Do not sit with the people of bid'a (deviation)

[شمله ور خراساني]

Do not sit with the people of bid'a (deviation)
Hadith - Reported by Ibn Abee Ya'laa in Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah (1/60) with a saheeh isnaad and by Ibn Muflih in al-Aadaabush-Shar'iyyah (1/263).
Abu Daawood as-Sijjistaanee said: I said to Abu' Abdullaah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 'If I see a man from Ahl us-Sunnah sitting with a man from the people of innovation, should I abandon speaking to him?' He said, "No, you should first inform him that the one whom you saw him with is a person of innovation. Either, he will cease speaking to him, so then continue speaking to him or if not, then regard him to be like him. Ibn Mas'ood said: A person is like his friend."
Hadith - Reported by Ibn Battah in al-Ibaanatul-Kubraa (no. 486)
Ibn 'Awn, rahimahullaah, said, "Whoever sits with the people of innovation is worse than them."
Hadith - Reported by Ibn Abee Ya'laa in Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah (1/223-234) in the biography of 'Alee ibn Abee Khaalid
'Alee ibn Abee Khaalid said: I said to Ahmad, "This old man -referring to an old man who was present with us and was a neighbour of mine - I have warned him against a person, but he would like to hear your saying about him. haarith al-Qaseer (meaning Haarith al-Mahaasibee) and you saw me with him many years ago and you said to me, 'Do not sit with him and do not speak to him.' I have not spoken to him from then until now, but this old man sits with him. What do you say about him (i.e. the innovator)?" I saw that Ahmad became red, his veins and his eyes swelled. I have never seen him like that before. Then he shuddered and said, "That is one to whom Allaah has done such and such. No one knows that except one who is fully acquainted with him. Alas! Alas! Alas! He is one not known except to one fully acquainted with him. He was the one whom al-Maghaazilee sat with and Ya'qoob and so and so. He lead them to having the views of Jahm. They were destroyed through him." So, the old man said, "O Abu' Abdullaah! He narrated hadeeth, displays dignity and fearfulness. He is such and such." Abu 'Abdullaah became angry and said, "Do not be fooled by his fearfulness, nor his gentleness. Do not be fooled by how he droops his head. He is an evil person. This will not be known except by one well-acquainted with him. Do not sit with him, for there is no honour for him. Will you sit with everyone who narrated the ahaadeeth of Allaah's Messenger (saaws) and is an innovator?!"

Narration - Reported by al-Laalikaa'ee (no. 263) and Ibn Battah (no. 439). Saheeh isnaad
Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyaad said, "Whoever sits with a person of innovation has not been given wisdom."


Muttaqun OnLine - Bida: According to Quran and Sunnah

[شمله ور خراساني]

What does Islam say about talking rude, impolite and insulting one another?

Allah the Exalted forbids scoffing at people, which implies humiliating and belittling them. In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people.) And in another Version
(And despising people) It is forbidden to scoff at and belittle people, for the injured party could be more honored and dearer to Allah the Exalted than those who ridicule and belittle them. This is why Allah the Exalted said,
(O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former.) thus, stating this prohibition for men and then women. The statement of Allah the Exalted,
(Nor defame yourselves,) forbids defaming each other. He among men who is a slanderer, and a backbiter, is cursed and condemned as Allah states
(Woe to every Humazah, Lumazah)(104:1) Hamz is defamation by action, while Lamz is by words. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
(Hammaz (defaming), going about with slander.) (68:11) meaning, he belittles and defames people, transgressing and spreading slander among them, which is the Lamz that uses words as its tool. Allah's statement here,
(Nor defame yourselves,) just as He said in another Ayah,
(Nor kill yourselves) (4:29), meaning, nor kill one another. `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said that the Ayah,
(Nor defame yourselves,) means, none of you should defame each other,' while,
(nor insult one another by nicknames.) means, `you should not address people by nick names that people dislike.' Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Jabirah bin Ad-Dahhak said, "This Ayah was revealed about us, Banu Salamah;
(nor insult one another by nicknames.) When the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, every man among us had two or three nicknames. When the Prophet called a man by one of these nicknames, people would say, `O Allah's Messenger! He hates that nickname.' Then this Ayah,
(nor insult one another by nicknames.) was revealed.'' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith. The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored,
(Evil is the name of wickedness after faith), means, the names and descriptions of wickedness are evil; meaning, `to use the nicknames that were used by the people of Jahiliyyah, after you embraced Islam and understood it,'
(And whosoever does not repent,) means, from this sin,
(then such are indeed wrongdoers.)
(12. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is sin. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother You would hate it. And have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.)

