All praise is due to Allaah and i testify that none has the reight to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is His final Messenger sent to mankind, Amma Ba'ad:
After translating Yasser Qadhi's speech found on the Website ***********.org concerning the pledge of cooperation with the Sufi's etc. to Sheikh Ubayd ibn Abdillah al-Jaabiree, he then replied briefly with the following. The sitting took place yesterday 21st October 2007 9th Shawwal 1428.
Update 9.25.07 by Yasser Qadhi.
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"The fundamental issues of creed, as embodied in the famous Hadeeth of Jibreel, are simple, and it is not a requirement of Islam that every single Muslim be cognizant of the more abstruse issues of theology.
- The situation and times we live in warrants an even more concerted effort to achieve unity amongst Muslims, and avoid splintering to the greatest extent possible.
- Disputations of more complex issues of theology need to be conducted by people who are trained in these sciences, and not by lay-Muslims. Additionally, even when such discussions take place, they should be done in accordance with proper Islamic etiquette.
- No charges of takfeer should be labeled against other Sunni groups or scholars, and neither should the motives or character of those who profess alternate theologies within Sunni Islam be impugned due to their allegiance to that theology."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"This shows they don't distinguish between the correct paths from the misguided ones so they melt together and the result is innovation for Ahlu Sunnah do not have different beliefs."
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"I personally have no qualms considering these groups within the broad fold of Sunni Islam."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"All of this is corrupt stemming from the false principle 'al-Ma'dhira wa Ta'aawun' ? making excuses and cooperation with the misguided groups."
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"The pious predecessors of these generations freed themselves from the dialectic theology known as the science of kalaam, and from the theological positions that were derived from this science. And this is something that I too hold to, and consider Sunni Islam at that pure and blessed stage to have been nothing other than the beliefs of these pious predecessors."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"If he was to follow truly their way he wouldn't have signed the pledge with these Sufi's and he would have been upright upon the Sunnah even if no one were to follow him."
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"What combines these various strands (for example, the veneration of all of the Companions of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and a sincere attempt to understand and implement the Prophetic Sunnah as preserved in the Sunni canonical traditions such as the Saheehs al-Bukhari and Muslim, amongst other issues) is much greater than what disunites them, especially vis-à-vis other groups."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"I seek refuge in Allaah, this is the speech of the ignorant and those that play games".
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"These differences have existed within Sunni Islam (in the broad sense of the term) for the last twelve centuries, and the fact of the matter is that, barring some sort of Divine Intervention, it does not appear that these difference will leave us any time soon. Therefore there needs to be a more pragmatic and realistic attempt at cooperation, one that retains our traditionalisms and respects our historical traditions, yet at the same time takes into account the context of our current political and social situation."
Sheikh Ubayd said,
quote:
"He lies here, there is no differences in Aqeedah between Ahlu Sunnah rather they are in agreement with regards its fundamental principles."
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"On a personal note, I am very happy that Allah blessed me to be a part of this process from its very inception. Although I am very passionate about the specific theological doctrines that I hold to be correct (and all those whom I?ve had the privilege to teach can attest to that), I believe that there is a time, a place, an audience and a methodology for dealing with such issues. And I also believe that such issues need to be put into perspective, taking into account our local, national, and international situation. Even if I disagree with some specific theological doctrines of other signatories, I am proud to call all of them my brothers in faith; I am always honored to be in their company; I am eager to further my relationship with them; I sense a genuine spirit of Islamic brotherhood whilst amongst them; I wish the best for them and their da`wah; I am desirous to benefit from their wisdom and knowledge; and I consider myself the least amongst them in piety and taqwa."
Sheikh ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"Ahlu sunnah are not happy with the innovators. This is the speech of the Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen."
Yasser Qadhi said,
quote:
"I am desirous to benefit from their wisdom and knowledge; and I consider myself the least amongst them in piety and taqwa."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"Mashaallaah, they don't have taqwa they have misguidance."
By: Yasir Qadhi on September 3rd, 2007
quote:
"The ?agreement? that many of the du?aat have already reached, and which will be publicized shortly, is about a code of disagreement (adab al-ikhtilaf) and not about legitimizing any one theology over another."
Sheikh Ubayd al-Jaabiree said,
quote:
"This is a way of going away from the topic and not adab al-ikhtilaaf. Ahlu Sunnah do not consider making agreements like this with the innovators as adab al-ikhtilaf."
