We request that you offer advice to the youth regarding the statement of His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him) concerning the division of the callers to Allah over a matter of independent legal reasoning.
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The questioner : The last question says, "O Shaykh, we love you for the sake of Allah, and we ask you, O Shaykh, to offer advice to the youth regarding the statement of His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him)..."
The Shaykh : Regarding what?
The questioner : Regarding the statement of His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him), because we have heard every group interpreting it in their own favor and distributing the tapes. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! He says he wants an explanation of the Shaykh's statement. If it is a statement, it does not need an explanation. A statement does not need an explanation. If there is ambiguity in this statement, let the Shaykh be asked so that he can clarify it. Is that clear, everyone? A statement does not need an explanation, and the one who created the ambiguity is the one who clarifies it, the speaker himself.
The student: The Shaykh says he has clarified his words.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. Then convey to them the phrase he said.
As for me, I say that what the Shaykh said is correct. There is no doubt that the disagreement among the brothers, the students of knowledge, does not serve Islam; rather, it is a harm to Islam. There is no doubt that it serves the enemies of Islam, because the enemies of Islam love for the bearers of the Shari'ah to be divided. They love for them to be divided in their words and their actions. If a person reflects on the path of the Companions and the righteous predecessors, he will find that they differed in their words, but their hearts did not differ. They did not insult one another, nor did they accuse one another. Every person is prone to error. If you estimate that your brother has erred, your brother estimates that you have also erred. Therefore, no one has a proof over another by his word. The proof is in what Allah and His Messenger said.
And the fact that the brothers are divided because of a difference of opinion in a matter that does not touch religion or creed is, by Allah, from the whispers of Satan and from serving the people of falsehood. When the people of falsehood saw the people's turning to Islam, and praise be to Allah, especially the youth, do you think they will remain silent? By Allah, they will not remain silent, because this angers them. They will plot by every means to destroy this awakening and renaissance. But they plot in silence and with precision. As for us, for the soundness of our hearts, if we plot, we build a dome from a grain. We magnify the issues and make the people differ and divide, and so evil and calamity occur. Therefore, we must first proceed by the guidance of the Shari'ah, and secondly by the wisdom of reason. Because if we let emotion prevail, my brothers, it becomes a storm that sweeps us away and corrupts things between us. The people of evil love for the reality to be like this. They love for so-and-so to insult so-and-so and to declare so-and-so misguided. So my advice to my brothers, some of whom have done some of this, is to review the matter, to analyze one another, and to issue a signed statement from all of us that we are agreed on the fundamentals and the goals, and that if our opinions differ, this is something our predecessors, who are better than us, have done before us. The Companions differed in a matter of one of the pillars of Islam, a difference of independent legal reasoning, and they did not rebuke one another, nor did they declare one another misguided. In the story of their departure to Banu Quraizah, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from the Battle of the Confederates, Jibril came to him and ordered him to go out to Banu Quraizah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: So they left the city for Banu Quraizah. The time for the 'Asr prayer caught up with them, and some of them said, "We will not pray 'Asr except in Banu Quraizah, even if it is after Maghrib", and they delayed the prayer until after Maghrib and prayed it in Banu Quraizah. Based on what? Based on the apparent wording of the text. And others said: Rather, we will pray 'Asr in its time, because whoever misses the 'Asr prayer has his work nullified, and because the purpose of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement was to hasten the departure and arrive at Banu Quraizah. They differed in this difference, which is in a pillar of Islam, and yet they did not rebuke one another. And when the news reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he did not rebuke any one of them. Although we see that the ones who hit the mark are those who prayed in its time.
So the important thing is that I want us to be on the path of the righteous predecessors: we do not declare anyone a disbeliever, we do not declare anyone misguided, and we do not declare anyone an innovator. Rather, if we differ in a matter of independent legal reasoning where it is not known who is correct with Allah, then it is obligatory for us to unite. And how wonderful it would be if a statement were issued by all of us explaining that we are agreed on the basic goal and differ in opinions on some matters. This is a matter that has preceded us from those who came before us, and it does not harm us in any way. If this were to happen, it would be good. And it will happen, if Allah wills, either it actually happens or it happens in potential, by restraining some of them from others, and by being brothers, and each one of them knowing the extent of his responsibility in this Muslim community. And we ask Allah for guidance for us and for them, and that He gather us all on guidance and piety.
