Table Of ContentPrinciples in Times of Fitan Page- 1
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Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 2
ﻢِﻴﺣِﺮﱠﻟا ﻦِ ٰـَﲪْ ﺮﱠﻟا ﻪِـﱠﻠﻟا ﻢِﺴْ ِﺑ
A Reminder of Important Firmly
Established Principles in Times of Fitan1
Shaykh Al-Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-Madkhalī
(Allāh preserve him)
What follows are some firmly established Salafī
principles which may at times slip our minds especially
in times of Fitan. Throughout this article, statements of
various scholars have been mentioned concerning these
very important principles. The virtuous Shaykh, Al-
Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-Madkhalī (Allāh preserve
him) has been oft-quoted in this article firstly due to his
high position in knowledge and secondly because some
of those who love this great scholar might –
intentionally or unintentionally – oppose these
principles, so hopefully the statements of the Shaykh
1 The origin of this work is an article entitled “Awkal Junan fi At-Tadhkīr bi Muhimmāt Ath-Thawābit
Zaman Al-Fitan” written by the brother ʿAbdrabbuh Al-Faransī. The article was checked and approved by
Shaykh Muḥammad bin Hādī Al-Madkhalī (Allāh preserve him).
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 3
himself will be further reaching and more readily
accepted.
The Truth is More Worthy of Being Followed
Ø
The virtuous Shaykh, Al-Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-
Madkhalī (Allāh preserve him) said, "The one seeking
the truth is not averted from following the truth nor (is
he averted) from (adhering to) justice and fairness by
the admiration and respect for big personalities, for
indeed the truth is more worthy of being followed.
And it is not permissible to drop and leave the
evidence due to this or that important person. So, the
basis of every just Muslim seeking the truth should
always be 'Produce your proof if you are truthful'".2
The Truth is Not Known by Way of Men
Ø
The virtuous Shaykh, Al-Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-
Madkhalī (Allāh preserve him), “The truth is not
2 ﮫﻟﻮﺣ تﺎﮭﺒﺸﻟا ﺾﺣد و ﺢﯿﺤﺼﻟا ﮫﺑﺎﺘﻛ ﺐﯿﺗﺮﺗ ﻲﻓ ﻢﻠﺴﻣ مﺎﻣﻹا ﺞﮭﻨﻣ p. 89
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 4
known by way of men, meaning that you make one
man your only channel and that you make him the
scale and the criterion for the truth. So whatever he
says is the truth [and] whatever he does not say is
falsehood. Whatever he rejects is falsehood even
though it may be the truth and whatever he accepts is
the truth even though it may be falsehood! Therefore
we do not know the truth by way of men. Rather,
we only know men by way of the truth.”3
Everyone's Statement can be Accepted or Rejected
Ø
Except the Prophet (ﷺ)
The virtuous Shaykh, Al-Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-
Madkhalī (Allāh preserve him) said, “Everyone’s
statement can be accepted or rejected. Not every
statement an individual makes is accepted nor is every
statement he makes rejected! No! Ash-Shāfiʿī, Aḥmed
and Mālik, their statements can be accepted or rejected
and likewise Ath-Thawrī and Al-Awzāʿī. Their
3 ﻲﻠﺧﺪﻤﻟا يدﺎھ ﻦﺑا ﻊﯿﺑر ﺔﻣﻼﻌﻟا ﺐﺘﻛ ﻦﻣ ﺔﺟﺮﺨﺘﺴﻣ ﺔﻋﺎﻤﺠﻟاو ﺔﻨﺴﻟا ﻞھأ تاﺰﯿﻤﻣ و لﻮﺻأ p. 196
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 5
statements can be accepted or rejected because they
are not infallible. Ibn Taymiyyah said, ‘Infallibility is
for the Prophets. As for the Siddiqūn, the martyrs, the
righteous and all the Imāms, then they will no doubt
make mistakes’”.4
The Shaykh (Allāh preserve him) also said:
As for Shaykh-ul-Islām ibn Taymiyyah (Allāh have
mercy on him), then he is from the greatest of our
Imāms. He has made great Jihād in aiding Islām and
the Sunnah. Only a few have ever been able to match
him in this Jihād. He has strongly criticised the Sūfīs
in a number of his books such as 'Al-Furqān', 'Al-
Furqān baynal Ḥaqq wal Bāṭil' and 'Ar-Radd ʿala Ahl
Waḥdatil Wujūd'. Likewise he has tremendous books
refuting the Ashāʿirah, the philosophers, the Jews, the
Christians and the Rāfiḍah. His major students like Ibn
4 "ﺮﯿﯿﻌﺘﻟا و ﺔﺤﯿﺼﻨﻟا ﻦﯿﺑ قﺮﻔﻟا" ﺐﺟر ﻦﺑا بﺎﺘﻛ ﻰﻠﻋ ﻖﯿﻠﻌﺗ – ﻲﻋﺮﺷ ﺞﮭﻨﻣ ﺪﻘﻨﻟا p. 9
[http://www.rabee.net/ar/books.php?cat=5&id=82]
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 6
Al-Qayyim and Ibn ʿAbdul-Hādī have refutations on
the people of innovation especially the Sūfīs.
