Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Umar Bāzmûl Answers the Claim that Shaykh Rabī' Forces People to Make Tabdī' of His Enemies
[Q]: May Allāh treat you well. This questioner from Morocco says: Our Shaykh, may Allāh treat you well. How do we refute those who say that Shaykh Rabī' forces the people to perform tabdī' (declaring an individual to be an innovator) of his enemies and that this is not from the Salafī manhaj at all?
[A]: I do not know that Shaykh Rabī' forces the people to perform tabdī' of his enemies. That which I know about the Shaykh -- may Allāh preserve him, sustain him with health and wellness and prolong his life upon goodness -- is that he is eager to spread the Sunnah and eager to clarify the Sunnah and eager to warn against innovation and against its people. So when he is asked a question, or someone from amongst the students of knowledge sits with him and that individual's speech or question warrants that the Shaykh clarify the condition of Ahlus-Sunnah and the condition of the people of innovation and that he must describe the condition of the people who have been deceived by the innovation, then he clarifies that with evidence. And whenever he clarifies this with evidence, he only wants that this individual, who has listened to the evidence, especially if he is a student of knowledge who understands, that he comes out openly with this truth and that he clarifies this truth with evidence. So he does not force anyone to blindly follow him (taqlīd) or to take his statement without evidence or proof. This is what we have come to know from the condition of Shaykh Rabī' - hafidhahullāh.
So we do not know that Shaykh Rabī' forces the people to perform tabdī' of his enemies. Shaykh Rabī' only compels the people to follow the evidence. So once the proof has been pointed out and the ruling, along with the proof, that whatever so and so has done is an innovation, has been issued, and the Shaykh has clarified the entirety of this affair to a student of knowledge, then it becomes obligatory upon the student of knowledge to follow this evidence. And if he does not do so, then he has left the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) and the manhaj that the Salaf were upon.
And perhaps the one who quoted that Shaykh Rabī' forces the people to perform tabdī' of his enemies did not understand this circumstance and this situation. Keep in mind that Shaykh Rabī' - hafidhahullāh - we do not know that he bears enmity towards those whom he bears enmity due to personal issues. And we do not know that he bears enmity towards those whom he bears enmity due to affairs of personal benefit. We only know from the Shaykh -- and we do not praise anyone over Allāh -- that he only bears enmity towards those whom he bears enmity and he warns against those whom we warns due to their opposition to the Book and the Sunnah and the manhaj of the Salaf us-Saalih. And it is compulsory upon the people to follow the Book and the Sunnah and the manhaj of the Salaf us-Saalih.
This is what we know with regards to Shaykh Rabī' - hafidhahullāh -- and we do not claim infallibility for him and we do not claim that he does not err and that he does not slip up. So he is only a human being. However, we say: this is what we know about the Shaykh. And Allāh knows best. [1]
Endnotes:
[1]: Taken from al-Liqaa'ul-Maftoohil-Awwal for Shabakah Imaam Daaril-Hijratil-'Ilmiyyah with Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Umar Baazmool, dated 23rd of Dhul-Qa'dah, 1433H.
Translation by Maaz Qureshi
http://sunnahpublishing.net/shaykh-...-forces-people-to-make-tabdee-of-his-enemies/