First Published: August 26, 2025
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All praise is due to Allah, who commanded justice and excellence, and forbade tyranny and aggression. He said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآَنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do" (al-Maa'idah 5:8)
I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. May Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and all his companions. To proceed:
Fairness is part of the justice that Allah and His Messenger have commanded. It is a great virtue and a precise standard by which the merit of scholars is recognized, the unity of the Ummah is preserved, and the efforts of the predecessors are safeguarded from disparagement and denial.
And part of complete justice and fairness is that we weigh people by the scale of the Shari'ah, not by the scale of desire: we praise them for what accords with the truth, and we clarify where they erred, while still preserving their scholarly status. For truth is not nullified by the presence of falsehood, nor is falsehood accepted because of the truth that they may possess.
In recent years, the scholarly arena has been afflicted with a serious ailment: extremism (الغُلوُّ) in declaring others innovators (التَّبديعِ), misguided (التَّضليلِ), or disbelievers (التَّكفيرِ). One of the most evident areas in which this imbalance appears is: The stance toward the Ashaa'irah and their scholars; a group has appeared that has gone to extremes, declaring the Ashaa'irah disbelievers unrestrictedly, and even daring to pronounce takfeer upon specific individuals and to deem misguided their scholars whose contributions to serving Islam are undeniable—such as imam an-Nawawi and imam ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani, may Allah have mercy on them, and others among the great figures of the Ummah whose works have filled the world in various sciences.
And if these two imams—an-Nawawi and ibn Hajar—had no merit other than being the authors of the finest commentaries on the two most authentic books after the Book of Allah (Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim), that alone would suffice to demonstrate their eminence, lofty rank, and the extent of their impact on the Ummah. How much more so, given that alongside this they combined vast knowledge, excellence in authorship, breadth of understanding, and enduring benefit up to this very day?! They were known for their reverence for the Sunnah and the Athar, their defense of them, their love for the Salaf, and their condemnation of innovation and its people. However, since their upbringing was in an Ash'ariyyah environment, what occurred from them occurred. Yet they did not delve deeply into philosophy and 'Ilm al-Kalaam; for this reason, excusing them is obligatory. Moreover, they both disagreed with the Ashaa'irah in numerous matters, though they differed in degree: ibn Hajar's opposition to the Ashaa'irah is more evident than that of an-Nawawi.
In any case, there is no doubt that whoever studies the statements of the scholars knows that they are among the great scholars of Islam who served the Prophetic Sunnah and defended it. Allah, Exalted be He, has decreed acceptance and wide circulation for their works among the general body of Muslims across their various sects. Fairness, therefore, requires both caution regarding the errors they made in matters of 'aqeedah, and at the same time not overlooking the tremendous service they rendered to Islam and the Muslims in tafseer, hadith, fiqh, its principles, and other sciences.
The truth is that this extremism which arose among this group stemmed only from a flaw in understanding and a disorder in methodology. Its roots can be traced back to four main causes or pitfalls around which this article will revolve:
From here arises the importance of fairness in this matter, and the need for a precise balance between, on the one hand, defending the sound 'aqeedah, and on the other, preserving the stature and contributions of the scholars of the Ummah.
1 - The Ash'ari doctrine is one of the Islamic doctrines that differed from the Salafi methodology, the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, in a number of issues related to 'aqeedah.
(Refer to the book "The Ashaa'irah and Maaturidiyyah in the Balance of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah", published by the Durar as-Saniyyah Foundation; and see also the article "The Attributes of Allah Are Real Attributes as Proven by the Qur'an, Sunnah, and Consensus, and a Refutation of the Doubts of the Mutakallimeen (the Ashaa'irah)".)
2 - The early Ashaa'irah were better than the later ones, who were influenced by Greek philosophy and the absurdities of the Mutakallimeen.
3 - The Ashaa'irah and their scholars played a major role in defending Islam against the atheists, the Mu'tazilah, and the Jahmiyyah, and many Muslim scholars praised them, as will be shown.
4 - In the early stages of the emergence of the Ash'ari doctrine, when it was still unfamiliar to the Ahlul-Hadith and Sunnah, a sharp estrangement arose between the two groups, which at times reached the level of mutual takfeer from some of them. However, beginning from the sixth and seventh Hijri centuries, it became rare to find a scholar of Ahlus-Sunnah who declared the Ashaa'irah or their scholars disbelievers, except in unusual cases. Until, in modern times, there appeared a small group that equated the Ashaa'irah with the pure Jahmiyyah, without fair distinction or consideration of the essential differences between them.
I reflected on the flaw upon which the contemporary extremists built their methodology, and found it to be based on four successive pitfalls, each one founded upon the previous.
The first: citing statements from the Salaf such as, "Whoever says such-and-such is a disbeliever," or, "Whoever says the Qur'an is created, or denies the Highness of Allah, is a Jahmi."
Then they move to the second stage: they use as evidence what has been transmitted from the Salaf regarding the takfeer of the Jahmiyyah, and add to this what is reported from some of them in describing the Ashaa'irah as Jahmiyyah, or saying that their position regarding affirming Allah's Highness is more corrupt than that of the Jahmiyyah. From this they draw the following conclusion: the Ashaa'irah are Jahmiyyah, the Jahmiyyah are disbelievers, therefore the Ashaa'irah are disbelievers! They also cite instances of some scholars making takfeer of the Ashaa'irah, while ignoring the many times more numerous scholars who did not declare them disbelievers, but rather prayed for Allah's mercy upon them and praised their knowledge and efforts, as will be shown.
Once takfeer of the Ashaa'irah became established in their minds, this dragged them to the final stage: declaring their scholars disbelievers regardless of how high their rank in Deen, such as the two imams an-Nawawi and ibn Hajar, and even more so those below them, like ibn as-Salaah, al-'Izz ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, and ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed.
And thus, with complete ease, they reduced one of the most intricate issues of the foundations of 'aqeedah to a simple first-degree mathematical equation: (b + 2 = 3, therefore b = 1). But issues of 'aqeedah are not to be treated with such naïveté, and—"Not like this, O Sa'd, are the camels brought to water!" (The last phrase is a well-known Arabic proverb meaning "This is not the right way to handle such matters.")
It is from the 'aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah that the rulings of takfeer are issued in unrestricted with respect to statements, actions, and beliefs. For example, it is said: "Whoever declares lawful that which is necessarily known to be forbidden in the Deen has disbelieved"; or, "Whoever says that the Qur'an is created has disbelieved"; or, "Whoever denies the Highness of Allah has disbelieved."
As for applying this ruling to a specific person, it can only be done after the conditions are fulfilled and the obstacles are removed. Not everyone who falls into disbelief is judged to be a disbeliever until the proof has been established against him and the doubt has been removed.
