Takfir and the Excuse of Ignorance: Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad
Thursday, December 01 2011 - by Manhaj.Com
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Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad on the excuse of ignorance
In his book (شرح شروط الصلاة وأركانها وواجباتها), pp. 70-80, Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad writes, in clarification of this matter, in what are excellent words: ومن صرف شيئاً من أنواع العبادة لغير الله، فهو مشرك كافر، وهذا الحكم إنما هو على الإطلاق وعلى من بلغته الحجة، وأما الشخص المعين فإذا حصل منه صرف شيء من أنواع العبادة لغير الله، كدعاء الأموات والاستغاثة بهم، وهو جاهل فإنه يتوقّف في تكفيره حتى يُبَيَّن له وتقام عليه الحجّة، وهذا أحد قولين في المسألة، ذكرهما شيخنا عبد العزيز بن باز رحمه الله في جواب سؤال عن بعض أهل البدع، جاء فيه:
And whoever directs anything from the types of worship to other than Allaah is a mushrik, kafir, and this judgement is one of itlaaq (absolute, unqualified) and upon the one whom the proof has reached. As for the specific person, then when directing any of the types of worship to other than Allaah occurs from him, such as invoking the dead, and seeking rescue from them whilst he is ignorant, then making takfir of him is withheld from until the matter is clarified to him and the proof is established upon him. And this is one of two sayings in the issue, our Shaykh, Abd al-Aziz bin Baz (rahimahullaah) mentioned them in an answer to a question about some of the people of innovation, and in which there occurs:
كذلك التوسل بالأولياء قسمان: الأول: التوسل بجاه فلان أو حق فلان، هذا بدعة وليس كفراً. التوسل الثاني:هو دعاؤه بقوله: يا سيدي فلان انصرني أو اشف مريضي، هذا هو الشرك الأكبر وهذا يسمونه توسلاً أيضاً، وهذا من عمل الجاهلية، أما الأول فهو بدعة، ومن وسائل الشرك، قيل له: وقولهم: إنما ندعوه لأنه ولي صالح وكل شيء بيد الله وهذا واسطة. قال: هذا عمل المشركين الأولين، فقولهم: مدد يا بدوي، مدد يا حسين، هذا جنس عمل أبي جهل وأشباهه، لأنهم يقولون: {مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى} [الزمر:3]، {هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ} [يونس:18]، هذا الدعاء كفر وشرك بالله عزّ وجلّ. لكن اختلف العلماء هل يكفر صاحبه أم ينتظر حتى تقام عليه الحجّة وحتى يبيّن له، على قولين: أحدهما: أن من قال هذا يكون كافراً كفراً أكبر لأن هذا شرك ظاهر لا تخفى أدلّته، والقول الثاني: أن هؤلاء قد يدخلون في الجهل وعندهم علماء سوء أضلّوهم، فلابد أن يبين لهم الأمر ويوضح لهم الأمر حيث يتضح لهم، فإن الله قال: {وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً} [الإسراء:15]، فإذا وضح لهم الأمر وقال لهم: هذا لا يجوز، قال الله كذا وقال الرسول كذا، بين لهم الأدلة، ثم أصروا على حالهم، كفروا بهذا، وفي كل حال فالفعل نفسه كفر شرك أكبر، لكن صاحبه هو محل نظر هل يكفر أم يقال: أمره إلى الله، قد يكون من أهل الفترة لأنه ما بيّن له الأمر فيكون حكمه حكم أهل الفترات، أمره إلى الله عزّ وجلّ، لأنه بسبب تلبيس الناس عليه من علماء السوء" انتهى. نقلاً من كتاب "سعة رحمة رب العالمين للجهال المخالفين للشريعة من المسلمين" لسيد بن سعد الدين الغباشي، وفي أول الكتاب رسالة من الشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز رحمه الله للمؤلف بتاريخ: 7/5/1403هـ، تتضمن إقرار الكتاب والإذن بطبعه.
