HISTORY OF HIZBIYAH AND ITS ROOTS.
The history of Islam in its different times witnessed a lot
of trials and tribulations, especially those who ascribed themselves to Islam
without attesting to the correct meaning of Islam. The affair of which there is
no difference in opinion about is that the foundation of Islam is the
obligation of unity and harmony, and the forbiddance of segregation and
differences, and that what is sought from every Muslim is that they should be
upon the authentic Islam which was sent down to the messenger of Allah SAW and
upon the first generation of Muslims. They were one nation until the Khawaarij[1]
made their appearance, and they labeled the Senior Sahaaba (Companions of the Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be on him)as infidels. Then, the division
persisted until the Rawaafid[2] emerged. The Qadariyyah[3] then emerged, then
the Mu’tazilah[4] and other than them. And the symbols for these groups in
entirety is the abandonment of following the Sahaaba [RA] in their understanding
of the book and the Sunnah[5].
1 Khawaarij: They are the first hizb to manifest in the
history of Islam. Their views caused a political split in the Muslim ummah.
Among their views is their statement: ‘do you make as judges in the religion of
Allah men’? The first to pronounce this statement was Urwah bn Jareer. Then
some of the ignorant reciters took this view along with a group among the Arab
Bedouins, and they killed Uthman bn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him and
others from among the companions of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him and they
say: la hukma illa lillahi{no judgement except for Allah}, that is, none must
judge in religious affairs except Allah.
2 Raafidah (plural: rawaafid): They are those who refused to
accept Zaid bn Ali because Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of
them, appointed him in office and they subdivided in this refusal after that
into groups and numerous parties coming together to abuse the companions and
labeling them infidels. Also, among their traits is their aversion of the
Muslim rulers and the best of generations i.e the early Muslims {Salaf as Saalih},
the companions of the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him.
And among the scholars is one who named the Rawaafid, the
Shee’ah. {Check the book Al-Firaq bayna al-Firaq} by Al-Baghdaadee and Al-Malal
al-Nahl of Al-Shahrastaanee.
3 They are the deniers of Al-Qadar [destiny], and the first
to talk about this denial was Ma’bad Al-Juhanee in Basrah in the later times of
the companions, and Geelaan Ad-Dimashqee. And before both of them was Al-Natabee
Costantine, the Jaathaleeq[in the direction of Shaam] who opposed Umar RA while
he was teaching in Shaam when Umar said “…and whoever Allah misguides, there is
none to guide him aright”. And then Al-Natabee objected and denied destiny and
said: “Verily, Allah does not misguide anyone. Then Umar threatened him with
beheading if he manifested his statement on destiny a second time. Abdullah bn
Muhammad reported it in ‘As-Sunnah.
4 Al-Mu’tazilah: They follow Waasil bn ‘Ataa [died 131AH]
and ‘Amr bn ‘Ubaid [died 141AH] and they were named Al-Mu’tazilah because of
that due to their withdrawal [I’tizal] from the sittings of Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
They have five principles which are: Justice[adl], monotheism[tawheed], promise
and threat {al-wa’d wal-wa’eed}, a station between two stations (they believe
that a sinner who dies as a Muslim is between two stations, that is he is neither
in paradise nor in hell) and commanding good and forbidding evil.
5 I say, you are right O doctor Khaalid may Allah preserve
you from calamities and strife: for verily the symbols of the people of
innovation [bid’ah] and division and hizbiyah in totality, is their abandonment
of the methodology of the pious predecessors in their understanding of the
Qu’ran and Sunnah. So do not be deceived by their du’a [invocations] which
follow the Qu’ran and Sunnah. They follow the Qu’ran and the Sunnah but based
on whose understanding? The understanding of their founders and their judges
and their leaders and not on the understanding of the pious predecessors.
Then as for the Khawaarij, they adhere to the Qu’ran and
Sunnah but with the understanding of their Judges like ‘Urwah bn Jareer and
Al-Ash’ath bn Qais Al-Kindee, and Mus’ar bn Fajeej at-Taymeemee and Abdullah bn Wahb Ar-Raasee, the first one
whom the Khawaarij pledged allegiance to as the Imam over the rule of Zaid bn
Aasim and the Jamaa’ah. And they understand that it is not permissible for men
to judge in the religion of Allah in big matters or small matters taking from
the statement of Allah: “…the judgement is none but for Allah” [6:57, 12:40].
