Question 1: “The British spies in India, who call themselves ‘Nayâshira’, believe that Jabrâ’il (’alaihi ’s-salâm), angels, genies, the Satan, heavens, the mu’jiza of Mi’râj, Hell and Paradise exist and that bodies will get alive again as Muslims believe. Yet they give false meanings to the âyats that deal with these subjects, as some of the people called Bâtiniyya do. They say that these things are not made of matter but they are conceptual and imaginative. They say that nothing can exist beyond customs and physical laws. Thus they deny that Allâhu ta’âlâ can create many things beyond the laws of nature. They do not believe in mu’jizât, and they explain them away according to what they see and learn in nature. They say that it is harâm and cruelty to use as slaves the captives taken from among non-Muslims in the jihâd performed for spreading Allah’s religion and that it is something done by the savage. Though it was defined in all heavenly religions, they claim that Allah has not commanded it. They do not believe any of the tafsîr and hadîth books. They claim that all their contents have been invented by ’ulamâ. They say, ‘The Qur’ân remains the sole truth in
our hands. We interpret the Qur’ân according to our new information. We do not believe what the early Muslims understood from it or what has reached us from them.’ Can those who say so be called ‘Muslims’ or ‘Ahl al-Qibla’ even if they say that they are Muslim, utter kalimat ash-shahâda and perform salât towards the qibla? Moreover, these spies claim that they themselves are the real Muslims and that what they tell is the pure Islamic religion. Shall we call them ‘Muslim’ or ‘non-Muslim’? Shall we consider their words as wrong and falsified?”
Answer 1: They are not sincere at all. I swear by Allah that they have no connection with Islam. They are enemies of Islam fed by the British. They are the worst of non-Muslims and
murtadds, because they deny Islam’s basic tenets. Their saying kalimat ash-shahâda and professing that the Ka’ba is the qibla do not show their being Believers or Ahl al-qibla. None of the ’ulamâ’ and books of i’tiqâd and fiqh has permitted alteration of the indispensable, apparent and open religious teachings.
Question 2: “It is understood that they are British spies. What would you say about those who, although they know their teachings and identify their heresy, call them Muslims, and even regard them as ’ulamâ’ of Islam and religious authorities, or praise them with the terms that have not been used for the superiors of Islam yet, and, by mentioning their names, they say, ‘They are the elect of our time. Their books are invaluable for the youth. Their writings prove their quality of perfection. They are the pillars of our religion and the guards of Islam.’ What would you say about those who praise them in this manner, write, publish and advertise their books as the ‘books of
superiors of religion’?”
Answer 2: One who does not believe in one of Islam’s basic tenets becomes a kâfir. Moreover, a person who doubts the fact that such people are kâfirs and will suffer eternal burning in Hell becomes a kâfir, too. That the latter, too, is a kâfir is openly written in the books Bazzâziyya, ad-Durr al-mukhtâr, Qâdî Iyâd’s Shifâ, Imâm an-Nawawî’s Rawda and Ibn Hajar al-Makkî’s al-A’lâm. It has been unanimously declared by the ’ulamâ’ of Islam that it also makes one kâfir to doubt that it is kufr if somebody does not regard a Christian, a Jew or a dissenter from Islam as a kâfir. This unanimity is written in the above-mentioned books. Now that doubt alone concerning a person’s being a kâfir would make one a kâfir, too, it should be
imagined how worse a curse would be incurred by considering that person a Muslim, not to mention the titles of praisal reserved for the Islamic scholars squandered in extolling him. These words of ours describe well the situation of those who consider such people as ’ulamâ’ of Islam and praise and spread their speeches and writings teeming with kufr. Praise or effort to disseminate or to advertise shows approval and love. Approval of kufr causes kufr. Approval of kufr does not mean to want the kâfir to remain in kufr but to like his kufr.
Question 3: “What does ‘ahl al-bid’a’ mean?”
