Zinaid Abu Naser

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Alhamdulillah,

Islam has been attacked from every angle, wars on Islam rage on, and unfortunatelly some of them are waged from the inside. Groups diguised as Muslims wage war by changing the very fabric of Islam, through modernity, liberalism, innovations and various other ways.

Some of the Present Day Deviant, Misguided Sects, Figureheads and Associates:

Shaykhul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) (died 728AH) said: “So it is a must to warn from those innovations, even if it necessitates mentioning them (i.e those who carry them) and specifying them.”

1.

الاخوان المسلمين The Ikhwanul Muslimeen, Ikhwanis (The Muslim brotherhood)

Unfortunatelly, as many like to mysticise about the bravery and the heart of Sayyid Qutb, I will have to break the news to them, that Sayyid Qutb was from a group that the Salafi scholars have called a deviant group and that is the Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon.

This group began in Egypt in 1928 and was started by Hasan al-Banna and then Sayyid Qutub became from its well-known figureheads. Hasan al-Banna, as is affirmed in his own writings, was upon the deviant way of the Sufis and would walk long distances to the graves and sit at the graves. This group was not established to call to Allaah, rather they are seekers of power and government. Their call is based upon the slogan: “We cooperate upon that which we agree and we pardon one another upon that which we disagree.” Although the first portion of this statement may hold some correctness, because it is a must that the Muslims cooperate upon Birr and Taqwa as Allaah commanded, but as for the second half, “and we pardon one another upon that which we disagree”. It entails remaining quiet upon falsehood and remaining quiet upon the misguidance of the people of innovation. This is what their pardoning necessitates and this is in fact their goal; to gather the masses and increase their numbers to gain power, no matter what innovation or disbelief a person is upon.

For this reason the Ikhwanis will overlook the Raafidee and their speaking against the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and they will overlook the mistakes of the one who supplicates to the dead. This shows that the Walaa wal Baraa (alliance and disassociation) and loving for Allaah’s sake and hating for Allaah’s sake, which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described as being the most strongest handhold of Islaam, is the most weakest of things when it comes to the Ikhwanis.

The Ikhwanis (like their modern off shoot Hiab Al-Tahrir) place much of their importance on establishing an Islaamic state and they give little or no importance to the affair of Tawheed (establishing and calling to the worship of Allaah alone and rejecting everything worshipped besides him). The first call of every single Prophet and Messenger was to Tawheed.

They will do anything in their power to obtain leadership in order to promote their deviant methodologies and wage war against the Sunnah, even if it is at the cost of mass bloodshed. Many other present day groups of innovation branched off from the Ikhwanul Muslimeen, such as the Qutubiyyah (i.e. those upon the methodology of Sayyid Qutub), the Surooriyyah, Jamaa’at at Takfeer wal Hijrah and others.

2.

السروريه The Suroorees

The Suroorees main focus is to find and point out the faults of the Muslim rulers and incite the people against them by speaking out against the rulers on the pulpits.

The scholars consider this worse than those who actually go out and perform the revolts. The Suroorees declare the Muslim rulers and the general Muslims to be disbelievers on account of a sin committed, which is the methodology of the Khawarij.

While the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded that the rulers be dealt with in accodance to his saying:  “Upon the Muslim is to hear and obey (the Muslim ruler) in what he may like or may dislike, except if he is commanded with disobedience (to Allaah), and if he is commanded with disobedience, there is no hearing or obeying.”

Also, the hadeeth narrated by Ubaadah ibn as-Saami (رضي الله عنه‎) who said: “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called for us, so we gave him a pledge. From those things that he instructed us with is that we pledged to hear and obey in good times and bad times of prosperity and times of difficulty and when we are not give our due rights and that we do not bring about discord regarding his (i.e. the Muslim rulers) affair. The Prophet then said: Except if you see plain disbelief in which you have a proof from Allaah.”

Also Bukhaaree and Muslim collected in their Saheehs on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما‎) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever sees from his leader something he dislikes then let him be patient, for whoever splits away from the Jama’ah (the main body of the Muslims) and dies upon that, they die the death of the pre Islaamic times of ignorance.”