And with this understanding which the Sahaaba [companions] did not understand
as such, they declared majority of the Sahaaba as Kuffaar[infidels] starting
from Imam Ali bn Abee Taalib RA and if was not for Allah through Ibn Abbas i.e. Abdullah bn Abbas, may Allah be pleased
with him, who debated with them and unveiled that which covered them of their
weak understanding of the judgement and other than that from the issues, they
would have been destroyed, those two thousand among them who returned to
Madeenah with Ibn Abbaas from the desert.
Ar-Rawaafid: They adhere to the Qur’an and Sunnah but with
the understanding of their judges from Al-Awbaash and Al-Anjaas from the Majoos
and the Jews, and they speak with takfeer (declaring one an infidel or kaafir) of
the companions of the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, calling them infidels calling to witness what is established in Saheeh Bukharee
number 6585: “O my Lord! My companions and He will say: “verily, you do not
know what they innovated after you, verily, they turned on their backs in
retreat”. However, these companions mentioned are those hypocrites in Medina
who manifested Islam and concealed kufr and were not known to the prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be on him.1
Al-Murjiah: They act on the Qur’an and the Sunnah but based
on the understanding of their judges and they say: the lack of increase of
faith in obedience to Allah and the lack of decrease of faith with sin. 2
1 This narration shows apart from the misguidance of
following the Sunnah without proper understanding of the text but also that the
noble prophet did not know the unseen, nay, he only knew what his Lord, The All
Knowing taught him. M
2 This means, they believe that if a person were to pray,
fast, perform pilgrimage, recite the Qur’an, enjoin good and forbid evil and so
on from among the acts of worship, these would not increase his faith and if he
were to drink alcohol, fornicate, lie, steal, murder, slander his brother and
so on from the acts of sin, these would not reduce his faith. M
And they say none will enter hell as long as he says la ilaaha
illa Allah, calling to witness what is established in Saheeh Bukhaaree no 5827
“none of the slaves say la ilaaha illa Allah” then dies on that except he will
enter paradise.”
Al-Qadariyyah: They act on the Book and the Sunnah but based
on the understanding of their judges from Ma’bad Al-Juhanee from Basrah, Geelan
Ad-Damaashqee and other than them calling to witness what is established in
Saheeh al Bukhaaree no 1385 “every child is born on the natural monotheism [fitrah]
and then his father makes him a Jew or Christian or Magian.
Al-Mu’tazilah: They hold on to the Book and the sunnah but
based on the understanding of their judges like Waasil bn Ataa and Amr bn Ubaid
and other than them and they say about one who falls into a major sin that he
is neither a believer nor a disbeliever but he is in a position between two
positions calling to witness what is established in Saheeh Bukhaaree no 6016:
“By Allah he does not believe. By Allah he does not believe. It was said, “Who,
O Messenger of Allah? He said, the one who his neighbor is not safe from his
mischief”. Is he a disbeliever? They say, the messenger only negated faith from
him and the messenger SAW did not establish for him kufr[disbelief]. And I say,
look into the futile philosophy which afflicted the Mu’tazilah when they
established for Allah the name but not the attribute so they said about Allah,
may He be exalted: The All-Knowing without knowledge, The All-Hearing without
hearing, The All-Seeing without sight, The All Wise without wisdom and so on.
Al- Ikhwaan al-muslimeen [The Muslim Brotherhood]: They
adhere to the book and the sunnah based on the understanding of their Qaadees
(judges) from Hasan al-Bannaa and Al-Hadee at-Thanee and Mahdee Aakif and
Al-Hadee al Awwal, Al-Talmasaanee and Abu Nasr and Mustafa Mashoor and Mustafa al- Sabaa’ee and Muhammad
al-Ghazalee and Fath and Al-Qardawee and Al-Zindaanee and Muhammad Mahmoud al-Sawaaf
and other than them.
And the statements of Hasan Al-Bannaa about the attributes
of Allah and tawassul are common as well as those of Umar Al-Talmasaanee about aqeedah.
And Saeed Hawaa said in his book ‘Jawlah al mutafaqiheen’ pages 22-62 taken
from the risaalah of Faisal page38 “Verily the muslims have in these times
imams in aqeedah, and their imams in creed are the likes of Abu Hasan
al-Ash’aree and Abu Mansoor al-Maatureedee”. And he also said “The Ummah
submits to the judgements of only these two: Abu Hasan and Abu Mansoor al
Maatureedee”.