Answer 3: If the cause of an innovator’s dissent from Ahl as-Sunna is his belief in the superiority of ’Alî over Abû Bakr and
’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anhum), he is of ahl al-bid’a as it is written in Hulâsa, Hindiyya and many other invaluable books. A person who does not believe in the khilâfat (caliphate) of one or both of the latter two Khalîfas was said to be a kâfir by the ’ulamâ’ of fiqh and to be a man of bid’a by the ’ulamâ’ of kalâm. For the sake of precaution, the term ‘man of bid’a’ should be used for them. A person absolutely becomes a kâfir if he says that Allâhu ta’âlâ is a creature, or that the present Qur’ân al-kerîm is deficient and contains alterations made by as-Sahâbat al-kirâm or (by others) later, or that ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) or one of the Twelve Imâms is superior to prophets. It is written in
Hindiyya, Zahiriyya, al-Hadîqat an-nadiyya and in fiqh books that he will be treated as a murtadd. There is detailed information on this subject in the book Makâlat al-mufassira an ahkâmi ’l-bid’ati ’l-mukaffira[1].
Question 4: “What would say about those who praise the people called ‘Bâtiniyya’ with the words the ‘stars of knowledge,’ ‘suns of ’ulamâ’,’ ‘great scholars of our time,’ or ‘guides of the century’ and about those who believe these words?”
Answer 4: If they know that they praise those declared to be murtadds, they also become murtadds. Even if those praised are not murtadds, it is apparent that it is ugly and bad to praise them. The hadîth as-sherîf reported through Anas ibn Mâlik (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Ibn Abî ’d-dunyâ, Abû Ya’la and al-Baihakî and through Abû Huraira (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Ibn ’Adî says: “Praising a fâsiq (sinner) arouses our Rabb’s indignation.”
---------------------------------
[1] Ibn ’Âbidîn wrote on ‘unlawful nikâh in Radd al-muhtâr: “If one worships ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) or says, ‘Jabrâ’il was ordered to reveal the Qur’ân to ’Alî, but he made mistake and revealed it to Muhammad,’ or ‘Abû Bakr was not a Sahâbî,’ or ‘Hadrat ’Â’îsha committed adultery,’ he becomes a kâfir. If he says that ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) was superior to the two caliphs (Abû Bakr and ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’), or curses or slanders a Sahâbî, he becomes a man of bid’a.” In the third volume, he wrote: “If one curses at or damns the two caliphs, be becomes a kâfir. Though those people caled Durzîs, Mulhids and Ismâ’îlîs practise the five fundamental duties of Islam, they become kâfirs because of their belief in transmigration of the soul and by regarding wine and intercourse as halâl
and giving false meanings to âyats.” Ibn ’Abidîn, in his book Uqûd ad-durriyya, quoted Shaikh al-Islam ’Abdullah Effendi’s extensive fatwâ about the Shî’ites and names the groups that fell into kufr among them.
Permitting such praises or disseminating or advertising them shows consent to them. Consent to evils is also evil.[1]
Question 5: “What would you say about some people’s saying that Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Prophet (’alaihi ’s-salâm) may lie?”
Answer 5: Lying is a deficiency and ugliness. It has been unanimously declared that there is nothing ugly attributable to Allâhu ta’âlâ or His Rasûl (’alaihi ’s-salâm). This is dealt in detail in my book Subhâna ’s-subbûh an ’aybi kazbin makbûh, wherein I provided documents from the ’ulamâ’ of kalâm and tafsîr. In many books by Arab and Persian ’ulamâ’, it is written that those who say so have dissented from the right path and that they are heretics. The book ad-Durar as-saniyya by Hadrat ’Allâma Ahmad ibn Zain ibn Dahlân al-Makkî, who was one of my masters in hadîth, tells in detail about their heresies and quotes passages refuting them from Hadrat Mawlânâ Abu ’s-su’ûd, the muftî of al-Madinat al-munawwara. They have been caught up in the Satan’s current and become the Satan’s soldiers.
The Satan’s soldiers will certainly be ruined.
Question 6: “Recently there have appeared a group of people called ‘Ghayr al-muqallidîn’, i.e. people not affiliated with a certain madhhab. They neither follow any of the four madhhabs nor let anybody follow one of them. They call themselves ahl al-hadîth. They say that they follow only the Hadîth. We see that some ignorant people, who are deprived of religious education and cannot differentiate the truth from the wrong and the straight from the crooked, pass themselves for authorities on religion after learning some Arabic in Egypt, the Hijâz, Iraq or in Damascus and write books on religion. What would you say about them and
their books?”