Likewise, making tawassul (using a means of approach) through the awliyaa, it is of two types: The first: Making tawassul through the honour or right of so and so. This is an innovation and is not disbelief. The second tawassul is invoking him by saying, "O my master, aid me, or cure my sickness." This is the major Shirk, and they refer to this as "tawassul" as well, but this is from the actions of jaahiliyyah. As for the first it is an innovation and from the ways leading to shirk. It was said to him: "And their saying that we call upon him because he is a righteous wali, but everything is in the Hand of Allaah, and this is just an intermediate means." He said: This is the action of the very first pagans, for their saying, "Aid, O Badawi", "Aid O Husayn", this is of the same type of action as Abu Jahl and his likes, because they say, "We do not worship them except that they may bring us closer to Allaah" (39:3), and "These are our intercessors with Allaah" (10:18). However, the scholars have differed as to whether takfir is made of the person or one waits until the proof is established upon him and until the matter is made clear to him, and (they are) upon two sayings. The first of them: That the one who says this person is a disbeliever with the major disbelief because this is manifest shirk whose evidences are not obscure. And the second: That these people could enter into ignorance and they have evil scholars who have misguided tehm. Therefore, it is necessary that the affair is made clear to them and the affair is made plain to them so that it actually does become clear to them. For Allaah said, "And we do not punish until after we send a Messenger" (17:15). When the affair is clear to them and he says to them, "This is not permissible, Allaah said such and such and the Messenger said such and such", he explains to him the evidences, then they persist upon their way, they disbelieve through that. And in all situations, the action itself is disbelief, major shirk, but its doer is subject to inspection, does he disbelieve, or is it said his affair is with Allaah, he could be from the people of the fatrah [interval in which the remnants of prophetic teachings have diminished], because the affair has not been explained to him, so his ruling would be the ruling of the people of the intervals [between and after prophethood], his affair is with Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic due to people amongst the evil scholars deceiving him.
End quote from the book "The Vastness of the Mercy of the Lord of the Worlds to the Ignorant Opposers of the Shariah From the Muslims" of Sayyid bin Sa'd al-Deen al-Ghabaashee, and at the beginning of the book is a letter from Shaykh Abd al-Aziz bin Baz (rahimahullaah) to the author dated 7/5/1403H comprising an corroboration of the book and permission for it to be printed.
والقول الثاني من القولين وهو التوقف في التكفير، قرّره كثيرون من العلماء، منهم: شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية، وشيخ الإسلام محمد بن عبد الوهاب، قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله في كتاب الاستغاثة (2/731): "فإنا بعد معرفة ما جاء به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، نعلم بالضرورة أنه لم يشرع لأمته أن تدعو أحداً من الأموات، لا الأنبياء ولا الصالحين ولا غيرهم، لا بلفظ الاستغاثة ولا بغيرها، ولا بلفظ الاستعاذة ولا بغيرها، كما أنه لم يشرع لأمته السجود لميت ولا لغير ميت ونحو ذلك بل نعلم أنه نهى عن كل هذه الأمور، وأن ذلك من الشرك الذي حرمه الله ورسوله، لكن لغلبة الجهل، وقلّة العلم بآثار الرسالة في كثير من المتأخرين، لم يكن تكفيرهم بذلك حتى يتبين لهم ما جاء به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، مما يخالفه، ولهذا ما بينت هذه المسألة قط لمن يعرف أصل الإسلام إلاّ تفطّن، وقال: هذا أصل الدين، وكان بعض الأكابر من الشيوخ العارفين من أصحابنا يقول: هذا أعظم ما بينته لنا، لعلمه بأن هذا أصل الدين." And the second saying of the two sayings of withholding from takfir is affirmed by many of the Scholars, amongst them is Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhaab, Shaykh al-Islam bin Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said in Kitab al-Istighaathah (2/731):
For we, after acquaintance with what the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with, know by necessity that he did not legislate for his ummah that they call upon anyone from the dead, neither the prophets, nor the righteous or others besides them, neither with the word istighaathah (seeking rescue) and nor with other than it, and nor with the word isti'aadhah (seeking refuge) or other than it. Just like he did not legislate for his ummah that they prostrate to a dead person or other than a dead person and what is similar to this. Rather, we know that he prohibited from all these matters and that it is from the shirk which Allaah and His Messenger made unlawful. However, due to the preponderance of ignorance, and scant knowledge of the remnants of the messengership amongst many of the latecomers, takfir is not made of them on account (of what has been mentioned) until that which the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with is made clear (and distinct) from that which opposes it. For this reason, never did I explain this issue to anyone who understood the foundation of Islaam, ever, except that he grasped it and said, "This (establishment of the proof) is the [very] foundation of the religion," and one of the senior amongst the knowledgeable shaykhs from our associates said, "This is the greatest of what you have explained to us" due to his knowledge that this is the foundation of the religion.
