Understanding Proofs and Evidences | al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel and the Corrupted Usool of Abu Usamah
SECTION (A)
Throughout these articles from now on, the reader should understand that we are refuting a person who has been declared to be upon innovation by the great Scholar Ahmad bin Yahyah an-Najmee (rahimahullaah).
The noble Scholar (rahimahullaah) answered:Question: "O Shaykh Ahmad we have with us in America a man called Abu Usaamah who is considered to be from the Du'aat, he aids and supports Abul-Hasan and he calls some noble Salafi brothers ghulaat (extremists), muqallidah (blind followers),and muhqiboon (the people whose religion is the religion of the one they blindly follow), so what is the legislated position from this man and how should we deal with him?
موقفكم منه كموقفكم من أهل البدعة , أعرض عنه و اتركهWhen Abu Usaamah was abandoned, as all deviants pretending to have aql ought to be, it was only a short while later that he turned up on the shores and green pastures of Britain to play the field. This history and reality is hidden to many of those who are delighted to hear the falsehood of Abu Usaamah in his so called "sincere advice"."Your position with him is the same as your position with the People of Innovation. Turn away from him and abandon him.
Do not be deceived by this liar when he says that those brothers in the USA who asked Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmee didn't tell the Shaikh that they were talking about me (i.e. ath-Thahabi). The fact is they asked the Shaikh in 2003, and he died (rahimahullaah) in 2008. That gave this liar 5 years to go and see this Imaam or phone him, to explain to him. Now after his death, he is attempting to re-write history. Then he proceeds to try and further nullify the ruling of this great Scholar by adding that he was one of those who Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin criticised - this is the Machiavellian politics of the hizbees. Our message to Abu Usamah: Stop digging your own pit any deeper than it already is - you're losing grasp of reality. The reason for the Jarh (disparagement) of the Allaamah Ahmad an-Najmee (rahimahullaah) is clear to see, it is evidence-based and you have oft-repeated it ever since. It is for this reason you translate the praise of the innovators, and then go forth and praise the same innovators by lying upon Shaikh al-Albaanee. You have not repented because you are an arrogant, stubborn soul that does not take a reminder when it is given, indeed you have only become more severe in your opposition to usool of Salafiyyah. You are a person who is constantly tripping over his own feet. It is for this reason you are abandoned by the Salafis who are made aware of your condition. The only person who remains in your company and supports you is: 1. the one who doesn't know you or 2. the one who doesn't know the Manhaj as it should be known, or 3. the one who is an arrogant wicked liar like you.
O reader! May Allaah give you understanding. When a person of insight and basic knowledge of the Manhaj looks at this buffoon, they will not fail to realise that his real aim is to undermine the Manhaj of Salafiyyah.
DEALING WITH HIS CLAIM
That "those SP brothers" are always saying "The Shaikh, the Shaikh said..."
Firstly, NO Salafi should make any apology for referring back to the Scholars. They are the inheritors of the Prophets - they are the ones for whom even the fish in the oceans seek forgiveness. They are the Jamaa'ah as Ibn al-Mubaarak stated; they are the Victorious Group (at-Taa'ifatul-Mansoorah) as at-Tirmidhee stated. They are the ones who give life to the dead, by the permission of Allaah, those whose hearts have been killed by Iblees - as Imaam Ahmad stated. So this is shear belittlement of the status that the Salafis give to the Scholars. He has again opened the door to corruption and misguidance.
This is yet another deceitful ploy of this treacherous kadhdhaab designed to fool the audience into thinking that those who oppose him are mere blind-followers who have not studied and they glorify the personalities (at-taqdees ul-ashkhaas) and treat them as if they cannot be wrong. Abu Usamah stated:
Yet in almost the same breath he claims that his position towards Abul-Hasan al-Ma'rabee is the same as that of Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad, and if you criticise me, then you must criticise him! So who is the muqallid and the ignorant blind-follower? He accuses others of blindly following, then he claims: I'm with Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin! So where is the proofs and evidences now O Abaa Usaamah!"..the Salafiyyah of the Taqdees of the ashkhaas (glorification of personalties).. the Shaikh, the Shaikh said, the Shaikh, the Shaikh said..."
Worse still is that it is as if he is saying, 'I will follow the Shaikh, whether he is right or wrong, and if you criticise me, you are criticising the Shaikh'! Just like when you say to the Hanafi, 'Imaan increases and decreases', so he responds, 'No, it does not increase or decrease - and if you criticise me you are criticising Abu Haneefah!'. Or when a Salafi informs the Ash'aree, 'We take the Names and Attributes of Allaah upon their apparent meanings', he responds, 'No! al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr made some ta'weel so I too will make ta'weel. And if you criticise me, you are criticising Ibn Hajr!' From these simple examples the reader can clear see Abu Usamah's self-contradictory, deceitful, lying speech - which in the end shows he is nothing more than a muqallid hiding behind the saying of one scholar in order to defend his support of the innovators. He accuses others of taqleed, whilst he himself raises it's banner! He even claims that Salafi Publications has come with a Salafiyyah Jadeedah (a new type of Salafiyyah)! Where have we heard that before? More on that a little later.