In spite of their great status and their tremendous
Jihād, we deal with their statements in light of the
golden principle which the Salaf have established and
at the head of them is Imām Mālik: "Everyone's
statement can be accepted or rejected except the
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)". We deal with their
statements in accordance with the saying of Shaykh-
ul- Islām (Allāh have mercy on him): "The statements
of men need to be supported with proofs (in order to
be accepted) and their statements in themselves are
not a proof". [We deal with their statements in
accordance with] his (Ibn Taymiyyah) saying: "Since
the Ummah has agreed upon [the fact] that if Mālik,
Al-Awzāʿī, Ath-Thawrī and Abū Ḥanīfah were to
differ, it is not permissible to say that the statement of
one of them is correct as opposed to the statement of
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 7
the others except with evidence" (Majmūʿ Al-Fatāwa,
20/585).
We do not deal with them (Imāms & scholars) like the
fanatics from the people of desires do in that we
accept everything they say nor do we deal with them
using the Sūfī principle: "Be with your Shaykh just as
the dead person is in front of the one washing him"
nor using the principle: "Do not oppose, in case you
are pushed away and rejected".
Instead, we only accept from them that which is
founded on evidence and supported by clear proofs.
And if this is not the case or there is something which
contains a mistake or weakness, then we do not accept
it. Rather we reject it while continuing to respect and
honour them (Imāms & scholars) and while believing
that they are Imāms and Mujtahids just like the other
scholars of Ijtihād; the one who is correct receives two
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 8
rewards and the one who is wrong receives one
reward.5
Ibn Al-Jawzī (Allāh have mercy on him) mentioned
that a man said to Imām Aḥmed (Allāh have mercy on
him), "Ibn Al-Mubārak says such-and-such".
So he (Imām Aḥmed) said, "Ibn Al-Mubārak did not
descend from the heavens".6
The Crucial Factor is the Evidence
Ø
The virtuous Shaykh, Al-Allāmah Rabīʿ bin Hādī Al-
Madkhalī (Allāh preserve him) said, "Upon you is to
examine the evidence and to accept it as has (always)
been done by the scholars and the truthful ones
seeking the truth. And it is not permissible for you to
oppose the scholars who have made a judgment upon
5 ﺔﻋﺎﻤﺠﻟا و ﺔﻨﺴﻟا ﻞھأ ﻦﻣ ﺔﯿﻓﻮﺼﻟا نأ و (ﺪﯿﺣﻮﺘﻟا ﻦﯿﻋ) ﻮھ (فﻮﺼﺘﻟا) نأ ئرﺎﻘﻟا ﺰﯾﺰﻌﻟا ﺪﺒﻋ ىﻮﻋد لﺎﻄﺑإ
(ﺔﯿﻧﺎﺜﻟا ﺔﻘﻠﺤﻟا) pp. 11-12. [http://www.rabee.net/ar/articles.php?cat=8&id=134]
6 Talbīs Iblīs, p. 126
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 9
an individual by way of clear proofs and decisive
evidence".7
The Shaykh (Allāh preserve him) also said:
If a scholar issues a Fatwa and mentions the evidence
with it, then it is obligatory to follow him even if all
the people were to oppose him. [You must follow
him] because he has the proofs, whereas the others do
not have any evidence and their Fatāwa and their
stances are in opposition to the proofs. So whoever
has the evidence and whoever is upon the truth,
then it is obligatory to follow the truth that is with
him or with this scholar who guides to what is
correct.
From the present-day calamities in these Fitan – even
affecting some of the Salafīs – is that they hold on to
“So-and-so said and so-and-so said” even if the proofs
7 19 ﺔﯿﺷﺎﺤﻟا ،"ﻰﻟوﻷا ﺔﻘﻠﺤﻟا - ﺪﯾﺪﺴﻟا ﻖﯿﻘﺤﺘﻟا" و "ﺔﻨﺳﻷا عاﺮﺷإ" ـﺑ هﺎﻤﺳ ﺎﻤﯿﻓ ﺢﻟﺎﻓ ىوَﺎﻋَ َد لﺎﻄﺑإ ﻲﻓ ﺪﯿﺷﺮﻟا ﺖﺑﺎﺜﻟا ﺞﮭﻨﻟا
[http://www.rabee.net/ar/articles.php?cat=8&id=168]
Principles in Times of Fitan Page- 10
