The Mawlid and the French
October 10, 2022 § Leave a comment
When Napoleon was in Egypt the French army participated in the Mawlid, putting on military parades, fireworks displays and playing music. In his book, “ʿAllāmah Taqiyyud-Dīn al-Hilālī’s Travels to India and Afghanistan,” [2/248] our Shaikh, Abū ʿUbaidah Mashūr āl-Salmān, may Allaah protect him, commented on this saying, “This is the mawlid celebration that these kuffār want, in fact they scramble to do it. As for the true prophetic celebration which is made up of always following his example ﷺ, all the time, in all circumstances, every day—i.e., which is loving the Prophet ﷺ according to the Sharīʿah without any interruption or discontinuity, then they wage war against that and reject it! Subḥānallāh! How strange this life is and how things are turned on their heads, such impetuousness for [mere] phrases and folly, not for truthful facts and affairs of ʿaqīdah.”
Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday ﷺ
October 4, 2022 § Leave a comment
“Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’ So he replied …”
April 5, 2018 § Leave a comment
Ibn Asaakir reported from Abdur-Rahmaan al-Muhaaribi that he said, “A man was on his deathbed and so it was said to him, ‘Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’ So he replied, ‘I can’t, I used to accompany people who would order me to abuse Abu Bakr and Umar.’”
Al-Buhoor Az-Zaakhirah fi Uloomil-Aakihrah, vol. 1, p. 78.
Ibn Baaz Asked About Interacting with Innovators and Knowing When to Boycott Them or Not
December 22, 2013 § Leave a comment
Questioner: What do you advise us with concerning interacting with innovators who we see and speak to and deal with almost every day?
Ibn Baaz: It is obligatory to boycott them for their innovations, if they openly exhibit innovations then it is obligatory to boycott them after having advised and directed them, because a Muslim advises his brother and warns him from open innovations and sins which Allaah has forbidden him, so if he repents [then that is what is desired] and if not then he deserves to be boycotted, and he is dealt with in this manner so that maybe he will repent, maybe he will feel remorse, maybe he will come back to the truth.
Unless the boycotting will result in something whose end is not praiseworthy, then it is not carried out—if leaving off boycotting is better in terms of [bringing that person closer to the] religion and greater in good and closer to being successful, then he is not to boycott him but instead continues to advise him and warns him about the falsehood [that he is in] and he does not boycott him, hoping that Allaah will guide him due to that.
For the believer is like a doctor, if he sees that a cure is beneficial, he carries it out, and when he sees that it is not, he leaves it—so boycotting falls under the category of being a cure, if it has a good effect and is of benefit, he does so, [implementing it] as a form of cure, [hoping] that he may repent and may turn back from his mistake when he sees that his brothers have ostracised him.
But if the boycotting results in greater evil and an increase in the [number of the] people of evil and helps them—then he is not to be ostracised but rather sincerely advised and directed continually and shown the abhorrence of what he has done and he does not show him that he agrees with the falsehood that he carries out, but [he does] persist in advising him sincerely and directing [him].
Fataawaa Nurun ’alad-Darb, vol. 3, p. 40.
Al-’Abbaad on, ‘So and so is an Innovator, if You don’t Call Him an Innovator Then We will Call You an Innovator,’ when Both the One Making that Judgement and the one it is Made Against are from Ahlus-Sunnah and Have the Same Manhaj
December 15, 2013 § 1 Comment
Host: The questioner says, ‘Our Shaikh, may Allaah protect you, it is from the success that Allaah has given us that many of the students of knowledge were present for the [lessons on the] Introduction of Sahih Muslim explained by Your Excellency, only that this blessing, i.e., the principles which Imaam Muslim mentioned have become unclear to some of them such that some of them have applied the principles to some of their [own] brothers from Ahlus-Sunnah.
So when a scholar performs ijtihaad and calls someone an innovator but other people oppose him in that, then they oblige other people to call him an innovator [too] and they then go to the people who oppose them and boycott them and warn against them, believing that that is the methodology of the Salaf even though the ’aqeedah of both parties is one and their methodology is one, and the countries of many of these people are full of shirk and magic and Sufism, so do you have any advice to clarify the truth and bring about unity?
