Dealing with the people of Innovations
Shaykh Ubayd ibn `Abdillaah al-Jaabiree
Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid
Reference: Al Hadul-Faasil/2nd Question
Ahsan Allaahu ilaykum, how do we deal with the people of innovations and desires in matters of Deen and Dunya?
Firstly, Ahlus sunnah have an upright scale and a sound (errorless) manhaj. They hate and condemn innovations and likewise they hate the Mubtadi’ah (people of innovations) who call to their innovations, refine and spread them by whatever means they have been given in strength and whatever methods they are able to find. They (Ahlus sunnah) warn against them and from mixing and arguing with them.
An example of this is what Ibnu Batta has narrated in Al Ibaanah Al Kubra, on the authority of Ayoub As Sikhteyaanee that he said:
"Abu Qelabah said to me: “O Ayoub, memorize four things from me: Don’t explain the Qur-aan with you opinion, beware of [disbelieving in] al Qadr (divine destiny), if the companions of the Messenger of Allaah are mentioned then hold your tongue, and do not listen to the people of desires for they will plant in you what they wish (or he said: establish in you what they wish)."
He also narrated that Mus’ab ibn Saa’d, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:
“Do not sit with a Maftoon (one who is afflicted with doubts) for indeed you can only acquire one of two things from him, either he afflicts you with his doubts and so you will follow him or he will harm you (verbally) before you leave him."
The sayings of these Imaams, starting from the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and those who came after them from the Imams of the pious predecessors warn with this same warning, and they criticize in this harsh manner, because the intent is to purify the Sunnah from innovations in the religion, and to protect the people of the Sunnah from the danger of innovators.
This is why they differentiate between the innovator who calls to his innovation and the innovator who is quite, because he does not harm anyone except himself. Ahlus sunnah were upon this harsh and strong way against the people of innovations and misguidance when they were in positions of strength and had the upper hand. They turned against innovations and its people with all their strength, just as they, at times when they were weak and had no power, and the people of innovations had strength and the upper hand, used wisdom and only warned against the innovations themselves (not its people).
So Allaah! Allaah! Our children, in Al-Maghrib Al-‘Arabee and in all corners of the Muslim world, Beware, and i repeat Beware of going against this way, you must have Hikmah, for indeed your Salaf used harshness only when nothing but harshness would benefit, and when they had strength, and they used gentleness at times when gentleness would benefit, and based upon this we understand what is meant by the saying of Ibnu Seereen and other than him from the Imaams may Allaah have mercy upon them:
“O Ahlus Sunnah, be gentle, for indeed you are the least of people [in number].”
This is the first thing I advise you with,
secondly I advise you, our children in Al Maghrib al ‘Arabee and our children from the Muslims, those of you whom this talk has reached to,
I advise you to turn to the gaining of Shar’ee knowledge. And what is Shar’ee knowledge? It is the understanding of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah according to the way of the pious predecessors.
I also advice you with [reading] the books of
‘Aqeedah that the Imaams of the Salaf have written such as:As Sunnah by ‘Abdullaah ibn al Imaam Ahmad, As Sunnah by Ibn abee ‘Aasim, As Sunnah by Al Khalaal, Al Tawheed and Al Eemaan by Ibnu Mandah, At Tawheed by Ibnu khuzaaymah, Al Ibaanah Al Kubraa by Ibnu Battah Al ‘Ukbary, Sharh Usoul as Sunnah by Al La-laka-ee, and the library of Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyah, and the library of his student Shaykhul Islaam Ibnul Qayyim, and the library of Shaykhul Islaam, the third Mujadid in this peninsula according to my knowledge; Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahaab, may Allaah have mercy upon him, and the likes of these books which conveyed to us the principals as well as the branches of this religion in a reliable and dependable way.
The books of
Hadeeth as well: The six books (of Hadeeth/ Al kutub as Sitah) which are well known, as well as Musnad Al Imaam Ahmad, Musnad Ad Darimee, Muwata Al Imaam Maalik, Sunan Ad Dar-Qutnee, Mustadrak Al Haakim, Saheeh Ibn Habaan, and the likes of these books from the books of Hadeeth which the Imaams of this religion have accepted.
From the books of
Tafseer: Tafseer Ibn Jareer, Tafseer Ibn Katheer, that which is available from Tafseer Ibn abee Haatim, Tafseer Al Baghawee, Tafseer Al Qurtubee which is good in regards to language and Fiqh, however, in regards to ‘Aqeedah, then it has become clear to me that he has some Ta-weelaat that one must be careful from and avoid, and also Tafseer As Sa’dee, and he is an ‘Alaamah who lived in recent times, may Allaah have mercy upon him.
From the books of
Fiqh: Those which are summarized [such as]: ‘Umdatul Fiqh by Ibnu Qudaamah, Manhaj As Salikeen by As Sa’dee, Manaar As Sabeel by Ibn Tuyaan. And those which are not summarized [such as]: Al Mughnee by Ibn Qudaamah, Al Majmoo’ by An Nawawee, Al Mudawanah by Sahnoon in the Madhab of Al Imaam Maalik may Allaah have mercy upon all of them, and there are a lot of other books other than these.
I also warn you against the books of
Fikr (opinions/ideologies), and at the head of what i warn against are the books of
Al Ghazaalee the Egyptian, the books of
Al Qaradawee, Yusuf ibn ‘Abdullaah who lives in Qatar, the books of
Sayyid Qutub, especially Ma’aalim Fee At Tareeq, for in it he advises [the people] to make Takfeer, and also his Tafseer because it is filled with misguidance, all his books are misguidance. The books of
Al Nadawee, and
Al Mawdoodee, and all the books of the
Ikhwaan, for indeed they deviate the Muslim from the Sunnah to innovations if one was to study from them and take what is in them as his religion that he worships Allaah with.
Thirdly it is upon you to attach yourselves to the people of knowledge, those that you and others know to be steadfast upon the Sunnah, and support and defend it and its people. Those of them who are alive, attach yourselves to them by studying with them, and if you aren’t able to, then read from their books and listen to their tapes. As for those of them who have passed away, them take from what they have left behind from the beneficial books that they had written while they were upon the Sunnah in shaa- Allaah.
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