The questioner : They differ in methodology... So what is the response to them?
The Shaykh : It does not harm, it does not harm. The difference in methodology does not harm as long as they have not gone beyond the limits of the Shari'ah. It does not harm. And Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : Regarding what?
The questioner : Regarding the statement of His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him), because we have heard every group interpreting it in their own favor and distributing the tapes. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! He says he wants an explanation of the Shaykh's statement. If it is a statement, it does not need an explanation. A statement does not need an explanation. If there is ambiguity in this statement, let the Shaykh be asked so that he can clarify it. Is that clear, everyone? A statement does not need an explanation, and the one who created the ambiguity is the one who clarifies it, the speaker himself.
The student: The Shaykh says he has clarified his words.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. Then convey to them the phrase he said.
As for me, I say that what the Shaykh said is correct. There is no doubt that the disagreement among the brothers, the students of knowledge, does not serve Islam; rather, it is a harm to Islam. There is no doubt that it serves the enemies of Islam, because the enemies of Islam love for the bearers of the Shari'ah to be divided. They love for them to be divided in their words and their actions. If a person reflects on the path of the Companions and the righteous predecessors, he will find that they differed in their words, but their hearts did not differ. They did not insult one another, nor did they accuse one another. Every person is prone to error. If you estimate that your brother has erred, your brother estimates that you have also erred. Therefore, no one has a proof over another by his word. The proof is in what Allah and His Messenger said.
And the fact that the brothers are divided because of a difference of opinion in a matter that does not touch religion or creed is, by Allah, from the whispers of Satan and from serving the people of falsehood. When the people of falsehood saw the people's turning to Islam, and praise be to Allah, especially the youth, do you think they will remain silent? By Allah, they will not remain silent, because this angers them. They will plot by every means to destroy this awakening and renaissance. But they plot in silence and with precision. As for us, for the soundness of our hearts, if we plot, we build a dome from a grain. We magnify the issues and make the people differ and divide, and so evil and calamity occur. Therefore, we must first proceed by the guidance of the Shari'ah, and secondly by the wisdom of reason. Because if we let emotion prevail, my brothers, it becomes a storm that sweeps us away and corrupts things between us. The people of evil love for the reality to be like this. They love for so-and-so to insult so-and-so and to declare so-and-so misguided. So my advice to my brothers, some of whom have done some of this, is to review the matter, to analyze one another, and to issue a signed statement from all of us that we are agreed on the fundamentals and the goals, and that if our opinions differ, this is something our predecessors, who are better than us, have done before us. The Companions differed in a matter of one of the pillars of Islam, a difference of independent legal reasoning, and they did not rebuke one another, nor did they declare one another misguided. In the story of their departure to Banu Quraizah, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from the Battle of the Confederates, Jibril came to him and ordered him to go out to Banu Quraizah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions:
None of you should pray 'Asr except in Banu Quraizah
لا يصلين أحد منكم العصر إلا في بني قريظةNone of you should pray 'Asr except in Banu Quraizah
لا يصلين أحد منكم العصر إلا في بني قريظةSo the important thing is that I want us to be on the path of the righteous predecessors: we do not declare anyone a disbeliever, we do not declare anyone misguided, and we do not declare anyone an innovator. Rather, if we differ in a matter of independent legal reasoning where it is not known who is correct with Allah, then it is obligatory for us to unite. And how wonderful it would be if a statement were issued by all of us explaining that we are agreed on the basic goal and differ in opinions on some matters. This is a matter that has preceded us from those who came before us, and it does not harm us in any way. If this were to happen, it would be good. And it will happen, if Allah wills, either it actually happens or it happens in potential, by restraining some of them from others, and by being brothers, and each one of them knowing the extent of his responsibility in this Muslim community. And we ask Allah for guidance for us and for them, and that He gather us all on guidance and piety.
The questioner : They differ in methodology... So what is the response to them?
The Shaykh : It does not harm, it does not harm. The difference in methodology does not harm as long as they have not gone beyond the limits of the Shari'ah. It does not harm. And Allah knows best.