What is the obligation of the da'iyah (caller) to Allah who wishes to establish the proof against those called who fall into acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the like?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. Those who establish the proof against these servants, are there conditions that are required of them and that they must possess?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is obligatory for him to be a scholar.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And here, in reality, I know many of our enthusiastic brothers.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : They fall into error, and one of them is himself newly engaged in da'wah (calling to Islam).
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He was from that misguided crowd that was astray from the right path, then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) guided him, and he praised and thanked Him, but he did not become a scholar. He merely picked up the creed from some of the da'iyah (callers), and perhaps he does not even know how to read a verse as it was revealed. He meets with some of the shaykhs (scholars) who, without doubt, have a general Islamic culture. So, when this young Salafi simply tells him, "This is shirk (associating partners with Allah), this is kufr (disbelief), and this is misguidance," he thinks that he has established the proof against him. That is not the case. It is not that simple. In truth, the one who should establish the proof against these shaykhs (scholars) should be, in order for his words to be impactful and for him to deserve the claim that he has established the proof against them, like them, if not more knowledgeable than them, specifically regarding the tawhid (oneness of Allah) and the avoidance of shirk (associating partners with Allah) (Mighty and Majestic) that he is calling them to. The proof is not established except by one who understands what Allah said and what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, not by one who merely reports from those who say, "Allah said so and so, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said so and so." In short, it is obligatory for the one who establishes the proof to be a scholar, so that it truly becomes clear to the one being called that he has fallen under a clear and good command. Then either he believes, or he denies, as the Companions did, or as the Arabs did with the Messenger (peace be upon him). Those who were guided by the Companions, Allah increased them in guidance, and those who disbelieved and were stubborn, as He (the Exalted) said:[An-Naml 27:14]. This certainty is what constitutes kufr (disbelief). So, who attains this certainty in the hearts of those far from guidance, if he is knowledgeable about what is in the Book and what is in the Sunnah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is obligatory for him to be a scholar.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And here, in reality, I know many of our enthusiastic brothers.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : They fall into error, and one of them is himself newly engaged in da'wah (calling to Islam).
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He was from that misguided crowd that was astray from the right path, then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) guided him, and he praised and thanked Him, but he did not become a scholar. He merely picked up the creed from some of the da'iyah (callers), and perhaps he does not even know how to read a verse as it was revealed. He meets with some of the shaykhs (scholars) who, without doubt, have a general Islamic culture. So, when this young Salafi simply tells him, "This is shirk (associating partners with Allah), this is kufr (disbelief), and this is misguidance," he thinks that he has established the proof against him. That is not the case. It is not that simple. In truth, the one who should establish the proof against these shaykhs (scholars) should be, in order for his words to be impactful and for him to deserve the claim that he has established the proof against them, like them, if not more knowledgeable than them, specifically regarding the tawhid (oneness of Allah) and the avoidance of shirk (associating partners with Allah) (Mighty and Majestic) that he is calling them to. The proof is not established except by one who understands what Allah said and what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, not by one who merely reports from those who say, "Allah said so and so, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said so and so." In short, it is obligatory for the one who establishes the proof to be a scholar, so that it truly becomes clear to the one being called that he has fallen under a clear and good command. Then either he believes, or he denies, as the Companions did, or as the Arabs did with the Messenger (peace be upon him). Those who were guided by the Companions, Allah increased them in guidance, and those who disbelieved and were stubborn, as He (the Exalted) said:
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْThe questioner: Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.