وقال شيخ الإسلام محمد بن عبد الوهاب رحمه الله: "وإذا كنا لا نكفر من عبد الصنم الذي على عبد القادر، والصنم الذي على قبر أحمد البدوي، وأمثالهما لأجل جهلهم وعدم من ينبههم، فكيف نكفر من لم يشرك بالله إذا لم يهاجر إلينا أو لم يكفر ويقاتل، سبحانك هذا بهتان عظيم". الدرر السنية (1/66)، وقال أيضاً: "بل نشهد الله على ما يعلمه من قلوبنا بأن من عمل بالتوحيد وتبرأ من الشرك وأهله فهو المسلم في أي زمان وأي مكان، وإنما نكفر من أشرك بالله في إلهيته بعدما نبين له الحجة على بطلان الشرك". مجموع مؤلفات الشيخ محمد بن عبد الوهاب (3/34)، وقال أيضاً: "ما ذكر لكم عني أني أكفر بالعموم، فهذا من بهتان الأعداء، وكذلك قولهم: إني أقول: من تبع دين الله ورسوله وهو ساكن في بلده أنه ما يكفيه حتى يجيء عندي، فهذا أيضاً من البهتان، إنما المراد اتباع دين الله ورسوله في أي أرض كانت، ولكن نكفر من أقرّ بدين الله ورسوله ثم عاداه وصدّ الناس عنه، وكذلك من عبد الأوثان بعدما عرف أنه دين المشركين وزينه للناس، فهذا الذي أكفره وكل عالم على وجه الأرض يكفر هؤلاء إلاّ رجلاً معانداً أو جاهلاً". مجموع مؤلفات الشيخ (3/33). وقال أيضاً: "وأما ما ذكر الأعداء عني أني أكفر بالظن وبالموالاة أو أكفر الجاهل الذي لم تقم عليه الحجة، فهذا بهتان عظيم يريدون به تنفير الناس عن دين الله ورسوله". مجموع مؤلفات الشيخ (3/14).
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab (rahimahullaah) said:
And when it is the case that we do not make takfir of the one who worships the idol (i.e. tomb) which is on the grave of Abd al-Qadir, and the idol which is on the grave of Ahmad al-Badawi and their likes, due to their ignorance, and the absence of the one to notify them (of their opposition), then how could we make takfir of the one who does not associate partners with Allaah, when he does not emigrate to us and who does not make takfir and does not fight? "Glory be to you (O Lord), this is a mighty slander." (24:16). Al-Durar al-Saniyyah (1/66).
And he also said:
Rather, we call Allaah to witness over what he knows from our hearts that whoever acts upon Tawhid and frees himself from Shirk and its people, then he is a Muslim in whatever time and place (he maybe in). But we make takfir of the one who associates partners with Allaah in His Ilaayhiyyah (sole right of worship), after we have made clear to him the proof for the futility of Shirk. Majmoo' Mu'allafaat al-Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhaab (3/34).
And he also said:
What has been mentioned to you that I make generalized takfir (of the masses), this is from the slanders of the enemies. Likewise, their saying that I say whoever follows the deen of Allaah and His Messenger whilst resident in his own land, this is not sufficient until he comes (emigrates) to me. This is also from slandder. Rather, the intent is for [a person] to follow the deen of Allaah and His Messenger in whichever land it may be. However, we make takfir of the one who affirmed the deen of Allaah and His Messenger, then showed enmity towards it and prevented the people from (following) it. Likewise the one whow worships idols (awthaan) after he came to know that it is the deen of the pagans, and who then beautified it to the people. This is the one that I make takfir of, and every scholar on the facce of the earth makes takfir of (the likes of) these, except a stubborn opposer or an ignoramus. Majmoo' Mu'allafaat al-Shaykh (3/33).
And he also said:
As for what the enemies have mentioned about me: That I make takfir on the basis of presumption, and on the basis of loyalty, or that I make takfir of the ignorant person upon whom the proof has not been established, then this is a mighty slander. They desire to make the people flee from the deen of Allaah and His Messenger by it. Majmoo' Mu'allafaat al-Shaykh (3/14).