[شمله ور خراساني]

Statements of the Salaf regarding sitting with Ahlul-Bid'ah, listening to their speech, reading their books, backbiting them and judging people by their Companionship

Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu ýanhumaa) said: "Do not sit with the people of ahwaa', for verily their gatherings cause sickness in the hearts." 1

Hishaam said: al-Hasan [al-Basree] and Muhammad bin Seereen used to both say: 'Do not sit with the people of ahwaa' and do not argue with them and do not listen from them." 2

Aboo Qilaabah said: "Do not sit with the people of ahwaa', and do not argue with them, for verily I do not feel safe that they will immerse you in their misguidance or confuse you in that which you already know." 3

Ibraaheem an-Nakha'ee said: "Do not sit with the people of ahwaa', for verily their gatherings cause the light of Eemaan to go from the hearts, and strip the beauty from the faces, and cause hatred to be inherited in the hearts of the believers." 4

Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee said: "Aboo Qilaabah said to me: 'O Ayyoob! Memorize from me four (things): Do not speak regarding the Qur'aan with your opinion, and beware of (speaking about) al-Qadr, and if the Companions of Muhammad (Sallallaahu ýalayhi wasallam) are mentioned then withhold, and do not give the people of ahwaa' your hearing so they cast into it what they wish." 5

Ahmad bin Abeel-Hawaaree said that 'Abdullaah binul-Busree said to him: "The Sunnah with us is not that you refute ahlul-ahwaa', but the Sunnah with us is that you do not speak to anyone from amongst them." 6

Salaam bin Abee Mutee' said: "a man from ahlul-bid'ah said to Ayyoob [as-Sakhtiyaanee ý d.131H]: 'O Abaa Bakr! Can I ask you about a word?' [Salaam] said: "So I saw him indicate with his hand and he was saying: 'Not even half a word, not even half a word!'" 7

Muhammad bin Seereen, if he heard speech from a person of bid'ah, he would put his fingers in his ears, then he said: "if is not halaal for me to speak to him until he stands up [and leaves] his place." 8

Muslim bin Yasaar said: "Do not open up your hearing to a person of bid'ah, so he pours inside it what you don't have the ability to take out of your heart." 9

Sufyaan ath-Thawree [d.161H] said: "Whoever lends his hearing to a person of bid'ah has gone out from the protection of Allaah and is entrusted to himself." 10

al-Imaam As-Saaboonee [d.449H]: "And along with that, they were agreed upon subduing ahlul-bid'ah by debasing them, degrading them, keeping them far away, being distant from them and from accompanying them and living with them, and upon seeking nearness to Allaah
(Subhaanahu wa Taýaala) by avoiding and abandoning them." 11

al-Imaam al-Aajurree mentioned in his Akhlaaqul-'Ulamaa': "Because from the characteristics of the 'Aalim al-'Aaqil is that he doesn't sit with ahlul-ahwaa', and doesn't debate with themý" 12

Sha'eeb bin Harb said: Ibn 'Awn said: "The one who sits with ahlul-bid'a is more severe upon us than ahlul-bid'a." 13

Abool-Jawzaa' said: "For apes and pigs to live next door to me in a house is more beloved to me than there live next door to me a man from ahlul-ahwaa'". 14

Thaabit bin 'Ajlaan said: "I met Anas bin Maalik, and Ibn Musayyib, and al-Hasan al-Basree, Sa'eed bin Jubayr, ash-Sha'bee, Ibraaheem an- Nakha'ee, 'Ataa' bin Abee Rabaah, Taawoos, Mujaahid, 'Abdullaah bin Abee Maleekah, and az-Zuhree, Makhool, al-Qaasim Abaa Abdir- Rahmaan, 'Ataa' al-Khuraasaanee, Thaabit al-Banaanee, al-Hakim bin 'Utaybah, Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee, Hamaad, Muhammad bin Seereen and Abaa 'Aamir - and he had reached Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq ý and Yazeed ar-Raqaashee and Sulaymaan bin Moosaa, all of them ordering me to adhere to the Jamaa'ah, and forbidding me from the people of ahwaa'." 15

Backbiting Ahlul-Bid'ah:

Al-Hasan al-Basree said: "There is no gheebah of ahlul-bid'a." 16

Ibraaheem an-Nakha'ee said: "There is no gheebah of a person of bid'ah."17

Sufyaan bin 'Uyaynah said: "A person of hawaa' in the Deen, there is no
gheebah of him." 18

Zaa'idah bin Qudaamah said: "I said to Mansoor binul-Mu'tamar: "If I was fasting, is it allowed for me to degrade and belittle the sultaan?" He said: "No." I said: "So can I degrade and belittle ahlul-ahwaa'?" He said: "Yes." 19

Shu'bah binul-Hajjaaj said: "Come let us backbite for Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Taýaala)." 20

Aboo 'Abdillaah Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah al-Andaloosee, Ibn Abee Zamaneen [d.399H]: "And Ahlus-Sunnah did not cease to degrade and insult the misguided ahlul-ahwaa' and prohibit from sitting in their
gatherings, and fearing their fitnah, and informing about their innovation, and they did not see that as gheebah nor slandering of them." 21

Judging people by their companionship:

Muhammad bin Sahm said: I heard 'Ataa' bin Muslim al-Khafaaf mention from al-A'maash, who said: "They used to not ask about a man after 3: who he walked with, who he entered upon, and who his friends were from amongst the people." 22

