Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī:
The ones who forsake (Ahl al-Sunnah) are those who, when they see the ranks (of Ahl al-Sunnah) they oppose the ranks – the two armies engage in battle; the army of imān and the army of bidʿah and shayṭān, (and) he stands trembling and forsakes the allies of ar-Raḥmān. This person who forsakes Ahl al-Sunnah; his danger is great. (The Prophet said): “They (Ahl al-Sunnah) are not harmed by those who forsake them” [Muslim]. He forsakes them at a time when they are in need of support and leaves them in the lurch.
This person who forsakes (Ahl al-Sunnah) only harms himself in reality – you find various types and categories of those who forsake. Sometimes he slanders Ahl al-Sunnah by accusing them of fighting against Islam, and sometimes he slanders them – as you may have heard, and as we have heard, and read; he slanders them by saying: ‘They (the Salafīs) are against the unity of the Muslims, they pose a resistance to the unification of the Muslims”.
This is something we have read recently, is that not the case?! “You (Salafīs) pose an obstruction to the unification of the Muslims” and sometimes he says (things such as), “people (Muslims) are now being slaughtered, and they (the Salafīs) have nothing except refutations upon so-and-so and refutations upon so-and-so”, and sometimes he says “people are going through a matter of major concern and yet he is distributing books of refutations, and he has nothing except this issue and that issue and speaking about people”, and so forth.
From (the likes of) this speech which they talk irrationally with, despite having knowledge, but (in reality) they want the one who hears this and has no background, to talk irrationally about what he knows not, because as the saying goes ‘when (metal) is repeatedly hammered, it eventually becomes pliable, (meaning) if talk is plentiful regarding this, with this tone and on this note, then many of the general Muslims become lenient (influenced), and thus (their) allegiance to the Sunnah and its people and disassociation and hatred for bidʿah and its people are stolen from them.
A person comes to us saying “it is enough for us to be united upon 10% of Islam Mā shā Allāh! What is this 10%?!! Before we enter into unity with you based upon it, clarify it to us, what is it? If he was to explain it to you, (it would be clear that) it has everything except tawḥīd and sunnah. Shirk is prevalent and likewise bidʿah, so no sincerity of religion or strictly following the Prophet, what therefore would we be uniting upon?! Nothing! It would then be the unity of nationalists, ‘Salām to kufr that unites them, and welcome after it to hell fire.’
This is a major calamity. The Muslim does not proceed from this (premise) ever! And for this (reason), the starting point is dealing with them, and refuting them in critical times (as this) is more important than (dealing with) other than them because in reality they ruin the religion from within. They decay the religion from within. So the one who forsakes (Ahl al-Sunnah) with the likes of these methods; even if he says that he is from ʼAhl al-Sunnah (but yet) you see these actions (that contradict his claim) –verily the (illegitimate) child belongs to the bed and for the adulterer is the stone.
Ascription can only be to actions, not to statements and claims, correct or not?! Ascription is to statements or actions? To actions! Those people’s statements are one thing, however their actions are something else completely, contrary to what Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah are upon. Therefore the obligation is – if Ahl al-Sunnah want strength and victory over the enemies (of the Sunnah), they must fortify the abode (fortress) to begin with, and then proceed from that.
As for (if) the fortress they seek protection in is weak, or in it is someone who it is feared might open the door (of the fortress) for the enemy, then how can the eyes of the one taking refuge in this fortress be at ease?! How can his eyes rest?! It is not possible. Because the very moment that he dozes off and falls asleep and is thus negligent, the door will be opened for his demise, then the enemy will enter and suddenly assassinate the Muslims, and the one who opened it is not harmed at all. This is what we have seen in these latter times. A group that forsake (who are) from the children (people) of Ahl al-Sunnah are of two types: a type that talk irrationally with what he knows, but he wants to reach that which I (previously) mentioned to you and that is ‘repeated hammering eventually makes (metal) pliable’ and thus takes with him the majority of the general folk of Ahl al-Sunnah and pulls them to what he wants (for them) and then it comes to a point where he hits (fights) you with who?! He hits you, O caller to the Sunnah, with whom?! With the general folk who are (e.g.) your father and my father, your brother and my brother, and your uncle and my uncle, and your grandfather and my grandfather, and your son and my son, and your nephew and my nephew, and so forth.
Those who have no affair with knowledge, they know not of it, however, due to this repeatedly being hammered into them, they have become lenient’. So O brothers, O children of the Sunnah, O callers to the Sunnah, be aware of that!