بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

بحث لدكتور طارق عبدالحليم

بعنوان ((The Miserable Split and the Takfeer issue))

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وبعد

(1) The Miserable split

There is no doubt in my mind that the situation that has evolved in our Ummah, is greatly

caused by the relationship between scholars and the commoners of the people of Islam.

Throughout history, it has been a fact that scholars are the protectors of the Ummah, both the

commoners and the political leadership. They lead it intellectually and keep it from going

astray. This has been the case throughout our great times as a victorious Ummah.

However, history has always shown that this relationship is in a constant descending change.

This relationship started very strongly at the time of the companions. However, with time and

distance from the center of the Islamic Sunni Empire, it became fainter and weaker. Scholars

have always, and will still be, the force behind preserving the identity and the power of the

Sunni Ummah.

The equation has changed, as the commoners and ignorant increased in number, and scholars

decreased. In addition, it kept going down, scholars to commoners and ignorant ratio, until it

reached rock bottom, in our time. That was a fulfilment of the Prophet PBUH in Al-Boukhari

hadith “Knowledge will not be forcefully taken away from the hearts of scholars. Rather, Allah

swt will take knowledge away by disappearance of scholars, until the time where no scholar is

available. At that time, commoners will choose ignorant (as their leaders). The ignorant will be

asked (about fatwas), and they will give fatwa without knowledge, so, they will go astray and

make the other commoners astray”.

Whatever we, the Ummah, is going presently through is part of our march into our historical

existence, which follows the exact pattern of all other nations. This is, again a fulfilment of the

agreed upon hadith of the Prophet PBUH “You (Ummah) will follow other nations step by step,

hand by hand, to the point where if they go into a lizard’s hide, you will be following them

there”. Scholars have always interpreted this as the Ummah following in Bidaa and social life. I,

rather, would see it as the Ummah following the historical and social patterns that other

nations have gone through, which Allah swt call “Al-Sunnan” or Universal Laws.

What the Ummah is suffering today, going through this sad march, has gone too deep and too

far, after what has been called “The Arabic Spring”, and specifically after the events of Jihad in

Syria and Iraq. Scholars have become very scarce. Ignorance has grown to an all-time new low

standard. The emergence of the new sect of Al-Khawarij Al-Haroriyah Al-Awadiyah has enlarged

the gap between the commoners and whatever is leftover of scholars.

The nature of human psychology works in a way, where it has to be following some entity in it’s

believes. The astray sect realized that no scholar would agree to its innovation (Bidaa), or

support it. They realized that they have to offer the commoners a substitute to the scholars,

which cannot be from amongst themselves, as they have none. They gave the commoners the

best substitute, their own self to follow! Their own desires (Hawa). The leads of Awadiyah

implanted the idea that Deen and Aqidah is simple and needs no scholar to follow. It is there, in

the Quran and Sunnah in black and white! They say “scholars are just human and so are we!”

and “we do not worship humans”. These are true statements, which are meant to diverge the

truth. True scholars are just human, as everyone else, but they are human with knowledge, and

that is why Allah has separated them in Quran. Allah swt “Scholars are the ones that amongst

His slaves are truly fear Him”. As such, of course, we all do not worship humans, but equally we

should not worship ourselves. Allah swt said, “Have you seen such a one as takes as his God his

own vain desire”AlJathyah23. Therefore, they just substituted Allah with their own bad desires.

Therefore, the Gap between scholars and the commoners widened, creating more ignorance.

However, sadly, the ignorant are not only the heads, as mentioned in the hadith; they are also

the commoners who have installed themselves as heads and leaders.

(2) The Commoners and the issue of Takfeer

It is time to examine one of the issues, which has manifested itself clearly and loudly because of

the gap between scholars and commoners, the “Takfeer” issue, which has been confused by

many whether it is Aqidah issue or Fiqh issue.

The point we have mentioned is of utmost importance. Looking at the “Takfeer” issue as solely

“Aqidah” related puts it in a completely different perspective than considering it as “Fiqh”

issue. That is because in Aqidah it is an obligatory for each Muslim to know in general terms,

rather in its details and specifics.

Actually, “Takfeer” issue is related to both Aqidah and Fiqh in different capacities. It is related

to Aqidah in its general and absolute terms, and is related to Fiqh in its details and specifics.

 Scholars has to set the boundaries of the Aqidah part of Takfeer issue. Commoners have no

part of it, except to believe what has been set forth, preferably with knowing the proofs from

Quran and correct hadith. Of course, this comes second to a Muslim studies Tawheed and know

its boundaries. Such boundaries include believing that no Muslim is immune against Kufr

(Riddah), just because he/she pronounced the Shehadah. Muslims should believe that some

sayings and actions could take them right out of the fold of Islam. Many Scholars have stated

and explained such sayings and actions, in its general and absolute sense.