Shaykhul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah said: "A statement may be disbelief, so the ruling of takfeer is applied to the statement itself, and it is said: whoever says such-and-such is a disbeliever. However, as for the specific individual who said it, he is not judged to be a disbeliever until the proof is established against him, the abandonment of which results in disbelief."
He also said: "No one has the right to declare any Muslim a disbeliever, even if he errs or makes mistakes, until the proof is established against him and the correct path is made clear to him. Whoever's Islam is established with certainty does not lose that status through doubt; rather, it is only removed after the proof has been established and the doubt eliminated."
And he also said: "I used to explain to them that what has been transmitted to them from the Salaf and the imams regarding issuing unrestricted takfeer upon whoever says such-and-such is indeed true. But it is necessary to distinguish between the unrestricted and the specific. This is the very first issue over which the Ummah disputed among the major foundational matters, namely the issue of wa'eed (threats of punishment)."
Ibn Taymiyyah also said: "As for the statements whose utterer is a disbeliever, it may be that a man has not had the evidences reach him which necessitate knowing the truth, or perhaps they have reached him but were not firmly established with him, or he was not able to properly understand them. It may also be that doubts arose for him which Allah excuses him for. So whoever among the believers strives to seek the truth and errs, Allah will forgive his mistakes, hatever they may be, whether in theoretical issues or practical ones. This is the position of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the majority of the imams of Islam."
And he said about such extremists: "... Whenever they see someone, they say: whoever says such-and-such is a disbeliever. The listener assumes this wording includes everyone who says it, but they do not reflect that takfeer has conditions and impediments that may be absent with respect to a specific individual. Unrestricted takfeer does not necessitate takfeer of the specific individual unless the conditions are fulfilled and the impediments are absent."
Imam Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab said: "The matter of takfeer of a specific individual is a well-known issue: if a person makes a statement that is disbelief, it is said: whoever says this statement is a disbeliever. But as for the specific individual who said it, he is not judged to be a disbeliever until the proof is established against him—the abandonment of which results in disbelief."
Thus, the error of two groups of people becomes clear: one group went to extremes in takfeer, making unrestricted takfeer without regard to the conditions and impediments; while another group refrained from takfeer of the specific individual in an unrestricted manner, thereby closing the door of apostasy altogether. Allah guided Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah to the middle position.
Some of those who have no knowledge, or upon whom the matter has become confused, assume that the Salaf declared the Jahmiyyah disbelievers merely because they did not affirm Allah's Highness. Thus, they declare anyone who does not affirm Allah's Highness to be a Jahmi and a disbeliever. Others think the Salaf declared them disbelievers because they did not affirm Allah's Attributes. Yet others restricted the ruling of disbelief to their saying that the Qur'an is created.
In reality, the early, pure Jahmiyyah whom the Salaf declared disbelievers held a belief whose consequence was that there is no true Creator or Deity in existence. They denied all of Allah's Names and Attributes, affirming none of them: He is neither Creator nor Supreme Creator, neither Merciful nor Compassionate, neither Knowing nor All-Knowing. They said the Qur'an was created, denied that Allah will be seen on the Day of Resurrection, and were pure Jabriyyah, claiming that humans have no will, being like a feather in the wind.
Then some come and say: the Ashaa'irah are Jahmiyyah, because they deny that Allah is above the heaven! It is true that whoever denies Allah's Highness and that He, exalted is He, is above the heavens, has in him a trait of the Jahmiyyah, as ibn Taymiyyah expresses in several places in his works, saying: "He has a branch of Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah," and sometimes: "He has a type of Tajahhum."
But the Ashaa'irah affirm the Names of Allah, exalted and majestic, and have authored works on this. They affirm some of the Attributes, while interpreting most of them; they do not outright deny them as the Jahmiyyah did. When ibn Taymiyya discussed the positions of people regarding the Attributes, he divided them into three levels:
Then he said about the Ashaa'irah: "As for the attributes, they are not pure Jahmiyyah, but in them is a type of Tajahhum."
And at times he would say: "In their statements there is something of the foundations of the Jahmiyyah."
Nevertheless, the Salaf did not declare as disbelievers everyone who said the words of Jahm, nor did they declare as disbelievers every individual from among the Jahmiyyah. So how then could they declare as disbelievers those who spoke with the words of the Ashaa'irah, let alone those who agreed with them in some matters while differing with them in others, such as the two imams, an-Nawawi and ibn Hajar?!
Ibn Taymiyyah said regarding imam Ahmad's stance toward the leading figures of the Jahmiyyah: "Ahmad did not declare the individuals of the Jahmiyyah disbelievers, nor did he declare every person who said, 'He is Jahmi,' to be a disbeliever, nor everyone who agreed with the Jahmiyyah in some of their innovations. Rather, he prayed behind the Jahmiyyah who called people to their saying, tested the people, and punished those who did not agree with them with severe punishments, yet Ahmad did not declare them disbelievers, nor did those like him. Rather, he believed in their [having] eemaan and imaamah, prayed for them, considered it valid to follow them in prayer behind them, to perform Hajj and jihaad with them, and forbade rebellion against them just as he judged for others among the leaders. At the same time, he denounced what they had innovated of false sayings, which indeed amount to great disbelief, even if they themselves did not know it to be disbelief. He would denounce it and strive against them to repel it as much as possible, thus combining between obedience to Allah and His Messenger in manifesting the Sunnah and the Deen, and in rejecting the innovations of the disbelieving Jahmiyyah, while also preserving the rights of the believers among the imams and the Ummah, even if they were ignorant innovators, oppressive, and sinful."
This clearly shows that what some extremists claim, that imam Ahmad only refrained from rebelling against them due to inability and lack of power, not because of his belief that they were not disbelievers, is nothing but distortion and deception, a misleading of the Ummah to legitimize their false methodology.
Among what also indicates that imam Ahmad did not declare every Jahmi to be a disbeliever is his permitting prayer over them, and his statement: "I do not testify (the funeral prayer) over the Jahmiyyah or the Raafidhah, but whoever wishes may testify over them." Yet he refrained from doing so, in imitation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) refraining from praying over one who died with a debt upon him. If he had declared every Jahmi to be a disbeliever, he would not have permitted prayer over him.
He also said: "Indeed, imam Ahmad and the majority of the imams who spoke these unrestricted generalities did not declare most of those who uttered such words themselves to be disbelievers... Then indeed imam Ahmad prayed for the Khalifah and others who beat him and imprisoned him, and he sought forgiveness for them, and he absolved them of what they did to him of injustice and of calling to the statement that is disbelief. Had they been apostates from Islam, it would not have been permissible to seek forgiveness for them; for seeking forgiveness for disbelievers is not permissible according to the Book, the Sunnah, and the Ijmaa'. These statements and actions of his, and of other imams besides him, are explicit that they did not declare specific individuals of the Jahmiyyah, who used to say: 'The Qur'an is created, and Allah will not be seen in the Hereafter', to be disbelievers."