Also we find that the Salaf would supplicate for the Muslim rulers that Allaah rectify their conditions, they would not go in the streets for protests and demonstrations or the likes of these matters that only lead to chaos and turmoil. Furthermore they would not curse or revile the Muslim leaders for indeed this is the way of the Khawaarij and the people of innovation.

Imaam Barbahaaree (رحمه الله) said in his book Sharhus Sunnah: “And if you see a man supplicating against the Muslim ruler then know he is a person of innovation, and if you see a man supplicating for the Muslim ruler, then know that he is a person of Sunnah Insha Allaah.”

It was also narrated that al Fudayl ibn ‘Iyadh (رحمه الله) said: “If I had a supplication that was answered, I would have not made except for the Muslim leader.” It was said, why is that? He said: “When the supplication is made for the Muslim leader it encompasses everyone; so with the rectification of the leader comes the rectification of the servants and the lands.”

Imaam Ahmad (رحمه الله) said regarding the Muslim leader: “And Indeed I supplicate for him for correctness and success throughout the day and night and that he is given aid, and I see this to be something obligatory upon me.”

So when one reads these Prophetic narrations and then the narrations of the Salaf, one can see how far the Suroorees are from the Prophetic methodology and how distant they are from the way of the pious predecessors who were unanimous on the affair of obeying the Muslim ruler, so long as he does not command with the disobedience of Allaah.

Also from the errors of the Suroores is that they put all their might in belittling the scholars of the Sunnah and accusing them of what is not in them, in order to remove the trust the masses have in them, in order to achieve their evil goal of waging war against the sunnah and its people and obtaining power for themselves.

3.

جماعة التكفير/ التكفيرين / جماعةالجهاد ِJamaa’tul Jihaad/ the Takfeeris/ Jama’at at Takfeer

All of these groups of deviation place their main focus on the affair of Jihad and recklessly spilling the blood of Muslims and non-Muslims based upon their deviant ideologies and their gross misunderstanding of the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah and not returning back to the understanding of the Salafus Saalih. This is just like their predecessors from the Khawarij whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said of them: “They are the dogs of the hellfire” and he said “They will read the Qur’aan but it will not go below their throats, they will exit from the religion faster than the arrow passes through the hunted animal.”

The Takfeeris speak ill of the scholars of the Sunnah and undermine their advices and fataawa that relates to the affairs of the ummah, especially those that pertain to important matters such as jihad and obeying the Muslim leadership.

They declare the Muslim rulers to be disbelievers, again gaining much of their ideology from the reviver of the revolutionary way of the Khawarij in this era. The Muslim should know that it is not for anyone from the ignorant or common folk or small students of knowledge to speak about important matters that concern the ummah such as Jihad; this is reserved for the MAJOR SCHOLARS ONLY.

4.

جماعة التبليغ  Jamaa’t at Tableegh

This group arose in the nineteenth century and was founded by Muhammad Ilyaas from Hind (India). They make it a condition in their da’wah to travel throughout the land for forty days giving “da’wah” and stopping in various towns and different masaajid. Their main errors are that firstly their da’wah is based upon ignorance. Many of them are not learned and educated about Tawheed and the correct Aqeedah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. They give no importance to calling the people to Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah, and they focus their call to Tawheed on Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, that Allaah is the only Creator, Provider, Sustainer etc. This was the Tawheed affirmed by the majority of the disbelievers and this aspect of Tawheed is not sufficient for a person to enter into Islaam and it does not remove them from Shirk.

Allaah said regarding the disbelievers: “And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: Allaah.” (Surah al-Zukhruf: 87)

And He said: “If you were to ask them: Who sends down water from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death? They will surely reply Allaah.” (Surah al-Ankaboot: 63)

So it is not sufficient for a person to acknowledge this type of Tawheed, Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, in order to enter into Islaam without affirming and implementing Tawheed al ‘Ibaadah (the Tawheed of Allaah’s worship) which was the call of the Prophets and Messengers.

Allaah said: “And verily, We have sent to every Ummah a messenger proclaiming: Worship Allaah and keep away from the Taghut (all false dieties).” 

