What is the Shaykh's opinion of one who declares Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a disbeliever, and is it permissible to pray behind him?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the Shaykh's opinion of one who declares Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a disbeliever? Is it permissible to pray behind him, and is one who follows his methodology declared a disbeliever?
The Shaykh : My brother, the one who declares a Muslim a disbeliever is either one upon whom disbelief returns, or one who is mistaken, interpreting the matter, and ignorant. It is not permissible to declare a Muslim a disbeliever, whether it is the scholar and caller to the oneness of Allah, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, or the one who declares Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a disbeliever. As long as he testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, it is not permissible. We treat him in kind only if he declares it openly.
The questioner : Declares it openly!
The Shaykh : Only if he declares disbelief. If he merely says, "So-and-so is a disbeliever," he may be interpreting the matter, and he may be misguided in his interpretation. It is not permissible to declare him a disbeliever; it is sufficient for you to declare him misguided.
The questioner : We do not declare him a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you understood? But, but, did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. And everyone whom you do not declare a disbeliever remains upon his Islam, so the prayer behind him is valid.
The Shaykh : My brother, the one who declares a Muslim a disbeliever is either one upon whom disbelief returns, or one who is mistaken, interpreting the matter, and ignorant. It is not permissible to declare a Muslim a disbeliever, whether it is the scholar and caller to the oneness of Allah, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, or the one who declares Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a disbeliever. As long as he testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, it is not permissible. We treat him in kind only if he declares it openly.
The questioner : Declares it openly!
The Shaykh : Only if he declares disbelief. If he merely says, "So-and-so is a disbeliever," he may be interpreting the matter, and he may be misguided in his interpretation. It is not permissible to declare him a disbeliever; it is sufficient for you to declare him misguided.
The questioner : We do not declare him a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you understood? But, but, did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. And everyone whom you do not declare a disbeliever remains upon his Islam, so the prayer behind him is valid.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.