He also said: "Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, had mercy on them and sought forgiveness for them, because he knew that it had not become clear to them that they were belying the Messenger or rejecting what he came with, but rather they interpreted and erred, and they followed those who had said that to them." And if he had declared them disbelievers specifically, he would not have had [prayed] mercy on them.
So if the one who speaks based on interpretation errs, he is not a disbeliever, then how could that be said of the one who merely imitates him, without delving into philosophy or preoccupation with the 'Ilm al-Kalaam? Furthermore, imam an-Nawawi and al-Haafidh ibn Hajar were, in essence, from the great scholars of the Shari'ah, and they were not from the Ahlul-Kalaam specialists. Rather, there appeared in their speech some interpretations due to being influenced by what had become widespread among the scholars of Kalaam in their era. Otherwise, Kalaam was not their concern nor their field. May Allah have mercy on them both.
Likewise, ibn Taymiyyah also did not declare the Jahmiyyah of his time, those who argued with him, to be disbelievers, even while making clear that their saying was kufr.
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "I used to say to the Jahmiyyah among the Hulooliyyah and the Nufaat, those who denied that Allah, the Exalted, is above the Throne, when their trial occurred: If I were to agree with you, I would be a kaafir, because I know that your statement is kufr. But as for you, in my view you are not disbelievers, because you are ignorant. And this was my address to their scholars, their judges, their shaykhs, and their leaders. The root of their ignorance was intellectual ambiguities that occurred to their leading figures, due to deficiency in their knowledge of the sound transmitted texts and the clear rational proofs that agree with them."
And among what shows you that the expression of the Salaf, in their saying: "Whoever says such-and-such is a Jahmi," they did not intend by it the pure Jahmiyyah, is the statement of imam Ahmad: that whoever says the "image" (ṣūrah) in the hadith "Allah created Adam upon his image" refers back to Adam and not to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, then he is a Jahmi. Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Al-Khallaal narrated from Abu Taalib through two chains, he said: I heard Abu 'Abdullah, meaning Ahmad ibn Hanbal, say: Whoever says: 'Indeed Allah created Adam upon Adam's image,' he is a Jahmi."
Yet, imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishaaq ibn Khuzaymah, the imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah in his time, found repugnant the statement that the "image" in this hadith refers back to Allah. He said: "A group of those who did not carefully pursue knowledge have been put to trial by this wording in the report of 'Ataa', and they imagined that the attribution of 'image' to ar-Rahman in this report is from the attribution of the essential attributes. Thus they clearly erred in this and said a vile statement resembling the saying of the Mushabbihah. May Allah protect us and all the Muslims from their statement."
And despite this, it was never known from any of the scholars of the Ummah that they attributed ibn Khuzaymah to the Jahmiyyah.
And it is well-known to every fair-minded person who has concern and care for the science of 'aqeedah and sects: that the Ashaa'irah are among the groups who refuted the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah the most. They authored works against them, even though they were influenced by some of their sayings due to their involvement in the blameworthy 'Ilm al-Kalaam. So how could it be correct to ascribe them to those whom they themselves criticize, censure, and warn against?!
Rather, the Ashaa'irah themselves declare the Jahmiyyah to be misguided, declare them innovators, and count them among the people of desires and innovations, grouping them alongside the Raafidhah, the Khawaarij, and the Mu'tazilah.
'Abdul-Qaahir al-Baghdadi said: "The people of desires are the Raafidhah, the Qadariyyah, the Khawaarij, the Jahmiyyah, and the Najjaariyyah."
Ibn Fawrak said: "The people of innovation, from among the people of corrupt desires who have turned aside from the path of the Book and the Sunnah, such as: the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, the Khawaarij, and the Raafidhah."
Ibn 'Asaakir said: "The people of desires appeared, and the people of innovations increased, from the Khawaarij, the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and the Qadariyyah."
Ibn al-'Arabi [al-Maaliki] said: "The people of innovation, the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah all of them, and the Khawaarij."
So how can the Ashaa'irah be equated with the pure Jahmiyyah whom the Salaf, in general, declared disbelievers?!
After these people finished declaring the Jahmiyyah disbelievers, then followed that by attaching the Ashaa'irah to them, they slipped into declaring the specific individuals among the Ashaa'irah disbelievers, sometimes explicitly, and sometimes implicitly. They did not distinguish between the ta'weel of the Ashaa'irah and the outright denial and rejection of the pure Jahmiyyah. This is not the way of those firmly grounded in knowledge; for they regard the interpreters as mistaken, but they excuse them and do not treat them as deniers, rejecters, and negators of the Attributes.
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "The one who interprets, whose intention is to follow the Messenger, is not to be declared a disbeliever, indeed, nor even to be declared a sinner, if he exercises ijtihaad and errs. This is well-known among the people with respect to practical issues. As for matters of 'aqeedah, many people have declared those who err in them to be disbelievers. Yet this statement is not known from any of the Sahaabah, nor from the Taabi'een who followed them in righteousness, nor from any of the imams of the Muslims. Rather, its origin is from the statements of the people of bid'ah, who would innovate an innovation and then declare disbelievers those who opposed them, like the Khawaarij, the Mu'tazilah, and the Jahmiyyah."
And he said: "I am among the strongest of people in forbidding that a specific individual be ascribed to takfeer, tafseeq, or sin, except if it is known that the prophetic proof has been established upon him, such that whoever opposes it is a kaafir at times, a faasiq at other times, and disobedient at other times. And I affirm that Allah has forgiven this Ummah its mistakes, and that includes mistakes in both al-Khabariyyah al-Qawliyyah matters and in practical matters. The Salaf continued to dispute over many of these issues, yet none of them bore witness against another, not with kufr, nor with fisq, nor with sin."
And he said, declaring the Ashaa'irah and others innocent of kufr: "If these were to be declared disbelievers, then it would follow that many of the Shaafi'iyyah, the Maalikiyyah, the Hanafiyyah, the Hanbaliyyah, the Ash'ariyyah, the People of Hadith, Tafseer, and Suufiyyah, who are not disbelievers by the consensus of the Muslims, would also have to be declared disbelievers."
So whoever is ignorant of some of the Attributes of Allah, or interprets them, while being among the people of ijtihaad and eager to follow the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he is not one who rejects, opposes, or arrogantly resists, such a person is excused, just as in the hadith of the one who said: "When I die, then burn me, then crush me, then scatter me in the sea. For by Allah, if Allah is able over me, He will punish me with a punishment He has never punished anyone among the worlds with."
Ibn Taymiyyah commented on this, saying: "This was a man who doubted Allah's power and His ability to resurrect him once scattered; rather, he believed that he would not be resurrected. And this is kufr by the agreement of the Muslims. But he was ignorant and did not know that. And he was a believer who feared that Allah might punish him, so Allah forgave him for that. The interpreter from among the people of ijtihaad, eager to follow the Messenger, is more deserving of forgiveness than someone like this."
