Is it permissible to object to one who does not distinguish between the one who differs in creed and the one who differs in branches?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah forgive you: Is it permissible to object to a person on the grounds that he does not distinguish between the one who differs in creed and the one who differs in branches, or is it not permissible to object to him on this point?
The Shaykh : Never, by what means? It is necessary... and what is the basis for the naming?
The questioner : He says that the one who differs in creed is refuted, just as a person who differs in matters of branches is refuted.
The Shaykh : Matters of creed have some light aspects and some heavy aspects.
The questioner : For example, the unseen matters and the matters transmitted by mass transmission; he says these are...
The Shaykh : No, this is refuted; he is refuted. But there are light matters in creed, for example, if someone says that the Sirat which is placed over the Fire is not finer than a hair or sharper than a sword, but rather it is an ordinary Sirat, meaning a path that people walk, or if he says that what is weighed is not the deeds, but rather the owner of the deeds or the scrolls of deeds. That is, there are matters in creed that are acceptable and in which the Salaf differed, but they did not differ in the fundamentals of creed. So whoever denies what will happen on the Day of Resurrection is refuted. Therefore, the important point is that in some issues of creed there are light matters in which disagreement exists, and one is not refuted for differing in them, and there are principles that cannot be denied, so whoever denies them is refuted.
The questioner : Is there a criterion?
The Shaykh : The criterion is to follow up on these matters; a person follows up on these matters and sees where the disagreement occurred.
The questioner : Because, O Shaykh, they cite the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, that he distinguishes between this issue of creed in which there is no refutation.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : They say there are words of Shaykh al-Islam.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That... that the issues of creed are issues of principles in which disagreement is not permissible, and that these are issues of jurisprudence in which disagreement is permissible; they are the Mu'tazilah.
The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) refuted dividing the religion into principles and branches, and said that this division occurred after the three centuries, because this division is subject to objections. For example, he says to you: Is prayer a principle or a branch? He says it is a branch, even though it is one of the most fundamental principles, a pillar of the great pillars of Islam. And what Shaykh al-Islam said is the correct view. But what is required of us is of two types: creedal and practical. We do not say "principle" and "branch"; we say something is creedal, meaning it is obligatory for us to believe in it, which is faith in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil. And practical, which is testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House. These five are practical, and the six, which are faith in Allah, His angels, and so on, are creedal. As for saying "principles and branches," there is no evidence for it. Yes.
The Shaykh : Never, by what means? It is necessary... and what is the basis for the naming?
The questioner : He says that the one who differs in creed is refuted, just as a person who differs in matters of branches is refuted.
The Shaykh : Matters of creed have some light aspects and some heavy aspects.
The questioner : For example, the unseen matters and the matters transmitted by mass transmission; he says these are...
The Shaykh : No, this is refuted; he is refuted. But there are light matters in creed, for example, if someone says that the Sirat which is placed over the Fire is not finer than a hair or sharper than a sword, but rather it is an ordinary Sirat, meaning a path that people walk, or if he says that what is weighed is not the deeds, but rather the owner of the deeds or the scrolls of deeds. That is, there are matters in creed that are acceptable and in which the Salaf differed, but they did not differ in the fundamentals of creed. So whoever denies what will happen on the Day of Resurrection is refuted. Therefore, the important point is that in some issues of creed there are light matters in which disagreement exists, and one is not refuted for differing in them, and there are principles that cannot be denied, so whoever denies them is refuted.
The questioner : Is there a criterion?
The Shaykh : The criterion is to follow up on these matters; a person follows up on these matters and sees where the disagreement occurred.
The questioner : Because, O Shaykh, they cite the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, that he distinguishes between this issue of creed in which there is no refutation.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : They say there are words of Shaykh al-Islam.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That... that the issues of creed are issues of principles in which disagreement is not permissible, and that these are issues of jurisprudence in which disagreement is permissible; they are the Mu'tazilah.
The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) refuted dividing the religion into principles and branches, and said that this division occurred after the three centuries, because this division is subject to objections. For example, he says to you: Is prayer a principle or a branch? He says it is a branch, even though it is one of the most fundamental principles, a pillar of the great pillars of Islam. And what Shaykh al-Islam said is the correct view. But what is required of us is of two types: creedal and practical. We do not say "principle" and "branch"; we say something is creedal, meaning it is obligatory for us to believe in it, which is faith in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil. And practical, which is testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House. These five are practical, and the six, which are faith in Allah, His angels, and so on, are creedal. As for saying "principles and branches," there is no evidence for it. Yes.