Answer 6: In the subject on ‘Zabâyih’ in the marginalia of ad-Durr al-mukhtâr, ’Allâma Sayyid Ahmad at-Tahtâwî, one of the ’ulamâ of the Hanafî madhhab, writes: “One who departs from the path of the ’ulamâ’ of fiqh, from as-siwâd al-a’zam, will have directed himself to Hell. O Muslims! Therefore, hold fast to the
---------------------------------
[1] It is heard that some people admire the religious and political movement of Homeini of Iran and extoll his personality, despite the known fact that he was hostile to the Sahâba and to all the Sunnîs. They should carefully read this hadîth and fatwâ, learn from them and wake up from unawareness.
path of Ahl as-Sunnat wa ’l-Jamâ’a which is called ‘al-firqat an-nâjiyya’ (group of salvation), the unique group reported by our Prophet (’alaihi ’s-salâm) to be saved from Hell! For, Allâhu ta’âlâ will help, protect and guide to happiness only those who are on this path. Allâhu ta’âlâ’s Ghadab (Wrath) and adhâb (torture) are for those who dissent from this path. Today, this firqat nâjiyya (group of salvation) have gathered in the four madhhabs, namely, Hanafî, Shâfi’î, Mâlikî and Hanbalî. One who does not belong to any of these four madhhabs is a man of bid’a or a man for Hell [heretic or unbeliever].” Great Imâm Sufyân ath-Thawrî (radiy Allâhu ’anh) said, “If one who is not an ’âlim in fiqh tries to adapt himself to hadîths, he leads himself to heresy.” Great Imâm Ibn
al-Hajj al-Makki said the same in his work al-Mad’hal. My fatwâs about and articles on the lâ-madhhabî are available in my book Al-bârîkat ash-shârika ’alâ mârikat al-mushârika.
Question 7: “Some people say, ‘The lâ-madhhâbî belong to Ahl As-Sunna and are even licensed authorities on religion. They differ from Ahl as-Sunna only in insignificant teachings, and this difference is beneficial like that between the Hanafî, Shâfi’î and Mâlikî madhhabs; thereby they help the religion of Islam. Should not the lâ-madhhabî, therefore be considered like those in the Hanafî and Shâfi’î madhhabs and should not we know them as Muslim brothers and love them heartfully and respect them? Isn’t it the way of people intoxicated with love for Allâhu ta’âlâ to do one’s affairs according to hadîths though one is not a mujtahid? Didn’t Abû Dharr al-Ghaffarî (radiy-Allâhu
’anh), a Sahâbî, act upon the hadîth, “Do not stock your property to make it kanz, a treasure”?’ What would you say about those who say these about the lâ-madhhâbî?”
Answer 7: These words are not correct at all. The person who says so becomes one among them, even one worse than them. How could a man of bid’a be respected? A hadîth reported through ’Abdullah ibn Bashîr (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by at-Tabarânî says, “One who respects the man of bid’a will have helped in the annihilation of Islam.” Another hadîth, reported through Mu’âdh (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) in Kabîr by at-Tabarânî and in Hilya by Abu Nu’aim, says, “One who walks to show respect to the man of bid’a has helped in destroying Islam.” There are many similar hadîths. It is dalâla, heresy, for those not promoted to the status of mujtahid not to follow one of the four madhhabs but to
do their worship and affairs according to what they understand from hadîths. It is dissention from the Believers’ path. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares in the 43rd âyat of the sûrat an-Nahl, “Ask what you do not know from the people of dhikr!” A hadîth reported through Jâbir ibn ’Abdullâh (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Abû Dâwûd says, “Ask what you do not know. Medicine for ignorance is inquiry.” The âyat and hadîth presently quoted command those who do not know to learn by asking those who know. Hence, those who speak about the lâ-madhhabî as quoted above or who admit and believe their words, in fact, belong to the lâ-madhhâbî, being their accomplices in heresy.
Question 8: “In the last two years, the number of this group of people has increased in India. An organization named ‘Nadwat ul-ulama’ has been founded in claim of service to Islam and awakening Muslims. Here, every kind of people and those with heretical beliefs have gathered, and lâ-madhhabî people, including a few belonging to Ahl as-Sunna, have taken hold of high chairs. What would you say about this?”