This was the Tawheed that the Messengers were sent with and this is the Tawheed which the disbelievers opposed the Messengers in, not Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah. Rather no one opposed their Prophet or Messenger in the call to Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, which is affirmed by most of the creation. So the Jamaa’at at-Tableegh sufficing with the call to Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, shows their ignorance of the true da’wah of the Prophets and Messengers.

The Tableeghi’s are also upon the way of the Jahmiyyah regarding Allaah’s names and attributes, so they deny the reality of Allaah’s names and attributes. They also fight against knowledge and warn against the scholars, those who the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم praised and said: “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.” Rather they have been known to cast out those who go out with them and focus their call upon Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah. They also say about the scholars “they are those who split up the Muslims, and they are those who warn from going out in Allaah’s path.”

They say this because of the scholars warning from their innovated methodology in going out to give da’wah and their other deviations. One of the leaders of the Jamaa’at at-Tableegh by the name In’aam Hasan, who died a little over 20 years ago wrote a book affirming the four innovated paths of the Sufis, the least of them is not free from great and serious deviation. They also mainly rely whilst admonishing the people on fabricated stories and weak narrations.

5.

 الرافضة The Raafidah (known also as the Shi’ah or Shi’ites)

This is a deviant, misguided group that many of the scholars of the Sunnah say their leaders are outside of the fold of Islaam due to their many statements and actions of disbelief. They curse the noble companions of the Messenger of صلى الله عليه وسلم and claim that many of them went apostate after the death of the Prophet, save a few.

They have extreme hate for the two noble companions Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq and ‘Umar ibn Al Khattab (رضي الله عنهما‎). They accuse the wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to be fornicators and they claim that the Qur’an had not been completed, and has been changed and distorted. Some of the extreme Shi’ah say angel Jibreel made a mistake when delivering revelation to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and it was really meant for ‘Alee ibn Abee Talib (رضي الله عنه‎), although ‘Alee is free from this heinous accusation of theirs. Others from them go further than that and attribute divine qualities to ‘Alee and worship him along with Allaah. The disbelief of those who say this is clear as the sun in the sky.

The reason behind them attacking the noble companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is that they only truly intend to attack the message of Islaam itself. If the carriers of a message can be discredited then the message itself can be discredited. Listen to the position of the Salaf of this Ummah regarding the companions of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Imam at Tahaawee (رحمه الله) (D. 321AH) said in his book Aqeedatut Tahaawiyyah:

“And we love the companions of the messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم and we do not go overboard in loving any one of them nor do we free ourselves from any one of them. We hate those who hate them or mention them with other than what is good and we only mention them with good. Loving them is Eemaan (faith) and Ihsaan (goodness) and hating them is disbelief, hypocrisy and transgression. We affirm the Khilaafaa (leadership) after the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم; firstly being Abu Bakr as Siddeeq (رضي الله عنه‎), having precedence and the most virtuous over the whole of the ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al Khattab (رضي الله عنه‎) then Uthmaan (رضي الله عنه‎) then ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (رضي الله عنه‎). They are the Khulafaa ar Raashidoon (the rightly guided Caliphs).”

Then he mentioned the ten companions promised paradise and continued by saying:

“Whoever speaks well about the companions of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم and his wives who are pure from every vile act and his children who are free from every filth, then they are free from hypocrisy. And the scholars of the Salaf from those who preceded and those who came after them from the taabi’een, the people of goodness and those upon the athar (i.e. following the narrations) and those who possess fiqh and insight, they are only mentioned with that which is good, and whoever mentions them with evil they are not upon the correct path.”

How different is the belief of the Salaf regarding the noble companions of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم compared to the belief of the Raafidah.

Likweise, the books of the Raafidah that one should be warned from is al-Kaafi by al-Kulaynee and Nahjatul Balaagah (Peak of Eloquence) as they are two books filled with misguidance and innovations and statements attributed to Alee (رضي الله عنه‎) that he is free from.

6.

