Question:
There are knowledge-based criticisms upon some of the fatawa of one of the Mashaayikh, is it correct for someone to say don’t spread it in such and such country like Britain because it’s causing confusion to the people, they’re knowledge-based observations upon one of the Mashaayikh, is it right for someone to say don’t spread it, I.e the observations?
Answer:
The observations are spread, the fatawa are not spread, the fatawa which are incorrect are not spread, but the observations are spread, this is from clarifying the truth and from correcting the mistake especially if those fatawa were to have disseminated, in books or electronic platforms, the observations upon them are spread especially so if they were by trustworthy people in knowledge and religion, this is from the angle of Naseehah to the religion of Allah, and from the angle of directing towards good, you spreading these observations is from the angle of directing towards good, as the one directing towards good is like the one doing it, and from the angle of Advising to the religion of Allah:
(الدين النصيحة)
“The religion is sincere advise”
We said to whom, O messenger of Allah?
(لله ولكتابه ولرسوله ولأئمة المسلمين عامتهم)
“To Allah and to His Book, to His Messenger, to leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”
A person can say:
But they are non Arabs, how can you spread these refutations and observations between them?
It’s said to them:
Did the religion descend only for the Arabs?
Or did it descend for both the Arab and the non Arab?
Arab and non Arab.
Do all of the Arabs comprehend refutations and intricate affairs?
No not all of them comprehend, some of the affairs are not understood except by the students of knowledge.
Similarly is said regarding the non Arabs, when you translate for example some refutations, from Arabic to a non Arabic language, do you intend it for all of the non Arabs, the layfolk and other than them?
The answer is no, you intend for it being for the student of knowledge those that understand these affairs, knowledge-based intricate affairs.
Similarly in what relates the Arabs, the students of knowledge that are Arab, and these articles are written in Arabic, and their author is an Arab, not all the people read it, some of them are in need of learning the Faatiha, some of them are in need of learning the Wudhu, some of them are in need of learning the fundamentals of Tawhid, how will they be able to understand some of these affairs for example in what relates to Muwazinaat and Al-Mujmal wal-Mufasal, and the likes of these affairs.
But these affairs are spread for those that can comprehend it and understand when reading these refutations, similarly it’s translated for those non Arabs that comprehend when reading these refutations.
As for saying:
No don’t translate these refutations for the non Arabs.
Tayyib, are there students of knowledge amongst the non Arabs? They said yes.
Are there those that are advanced? They said yes.
Are there those that are Mashayikh? They said yes.
Tayyib, then why are you restricting it from them?
And you’re saying not to translate it for them.
Are they not Mukalif (in a state of culpability)? They said yes.
Are they not requested to seek insight to the truth? They said yes.
Tayyib, then why are you preventing it?
What’s the difference between them and the Arabs?
Perhaps it’s the case that the non Arabs have those that are more intelligent and have more understanding than the Arab, isn’t the case that the authors of the Ummuhaat Ass-Sittah were non Arab?
Isn’t Bukhari a non Arab?
Isn’t Muslim a non Arab, from Naysabur?
Isn’t Abu Daud from Sijistaan, a non Arab?
Isn’t Tirmidhi a non Arab, from Tirmidh?
Isn’t Nasaa’i a non Arab?
Isn’t Ibn Maajah a non Arab?
All of them are non Arab.
What’s being intended with preventing the translating books of refutations and articles of refutations to the non Arab, what’s intended is not that they fear confusion upon the non Arabs no.
What’s intended is not clarifying the truth in these subject matters, they want to place barriers infront of clarification of the truth in these subject matters, and they wish to defend the wrongful, because these refutations clarify the truth and they clarify the condition of the wrongful, and this speech is not only regarding the topic of translations, it’s also the case to affairs besides translations, it’s also the case with the Arabs, from the students of knowledge are those that say:
Don’t spread these books of refutations, they are books of fitnah!
These are treatises of fitnah!
Articles of fitnah!
Don’t spread it between the students of knowledge!
They wish with it to segregate the students of knowledge from knowing the truth in these affairs.
They wish to place barriers between them and them knowing the condition of so and so, who is being refuted, who is being spoken about, who is having what he has with him of falsehood clarified.
This is as the proverb:
شنشنة أعرفها من أخزم
A certain dealing which I know from Akhzam
And Allah knows best.
Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hamza Hassan bin Muhammed Ba Shu’ayb -may Allah preserve him-
Date:
4th, Rajab, 1442H.
Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani
Source:
Link will be made soon in-Sha-Allah.
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https://t.me/Bashuaiben