He also said: "No one has the right to follow the zallaat of the scholars, just as no one has the right to speak about the people of knowledge and faith except with what they deserve. For Allah, Exalted is He, has pardoned the believers for what they err in, as He, the Exalted, said:
رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إن نَسِينا أو أخطَأنا
'Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or fall into error'
— Allah said: I have done so."
Adh-Dhahabi said: "If every time an imam erred in his ijtihaad in some particular issue, an error that is forgiven him, we rose up against him, declared him an innovator, and abandoned him, then not even ibn Nasr, nor ibn Mandah, nor one greater than them both would remain safe with us. Allah is the Guide of creation to the truth, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. So we seek refuge with Allah from whims and harshness."
He also said: "Ibn Khuzaymah has greatness in the souls and eminence in the hearts because of his knowledge, his Deen, and his following of the Sunnah. His book on at-Tawheed is a large volume, and he interpreted the hadith of the image. So let the one who interprets some of the Attributes be excused... And if every person who erred in his ijtihaad, while his eemaan was sound and he was intent on following the truth, were to be invalidated and declared an innovator, then very few of the imams would remain safe with us. May Allah, by His grace and generosity, have mercy on them all."
He also said: "When a great figure from among the imams of knowledge has many correct views, is known for his seeking of the truth, his knowledge is vast, his intelligence is evident, his righteousness and piety and adherence are recognized, his slips are forgiven. We do not declare him misguided, nor cast him aside, nor forget his virtues. Yes, we do not follow him in his innovation or his mistake, and we hope for him to repent from that."
Ibnul-Qayyim said: "Whoever has knowledge of the Shar' and of reality knows with certainty that the eminent man, who has a righteous standing in Islam and good effects, and who has a place within Islam and its people, a slip or lapse may occur from him in which he is excused, indeed even rewarded for his ijtihaad. Yet it is not permissible to follow him in it, nor is it permissible to nullify his standing, his leadership, or his position in the hearts of the Muslims."
And he said: "Among the principles of the Shar' and of wisdom is also that whoever has many good deeds, great in number, and has had a clear impact in Islam, then he is borne with what is not borne with from others, and excused in what others are not excused. For sin is filth, and when water reaches two qullahs it does not carry filth."
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: "Allah refuses to grant infallibility to any book other than His Book. And the just person is the one who overlooks a man's small mistakes in light of his many correct views."
As-Sa'di said: "As for Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, they deal with them, and with all the people of innovation, upon the straight path founded upon the Shar'i principles and commendable maxims. They are just with them, and they do not declare disbelievers among them except those whom Allah and His Messenger have declared disbelievers. They believe that the judgment of kufr and eemaan is among the greatest rights of Allah and the rights of His Messenger.
So whoever denies what the Messenger came with, or denies part of it without interpretation among the people of innovation, then he is a disbeliever, because he has belied Allah and His Messenger, acted arrogantly toward the truth, and opposed it. Thus, every innovator, whether Jahmi, Qadari, Khaariji, Raafidhi, or others like them, who knows that his innovation contradicts what the Book and Sunnah have brought, then persists upon it and supports it, he is a disbeliever in Allah the Magnificent, opposing Allah and His Messenger after guidance has been made clear to him.
But whoever among the people of innovation believes in Allah and His Messenger outwardly and inwardly, magnifies Allah and His Messenger, adheres to what the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came with, but has opposed the truth and erred in some of his statements, and erred in his interpretation, without kufr or rejection of the guidance made clear to him, then he is not a disbeliever. Rather, he is a sinful innovator, or a misguided innovator, or one excused on account of the subtlety of the issue and the strength of his ijtihaad in seeking the truth which he did not attain.
For this reason, the Khawaarij, the Mu'tazilah, the Qadariyyah and others among the people of innovation are of different categories … And among the people of innovation are those below them, such as many of the Qadariyyah, and such as the Kullaabiyyah and the Ashaa'irah. These are misguided innovators in the fundamentals in which they opposed the Book and the Sunnah, which are well-known and established. They are in varying degrees in their innovations, according to their distance from or closeness to the truth, according to the extent of their transgression against the people of truth by way of takfeer, tafseeq, and tabdee', and according to their capacity to reach the truth and their ijtihaad in it, or the opposite of that. Detailing this matter would be exceedingly lengthy."
So this which has been established is the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, who are the most knowledgeable of the people regarding the truth and the most merciful of them toward creation. As for the other sects, they have been excessive in declaring their opponents disbelievers, on the basis of what they established, that what they are upon are principles in which no one is excused for opposing, whether due to a doubt or without a doubt.
After they arrived at declaring the Ashaa'irah disbelievers on the pretext that they are Jahmiyyah or worse than the Jahmiyyah, they did not stop at this limit. Rather, they fell into a fourth pitfall no less dangerous than the previous ones, which reveals the depth of the corruption in this methodology. This pitfall is their preferring their deficient understanding over the statements of the great, scholars of deep knowledge and nurturing guidance (Rabbaaniyyoon), firmly grounded in knowledge.
That became the root of deviation and the completion of misguidance, namely, declaring the scholars of the Ashaa'irah disbelievers specifically, something which imam Ahmad himself did not do with all the very individuals of the Jahmiyyah, let alone the Ashaa'irah, nor ibn Taymiyyah with the Ashaa'irah who harmed him and imprisoned him, despite him being the most knowledgeable of people regarding their doctrine and its deviations.
The opposition of these people to the great scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah can only be explained by their believing that they are more zealous for al-'Aqeedah as-Salafiyyah than its very imams, or that they are more knowledgeable about the Ashaa'irah than the scholars of deep knowledge and nurturing guidance (Rabbaaniyyoon) who interacted with them, debated them, and knew their doctrines intimately.
And so that the reader may grasp the gravity of this methodology, what follows is a compilation of the praise of the great imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah for the Ashaa'irah and for a number of their scholars, and this does not mean agreement with them in what they erred in, but rather to highlight the extent of the corruption in making unrestricted takfeer of such a wide group of the Ummah's scholars.
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Verily, unleashing the ignorant to declare the scholars of the Muslims disbelievers is among the greatest of evils. Its origin is only from the Khawaarij and the Raafidhah, who declare the imams of the Muslims disbelievers because of what they believe they erred in regarding the Deen. And Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah have agreed that it is not permissible to declare the scholars of the Muslims disbelievers merely due to pure error. Rather, everyone's statement is accepted and rejected, except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And not everyone whose speech is left in part due to a mistake he made is declared a disbeliever, or a sinner, or even held sinful."