Al-’Abbaad: I say: the person to whom Allaah has granted success must clarify the truth and ask for Allaah’s guidance for the person he is clarifying the truth to, but after that what should not occur from him is to pursue that person [such] that if that person does not respond then he is boycotted and not spoken to like that which some of the small students do—because they know nothing of the religion and [they do this boycotting etc.,] while they are present in Europe and the East and the West, ya’ni, they know nothing about the rudimentary matters of the religion but they have been afflicted with calling people innovators and boycotting, ya’ni, ‘So and so called so and so an innovator so whoever does not call him an innovator then he is an innovator and is to be boycotted,’ this is not the way of the Salaf—Shaikh Ibn Baaz would never do this—how numerous his refutations are but he was [always] busy with knowledge and would not pursue the person that was refuted, he would just make the truth clear and then carry on along the path of the people of knowledge. This is the correct way.
As for what some of the small students who are found in different places do and who have nothing in terms of knowledge, but only, ya’ni, they will meet their brothers and so [then will say], ‘So and so is an innovator, if you don’t call him an innovator [too] then we will call you an innovator,’ and he [i.e., the person they are calling an innovator] is from Ahlus-Sunnah and this is about people from Ahlus-Sunnah, it is not about people from Ahlul-Bid’ah but about people from Ahlus-Sunnah, he did something which is attributed to him, it [i.e., this thing attributed to him] may be correct or it may be incorrect, but [then] doing such [aforementioned] things is not allowed—this is not known from the Salaf of this Ummah: that when one of them would make a mistake that he would then be boycotted and called an innovator and that the people would then be asked to call him an innovator [too] and boycott him, this is not from the manhaj of the Salaf.
And the closest example [is that of] our Shaikh, Shaikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz through whom Allaah brought about benefit and that benefit covered the horizons and much, much good came about at his hands and his refutations are numerous but he was busy with knowledge, it wasn’t his mission, when he did call someone an innovator, to then go and say, ‘This is a must, because if not, whoever does not call him an innovator [too] then he will [also] become an innovator and is to be boycotted,’—Shaikh Ibn Baaz never did this—and nor those on the way of the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him.
Asked on 8/12/2013 in the Prophet’s Mosque.
Al-’Abbaad Asked if, when a Shaikh Calls Someone an Innovator, the Student is Obliged to Adopt that Stance
December 14, 2013 § 1 Comment
Questioner: If one of the Shaikhs said about someone, ‘He is an innovator,’ is the student obliged to adopt this stance of calling that person an innovator? Or must he know why the person was called an innovator? Because this declaration of a person to be an innovator may have been applied to someone who is on the Sunnah?
Al-’Abbaad: Not everyone’s statements in this issue are accepted, if it comes from someone like Shaikh Ibn Baaz or like Shaikh Ibn ’Uthaimeen then it is possible that his statement is relied on, as for anyone and everyone, then such statements are not taken from them.
Baab maa Jaa’a fi Miqdaar Diyyatidh-Dhimmi min Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud.
Al-‘Abbaad on Rushing to Declare Someone who has the Correct ’Aqeedah to be an Innovator
December 13, 2013 § Leave a comment
Questioner: We want a clarification of the danger of rushing to declare someone who is known to have a sound ’aqeedah to be an innovator or open sinner and the enmity and boycotting and conflict that results from that?
Al-’Abbaad: What is obligatory on every Muslim is to take precautions regarding his religion and himself and that he does not thrust himself into issues whose harm will come back to him, in fact, it is sincere advice between the Muslims that is obligatory and especially between Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, advising one another, being good to one another, co-operating amongst each other upon good, warning each other from what they may fall into so that they can turn away from it—and after that the people are not divided into those who support this person against that one or that one against this one.
Rather a person strives to make the truth the missing thing he is looking for, and he [should be someone who] loves good for everyone, such that he loves that a person who has made a mistake returns [to the truth].
As for the differing which takes place and busying one’s time with what happens between Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in terms of the statements they make about each other and the students of knowledge pursuing that and becoming busy with it such that it becomes their one and only concern—then this does not befit a student of knowledge, in fact, the student of knowledge must desire to become busy with knowledge and not busy himself with, ‘So and so said and so and so said,’ it is not allowed for him to pursue the saying of so and so and so and so which he has become busy with because that results in rancour, enmity, boycotting, hatred and alienation.
