and the Sunnah, or practise forms of worship contrary to the Book and the Sunnah, exposing their true condition and warning the Muslim community against them is obligatory by the consensus of the Muslims. Indeed, Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked, ‘Which do you prefer: a man who fasts, prays, and observes devotional seclusion, or one who speaks out against the people of innovation?’ He replied, ‘When he stands to pray and observes devotional seclusion, he does so only for himself; but when he speaks out against the people of innovation, he does so for the Muslims. This is better.’ He thus explained that the benefit of this extends to all Muslims in matters of their religion and is a form of jihad in the path of Allah. For purifying Allah’s path, His religion, His way, and His revealed law, and repelling these people’s transgression and aggression against them, is a collective obligation by the consensus of the Muslims. Were it not for those whom Allah raises up to repel the harm caused by these people, the religion would become corrupted, and that corruption would be greater than the harm caused by conquest by a warring enemy. For when such enemies conquer, they corrupt hearts and the faith within them only as a secondary consequence, whereas the people of innovation corrupt hearts directly.”1.

Despite the manifest clarity of this approach and its many benefits and positive results, certain individuals and groups in our time have adopted misguided stances and reprehensible views, shamelessly calling for silence about the people of innovation and vain desires, and for people not to warn against them. They have claimed that this is the most upright approach and the wisest course, saying, “This heals divisions, reunites the community, unifies the ranks, and brings people into agreement.”

There is no doubt that this is a false approach, one that brings much harm and poses grave dangers to Islam and the Sunnah. It lends the strongest support to the people of innovation and vain desires in spreading their misguidance and falsehood. It is an approach that deviates from the Book and the Sunnah.

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, having mentioned a group of people of innovation who hold a misguided belief that they regard as the truth, and who consider those who disagree with them on it to be disbelievers,