The Usage of Harshness in Censuring the Wrongdoer, by Shaykh 'Abdul-Maalik Ramadaanee al-Jazaai'ree

The Usage of Harshness in Censuring the Wrongdoer, by Shaykh 'Abdul-Maalik Ramadaanee al-Jazaai'ree (hafidhahullaah)

Which is the greater Jihad?

Our scholars were the most knowledgeable concerning the deceptions of those who deviated from the manhaj (methodology) of the Salaf, rather they viewed their jihaad (struggle) as the greater of the two jihaads, as the Shaykh of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, Yahyaa Ibn Yahyaa (d.226H) – rahimahullaah – said:

Defending the Sunnah is more virtuous than jihaad. [1]

It was related by al-Harawee, with his isnaad (chain of narrators) leading up to Nasr Ibn Yahyaa, who said: I heard Muhammad Ibn Yahyaa adh-Dhuhalee (d.258H) – rahimahullaah - saying: I heard Yahyaa Ibn Yahyaa saying:

Defending the Sunnah is more virtuous than jihaad in the Path of Allaah. Muhammad said: I said to Yahyaa: "A man gives his wealth, burdens himself, and fights, but that is more virtuous than this?" So he said: Yes, by much! [2]

The Shaykh of al-Bukhaaree, al-Humaydee (d.218H) – rahimahullaah – said:

By Allaah, that I fight against these who reject the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is more beloved to me, than fighting a group of their number from the Turks. [3]

By 'the Turks', he meant, 'the disbelievers.' Indeed I found the likes of this saying from many of those who were at a greater level than al-Humaydee.

'Aasim Ibn Shumaykh said: 'So I saw Abaa Sa'eed – meaning al-Khudree – after he had grown old, and his hands were trembling, saying:

So fighting them – that is, the Khawaarij – is more beloved to me than fighting a group of their number from the disbelievers. [4]

I say, that it is because of this that Ibn Hubayrah said about the hadeeth of Abee Sa'eed (radiyallaahu 'anhu) in regards to fighting the Khawaarij:

And according to the hadeeth, fighting the Khawaarij comes before fighting the disbelievers, and the wisdom in fighting them is the preservation of the head of the wealth of Islaam, and in fighting the disbelievers, wealth is sought, and preserving the head of the wealth of Islaam comes first. [5]

Aboo 'Ubayd Qaasim Ibn Sallaam (d.224H) – rahimahullaah – said:

The follower of the Sunnah is like one who is holding on to hot coals, and according to me, today that is more virtuous than fighting with the swords in the Path of Allaah. [6]

Ibnul-Qayyim (d.751H) – rahimahullaah – said:

And jihaad with the proof and the tongue takes precedence over jihaad with the sword and the spear. [7] [8]


Harshness in Censuring the Wrongdoer

Whoever finds in this research of mine anything from harshness, then let him not get carried away and say things like, "He speaks about his brothers and is silent about his enemies (i.e. the disbelievers)." So let it be known that the basic principle in enjoining the good and prohibiting the evil is gentleness and kindness, as Allaah the Exalted said:

دْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

Call to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and a good admonition, and debate with them in a manner that is good. [Sooratun-Nahl 16:125]

And He said to Moosaa and Haaroon – may the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon them both:

اذْهَبَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّه ُُ طَغَى فَقُولاَ لَه ُُ قَوْلا ً لَيِّنا ً لَعَلَّه ُُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى

Go to Fir'awn, for verily he has transgressed. So speak to him a gentle word, perhaps he may remember or fear. [Soorah Taa-Haa 20:43-44]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

Gentleness is not found in something, except that it beautifies it. And gentleness is not taken out of something, except that it disgraces it. [9]

So if an evil cannot be averted, except with a type of roughness, then there is no problem in utilizing it - even if it be with Muslims. Do you not see that Allaah permitted fighting in that, and rudeness is not worse than fighting.

So Allaah the Glorified said:

وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ

And if two groups from the Believers fight, then reconcile between them. So if one of them oppresses the other, then fight the one that commits oppression until it returns to the Command of Allaah. [Sooratul-Hujuraat 49:9]

So the Believer must be much more severe in the harshness towards his brother, than the enemies of his brother; do you not see that Moosaa ('alayhis salaam) was gentle with Fir'awn, and harsh upon his own brother Haaroon ('alayhis salaam), to the extent that Allaah the Exalted related about him:

وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيه ِِ يَجُرُّهُ~ُ إِلَيْهِ

And he took his brother by the head, and pulled him towards him... [Sooratul-A'raaf 7:150]

So can anyone dispute with him concerning al-walaa` wal-baraa` (allegiance and enmity), accusing him of raising his hand and tongue against his brother and being nice to the tawaagheet (false gods)?! Never! Rather, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was much more severe with the scholars from his Companions, than he was with other than them. Take as an example his statement to Mu'aadh, when he lengthened the Prayer with the people: Are you a person who causes fitnah (trouble), O Mu'aadh? [10]

And this comes along with his (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) gentleness to the Bedouin who urinated in the mosque, as is reported in Saheehul-Bukhaaree and others. [11]

And he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to Usaamah Ibn Zayd (radiyallaahu 'anhu), when he was fighting a disbeliever in the battlefield who had just uttered the word of Tawheed:

O Usaamah! Do you fight him after he has said that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allaah?!! Usaamah said: "So I did not cease repeating it (i.e. the testification of faith), until I was no longer certain that I had accepted Islaam before that day." [12]

Indeed Usaamah benefited from this harshness in advising, during the days of fitnah (trials/tribulations) that occurred after the murder of 'Uthmaan (radiyallaahu 'anhu). So he stayed away from spilling the blood of the Muslims.