I ask Allaah to protect us!
Abdulilah ibn Rabah Lahmami
============
The Sunni Pledge And What It Contains Of Manifest Falsehoods and Opposition to the Divine Legislation
Part 1: The Verses Pertaining to Unity and Splitting
Imaam ash-Shaatibee said, "And hold fast all of you to the Rope of Allaah and be not divided" (3:103), so He explained that unity (of hearts) only occurs with agreement upon attachment to a single meaning. And as for when every party adheres to a rope other than that adhered to by others, then splitting will definitely occur, and this is the meaning of His, the Most High's saying, "And this is my Straight Path so follow it and do not follow the other paths lest they divert you away from His Path" (6:153)" (al-I'tisaam 2/192).
All praise is due to Allaah and prayers and salutations be upon His Messenger, to proceed:
This recent pledge represents an intellectual and religious domination attempt on behalf of the Ash'aree Soofees, the Mu'attilah, the Mufawwidah and the Mutasawwifah. Its a means by which legitimisation is intended for the madhhab of 'ilm ul-kalaam and of the deviant Ash'aree, Maatureedee creeds, and of Sufi mysticism. The wording has been crafted in such a way to tend towards this objective. The majority or at least a good portion of the signatories are of this inclination (Ash'aree, Soofee). These realities will become apparent as we analyse the pledge in more detail in what is to follow inshaa'Allaah ...
The Signatories
To fully understand the nature of this pledge, you have to realise who are some of the signatories:
Faraz Rabbani: Student of Nuh Keller, caller to Shirk (invocation upon the dead in times of need)
Jihad Hashim Brown: Student of Saeed Ramadan al-Buti
Aisha Faleh ath-Thani: On board of directors of Zaytuna Institute (an organization set up by Hamza Yusuf - essentially promotes Sufism, the Ash'aree aqidah and 'ilm ul-kalaam)
Abdallah bin Bayyah: He promotes Milad un-Nabi, and it appears that he is upon the madhhab of Tafweed as his speech is not entirely clear in affirming both the wording and the meaning of the texts of the attributes, he presents the idea that the Salaf affirmed the words and then just passed them on. He is a friend of Yusuf al-Qaradhawi
Fuad Nahdi: Businessman (the likes of these people are being treated as people of knowledge!)
Hamza Yusuf: Behind the Zaytuna Institute. Soofee, 'aqlaanee, caller to the tasawwuf that entails Shirk, has translated the Burdah of al-Busairi and claimed that aqidah can be learned in ten minutes in the deserts of Mauritania and also said that the overly concern with aqidah is a sickness in the minds of the muslims.
Ibrahim Osi-Efa: Soofee, studied with al-Habib Ali al-Jifri (the latter is an open caller to shirk and kufr
Muhammad ibn Adam: Hanafee Soofee, studied under the Soofees, Mutasawwifa of Syria, calls to Shirk (istigaathah from the dead)
Shamira Chothia Ahmed: Teacher at the Zaytuna Institute, a fountain for the Soofee Ash'aree creed
Usama Canon: Affiliated with Zaytuna Institute, sits in the gatherings of Habib Ali al-Jifri (open caller to shirk and kufr) for nasheeds
Yahya Rhodus: Soofee, studied under Habib Ali al-Jifri (open caller to shirk and kufr), affiliated with Zaytuna Institute
The authors of the pledge began with the saying of Allaah the Most High: "And hold fast to the rope of Allaah, all of you together, and do not split and divide ... (3:105)".
And there are a number of issues here:
Firstly: The true meaning of this verse in accordance with the tafseer (exegesis) of the Salaf us-Salih is the following:
that the rope of Allaah is the Qu'ran.
that the rope of Allaah is Islam.
that the rope of Allaah is the Jamaa'ah.
that the rope of Allaah is His covenant (i.e. to worship Him alone) and His Command (i.e. His Sharee'ah)
that the rope of Allaah is singling Him out with Tawheed in all sincerity.
Thus the meaning of this verse is to adhere to the Qur'aan, the Jamaa'ah, the Covenant of Allaah, and to the Tawheed of Allaah with sincerity. Refer to Tafseer at-Tabaree.
