bn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) 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 toboth 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', forverily 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 ‘alayhi 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 – 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 Ta’aala) 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 them…" 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 – 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 Ta’aala)." 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 ‘anhu), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi 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 Ta’aala) with that is more beloved to me than you meet Him with the opinion of 'Amr bin 'Ubayd and the companions of 'Amr "– 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 ‘alayhi wasallam) and his Companions were upon].'' 29
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah): "Indeed, from what is obligatory for theStudent of Knowledge to maintain and adhere to is defense of the Sharee'ah." 30
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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
Hishaam said: al-Hasan [al-Basree] and Muhammad bin Seereen used toboth 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', forverily 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 ‘alayhi 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 – 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 Ta’aala) 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 them…" 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 – 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 Ta’aala)." 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 ‘anhu), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi 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 Ta’aala) with that is more beloved to me than you meet Him with the opinion of 'Amr bin 'Ubayd and the companions of 'Amr "– 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 ‘alayhi wasallam) and his Companions were upon].'' 29
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah): "Indeed, from what is obligatory for theStudent of Knowledge to maintain and adhere to is defense of the Sharee'ah." 30
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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