[*] Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan in checking through this made the comment, "Being
resolved that they erred is not clearly apparent, but if it was said, "They were
mujtahidoon, if they were correct they have two rewards and if they erred they
have one reward, yet their error is forgiven", it would have been much better
and more just."
The questioner then said, "What about his statement that there is hypocrisy
(nifaq) in them both, is that not takfir of them?"
Shaikh Ibn Baaz replied, "This is an error and a mistake which is not
disbelief. For his revilement of some of the Companions or just one of them
is evil (munkar) and sinfulness (fisq) and he deserves to be given exemplary
punishment for it – we ask Allaah to pardon him – however, if he reviled
most of them and declared them sinners then he would become an apostate, because
they are the Carriers of the Revelation. When he reviles them then this means
that he is reviling the legislation."
The questioner then said, "Should not these books in which these statements
exist be forbidden?"
Shaikh Ibn Baaz replied, "It is necessary for them to be torn to
pieces".
Then the Shaikh said, "Is this in a newspaper?"
The questioner said, "In a book, may Allaah be benevolent to you."
The Shaikh asked, "Whose book?"
The questioner said, "Sayyid Qutb…".
The Shaikh said, "These are repugnant words".
The questioner, continuing, "… in ‘Kutub wa Shakhsiyaat’"
Source:
The cassette ‘Sharh Riyaad us-Saaliheen’ dated 18/7/1418H.
4. Fatwaa of Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Uthaimeen
Question: "What is your saying concerning a man who advises the Sunni
youth to read the books of Sayyid Qutb, especially ‘Fee Dhilaal il-Qur’aan’ and
‘Ma’aalim Fit-Taareeq’, without warning about any of the errors and deviations
present in these books?"
Answer: "My statement – may Allaah bless you – is that whoever gives
sincerity of purpose to Allaah, His Messenger, and his brother Muslims, that he
should encourage the people to read the books of those who have preceded us from
the books of tafsir and other than tafsir. These books contain more
blessings, are more beneficial and are much better than the books of the later
ones. As for the tafsir of Sayyid Qutb – may Allaah have mercy upon him –
then it contains great calamities, however we hope that Allaah pardons
him. In it are great calamities, such as his tafsir of Istiwaa and his
tafsir of "Qul Huwallaahu Ahad", and similarly, his description of one of the
Messengers with something unbefitting."
Source:
From the Cassette: Aqwaal ul-Ulamaa Fee Ibtaal Qawaa’id wa Maqaalaat Adnaan
Ar’oor, and checked by Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen himself on 24/4/1421H, with one
slight revision who changed the phrase "Anaa Ra’yee…" to "Anaa Qawlee…".
5. Fatwaa of Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan
Question: "[Adnaan Ar’oor] said, "Why is Imaam Ahmad not reproached for
his takfir of the one who abandons prayer and yet Sayyid Qutb is reproached
merely because some of these expressions occurred from him (i.e. his takfir of
Muslim societies). So we say: This one performed takfir of the Muslim societies
(i.e. Qutb), and yet Imaam Ahmad – may Allaah have mercy upon him – is not
reproached despite his judgement of kufr against all these societies [meaning
that the majority of them do not pray]."
So what is your comment upon this?"
Answer: Imaam Ahmad is a scholar and a sage (erudite, sagacious) who
knows the evidences and the manner of extracting proof from them and Sayyid
Qutb is an ignoramus (jaahil) who has no knowledge or cognisance and neither
does he have any evidences for what he says. Hence, equating between Imaam Ahmad
and Sayyid Qutb is injustice (dhulm) [because Imaam Ahmad has many evidences
from the Book and the Sunnah for the one who deliberately abandons the prayer
whereas Sayyid does not have a single piece of evidence for his takfir of the
Muslims in general. Rather the evidences are in opposition to what he
says]."
Question: "Likewise he (Adnaan Ar’oor) says, "I do not know of anyone who
has spoken about the affairs of Manhaj in the manner that Sayyid Qutb has spoken
of them. And he is correct in the vast majority of what he has written." He
(Ar’oor) was asked about this statement of his and he replied, "By the word
minhaaj here I mean the issues of reform, elections and assassinations. And by
"in his time" I mean the Fifties."
Answer: "He (Ar’oor) does not know because he is ignorant. As for us, then we
know – and all praise is due to Allaah – that the scholars both prior to and
after Sayyid Qutb, opposed him."
