Questioner:

Some people reject the speech of a scholar of the Sunnah who criticises some of the innovators, and their excuse is that the one who is being criticised has not been spoken about by the rest of the scholars of the Sunnah, so he says: “Where is such [a scholar]? Why have they not spoken? If it was truth they would have followed him!” So is it a condition for the speech about a person and a criticism of him that most of the scholars of the sunnah or all of them have also criticised him? Especially when the one who is criticising has looked at the speech of this innovator upon evidences, by way of his lectures and books.

Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hādī al-Wādiʿī:

YES YES…! O’ brothers, the matter [is that] these people did not learn the terminology of ḥadīth, or they’ve learnt it but they deceive [and play games]! We will tell you a greater example than this. Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥanbal said about a man that he is trustworthy whilst Yaḥyá ibn al-Ma’īn said he is a liar.  So does the speech of Yaḥyá ibn al-Ma’īn harm him, while Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥanbal opposed him? Yaḥyá’s speech is a detailed criticism. He looked at what Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥanbal did not look at. So what? Leave him [the one criticised]! Even if it was only Yaḥyá ibn al-Ma’īn alone who criticised him. And upon this, if one of the scholars from the scholars of this time came with the clearest of proofs against the misguidance of Muḥammad al-Ghazālī, or Yūsuf al-Qaradāwī, or the methodology of the Ikhwān al-Muflisīn, we accept it and it is obligatory to accept it!

۞ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ

“O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.” (Q 46:6).

So if a trustworthy person comes we accept [him], as is understood from the verse. If a trustworthy person comes we accept [him] – so where are you in regards to this verse which proves that if a just person comes with news then we accept it? And if an evil person comes with news then we verify it? So the important factor is, these deceitful people have opposed our scholars both past and present. I praise Allah ﷻ people do not trust you, O’ you deranged one! Neither do they trust your speech. Some visitors visited us from France, so I said to one of them “What is the ruling on elections?” He said “They are polytheistic” . I said to him: “Who told you this?”  He said “We heard it from one of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān’s (Shaykh Muqbil) tapes that they are polytheistic”. So the people are as Abū Muḥammad ibn Ḥazm said: “The blind follower is like the one who is drowning, he will cling onto anything even if its moss, so they are pitiful, their matter is as it was said: “Kill me with Mālik, and kill Mālik with me”.

And I say to you [innovators]…

Allah ﷻ takes revenge on behalf of those who are close to Him, and He is the one who gives vision to the people, and He is the one who exposes your scandals, as for us then we have become incapable of treating your deception, however we will not leave you, if Allah ﷻ wills.