So what is obligatory is mutual advice one to another, and what is obligatory is that everyone is good to the other and that he loves good for himself, and thus co-operation upon righteousness and piety will occur.
As for splitting Ahlus-Sunnah into disputants and quarrellers, each of them speaking about the other, calling each other innovators, slandering each other, boycotting each other—then there is no benefit in this, only harm. And it would have been fitting for time to have been spent speaking about the enemies of the Sunnah who spread mischief in the land and do not rectify matters.
As for a person who is from Ahlus-Sunnah but who has mistakes, then he is sincerely advised and debated with in a way that is best, and keenness is to be shown for him to be guided and for him to be brought close and not for him to be alienated and thrown away and discarded.
So it is obligatory to be just[ly balanced] and moderate in all matters and not to go to extremes or fall short.
And the declaring of people [from Ahlus-Sunnah] to be obstinate sinners and innovators and the boycotting [that occurs] and so on, this is all from the handiwork of the Devil and from his plots against man, rather what is obligatory, as I indicated, is to be busy with knowledge and not to preoccupy oneself with the things that some of Ahlus-Sunnah say about each other, because that preoccupies [a person] from knowledge and detestable matters result from it like those that I alluded to earlier such as [people then] boycotting each other, and this is wrong—because if everyone who made a mistake were to be boycotted or if everyone who read his books or listened to him were to be boycotted, no one would be exempt from that, because everyone is liable to make mistakes, and some of the scholars, we don’t say many of the scholars, made mistakes, and the people did not boycott them or abandon them or leave their books, rather they benefitted from them, and the person who makes a mistake is rebutted, but that should not be a cause for people to split into parties and factions, for that is from the Devil’s plot for man.
From the Shaikh’s explanation of Abu Dawud.
Al-‘Abbaad asked About People who are Hasty in Declaring Others to be Innovators and the Youth who Busy Themselves with Such Things
December 13, 2013 § Leave a comment
Questioner: What is Your Excellency’s opinion about a person who is hasty in declaring someone to be an innovator or sinner by saying, “The most vile person on earth,” or, “The most harmful of the world,” about a man who is known to have a sound methodology and calls to it and also has blessed efforts in calling to Allaah, and then based upon that he makes it a requirement that whoever does not call him an innovator is boycotted and ostracised, and he turns differences between people into differences in the manhaj and then that results in division amongst the youth and sows enmity between them?
Al-’Abbaad: Statements such as these are clear mistakes, obvious mistakes, it is obligatory to have moderation and to be just[ly balanced] in all affairs and to be careful of the harm of the tongue and what is caused thereby whose ending is not something praiseworthy, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever guarantees me [the chastity of] what is between his jaws and his legs, I guarantee him Paradise,” what is being referred to is the tongue and one’s private parts, likewise his saying صلى الله عليه وسلم in his counsel to Mu’aadh, “And are the people thrown on their faces [or he said, ‘on their nostrils’] into the fire for any reason other than the fruits of their tongues?” So it is obligatory for a person to guard his tongue and not to let it loose by talking about things which will harm him.
On top of that, the fact that a person makes a mistake and then, as is said in the question [he is subsequently referred to as being], ‘… more vile then such and such … more dangerous than such and such … more severe than such and such,’ this is also an increase in a person’s harming himself by bringing such exaggerations, by making statements which may not be correct and which are not sound and not in conformation with the reality [of the situation].
Furthermore, the anarchy, the evil suspicion brothers have of each other, the boycotting and so on that occurs because of those statements, all of these are things which are from the handiwork of the Devil, and are things which are from the plots he has for man to make him fall into destructive matters and those things which will result in him being harmed.
So a person must call himself to account and guard his tongue, the damage caused by it is something very dangerous and colossal, and it is from a person’s good fortune that he guards it from speaking about anything that comes back to harm him.
And that which some of the brothers from Ahlus-Sunnah do where they concern themselves with discrediting others and speaking about others and expending their efforts in that and leaving off the enemy, [leaving off] those who spread corruption in the land and do not rectify—these are things the Devil plots for a person to turn him away from that which he should [in reality] be doing, turning him away [from the good he should be doing] to that which he should [in fact] be protecting himself from.
From the Shaikh’s explanation of Sunan Abu Dawud.