 الصوفية The Sufis (Soofiyyah)

They are a misguided, deviant group who make apparent that they have Zuhd (i.e. staying away from the worldly pleasures) and they leave off taking the means of earning provision for themselves and their families. Their main errors are that they supplicate to the Prophets and righteous besides Allaah, living and deceased.

They call out to ‘Abdul Qaadir Jeelaanee and to the Messenger of صلى الله عليه وسلم seeking aid. Du’a and seeking aid are two acts of worship that cannot be directed to anyone else other than Allaah; doing so is major shirk.

Some extreme Sufis believe in Wahdatul Wujood meaning that everything in existence is Allaah. They have many innovated matters in worship such as their Sufi chants “Allaah, Allaah, Allaah” and sometimes they shorten it and say “Hu, Hu, Hu”.

Also they innovated ar-Raqs (dancing) and beating the duff (drum) as a form of worship. They also claim to have knowledge of the affairs of the unseen while we know that Allaah informs that no one besides He has knowledge of the unseen.

They also claim that they see Allaah in this world and that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the need of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. They say: “My heart narrated to me from my Lord”, which is a great lie against Allaah.

They also practice the innovation of celebrating the mawlid (the birthday of the prophet). From those who represent the Sufis and their da’wah are Hamzah Yusuf, Zayd Shaakir, many if not all of the masaajid of the Jama’at at-Tableegh, and those who follow the innovator Jeelaanee from Pakistan. The two heretics Ibn Arabi and Ibn Saba’een are their predecessors.

7.

The Warith Deen Muhammad Community

This deviant, misguided sect are descendants of Fard Muhammad who claimed to be Allaah and that the black man was Allaah.

The kafir Elijah Muhammad took it from him and claimed to be a messenger of Allaah. In the 1970’s Warith Deen Muhammad broke off from his father and the nation and claimed to come to “Sunni” Islaam. How far is this from the truth! Warith Deen Muhammad claimed at one point to be the Mahdi.

He said: “I am Masih- Mahdi, I am the Christ-Mahdi believe it or not!? You know, for a long time people have been hoping to fulfill the prophecy. The prophecy of the return of Christ or the return of the son of Mary and the presence of a Mahdi who would bring the religion to its original purity. They’ve been looking for that, it’s here now, what they’ve been looking for is here now, but can they appreciate it?”

He also said: “If you want all the hadeeths, then you should leave this community because I’m telling you, right now, I don’t accept all the hadeeths. They have made too much trouble and confusion in the Muslim society.”

He has many other statements of disbelief such as rejecting what Allaah informed about Him saving Musa عليه السلام‎ from the Pharaoh and parting the sea for him. Warith says: “Brothers and sisters, you will never convert intelligent people to religion today with unrealistic symbolical stories like that.” He also says that those who desire plural marriage “are cursed by God.” He says the Muslim women need not wear hijab because their hair is their hijab. He also says: “I don’t feel that all Christians have to have my religion to improve their lives. I don’t feel that. I feel that some Christians are living very good lives. They have very good morals, they have a good sense of direction and I wouldn’t want to disturb that for them…”

He claims that Allaah sent down revelation that he should be followed: “The word has come down from heaven, follow Imam W. Deen Muhammad. Either do that or wear the dog collar and eat dog biscuits.” He said: “I have no problems with the Pope, I respect him and honor him.” These statements are a few of his many statements of outright kufr.

When some of his statements were presented to the Permanent Committee of Knowledge Based Research and Religious Verdicts in Saudi Arabia they answered as followed: “These statements are statements of disbelief because they are in opposition to the Qur’an, Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims. Whoever says them or believes them or believes the one who says them or does not free himself from the one who says them is a kaafir. Also it is not permissible to ascribe this group to Islaam and it is not permissible to enter into this group except to refute what they are upon and to call them to repent and to enter into Islaam. If they refuse then it is a must to abandon them, distance one’s self from them and warn from them.”⁵

The Warith Deen community praises W.D. Muhammad and do not free themselves from his statements of disbelief. They speak ill of the Arabs and belittle those who follow the Sunnah with the claim “they are imitating the Arabs”, not realizing the fact that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was indeed from the Arabs and Allaah chose him to convey His religion and he did so in the most complete and perfect fashion.