Before beginning to cite some of the statements of the scholars, I will present to the reader a list of their names, so that he may realize that the opposition of these people has in fact occurred with the great imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. I have limited the citations to the leading figures of the Taymiyyah and Wahhaabiyyah schools, due to what is known of them in their strong concern for guarding the 'aqeedah and defending the sanctity of tawheed. (Translator's note: When the people of innovation use the term "Wahhabi," they do so with the intent of casting aspersions, engaging in ad hominem, and attempting to undermine those with whom they are disputing. This differs, however, when the term is used by someone from Ahlus-Sunnah, where it is not intended in a derogatory sense.)
And despite their undertaking to champion the truth and to refute the opponents, that did not prevent them from speaking a word of fairness in its proper place, nor from looking with satisfaction upon what their adversaries got right, while also pointing out and clarifying what errors they fell into.
They are: ibn Taymiyyah, ibn ʿAbdul-Haadi, adh-Dhahabi, ibnul-Qayyim, ibn Katheer, ibn Rajab, Hamad ibn Naasir ibn Mu'ammar, 'Abdullah the son of imam Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab, 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh, ibn Baaz, ibn 'Uthaymeen, and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Fatwa.
If these are not the most knowledgeable of people regarding the statements of the Salaf, the most capable of understanding them, and the most ardent in defending them, then there remains in the world today no one deserving of the description "Salafi." It is only the ignorant who presume greatness for themselves, when in reality they are like an ant that imagines itself larger than an elephant!
1- Ibn Taymiyyah said: "In their speech there are correct evidences and agreement with the Sunnah that are not found in the speech of most other groups. For they are the closest of the groups of Ahlul-Kalaam to the Sunnah, the Jamaa'ah, and hadith. They are counted among Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah when looked at in comparison to the Mu'tazilah, the Raafidhah, and the like. Indeed, they are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah in the lands where the people of bid'ah are the Mu'tazilah, the Raafidhah, and their likes."
And he said about them: "They are closer to the Sunnah and the truth than the Jahmiyyah among the philosophers, the Mu'tazilah, and their likes, by the agreement of the vast majority of the Muslims."
And he also said about them: "There is none among them except that he has praiseworthy contributions in Islam, good deeds accepted, and achievements in refuting many of the people of atheism and innovation, and in supporting many of the people of Sunnah and Deen, matters not hidden from anyone who knows their conditions and speaks about them with knowledge, truthfulness, justice, and fairness."
2- It is stated in the fatwas of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Fatwa: "The Ashaa'irah are the followers of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari and the supporters of his doctrine in 'aqeedah and in the derivation of evidences. He and those who followed him are the closest of the sects to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. They are to be praised for what they agreed with Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah in, and they are to be considered mistaken in what they opposed them in."
And they said in another place: "The Ashaa'irah are not disbelievers. Rather, they erred in their interpretation of some of the Attributes."
3- Ibn Baaz said: "The Ashaa'irah are from Ahlus-Sunnah in most matters, but they are not from them in their interpretation of the Attributes. They are not disbelievers; rather, among them are imams, scholars, and righteous people. But they erred in interpreting some of the attributes."
And he said, refuting those who accused the Salafis of declaring the Ashaa'irah such as an-Nawawi and ibn Hajar disbelievers: "There is none among the Salafi scholars who declares those whom you mentioned to be disbelievers. Rather, they clarify their mistakes in interpreting many of the Attributes, and they clarify that this is contrary to the doctrine of the Salaf of the Ummah. But that is not takfeer of them, nor a tearing apart of the unity of the Ummah, nor a dividing of their ranks. Rather, it is sincere advice for Allah and His servants, clarification of the truth, and refutation of those who opposed it with evidences from the transmitted texts and sound reason."
4- Among the stances that highlight how the scholars dealt with the Ashaa'irah is the striving of the Aal Qudaamah under the banner of Salaah ad-Deen al-Ayyoobi, who was upon the Ash'ari doctrine and mandated the teaching of the Ash'ari 'aqeedah in his era. Ibn Katheer said regarding shaykh Abu 'Umar Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi:
"He was the brother of shaykh Muwaffaq ad-Deen 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudaamah. Abu 'Umar was older than him... He, his brother, their cousin al-Haafidh 'Abdul-Ghani, and his brother shaykh al-'Imaad never ceased participating in the military campaigns that King Salaah ad-Deen launched against the lands of the Franks. They were present with him at the conquest of the noble Jerusalem and other campaigns."
And ibn Taymiyyah counted him (Salaah ad-Deen) among the "kings of the Sunnah," knowing with certainty that he was Ash'ari. He said: "... Then after his (Noor ad-Deen's) death, it was conquered by the kings of the Sunnah, such as Salaah ad-Deen. And the word of the Sunnah opposing the Raafidhah became manifest therein. Then knowledge and the Sunnah increased and became widespread there."
The scholars of the Ashaa'irah are many across the various sciences. What concerns us here, however, are those prominent figures among them in the sciences of hadith, fiqh, and the other sciences of Shari'ah. The discussion here will be limited to six of them, as the scope allows: al-Bayhaqi, ibn as-Salaah, al-'Izz ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, an-Nawawi, ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, and ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani.
1- The Praise of the Scholars for al-Haafidh Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH)
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Al-Haafidh Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi and those like him are closer to the Sunnah than many of the later followers of al-Ash'ari."
And he said: "Al-Bayhaqi was the most knowledgeable of the companions of ash-Shaafi'ee in hadith and the strongest of them in supporting ash-Shaafi'ee."
Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi said: "Al-Bayhaqi, the imam, the Haafidh, the great scholar, the Shaykh of Khurasaan, ... authored works the like of which none before him had produced, among them: as-Sunan al-Kabeer and as-Sunan al-Sagheer...”
Adh-Dhahabi said in his biography: "He is al-Haafidh, al-'Allaamah, the trustworthy, al-Faqeeh, shaykhul-Islam, Abu Bakr, ... blessed was he in his knowledge, and he authored beneficial works ... he secluded himself in his village devoted to gathering and authoring, ... and if al-Bayhaqi had wished to establish a madhhab of his own and exercise ijtihaad in it, he would have been able to, due to the breadth of his knowledge and his familiarity with the differences (of the scholars). For this reason, you see him inclined to support issues for which hadith was authentic."
And he said about him: "... and he was the first to compile the texts of ash-Shaafi'ee and to argue for them with the Book and the Sunnah."
Ibn Katheer said about him: "One of the great Huffaadh, with writings that have traveled far and wide across all regions and lands."
2- The Praise of the Scholars for Shaykh Abu 'Amr 'Uthmaan ibn 'Abdur-Rahman ibn as-Salaah (d. 643 AH)
Ibn Taymiyyah transmitted much from him, and he would always call him by the title "ash-Shaykh." He would say: "Shaykh Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah..."
Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi said: "Ibn as-Salaah, al-Imam, al-Haafidh, shaykhul-Islam, Taqiy ad-Deen.”
