The Rejection of Muhammad 'Alawi al-Maliki and an Explanation of His Creed

Question:
Many students of knowledge in this era say: The one who listens on the night of the Prophet's birth, and persists every year in reciting poems, praises, and other types of celebrations, without the presence of free mixing with women—their intention is to say that this innovator does not commit a sin, and that the scholars of Najd are the most severe people in declaring this community to be innovators, and that they have reached the point of declaring al-Maliki, whom Ibn Mani' refuted, a disbeliever. We ask for an answer from Your Eminence, the Shaykh, for we are in dire need of it.

Answer:
The scholars of Najd, and the scholars of the Salaf, only said what reached them from Allah and from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). With them in this were the scholars of the three centuries; the three centuries, all of them, were upon this great methodology, which is following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), rejecting innovations, and not establishing a Mawlid or anything else. Then the people of knowledge and faith followed them, and after that, the people of the Sunnah and the community and the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were followed by the people of faith in all the later centuries. At the head of them in the eighth century was the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), for he clarified in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim* that celebrating the Mawlid is a blameworthy innovation, just as he clarified the innovation of celebrating the Raghā'ib, the Raghā'ib in Rajab, and other things. Likewise, the Imam al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified the innovation of the Mawlid, and so did others of the Imams of Islam who knew this issue, heard of it, and were guided to know the truth; they clarified that it is an innovation, that it is not permissible to do it, and not permissible to approve of it.
Those who were lenient in this matter were lenient only because they thought there was no harm in it, and they did not notice the established principles and the correct, explicit evidence regarding the prohibition of innovations. Rather, following the example of others, their fathers and predecessors, overcame them. When people live with something, they think it is good and think it is a Sunnah because they have lived with it and it has become customary among them with their predecessors. It becomes difficult for them to reject it afterwards, even if it is a blameworthy innovation. So much so that those who lived with shirk (associating partners with Allah) approved of shirk and were content with it because they lived with it and built upon it. You find them at the graves calling for aid from the people of the graves, saying, "O my master so-and-so, help me, cure my sick person, and I am under your protection." They consider this to be religion, and it is major shirk—we seek refuge in Allah—because they lived with it and found their fathers and predecessors living with it.
In this era, in recent times, two or three years ago, the so-called Muhammad 'Alawi al-Maliki appeared. He was a young man, and before that, knowledge and good were expected of him, but in the end, he displayed things we did not think he would display. He displayed types of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and types of bid'ah (religious innovation), and he authored a book he called "Al-Dhakhair al-Muhammadiyyah" (The Muhammadan Treasures). In it, he included things that indicate his ignorance of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and his ignorance of the Sunnah. Therefore, the people of knowledge refuted him, the Committee of Senior Scholars refuted him, and others among our brothers in Egypt and outside Egypt, from the people of knowledge and faith, refuted him. This is because... rather, He gives it to whom He wills and he made these birthdays from the Sunnah, and he made, out of his ignorance, the night of the Mawlid better than Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Does a sane person say this? He made the night of the Mawlid, the night of the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, better than Laylat al-Qadr, about which the Lord said: : [Al-Qadr:3] So he made the night in which Allah revealed the Qur'an, and which He made the best of nights, he made the Mawlid better than it, and some ignorant people from some of the Maghrebis preceded him in this.
All of this indicates great, complete ignorance and distance from knowing the religion in truth. Therefore, we refuted him, and others of the people of knowledge refuted him in order to clarify the truth and explain the guidance. We asked the state—may Allah guide it—to prevent him from speaking in the Sacred Mosque, on the radio, and elsewhere, until he announces his repentance and clarifies his return from this falsehood, so that people are not deceived by him, and so that he does not teach the students major shirk (associating partners with Allah) and blameworthy innovations. This is what happened with this man, and books have been authored regarding this falsehood, which is a refutation of him and of others like him. It is not a refutation of him alone, but a refutation of him and his like. We continue to demand, and we continue to ask the rulers to prevent him from teaching in the Sacred Mosque, on the radio, on television, and in the newspapers, until he announces his repentance to Allah from this shirk in which he fell. If he announces his repentance from shirk and innovations, there is no harm if he announces that, for he is our brother in Allah. But if he does not announce that, then we are disavowed of him, and we bear witness to Allah that he has strayed from the path and disbelieved in Allah after having believed, due to the misguidance he introduced in his great book. We ask Allah for well-being.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Thus said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And Mu'adh came one day to Abu Musa in Yemen. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had sent Abu Musa to Yemen as a caller, teacher, and guide, and he sent Mu'adh to Yemen as well. It happened that Abu Musa was informed about a Jew who had embraced Islam and then apostatized. So Abu Musa called him and asked him to repent so he would return to Islam, but he refused. He was brought in chains to be killed; if he did not repent, he would be killed. Mu'adh came and said, "What is this chained man?" They said, "This is a man who embraced Islam, then apostatized to his false religion, Judaism." Mu'adh said, "I will not dismount from between my two mounts until he is killed, by the judgment of Allah and His Messenger." Abu Musa said, "We only brought him to be killed; we brought him to be killed if he does not repent." He said, "I will not dismount until he is killed, as long as he has not announced repentance. I will not dismount until he is killed, by the judgment of Allah and His Messenger."
Therefore, apostasy from Islam among the Muslims is a serious matter, a great matter. And spreading disbelief among people through books is a serious matter, with a great consequence. So 'Alawi, or anyone other than 'Alawi, Zayd or 'Amr, if he displays disbelief in Allah, and behind it are innovations, he must be taken by the hand and he must be prevented, even if he is from the descendants of the Prophets, even if he is from the descendants of the government, even if he is a great scholar, or one of their notables. If he apostatizes from his religion and displays disbelief, he must be taken by the hand, whoever he is, whether he is Zayd or 'Umar. And Allah is the Helper. Yes, we ask Allah to support His religion, to exalt His word, and to guide all the strayed Muslims.