Imaam adh-Dhahabee (d.784H) – rahimahullaah – said: "So Usaamah benefited since that day with the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) when he said, 'O Usaamah!?' So he stopped his hand and remained in his house, and thus attained good." [13]

I say: how magnificent is the Prophetic education! And how wretched is the education of hizbiyyah (party-spirit) which has prohibited the principle of ar-radd 'alal-mukhaalif (censuring the opponent), and its proponents do not stay away from spilling the blood of the Muslims. Rather, they take to spilling it in the name of "jihaad." And the time of fitnah does not come except that self-delusion is its fuel, or fire-place. This is the result of acting deceitfully towards each other, with the self-delusion of being pre-occupied with the disbelievers!!
And due to that, Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) – rahimahullaah – said,

"The Believer to the Believer is like two hands, one of them washing the other. And indeed the dirt cannot be removed, except by some form of coarseness. So cleanliness and softness only comes about by obligating that initial roughness." [14]

Therefore, this gentleness which is used by many of these Islaamic jamaa'aat (parties, sects) with the individuals and groups, who are from the most light-headed of idiots – and the reason for gentleness towards many of them is not enmity towards the enemies of the Muslims, does not have anything to do with walaa‘ (allegiance), rather it drowns them further in their misguidance, due to them not realizing the greatness of their crime. Then verily the motive behind traversing a path of harshness with the Muslims sometimes, is to bestow a sense of honour (gheerah) upon them from the dolts who relate with rubbish, and to attempt to strengthen the rank, and to stop rifts in it; to the extent that none can come before it.

And due to this, al-'Allaamah 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz said under the title "The Proofs Unveiled Concerning the Mistakes of Some Writers:"

"And there is no doubt that the perfect Islaamic Sharee'ah (Law) came with a warning against extremism (ghuloo) in the Religion, and it commands the Call (da'wah) to the path of the truth with wisdom and good admonition, and debating with that which is good. However, it does not overlook the aspect of roughness and harshness in its place when gentleness and debating with that which is good does not benefit, as Allaah the Glorified says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ

O Prophet! Fight the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be rough with them. [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:73]

And Allaah the Exalted said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُمْ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا فِيكُمْ غِلْظَة ً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

O you who believe! Fight those who are close to you from the disbelievers, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allaah is with those who have taqwaa (fear/reverence). [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:123]

And Allaah the Exalted said:

وَلاَ تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ

And do not debate with the people of the Book, except with that which is good, except those who transgress from amongst them. [Sooratul-'Ankaboot 29:46]

As for when the person of transgression, or disbelief, or corruption in his action is not benefited and progressed, and he does not give attention to the admonisher and the advisor, then verily it becomes necessary to take him by his hand, and to deal with him harshly, and to give him what he deserves from the establishment of punishment, or rebuke, or censure, or reproach; until his punishment is fulfilled, and his falsehood is driven away." [15]

So it becomes apparent from the civility of the Islaamic parties (jamaa'aat) with the people of innovation, and their silence concerning their errors, that when they restrict the path of reclaiming the honour of the Muslims to a ballot box, they must complain about criticism (of Muslims). Because when they harmonize their voices with them, they also follow their footsteps in sin. [16]

Footnotes:
[1] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa (4/13) of Shaykhul-Islaam Taqiyyud-Deen Ibn Taymiyyah.
[2] Dhammul-Kalaam (111/alif)
[3] Related by al-Harawee with his isnaad, in Dhammul-Kalaam (228/shibl)
[4] Related by Ibn Abee Shaybah (15/303), and Ahmad (3/33)
[5] Related by Ibn Hajar in Fathul-Baaree (12/301)
[6] Taareekh Baghdaad (12/410)
[7] Sharh Qaseedatun-Nooniyyah (1/12) by Shaykh Muhammad Khaleel Harraas, also refer to al-Jawaabus-Saheeh (1/237) of Ibn Taymiyyah.
[8] This section was taken from Madaarikun-Nadhr fis-Siyaasah (p. 77-79) of 'Abdul-Maalik Ramadaanee.
[9] Related by Muslim (16/146)
[10] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/669)
[11] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/219)
[12] Saheeh: Related by at-Tiyaalisee and al-Bazzaar; it was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no. 7846).
[13] Siyar A'laamun-Nubalaa (2/500)
[14] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa (28/53-54)
[16] This section was taken from Madaarikun-Nadhr fis-Siyaasah (p. 80-83) of 'Abdul-Maalik Ramadaanee.

Reference: TROID Publications - The Reign Of Islaamic Dawah [http://troid.ca], via Maktabah-al-Fawaa`id (may Allaah preserve them)