Question
Is it permissible to visit scholars from among the people of innovation and desires to obtain chains of transmission for reciting the Noble Qurʾān and for some books on creed (ʿaqīdah) and ḥadīth?
Answer
Shaykh Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī (d. 1435 AH / 2014 CE) ؒ said:
The innovator’s situation is considered. The principle concerning someone who introduces an innovation into Allah’s religion is that the scholars advise him to abandon it. If he abandons his innovation, he is a noble brother: knowledge is taken from him, and he is loved for the sake of Allah . If he persists in his innovation, he is abandoned by the Muslims, who warn people against him.
There can be no consideration or respect for him, because he has introduced into Allah’s religion something that is not part of it. In this respect, he is like a legislator, as though he were making laws alongside Allah . This demonstrates the danger of religious innovation, whether it concerns ʿaqīdah or other aspects of the practised methodology.
Knowledge is not taken from him unless he possesses knowledge unrelated to his particular innovation that people need from him. They should not keep returning to him or lead people to believe that he is among the scholars or those close to Allah . Rather, they should make his situation clear to people.
How do we know about the innovators from the time of the Companions of the Prophet Muḥammad until today? We know about many who became notorious for innovation through what was written about them.
The Khawārij, Rawāfiḍ, Muʿtazilah and Jahmiyyah, who deny Allah’s attributes, became known, as did the Ḥulūliyyah, who believe in Allah’s indwelling in His creation, and the Ittiḥādiyyah, who believe in His union with His creation. We know about these innovations and their leaders through the writings of scholars who championed the truth with sound faith, honesty and sincerity.
Their situation became clear and their deviant beliefs became known. Those whom Allah decreed to be among the saved and aided group, the people of Sunnah, avoided these beliefs. Whoever pays no attention and does not care has wronged himself.
The point is that we warn this questioner against the people of innovation. Whatever knowledge he wishes to seek, he should ask people about the people of Sunnah, take knowledge from them and obtain his chain of transmission from them, so that none of its transmitters are from the people of innovation.
The people of Sunnah abandon the innovator both in life and after death. They explain his innovation while he is alive and continue to explain it after his death. They consider this among the deeds that bring them closer to Allah , and that is the truth.
References
Al-Madkhalī, Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Hādī, answer on obtaining chains of transmission from the people of innovation, translated by Nūr ad-Dīn an-Nīgerī in the existing article.