Answer 8: Their behaviour is harâm and heretical. It is intended to estrange Muslims with little knowledge from their madhhabs. Such Muslims, upon seeing heretical men of religion in cooperation with Ahl as-Sunna scholars all sitting at the same line of chairs, think of those heretics also as respectful and beneficial. They begin to show respect to them, which is sinful. Islamic religion commands humiliation and severe treatment of men of bid’a and forbids showing respect to them. In ’aqâ’id books, e.g. in Sharh al-maqâsid, the ’ulamâ’ of Islam wrote, “It is necessary to treat severely, to humuliate, to refute and to expel men of bid’a.” When Muslims see them at high ranks, their hearts incline to listen to them and, with the Satan’s cheating, begin to love them. In actual fact, those who cooperate with men of bid’a cause them to deviate from the right path. Gathering of people with different beliefs results in the destruction of the religion. Those who say that they will wake up Muslims, in fact, try to poison them and lead them to disaster.
Question 9: “The aim in the establishment of this organization, Nadwa, has been asserted to be the abolition of the difference between the Sunnî and other groups of bid’a. ‘They should not refuse one another’s beliefs, but live brotherly. ’Ulamâ’ should not speak or write on the discordant beliefs among themselves.
Or else, they set a bad example to be copied by all Muslims and their disciples. Difference and argument cause perishing and stem from the desires of nafs and self-esteem,’ they say. Are these words right or wrong or excessive?”
Answer 9: When a bid’a gets spread, it is fard to refute it and to try to disseminate its harmfulness and wickedness. That this is fard has been unanimously declared by the ’ulamâ’ of Islam. Salaf as-Sâlihîn and the ’ulamâ of all times up to now have always opposed bid’a in this way. One who does not refuse men of bid’a but leave them to themselves will have dissented from Muslims’ unanimity, got away from the Islamic jamâ’a and loved bid’as and holders of bid’a. And this means to discredit the Ahl as-Sunna madhhab and the Muslims of this right path; to forbid the established reason and to command the prohibition; to lead Muslims to Allâhu ta’âlâ’s damnation. Great ’âlim Hadrat
Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Makkî, the imâm of Muslims, said in the preface to his work as-Sawâ’iq al-muhriqa, “Though I do not have the profound knowledge to comprehend the reality and essence of the writings in this book, I was inclined to write because of the following hadîth ash-sherîf reported in Al-Jâmi’ by Khatîb al-Baghdâdî: ‘When seditions and bid’as spread and my Sahâba are slandered, those who know the truth should declare what they know! May those who do not declare what they know be damned by Allâhu ta’âlâ, by angels and by all people! Allâhu ta’âlâ does not accept any of their ’ibâdât and goodness.’ ” The statement, “Telling what one knows causes disunion, is sinful and is self-destruction,” is a slander against Allâhu ta’âlâ and Islamic ’ulamâ’, dissention from the Ahl as-Sunna madhhab and denial or prohibition of an important fard.
Question 10: “They say, ‘The most important aim of Nadwa is to annihilate the differences among Ahl al-qibla; to unite Muslims of different faith of Ahl as-Sunna and ahl al-bid’a; to do away with disagreements; to bring them all into a state of benefaction and sweet taste like milk and sugar; to render the simultaneous beat of hearts and the sharing of one another’s sorrow and loss; to make known that all who say kalimat ash-shahâda are brothers even if their beliefs would be different. This is aimed on account of the command in the hadîth, “Oh Muslims! Be brothers to one another!”
