Is Tazkiyah (or Graduation) Required Before One Teaches and Gives Da'wah? Part 10: Shaykh Ahmad Bazmul

Filed under: Da'wah Saturday, October 05 2013 - by Abu.Iyaad Key topics: Tazkiyah

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Following the role of Ahl al-Sunnah in the West of conveying the speech of the Scholars regarding certain figureheads who went astray, the followers of many of these figureheads spread doubts about some of the callers in the West, with respect to teaching and giving da'wah, claiming that a person must have a tazkiyah to teach, or he must have graduated from an institution and so on. However, the reality of the matter is that those whom they target in this way actually have connections with the Scholars, they travel to them, and take knowledge from them in aqidah, manhaj and fiqh, even if they have not formally studied in an institution, or graduated or have a specific tazkiyah. The real reason for these doubts is to undermine what the callers do in the West (in addition to calling to the Sunnah) of warning from doubts, innovations and desires and warning from the people who are upon them or promote them. The articles in these series will shed light on this matter and repel the doubts spread. No one article in this series should be read in isolation as it is possible for a person with ulterior motives to utilize some of these fatwas from the scholars to justify isolation and separation away from the main body of Salafis in that land and from their centres and mosques with the claim that everybody has the green light to teach, and so some of them teach in the mosques and centres of the hizbees and others teach in their homes (often secretly) whilst spreading poison that aims to isolate people from the students of knowledge. Rather, all the statements of all the Shaykhsshould be put together and understood collectively to get a clearer picture of this whole affair. This is because there are generalizations in some fatwas, clarifications in others, important minor details in others, and contexts in some fatwas not found in others. All of this should be put together to get a full, comprehensive picture. Alongside the clarifications in these articles, it should be still be stressed that seeking knowledge from the Scholars, by travelling to them and sitting in their lessons is of utmost importance and should not be neglected as it is the primary route of seeking knowledge. And for those who are unable to do this, then they should take from the students of knowledge in their lands, those who have connections with the Scholars, have studied with them and take from them. So they should attend their lessons, in the Salafi mosques and centres, and any issues that arise such as requiring a fatwa, or removal of a shubhah or clarification in an issue of knowledge, then those students of knowledge can return these questions to the Scholars on behalf of the people of that land if the answer is not already known.Here are links to all articles so far for easy reference:
Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad (see here) Shaykh Zayd al-Madkhali (see here) Shaykh Muhammad bin Haadee (see here)Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymeen (see here) Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan(see here) Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree (see here) Shaykh Abdullah al-Ghudayan (see here) Shaykh Rabee bin Haadee (see here).

Shaykh Ahmad Bazmul, in his lecture entitled (نصائح و توجيهات للمتصدرين للدعوة), gave the following piece of advice about acquiring knowledge:

خطأ! يحرم عليك اِنْتبه ! يحرم عليك شرعًا أن تتلقّى العلم ممن لا تعلم حاله و ممن ليس مُزكًا و مقبول القول ! يحرم عليك ، لأنَّ هذا العلم دين فأنت تتعبّد الله بهذا الدِّين ، هل تتعبد الله بدينٍ من رجل سوء ؟ ولاّ من رجل حق ؟ من رجل حق ... أمَّا بعض السلفيين فلا أبدًا ، أبدًا ، يجيهم واحد يتصدّر يلتفوا حوله يدرسهم تفسير يدرسهم أحاديث أحكام يدرسهم علوم آلة يدرسهم لغة عربية ، نحو أصول فقه ، يلتفون حوله ؛ و هم لا يدرون حاله ثمَّ بعد ذلك يـُـؤصل فيهم الأصول الباطلة و يـُـؤصل فيهم أصول ضد السَّلفية ، و يأتي على الأصول السَّلفية و يُميعها أو يجعلها بمفهوم خاطئ فيضرب الشَّباب ! لا والله ! أنا ما أجلس إليه حتَّى أعلم من هو و أسأل عنه . والله لئن تجلس في بيتك بما تعلمه من صلاة و زكاة و صيام خيرٌ لك من أن تجلس عند رجل يضلك ، لأنّك إن ضللت لا تدري أ مع أصحاب الجنة أم مع أصحاب النار !

An error! It is unlawful upon you, beware! It is unlawful for you legislatively that you acquire knowledge from one whose condition you do not know and from one who has not been commended and (not from those) whose speech is accepted! It is unlawful upon you because this knowledge comprises deen (religion), and you worship Allaah through this deen. Will you worship Allaah through (the deen) by way of an evil man? Or from a man of truth? From a man of truth ... As for some of the Salafis, then no (they should not do this), ever. One of them comes to them, he puts himself forward, then they gather around him, he teaches them tafseer, he teaches them the ahaadeeth of the rulings, he teaches them supportive (instrumental) sciences, he teaches them the Arabic language, grammar, principles of jurisprudence, and they all gather around him. And they do not know his condition. Then after that he starts laying down baatil (false) principles, and he lays down for them principles against Salafiyyah, and he comes and waters down the principles of Salafiyyah or he presents them with an incorrect understanding, and thus strikes at the youth (in this way)! No! By Allaah! I wil not sit with him until I know who he is and I ask about him. By Allaah that you sit in your own house (sufficing) with what you already know of the prayer, zakaah, and fasting is better for you than that you sit with a man who will misguide you. Because if you go astray, you will not know as to whether you will be with the people of Paradise or with the people of Hellfire!

