Shaykh Abu Abdir Rahmaan Yahyaa bin Alee Al-Hajooree was asked:
Question:
There are many of our brothers who call to unity and gathering with the people of innovation against the kuffar and cooperating with the people of innovation. [Others say] that the truth is not with us [i.e. those who do this] and that the enemies are benefiting from us. So what is your advice regarding that?
Shaikh Yahya ibn Ali al-Hajoori hafidhuhallah said:
“I advise my brothers of Ahlul Sunnah to cooperate among themselves and in piety and righteousness, and that there does not occur between them conflict, waste, division, fitnah, hostility, hatred, splitting, extremism, rapture, and other than that of the means. As long as they are upon the Sunnah, they are with the Sunnah and towards the Sunnah.
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
“And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah”
[42:10]
فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ ذلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those of you who are in authority. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination”
[4:59]
The affair in cooperating with the people of innovation is difficult, even if we wanted to, for example, cooperate with them upon piety and righteousness, perhaps they would not agree. However, they want you to cooperate in something pertaining to them and from that which they want. If you cooperate with them in a partial affair, they will harm you in another partial affair or other than it. That is the affair. Why would you cooperate with a Raafidi? With a Sufi? Why? They have with them innovation, which if they repent to Allah from it, we will cooperate with them all.
It suffices that they are like the remaining of the Muslims as long as their innovation does not reach the level of disbelief. They [are] like the remaining seventy two sects, for them is [rights] from the Muslims and upon them is the rights of the other Muslims. As for unrestricted cooperation, mixing, alliance, and inclination and other than that, it will harm our religion. That will cause fitnah and will cause the erosion of those who are holding fast [to the Sunnah] to become those who are wasted and innovators. Having good thoughts about them [is not correct] and there are no good thoughts about them and they are the People of desires. Any innovation, whether big or small, is an innovation along with its difference [in types] and severity, it is still called an innovation.
وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلاَلَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
“Every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire.”
اسْتَقِمْ كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْاْ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
“So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allah’s legal limits). Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do”
[11:112]
It is not allowed to incline to the People of Desires.
لاَ تَرْكَنُواْ إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ثُمَّ لاَ تُنصَرُونَ
“And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor you would then be helped”
[11:113]
Be steadfast and seek forgiveness of Allah. Allah says:
So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad ) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded.
So they are ordered to be steadfast.
قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ
“Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast”
[Muslim]
This is, may Allah bless you, as preceded, cooperation occurs between Ahlul Sunnah in truth, good, da’wah, knowledge, and whatever is from the affairs of cooperation in terms of its different meanings, which is correct. As for what is besides that in the affairs of the Muslims, then you pray in congregation, make hajj with the people, Muslims with the Muslims, and hope for the guidance for the people. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا ”. قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا نَنْصُرُهُ مَظْلُومًا، فَكَيْفَ نَنْصُرُهُ ظَالِمًا قَالَ ” تَأْخُذُ فَوْقَ يَدَيْهِ
“Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one.” People asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “By preventing him from oppressing others”
[Bukhari no. 2444]
Advise them, warn against the mistakes, him and the Muslims, and even myself to avoid the mistakes so that we meet Allah without it. It is not allowed to be tired/bored of [correcting] mistakes as the Children of Israel were. Allah destroyed the Children of Israel and cursed them as the Prophet (ﷺ) clarified. Allah said:
عِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ عَلَى لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ذلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّكَانُواْ يَعْتَدُونَ – كَانُواْ لاَ يَتَنَـهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ
“Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds.They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do”
[5:78-79]
This is because they became tired/bored of [correcting] mistakes.
Some of the principles which encompass this tiredness/boredom and you know, are applicable to this and Allah is angry at the one who did that from those before and after. Giving Naseeha [i.e. advice] to the Muslim is wajib. We don’t love that harm afflict the Muslims, by Allah, even if they are innovators and disobedient. We love the Muslims and we love that they are supported against their enemies. As for allegiance with those who oppose, then it is a mistake. Distinction is desired oh Ahlul-Sunnah, upon truth and good, calling the Muslims to guidance. We believe this about the seventy two sects, as long as their innovation did not reach disbelief. Also we know what has occurred to the Muslims from the enemies, then no doubt the Muslims, even if they have mistakes and are upon oppositions, as long as it does not expel them from the religion, they are better than the earth full of Kuffar. Examples of this belief is clear.
The Shaikh (Muqbil) used to advise distinction and upon you is (تَمَيُّز ). Shaikh al-Albani used to mention something similar to this however he called it Tasfiyah. Our Shaikh used to call it (تَمَيُّز ) and Shaikh al-Albani used to call it Tasfiyah. That is of the path and methodology and then Tarbiyah [cultivation] upon that [correct] origin.
As for if you want to do Tarbiyah and no Tasfiyah, then you want to cultivate and another one wants to corrupt because there is no Tasfiyah, no purity. Purify the Aqeedah and cultivate correctly. Take an example of the way of the Scholars clean and follow it…purify [the methodology and creed] and cultivate. Distinguish and cultivate. Mixing [with the people of innovation] does not have behind it clear cultivation. Nothing is behind that like it was said [in the lines of poetry]:
نرقّع دنيانا بتمزيق ديننا*** فلا ديننا يبقى ولا ما نرقّع
We patch up our life by tearing apart our religion; neither our religion remains nor what we patched”
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