Disagreement on anything or speaking ill of one another is unnecessary. Such unity is a command, a fard, of
Allâhu ta’âlâ. The salât, fast and tâ’a of only those who unite in this way are acceptable. Those who do not unite in this way will not attain to happiness in this and the next worlds. Moreover, unless Ahl al-qibla do not love one another, they cannot possess îmân and enter Paradise. Though men’s every kind of sins may possibly be forgiven, discord and enmity among them will not be forgiven.’ ”
Answer 10: Not all of the above statements are in conformity with Islam. They are harmful to Muslims and lead them to heresy. Many hadîths and the words of Islamic imâms support this. Let’s quote some of the hadîths that forbid friendship with men of bid’a and command keeping away from them: the hadîth reported in the Sahîh of Muslim from Abû Huraira (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) says, “Run away from them! [So] they shall not lead you to heresy, throw you into discord!” The hadîth reported from ‘Âbdullah ibn ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Abu Dâwûd says, “Do not visit them when they get sick!” The hadîth reported from Jâbir by Ibn Mâja (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) states, “Do not greet them when you encounter them!” The hadîth reported by ’Ukailî from Anas ibn Mâlik (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) says, “Do not keep company with them! Do not eat or drink with them! Do not intermarry with them!”[1]
The hadîth ash-sherîf reported by Ibn Hibbân says, “Do not perform their funeral prayers! Do not perform salât with them!” The hadîths reported from Ma’âdh (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by ad-Dailamî say, “I am not of them. And they are not of me. Jihâd against them is like jihâd against disbelievers.” The hadîth ash-sherîf which was reported through the ancestral succession of
---------------------------------
[1] This hadîth forbids friendship, eating and marrying with ahl al-bid’a. It is written in Hindiyya and Bahr ar-râiq, “Zindîqs, Bâtînîs, Ibâhîs and all the groups with beliefs that cause kufr are mushriks (polytheists) like idolaters and worshippers of stars. Marriage with such mushriks or intercourse with their females as jâriyas is harâm.”
The above writings conclude that, if the belief of those who do not belong to one of the four madhhabs, i.e. those who are not of Ahl as-Sunna, causes kufr, they become mushriks. Marriage with them and eating the carcass they have slaughtered are harâm. Of them, those whose belief does not cause kufr are ahl al-bid’a, and marriage with them is not harâm; though the nikâh would be sahîh, not with them but with Al as-Sunna should Muslims get married, because living with them and even greeting them are forbidden by hadîths.
Imâm ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh), Husain, Zain al-’Âbidîn ’Alî, Muhammad Bâkir and Imâm Ja’far as-Sâdiq and which was said to Abû Umâma states: “Do not have relation with those in the groups of Qadarî, Murji’î and Khârijî! They will spoil your religion. They betray as did the Jews and Christians.” The hadîth reported from Anas ibn Mâlik (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Ibn Asâkir states, “When you meet the man of bid’a, treat him harshly! Allâhu ta’âlâ is hostile to all men of bid’a. None of them will be able to pass the Sirât bridge; they will fall in Hell fire.” The hadîth reported from Hadrat ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Abu Dâwûd and Hâkim says, “Do not be in company with people of the Qadariyya group! Do not consult them your affairs.” The hadîth reported from ’Abdullâh ibn Mas’ûd (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Dâwûd, at-Tirmidhî and Ibn Mâja and from Abû Mûsâ ’l-Ash’arî (rahmatullâhu ’alaihim) by at-Tabarânî says,
“The Sons of Isrâ’il committed sins. Their scholars advised them; they did not listen. Their scholars later talked with them. They ate and drank together. Allâhu ta’âlâ introduced enmity among them; He condemned them through the mouths of Dâwûd (’alaihi ’s-salâm) and ’Îsâ (’alaihi ’s-salâm).”