Adh-Dhahabi said in his biography: “Al-Imam, al-Haafidh, al-'Allaamah, shaykhul-Islam, Taqiy ad-Deen ... he taught, issued fatwas, gathered knowledge, authored works, and students graduated under him. He was among the great imams ... he possessed a remarkable dignity, composure, awe, eloquence, and beneficial knowledge."
Ibnul-Qayyim said: "There was a difference of opinion about whether this scent from the fasting person is in this world or in the Hereafter. And a dispute on this occurred between the two virtuous shaykhs, Abu Muhammad ibn 'Abdus-Salaam and Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah."
Ibn Katheer said: "Al-Imam, al-'Allaamah, the Mufti of Islam, Taqiy ad-Deen Abu 'Amr ... he disliked the ways of philosophy and logic, belittled them, and would not allow them to be taught in the land, and the rulers obeyed him in that."
Ibn Rajab said: "Al-Haafidh Taqiy ad-Deen ibn as-Salaah."
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh said: "Al-'Allaamah ibn as-Salaah."
(Translator's note: Ibn as-Salaah is, in reality, not considered a complete Ash'ari, as he opposed the Ashaa'irah in many instances. Rather, his connection to them falls into the third-level category of muqallideen, that of general affiliation, in the sense that "Ash'ariyyah" functioned as a banner for Ahlus-Sunnah: Source1 & Source2)
3- The Praise of the Scholars for al-Faqeeh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdis-Salaam (d. 660 AH)
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Our companion, the virtuous scholar Abu Bakr ibn Saalaar, narrated to me from shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, the shaykh of his time, from imam Abu Muhammad ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, that when they asked him about ibn 'Arabi upon his arrival in Egypt, he said: 'An evil shaykh, a liar, despicable.'"
And he said: "And I saw in the fatwas of al-Faqeeh Abu Muhammad ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, he said: ..."
Adh-Dhahabi said: "Shaykhul-Islam, the last of the eminent imams ... he taught, issued fatwas, authored works, excelled in the madhhab, and reached the rank of ijtihaad, ... he was an imam, devout, ascetic, worshipful, enjoining good and forbidding evil, not fearing the blame of the blamer in the cause of Allah."
Ibn Katheer said: "Al-Imam, al-'Allaamah, the unique one of his age ... he gathered from the sciences an astonishing wealth, from tafseer, hadith, fiqh, Arabic, usool, the differences of madhhabs and scholars, and the statements of the people and their evidences, until it was said that he reached the rank of ijtihaad."
Ibn Rajab said: "The mashaayikh of the scholars, like ibn as-Salaah and ibn 'Abdis-Salaam..."
And he said about him: "Ash-Shaykh 'Izz ad-Deen ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, the shaykh of ash-Shaafi'iyyah.”
Hamad ibn Naasir ibn Mu'ammar (d. 1225 AH) described him as "al-Faqeeh", saying: "This was mentioned by al-Faqeeh Abu Muhammad al-'Izz ibn 'Abdis-Salaam in his fatwas."
And 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab (d. 1242 AH) likewise described him as "al-Faqeeh", saying: "Shaykh Abu Muhammad ibn 'Abdis-Salaam, al-faqeeh ash-Shaafi'iyyah."
(Translator's note: Al-'Izz ibn ʿAbdis-Salaam is considered in the second level category, that of taqleed in Ash'ariyyah with respect to their conclusions. However, he did not reach the level of the Mutakallimeen to discern the corruption in their words.)
4- The Praise of the Scholars for Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH)
Ibn Taymiyyah described him with the title of Imaamah in more than one place in his writings, saying: "Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, imam an-Nawawi said..."
Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi said: "Al-Imam, al-Faqeeh, the unique Haafidh, the exemplar, the ascetic."
Adh-Dhahabi said in his biography: "The Mufti of the Ummah, shaykhul-Islam ... al-Haafidh, al-Faqeeh, ash-Shaafi'ee, the ascetic ... Allah benefited the Ummah with his works, which spread to the regions and were carried to the lands, among them..."
And he also said about him: "Al-Imam, the unique Haafidh, the exemplar, shaykhul-Islam..."
Ibnul-Qayyim described him in more than one place in his book Jalaa' al-Afhaam with the title of Mashaykhah.
Ibn Katheer said: "Al-'Allaamah, the shaykh of the madhhab, the foremost of the fuqahaa' of his time ... he was marked by asceticism, devotion to worship, piety, carefulness, and withdrawal from people to a great extent, in a way that none of the other fuqahaa' of his time could manage ... he never wasted any of his time, and he performed Hajj during his stay in Damascus. He would enjoin good and forbid evil upon the rulers and others."
And he also said about him: "Ash-Shaykh, al-Imam, al-'Allaamah ... the one who refined the madhhab, organized it, codified it, and systematized it..."
Ibn Rajab, at the beginning of his commentary on al-Arba'een an-Nawawiyyah, said: "... al-Imam, al-Haafidh, Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah, dictated a session which he called 'al-Ahaadeeth al-Kulliyyah'. In it, he gathered the comprehensive ahaadeeth about which it is said: 'The Deen revolves around them,' as well as similar concise and comprehensive statements. His session contained twenty-six ahaadeeth.
Then al-Faqeeh, al-Imam, az-Zaahid, the exemplar, Abu Zakariyya Yahya an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, took these ahaadeeth which ibn as-Salaah had dictated and added to them until they became forty-two ahaadeeth, and he called his book 'al-Arba'een'. These Forty became famous, memorized in abundance, and Allah made them beneficial due to the blessing of the compiler's intention and the goodness of his aim, may Allah have mercy on him."
Hamad ibn Naasir ibn Mu'ammar (d. 1225 AH) said: "Reflect on this chapter that an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned, and he is the imam of ash-Shaafi'iyyah without restriction."
'Abdullah, the son of imam Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab (d. 1242 AH), said: "May Allah reward an-Nawawi for compiling the book al-Adhkaar. Whoever is keen should rely on it, for it suffices the one who is granted success."
'Abdur-Rahman ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (d. 1285 AH) said: "Look at what an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, reported: that the correct view held by the majority of the verifying scholars is that the Khawaarij are not to be declared disbelievers due to their bid'ah. And this imam suffices you [i.e. his words carry weight]."
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh said: "As imam Abu Zakariyya an-Nawawi and others have mentioned."
Ibn Baaz said: "Among the best concise books that benefit the common people are: Riyaadh as-Saaliheen by imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, and Buloogh al-Maraam by imam al-Haafidh ibn Hajar. These are useful and beneficial works, and attention should be given to them, care should be taken with them, and benefit should be derived from them."
Ibn 'Uthaymeen, at the beginning of his commentary on Riyaadh as-Saaliheen, said: "... Riyaadh as-Saaliheen, authored by shaykh al-Haafidh an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, is a fine book...