8.

 الحداديةThe Haddadiyyah:

This deviant, misguided group began by an individual by the name Mahmoud Haddad. Their manifestation is in ghuloo (going over board) in attacking the people of the Sunnah. Haddad tried to compare those who made mistakes from the Imams of the Sunnah like Haafidh ibn Hajr and Imam an-Nawawee to the ignorant misguided innovators and free thinkers who did no service for Islaam whatsoever, such as Sayyid Qutub and Abu ‘Abdul Alaa Mawdoodee. They went as far as saying that one has to burn the books of Ibn Hajar and Nawawee.

The scholars of Ahlus Sunnah were aware of the plot of the Hadadis and refuted them and their dangerous methodology. Their methodology was only another cunning way to try to protect the people of innovation by saying, “if you must refute Qutub, Banna, and their likes, you must not give excuses to the likes of Ibn Hajar and Nawawee”.

No doubt, the mistakes of the scholars who aided and defended the Sunnah but fell short are refuted and clarified, but in no way are they compared to those who were not scholars at all such as Qutub, Banna, and Mawdoodee, as their works only added to fitnah and chaos in Islaam. Haddad wrote thick volumes in criticism of Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله, but never penned a word against the deviations of the likes of Sayyid Qutub and his book filled with innovations “In the Shade of the Qur’an.” This made it clear that Haddad and his group only intended by this to wage war against the carriers of the Sunnah. Haddadiyyah took other turns over the years; in the early 2000’s the ghuloo of Falih al Harbee became apparent by him refuting innovation and the people of innovation, and at the same time attacking people well known to be upon the Sunnah but not willing to present any proof for that, claiming this way to be the true manhaj of the Salaf.

Many scholars of the Sunnah were not safe from his tongue and he became a reason for much chaos amongst the Salafi youth.

9.

 المميعه The Mumayyi’ah

Their manifestation is the exact opposite of the Haddadiyyah. They, like the Hadadees present themselves as they are upon Salafiyyah but Salafiyyah is free from them. They claim to have love for the scholars of the Sunnah such as Bin Baz and ‘Uthaymeen and al-Fawzaan, but they criticize the scholars who set out to refute the people of innovation and label them as being harsh and going over board and only being people of Jarh (criticism).

They invent false principles in order to protect the people of misguidance such as: “We correct people but we do not criticize them”, and “We want a Manhaj Waasi’ (an expansive methodology to suit everyone!)”, and “Do not make our differing about another person, a reason for us to differ” (which is an extension of the Ikhwani principle of pardoning). All of these are newly invented principles that have been brought about only to protect the people of innovation.

Another deceitful trick of the Mumayyi’ah is their dividing the scholars into harsh, and non-harsh. This is to flee the common folk away from the refutations of the scholars upon the people of innovation. You also find the Mumayyi’ah concentrating on the affair of sins and place them at a status worse than innovation, when we know that the Salaf have consensus that bid’ah is worse than sins.

This is because the sinner will repent if Allaah wills but the one upon innovation does not repent because he believes he is upon the truth.

The Mumayyi’ah attack the Salafi’s while being lenient and patient with the people of innovation and desires. They also ignore the Salafi principle that “the detailed criticism takes precedence over the general praise.” They try to play around with this principle by either rejecting it or holding on to general praises from some scholars of the Sunnah for some misguided individuals whom those Salafi scholars were not aware of their true condition.

To sum up the message of the Mumayyi’ah, it is “do not busy yourselves with refutations and speaking about the innovators.” No doubt this is in opposition to the way of the Salaf as they were unanimous about the affair of the obligation of warning against innovation and its people. So let the Muslim beware and let him not be deceived by a person claiming that they are upon the Sunnah and Salafiyyah or by them quoting from a few scholars of the Sunnah, but let him examine the Walaa wal Baraa of these individuals.

Who do they walk with, who are their companions, who do they lecture with, and how are their relations with the well-known Salafi scholars and their students?

