Questioner:
Recently an article has been spread between some websites, in which you mentioned the repentance of Yaḥyá al-Ḥajūrī and that he arrived to Makkah to repent. So what is your advice [with regards to it]?
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥī al-Dīn
All praise is due to Allāh, and may the peace and salutations of Allāh be upon His Messenger, his household, his companions and whomsoever follows their guidance.
Firstly, it is binding to understand that Allāh ﷻ is happy with the repentance of His servant, happier than one who loses his camel in a waterless desert [after finding it], as has been narrated in the ḥadīth. When some of the brothers informed me of the arrival of Yaḥyá al-Ḥajūrī to Makkah, I became happy and said – perhaps he will repent or perhaps he has repented from the numerous academic and manḥāj mistakes that have occurred from him, or from the wicked statements that have appeared in his speech – [statements] that a servant would be shy to utter. So I said – perhaps he has repented from this, and all praise is due to Allāh, we became happy with this. [Since] the Prophet ﷺ said “Do not help the Shayṭān over your brother”. However, if he remains persistent upon his ways – I ask Allāh ﷻ to guide him. Let it not be understood from my speech that I blame Shaykh Rabīʿ [for not accommodating, Yaḥyá], this is incorrect, as some brothers have said to me “It is as if you are blaming Shaykh Rabīʿ”. No this is not what I say. Rather, I became happy with this affair and I said – perhaps he has repented and humbled himself before Allāh, and he is seeking forgiveness and changing his mannerisms and ways. This is what is to be understood correctly.
As for this man to increase his stubbornness and repetition of errors which have appeared from him, whether it is directed at the companions or other than them, or his wicked statements wherein he abuses and insults; then we ask Allah to rectify him, and to guide his heart, and to correct his tongue so he doesn’t speak except with good. This is what I intended, and I never intended that Rabīʿ was incorrect in rejecting him, this is something else. If he was to come to me and speak to me I would say “O’ servant of Allāh, repent to Allāh.” I do not know him even by face.
Rather I hear that he is with us on the Salafī manḥāj [1] – praise is due to Allāh, this is what is correct. and some errors occurred from him – do you understand? – and we ask Allāh to pardon and forgive us, we all err and we ask Allāh ﷻ to accept our repentance. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every son of Ādam commits sin, and the best of sinners are those who repent.” I ask Allāh to favour us and him with repentance, and all praise is for Allāh ﷻ who saved us from that which has afflicted him, from these wicked statements. [Possessing] upright mannerisms is a good thing, and he should have lofty mannerisms and good character, and he should adorn himself with the mannerisms of the Prophets and Messengers ﷺ [since] the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. [Yaḥyá] should carry the inheritance of the Prophet in his heart.
Questioner:
O’ Shaykh, do you allow the spreading of this recording?
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥī al-Dīn
No problem, as a clarification from us. If Allāh ﷻ wills, it contains good, and perhaps he [Yaḥyá] returns to his senses and repents to Allāh, and Allāh will be pleased and the Messenger said, “Is there one who repents?…” Allāh, the Exalted, – as it has been reported in the ḥadīth – stretches His Hand during the night so that those who commit sins by day may repent. I ask Allāh to accept our repentance and not to delay it.
Questioner:
Āmīn – may Allāh reward you. If you could mention the date?
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥī al-Dīn
Today is 15th Rabīʿ al-Akhir in the year 1435 AH [Saturday 15 February 2014 CE].
[1]: With the advice of listeners, we have improved the translation of this sentence from the initial (unclear) edit. By no means was the intention of DuSunnah to omit or replace anything of the speech. We thank Allāh for allowing us to correct our short-comings in this life before we meet Him.