And he, may Allah have mercy on him, requested from whoever benefited from it that they pray for him, for his parents, and for all the Muslims. So we ask Allah to forgive him, his parents, and all the Muslims, and to gather us with him and with our believing brothers in His abode of honor. Indeed, He is the Most Generous, the Most Noble."
And at the beginning of his commentary on al-Arba'een an-Nawawiyyah, he said:
"Al-Haafidh an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, was among the reliable followers of ash-Shaafi'ee whose statements are given weight. He was one of ash-Shaafi'iyyah most devoted to authoring, for he wrote in various fields: in hadith and its sciences, and he authored in the science of language the book Tahdheeb al-Asmaa' wal-Lughaat. In reality, he was among the most knowledgeable of people, and it appears, and Allah knows best, hat he was among the most sincere of people in his authorship, because his works, may Allah have mercy on him, spread throughout the Islamic world. You can hardly find a masjid except that Riyaadh as-Saaliheen is read in it. His books are well-known, widespread in the world, which indicates the soundness of his intention. For the acceptance of people for books is among the evidences of the sincerity of intention.
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was a mujtahid, and the mujtahid sometimes errs and sometimes is correct. He did err, may Allah have mercy on him, in matters of the Names and Attributes, interpreting them, though he did not deny them...
As for such issues, in which he, may Allah have mercy on him, erred in interpreting some of the texts of the Attributes, they are overwhelmed by the many virtues and great benefits he possessed. And we do not think that what occurred from him came except out of ijtihaad and an interpretation he deemed valid, even if only in his view. I hope that it falls under forgiven error, and that what he presented of goodness and benefit will be among the efforts that are rewarded, and that the saying of Allah, the Exalted, applies to him:
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ
'Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds' (Hud 11:114).
So, regarding an-Nawawi, we testify, in accordance with what we know of his condition, to his righteousness, that he was a mujtahid, and that every mujtahid may sometimes be correct and may sometimes err. If he errs, he has one reward; and if he is correct, he has two rewards."
(Translator's note: Imam an-Nawawi is in the third category as well; therefore, the scholars consider him to be among Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah: source1 & source2)
5 – The Praise of the Scholars for Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed al-Qushayri (d. 702 AH)
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Ash-Shaykh, al-Imam, Qaadhi al-Qudhaah, Taqiy ad-Deen ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed."
Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi said: "Al-Imam, al-Faqeeh, al-Haafidh, the unique al-'Allaamah, shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen."
Adh-Dhahabi said: "Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, al-Imam, al-Faqeeh, al-Mujtahid, al-Muhaddith, al-Haafidh, al-'Allaamah, shaykhul-Islam Taqiy ad-Deen ... he was among the most intelligent of his time, vast in knowledge, with many books, ever wakeful at night, constantly devoted to study, calm, dignified, pious, rarely did eyes behold anyone like him."
Ibn Katheer said: "Ash-Shaykh, al-Imam, al-'Aalim al-'Allaamah, al-Haafidh ... he heard much hadith, traveled, produced, and authored numerous unique and beneficial works in hadith, both in isnaad and in matn. The leadership of knowledge in his time ended up with him, and he surpassed his peers."
Ibn Rajab said: "Al-'Allaamah Abu al-Fath ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed."
And he counted him among the great imams, saying in the biography of Ahmad ibn 'Abdi ad-Daa'im al-Maqdisi: "The great imams and early and later huffaadh narrated from him, among them: Shaykh Muhiy ad-Deen an-Nawawi, shaykh Shams ad-Deen ibn Abi 'Umar, shaykh Taqiyy ad-Deen ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen ibn Taymiyyah, and many others."
'Abdur-Rahman ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (d. 1285 AH) said: "Shaykhul-Islam ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed."
And he also said: "How excellent is what imam ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, may Allah the Exalted have mercy on him, said..."
6 – The Praise of the Scholars for al-Haafidh Abu al-Fadl Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani (d. 852 AH)
'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab (d. 1242 AH) said: "We seek aid in understanding the Book of Allah through the well-known, reliable tafaaseer, ... and in understanding hadith through the commentaries of the distinguished imaas: such as al-'Asqalaani and al-Qastallaani on al-Bukhaari, an-Nawawi on Muslim, and al-Munaawi on al-Jaami' as-Sagheer."
'Abdur-Rahman ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (d. 1285 AH), speaking about the issue of wearing clothes interwoven with silk, cited ibn Hajar, saying: "I say: This was established by this al-Haafidh in Fath al-Baari with its evidences ... so this al-Haafidh of the world in his era clearly declared the prohibition of wearing what is mixed with silk."
It appears in the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Iftaa':
"... And Abu Zakariyya Yahya an-Nawawi, and ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani, and the likes of them, from those who interpreted the texts of the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, or consigned the essence of their meaning, are, in our view, among the great scholars of the Muslims through whom Allah benefited the Ummah. So may Allah have mercy on them and reward them with good."
Ibn Baaz was asked: "There are those who warn against the books of imaam an-Nawawi and ibn Hajar, may Allah the Exalted have mercy on them both, and say that they are not from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. What is the correct view regarding this?"
He replied: "They have things in which they erred concerning the Attributes, ibn Hajar, an-Nawawi, and others besides them, they have things in which they erred. In those matters they are not from Ahlus-Sunnah. But they are from Ahlus-Sunnah in what they were correct in and did not distort, they and others like them who made mistakes."
As for invoking Allah's mercy upon the scholars of the Ashaa'irah, this has come in mutawaatir form in the books of Ahlus-Sunnah, and their works in biography, death notices, and beyond are filled with it. This demonstrates their acknowledgment of their Islam and that they did not expel them from the fold of Ahlul-Qiblah. For invoking mercy upon a disbeliever is impermissible by consensus; rather, supplicating for forgiveness and mercy is specific to those who died upon Islam, even if they held a bid'ah or an error in 'aqeedah.
So I do not know how it can be acceptable for one who raises the banner of the Salaf to turn away from the statements of this constellation of scholars, firmly grounded in knowledge, to belittle their words, put his own ijtihaad ahead of them, and accept nothing except what his own deficient opinion approves?!
(Translator's note: How relevant it is to quote shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd: "And with this, you come to know that the accursed initiative of declaring the imams—such as an-Nawawi, ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed, and ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani—as disbelievers, or belittling their status, or labeling them as misguided innovators, all of this is the work of Shaytan. It is a gateway to misguidance and leading others astray, as well as corruption and spreading corruption. If the witnesses of the Shari'ah are discredited, then what they testify to is also discredited. However, the ignorant and reckless do not comprehend nor do they verify." I would also like to refer to the article by shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad titled: A Clarification of the Safety of the Two Haafidhs, an-Nawawi and al-'Asqalaani, from the Beliefs of the Mutakallimeen.)
