Slandering callers and reformers

Allaah has enjoined justice and good treatment of others,
and He has forbidden wrongdoing, hatred and enmity. Allaah sent His
Prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the same message as
He sent all the Messengers, namely the call to Tawheed and to worship
of Allaah alone. He commanded him to establish justice and forbade him
to do the opposite, i.e., to worship anything other than Allaah, to
cause division and to transgress against the rights of others. 

In these days it has become very common that people who
claim to have knowledge and to be calling people to good slander many
of their brothers among the well-known daa’iyahs, and they talk about
the seekers of knowledge, daa’iyahs and lecturers. They do that in secret
in their own gatherings, but it may be recorded on tapes that are distributed
among the people, and they may do it openly in public lectures in the
mosques. This behaviour goes against the commands of Allaah and His
Messenger in several ways. 

1 – It is a transgression against the rights of the Muslims,
and against the elite of the people, namely the seekers of knowledge
and daa’iyahs who are striving to make the people aware and to teach
them and correct their beliefs and practices, and to organize lessons
and lectures, and to write beneficial books. 

2 – It splits the Muslims and causes division in their
ranks. They are the most in need of unity and they need to keep away
from division, discord and too much gossip amongst themselves, especially
when the daa’iyahs who are being slandered are from among the Ahl al-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa’ah who are well known for their opposition to bid’ah (innovation)
and myth, and for standing up against those who promote such things,
and for exposing their plots and tricks. We see no benefit to be gained
by such actions, except for the enemies who lie in wait for opportunities
to harm the Muslims, such as the kaafirs, hypocrites and followers of
bid’ah and misguidance. 

3 – This action offers support and help for the self-serving
among the secularists, westernizers and other heretics who are well
known for stirring up trouble among the daa’iyahs and telling lies against
them, and inciting people against them in their writings and recordings.
It is contrary to Islamic brotherhood for those who are too hasty to
help their enemies against their brothers among the seekers of knowledge,
daa’iyahs and others. 

4 – This spreads corrupts ideas in the hearts and minds
of the common folk and elite; it spreads and propagates lies and false
rumours, and causes a great deal of backbiting and slander. It leaves
the door wide open to evil people who persist in spreading doubts and
stirring up fitnah, and who are keen to cause harm to the believers
by accusing them of things that they did not do. 

5 – Much of what is being said has no basis in reality;
rather these are illusions which the Shaytaan has made attractive to
them, through which he has tempted them. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):

 “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed
some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another…”[al-Hujuraat
49:12] 

The believer should interpret what his Muslim brother
says in the best possible way. One of the salaf said: Never think of
something that is said by your brother as being bad when you still find
room for a good interpretation. 

6 – Whatever ijtihaad is produced by some scholars or
seekers of knowledge, in areas where ijtihaad is permitted, the author
of said ijtihaad cannot be blamed or rebuked for it, so long as he is
qualified to engage in ijtihaad. If someone else has a different opinion,
it is better for him to debate with him in a proper manner, striving
to reach the truth via the shortest route and leaving no room for the
insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan or for him to cause trouble among
the believers. If that is not possible, and someone thinks that he has
no choice but to explain what is wrong with his ijtihaad, then he should
choose the best wording and the most subtle way of explaining, and not
resort to attacking, slandering or going to extremes in criticizing
him, which may cause others to reject the truth or to turn away from
it. He should also avoid criticizing specific people, casting aspersions
upon their intentions or saying unnecessary or irrelevant things about
them. In such cases the Messenger

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would say, “What is the
matter with some people who say such and such…?” 

The advice I offer to these brothers who have fallen
into the sin of slandering the daa’iyahs is to repent to Allaah for
the things that they have written or said that may have corrupted the
hearts of some youth and filled them with hatred and grudges, and kept
them from seeking beneficial knowledge or from calling people to Allaah
by making them preoccupied with gossip and talking about this one and
that one, and seeking out faults for which they could criticize people,
and going to extremes in doing that. 

I also advise them to offer expiation for the things
that they have done by writing and other means that they think they
should not have done, and to remove from people’s minds the wrong ideas
they may have given them. They should focus on fruitful actions which
will bring them closer to Allaah and will be beneficial to people, and
they should beware of being too hasty to accuse people of kufr, fisq
and bid’ah without any clear evidence or proof. The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever says to his
brother ‘O kaafir!’ one of them will be deserving of that description.”
(Saheeh, agreed upon). 

It is prescribed for those who call others to the truth
and for seekers of knowledge, if they are uncertain about something
said by a scholar or anyone else, to refer to the prominent scholars
and to ask them, so that they can explain the facts of the matter to
them and remove the confusion and doubt from their minds, in accordance
with the words of Allaah in Soorat al-Nisaa’ (interpretatiuon of the
meaning): 

“When there comes to them some matter touching (public)
safety or fear, they make it known (among the people); if only they
had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority
among them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them
(directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allaah upon you,
you would have followed Shaytaan (Satan), save a few of you”[al-Nisaa’
4:83]

And Allaah is the One Whom we ask to reform all the Muslims
and to unite their hearts in taqwa and to bring the scholars of the
Muslims and those who call to the truth together in doing that which
pleases Him and will benefit His slaves. May He unite them in following
guidance and protect them against all the causes of division and dissent;
may He support the truth through them and humiliate falsehood through
them, for He is the One Who is able to do that. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and those who follow
his guidance until the Day of Resurrection.