Beware of twisting the statements of the scholars to mean what they did not intend. One of them would come to a noble scholar – a dignified Shaykh – and ask a seemingly knowledge-based question, but then says, “O Shaykh, what is your opinion of one who says such and such?”
The Shaykh, may Allah grant him success, then replies with a well-grounded, strong, appropriate response. This person then goes to some websites, via some of the internet’s garbage, and posts it – unjustly – with a title [like]: ‘The noble Shaykh so and so refutes so and so’. The person who is supposedly being refuted here may be a scholar or a student of knowledge upon the methodology of the scholars.
This is an extremely dangerous affair, and constitutes [blatant] distortion of the intended meanings of words. Websites are filled with this type of garbage, so beware of this. Be extremely cautious of this way! Be extremely cautious of this way!
Abandon any website that follows this path and distance yourself from it, any website that is only concerned with propagating to the sighar (small/minor) small in intellect [i.e. imprudent], foolish people who injure the reputations of the students of knowledge, while they cause enmity between this one and that one, as the Bedouin proverb goes:
“So and so runs with the wolves and then yells with the shepherd.”
Many people are treading this path and you will find that they are unstable and inconsistent. One day they are with so and so and the next day they are with someone else.
Beware of making rulings or your da’wah contingent upon [or centered around] personalities; because, indeed, this is a form of the loathsome hizbiyyah that we warn against, though we may fall into it without realizing.
Beware of this, and follow the path of the Salaf as-Saaleh.
Follow the methodology of our scholars in calling to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, the likes of:
- Our Shaykh, Shaykh [‘Abdul ‘Azeez] ibn Baaz;
- Our Shaykh [Muhammad ibn Saleh] al ‘Uthaymeen;
- Our Shaykh [Muhammad] al Ameen [al Shinqitee];
- Our Shaykh [Muhammad Nasiruddin] al Albaanee;
- Our Shaykh Hammad [al Ansaaree];
- Our Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Muhammad Falaatah;
- and Shaykh Muhammad Amaan [al Jaamee] and others who have returned to their Lord; we ask Allah to have mercy upon them.
And likewise from our present day scholars:
- Our esteemed Shaykh, the Mufti, Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah Aal ash-Shaykh;
- Our esteemed Shaykh Saleh al Fawzan;
- Our esteemed Shaykh Saleh al Luhaydan;
- Our esteemed Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Ghudayan;
- His Excellency Shaykh Saleh ibn ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh;
- Our noble Shaykh ‘Abdul Muhsin al-Abbad al-Badr;
- Our noble Shaykh ‘Alee ibn Naasir al-Faqihee;
- Our noble Shaykh Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee;
- Our noble Shaykh Zayd ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee;
- Our noble Shaykh [Ahmad] an-Najmee, may Allah have mercy upon him, and others whom I have not mentioned as I was summarizing and due to the constriction of time.
As for us, the sighaar[1] – or some of us – beware of making them reference points for what you propagate, except those who follow the path of these scholars whom I have mentioned, or mentioned some of them. Whoever traverses upon their path we take from, but whoever deviates from their path we distance ourselves from.
Whoever seeks fame from the ilzaamaat (the claim that if someone says A, he must believe B) that they propagate, tracking others faults, injuring the reputations of their brothers, and so on, then [know that] this is an extremely dangerous affair, so distance yourself from it.
May Allaah grant all of us with beneficial knowledge and righteous actions.
And may peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.
Footnote
[1] Shaykh Saalih, may Allah preserve him, is including himself out of humility, for he is from the well-known senior scholars of Madeenah.
