SEEKING ILM FROM ONE WHO CLAIMS SALAFIYYAH, BUT SITS WITH AHLUL BID’AH (PEOPLE OF INNOVATION)
Question:
What is the ruling of seeking Ilm (knowledge) from someone who claims to be a Salafi? What he teaches is according to the Manhaj (methodology), deriving rulings from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf. However, outside the class he mixes with people who clearly from Ahlul Bid’ah, and make Da’wah with them in video programs and Chanels .
Are we still allowed to seek knowledge from this kind of person?
Answer:
Bismillaah, alhamdulillahi wassalatu wassalaamu alaa rasoolillahi wa ala’ aalihi wasallam, amma ba’ad..
It is from the principles of Salafiyyah that we boycott Ahlul Bid’ah and Ahlul Hawaa (people of desires) and worn the people from there misguidance, if that boycotting will benefit us in terms of protection for our self and our Religion wihtout coursing a worse damage with it.. as its the way to have Istiqaamah (steadfastness/uprightness) upon the Right Path of the Salaf, Hence, we do not call such person a Salafi, if he mixes and cooperates with Ahlul Baatil "clear innovators" without any reasonable reasons , as this is against the Manhaj that he teaches!
The following Aayah and Tafseer (exegesis) show that it is upon us to keep away from those who mock the Verses of Allaah through their Bid’ah "innovations":
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
”And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Quran) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitan (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).” [Surah al Anaam (6), Aayah 68]
As Shawkani رحمه الله said in his Tafseer, Faidh ul Qadeer, regarding this Aayah:
“This Aayah is a big advice for those who allow mixing with the people of innovations who change the Speech of Allaah and they play with His Book and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallalalahualaihiwassalam and they give a false interpretations for the (Kitaab and the Sunnah).
So if you could not forbid the evil at least do not involve in it …. Hence, (from this Aaayah) we know that mixing with the people of innovations is more and more evil then mixing with the sinners …..”
Also Ibnul Arabi al Maaliki said under this Aayah in his book, Tafseer Aayaatul Ahkaam, regarding this Aayah: “This Aayah is an evidence for the prohibition of sitting with Ahlul Munkar (People of evil, i.e People of innovations)”
Moreover, the following Hadith is a warning to those who cooperate with Ahlul Bid’ah:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ تَلاَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَذِهِ الآيَةَ {هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {أُولُو الأَلْبَابِ} قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ، فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّى اللَّهُ، فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ
Narrated `Aisha رضى الله عنها: Allah’s Apostle recited the Verse:– “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundation of the Book, others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the Truth ). follow thereof that is not entirely clear seeking affliction and searching for its hidden meanings; but no one knows its hidden meanings but Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it (i.e. in the Qur’an) the whole of it (i.e. its clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding.” (3.7) Then Allah’s Apostle said, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)] ‘So beware of them.” [Sahih al Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 70]
Furthermore, there are numerous statements of the Salaf regarding the the issue of sitting and mixing with Ahlul Bid’ah. Some of them are as follows:
Muhammad Ibn Sereen (d.110H) said, “This knowledge is a matter of deen, so be careful who you take your deen from.“ [Sahih Muslim]
Abu Qilaabah (d.140H) said, “Do not sit with the people of innovation, because I do not feel secure that they will not drown you in their misguidance and make part of what you used to know, unclear to you!!!” [Bayhaqee in Al-I’tiqaad; Abdullah ibn Ahmed in As-Sunnah]
Imaam Maalik (d.179H) said, “How evil are the people of innovation, we do not give them salaam.”
[Reported by Al-Baghawee in Sharhus-Sunnah, 1/234]
Qaadee Aboo Ya’laa (d.333H) said, “There is concensus (Ijmaa’) among the Sahaabah and the Taabi’een as regards dissociating and cutting-off from the Innovators.” [Hajarul-Mubtadi, p. 32]
Al-Qurtubee (d.671H) said, “And when avoiding the people of sin has been established, as we have just explained, then avoiding the People of Innovations and Desires is foremost (i.e., more befitting).”
[Tafseerul-Qurtubee, 5/418]
Al-Baghawee (d.535H) said, “And the Sahaabah, the Taabi’een, their successors and the Scholars of the Sunnah passed away while they were upon this, united and unanimously agreed upon having enmity towards the People of Innovation and fleeing from them.” [Sharhus-Sunnah, 1/227]
Ibn Qudaamah (d.620H) said, “The Salaf used to forbid sitting with the People of Innovations, looking into their books and listening to their words.” [Al-Aadaabus-Shareah, 1/263]
Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad (d.187H) said, “I met the best of people, all of them people of the Sunnah and they used to forbid accompanying the people of innovation.” [Reported by Al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh Usoolil-I’tiqaad, no. 267]
Ibraheem Ibn Maysarah (d.132H) said, “Whoever honours an innovator has aided in the destruction of Islam.” [Reported by Al-Laalikaa’ee, 1/39]
Sufyaan Ath-Thawree (d.161H) said, “Whoever listens to an innovator has left the protection of Allaah and is entrusted with the innovation.”
[Reported by Aboo Nu’aym in Al-Hilyah, 7/26 and Ibn Battah, no. 444]
Al-Fudayl Ibn ‘Iyaad (d.187H) said, “Whoever sits with a person of innovation, then beware of him and whoever sits with a person of innovation has not been given wisdom. I love that there was a fort of iron between me and a person of innovation. That I eat with a Jew and a Christian is more beloved to me than that I eat with a person of innovation.” [Reported by Al-Laalikaa’ee, no. 1149]
Al-Layth Ibn Sa’d (d.175H) said, “If I saw a person of desires (i.e., innovations) walking upon the water I would not accept from him.” So Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee then said, “He (Al-Layth) has fallen short. If I saw him walking in the air I would not accept from him.” [Reported by As-Suyooti in Al-Amr Bil-Ittibaa’ Wan-Nahee ‘Anil-Ibtidaa’]
Wallaahu ta’ala A’lm
Answered by Ahmad Banajah