Before concluding, it is appropriate to point out that extremism is not confined to one side alone. Just as there have been those who affiliate themselves with Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah who went to extremes and declared the Ashaa'irah disbelievers, so too have there been, and in greater number, among the Ashaa'irah those who went to extremes and declared Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Ithbaat to be disbelievers, accusing them of anthropomorphism. Indeed, some of them went so far as to declare specific scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah to be disbelievers. The matter reached the point where dozens of them declared shaykhul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah himself to be a disbeliever. And just as there have been among Ahlus-Sunnah those who were fair-minded, likewise among the Ashaa'irah there have also been those who strove for justice and fairness.
And in the spirit of fairness, I will present here examples of praise from three well-known Ash'ari scholars for their fiercest opponent, shaykhul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah.
1 – Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed said: "When I met ibn Taymiyyah, I saw a man with all the sciences before his eyes, he would take from them what he wished and leave from them what he wished." And on another occasion he said to him: "I never thought that Allah, the Exalted, would still create the like of you."
2 – Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani said about him: "The fame of the imaamah of shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen ibn Taymiyyah is more renowned than the sun, and his being titled 'shaykhul-Islam' remains until now upon the pure tongues, and will continue tomorrow as it was yesterday. None denies this except one who is ignorant of his rank and avoids fairness. How great is the error of those who attempt to challenge that, and how much dust do they stir up! Allah, the Exalted, is the One we ask to protect us from the evils of our souls and the harvest of our tongues, by His bounty and grace.
And if there were no virtue for this man other than what the well-known Haafidh, 'Alam ad-Deen al-Barzaali, pointed out in his Taariikh: that no one in Islam has ever had as many people gathered at his funeral as gathered at the funeral of shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen, that alone would suffice. And with the attendance of such a vast multitude, there was no motive for it except their belief in his leadership and his blessing, not due to a summons by a sultan or anything else. And it has been authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: 'You are Allah's witnesses upon the earth.'"
(Translator's note: Al-Haafidh ibn Hajar is also in the third category, meaning he was from Ahlus-Sunnah—which is why he was able to oppose the Ashaa'irah themselves. The article by shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad also clarifies that ibn Hajar is from Ahlus-Sunnah, not from the Mutakallimeen.)
Ibn Hajar denounced those Ashaa'irah who declared ibn Taymiyyah to be a disbeliever, saying: "How could it not be denounced against the one who declared him to be a disbeliever, or even declared disbelief upon whoever called him shaykhul-Islam? There is nothing in giving him that title that necessitates such a ruling, for he was, without doubt, the shaykh of mashaayikh al-Islam in his time. As for the issues that were objected to from him, he did not speak on them out of whim, nor did he persist upon them after proof was established against him out of obstinacy. His writings are overflowing with refutations of those who claim anthropomorphism, and with his dissociation from it.
Yet, he was a human being, he erred and was correct. What he was correct in (and that was the majority) is benefited from, and mercy is sought for him because of it. As for what he erred in, he is not to be followed in it, rather he is excused; for the scholars of the Shari'ah have testified that the tools of ijtihaad were complete in him.
And of the most astonishing of matters is that this man was among the greatest of people in standing against the people of innovation, from ar-Rawaafidh, al-Hulooliyyah, and al-Ittihaadiyyah. His writings in that regard are many and well known, and his fatawa concerning them are countless. So, what joy it must bring to their eyes to hear him declared a disbeliever! And what delight it must bring them to see those from among the scholars who declare him a disbeliever!
And even if shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen had no virtue other than his famous student, Shaykh Shams ad-Deen ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, the author of those beneficial and delightful works from which both supporters and opponents have benefited, that alone would suffice as an indication of his great station. So how then, when in addition, the leading scholars of his era, from ash-Shaafi'iyyah and others, let alone al-Hanaabilah, testified to his precedence in the sciences and his excellence in distinguishing between what is explicit and what is implicit?!
Thus, whoever declares him, in spite of all this, a disbeliever, or declares disbelief upon whoever called him shaykhul-Islam, such a person is not to be considered, nor relied upon in this matter. Rather, he must be restrained from that until he returns to the truth and submits to what is correct. And Allah speaks the truth and guides to the path. And sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs." End of ibn Hajar's words about ibn Taymiyyah.
And he wrote a biographical entry for him in ad-Durar al-Kaaminah fi A'yaani al-Mi'ati ath-Thaaminah, saying: "Ahmad ibn 'Abdul-Haleem ibn 'Abdus-Salaam ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi al-Qaasim ibn Taymiyyah al-Harraani, then adh-Dimashqi, al-Hanbalī, Taqiy ad-Deen Abu al-'Abbaas ... He studied fiqh, mastered it, excelled, advanced, authored, taught, and gave legal verdicts. He surpassed his peers and became a marvel in the speed of recall, strength of heart, breadth in transmitted and rational knowledge, and in extensively addressing the doctrines of both the early and the later scholars."
3 – As-Suyooti wrote a biography for him in Tabaqaat al-Huffaadh: "Ibn Taymiyyah, ash-Shaykh, al-Imam, al-'Allaamah, al-Haafidh, the critic, al-Faqeeh, al-Mujtahid, the brilliant mufassir, shaykhul-Islam, the flag of the ascetics, the rarity of the era: Taqiy ad-Deen Abul-'Abbaas Ahmad, son of the mufti Shihaab ad-Deen 'Abdul-Haleem, son of al-Imam, al-Mujtahid, shaykhul-Islam Majd ad-Deen 'Abdus-Salaam... He was one of the oceans of knowledge, one of the renowned intelligent ones, of the ascetics and unique individuals. He authored three hundred volumes, and was put to trial and harmed many times."
In summary: the true path requires justice with opponents and fairness with the scholars. The virtue of the Ashaa'irah in what they offered of beneficial knowledge and great service to the Deen of Allah is not to be denied, nor should their mistakes in the matters of 'aqeedah and the issues of the Attributes be silenced about. The one granted success is he who treads the path of the Salaf: critiquing without defamation, praising without exaggeration, combining between clarifying the truth and refuting falsehood, while at the same time preserving the honor of the people of knowledge and supplicating for them with mercy and forgiveness.
So fairness is the middle path between two extremes: between those who dismiss the Ashaa'irah completely, erase their efforts, declare their righteous scholars innovators, misguiding them or declaring them disbelievers; and between those who go to excess regarding them, until they make their doctrine the sole truth and claim that they alone are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah—or those who see them as from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah—or think that remaining silent about their mistakes is the safest path. And true is the saying: justice is the foundation of fairness, fairness is the companion of knowledge; whoever is not fair has not been just, and whoever has not been just has not reached the truth.
We ask Allah for sincerity of intention, that He grant us beneficial knowledge and upright speech, and that He bless us with good following of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and emulation of the imams of guidance. Indeed, He is the Guardian of that and fully able over it.