and to bring people out of darkness into light, whereas they prefer that the masses remain in gloom and live in error so that their superstitions may continue to spread. It did not befit a researcher who claims to pursue truth—such as Shaykh Abū Zahrah—to rely, when speaking about these two eminent Imams, on the words of their adversaries. Rather, he and every fair-minded scholar were duty-bound to turn to the very writings of the person about whom they wished to inform the public, documenting every citation by giving the title of the book as well as the page and even the line number. Only in this way can full confidence be placed in the accuracy of one’s statements, for—praise be to Allah—we live in an age in which the rules of academic research have been laid down, and sweeping claims that ignore those rules are no longer accepted. Above all such regulations stands the ultimate reckoning before Allah, when a person will be questioned about every accusation and falsehood he utters or pens against others.
The Exalted says, “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; indeed, hearing, sight, and heart—each of these shall be questioned” (Qur’an 17:36). And He says, “O you who believe, if a profligate brings you some news, verify it, lest you harm people out of ignorance and then become remorseful for what you have done” (Qur’an 49:6).
Yet Shaykh Abū Zahrah ignored all of this and attributed to the two noble Imams—Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb—claims unbefitting their station and from which they are completely absolved, echoing the baseless accusations and crude attacks circulated by their detractors and the purveyors of superstition who oppose them. In so doing he failed to observe the canons of scholarly research and showed no fear of the warning Allah has issued against such conduct.
Below I shall set out these allegations and respond to each of them, asking Allah Most High to show us the truth as truth and grant us the grace to follow it, and to show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the grace to avoid it.