Am I A Murtad if I Do Not Follow Ml Sa'ad Saab?

Wa Alaykumus Salaam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Sister in Islam,

All Mighty Allah ﷻ had inspired Ml Ilyaas Saab (رحمة الله عليه) with initiating the Tablighi movement. Alhamdulillah, the Tablighi movement became a means of guidance for many people around the world. Many people have changed and transformed their lives and became practicing Muslims through this movement.

One of the six points of Tabligh is Ikraam-e-Muslim (respecting/honouring a fellow Muslim brother). It is against the principles of Ikraam-e-Muslim to declare a fellow Muslim as a Kafir or Mushrik. It is also a severe crime to declare a fellow Muslim as a Kafir or Mushrik.

See the following Hadith:-

لاَ يَرْمِي رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا بِالفُسُوقِ، وَلاَ يَرْمِيهِ بِالكُفْرِ، إِلَّا ارْتَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ، إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ صَاحِبُهُ كَذَلِكَ [بخاري 6045]

Translation: No person accuses another of disobedience or disbelief, except that this accusation will return to the accuser if the accused is innocent. [Bukhari] ^[1]

 It is incorrect to declare a person who does not follow Ml Sa’ad Saab as a Kafir or Mushrik. If one declares a Muslim as a Kafir or Mushrik, he himself risks losing his Imaan. We should therefore be cautious in declaring someone as a Kafir or Mushrik. ^[2]

We advise all those that are engaged in the noble work of Tabligh to continue doing the work without engaging in futile discussions with each other. The purpose of Dawat and Tabligh is to be a means of Hidayat and guidance for people. Those engaged in the noble work of Dawat and Tabligh should not focus their energies on personality worship. Fighting and accusations defeat the purpose of Tabligh, which is to attain the pleasure and closeness of Allah ﷻ and draw others to Allah ﷻ.

Fights and debates deprive one of the mercy of Allah.

Nabi ﷺ says:-

مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أُوتُوا الْجَدَلَ [ابن ماجة 48]

Translation: No nation has gone astray after being guided except because they began engaging in arguments and debates. [Ibn Majah] ^[3]

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

Ebrahim Ibn Ahmed Dadan

Student Darul Iftaa
Pietermaritzburg South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

^[1]

صحيح البخاري (8/ 15)

6045 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الوَارِثِ، عَنِ الحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ يَعْمَرَ، أَنَّ أَبَا الأَسْوَدِ الدِّيلِيَّ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «لاَ يَرْمِي رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا بِالفُسُوقِ، وَلاَ يَرْمِيهِ بِالكُفْرِ، إِلَّا ارْتَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ، إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ صَاحِبُهُ كَذَلِكَ»

^[2] The lecture delivered by my honourable Ustaadh Mufti Ebrahim Desai on the incident of Hatib Bin Abi Balta’a (Raddiyallahu Anhu) is extremely beneficial in teaching us how to deal with differences of opinion. Listen to it here.

^[3]

سنن ابن ماجه ت الأرنؤوط (1/ 33)

48 - حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ (ح)

وَحَدَّثَنَا حَوْثَرَةُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي غَالِبٍ

عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: "مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أُوتُوا الْجَدَلَ" ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: {بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُون} [الزخرف: 58]

حديث حسن بطرقه وشواهده. أبو غالب: هو البصري نزيل أصبهان.

وأخرجه اقرمذي (3535) عن عبد بن حميد، عن محمَّد بن بشر ويعلى بن عبيد، عن حجاج بن دينار، بهذا الإسناد.

وهو في "مسند أحمد" (22164).

وفي الباب عن أبي أمامة أيضًا عند أبي داود (4800)