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Those Who Refute the People of Innovation are from the Party of Allāh
By Abū al-Ḥasan Mālik Ādam al-Akhḍar

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

“The innovation of the Qadariyyah started at the end of the period of the Companions. So those who remained at that time, such as ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar (radhi Allaahu anhu), Ibn ‘Abbās (radhi Allaahu anhu) and their likes opposed and refuted it. Then the innovation of the Murji‘ah occurred after the period of the Companions, so those of the major Tābi’īn who faced it refuted it. Then came the innovation of the Jahmiyyah after the passing away of the Tābi’īn. Its evil reached alarming proportions and the matter had become dire during the age of Imāms such as Aḥmad (d.24 1H) and those with him. There appeared after this, the innovation of ḥulūl (incarnation). This appeared in the time of al-Ḥallāj.

So whenever Shaytān brought about an innovation from these newly invented matters, or from other than them, Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) established from His party an army—those who refuted it and warned the Muslims against it, all for the sake of sincerity and sincere advice for Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa), His Book, His Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and the people of Islām. And He made it an inheritance by which the party of Allāh’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and those allied to his Sunnah should be distinguished from the party of innovation and its helpers. And there occurs in a report whose isnād (chain of narration) escapes me at the moment:

“There is a pious servant who stands in the way of every innovation plotted against Islām, such that he speaks out making its signs clear.” So take the benefit of those gatherings and place reliance upon Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa), since mercy descends upon them. We ask Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) that he makes us from them, and joins us with them, and that He makes us their later-followers, just as He has made them predecessors for us through His grace and beneficence.”[1]

In this quote from Shaykh al-Islām Ibn al-Qayyim, we find many points of benefit, from them:

• That the refutation of the innovators was the methodology of the companions of the Messenger of Allāh  (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), and their methodology constitutes the way of the believers.
• That the refutation of the innovators was the methodology of the Tābi’īn after them.
• That innovation is from the work of Shaytān.
• That those who refute innovation are from the party of Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa).
• That the refutation of the innovators is sincere advice to the Muslims.
• That Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) has made this methodology of refutation an inheritance by which the partyof the Messenger of Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) have been made distinct from the party of innovation.
• That there is benefit found in the gatherings of refutation of the innovators and the advice of Ibn Qayyim to seek that benefit.
• That Mercy descends upon the gatherings of refutation of the innovators.
• That it is the supplication of the scholars of Islām that Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) makes them from the party of those who refute the innovators.

This refutation of the sects, parties and personalities mentioned by Ibn Qayyim has been well established. It has existed since the time of the Companions and remains until the present hour. It can be found in numerous the writings of the scholars of ḥadīth, generation after generation.

• It can be found in the work of the Imām of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa’ah, Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal al-Radd ‘ala al-Jahmiyyah (The Refutation of the Jahmites), and
• the book of Imām al-Dārimī of the same title, which he authored in refutation of the distortions and deviations of the innovated sect ascribed to Jahm ibn Safwān.
• It can also be found in the book of al-Imām al-Bukhārī Khalq Af’āl al-‘Ibād (The Creation of the Actions of the Worshippers), which he compiled as a refutation of the Jahmiyyah who denied Allāh’s creation of the worshipper’s actions; and in the book of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah al-Radd ‘alā al- Bakrī (The Refutation of al -Bakrī) in which Shaykh al-Islām refuted the book of al-Bakrī entitled al-Istighāthah.
• It can be found in the book of al-‘Allāmah al-Mu’allimī al-Tankīl fī Ta‘nīb al-Kawtharī min al-Abāṭīl where al-Mu’allimī refuted the lies and transgressions against the science of al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta’dīl and Imāms of the Sunnah by al-Kawtharī in his book al- Ta‘nīb, all due to his straying into the creed of the Jahmiyyah and his blind attachment to Ḥanafī school of jurisprudence;
• also, in the book of al-Muḥaddith Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī entitled al-Nasīḥah in which the Shaykh refuted one called ‘Abd al-Mannān for his attempt to reject well‑known ahādīth (traditions) that were agreed upon by the scholars of ḥadīth to be authentic.
• Even in books that were not specifically written for refutation, we find the scholars of ḥadīth setting aside chapters to refute the innovators, as we see in Kitāb al-Imān in the Saḥīḥ of Imām al-Bukhārī.

So we ask the noble reader, what if the great Imāms of Islām had remained quiet and had not warned against the people of innovation and fabrication? What would have been the result of such silence? What would be the condition of the Ummah? Perhaps it would be as Ibn al-Mubārak (radhi Allaahu anhu) said, “If it were not for the chain of narration, then anyone could say whatever he liked.” [2]

We thank Allāh (Subhanahu wa ta’alaa) that such a question is merely speculative, while the reality is that the scholars of ḥadīth have remained steadfast in repudiating the evil of innovation.