On the 18th January 2003, on SalafiTalk.net we quoted Abu Usamah uttering the following words:
Firstly, all of these Scholars died before the innovations of Abul-Hasan became apparent and open! So what type of fool would quote them whilst knowing that? Just read the statements of the Scholars who were presented with the deviations of al-Ma'rabee. (From the book of Shaikh Ahmad bin Umar Baazmool (hafidhahullaah) in his excellent refutation of Ali al-Halabi):"...WHAT I STILL BELIEVE TODAY and all praise is for Allaah, that Abul-Hasan IS SALAFI and that the MAJOR SCHOLARS of this era, Imaam al-Albaanee and Imaam Ibn Baaz and Imaam Ibn 'Uthaimeen and Shaikh Muqbil (may Allah have mercy upon them) they all died while being pleased with him - and that carries some weight and consideration in this Deen”! (raghm unoofihim)
Al-Allaamah Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:
Al-Allaamah Abdullaah Al-Ghudayaan (rahimahullaah) said when asked concerning some of the saying of Abul-Hasan:"Abandon this man (i.e. Abul-Hasan) and call to the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jamaa-ah."
[Source: Siyaanatus-salafi Min Waswasati Wa-Talbeesaat Ali Al-Halabi: 533]
Al-Allaamah Ahmad bin Yahyah An-Najmi (rahimahullaah) said:"This man is subjected to trials and tribulations, he has little manners and is foolish."
[Source: Source: Siyaanatus-Salafi, p.533]
Imaam Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi'ee (rahimahullaah) said:Indeed, it has been finally established with me that Abul Hasan is a Mubtadi (innovator)! I hold this as by religion, and this is what I affirm, and success lies with Allaah."
[Source: Source: Siyaanatus-Salafi, p.533]
Al-Allaamah Rabee bin Haadee al-Madkhalee (may Allaah preserve him) said:"Beware of Abul-Hasan, I fear for the Dawah with regards to Abul Hasan." He (rahimahullaah) also said: "Abul Hasan is sly. He utilises cleverness and not what is from righteousness, purity and uprightness.."
[Source: Siyaanatus Salafi page: 533]
Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee (may Allaah preserve him) said:"Who said the origin with respect to them (Abul-Hasan, Muhammad Hassaan and Abu Ishaaq Al-Huwaynee) is that they are Salafi?! Rather the origin is that they are Ikhwaanees, with the nurturing of al-Ikhwaan."
[Source: Source: Siyaanatus-Salafi, p.534]
This is in reality the Manhaj of Abu Usamah - The Same as al-Ma'rabee."Many of our Salafi brothers are aware of the condition of this man. Rather now we see him with all of the Jama'aat al-Hizbiyyah (the innovated partisan groups). And he has statements from that which has been recorded from him in tapes. These affairs he used to forbid yesterday, and today you find him speaking with it! We ask Allaah for wellbeing and safety."
"We warn against this man from every place because he is Ikhwaanee in Manhaj."
Until the Shaikh said: "I know him, he does not feel ashamed of telling lies."
[Source: Source: Siyaanatus-Salafi, p.535]
- We see him now also with the Jama'aat al-Hizbiyyah - aiding them, supporting them, whilst claiming to be Salafi, same as Abul-Hasan - we are not interested in mere claims - our da'wah is knowledge and action, and adhering to the usool.
- Not ashamed of telling lies and deceiving the youth, same as Abul-Hasan.
- Abul-Hasan belittles the Sahaabah, calls them "scum" and having "evil suspicions", then denies it and makes excuses for his evil. Abu Usaamah does the same: he accused the Companion Waleed bin 'Uqbah of being a Faasiq (rebellious sinner), and then claimed he didn't know Waleed to be a Sahaabee - until one listens to the audio in which Abu Usamah affirms that he is a Companion just before calling him a "Faasiq" (click here for the proof and sound clips). He belittled and demeaned Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (radhi Allaah 'anhu) and then asks the youth sitting in front of him to believe his sincerity.
- Abul-Hasan praises the innovators and regards them to be from ahlus-Sunnah and Salafi, Abu Usamah does the same.
- Abul-Hasan accuses Shaikh Rabee' of being sick and foolish, Abu Usamah claims that he's seen things in Shaikh Rabee' that prevent him from taking his refutations. But who cares since he is happy to make Abu Bakr (radiallaahu anhu) as an example to be made of Abu Usamah's principle of not taking from the Scholars because of what he has seen from them.So who's Shaikh Rabee compared to Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (radhi Allaahu 'anhu)?
