Al-Qawl al-Sadid fi al-Radd ala Man Ankara Taqsim al-Tawhid - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (121)

Al-Qawl al-Sadid fi al-Radd ala Man Ankara Taqsim al-TawhidAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

consistent in their exposition of creed, following a single pattern and a path from which they neither deviate nor turn aside. They speak with one voice on this, and what they transmit is the same. You find neither disagreement nor division among them on any matter, however small. Indeed, if you gathered together everything they said and transmitted from their predecessors, it would seem to have come from a single heart and been spoken by a single tongue. Could there be clearer evidence of the truth than this? Allah Most High says:

‘Do they not reflect upon the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have found in it much contradiction.’ 1

And He Most High says:

‘And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.’ 2

But when you consider those who follow whims and religious innovations, you find them divided and at odds, or split into sects and factions. You can scarcely find two of them who follow the same approach to creed. They accuse one another of religious innovation; indeed, they go so far as to declare one another unbelievers: a son declares his father an unbeliever, a man his brother, and a neighbour his neighbour. You find them perpetually embroiled in disputes, mutual hatred, and disagreement. Their lives pass without their ever reaching agreement:

‘You think they are united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who do not reason.’ 3 …”

I say: I have quoted this passage at length so that the seeker of truth may know who the people of the Sunnah and the community are, their characteristics, and their distinguishing qualities; and so that he may know who the people of religious innovation are and what their characteristics and attributes are. Thus he may distinguish the bad from the good, falsehood from truth, and the worthless from the worthwhile, for there are many pretenders.

None of those who follow whims and religious innovations makes a statement or holds an opinion without claiming that it is the very truth brought by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. One example is the statement of the aforementioned writer:

(1) Surah al-Nisā’, verse 82. (2) Surah Āl ‘Imrān, verse 103. (3) Surah al-Hashr, verse 14.

في بيان الاعتقاد على وتيرة واحدة، ونمط واحد يجرون فيه على طريقة لا يحيدون عنها ولا يميلون فيها، قولهم في ذلك واحد ونقلهم واحد، لا ترى بينهم اختلافاً ولا تفرقاً في شيء ما وإن قلَّ، بل لو جمعت جميع ما جرى على ألسنتهم ونقلوه عن سلفهم وجدته كأنَّه جاء من قلب واحد، وجرى على لسان واحد، وهل على الحق دليل أبين من هذا؟ قال الله تعالى: ﴿أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلاَفاً كَثِيراً﴾ ١، وقال تعالى: ﴿وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا﴾ ٢. وأما إذا نظرت إلى أهل الأهواء والبدع رأيتهم متفرقين مختلفين أو شيعاً وأحزاباً لا تكاد تجد اثنين منهم على طريقة واحدة في الاعتقاد، يبدِّع بعضهم بعضاً، بل يرتقون إلى التكفير يكفر الابن أباه، والرجل أخاه، والجار جاره، تراهم أبداً في تنازع وتباغض واختلاف، تنقضي أعمارهم ولم تتفق كلماتهم ﴿تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾ ٣ ... ". قلت: وقد نقلت هذا النص على طوله ليعلم طالب الحق من هم أهل السنة والجماعة وما هو نعتهم وما حليتهم، وليعلم من هم أهل البدعة وما هو نعتهم وصفتهم ليميز الخبيث من الطيب، والباطل من الحق، والغث من السمين فإنَّ الأدعياء كثيرون. وليس أحد من أهل الأهواء والبدع يقول قولاً أو يرى رأياً إلا ويدعي أنَّه هو الحق الذي جاء به رسول الله ﷺ ومن ذلك قول الكاتب المتقدم:

١ سورة النساء، الآية ٨٢. ٢ سورة آل عمران، الآية ١٠٣. ٣ سورة الحشر، الآية ١٤.