This methodology is rooted in statement of the Messenger of Allāh (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), “Whoever invents in this Religion of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected.” [3]

It is also founded in his (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) statement: “Whoever from you sees an evil then let him change it with his hand, if he is unable then with his tongue, if he is unable then let him hate it in his heart, and this is the weakest of faith.” [4]

Changing the evil of innovation has been carried out by the Imāms of the Sunnah starting with the Prophet’s Companions. Take, for example, the story of Sabīgh ibn ‘Asl al-Handhalī, collected by al-Dārimī in his Sunan and others.

When Sabīgh al-‘Irāqī began to ask about certain verses in the Qur‘ān, word of this reached ’Umar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (radhi Allaahu anhu). So when Sabīgh came to ‘Umar, he (i.e. ‘Umar) said: “You are asking about things unheard before.” So he sent for some palm branches and began to beat Sabīgh until he bled then left him until he recovered, then beat him again, then left him until he recovered. After recovering, he beat him again. Afterward, when Umar went to beat him once more, Sabīgh said, “O leader of the believers, if you intend to kill me, please do so quickly; however, if you intend to correct me, then I swear by Allāh that I free from that which was with me previously.” So with that, ’Umar allowed him to return to his land and wrote to Abū Mūsā al-Ash’arī  (radhi Allaahu anhu) that no one from the Muslims should sit with him for a period of one year. In his al-Ibānah, Ibn Baṭṭah relates that Abū ‘Uthmān said: “’Umar wrote to us not to sit with him, and if we were a hundred in a gathering and he sat with us, we would all stand and disperse from him.”

Just as some, like Sabīgh, were beaten, others were imprisoned, as reported on Imām Mālik (rahimahullaah) who said: “The Qur‘ān is the speech of Allāh and whoever says that it is created should be beaten and imprisoned for life.”[5]

Similar has been reported on Imām Aḥmad. ‘Abd Allāh ibn Aḥmad said, ‘I asked my father about a man who innovated in the Religion and called to it, ‘Do you think he should be imprisoned?’ He said, ‘Yes, I think he should be imprisoned to protect the Muslims from his innovation.” [6]

Others were banished from their lands, as found in the biography of Thawr ibn Yazīd al- Kalā’ī in Tahdhīb al-Kamāl.[7] ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sālim said: ‘I met the people of Hims, and they banished Thawr [from the land] and burned his house because of his speech about the Qadr (the Divine Decree).’ Some were even banished from the masājid, as has come in the narration of Mālik when the questioner asked him how Allāh ascended over the ‘Arsh. Others had their books burned as has come in the narration of al-Marwazī: “I said to Aḥmad, I borrowed a book that has evil things in it. Do you think I should destroy it or burn it? He answered, “Yes.” Others were punished by the pen and tongue.

‘Āsim al-Ahwal said, ‘I sat with Qatādah and he mentioned ’Amr ibn ’Ubayd and began to speak ill of him. So I said, “I do not see the scholars speaking bad about one another.” So he said, ‘O Abū Awal, do you not know that if a man innovates, then it is obligatory that we speak against him until he has been sufficiently warned against.”[8]

Ibn al-Mubārak mentioned a man and said, “He is a liar.” So a man said to him, “O Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, are you backbiting?” He said, “Be quiet! If we do not clarify then how will the truth and falsehood be known?” [9]

These refutations were not only limited to the innovators and liars; those who erred abundantly in their narration were also warned against.

It was reported that Abū Zur’ah (radhi Allaahu anhu) said: “I heard Abū Mihr being asked about a man who made errors and distortions in narration. He said, “Clarify his affair.” So I said: “Is that from fitnah?” He answered: “No.” [10]

So as we see from the statement of Abu Zur’ah, it is not befitting to label refutation of the innovators, partisans, liars—or even those of egregious errors—as fitnah; Rather, it is a lofty and noble work of the party of Allāh(sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). And so we conclude by echoing the statement of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Qayyim. May Allāh (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) make us from them and join us with them and make us their later-followers, just as He has made them predecessors for us through His grace and beneficence.

References:

1 Refer to Tahdhīb Sunan Abū Dāwūd (7/61-62)
2 Related by al-Khatīb in Sharaf Ashāb al-Ḥadīth (1/15)
3 This is from the ḥadīth of the Mother of the Believers, Umm ‘Abd Allāh ‘Ā’ishah. It is related by al-Bukhārī (3/167) and the wording here is from him and Muslim [with al-Nawawī’s explanation (4/312)]. 4 From the ḥadīth of Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī  that is related by Muslim (no. 69), al-Tirmidhī (no. 2173), al-Nisā‘ī (8/111-112), and Aḥmad (3/20, 49, 52-54)
5 Related by al-Ājurrī in al-Sharī’ah (p. 79)
6 Refer to Masā‘il al-Imām Aḥmad (p. 439).
7 (4/422)
8 Refer to Mīzān al-’Itidāl (3/273)
9 Refer to Sharḥ ‘Ilal al-Tirmidhī (p. 77)
10 Refer to Muqaddimah al-Kāmil (p. 114)

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