These two individuals are different sides of the same coin (except that Abul-Hasan actually seems to be an educated innovator, whereas Abu Usamah is an outright fool).
Al-Allaamah Ubaid Al-Jaabiree (may Allaah preserve him) said:
Abu Usamah on several occasions has mentioned and belittled this Scholar of the Sunnah - Abu Usamah's hatred of the Scholars who oppose his corrupt Manhaj is palpable. Alhamdulillaah, Shaikh Ubaid clarified like the Sun in the sky his statement regarding Ka'b bin Maalik (radhi Allaahu 'anhu) without any difficulty. (Listen to it here)"This man is an Ikhwaanee, a trickster, a plotter, an infiltrator into the da'wah of Ahlus-Sunnah in Yemen."
[Source: Siyaanatus-Salafi, p. 534]
We have documented proofs showing the innovations and deviations of al-Ma'rabee (click here for a sample!), can Abu Usamah provide us with his responses to these documented evidences? Or does he have the statements and responses of Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin to these documented evidences? Answer: No. Why? Because Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin (hafidhaullaah) has no documented responses to the specific proofs against Abul-Hasan!
So has Abu Usamah changed over the last decade? No. Same lies, different audience. The question that arises is, who is really the blind-follower?And how is it that a new generation of youth are falling for his recycled lies. When a scholar praises a person, then he praises him upon his knowledge and adherence to the Sunnah, from what he knows of him. And when that scholar passes away, and that one praised becomes a Mu'tazilee or a Shi'ite? Does that tazkiyyah still hold true or is it nullified? Of course it is nullified. Imaam Muslim stated in the beginning of his Saheeh:
This shows how the Salaf would give each person his true right but once they saw innovation in a person, they would also make that clear. And this has occurred throughout the centuries. A more potent example perhaps is Ya'qoob bin Shaibah as-Sadoosee.It was narrated that Mis'ar said: Jaabir bin Yazeed narrated to us, but that was before he innovated [into the Religion] that which he innovated. (no. 52)
Ya'qoob bin Shaibah (died 262H) was present in the time of Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (d. 241H). The great Imaam adh-Dhahabee (d. 748H, rahimahullaah) stated in Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa about him: "The great haafidh, al-'Allaamah, ath-thiqah (trustworthy)." Then he goes on to say that he had authored a huge Musnad in hadeeth spanning 30 volumes. Ahmad bin Kaamil al-Qaadee said: "Ya'qoob bin Shaibah was from the major companions of Ahmad bin al-Mu'adhdhal and al-Haarith bin Miskeen - was was a leading Faqeeh - but he withheld in the issue of the Qur'aan (by refusing to say, 'it is not created')." Imaam adh-Dhahabee (rahimahullaah):
Abu Bakr al-Marroodhee (rahimahullaah) said:"I say: He took his position of withholding in the Qur'aan from his Shaikh, the well-known Ahmad previously mentioned (i.e. bin al-Mu'adhdhal) - and likewise those who also withheld were Mus'ab az-Zubairee, Ishaaq bin Abee Israa'eel and a group - so nearly a thousand Imaams opposed them! Rather all the rest of the Imaams of the Salaf as well as the later Imaams upon the issue of them not rejecting that the Qur'aan is created, and their refusal to declare the Jahmiyyah to be unbelievers! We ask Allaah for safety in our Religion."
So this is how the Salaf would deal with a person, even if he had knowledge, who stubbornly persisted upon innovations. Shaikh Rabee' (hafidhahullaah), the Imaam of al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel of our age said:"Ya'qoob bin Shaibah made apparent his withholding in a part of Baghdaad - so Abu Abdillaah (Ahmad bin Hanbal) warned against him. And when [the Khaleefah] al-Mutawakkil commanded Abdur-Rahmaan bin Yahyah bin Khaaqaan to ask Ahmad bin Hanbal regarding who should be appointed as judges, Abdur-Rahmaan said: I asked Ahmad [bin Hanbal] regarding Ya'qoob bin Shaibah, so he said: 'He is an innovator, a person of desires!'" Al-Khateeb said: "He described him as such due to him withholding."
