Shaykh Zayd bin Muhammad al-Madkhalee was asked:
هل الاحتياط في عدم الترويج لبعض من ظهرت منه مواقف وكلمات فيها نظر حتى يتضح أمره ، هل يعتبر هذا الفعل صوابا أم لا ؟
Is taking caution in not promoting someone from whom certain positions and speech have emanated requiring inspection, until his affair becomes clear, is this practice considered correct or not?
The Shaykh answered:
أولا : أقول : لا يجوز سوء الظن بأهل السنة والجماعة الذين هم متمسكون بها والموالون لأهلها والمجالسون لهم والمبتعدون عن أهل الأهواء والبدع . ويجوز سوء الظن بمن أتى بأسبابه ، كمن تراه يغضب إذا ذكر أهل البدع وتكلّم فيهم وحذر منهم تحذيرا عاما ، أو تسمعه يدافع عنهم جماعات أو أفرادا ، أو دلّت قرائن يتبين منها أن الشخص مميّع لمنهج أهل السنة ، فلا تروج له ولا ترشد إلى الأخذ عنه حتى تتبين لك سلامته فترشد طلاب العلم إلى أخذ العلم عنه ، أو يتبين لك موالاته لأهل البدع ولو بالترويج لهم وعدم الإنكار عليهم فاحذره وحذر منه ، وحقا ما قاله الشاعر :
ومهما تكن عند امرئ من خليقة ـ وإن خالها تخفى على الناس تعلم
فمثل هذا ومن ماثله تبين له أيها الداعية خطأه بيانا واضحا جليا ، وتورد له الأدلة التي يتميز بها الخطأ من الصواب ، ثم انظر إلى أي فرقة يزحف ، وأي جماعة يألف ، ومع من يغدو ويروح ، واعلم أن من أخفى على أهل السنة بدعته ، فلن تخفى عليهم ألفته
First: I say that it is not permissible to hold an evil presumption about Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah who hold fast to it (the Sunnah) and who show loyalty to its adherents, and who sit with them and keep away from the people of innovation and desires. And it is permissible to have a evil presumption about one who brings (in speech and deed) that become reasons for it, such as the one you see becoming angry when the people of innovation are mentioned and are spoken about and they are warned against in general. Or you hear him defending certain groups or individuals. Or certain indicators make clear that this individual is one who softens the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah. So you should not promote him and nor direct (others) to take from him until the safety (in his position) becomes clear to you, then you direct the students of knowledge to take knowledge from him. Or if it becomes apparent to you that he shows loyalty to the people of innovation, even if it is just by promoting tehm and not showing rejection agains them, then beware of him, and warn against hiim, and truthful is what was said by the poet:
Whatever trait a man might posses, even if he concealed it from the people will become known.
So the likes of this one and whoever is like him, you should explain to him O caller, his error with a clear, manifest explanation, and you should present to him the evidences by which the error is distinguished from what is correct. Then watch and see with which party he advances to and with which group he shows affinity, and with whom he accompanies and rests with.
And know that whoever tried to hide his innovation from Ahl al-Sunnah, his companionship will not remain hidden from them.
Source: al-Ajwibah al-Athariyyah An il-Masaa'il al-Manhajiyyah (p. 93) through Sahab.Net.
