The text below is reproduced from Abu Iyaad’s article, How the Scholars Dealt With The Fitnah of Ibn Hādī and the Muṣaʿfiqah (opens in a new tab).
“Ibn Hādī’s fitnah is more dangerous than that of the Ḥaddādiyyah by tens of times”
THE FITNAH of the Muṣaʿfiqah, an extension of that of the Ḥaddādiyyah, is one in which perceived, alleged or actual mistakes are used to make hasty and unwarranted tabdīʿ of Salafī shaykhs and students by throwing them alongside the people of desires, then, demanding its acceptance and requiring loyalty and disloyalty to be shown around it. Then to test people and spread the issue in every place, thereby dividing Ahl al-Sunnah and their daʿwah across the world, rather, being prepared to burn it to the ground until people accept and act upon your unjustified and oppressive tabdīʿ built on flimsy evidences and submit to your authority.[1]
From the speech of the senior scholars such as Shaykh Rabīʿ, Shaykh ʿUbayd, Shaykh Ḥasan bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Bannā (رحمهم الله) regarding Ibn Hādī’s fitnah:
- “He does not have any evidence for his tabdīʿ and his attacks
- “His fitnah affected the world.”
- “ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAbd al-Khāliq’s fitnah is not even a tenth of that of Ibn Hādī’s.”
- “All he has is incitation, causing commotion.”
- “Those who follow Ibn Hādī in false accusation and false statements leave Ahl al-Sunnah.”
- “Love of Allāh precedes love of Ibn Hādī.”
- “Ibn Hādī’s fitnah is more dangerous than that of the Ḥaddādiyyah by tens of times.”
- “We warn from attending his gatherings, he committed a crime against Salafiyyah.”
- “He was put to trial with love of leadership.”
- “I (Shaykh ʿUbayd) have washed my hands from him.”
- “We advised and were patient but he did not return.”
- “Made youth have fanaticism towards him at the expense of loyalty and disloyalty for Allāḥ’s sake.”
The issue, in essence: tabdīʿ of Salafīs without evidence, inculcating ghuluww and taʿaṣṣub towards an individual, testing people, fostering enmities and divisions, and splitting Ahl al-Sunnah all around the world.
This is very different to what Salafī scholars do of refuting those who deviate in the foundations, who bring false principles, or violate the foundations and persist upon that, such as their refutations of the Quṭbiyyah, Surūriyyah, ʿAdnān ʿArʿūr, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAbd al-Khāliq, al-Maʿribī, Maḥmud al-Ḥaddād, Fāliḥ al-Ḥarbī, and those who ally with groups of innovation such as the Khārijites, or the Ḥarakiyyīn, Ḥizbiyyīn, Ikhwānīs, Ṣūfīs, Tablīgḥīs, Taḥrīrīs and others, shielding and defending them while speaking ill of Ahl al-Sunnah.
These are all clear examples of deviations in foundations, whose evidence was apparent and easily demonstrated through the words and actions of the refuted, and this is why the rulings upon them were taken with acceptance and have remained.
Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī (رحمه الله) said:[2]
Indeed, issuing rulings upon people who ascribe to the Salafī methodology while their voices resound [with their saying] that they are Salafīs—without explaining the reasons and without proofs and evidences—has causes mighty harms and great splitting in every country.
Hence, it is obligatory to extinguish this tribulation by making known the proofs and evidences which explain to people and satisfy them that these rulings were deserving and that they were correct, or to apologise for these rulings.
Don’t you see that the scholars of the Salaf established proofs and evidences against the misguided sects such as the Rawāfiḍ, Jahmiyyah, Muʿtazilah, Khawārij, Qadariyyah and Murjiʾah and others. They did not suffice with simply issuing rulings upon groups and individuals without establishing sufficient and satisfying evidences.
Ibn Hādī opposed this way and began to speak ill of those in his inner circle of students, and he would call people possessing knowledge “Ṣaʿfūq” or “Ṣaʿāfiqah” and ended up saying that “they are (mulḥaqūn) put alongside Ahl al-Ahwāʾ” and similar speech that was considered to be tabdīʿ (heresification) and for which evidence was demanded from him. In the fitnah of Ibn Hādī there are important lessons to be taken.
Below are resources from various scholars and shaykhs who dealt with the issue at the time, these were translated or written during early-2018 when the fitnah reached its peak and Ibn Hādī could not justify his tabdīʿ of Salafī shaykhs and students.
Footnotes
- Just as he transgressed in this arena, he also transgressed in the affairs of the world by making an accusation against someone for which he did not provide the evidence required by the Sharīʿah, so he embroiled himself and others in lengthy court proceedings. This was all out of anger that he was not listened to, which led him to lash out, angrily, from inside a house among the houses of Allāḥ. ↩
- Majmūʿ al-Kutub wal-Rasāʾil (9/158). ↩