I say and the truth is more correct to be said, this
statement is not free from errors and nonsense, as Saeed bn Hawaa divided the
Muslim Ummah in connection with their imams into Imams of aqeedah and Imams of
other than aqeedah [creed], and this is an unfair division, this is no other
than names you named, you and your fathers of old which Allah has sent no
authority. Then why are the imams of fiqh [jurisprudence] not the imams of aqeedah
and akhlaaq[character] and sulook[good mannerisms]? And why is this extremism
in division which is not comprehensive but restrictive? And he said: “the Muslim
nation submits their affairs of creed to the judgements of these two: Abu Hasan
and Abu Mansoor al-Maatureedee”? And why should the Muslim Ummah submit their
affairs of creed to these two instead of three or four or above? This statement
claims nothing other than that the predecessor follows the successor, and the
successor is the leader of the predecessor, or that the child is the progenitor
of the father, and that the father is the son of his child. And the likes of
this statement is not formed except as a fitnah[trial, calamity etc], we ask
Allah for tranquility and well being.
Jamaa’atu al-Islaamiyah: they adhere to the Qur’aan and Sunnah
but based on the understanding of their judges like Abu A’la al-Mawdoodee, Mayyaan
Tufayl Muhammad, and Qaadee Husayn Ahmad and other than them.
Al-Majlis Islaamiy [The Muslim Congress]: They adhere to the
Qur’aan and the Sunnah but based on the understanding of their judges.
Jamaa’atu Tadaamun al Muslimeen: they hold on to the Book
and sunnah but based on the understanding of their judges. And what is
surprising is that we see from their attributes, religious knowledge which in
reality is not sufficient, and also their gathering of people in order to lead
them. And don’t forget O noble reader that we mentioned earlier from the
statement of Doctor Khaalid: that the reason behind the division of this Muslim
nation in the beginning is the moving away of individuals and groups from the
understanding of the Salaf to their own understanding of the book and the Sunnah.
And this is very important. And it protects us from division and innovation.
And this is what Allah commands. And if a speaker says: is not following the
book and the Sunnah sufficient?
I say: yes, it is not sufficient as Allah and His messenger
were the two who said this.
Allah says: “and whoever contradicts and opposes the
messenger [Muhammad, peace be on him] after the right
path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way,
we shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in hell what an evil
destination”[Q4;115]. And He also said: “So if they believe in the like of that
which you believe, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then
they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He
is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower”. [2:137], that is in their differing and
separating. This is because the Eeman of the Sahaaba is the scale for measuring
the Eeman of the Kuffaar before them, and also it is the scale for measuring
our faith as we are those who came after them.
And Allah says: “and the foremost to embrace Islam of the
Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly in faith,
Allah is well pleased with them and they with Him. He has prepared for them gardens
under which rivers flow(paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the
supreme success(Q9;100). Ibn katheer said in connection to this verse, “Verily
Allah has informed us that He is well pleased with the foremost among the
Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar, and those who follow them in goodness, so woe to
those who hate them or abuse them, or hate and abuse some of them especially
the foremost of the Sahaaba after the Prophet peace be on him and the best of them, that is
the greatest Siddeeq and the great Khaleefah, Abu-Bakr ibn Abu-Quhaafah, may Allah be truly pleased with him, for
verily, the despicable group from the Rawaafid oppose the best among the Sahaabah
and hate and abuse them, and we seek Allah’s refuge from that, and this points
to the fact that their intellect is inverted and their hearts are reversed and
where can eeman be found for such who abuse those whom Allah is pleased with?
As for Ahlus-sunnah, then they are pleased with whom Allah is pleased with, and
they abuse who Allah and his messenger abuse, and they befriend those who Allah
befriends, and they oppose those who Allah opposes, and they follow and they do
not innovate and they imitate and do not innovate in matters of religion, and
for this reason, they are the successful and are the true believers of Allah
and his true slaves.