Muhammad bin Sahm said: I heard Baqiyyah, he said: "Al-Awzaa'ee used to say: "Whoever hides from us his bid'ah, he cannot conceal from us his friends." 23

When Sufyaan ath-Thawree entered al-Basrah, so he was asked to look at the affair of Ar-Rabee bin Sabeeh, so he asked: "What is his madhhab?"They said: "He has no madhhab except the Sunnah." He said: "Who are his friends?" They said: "The people of Qadr [the
Qadariyyah]." He said: "(Then) he is qadaree!" 24

Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee [d.131H] was called to wash someone who died, so he went out with the people, so when the face of the dead person was uncovered, he knew him. So he said: "See to your companion, for I will not wash him. I saw him walking with a person of bid'ah." 25

From Aboo Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ýanhu), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu ýalayhi wasallam) said: (( The souls are enlisted soldiers, so those that became familiar with one another from amongst them (in the heavens) will be inclined (towards each other in the world), and those from amongst them that opposed one another will differ. )) 26

Al-Fudhayl bin 'Iyyaad said: "The souls are enlisted soldiers, so those that became familiar with one another (from before) will be inclined (towards each other), and those from amongst them that were opposed will differ, and it is not possible that a person of Sunnah can be inclined towards a person of bid'ah except due to nifaaq." 27

Khuwayl, the brother-in-law of Shu'bah binul-Hajjaaj said: I was with Yoonus bin 'Uabyd, so a man came and said: "O Aboo 'Abdillaah! You forbid us from the gathering of 'Amr bin 'Ubayd, and your son has gone to him?" He (Yoonus) said: "My son?!" He said: "Yes." So Yoonus became angry. So I didn't leave until his son came, so he said: Yaa bunay! You knew the opinion of 'Amr bin 'Ubayd, then you enter upon him?!" So he began to make excuses, so he said: "So and so was with me." So Yoonus said: "I prohibit zinaa' and stealing and drinking khamr, but for you to meet Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Taýaala) with that is more beloved to me than you meet Him with the opinion of 'Amr bin 'Ubayd and the companions of 'Amr "ý meeting the Qadariyyah. Sa'eed bin 'Aamir said: "We did not see any man who was better than him", meaning Yoonus (bin 'Ubayd). 28

Al-Imaam al-Barbahaaree: "If anything of bid'ah appears in a person, beware of him, since what is hidden from you is more than what is apparent. However, if you see a person whose manners and opinion is despicable, he is wicked, sinful and oppressive, yet he is a person of the Sunnah, accompany him and sit with him, since his sin will not harm
you."

Do the innovations have anything from goodness?

Ibn Wahb said that Ibn Mahdee informed him that a man asked Ibraaheem an-Nakha'ee about al-ahwaa' [i.e. bid'ah], do they have anything from khayr? So he said: ' Allaah did not make in anything from it (even the amount equal to) a mustard seed of khayr, and it is nothing but an adornment from ash-Shaytaan, and the affair is nothing except the first affair [that which the Prophet (Sallallaahu ýalayhi wasallam) and his Companions were upon].' 29

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah): "Indeed, from what is obligatory for the Student of Knowledge to maintain and adhere to is defense of the Sharee'ah."30




1 Al-Ibaanah #371
2 Al-Ibaanah of Ibn Battah #395
3 Al-Ibaanah #369
4 Al-Ibaanah #375
5 Al-Ibaanah #397
6 Al-Ibaanah #478
7 Al-Ibaanah of Ibn Battah [d.387H], #482
8 Al-Ibaanah #484
9 Al-Ibaanah #436
10 Al-Ibaanah #444
11 'Aqeedatus-Salaf Ashaabul-Hadeeth (pg. 114)
12 Akhlaaqul-'Ulamaa'
13 Al-Ibaanah #486
14 Al-Ibaanah #466
15 Al-Ma'rifatu wat-Taareekh of al-Fasuwee (3/491-492)
16 Hasan: Al-Kafaayah of al-Khateeb (pg.43) and Ibn Abeed-Dunyaa in Al-Gheebah (pg.88)
17 Al-Laalikaa'ee [1/140], Sunan ad-Daarimee [1/120]
18 Mukhtasarul_hujjah of Nasr al-Maqdisee (pg.538)
19 Hasan: Ibn Abeed-Dunyaa in Al-Gheebah (pg.83)
20 Saheeh: Al-Khateeb in Al-Kafaayah (pg.52), Aboo Nu'aym in Al-Hilyah [7/152]
21 Usoolus-Sunnah of Ibn Abee Zamaneen (pg.293)
22 Al-Ibaanah #419
23 Al-Ibaanah #420
24 Al-Ibaanah #421
25 Al-Ibaanah #498
26 Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Saheeh al-Jaami' (#2765).
27 Al-Ibaanah #429
28 Al-Ibaanah #464
29 Usoolus-Sunnah of Ibn Abee Zamaneen #230
30 Al-'Ilm (pg.28)



Statements of the Salaf regarding sitting with Ahlul-Bid'ah - Athaar Forum