Questioner:

There is a a caller who claims to be salafī, however, he propagates Islam with the hizbīs (people of partisanship to a group or person) and does not warn against them, instead he warns his students against refutations and says about some of the salafī scholars: “he (salafī scholar) is upon the truth, but his procedure (of advising) is wrong”. This caller also mixes with the hizbīs often so what do you direct us to in that regard?

Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá al-Najmī:

This individual is ignorant, this individual is conceited, this individual is miskīn (in need). This individual is not salafī rather he is serving the interests of the people of falsehood.

The reality of the matter is that refuting is (a form of) enjoining the good and forbidding evil; so it is said to him: ‘what do you say about the statement of Allāh ﷻ

۞ كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You [believers] are the best of nations ever raised up for mankind [because] you enjoin the good (Qurʾān and Sunnah) and forbid the evil, and believe in Allāh”? (Q 3:110).

By virtue of what did they become the best of nations? Is it not due to this characteristic of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and believing in Allāh ﷻ?! Enjoining the good and forbidding evil is based upon having belief in Allāh ﷻ.

So what does having belief in Allāh mean?! It means to have belief in His Book and knowing what is in it of truth and also knowing the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and what is in it of truth, and that you –by way of this truth, invalidate falsehood. This is the response; (and) that you respond to the people of falsehood by refuting their falsehood and clarify the truth regarding what they have erred in.

So can we say that enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is forbidden?! Can we say that the one enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is a corrupter and his procedure is not correct?! Can we say this? ….What is the answer? …. Tell me (addressing the audience)..….You are quiet!

Questioner:

They said: “No. We cannot say that”.

Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá an-Najmī:

It is just that all of them should have said this (i.e. in agreement).

Ok. If we are going to say that the person who enjoins the good and forbids the evil is upon the truth and it is a must that he is supported and aided, then how can we say (at the same time) that refutations are not permissible or they are false or the likes of that?!! We say no! The one who says this, he is in fact the one that is a corrupter.