What is your opinion of those who take knowledge from the innovators and cite the story of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) with Satan as evidence for this?

The questioner : Some students of religious knowledge in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia permit this religious innovation, O Shaykh, and people are deceived by them. When you tell the people or the students who attend this Shaykh’s gatherings that this is a religious innovation, they say, “We take the truth from the Shaykh, but we reject the falsehood.” They cite the story of Abu Hurayrah, meaning they…

The Shaykh : And what is it?

The questioner : The story of Abu Hurayrah with Satan, when the Satan told the truth, he said to him: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so O Shaykh, they cite this hadith…

The Shaykh : ...?

The questioner : So they go to the Shaykh and take knowledge from him, and the Shaykh, with his evidence or his proofs that he presents to them, they are convinced by this matter.

The Shaykh : Yes, we say that these people are like those who say and like those who say: They resemble them, even if they are not of them, for there is a difference between this and that, but they resemble them; the principle is the same. So we say, whatever their Shaykh brings, whom they claim is on the right path, we, with the help of Allah, are engaged in refuting it, even if it is not from this, O brothers, except for something clear: Is this worship or not worship? They claim that it is worship by which they draw near to Allah. We say, where is the Messenger? Where are the Companions? Where are the Tabi'un? Where are the Tabi'in of the Tabi'un regarding this? And we have previously said that this is either that they are ignorant, or that they are concealing the truth, or that they are arrogant about the truth. All of this… Did you understand? And the story of Abu Hurayrah indicates that the truth is accepted from any person, and we say that the falsehood is rejected from any person. Yes.

The Shaykh : An oath.