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The
question:
What is your opinion about testing people and imposing scholars’
opinions regarding criticizing persons on learners of [religious] knowledge or
regarding other controversial issues that caused divergence of opinions between
the Sunni scholars?
The
answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace
and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family,
his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.
Know that among the Muslim’s features is the fact of taking
interest in noble deeds that concern necessities of his life here below and his
safety in the hereafter. The Muslim should be interested in: educating himself,
purifying his soul from meanness and vice and getting rid of things that are
useless and unnecessary.
Knowledge is, indeed, the way to reach these points; so, the
Muslim has to seek it and provide himself with it as much as possible. The Prophet صلَّى اللهُ عليه وآله وسَلَّم says: “Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is that he
leaves what does not concern him.”
And among things that does not concern him is: testing people in what is not
ordered by Allah عزّ وجلّ
and His Messenger صلَّى اللهُ عليه وآله وسَلَّم. Also, forcing them to take positions that are in accordance
with his positions by gathering them around one person, sticking fanatically to
his opinions and calling to his way; a way on which depends their alliance and
disavowal other than the way of the Prophet صلَّى اللهُ عليه وآله
وسَلَّم. Moreover, anyone who
takes a position that differs from the position of those who test people will
be accused of being compromised and heretic.
In fact, such a behavior will cause roughness, discord and
harshness [between Muslims]. It will give rise to attitudes that are forbidden
by Sharia as hostility, enmity and hatred between brothers in belief.
Therefore, the nation will be divided and disunited and its groups will disband
because of the evil effects that result from those attitudes.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that we do not reject
heresy and heretics, and warn Muslims against it and those who call towards it,
after the heresy is determined and the evidences are established. Certainly, fighting
religious heresies is one of the most obvious features of the Salafi Way, because heresy goes against one of the two conditions of worship, which
is the fact of following the Prophet صلى اللهُ عليه وآله وسَلَّم. Besides, the issue of warning [against
heresy] and abandoning [those who practice it] is included within the creed of Loyalty
and Enmity, knowing that abandoning [heretics] must be kept within the
religious limits in order to use it in a well-balanced manner avoiding either negligence
or exaggeration.
The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزّ
وجلّ. Our last prayer is all
praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our
Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.
Algiers, Jumâda Al-Ûlâ 25th, 1428H.
Corresponding
to: June 10th, 2007.
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