Source:
From the Cassette: Aqwaal ul-Ulamaa Fee Ibtaal Qawaa’id wa Maqaalaat Adnaan
Ar’oor. What is in square brackets was added by Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan himself
as a further clarification.
Note
This is only a small selection of the quotations from the Ulamaa which number
around 25 or so. All of the above quotations are found in the cassette "Aqwaal
ul-Ulamaa Fee Sayyid Qutb", published by Tasjeelaat Minhaaj us-Sunnah of
Riyaadh.
Summary
Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) was asked, "The one who praises Ahl
ul-Bid’ah, is he to be counted amongst them?" So he replied, "Yes, there is
no doubt about this, the one who praises them is one who actually calls to
them". [Cassette: Aqwaal ul-Ulamaa Fee Sayyid Qutb]
Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said, "It is
obligatory to punish everyone who ascribes himself to them – the people of
innovation – or who defends them, or who praises them, or who reveres their
books, or who detests that they should be talked about, or who begins to make
excuses for them by saying he does not understand what these words mean or by
saying that this person also authored another book and what is similar to these
types of excuses, which are not made except by an ignoramus or a hypocrite.
Rather, it is obligatory to punish everyone who knows of their condition and did
not assist in repelling their evil, for repelling their evil is one of the
greatest of obligations." Majmoo ul-Fataawaa (2/132)
Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah also said:
"And in the face of those who perform takfir in falsehood are a people who do not know the aqidah of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah as it truly should be known, or they know some of it but are ignorant of some of it. Yet whatever they do know of it, they do not always explain it to the people but conceal it. And they do not forbid the innovations that oppose the Book and the Sunnah, nor do they rebuke the People of Innovations and neither do they punish them. In fact, they may even criticise absolutely any talk of the Sunnah and the fundamental principles of the religion [i.e. Tawhid etc.]. Or they may accommodate everyone, with all their varying madhhabs… This approach has overcome many of the Murji’ah, some of the Jurists, Sufis and Philosophers. And both of these two approaches (i.e. that of the Takfiris and the Murji’ah and those with them) are deviant, and outside the [confines of the] Book and the Sunnah." Majmu’ ul-Fatawa (16/427)
Epilogue
So dear brother and sister for the sake of Allaah, flee from the books of
Sayyid Qutb and flee from those who promote or recommend his books and flee
also from those who defend and promote those who defend and promote the books of
Sayyid Qutb – fearing for your religion and your aqidah and your manhaj and the repugnant Irjaa that has overcome many of the Qutubiyyah.
And if a Qutubi Revivalist comes to you and says, "Shaikh al-Albani
encouraged everyone to read a chapter in Milestones", then reply to such a
one:
"O Qutubi! This is a very old saying, uttered when the true nature and extent
of Qutb’s deviations and heresies were not known to Shaikh al-Albani (save the
affair of Wahdat ul-Wujood). And then the Noble Shaikh Rabee’ bin Haadee exposed
the affair of Sayyid Qutb, - giving sincerity of purpose to Allaah, His
Messenger and the Muslims in all of that – and so when the affair became
abundantly clear – and especially in more recent times - the Noble Imaam,
al-Albani made the statement above to Shaikh Rabee’ "Everything with which
you have refuted Sayyid Qutb is the truth (haqq) and is correct (sawab)… So
may Allaah reward you with the best of reward, O brother Rabee’ for
fulfilling the obligation of explaining and uncovering his ignorance and
deviation from Islaam". And are you ignorant or merely
pretending to be ignorant of the principle of al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel that the
specific criticism takes precedence over the general praise!! And O
Qutubi, would you like us to become blind-followers of men and abandon researching the
proofs and evidences? And O Qutubi, has not your fraud become uncovered already
in that Al-Karaabeesee and al-Muhaasibee were more superior and knowledgeable
than Sayyid Qutb and they had works that contained "admonitions and lessons"
more powerful and far reaching than the sentimental writings of Qutb, but
alongside that Imaam Ahmad forbade them severely, with great harshness and
reprimanded the one who tried to argue that they contain benefit?! So may Allaah
restrain you O Qutubi, we are people of evidence and proof and implementers of
the manhaj of the Salaf – by the permission and praise of Allaah and not merely
blind-followers of individuals and personalities. Salaaman!!"