Al-Jarh Wa At-Tadeel: Clarifying The Public Errors Of Our Brother Muhammad Muneer Mufti

[Abu.Dawood.Abdullaah]

In the name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem.

Muhammad Muneer said:

When was it from the way of the Ulamaa and the way of the Salaf to sit in front of the layman and talk about Jarh Wa Ta'deel. Bring me one example...

When does Al-Jarh Wa-Ta'deel apply to the layman Muslim, the nine to five Muslim. The man who walks out of the Masjid; he is going to go to work and he listens to the radio at work and there is Kuffaar women around him at work. Is that going to benefit his heart as a Muslim? Is that going to allow him to go the rest of the day making Dhikr of Allah, seeking Rizq for his family? Is that going to help him? I am asking you will that help him?

[The audience says, "Laa (No)".

Is that something that he can take home to his wife and his children; I learned from the lecture at the Masjid. Billahi Alayka, will that help him? No! Rather as we see in our communities that we busy ourselves with Qeel Wa Qaala, this person and this Shaykh and this student, back and forth. Ask them about Wudoo, ask them Salaat, ask them Zakaah, ask them about seerah. I don't know what year the battle of Uhud was in. I don't know. I don't know what year the battle of Badr was in but he can tell you about every issue of detailed criticism and Ikhtilaaf amongst the Ulamaa.

It is a shame that this brother has chosen to walk upon this path, so early on in his life, of those who discredit the Salafi communities. Here he is delivering a whole lecture on Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta'deel and then turns around and criticizes others for exactly the same thing.

"Do you command others with piety and forget about your own selves..."

Now look at the words of the Imam of Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta'deel in this era, Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee and compare it to the words of our brother. It is amazing how the position of the person being described in the question resembles that of Muhammad Muneer

What do you say concerning an individual who advises others to abstain from listening to refutations, and when he was asked about the reason for him adopting this stance he said, "The person who asked me about this was a common person and he is unable to recite the Quran properly". What is your comments upon this, may Allah bless you?

If he is a layman then he is to be taught the Islamic creed and to be warned from the people of innovations. The majority of the common people these days have become supporters of the people of innovation. So it is necessary to warn them against them (i.e. the people of innovation)

Say to him, "So and so is upon such and such innovations and you listening to him will harm you”. This is so that they will not read (his works), listen to his tapes and that he is cautious about his speech. Meaning that this layman needs someone to warn him and he is to be reminded of the principle:

“This knowledge is religion so look at whom you take your religion from.”

During these times the common people are targeted by the people of innovation and will say to you, “do not let them read the books of refutations. No. No.”

This (approach) will expose them to ruin.

Fataawa Fadeelah Ash-Shaykh Rabee’ Al-Madkhalee (1/273)

Alhamdu lillah in the Salafi communities all over the world we find lessons on 'Aqeedah, Fiqh, Tafseer, Akhlaaq and more. So we call on Muhammad Muneer to provide the names of those who speak about Jarh Wa Ta'deel in every lecture and evidence to support his claim. Otherwise this is a lie that you have invented and hurled at your brothers, may Allah pardon you and allow you to retract it.

It is clear from the words of Shaykh Rabee' that the common people need to be warned against the people of innovation sometimes by their description and sometimes by their names. So is this not Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta'deel Ya Muhammad!

Shaykh Rabee' (May Allah preserve him) was asked:

Is it permissible for us as students of knowledge to be silent about the innovators, and to cultivate the youth and the students upon the way of the Salaf without mentioning the names of the innovators?

By Allah, the innovators are to be mentioned by their traits and by their names if there is a need for this. If so and so has put himself forward for leadership and leading this nation and the youth and he is leading them towards falsehood, then he is to be mentioned by his name. If there is a need then he is to be mentioned by his name and it is necessary to mention him by his name.

As it relates to this, one of the Salafis in Egypt used to teach and he would just mention general (descriptions without specifying names) and the people did not comprehend these generalities.

After this he began to explicitly mention the names of the groups and individuals and they said (i.e. those who attended the lessons), “O Shaykh, why did you not teach us like this in the beginning?” He responded by saying, “I delivered to you many lessons and I would say this and I would say that (i.e. general descriptions without names).”

They said, “By Allah, we did not understand.”

Fataawa Fadeelah Ash-Shaykh Rabee’ Al-Madkhalee (1/277)

Alhamdu lillah the brother Rasheed Barbee has also translated some of the words of the scholars that annihilates this shubhah:

http://www.salafitalk.com/threads/19...igion-of-Islam

Do not address the issues of Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta'deel in front of the layman. Here is a refutation of this statement in Arabic:

http://www.sahab.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=116462

Is the science of Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta’deel dead?

The Imam Ibn Uthaymeen responds to this doubt:

“I fear that this is a statement of truth by which falsehood is intended. Al-Jarh wal-Ta'deel has not died and nor has it been buried, and nor has it become ill, and all praise is due to Allaah. It is established, al-Jarh wal-Ta'deel occurs with respect to witnesses with the judge, it is possible that they are disparaging a disputant and they are requested for evidence, and it also occurs in reports (riwaayah) and we have heard the recitation of our imaam [referring to the prayer they must have just prayed in which this verse was recited by the imaam], "O you who believe, when a faasiq comes to you with news, then verify it" (49:6).
So al-Jarh wal-Ta'deel has never ceased to remain, so long as something from humanity remains, so long as something from humanity remains, then al-Jarh wal-Ta'deel remains. However, I fear that a person might say, "This person is disparaged" but he is not disparaged, and hence this fatwa is taken as a means to spread the faults of the creation.
For this reason, I say: When there is a fault in a person, if the best interest, or need, or necessity requires for it to be explained, then there is no harm in that, there is no harm in it being explained (to the people), however it is better for it to be said, "Some people do such and such, and some people say such and such" for two reasons. The first reason is that avoids the issue of specifying (names) and the second reason is that this ruling incorporates (the person intended) and others (to whom it would also apply).
Except that when we see a specific person by which the people have been put to trial, and he is calling to his innovation or to misguidance, then there is no escape from specifying (his person) so that the people are not put to trial by him.”

http://www.manhaj.com/manhaj/article...adeel-dead.cfm

The Muhaddith of this era, the 'Allaamah, Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee:

"Despite the stance that the two Shaikhs, Rabee' Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee and Muqbil Ibn Haadee Al-Waadi'ee, have taken in fighting against innovations and the deviant opinions and sayings, some of the youth have doubts as to if the two Shaikhs are upon the Salafee way." So the Shaikh, rahimahullaah, answered by saying:

"Without a doubt, we praise Allaah, the Most High, for preparing for this upright Da'wah, which is based on the Qur'aan and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the Salaf As-Saalih, numerous callers throughout the various parts of the Muslim lands. They are the ones who take charge of the communal obligation (fard kifaa'ee), when there are very few who take this responsibility in the Muslim world today. So degrading and belittling these two Shaikhs (Rabee' and Muqbil), who call to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and what the Salaf As-Saalih were upon and who wage war against those who oppose this correct methodology. As is quite clear to everyone, it either comes from one of two types of people. Either it comes from someone who is ignorant or someone who follows his desires... If he is ignorant, then he can be taught. But if he is one who follows his desires, then we seek Allaah's refuge from the evil of this person. And we ask Allaah, Mighty and Sublime, to either guide him or break his back."

Then the Shaikh, rahimahullaah, said:

"And furthermore, I want to say that what I saw from the writings of the Shaikh, Dr. Rabee', was that they were beneficial. And I do not recall seeing any error on his part (in these books) nor any deviation from the methodology, which we are in conformity with him on and he with us."

Also, in the tape entitled "Al-Muwaazanaat: A modern-day Innovation" given by Al-Albaanee, the Shaikh added more to his praise for Shaikh Rabee'. After talking about this present-day innovation (of Muwaazanaat), the Shaikh stated:

"And in brief, I say that the Carrier of the Flag of (the science of) Al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel today, in this present time, and rightfully so, is our brother, Dr. Rabee'. And those who refute him, do not do so with knowledge at all. And the knowledge is with him. And even though I have told him often that if he would only be softer in his manners, that would be more beneficial for the masses of people, whether they are with him or against him. But as for with respect to knowledge, then there is absolutely no grounds for criticizing him, except for that which I have mentioned just now that there is some severity in (his) manners. But as for the saying that he is not fair (in mentioning a person's good deeds, when mentioning his bad deeds), then this is a statement that carries no weight. No one says such a statement except for one of two people - either he is ignorant, so he must learn, or he is biased and following his desires. So this person, we have no recourse with regard to him, except to supplicate to Allaah to guide him to the Straight Path."

He, rahimahullaah, also said, commenting on the conclusion of the book "Al-'Awaasim mimmaa fee Kutub Sayyid Qutb min Al-Qawaasim" (Protection against the Dangers that are found in the Books of Sayyid Qutb):

"Everything that you have refuted Sayyid Qutb in is true and correct. From this, it will become quite clear to every Muslim, who has some sort of Islaamic education, that reads this that Sayyid Qutb was not knowledgeable about Islaam, whether about its fundamental principles (Usool) or its subsidiary issues (Furoo').8 So may Allaah reward you, O brother (Rabee') for fulfilling this obligation of clarifying and exposing his ignorance and deviation from Islaam."

It is clear from the words of the Muhaddith of this era that Jarh Wa Ta'deel still exists today.

Some of the scholars have mentioned that the knowledge of Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta’deel was specific to the era of the narrators [of hadeeth]. However, at this present time in the year 1420H there is no such thing called Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta’deel. What is the correct stance with regards to this?

Shaykh Rabee’ stated:

“…Al-Jarh Wa At-Tadeel will remain until the day of judgement. The people want to benefit from this particular scholar and you inform them that this person is a noble scholar and upon the Sunnah so you praise him, and this scholar is Raafidee, this one is a Soofee who believes in Wahdatul Wujood (This is referring to the false belief that all in existence is a single reality and that everything we see is only aspects of the essence of Allah), this one is a secularist, this one is a communist who conceals his reality with Islam. This one is this and this one is that. It is obligatory upon you to clarify this; this is an obligation. This is a form of Jihaad and it will not cease and it is not specific to narrators.”

“Also the Salaf wrote [books] refuting the people of innovation as we have stated and they did not declare Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta’deel to be specific to the narrators alone.
He is an innovator and is not from the people of hadeeth, [he is] Mu’tazilee, [he is] Jahmee, [he is] Murjee and so and so forth. He has no connection to any narrations but he is an innovator therefore they criticized him (Al-Jarh).

So how can these people claim that the door of Al-Jarh is closed?”

Fataawa Ash-Shaykh Rabee’ (1/246)

In another place the Shaykh said:

“…The methodology of Al-Jarh Wa At-Ta’deel will not cease until the day of judgement as long as innovations are present.”

Fataawa Ash-Shaykh Rabee’ (1/249)

I could quote many other Fataawa of the Imams of the Sunnah relating to this but hopefully this is sufficient for now.

Insha Allah, the next thread will provide a summary of the proofs from the Quran and the Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf that show the falsehood of this new Manhaj.