Some of the narrations from at-Tabaree regarding this verse:
Abdullaah bin Mas'ood: "It is the Jamaa'ah"
Qataadah: "The Rope of Allaah regarding which He ordered adherence to is this Qur'an"
As-Sudee: "As for the Rope of Allaah it is the Qur'an".
'Ataa: "The covenant (al-ahd)".
Abul-Aaliyah: "Hold fast to sincerity to Allaah alone"
As for the saying of Allaah: "And do not split and divide":
At-Tabaree says: "Do not split and divide from Allaah's religion and covenant which He has made binding upon you in His Book of harmony and unity upon His obedience and obedience of the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) and ending only at his command ... and Abul-Aaliyah said: "Do not harbour enmity over it" he says over sincerity to Allaah, and be brothers upon it".
And then at-Tabaree quotes the hadeeth of iftiraaq, the splitting of the Ummah into sects. Anas bin Malik reports that the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: Indeed Bani Israil split into seventy-two sects and indeed my ummah will split into seventy-two sects, all of them are in the Fire except for one. He said: It was said "O Messenger of Allaah, which is this one?". He then grabbed his hand and said, "al-Jamaa'ah".
Sidenote
And Ishaaq ibn Raahawaayah (d.238), the teacher of Imaam Bukhaare, said: "If you were to ask the ignorant people about the Great Majority they would say: The majority of people. They do not know that al-Jamaa'ah is the Scholar who clings to the narrations from the Prophet and his way. So whoever is with him (the scholar) and follows him, then he is al-Jamaa'ah" Reported by Abu Nu'aym in Hilyat ul-Awliyaah.
And Imaam ash-Shaatibee (d. 790H) said:"So consider what he (Ishaaq bin Raahawaih) quotes and it will then be clear to you the error of those who think that the Jamaa'ah is the main body or the majority of people, even if there is no scholar amongst them. This is the understanding of the common people - not the understanding of the Scholars. So the person who desires right guidance in this matter should place his feet firmly in those places where slips occur, so that he does not deviate from the correct way - and there is no well-being and correct guidance except from Allaah" Al-I'tisaam (2/267)
Ibn Katheer says, "And they were made to fear splitting and differing, and that has occurred in this Ummah. They have split into seventy-three seects amongst them is just one that is delivered to Paradise and saved from the punishment of the Fire, and they are the ones who are upon what the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions were upon."
And al-Qurtubee says in his tafseer of this verse, "Abul-Faraj al-Jawzee said: "If it is said that these sects are well known, then the the answer is that we know the splitting and the foundations of the sects, and that every sect has further divided into more sects, even if we do not know the names of those sects and their madhaahib. For the usool (foundations) of the sects of the Harooriyyah, the Qadariyyah, the Jahmiyyah, the Murji'ah, the Raafidah and the Jabariyyah are apparent to us". [al-Qurtubi continues] And some of the people of knowledge have said, "The foundation of the astray sects are these six sects", and each sect has divided into 12 sects, and thus they became seventy-two sects."
Secondly: It is known that the Qur'an is explained by the Qur'an and thus other verses in the Qur'an help us to understand this issue further. Allah the Most High says, "And this is my Straight Path so follow it and do not follow the other paths lest they divert you away from His Path" (6:153).
Imaam us-Shaatibee said:
quote:
The `Siraat ul-Mustaqeem? (Straight Path) is the path to which Allaah has called and that is the Sunnah. And `Subul (other paths) are the paths of the people of disagreement who turn away from the Straight Path, and they are the People of Innovation. And the intent here is not the `paths of disobedience? because no one makes disobedience a path that he continuously treads upon - in imitation of and resemblance to the legislation, but rather this description is specifically for the invented innovations.
And what Ismaa?eel has narrated from Sulaimaan bin Harb gives evidence to this: ?Hammaad bin Zaid narrated to us from `Aasim bin Bahdalah from Abu Waa?il from Abdullaah [Ibn `Abbaas] who said: `One Day the Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) drew for us a long, straight line? and then Sulaimaan drew for us a long, straight line, `and then he drew lines to its right and to its left and then said: This is the Path of Allaah. Then he drew lines to its right and to its left and said: These are different paths, upon each of these ways is a devil calling to it?, and then he recited the verse:
And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths? [Al-An?aam 6:153]
meaning these paths
?for they will separate you away from His Path Al-An?aam 6:153]
Bikr bin `Alaa said: ?He meant the devils amongst men and these are the innovations and Allaah knows best.
