O Muslims: Do not be deceived by lies, false claims, plots, deceptions of People of Bid'ah and Desires!

[Maher.ibn.Ahmad.Attiyeh]

CONT of Introduction

Imam Muslim recorded on the authority of 'Alee ibn Abi Talib: the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: May Allaah curse he who harbors (accommodates) an innovator (Muhdithan) and in another narration: that which is innovated (Muhdathan). As-Suyooti, in his comments of the Sunnan of Imam An-Nasa`i, said this means that the curse is upon the one who supports the one who innovates into the religion and, in the second narration, the curse is upon the one who defends and supports the bid'ah itself.

Regarding the difficulty of criticizing innovators, Ibn Taymiyyah relayed the following: "When some people said to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah) that they felt uneasy about criticizing people, he replied, 'If you remain silent and I remain silent, then who will make the ignorant person aware of the authentic from the defective?'" [Majmoo'-ul-Fataawaa of Ibn Taimiyyah (28/231)] Warning against the innovators is better than optional fasting and praying, and making ‘itikaff. It was once said to Imam Ahmad (rahimahullaah): If a man fasts, prays, and makes ‘itikaff, is that more beloved to you or that he speaks out against innovators? He replied: If he fasts and prays and makes ‘itikaaf, then that is for himself. But if he speaks out against innovators, this is for the Muslims. This is better. [Majmoo’-ul-Fataawaa (28/231)] Warning against the innovators is a means of seeking nearness to Allaah. Shu'bah (rahimahullaah) said: Come, let us backbite for the sake of Allaah for an hour (meaning to mention those who are criticized and those who are praised (i.e. Jarh wa Ta'deel). [Sharh 'Ilal at-Tirmidhee: 1/349, al-kifaayah: 91] And 'Aa`ishah narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever seeks to please Allaah by (doing something that is) displeasing (to) the people, Allaah becomes pleased with him and makes the people pleased with him. And whoever seeks to please the people by (doing something that is) displeasing (to) Allaah, Allaah becomes displeased with him and makes the people displeased with him. Reported by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (1/435) and At-Tirmidhee in his Sunan (7/133) in a similar narration, both on the authority of 'Aa`ishah. Others reported it as well. This Qudsee hadeeth was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'eed (radiallaahu 'anhu), who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Let not any one of you belittle himself. They said: O Messenger of Allaah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allaah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He says: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He [Allaah] says: Rather, it is I whom you should more properly fear. (It was related by Ibn Majah with a sound chain of authorities.) From the following narration, you will see the importance of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and the consequences of not forbidding the evil. Nu'man bin Bashir (radiallaahu 'anhu) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: The likeness of the man who observes the limits prescribed by Allaah and that of the man who transgresses them is like the people who get on board a ship after casting lots. Some of them are in its lower deck and some of them in its upper (deck). Those who are in its lower (deck), when they require water, go to the occupants of the upper deck, and say to them: 'If we make a hole in the bottom of the ship, we shall not harm you.' If they (the occupants of the upper deck) leave them to carry out their design, they all will be drowned. But if they do not let them go ahead (with their plan), all of them will remain safe. (Bukhari) Commentary from Riyad-us-Saliheen: "We learn from this Hadith that the consequences of committing acts which are forbidden in Islam are not confined only to those persons who commit them, but the whole society has to suffer for them. It is, therefore, essential that the people who are in the habit of committing sinful acts and violating Divine injunctions be checked to save the whole society from destruction. If this is not done, the entire society will have to face the Divine punishment." Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah saying: If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allaah will surround them with punishment from Him. I said: Oh Allaah's Messenger! Will they have righteous people among them then? He said: Yes. I asked: What will happen to them? He said: They will be striken as the people, but they will end up with Allaah's forgiveness and pleasure. Refusing to forbid evil is cause for punishment and unanswered du'aa The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allaah will send a punishment on you from Him. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication. (Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi) Shaikh Zayd bin Muhammad bin Hadee al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah) said: Allaah raised and has raised and will raise in every time those who defend the true religion and defend the Sunnah of the greatest and best and most generous of the Prophets (Muhammad, salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and uncover bid'ah and the plotting of the Innovators and the deception of the deviants, so that no one will be deluded by them and so that those who don't have much fiqh in Deen will not be misled by these deviants." [From the shaikh's introduction to the book "The Agreement among the scholars upon Boycotting and Warning against Ahlul Bid'ah," written by Abu 'Abdillaah Khaalid, as relayed by Abu Uwais (rahimahullaah)] Shaikh Rabee', in his introduction to the same above book, wrote: Today, there are new tricks, new methods of leading the people astray. In the past, one could not get Ahlul Bid'ah confused with Ahlus-Sunnah. They were distinguished. Yet their evil was lighter than it is today, and it was relative. But in our time, the people of bid'ah have been able with their plotting and planning and strategies to enter into the ranks of Ahlus-Sunnah. Rather, they have been able to get right into the center of them and be amongst them, mixed with them. And this had a great and evil effect, especially upon the youth, those who have been taught some things. In particular, the youth in the universities and even the houses and markets. And this is because Ahlul-Bid'ah were able to present themselves as Ahlus-Sunnah and mix with the people of the Sunnah, and not be distinguished, and therefore they were able to relay and convey their poison. They came with new methods and methodologies and principles; all these methods and principles were to make the haqq look like the baatil, and to make baatil look like the haqq. It's all Talbees (deception). Deception. It was used to humiliate, put down and eradicate the truth, and to destroy the people of the truth. And to raise the position of the people of ahwaa` (desires). So they came up with principles by way of their strategies, plans.