees with you on this. The important thing is that you feel the style.