If they claim Salafiyyah but walk, smile, eat with and accommodate the innovators, then know in fact he is not a true Salafi, no matter how loud he screams that he is. Imam al-Awzaa’ee used to say: “Whoever hides from us his bid’ah, he cannot conceal from us his friends.”

The true Salafi implements the methodology of the three praiseworthy generations from the companions, the taabi’een and the atbaa taabi’een, and from their methodology is that they distanced themselves from the people of innovation and harshly warned from innovation and its people; they did not used to have good thoughts of them or make excuses for them, unlike the Mumayyi’ah.

10.

 الأحباش The Ahbaash/Habashis

They are the followers of the individual ‘Abdullah al Habashi who was originally from Ethiopia and moved to Lebanon. The Habashis are upon the misguided doctrines of the Ash’aris in making ta’weel (explaining away) of the lofty attributes of Allaah and ta’teel (denying their reality).

Like their predecessors from the Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilah, they have entered into theological rhetoric (‘Ilmul Kalaam) after being effected by the books of the Greek philosophers after they were translated into Arabic in the third century Hijree.

They place the intellects, which are prone to mistake, misinterpretation and misconception in front of the text of the Book of Allaah, which, “Falsehood does not come from in front of it or behind it, revelation from the All Wise, Worthy of all praise.” (Surah al-Fussilat: 42). The intellects must fall in agreement with the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, not vice versa. Therefore, if one misunderstands something from the Book of Allaah from Allaah’s names and attributes, one must question their own understanding and not question what has come in the Book of Allaah. This is because the Qur’an is the speech of Allaah, and is infallible and protected from the slightest of errors or mistakes and the Authentic Sunnah is also revelation from Allaah. “And he does not speak of His desires, rather it is only revelation revealed.” (Surah an-Najm: 4).

So the deviation of the Habashis stems from this foundation which they have ignored and they make their deficient intellects a judge as it relates to the lofty attributes of Allaah. From the attributes they deny is al ‘Uluww, Allaah being above His creation and al-Istiwaa, Allaah rising above His throne, and they say, “Allaah is not in the heavens or outside of the heavens, not in the world nor outside of the world.” This statement of theirs is no different than the statement of the atheists who deny the very existence of Allaah. They explain away those many clear ayaat that proves Allaah is above the heavens, such as the statement of Allaah: “Do you feel secure that He who is over the heavens will cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes. Or do you feel secure that He Who is over the heaven will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you should know how (terrible) has been my warning?” (Surah at-Tabaarak:16-17). And His statement regarding His Istiwaa, “The Most Merciful rose above His throne.” (Surah Taha: 5). In these ayaat, Allaah is the one who informed that He is above the heavens, so who are they to come and say otherwise?!

The creed of the Salaf regarding all the attributes of Allaah is that we affirm for Allaah what He affirmed for Himself, or what the Messenger of Allaah affirmed for Him from names and attributes, without distorting them or explaining them away, without denying them, without asking how and without resembling Allaah to His creation. Allaah says in His Book, “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All Hearer, All Seer.” (Surah ash-Shoura:11). Allaah informed that nothing at all is like unto Him, but with this He has hearing and seeing. So whatever attribute that Allaah describes Himself with in His Book, we also describe Him with, and we say that attribute is in a manner befitting His majesty, not like anything from His creation. We do not tire our intellects out in trying to find out how they occur nor do we say it cannot mean such and such because that would necessitate such and such. We affirm them as they have come to us in the Qur’an and we leave the “how” to Allaah.

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah writes in his Aqeedah al-Wāsitiyyah:

“So indeed the saved sect-the people of the Sunnah and Jama’ah-believe in this, as they believe in what Allaah has related in His Book without any distortion or denial and without questioning ‘how’ or making any comparison. Rather, they are in the middle course between the sects of the Islaamic nation just as the Islaamic nation is in the middle course between the other nations. The place of the people of the Sunnah and Jama’ah is between the [extremes] of the sects. So they are in the middle course regarding the issue of Allaah’s Attributes, between the denial of the Jahmiyyah and the comparisons drawn by the Mushabbihah. And they are in the middle course concerning the matter of Allah’s Actions between [the excesses] of the Jabriyyah and Qadariyyah and others besides them; and in the issue of the Wa’id of Allaah, they are in the middle course between the Murji’ah and the Wa’idiyyah from the Qadariyyah. Concerning the names of Iman and Deen, they are between the Hururiyyah and Mu’tazilah as well as the Murji’ah and Jahmiyyah. Concering the companions of the Messenger of Allah, they are between the Raafidah and the Khawaarij.”