So due to the ignorance of Abu Usamah, or the pretence of ignorance, and the wilful deception he has employed, he spouts the same ignorant statements he was uttering ten years ago. We ask him, is your beloved Abul-Hasan al-Ma'rabee greater in knowledge than Ya'qoob bin Shaibah that was abandoned by a thousand Imaams for his bid'ah!? (Or are you waiting for a thousand Imaams to refute him?!). Does the praise of anyone amount to anything with respect to this innovator, even if he wrote 30 volumes in hadeeth?! Or will you now say, these words of Shaikh Rabee' constitute a tazkiyyah because he mentioned some incidental historical facts about Ya'qoob bin Shaibah? Will you now say that this speech of Shaikh Rabee' amounts to al-Mawaazanah!?"The Salaf, do you people know their Manhaj? I will give an example of an Imaam from the Imaams of Sunnah: Ya'qoob bin Shaibah, the author of the Musnad, the likes of which has not been authored as Imaam adh-Dhahabee (rahimahullaah) and others have born witness to. But this man fell into bid'ah, and because of that he amounts to nothing with us."
(Audio title: Guidelines to the Students in the Department of Hadeeth, Q&A Section).
Ponder O Salafi, read again what we have narrated above, and you can clearly see that a man who has knowledge and is praised by many can then fall into innovations, persist upon them and be declared an innovator. Then the late-comers who are informed of the affairs cannot use "difference of opinion between the scholars" as an excuse to make taqleed in affairs of usool and fundamentals! The fact of matter is that Abu Usamah is treacherous and a liar, who a decade later continues to pull the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting Muslim youth who have not studied and know no better.
Amazing how many of these youth abandoned the blind following of the great Imaams to be led into another type of blind-following by Abu Usamah! Can you not, O Sunni brother and sister, see parallels between the stances of the Salaf towards those who were once upon the Sunnah, indeed great Imaams of the Sunnah, and then they were refuted and abandoned? Is this not the case with Abdur-Rahmaan Abdul-Khaaliq and Abul-Hasan al-Ma'rabee, Muhammad al-Maghraawee and others (except that the likes of Ya'qoob bin Shaibah were immensely more knowledgeable than these innovators of today)? So even if we find a bonafide Scholar in that time, who may have been unaware of the state of Ya'qoob bin Shaibah, and called the people to sit with him and praised him, does that now give the ignoramus (like Abu Usamah) the right to pick and choose? Or have we been commanded with clinging to the proofs. Once we enter into praising and recommending innovators and promoting them, then we fall into guiding the youth towards them, the youth cannot discern between haqq and baatil, so they are led astray - and this is the case with many who have fallen into the snare of Abu Usamah.
So the position of Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin (hafidhullaah) is not a proof to call others to blind-follow. Rather when Allaah, the Most High, states: "Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know." then who knows in detail the innovations with proofs of Abul-Hasan al-Ma'rabee? And before him Abdur-Rahmaan Abdul-Khaaliq? And after him Ali Hasan al-Halabee? Is it Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin or Shaikh Rabee'? So let Abu Usamah tell us, if he has the ability to be honest? There is no doubt that the knowledge of this affair is with Shaikh Rabee' over Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin. And we'll come to explain why below inshaa'Allaah.
Abu Usaamah is not interested in following the path of the Salaf in seeking out proofs and evidences, and taking the stances that the Salaf of this Ummah took. This is his weakness in Manhaj, weakness in 'Aqeedah and weakness in implementing the path of the Salaf. It is he who in reality is upon a modernist methodology that blurs the demarkation between truth and falsehood, between Sunnah and bid'ah and between ahlus-Sunnah and Ahlul-Bid'ah. Shaikh Rabee' (hafidhahullaah) warns from this state of mind, he continues:
Coming soon: Section (B), inshaa'Allaah."However [in these times] due to our weakness and the degradation of Islaam, it's 'Aqeedah, it's Sharee'ah and its signs at the hands of many people - those who are negligent regarding the status of the Sunnah and they hover around the innovations and it's people.. How many are there in these times leading the Ummah with misguidance, yet we still say about them that they are from Ahlu-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah!!
These are the Satanic wicked scales! Rather measure with the scales of Islaam, the scales that Imaam Ahmad and his brothers from the Imaams of hadeeth measured with, that the Imaams of Sunnah measured with, and what ash-Shaafi'ee understood!
When ash-Shaafi'ee debated with Hafs al-Farad in the issue of the creation of the Qur'aan, he said to ash-Shaafi'ee: 'The Qur'aan is created' Shaafi'ee replied: 'You have disbelieved in Allaah!' And we have in our midsts those who say: 'The Qur'aan is created', even if is by concealed speech (i.e. dressed up with other words). The Ash'arees say that the Qur'aan is created - this is happening in front of us - their position is that it is created. So how can we say that they are not innovators?!
So this is the scale used to measure, and this scale never changes. This is the scale of Allaah, just and true, that Allaah revealed upon Muhammad ('alaihi salaatu was-salaam), and the understanding of the Righteous Salaf, and the people of Tawheed and Sunnah - they implement these scales upon the people of bid'ah and other than them - this measure never changes.."
(Audio title: Guidelines to the Students in the Department of Hadeeth, Q&A Section).
Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Waahid