وقال الشيخ عبد اللطيف بن عبد الرحمن بن حسن آل الشيخ في كتاب "منهاج التأسيس والتقديس ص: 98-99": "والشيخ محمد رحمه الله من أعظم الناس توقفاً وإحجاماً عن إطلاق الكفر،حتى أنه لم يجزم بتكفير الجاهل الذي يدعو غير الله من أهل القبور أو غيرهم إذا لم يتيسر له من ينصحه ويبلغه الحجة التي يكفر تاركها، قال في بعض رسائله: "وإذا كنا لا نقاتل من يعبد قبّة الكواز، حتى نتقدم بدعوته إلى إخلاص الدين لله، فكيف نكفر من لم يهاجر إلينا وإن كان مؤمناً موحداً". وقال: وقد سئل عن مثل هؤلاء الجهال، فقرر أن من قامت عليه الحجة وتأهل لمعرفتها يكفر بعبادة القبور". وقال أيضاً رحمه الله في "مصباح الظلام ص: 499": "فمن بلغته دعوة الرسل إلى توحيد الله ووجوب الإسلام له، وفقه أن الرسل جاءت بهذا لم يكن له عذر في مخالفتهم وترك عبادة الله، وهذا هو الذي يجزم بتكفيره إذا عبد غير الله، وجعل معه الأنداد والآلهة، والشيخ وغيره من المسلمين لا يتوقفون في هذا، وشيخنا رحمه الله قد قرّر هذا وبينه وفاقاً لعلماء الأمة واقتداء بهم ولم يكفر إلاّ بعد قيام الحجة وظهور الدليل حتى إنه رحمه الله توقف في تكفير الجاهل من عباد القبور إذا لم يتيسر له من ينبهه، وهذا هو المراد بقول الشيخ ابن تيمية رحمه الله: حتى يتبين لهم ما جاء به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، فإذا حصل البيان الذي يفهمه المخاطب ويعقله فقد تبين له". وقال أيضاً في "مصباح الظلام ص: 516": "وشيخنا رحمه الله لم يكفر أحدا ابتداء بمجرد فعله وشركه، بل يتوقف في ذلك حتى يعلم قيام الحجة التي يكفر تاركها، وهذا صريح في كلامه في غير موضع، ورسائله في ذلك معروفة". And Shaykh Abd al-Lateef Abd al-Rahman bin Hasan Aal al-Shaykh said in his book "Minhaaj al-Ta'sees wal-Taqdees" (pp. 98-99):
And Shaykh Muhammad (rahimahullaah) is from the greatest of people in withholding and abstaining from applying (the ruling of) disbelief. To such a degree that he was not resolute in the takfir of the igorant person - from the people (attached) to the graves or other than them - who calls upon other than Allaah (in the case) where one who could advise them and make such proof reach them - the abandoner of which would fall into disbelief - was not readily available to him. He said in one of his rasaa'il (letters):
And when we do not fight against the one who worships the shrine of al-Kawaaz until we advance calling him to make the religion sincerely and purely for Allaah (alone), then how can we make takfir of the one who did not emigrate to us despite being a believing monotheist.
And he had been asked about the likes of these ignorant people and he affirmed that the one upon whom the proof had been established and is capable of knowing the proof, he is the who disbelieves by worshipping the graves.
And he (rahimahullaah) also said in Misbaah al-Dhalaam (p. 499):
The one to whom the call of the Messengers to the Tawhid of Allaah and the obligation of submitting to it has reached and he understands that the Messengers came with this, he does not have an excuse in opposing them and abandoning the worship of Allaah (alone). Resolution is made in the takfir of such a person when he worships other than Allaah and sets up rivals and deities alongside Him. And the Shaykh (Ibn Abd al-Wahhaab) and others from the Muslims do not withhold from the likes of this one, and our Shaykh (rahimahullaah) has affirmed this and explained it in agreement with the scholars of the Umma, and in following them (in this matter). And he did not make takfir except after the establishment of the proof and the evidence becoming plain and apparent, until he (rahimahullaah) even withheld from the takfir of the ignorant person from the worshippers of the graves when one who could notify him (of his error) was not readily available to him. This is the intent of the saying of Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah), "... until it is made clear to them what the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with, so when this clarification is attained which the one being addressed understands and grasps, then it has been made clear to him..."
