Al-Walaa Wal-Baraa Based On Ignorance, By Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

One might imagine some practice to be compulsory, basing that belief upon his ijtihaad that is incorrect. Would that he stopped there! But he then goes on to judge the worth of others based on his mistaken view, and this is the problem.

If someone does not agree with his opinion, even though it is wrong based on proofs from the Quraan and the Sunnah (1), he will hate and abhor that person. But if someone agrees with him, he will love him, even though that person who agrees with him is upon the same bid’ah as he is upon.

All it takes to achieve his unmitigated love is for someone to agree with him. And again, this is the problem.

I do not want to belabour the point regarding this specific issue, but it is one that is common among the youth; they show support for one who issues an Islaamic ruling that is in agreement with their preconceived view, and they disassociate themselves from one who rules otherwise, a way of going about things that is clearly wrong.

Footnotes:

(1) Elsewhere the shaykh says, “In issues that people do not clearly understand, one might be led to believe that there is consensus among the scholars to support his view. But had he researched the issue, he might have found that a scholar who holds an opposing view has such cogent proofs with him that he should in fact follow that scholar, submitting to hi view.”

[The Islaamic Awakening, By Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 32 & 209]