As for what is mentioned in the Sunnah: and verily the messenger
of Allah ascribed the understanding of the companions to that which was
revealed to him, from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, when he said in the hadith of
Irbaad bn Saariyah, may Allah be pleased with him, “I adjoin you to fear Allah and
listen and obey{your Muslim rulers in charge}, even if he is an Abyssinian
slave, then verily, those that live long shall see a lot of differences so
beware of newly invented matters{in the religion} for verily it is misguidance,
then whoever sees these differences then upon him is my Sunnah and the Sunnah
of the rightly guided khaleefahs after me, hold on to it with your molars{i.e
adhere strictly to the sunnah}. Abu Dawoud narrated it in his ‘Sunan’ number3991
and Tirmidhi also number 2600, and also the statement of the prophet SAW in the
hadith of the splitting of the Ummah, when he was asked which of the sects
would be the saved one and he said: “…what I and my companions are upon today”,
and the statement of Abdullahi bn Mas’oud: “…verily Allah looked into the
hearts of the slaves, and he found the heart of Muhammad, peace and blessings
of Allah be on him, the best of hearts of his slaves so He chose him to
Himself, and He sent him with His message, then He looked into the hearts of
the slaves after the heart of Muhammad, salaallaahu alayhi wa sallam, then found the hearts of the
companions the best of hearts of the slaves, so He made them the ministers of
his Prophet, Peace be on him and they fought for His religion, then whatever the Muslims
see as good[that is, the early Muslims], then it is good with Allah and
whatever they saw as evil, then it is evil with Allah”, reported by Ahmad 3600
and Tayaalisee 240 in both their Musnads. From this we say, it is clear to us
that the one who is far removed from the misguidance of vain desires and fitnah
and division, then he is the one who adheres strictly to the book and the
sunnah with the understanding of the righteous predecessors, for verily they
took from it an abundant portion, and they achieved a great success. And they
were on undisputed guidance, and with sufficient knowledge, and clear insight.
And the happy one is he who treads their path. And the wretched is the one who
deviates left and right away from their path, straying in the darkness of
destruction and misguidance. He thinks the mirage is water out of his desires
and when he arrives at it, he finds nothing there but shaytan, overpowering
him. We seek refuge with Allah from deviation. Now tell me by your Lord, which
of the two groups is better?
And verily, those who try to belittle the pious Salaf from
methodology of knowledge, which is necessary to rule by, using the
understanding of the book and the sunnah, and holding on to during differences
and division, base their arguments on two delusions. These delusions have no
form of evidence for them, and verily, the philosophers make their conclusions
on these two delusions:
Firstly: they say that the method of the Salaf is based on
more submission [aslam] and that of the Khalaf is based on more knowledge
[a’alam] and wisdom. This is an erroneous statement because the more submissive
one is, the more knowledgeable and wiser he becomes, because knowledge and
wisdom necessitates submissiveness. And from among the opponents of the Salaf’s
manhaj, Sa’eed Ramadaan in his defective book titled “As-Salafiyyah fitratun
zamaniyyatun mubaarakatun wa laysa madhhaban”. And may Allah reward the pious
scholars in their refutation and investigation into this book, and among these
excellent scholars is the doctor, the sheikh, Saalih bn Fawzaan bn Abdullahi al
Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him and strengthen him.
Secondly: their
preoccupation with Greek philosophy and vain discussion, Ibn al-Hisaar said: a
lot of statements manifested during the time of Al-Ma’moun, the ruler, and there were differences in opinion about
the scholar and his statements, and the genuine and his uprightness, and honor and its essence, and innovators spread
swiftly, and those with deviation in their hearts learnt customs and traditions
intending by them to cause dissension among Ahlus-sunnah and putting doubts in
the minds of the weak among the people of religion and this situation did not
cease until bid’ah appeared. And the innovators became groups, and the sultan,
Al-Ma’moun, got mixed up and said that the Qur’aan was created and compelled
his people to follow this ideology. Ahmad bn Hanbal, the imam of the sunnah,
was flogged for opposing this, and some men from Ahlus-sunnah turned and fell
head-long with the innovators and their traditions.
And for this reason, the people of Islam divided, and some
declared others as kuffaar, and they became enemies after their brotherhood as
Ibn Rajab said, many from among them went out of the authentic Islam which the
messenger, Peace be on him and his companions were upon…and the Imams warned of this
division more than the warning of fornication and immorality, when they saw the
dangers in these divisions. Then a succession of periods elapsed on the Ummah
and a lot of authentic symbols of the religion were lost and a lot of commotion
occurred, and the strength of the Ummah became weakness, and its goodness and
affluence was stolen. Then the zealous ones among the Ummah’s progeny want to
return its glory and splendor. However, self respect and a sense of honor is
not sufficient, and it is unavoidable, nay compulsory, that its companions
adorn themselves with mastery of religious knowledge, and a sound understanding
of Islam because these people have strong differences, and different paths
branch out within their fold, and their plans differ because of the realization
of this great goal, and they adopt many methodologies, some political, and
others not political, and some jihad methodologies and others not jihad
methodologies, and they practise hizbiyyah and every hizb from among them take
a name or title which they are known by, and a leader whom they pledge
allegiance to listen and obey in hardship and in ease, in good and in bad, and
they give him rights which is not befitting except for a great imam, and they begin to break from the body
of the Ummah and with it, cause a lot of darkness for themselves, and they
increase in splitting the Ummah and wearing out its strength.
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