Ibn Baaz Was One of the Fastest Scholars to Refute Innovations
November 18, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Muhammad al-Majdhoob said about Shaikh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him, “And you would see him to be the fastest scholar to renounce innovations because according to him they are an assault against the rights of the revelation, an alteration of Allaah’s Religion, something which ultimately distances the Muslims from the correct Islamic path.”
’Ulamaa wa Mufakkiroon ’Araftuhum, p. 91.
Uthaimeen on Displaying Rituals of Happiness or Grief on the Day of Aashuraa
November 14, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The Day of ’Aashuraa is one of the Days of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, there is nothing that has been legislated concerning it except one thing which is the fast, and yet even then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave the order to fast a day before or after it in order to be different to the Jews.”
Fataawaa Nurun-’Alad-Darb, vol. 2, p. 1199.
And he said, “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked about fasting on the Day of ’Aashuraa and so he said, ‘It expiates the past year,’ i.e., the one before it.
No part of the Eed [celebrations] have a place on this day. So just as none of the rites of Eed are a part of it, none of the rites of grieving are either—displaying grief or happiness on this day is in opposition to the Sunnah, nothing has been reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم concerning this day except to fast it.”
Fataawaa fil-’Aqeedah, vol. 2, p. 1121.
Uthaimeen on the 27th Night of Rajab
June 4, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “It has become widespread among many people that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was made to ascend [the Heavens] on the 27th night of Rajab—but this has no basis. So whoever introduces something into Allaah’s Religion which is not a part of it will receive nothing but [pointless] toil and hardship and his action is rejected, his way misguided, [because] the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام said, ‘Every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance is in the Fire.’”
CD Fatwaa Nurun-’Alad-Darb.
Uthaimeen on The Prayer Performed on the First Friday of the Month of Rajab
May 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “In some Islamic countries there is a prayer performed between maghrib and ishaa on the night of the first Friday of [the month of] Rajab, they call it, ‘Salaatur-Raghaa‘ib [‘The Prayer for Great Bounties or Wishes’],’ and it is twelve rak’ahs [long]—it has no validity. The hadith concerning it is fabricated and a lie against the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام. The Shaikh of Islaam [Ibn Taymiyyah], may Allaah have mercy on him, said that it is fabricated and a lie according to the agreement of the people of knowledge. So there is no prayer particular to Rajab, not on its first Friday nor on the night half way through the month. Rajab in regards to prayer is just like any of the other months.”
Fataawaa fil-Hajj, 659.
More Reward if You Lengthen the Sunnah of Fajr or Keep them Short?
January 25, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Conforming to the Sunnah is better than an abundance of actions: [so] if, for example, someone were to say, ‘I want to lengthen the two Sunnah rak’ahs of the Fajr prayer due to the excellence of that time and to increase [my] actions.’ We would say to him, ‘You are not correct, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to keep them short.’”
Fataawa fit-Tahaarah was-Salaah, vol. 1, p. 172.
Uthaimeen on Those Who Add Acts of Worship to the Religion Which Allaah has Not Legislated
January 24, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Worship is not taken except from the revelation given to the Prophets by Allaah and for this reason Allaah criticised those other than Himself who legislate [things to be a part of worship] and [He] made that a type of shirk, saying, “Or have they partners who have ordained for them a religion to which Allaah has not consented?”” [Ash-Shuraa 42:21]
Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p. 11.
Uthaimeen on Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday
January 23, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Taking the night of the [Prophet’s] birthday [صلى الله عليه وسلم] as a celebration [eed], repeated every year in which the virtues of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are mentioned and [differing] characteristics and forms of salaah are innovated [is something which] is not from his guidance, nor his sharee’ah, nor the guidance of his Companions–and this innovation is an abominable act [munkar] which it is obligatory upon the Muslims to be on their guard against and to be distant from.”
Fataawaa Nurun ala-Darb, CD.
Uthaimeen on Claiming that the Prophet’s Ascension Occurred on the 27th of Rajab
June 16, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “It has become well-known among many people that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ascended [to the Heavens] on the 27th night of the month of Rajab—but this has no basis, so whoever introduces something into Allaah’s Religion which is not a part of it will have nothing but trouble and difficulty, and his action is rejected, his way misguided: the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام said, ‘All innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance is in the Fire.’”
Fataawaa Nurun-AlaDarb.
Gifts of Knowledge 