Question:
Here in Nigeria there are people who declare people to be disbelievers, and they don’t differentiate between an innovation which makes a person a disbeliever and the innovation which makes a person a sinner.
They consider every innovation major disbelief and they don’t declare minor sins as disbelief.
And they declare all the Hizbiyoon to be disbelievers, rather they go to the extent where they declare Ibn Hajr and Abu Hanīfah to be disbelievers, refuge is sought with Allaah.
And these people attribute themselves to Salafiyyah, are they considered innovators?
May Allah bless you.
Answer:
Yes they are innovators.
Due to them being upon a foundation of the foundations of the Khawārij, which is the declaration of a person to be a disbeliever for other than major Shirk & disbelief.
And with Ahlussunnah the basis of Ēmān and minor disbelief – of which is innovation that isn’t tantamount to major disbelief – can come together.
So they say:
He is a believer in regards to his Ēmān but a Fāsiq (disobedient sinner) due to the major sin.
They don’t withhold from them the name upon its absolute (i.e the basis of Ēmān), nor give them the name upon its absolute (i.e complete Ēmān).
Contrary to major Shirk, major disbelief and major Nifāq (hypocrisy), which can not come together with the basis of Ēmān; because they are two opposites which can not come together, at the same time, in one place.
As for the Khawārij then the basis of Ēmān can not come together with minor disbelief.
They don’t see that Ēmān can partly go, if some parts go, all of it does.
And the legislative texts point towards that Ēmān has branches and parts, and that disbelief has branches and parts.
I have clarified this subject in (Al-Hujaj As-Salafiyyah) and I have mentioned the proofs for this alongside the speech of the Imāms of the religion.
And success is granted by Allaah.
Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allah preserve him.
Source:
t.me/abouhatem/171
Answered on:
15th, Rabee’ Al-Awwal, 1438H.
Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani