Shiddah and Ghuloo
The ‘Shiddah’ (harshness) and the ‘Ghuloo’ (extremism) of some of those who ascribe themselves to the Salafee Manhaj
Shaykh Rabee’ibn Haadee al Madkhalee
(The Shaykh mentioned the Hadeeth of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم)) :
“Indeed Allaah is Gentle and loves gentleness in all affairs.”
(Then continued by saying):
“As for the Mutashaddidoon, (those who are harsh and severe), then it is possible that they are deprived of these qualities ,or some of them, and because of this we find problems arising and resulting from Shiddah (harshness and severity) such as the problems of:
-
Ghuloo (extremism),
-
Al Khurooj (revolting against the Muslim rulers).
-
At Takfeer (declaring Muslims to be disbelievers).
-
At Tabdee’ (declaring Muslims to be innovators in the religion) without any evidences.
ِAlso,
manifesting opposition to the ‘Ulemaa, no! Rather, making attacks and vile remarks against them thereby striving to ‘bring them down’, as has happened before and is happening right now in the lands of the Muslims, and this is an affair as clear as daylight!
4) Fourthly, yes
Ahlul Bid’ah describe Ahlus Sunnah with Shiddah in order to scare and chase away the people from the truth. Nevertheless, even with this being the case,
there have been from amongst the ‘Ulemaa, those who have been described with Shiddah, and the ones who described them as such were from Ahlus Sunnah and not from Ahlul Bid’ah. However, they were small in number in comparision to the thousands of scholars from the Imaams of Hadeeth and Fiqh, those who have been described with equity, moderation, being well-balanced, and having gentleness, thereby following the way of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) as he was full of mercy and gentleness, the one (صلى الله عليه و سلم) who said:
“Indeed Allaah is Gentle and loves gentleness, and gives through gentleness that which He does not give through harshness nor anything else.”
And also the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) in the hadeeth of Aa‘ishah (رضي الله عنها) :
“Indeed, gentleness is not used in anything except that it beautifies it, and is never removed from anything except that it spoils it.”
Except that the Shiddah of the likes of those scholars was not the type of Shiddah that the ‘foolish ignorant ones’ imagine it to be, as those scholars were considered to be ‘Ulemaa who possessed intelligence, those who were adorned with a high and an impeccable standard of character and moral conduct who used the
Shiddah in it’s correct and appropriate place! Also, that the Shiddah that they used was not used as a foundation nor a fundamental basis upon which their lives and Da’wah were built upon, nor was their Shiddah directed towards nor used upon Ahlus Sunnah, unlike what some of the ‘suspicious immature ones’ are doing today!…” (Then Shaykh Rabee’ proceeded by mentioning some of the recent ‘Ulemaa who possessed those fine qualities that have previously been mentioned, such as Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abdullaah Al Qar‘aawee, and Shaykh Haafidh Al Hakamee, -may Allaah have mercy upon them all. Then the Shaykh concluded this article by saying):
“…Indeed the Shiddah that has arisen nowadays is not at all from As Salafiyyah in any shape, form nor fashion whatsoever! And the proof for this is that it has now become an arrow aimed towards the throats of those who call to the Sunnah with truth. And those who have this Shiddah exert their efforts in bringing ‘the downfall’ of those callers and in preventing them from the ‘Field of Da’wah’ by claiming that they are ‘Mumayyi‘oon,’ (those who take a lenient stance in implementing some of the fundamental Usool of the Salaf), and it is a ‘False, Oppressive and a Satanic proof!’ Whereby they have become the greatest helpers and assistants to the ‘Enemies of the Sunnah’, it’s people, and As Salafiyyah and it’s people!
So be careful and beware of the ‘tricks, plots and schemes’ that the ‘Enemies of the Sunnah’ use, especially in these times!”
Translated by: Abul Qayyim Ismaa‘eel ibn Yusuf.