Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (14/343)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

—that is, the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Hence, if a Sufi disavows this testimony, he is a cursed heretic. Outwardly he may wear the Sufi garb and lay claim to the company of the gnostics, yet inwardly he belongs to the pseudo-Sufis of the philosophers, the enemies of the messengers. Similar people existed in the Prophet’s own time, peace and blessings be upon him: they professed companionship and allegiance to his religion while in reality they were hardened hypocrites, unknown to the Prophet of Allah and unnoticed by him.

Allah the Exalted says: “Among the people of Madinah are those who have persisted in hypocrisy; you do not know them, but We know them, and We shall punish them twice” (Qur’an 9:101).

If it was possible for the master of humankind to be unaware of some hypocrites who lived with him in Madinah for years, it is even more likely that the condition of a group of hypocrites who have abandoned Islam after him should remain concealed from the scholars of his community. Therefore, O jurist, do not be quick to pronounce takfīr on a Muslim without definitive proof, just as it is not permissible for you to credit someone with gnosis and sainthood when his corruption, inner depravity, and heresy have been decisively established. Neither this excess nor that; true justice demands that whoever the Muslims regard as righteous and beneficent is indeed so, for they are Allah’s witnesses on His earth (1), and the ummah will never unanimously agree upon

In the Book of the Qiblah; Abu Dawud, no. 2641; al-Nasa’i, 8/109; and al-Tirmidhi, no. 2609. As for the hadith of Nu’man ibn Bashir, it is recorded by al-Nasa’i, 7/79-80. The hadith of Aws ibn Hudhayfa is likewise found in al-Nasa’i, 7/80-81. The hadith of Tariq ibn Ashyam al-Ashja‘i is reported by Ahmad, 3/472, and by Muslim, no. 23, whose full wording is: “Whoever says, la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) and rejects all that is worshipped besides Allah, his wealth and life become inviolable, and his reckoning rests with Allah.” (1) Al-Bukhari, 3/181 (Funerals, chapter: People’s praise of the deceased) and Muslim, no. 949 (Funerals, chapter: Those of the dead whom people praise as good or bad) cite the hadith of Anas ibn Malik: A funeral passed by and the people spoke well of the deceased; the Prophet said, “It is granted.” Another passed by and they spoke ill of the deceased; he said, “It is granted.” ’Umar ibn al-Khattab asked, “What has been granted?” He replied, “The one you praised as good—Paradise has been granted to him; the one you spoke of as evil—Hell has been granted to him. You are Allah’s witnesses on earth.” Al-Bukhari also transmits it, 5/185 (Testimonies, chapter: The number of witnesses required), with the wording: “The believers are Allah’s witnesses on earth.” See further: Musnad Ahmad, 3/179, 186, 197, 211, 245, 281; al-Tirmidhi, no. 1058; al-Nasa’i, 4/49-50; al-Mustadrak, 1/377; Musnad al-Tayalisi.

وَهِيَ: شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُوْلُ اللهِ. فَإِذَا برِئَ الصُّوْفِيُّ مِنْهَا، فَهُوَ ملعُوْنٌ زِنْدِيْقٌ، وَهُوَ صُوفِيُّ الزَّيِّ وَالظَّاهِرِ، مُتستِّرٌ بِالنَّسَبِ إِلَى العَارفينَ، وَفِي البَاطنِ فَهُوَ مِنْ صُوفيَّةِ الفَلاَسِفَةِ أَعدَاءِ الرُّسُلِ، كَمَا كَانَ جَمَاعَةٌ فِي أَيَّامِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ منتسبُوْنَ إِلَى صُحْبَتِهِ وَإِلَى ملَّتِهِ، وَهُم فِي البَاطنِ مِنْ مَرَدَةِ المُنَافقينَ، قَدْ لاَ يَعْرِفُهُم نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ بِهِم. قَالَ الله - تَعَالَى -: ﴿وَمِنْ أَهْلِ المَدِيْنَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ، لاَ تَعْلَمُهُمْ، نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ، سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ﴾ [التَّوبَةُ:١٠١] ، فَإِذَا جَازَ عَلَى سَيِّدِ البشرِ أَنْ لاَ يَعْلَمَ ببَعْضِ المُنَافِقينَ وَهُم مَعَهُ فِي المَدِيْنَةِ سنوَاتٍ، فَبِالأَوْلَى أَنْ يَخفَى حَالُ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ المُنَافِقينَ الفَارغينَ عَنْ دينِ الإِسْلاَمِ بَعْدَهُ ﵇ عَلَى العُلَمَاءِ مِنْ أُمَّتِه، فَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَكَ يَا فَقِيْهُ أَنْ تُبَادرَ إِلَى تكفيرِ المُسْلِمِ إِلاَّ ببُرْهَانٍ قَطعِيٍّ، كَمَا لاَ يسوَغُ لَكَ أَنْ تعتقدَ العِرفَانَ وَالوِلاَيَةَ فِيْمَنْ قَدْ تَبرهنَ زَغَلُهُ، وَانْهَتَكَ بَاطنُهُ وَزَنْدَقَتُه، فَلاَ هَذَا وَلاَ هَذَا، بَلِ العَدلُ أَنَّ مَنْ رَآهُ المُسْلِمُوْنَ صَالِحاً مُحسِناً، فَهُوَ كَذَلِكَ، لأَنَّهُم شهدَاءُ اللهِ فِي أَرضِهِ (١) ، إِذِ الأُمَّةُ لاَ تَجتمعُ عَلَى

= القبلة، وأبو داود (٢٦٤١) والنسائي: ٨ / ١٠٩، والترمذي (٢٦٠٩) . وأما حديث النعمان بن بشير فأخرجه النسائي: ٧ / ٨٠ ٧٩. وأما حديث أوس بن حذيفة، فأخرجه النسائي: ٧ / ٨٠ ٨١، وأما حديث طارق بن أشيم الاشجعي، فأخرجه أحمد: ٣ / ٤٧٢، ومسلم (٢٣) ولفظه بتمامه: " من قال: لا إليه إلا الله، وكفر بما يعبد من دون الله، حرم ماله ودمه، وحسابه على الله ". (١) أخرج البخاري: ٣ / ١٨١ في الجنائز: باب ثناء الناس على الميت، ومسلم (٩٤٩) في الجنائز: باب فيمن يثنى عليه خير أو شر من الموتى، من حديث أنس بن مالك ﵁ قال: مر بجنازة، فأثنوا عليها خيرا، فقال النبي ﷺ " وجبت " ثم مروا بأخرى، فأثنوا عليها شرا، فقال: " وجبت " فقال عمر بن الخطاب ﵁: ما وجبت؟ قال: " هذا أثنيتم عليه خيرا فوجبت له الجنة، وهذا أثنيتم عليه شرا فوجبت له النار. أنتم شهداء الله في الأرض ". وأخرجه البخاري أيضا: ٥ / ١٨٥ في الشهادات: باب تعديل كم يجوز، بلفظ: " المؤمنون شهداء الله في الأرض " وانظر " المسند " ٣ / ١٧٩ و١٨٦ و١٩٧ و٢١١ و٢٤٥ و٢٨١، والترمذي (١٠٥٨) والنسائي: ٤ / ٥٠ ٤٩، و" المستدرك " ١ / ٣٧٧، ومسند الطيالسي =