For instance, Allah SWT says “and he amongst you that turns to them is of them”Al-Maidah51. This

dictates, in general term, that those who side up or make Wa’laa with the non-Muslims

considered one of them. This basic understanding is necessary for the commoner to believe.

Scholars solely determine the types and ways that falls into the categorization of Wa’laa.

In another example, Allah swt says, “If you invoke them, they will not listen to your call, and if

they were to listen, they cannot answer your (prayer). On the Day of Judgment, they will reject

your Partnership. And none (O man) can tell you (the Truth) like the one Who is Acquainted

with all things”fater14. This dictates that making Du’aa to anyone other than Allah swt is doing

(Shirk). Specifics and application of that, without seeking the knowledge of scholars, is beyond

the scope of which commoners.

In a third example, Allah swt says, “If any one does fail to judge by what Allah has revealed,

they are indeed unbelievers”Al-Maidah44. This clearly states that those who make parallel laws to

rule by and leave the laws of Allah swt aside are true non-believers (Kufaar). Ways and types of

these judiciary issues are, again, solely to the scholars to explain and apply.

Those issues, and some related others, are necessary for Muslims to realize as part of Tawheed,

and its nullifications. A commoner who steps to give an “opinion” on such issues is a

transgressor on the boundaries of knowledge and an aggressor to Allah’s swt authority.

The Fiqh of this issue (Takfeer) is related to the specifics and details of the generalities, which

we have mentioned. It is, however, a sole property of the scholars to determine the types, ways

and applications of the general Aqidah matter related to Tawheed as stated before. The

application, in particular is what comprises Fiqh. For a person to determine whether a Muslim

has committed a wa’laa to non-believers, and hence, committed Riddah, and to be sentenced

to death is not to be made by a commoner nor by a student of Ilm. It is up to a scholar who is

proven knowledgeable, honest, straightforward and non-biased. The matter, as big as shedding

blood of a Muslim who is accused of treason to Islam (Riddah) with no knowledge to support

the Fatwa, is an aggression. We are not going to get into details of such rules and laws that a

Judge should be considering here, as it is beyond the scope of this article.  However, we have to

stress the point that sentencing a Muslim to death by pronouncing him/her as Murtadd is not a

matter of making a claim by commoners or immature Fiqh students, and then kill the person by

so-called fighters. Those should better described as criminal executioners rather than Jihadi

fighters.

To validate our position we go back to our history, before the miserable gap happened, we go

back to the early times, where commoners, even early Haroriyah used to resort to the scholars

and people of knowledge for such matters of Fiqh. It was for that Fiqh which the Prophet PBUH

has asked Allah to give Abdullah Ibn Abbas. All Haroriyah commoners, rather ironically, claim

that they are entitled to that sort of Fiqh.

The blessed 23 years of Prophet Hood of life of the Prophet PBUH, was dedicated to explain the

“Fiqh” of the revelation (Quran), to his companions, in all aspects of life. He PBUH has shown

specifics, details, partials, and exceptions. The companions and Scholars carried it over, text and

application, to their followers and followers of the followers. This is how Fiqh started and

continued.

It was reported that people have come to Ibn Abbas to ask him about the Ayat of Al-Ma’idah

44. Knowing their intention of making such a question, he gave them the appropriate

application, not a Tafseer, specific to that situation, which was whether the rulers of Umaiat

khilafah are Kufaar or not. Abi Mijlez, the trusted companion, ,was asked the same question by

a faction of the Haroriyah Ibadiyah, from his own tribe (Sadous), and gave the same answer to

the effect that those rulers were not legislating their application of sins, they merely doing

them knowing that they are sinners1. The point here is that they all went back to the scholars of

their time to get the specifics of such issues, from its Fiqh perspective, where the Takfeer issue

belongs. Rules of Takfeer are normally found, in general terms, in the “Riddah” chapters of Fiqh

books.

Details and specifics of each case of Wa’laa or Ruling with Shariat, or any other Aqidah related

matters cannot be contained in a book or sayings of a scholar. The Fatwa actually keeps

changing with each situation. Generalities can never give a specific fatwa unless a scholar is

making it, especially when killing a human is involved.

Having said that, we have to note that the sect al-Haroriyah Al-Awadiyah are bad resemblance

of the early Haroriyah. They diverged Jihad from the Rafidah and Nusayriyah of Bashar to

horrible massacres of Sunni Mujahedeen and the false pretense that they are Murtadoon! They

used the tactic of “character assassination”, together with physical assassination, with resected

and accepted scholars of our time to pass their Khilafah fraud. It is the obligation of all Muslims

to expose their falsehood and take them down as directed by the prophet PBUH.

Dr Tariq Abdelhaleem