And he also said in Misbaah al-Dhalaam (p. 516):
And our Shaykh (rahimahullaah) did not make takfir of anyone through the mere act (of that person) and his (act) of shirk (alone). Rather, he withheld from that until he [the one falling into such an act] knew the establishment of the proof whose abandoner becomes a disbeliever. This is very clear in his speech in more than one place and his written letters in that regard are well known.
وإنما أفضت بذكر النقول عن شيخ الإسلام محمد بن عبد الوهاب في تقرير هذه المسألة، وهي أن تكفير المعين الذي وقع في الشرك في العبادة لجهله، إنما يكون بعد البيان له وإقامة الحجة، لا قبل ذلك، لأن من الجاهلين والحاقدين عليه وعلى دعوته، المبنية على الكتاب والسّنّة، وما كان عليه سلف الأمّة، من يشنع عليه وينفّر من دعوته، برميه بتكفير المسلمين، والتكفير بالعموم، وهو إنما يكفر من قامت عليه الحجة، وبانت له المحجة، ولأن نفراً يسيراً من طلبة العلم من أهل السّنّة فيما علمت يعيبون على من يقرّر ذلك وهو عيب لما قرّره شيخا الإسلام، ابن تيمية ومحمد بن عبد الوهاب وغيرهما من أهل العلم، ومع ذلك فإن الخطأ في العفو في الأمور المشتبهة، خير من الخطأ في العقوبة، وهم في عيبهم القول الذي قرّره الشيخان والحرص على خلافه يفسحون المجال للمتربصين بأهل السّنّة الذين يصطادون في الماء العكر، فيردّدون صدى نعيق أعداء الإسلام والمسلمين، الذين يزعمون أن تطرف من ابتلي بالتفجير والتدمير، راجع إلى دراسة مناهج التعليم المبنية على كتب الشيخ محمد بن عبد الوهاب وغيره من أهل السّنّة، وهو بهت وزور ممن افتراه أو ردّده، فإن الذين ردّدوا هذا النعيق من أهل هذه البلاد، قد درسوا كما درس غيرهم هذه المناهج، ولم يحصل لهم ضرر منها بل حصل النفع العظيم منها لكل من شاء الله هدايته وتوفيقه، وإنما حصل التطرف من هؤلاء المتطرفين لفهومهم الخاطئة التي شذّوا بها وخرجوا عن جماعة المسلمين، وقدوتهم في ذلك الخوارج الذين شذّوا وخرجوا على الصحابة نتيجة لفهومهم الخاطئة، ولكل قوم وارث، والله المستعان.
I have taken such liberty in mentioning the statements from Shaykh al-Islaam Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhaab in corroboration of this matter, which is that the takfir of a specific person who has fallen into shirk in worship due to his ignorance, it is only after clarification is made to him and the proof being established, not before that. This is because from the ignoramuses and the envious against him and his da'wah which was based upon the Book, the Sunnah and what the Salaf were upon, was he who would condemn him and make others flee from his da'wah by accusing him of making takfir of the Muslims, and making generalized takfir. But he would only make takfir of the one upon whom the proof had been established and the clear path had been made clear to him. Also because a small faction of the students of knowledge from Ahl al-Sunnah, from what I know, they find fault with those who affirm this, and this (in reality) is finding fault against what the two Shaykhs of Islaam, Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhaab have corroborated, as well as others from the people of knowledge. And alongside that, making an error in forgiving in unclear matters is better than making an error in punishment. And in finding fault with what the two Shaykhs have affirmed and being eager in opposing it they open up the space for those who lie in wait for Ahl al-Sunnah, those who stir in murky waters, and so they echo the scream of the enemies of Islaam and the Muslims, those who claim that the extremism of he who has been put to trial with bombings and destruction returns back to the studying the curriculum of education which is based upon the books of Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhaab and others from Ahl al-Sunnah. And this is a slander and false saying from the one who invented it or repeated it. For those who repeat this scream from the people of this land, they have studied from these methodologies just as others have studied, yet no such harm has come from them, rather great benefit (to the society) has come from them to he whom Allaah has willed to grant guidance and success. But this extremism only occurred from those extremists due to their erroneous understandings by which they departed and exited from the body of the Muslims, and their leaders in that are the Khawaarij (of old) who departed and revolted against the Companions as a result of their erroneous understandings. And to every people is an inheritor (to inherit their ways from them), and from Allaah is aid sought.
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