The Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, was asked: ‘What will you say about someone who said refuting the people of Bid’ah and heresy was never a preoccupation of the Salaf; that it is not proper to spread the book of refutations except within the students of knowledge?’
His Eminence answered: ‘Refuting the people of Bid’ah is a Jihaad in the path of Allaah, and protection of the Shariah from it getting mixed with what is not part of it. Therefore authoring books and spreading them here is a rightful act and a call to the truth, and a Jihaad in the path of Allaah. Whoever claims that publishing books to refute the people of Bid’ah is new has indeed made a mistake because Allaah the Mighty said: ‘O Prophet, strive against the Kuffaar and the Munaafiqoon; be tough against them.’
Jihaad can be through the hand, the tongue or the wealth. So it is from Jihaad of the Tongue to defend and protect the Shariah from what has been attributed to it in terms of doubts and falsehood, so also is warning from heresies and calling to the truth. This was the reason Al-Imaam Ahmad and others, may Allaah bestow mercy on them all, authored books warning against the heretics. Al-Imaam Ahmad wrote a treatise named: ‘Ar-Radd alaa az-Zanaadiqah [A Refutation of the Heretics] and quashed their doubts therein. So also was Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree, may Allaah be merciful unto him, he wrote a book, Khalq Af’aal Al-Ibaad [The Fact that Deeds of the Slaves Were Created], so also were other scholars of the Deen, they wrote against the heretics and exposed their falsehood by establishing proofs against them. So also was Shaykhul-Islaam [Ibn Taymiyyah], may Allaah bestow mercy on him, in his refutation of the Raafidah [the Shiah] in his popular book, Minhaaj As-Sunnah AN-Nabawiyyah Fee Naqd Kalaam Ash-Shiaah Wal Qadariyyah [The Pathway of the Prophetic Sunnah in Quashing the Statements of the Shia and Deniers of Predestination]; he exposed their falsehood and misguidance in the book.’
Lifted from: Kashf Shubah Ahl ad-Dalaal Wa Kitaab at-Tableegh Fadaail al-‘Aamaal pp. 32-33.
