How do we explain the misguidance of those Muslims who have gone astray, despite their sincerity and abundance of knowledge?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. In reality, we have known Shaykhs who are not less than others in understanding, memorization, and independent legal reasoning in Islamic sacred law. Their outward state indicates that they intend the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with that, and they do not, for example, want to mislead people or the like. However, they are on the wrong path in matters of belief and other things. How is that explained?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It is not due to a deficiency in understanding, nor due to an intention—what we think—to mislead... but they are misguided.
The Shaykh : This must be one of the matters; it cannot be anything other than one of the matters, because if they had been truthful to Allah, it would have been better for them.
Do not think that a person who wants the truth and seeks the truth in its proper places, which are the Book and the Sunnah, would never find it. There must be something in their hearts.
The questioner : Shaykh, I say there is perhaps another reason, which is that they grow up in an environment where that belief is the only one prevalent, so they do not know any other. For example, there are no books by Ibn Taymiyyah or others, and all the scholars of that country, for example, are on a specific belief, and they have not known any other.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Could this also be a reason, O Shaykh? And are they excused because the knowledge did not reach them?
The Shaykh : From the perspective of ruling on them in the Hereafter, there is no doubt that they are excused. Every person to whom the message did not reach, whether in its entirety or in part, is excused by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but on the condition that Allah the Exalted knows from their intention that if they had known the truth, they would have followed it.
This one says the fan brought us a cold, he says turn it off, what is your opinion? Huh? The manager here, this is not cold now.
The questioner : ... it necessitates declaring someone a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : Yes. Declaring each other disbelievers.
The questioner : Then we explained that that ... is either due to their lack of understanding or due to a deficiency...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If he said, we said whoever claimed it first, but that is understanding the contradiction without claiming it, but he understood it and did not find the correct path.
The time is up.
Who is reading the creed? In the name of Allah.
The reciter: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Chapter: "And we believe in the angels of Allah the Exalted, and that they are[Al-Anbya 21:26-27] created by Allah the Exalted, so they stood in His worship and submitted to His obedience [Al-Anbya 21:19-20] Allah has veiled them from us, so we do not see them, and perhaps He reveals them to some of His servants. The Prophet saw..."
The Shaykh : It was lost.
The reader: The Prophet saw
The Shaykh : The Prophet?
The reader: The Prophet
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The reader: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Jibril in his true form, having six hundred wings, filling the horizon. Jibril appeared to Maryam as a perfect human being and spoke to her, and she spoke to him. He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while the Companions were with him in the form of a man who was not recognized, with no trace of travel on him, his clothes intensely white and his hair intensely black. He sat with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), resting his knees on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) knees and placing his hands on his thighs. He spoke to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed his Companions that it was Jibril.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It is not due to a deficiency in understanding, nor due to an intention—what we think—to mislead... but they are misguided.
The Shaykh : This must be one of the matters; it cannot be anything other than one of the matters, because if they had been truthful to Allah, it would have been better for them.
Do not think that a person who wants the truth and seeks the truth in its proper places, which are the Book and the Sunnah, would never find it. There must be something in their hearts.
The questioner : Shaykh, I say there is perhaps another reason, which is that they grow up in an environment where that belief is the only one prevalent, so they do not know any other. For example, there are no books by Ibn Taymiyyah or others, and all the scholars of that country, for example, are on a specific belief, and they have not known any other.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Could this also be a reason, O Shaykh? And are they excused because the knowledge did not reach them?
The Shaykh : From the perspective of ruling on them in the Hereafter, there is no doubt that they are excused. Every person to whom the message did not reach, whether in its entirety or in part, is excused by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but on the condition that Allah the Exalted knows from their intention that if they had known the truth, they would have followed it.
This one says the fan brought us a cold, he says turn it off, what is your opinion? Huh? The manager here, this is not cold now.
The questioner : ... it necessitates declaring someone a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : Yes. Declaring each other disbelievers.
The questioner : Then we explained that that ... is either due to their lack of understanding or due to a deficiency...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If he said, we said whoever claimed it first, but that is understanding the contradiction without claiming it, but he understood it and did not find the correct path.
The time is up.
Who is reading the creed? In the name of Allah.
The reciter: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Chapter: "And we believe in the angels of Allah the Exalted, and that they are
honored servants. (27) They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command.
عباد مكرمون * لا يسبقونه بالقول وهم بأمره يعملونare not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire. (20) They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
لا يستكبرون عن عبادته ولا يستحسرون * يسبحون اليل والنهار لا يفترونThe Shaykh : It was lost.
The reader: The Prophet saw
The Shaykh : The Prophet?
The reader: The Prophet
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The reader: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Jibril in his true form, having six hundred wings, filling the horizon. Jibril appeared to Maryam as a perfect human being and spoke to her, and she spoke to him. He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while the Companions were with him in the form of a man who was not recognized, with no trace of travel on him, his clothes intensely white and his hair intensely black. He sat with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), resting his knees on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) knees and placing his hands on his thighs. He spoke to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed his Companions that it was Jibril.
The Shaykh : Yes.