At-Tirmidhî, Abu Dâwûd and Ibn Mâja reported from Nafi’ that a man conveyed someone’s salâm to ’Abdullah ibn ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ), who said, ‘I have heard that he has become a man of bid’a. If he is so, do not take my salâm to him.” Hasan al-Basrî and Muhammad ibn Sîrîn said, “Do not come together with men of bid’a.” Ayyûb as-Sahtiyânî said, “I and Talaq ibn Habîb were sitting together. Sa’îd ibn Jubair, passing by, said to me, ‘Do not sit with him! He is a man of bid’a.’ ” As Asmâ ibn Ubaid told, two men of bid’a came to ’Alî Sîrîn and said that they wanted to ask him about a hadîth; “No, don’t ask,” he said. When they said that they will ask him about an âyat, he said, “No! Get out of here or I will go!” The two men left. Those who were there said,
“What if you spoke on an âyat from al-Qur’ân al-kerîm?” He replied, “I feared that they would read the âyat after altering it and that this alteration might make place in my heart.” Salâm ibn Abî Muti’ told that, when a man of bid’a said to Ayyûb that he would ask him a word, he said, “I wouldn’t listen even a half word from you.” Someone asked something to Sa’îd ibn Jubair, who gave no answer; when the reason was asked, he said, “He is a man of bid’a, so shouldn’t be talked with.” Abû Ja’far
Muhammad Bâkir said, “Do not stay near those who dispute. They give meanings to âyats as they wish.” In the explanation of Mishkât, Imâm Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Makkî comments on ’Abdullah ibn ’Umar’s (radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ) saying, “Do not say my salâm to...” and adds, “Because, we are ordered to keep away from men of bid’a.” In the explanation of the hadîth, “Do not be in company with people of the Qadariyya group,” in the book Mirkat, it is said, “Because, keeping company of enemies leads one to ruin and disaster.” It is written in the book Shir’at al-Islâm that Salaf as-Sâlihîn did not get close to men of bid’a since a hadîth said, “Do not stay with men of bid’a! Their vices are as contagious as scabies.” Another hadîth says, “Do not greet people of the Qadariyya group! Do not visit their sick people! Do not attend their funeral! Do not listen to their words! Give them answer sternly! Humiliate them!” Another hadîth says, “Allâhu ta’âlâ fills with îmân the heart of him who gives stern answer to the man of bid’a; He protects him against terrible things. One who disesteems the man of bid’a will be saved by Allâhu ta’âlâ against the fears of Resurrection.” It is written
in the book Irshâd as-sârî sharhu sahîh al-Bukhârî that, unless it is understood that a man of bid’a has vowed for repentance, it is necessary to keep away from him.
I, the poor slave [that is, Ahmad Ridâ Khân], am preparing a booklet on this subject now. With documents from al-Qur’ân al-kerîm and hadîths, I explain the necessity of keeping away from the men of bid’a and treating them severely. I additionally give the comments of the ’ulamâ’. This work will be the light for the eyes, and the remedy for the hearts.
While the harms of being together with men of bid’a are that many, it should be estimated how much worse the harms of loving and praising them are. A hadîth says, “One is with those whom one loves.” Another hadîth quoted by Imâm ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) and others, says, “I swear that Allâhu ta’âlâ will resurrect a person with those whom he loves.” The hadîth reported by at-Tabarânî says, “Allâhu ta’âlâ will resurrect a person among those whom he loves.” A hadîth reported from Abû Huraira (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) by Abû Dâwûd and at-Tirmidhî says, “Man’s religion is similar to his friend’s religion. Everybody should be mindful of the company they keep!” Extensive explanation about the foregoing hadîths is given in my book Fîh an-Nasrîn bi jawâbi
The aim of Nadwat al-’ulamâ’ is the same as that of the damned Satan. They endeavour to misguide Muslims with little knowledge from the right path. They introduce a new religion with their statement, “It is fard to unite Muslims.” Their saying, “Their ’ibâdât will not be accepted. They will not attain blessings and happiness,” is a slander against Allâhu ta’âlâ. Their words, “Dispute with and hostility towards men of bid’a are sinful. This sin will not be forgiven. Pardon of it is impossible,” show that they have dissented from the right path of Ahl as-Sunna wa ’l-Jamâ’a and that they deny the âyats which say, “Allâhu ta’âlâ forgives all the sins but shirk of whomever He wishes,” and “Allâhu ta’âlâ certainly forgives all sins.” Their saying, “Pardon of this sin is impossible,” shows that they deny these âyats. Also, they misinterpret the hadîth, “Allâhu ta’âlâ’s slaves! Be (one another’s) brothers!” This hadîth’s meaning, as reported in Umdat al-Kari and other books, is, ‘Do the things that will help you become brothers of one another.’ Accordingly, in order for the men of bid’a to become brothers to the Muslims of the right path, they should give up their bid’as and accept the Sunna. Their calling Muslims of Ahl as-Sunna to become brothers for themselves despite their persisting in committing their bid’as is a blatant heresy and an ugly deceit.[1]
---------------------------------
[1] The Arabic work Fatâwâ ’l-Haramain, from which the foregoing ten fatwâs are translated, has been reproduced in by offset process in Istanbul. The author, Ahmad Ridâ Khân Barilawî, passed away in India in