Compilation of Aboo Aamir Ishaaq bin AbdirRaheem
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
One of the areas people show partisanship is where there is a disagreement among the upright scholars of the Deen over a given issue.
In this area, many people claim to follow the truth but a close look will show that it is rather personalities they follow.
Following personalities in issues is not a path of knowledge.
Students of knowledge ought to be muttabioon (followers of the truth) not muqallidoon (followers of personalities).
Only the masses who don't know where scholars derive their rulings are permitted to just follow any upright scholar they feel is more correct. A student of knowledge will have to go an extra mile, his is not just to feel.
Students of knowledge should try their utmost to follow the proofs. Not just any proofs but the clear and dominant ones.
The truth is what Allaah and His Messenger ï·º say, and what the Companions agreed upon.
So in essence it is not the scholar that is followed but the truth he is presenting via the proofs he is adducing.
الØÙ‚ لا يعر٠بالرجال، اعر٠الØÙ‚ تعر٠رجاله
'The truth is not known via the men rather the men are known via the truth.'
Nobody is above the truth. The truth is ever superior. And all the truth returns to Allaah the Truth.
Therefore there is no absolute obedience to anybody but the Messenger of Allaah ï·º.
Anybody else can be questioned not the Messenger of Allaah ï·º
So learners should always strive to know the truth in matters of differences in the Deen. And when they know it, they must stick to it. They should try to convince those who have not seen it to see it as they have seen it. It is not always easy to force the truth on the people.
Al-Imaam Maalik - rahimahullaah - rejected the offer, by the Khaleefah of the time, that his Muwata'a be made the only corpus after the Qur'aan.
Learners should know that the truth is one not divisible but views about the truth can differ and the same time point to the same thing. This is what is called Ikhtilaaf Tanaawu'ee.
The manners of observing the Prayer of Fear differ based on the different reports yet they point to the same truth - the institution of Prayer of Fear.
Other examples abound.
Learners should know that the scholars' views about the truth may differ from time to time. What a scholar says about an issue today may change tomorrow. The Ai'mah such Al-Imaam Ahmad and Al-Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee - Allaah's mercy on both - used to have multiple sayings on an issue, investigators would say which one came last and how compatible was it to the textual proofs?
So the quest is usually about the truth. It is a continuous search. When you know it, you stay by it. When you see a superior proofs, you surrender to them.
To know the truth, you have to go back to the Usool of the Qur'aan, Tawheed, Sunnah, Fiqh, Hadeeth even Lugha...they are the torchbearers.
This is where the real learning starts not from the 'mighty' issues. So let's always go back to the Usool.
So always watch it, are you really after the truth or personalities? Do you believe such-and-such position on an issue is the truth because there are clear proofs for it or because Shaykh Fulaan or Ustaadh Fulaan said so?
You must always watch that thin line. Don't follow the bandwagon. Don't follow the noisemakers. Just follow the truth.
Ash-Shaykh Rabee al-Madkhalee - hafidhahullaah - said in At-Ta'assub adh-Dhameem (The Blameworthy Partisanship):
Ùيجب على كل مسلم أن ÙŠÙتش Ù†Ùسه Ùقد يميل إنسان إلى صاØب الØÙ‚ لهوى، Ùقبل أن يتبين له الØÙ‚ يتمنى أن يكون Ùلان هو المنتصر بالØجة أو غيرها Ùتميل Ù†Ùسه لأنه Ùلان، ولو كان على الØÙ‚ لا يجوز أن يوجد هذا الميل، Ùيقول: إذا وجد هذا الميل ولو مع صاØب الØÙ‚ يكون من Øكم الجاهلية، وهذا أمر لا يخطر بالبال عند كثير من الناس.
Ùيجب على المسلم أن يراقب الله ÙÙŠ القضايا المختل٠Ùيها، وأن يكون قصده Ùقط معرÙØ© الØÙ‚ سواء مع هذا أو مع ذاك.
ومن هنا يقول الشاÙعي: "إذا دخلت ÙÙŠ مناظرة لا أبالي إذا كان الØÙ‚ مع صاØبي أو معي" Ùلا يبالي ولا يتمنى أن يكون الØÙ‚ معه بل يتمنى أن يكون مع صاØبه وأن تكون النصرة له، هذا هو الخلق العالي وهذا هو الدين المستقيم.
"It is imperative that every Muslim should check himself because one may tilt towards a person on the truth but for a reason of self-desire such that before the truth becomes clear to him he will desire that his (favourite) fellow should dominate with proofs or something else and he will follow him for his personality. Even if that (scholar) is upon the truth, it is not proper for the other person (a student or whoever) to follow him upon that inclination. One can say: If such an inclination is found even towards a person upon the truth then that is from the ruling of Jaahiliyyah. (Sadly however), many people (learners) don't pay attention to this (misstep). It is therefore obligatory on a Muslim to be mindful of Allaah in matters that (scholars) disagree upon. He should desire nothing but the truth whether with this group or that.
It is for this reason Al-Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee - rahimahullaah - said: 'When I enter into a scholarly discussion (with a person), I don't care if the truth is with my opponent or myself.'
Thus he would not care or hope that he was upon the truth rather he would hope that his opponent was upon the truth and that victory was his.
This is a lofty character, and this is the upright Deen."
End of qoute from Mau'sooah Ar-Rasaail of Shaykh Rabee.
May Allaah grant us the proper understanding of His Deen.
Click HERE for part IV.
