Imām Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Khalaf al-Barbahārī (d. 329 AH / 941 CE) ؒ recorded the following statements from Abū ʿAlī al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ (d. 187 AH / 803 CE) ؒ:
من عظم صاحب بدعة فقد أعان على هدم الإسلام، ومن تبسم في وجه مبتدع فقد استخف بما أنزل الله عز وجل على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، ومن زوج كريمته من مبتدع فقد قطع رحمها، ومن تبع جنازة مبتدع لم يزل في سخط من الله حتى يرجع.
“Whoever honours a person of innovation has aided in demolishing Islam. Whoever smiles in the face of an innovator has belittled what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to Muḥammad. Whoever marries his female relative (karīmah) to an innovator has severed his ties with her. Whoever follows an innovator’s funeral procession remains under Allah’s displeasure until he returns.” (Al-Fuḍayl, quoted in Sharḥ as-Sunnah.)
Al-Fuḍayl also said:
ومن جلس إلى صاحب بدعة أورثه الله العمى.
“Whoever sits with a person of innovation, Allah will cause him to inherit blindness.” (Al-Fuḍayl, quoted in Sharḥ as-Sunnah.)
He said:
آكل مع يهودي ونصراني ولا آكل مع مبتدع، وأحب أن يكون بيني وبين صاحب بدعة حصن من حديد.
“I eat with a Jew and a Christian, but not with an innovator. I would love there to be a fortress of iron between me and a person of innovation.” (Al-Fuḍayl, quoted in Sharḥ as-Sunnah.)
He also said:
إذا علم الله من الرجل أنه مبغض لصاحب بدعة غفر له وإن قل عمله، ولا يكون صاحب سنة يمالئ صاحب بدعة إلا نفاقا، ومن أعرض بوجهه عن صاحب بدعة ملأ الله قلبه إيمانا، ومن انتهر صاحب بدعة آمنه الله يوم الفزع الأكبر، ومن أهان صاحب بدعة رفعه الله في الجنة مائة درجة، فلا تكن صاحب بدعة في الله أبدا.
“If Allah knows that a man hates a person of innovation, He will forgive him, even if his deeds are few. A person of Sunnah does not make common cause with a person of innovation except through hypocrisy. Whoever turns his face away from a person of innovation, Allah will fill his heart with faith. Whoever rebukes a person of innovation, Allah will grant him safety on the Day of the Greatest Terror. Whoever humiliates a person of innovation, Allah will raise him one hundred ranks in Paradise. For Allah’s sake, never be a person of innovation.” (Al-Fuḍayl, quoted in Sharḥ as-Sunnah.)
The Explanation
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Fawzān explains:
al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ said “Whoever honours a person of innovation has aided in the demolition of Islam…” this is because innovations oppose Islam. If you were to support a person of innovation then you have aided in the demolition of Islam, since Islam is the Sunnah and the Sunnah is Islam as has proceeded in the earlier passage. It is obligatory upon every individual to avoid honouring the people of innovation, complimenting them or praising them. In this day and age , as you have heard, the disbelievers are complimented, praised and considered to be advanced and civilised people. As for us (Muslims), we are considered uncivilised, backwards, and whatever else they claim! This is from the severest of hypocrisy and Allah’s protection is sought.
His statement “Whoever smiles in the face of an innovator has belittled what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had revealed to Muḥammad….”; the innovator is in opposition to that which Allah has revealed to Muḥammad . If he were to smile in his face with delight then he has acted against that which has been revealed in the Qurʾān and sunnah from abandoning, hating, staying away and not being pleased with them since smiling (with delight) indicates his satisfaction and pleasure for them.
His statement “Whoever marries his karīmah (i.e sister, daughter) to an innovator has cut off ties of relationship with her…” it is an obligation upon anyone who has guardianship – over a daughter, sister or whomsoever he has the ability to give in marriage to choose a righteous & suitable spouse for her as the Messenger of Allah said, in the wording cited by this commentary:
إذا أتاكم من ترضون دينه وأمانته فزوجوه، إلا تفعلوا تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبير.
“If someone comes to you whose religion and trustworthiness you are pleased with, marry your female relative to him. If you do not, there will be tribulation in the land and great corruption.” (Wording quoted by al-Fawzān; compare at-Tirmidhī, no. 1084, and Ibn Mājah, no. 1967.)
Therefore if you do not seek for her someone who is pleasing in his religion and trustworthiness, then it will bring great corruption. If you were to marry her to someone from the people of hypocrisy or innovation, he can cause her to go astray along with him and you would be the reason for that. His statement “Whoever follows the funeral procession of an innovator will not cease to be under the wrath of Allah until he returns.” If they die then do not follow their funeral procession because the wrath and punishment will descend upon them, and you may be afflicted by what befalls them.
al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ said, “Whoever sits with a person of innovation will be blinded…” meaning blinded with regards to insight and the heart.
al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ said, “I would eat with a Jew and a Christian but not with a person of Innovation…” since it is well known that a Jew or Christian is a follower of religion, a religion different from ours, and it is clear he is from the people of the book. As for an innovator then he claims Islam. A Jew or Christian does not claim Islam, it is clearly obvious that he is Christian or Jewish. The problem with those who claim Islam and seem trustworthy is that you would sit with him and he would drag you into wickedness. The danger of this (innovator) is greater than the danger of the enemy whose enmity is apparent.
His statement “I love that there was a fort of iron between me and a person of innovation…” meaning preventing from mixing with him. al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ said, “If Allah (the Mighty and Majestic), knows that a man hates a person of innovation, He will forgive him even if his actions are few…” This is because it is a part of loving and hating for the sake of Allah. Having love for the people of Īmān and having hatred for the enemies of Allah. This is from the fundamental principles of the religion.
His statement “A person of Sunnah does not make common cause with an innovator except through hypocrisy…” if a person of Sunnah makes common cause with a person of innovation, then this is a type of hypocrisy.
His statement “Whoever turns his face away from an innovator, Allah will fill his heart with faith…” since this is from hating for the sake of Allah.
His statement “Whoever rebukes an innovator, Allah will grant him safety on the Day of Great Terror…”; whoever rebukes him by speech and rejects him then Allah will reward him on the Day of Judgement – the day of great terror with a good reward because he rejected evil. However, if he praises and commends him then this is from hypocrisy and befriending the enemies of Allah.
His statement “Whoever belittles an innovator, Allah will raise him in Paradise by a hundred ranks…” It is obligatory not to show generosity to the people of innovation by sitting with them, praising them or in any way of dignifying them. It is compulsory to debase them because Allah debases them and this is from loving and hating for the sake of Allah.
His statement “For Allah’s sake, never be a person of innovation…” it is upon you to keep away from innovations and never to tolerate it in order to protect your religion and the Sunnah of your Prophet.
References
Al-Barbahārī, Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Khalaf, Sharḥ as-Sunnah, concluding reports from al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ.
Al-Fawzān, Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān ibn ʿAbd Allah, Itḥāf al-Qārī bi-t-Taʿlīqāt ʿalā Sharḥ as-Sunnah li-l-Imām al-Barbahārī, vol. 2, official electronic text, pages 10–13 of the concluding section vol. 2, pp. 261–264;
Ibn Mājah, Abū ʿAbd Allah Muḥammad ibn Yazīd (d. 273 AH / 887 CE), Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 1967.
At-Tirmidhī, Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā (d. 279 AH / 892 CE), Al-Jāmiʿ, no. 1084; corresponding marriage report. The commentary also cites Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr, As-Sunan, no. 590.
