Questioner:

Shaykh, like the trial of al-Ḥajūrī, these brothers don’t manifest their true stance. As for the beginners; they say to them that al-Ḥajūrī hasn’t got mistakes, the scholars have wronged him etc. However, when they are with the brothers that are more aware of these issues; they show them that they’re with the scholars.

Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī:

That’s a lie and it is being two faced. This is a two faced approach in the religion of Allah ﷻ, this isn’t from the method of weighing out the harms and benefits. If he has held back from speaking against a person with this beginner until he has reached a time where he understands and comprehends these matters then he speaks; this makes more sense. But to come to this with one face and to that with another face then this is hypocrisy- we ask Allah for goodness and security- and this is being two faced. This is the two faced.  The likes of this person should be advised, if he rectifies then good, if not then he is one of them because his harm on the people is more harmful than the one of the clear opposer.

As for the statement that the scholars have wronged him, this is a different topic. As for us including those who spoke before us, we didn’t speak except with regards to what we heard. Enough was enough. The slander and abuse of the scholars, students of knowledge and callers to Salafīyyah who we know; whether inside or outside of Yemen. Poetries are composed and presented to him then he congratulates them, also, sometimes he frankly admits that he asked for them to be composed for reading etc. Those who are saying these poems and writing them, as we’ve seen the writings of some of them, they’re from amongst those who are known to him and are famous on their website. They haven’t left anyone of the Salafīs; whether inside of Yemen (from what we know) or outside it. All of these are trials.

I’ve seen a writing of an individual named ‘al-Siwārī’ -on a website- one of our brothers presented to me, it’s called… I forgot the name of the writing… (Someone shouts “The clearest of saying!”)… Shaykh continues… “The clearest of sayings for the reasons why the scholars have reached this condition” or something along those lines. So I said this should be called “The worst of saying in the slandering of the scholars in the ugliest strife”. He hasn’t left anything except that he has slandered it including the scholars, carriers of the daʿwah from the students of Shaykh Muqbil in Yemen, they weren’t safe from him and he remembered (included) me. This owner or author of the writing, this al-Siwārī; he is an ignoramus liar- and I’ve said this before- he’s an ignoramus with compound ignorance and a liar. He reminded me of the saying that they use in the jokes “I arrived at Yemen and I have not found the best therein except me”. There’s no Salafī in Yemen except them, this al-Siwārī and the likes of him. So we seek refuge in Allah ﷻ from this misguidance and deviance. He’s an ignoramus a compounded ignorance and the likes of him should be told “leave off writing, as you’re not for it even if you covered your face with ink”, also, what applies to him and his likes “The donkey of the Hakīm said if they were fair with me then I would’ve boarded them because I am ignorant a simple ignorance, and my owners’ ignorance is compound”. This person is an ignoramus with a compounded ignorance; as the likes of these; they are destroying the daʿwah of Shaykh Muqbil. I’ve said this before, if Shaykh Yaḥyá is congratulating them this is an indication of his participation with them in the wrong-doing, because the one who remains silent upon an evil is a partner of the doer. So how about if he supports him with explicit statements? and some of the writings of this ignoramus liar al-Siwārī say “it has been read by our Shaykh al-ʿAllāma Yaḥyá Al-Hajūrī” or “he affirmed it” or similar to this . So if that’s the case then they’re both alike, (al-Siwārī & Yaḥyá) partners. An old piece of poetry says,

“And block your hearing from hearing hideousness, just like maintaining the tongue from uttering it. As due to you hearing of the hideousness, you become a partner of the one who utters it, so beware”.

So if by merely hearing and remaining silent about it you become a partner, how about if you affirm it, encourage it, supplicate for its owner and state clearly that your are the one who requested for these poems to be composed? then no doubt that this is evil also bad, at the time of Shaykh Muqbil may Allah have mercy on him  the centre wasn’t like this. This centre was built and established for calling the people to the sunnah, teaching the sunnah including spreading the sunnah. Not for reviling the scholars of the sunnah, slandering them and speaking ill of them. And if differences occur then these differences are to be dealt with in the right manner. If Allah ﷻ hasn’t decreed an agreement to be reached then there’s no objection if the person opens a centre or this one opens a masjid or this one opens a school to teach therein. This is good and the increasing of good is good. What’s the objection (to this) and it doesn’t mean that whoever opens a school or a circle in the masjid then he’ll be a fighter against you or the centre, but had we seen that he’s a fighter against the centre then we would’ve stood beside you O’ Yahyá (Hajūrī); assisting you against him and his likes. We ask Allah ﷻ, for us and you, security and goodness.

So this individual and his likes are without a doubt harming the Daʿwah. I said before the Ḥajj that the Daʿwah of Shaykh Muqbil has suffered from injustice and oppression, for it to be restricted to one man. There’s none in Yemen except one man! the students of Shaykh Muqbil have filled Yemen and other than Yemen from them those who’ve studied with him and returned and Allah ﷻ has benefited them by this man and his teaching- may Allah have mercy upon him- and now restricting all of it to Yaḥyá Al-Hajūrī! this means that the Shaykh only had one student and this is not true. So it’s upon the brothers to know that knowledge and knowledge based refutation is one thing, refuting the mistakes, its affirmed by the sharīʿah and the scholars of the sunnah – all praise is for Allah- but as for foolishness, slandering and cursing then this does not please any body. The poet said:

“If you keep on challenging someone who possesses evil manners, then you and the one you challenge are therefore alike.”

So we raise ourselves from the likes of this slandering and cursing and foolishness. Someone might say: I’ve said this, that you (Shaykh Muḥammad) have you not cursed al-Siwārī?  No, I have told you about his situation that he’s a liar and an ignoramus. I’ve clarified the lies and the ignorance, so this isn’t cursing. As for them cursing with them in these poems is done without enumeration or limit. these poems are composed and they’re read out in front of the people and Yaḥyá congratulates it. Difference between this and that, the people of knowledge continue to clarify the ignorance of the ignorant and the lies of the liar especially if he came with lie that is bold- A clear lie-  which shouldn’t be covered. As for me I was hoping  that the likes of these aren’t speaking in the name of Dammāj, but unfortunately Allah ﷻ has decreed something and there’s no stopping what He has ruled in His decision (سبحانه و تعلى); and there’s no overcomer to His ruler ( جل و على). And we ask Allah for guidance, Tawfīq, firmness upon the truth and guidance until we meet him.