If you ask a Habashi “where is Allaah,” you would find him either baffled in utter confusion or they would try to argue that it is not permissible to ask this question or they will say that the one who says Allaah is above the heavens is a kafir.

Imam Maalik, Imam Muslim, Imam Ahmad and others reported the hadeeth narrated by Mu’aawiyah ibn Abil Hakam رضي الله عنه‎ who had a slave girl who used to herd sheep for him when one day she let one of the sheep stray off and get devoured by a wolf. Mu’aawiyah said he smacked her out of anger and after feeling bad went to the Messenger of Allaah to find out his expiation. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to bring her to him first. So when she came the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم asked her “Where is Allaah?” She said: “Above the heavens.” He then asked “And who am I?” She said: “you are the Messenger of Allaah”. Upon that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Free her for indeed she is a believer.”

So we benefit from this authentic hadeeth two things. One is that it is not an innovation to ask the question “where is Allaah” as the Prophet was the one who started this Sunnah. Secondly, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم affirmed for her Eeman (belief) after she answered those two questions, the first being that Allaah is above the heavens. Also it comes in another authentic hadeeth: “Those who show mercy (to the creation) Allaah will show mercy to them; Show mercy to those upon the earth, the one above the heavens will show mercy to you.” And there are other ahaadeeth that proves Allaah is above the heavens.

The Habashis also deem it permissible to curse the Imam and Reviver of the Salafi Aqeedah in his time Shaykh Ahmad ibn Abdul Haleem ibn Taymiyyah al Harraani, better know as Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. There is no doubt that the reason they have this severe enmity to Shaykhul Islaam is because he made jihaad with the pen against the people of sophistry and theological rhetoric and he destroyed their false beliefs from the inside out, and he revived and aided the Salafi Aqeedah in his time as mentioned by Imam ad-Dhahabee and other Imams of the Sunnah. Those today who we find upon this deviant way concerning the attributes of Allaah is  Nu Haa Meem Keller author of “Reliance of the Traveler” who is upon the deviant way of the Jahmiyyah denying the attributes of Allaah.

Conclusion

Advice from Abu ‘Amr al Awzaa’ee:

“Fear Allaah O Muslims and accept the advice of those who advise, and the admonishment of those who admonish. And know that this knowledge is your religion so look at what you do and from who you take (knowledge) from, and to whom you cling to, and to whom you entrust with you religion; for indeed the people of innovation, all of them are frauds, sinful liars. They do not desist from their falsehood; they do not contemplate and do not have piety. They also are not trusted to not distort what you hear (from them), and they say what they do not know whilst they are speaking and fabricating their lies. And Allaah encompasses all of what they do, so be cautious of them, accuse them, reject them and avoid them. For indeed your scholars of old and those upon truth and guidance from those who came after used to do and command the same. Also beware that you fall into opposing Allaah, aiding in the destruction of His religion, breaking and weakening His covenant by showing reverence to the innovators; for indeed it has been reported what you know regarding showing reverence to them, and what other reverence or respect for them is greater than taking the religion from them, and following their example. They (i.e. the innovators) also have those who deem them truthful, show sympathy and compassion for them, aiding them in what they do, helping them entice whom they seek to entice, and joining with them those whom they join with them from the weak Muslims, so as to have their same ideology and the same innovations that they practice. Sufficient is this in being a part of what they do!”⁶

This list and the expounding on it could turn in to an encyclopaedic issue, we ask Allah for success in the dunya and akhira. May Allah guide us to what pleases Him best.

والله تعالى أعلم

وصلى اللهم وسلم وبارك على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه والتابعين

أخوك أبو ناصر