... And Mujaahid said about the saying of Allaah:
...and follow not (other) paths [Al-An?aam 6:153]
"The innovations and doubts."
And ash-Shaatibee says about the verse in al-An'aam (6:159), "This is a verse that was revealed - according to the Mufassireen - regarding the people of innovations" (al-I'tisaam 3/167) and ash-Shaatibee also said regarding the same verse, "Verily those who split their religion and become sects ...", he said, "So he made this division related to the religion, and the word "deen (religion)" includes beliefs (aqaa'id) and other than them". (al-I'tisaam 3/174).
And Ibn Katheer said about this verse, "And what is apparent is that the verse is general regarding everyone who separated from the deen of Allaah and became opposed to it. For Allah sent His Messenger with the guidance and true religion to make it prevail over all other religions and His legislation is one, there is no differing therein, and nor division. Thus whoever differed regarding it and became parties, meaning sects, such as the various beliefs, creeds, desires and misguidances, then Allah the Most High, has freed the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) from that which they are upon..."
At Tabaree quotes:
Abu Hurairah: "This verse was revealed regarding this Ummah".
Abu Hurairah: "They are the people of misguidance".
And he [at-Tabaree] also says about the end of this verse, "Verily their affair is with Allaah", He says, ""He [Allah] says: I am the one to whom will come the affair of those mushriks who separated from their religion and became sects, and the innovators from your ummah who deviated your way, as opposed to (coming to) you and anyone else."
And al-Qurtubee said: "And everyone who innovated and came with that which Allah has not commanded has split his religion."
And al-Baghawee said regarding this verse: "They are the people of innovations and desires" (Sharh us-Sunnah 1/210).
In fact, all of the verses that prohibit splitting and differing are of this meaning in accordance with the tafseer of the Salaf, those most knowledgeable of the intended meanings and applications of the verses of the Qur'aan.
Thirdly: It is now established from the above (and the quotations in this regard from the mufassireen, the ulamaa' and the salaf in general are numerous) that the meanings of the above verses are summarised as follows: That we are commanded to hold onto the deen of Allaah which is His Book, His Tawheed, His Commands, obedience to Him and His Messenger, to adhere to the Jamaa'ah which is whoever is upon the truth, to not split and differ in the religion (i.e. in religious issues in the beliefs and foundations of the religion) and that those who do so are the people of innovations and desires who are to be shunned and avoided, and that unity is only based upon the Rope of Allaah and freedom from all that opposes it from the innovations, doubts, desires, sects and groups.
This is the meaning that has been transmitted from the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een, their followers and those following upon their path.
Fourthly: In light of the above, the usage of these verses as an opening to this pledge is contradictory since the true meaning of this verse clashes and contradicts with the essence of the pledge. Thus this is twisting the words of Allaah and applying them with other than their intended meanings. Unity is not physical unity of bodies and shoving aside differences in fundamentals, but it is unity of the hearts which is based on upon a sound and correct belief, upon agreement upon the foundations and particulars of Tawheed.
The various factions therefore, such as the Ash'arees, the Soofees and the sects in general, are upon a perpetuation of the very differing and splitting that is warned against in these verses, for they oppose the Shar'eeah in their aqaa'id and their 'ibaadaat.
Whereas the Qur'an and the Sunnah treat these groups, their beliefs and methodologies as splitting and differing, this pledge aims to treat them as legitimate forms of differing and as being from the Rope of Allah. Some of the signatories such as Yasir al-Qadhi go on to make even bolder and brasher claims, beyond what is in this pledge, as will be uncovered in what is to come inshaa'allaah.
This pledge is an attempt to make truth falsehood, and falsehood truth, as we will see later inshaa'allaah when we look at the statements of some of the signatories. It starts with falsehood from the very outset - using verses whose meanings are the antithesis of what is to follow in the rest of it.
And this indicates the collective ignorance of the signatories and their turning away from the Scholars and the Inheritors of the Prophets in understanding and applying the Book of Allaah.
They seek to legitimize the splitting and differing that is condemned in these verses, by using these very same verses with a meaning opposite to what was actually intended by Allah the Most High. http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=9&Topic=6237&srow=21&erow=40