قيل للإمام أحمد: الرجل من أهل السنة وهو من أهل السنة يموت ومعه معاصي هل هو رجل سوء أو حفرته حفرة نار قال : اسكت فإن الرجل إن مات على السنة فقبره روضة من رياض الجنة . قيل له الرجل من أهل البدعة مجتهد وعابد يعني هل له مكانة قال : اسكت فإن الرجل من أهل البدعة حفرته حفرة من حفر النيران ، هلاك !! هلاك !!!..

It was said to Imaam Ahmad: A man from Ahl al-Sunnah and he is from Ahl al-Sunnah, he dies and he has sins, is he an evil man or is his cavity (in the grave) a cavity to the Fire? He said, "Be silent, for if a man dies upon the Sunnah, then his grave is a garden from the gardens of Paradise." It was said to him: A man from Ahl al-Bid'ah is a mujtahid, a worshipper" meaning, does he have status? He said, "Be silent, for a man from Ahl al-Bid'ah, his cavity (in the grave) is a cavity from the cavities of the Fire." Destruction! Destruction!!"

ولذلك ينبغي أن تعلم إن كنت سلفيًا أن لا تجلس لمن تصدّر حتَّى تعلم حاله. كيف أعلم حاله؟ بتزكية العلماء بالسُّؤال عنه . يا أخي ! روح له وقل له مَنْ أنت ؟ عند مَنْ درست ؟ مَنْ مشايخك ؟ إذا ما عرفت توصل له ، قال لك والله درست عند الشيخ السحيمي ، الشيخ اللحيدان ، الشيخ ربيع ... اتّصل لأنّ بعضهم قد يحضر عند الشيخ ربيع ، أو عند الشيخ السحيمي أو عند الشيخ الفلاني ، وهو حزبي ! اسْأل ! أو يكون سلفي ثمَّ تغير ! اسْأل لا تجلس مباشرةً !

For this reason it is desirable that you know, if you are a Salafi (in truth), that you do not sit with anyone who comes out (to teach) until you know his condition. How do you know his condition? By the commendation of the Scholars. By asking about him. O brother, go to him, ask him, who are you? Who did you study with? Who are you Shaykhs? If you do not know, connect with him. He will say to you, "By Allaah, I studied with Shaykh al-Suhaymee, Shaykh al-Luhaydaan, Shaykh Rabee..." connect (and find out) because some of them they attend (lessons) with Shaykh Rabee or Shaykh al-Suhaymee or with Shaykh so and so, yet he (himself) is a hizbee. Ask! Or he could be a Salafi who has changed! Ask (first), do not sit straight away.

يا أخي ! أحضر أشرطة الشيخ ابن عثيمين ، الشيخ النجمي ، الشيخ ابن باز رحمة الله عليهم ، الشيخ ربيع ، الشيخ الفوزان ، واسْمع ما هو لازم إلَّا تحضر عند هذا المجهول ! فهذا منهج و مسلك من مسالك السَّلف إن كنت سلفيًا

O brother! Bring the cassettes of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, Shaykh al-Najmee, Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon them, Shaykh Rabee, Shaykh al-Fawzaan and listen (to them). It is not binding for you to attend (lessons) with this unknown. So this is the way and methodology from the ways of the Salaf (to follow), if you are indeed a Salafi (in truth).

Note

May Allaah reward our brother Abu Hafsah Kashiff Khan for his recent lecture at Masjid Ahl al-Qur'an wal-Hadeeth - very relevant to the issue raised here by Shaykh Ahmad Bazmul - in which our brother (hafidhahullaah) points out that the likes of Tahir Wyatt, when in Madeenah, would invite Yasir Qadhi to his house whereupon Yasir Qadhi would give da'wah to newcomers and offer to teach them tajweed and the likes. This is at a time when the Salafis had been warning against Yasir Qadhi for years due to his clear leanings towards the Surooriyyah, Turaathiyyah - and one can see the pitiful state Yasir Qadhi has reached today. At the same time Tahir Wyatt would speak against Salafis. You should not be deceived by these types of people, even if they are graduates, boast that they have sat with the scholars, have tazkiyaat, sit in the Haram and teach, and even if they walk on water and fly in the air on top of all of that! As Shaykh Rabee said in very apt words when speaking about tazkiyaat (commendations) and shahaadaat (certificates), (إنما يزكي الرجل عمله), "That which givestazkiyah to a man is his action." You can listen to Abu Hafsah's lecture here.