Defending the rights of Allaah is more important than the honor of any other creation

(Revised on December 18, 2013)

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Defending the rights of Allaah تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and His Deen is more important than the honor of any other creation.

Narrated Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree رضي الله عنه, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Nay, the awe (fear/status) of people should not prevent a man from speaking the truth, if he knows it.”

[Sunan Ibn Maajah (4007) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgment”. 

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2447) on the authority of Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما and Saheeh Muslim (6471, 6472) on the authority of Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah and Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهم that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: (same as above)]

In the commentary of the above mentioned Hadeeth, Ibn Hajar رحمه الله mentioned in Fath al-Baaree that Ibn al-Jawzee رحمه الله said: “(The word) Oppression includes two (types) of sins: A) taking someone’s wealth unjustly; B) Going against the Lord by opposing Him – and this (second) type of sin is more severe than any other.” [Fath al-Baaree (5/100)]

Whenever a name pops up, a group comes up to defend him with the pretext of defending his honor; while completely ignoring the Honor and the Rights of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى.

If the honor of a person is sacred, then know that the Honor of Allaah تعالى is more sacred, as Ibn al-Jawzee رحمه الله said.

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) رحمه الله said: “When some people said to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمه الله that they felt uneasy about criticizing people, he replied: "If you were to remain silent and I was to remain silent, how would the ignorant masses know the truth from falsehood?” [Majmoo` al-Fataawaa (28/231)]

Speaking about the errors does not necessarily mean humiliating the person:

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said about Abu Isma`eel al-Harwee رحمه الله: “Shaikh al-Islaam is beloved to us, but Islaam is more beloved to us than him. Except for the Ma`soom (the Prophet) صلى الله عليه وسلم, everyone else’s words are taken or rejected.” [Madaarij al-Saalikeen (2/38)]

Who was Abu Isma`eel al-Harwee?

Abu Isma`eel al-Harwee (d. 481H) was the defender of the Sunnah and opposer of innovators and innovation. Al-Dhahabee رحمه الله said about him: “Shaikh al-Islaam (of his time), the Imaam, the role model, al-Haafidh (memorizer of Hadeeth).” [Siyar A`laam al-Nubalaa (14/36)]

So when Shaikh al-Harwee رحمه الله made some mistakes in His book “Manaazil al-Saa’ireen”, Shaikh Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله, wrote a refutation and corrected the errors in his book “Madaarij al-Saalikeen”.

The benefit we learn here is:

1. Islaam is given precedence over and above the ranks of individuals and personalities.

2. Correcting the errors with Hikmah does not mean degrading or belittling the person.

Shaikh al-Harwee رحمه الله himself said: “I was put under the sword five times. They did not say to me: ‘Go back on your Madhhab’ (i.e. change your opinion). But they said to me: ‘Remain silent on those who oppose you’. (Every time) I would reply back: ‘I will not remain silent’” [Siyar A`laam al-Nubalaa (14/39)]


Importance of correcting the mistakes irrespective of who the personality is:

Narrated An-Nu`maan bin Basheer رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The example of the person abiding by Allaah's orders and limits (or the one who abides by the limits and regulations prescribed by Allaah) in comparison to the ones who do wrong and violate Allaah's limits and orders is like the example of people drawing lots for seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part while the others in the lower part; those in the lower part have to pass by those in the upper one to get water, and that troubled the latter. One of them (i.e. the people in the lower part) took an ax and started making a hole in the bottom of the boat. The people of the upper part came and asked him, (saying), 'What is wrong with you?' He replied, "You have been troubled much by my (coming up to you), and I have to get water.' Now if they prevent him from doing that they will save him and themselves, but if they leave him (to do what he wants), they will destroy him and themselves.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2493, 2686)]

Correcting the mistakes and warning against them is part of sincerity towards Allaah تعالى and His religion: 

Al-Imaam, al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer رحمه الله said: “The speech regarding the disparagement of a person – when it is done based on sincerity towards Allaah, His Messenger, His Book and the believers – is not backbiting. Rather the criticizer is rewarded for that if his intention is sincere.”

And it was said to Yahya bin Sa`eed al-Attaan رحمه الله: Do you not fear that those whose Ahaadeeth you have rejected will complain (to Allaah) against you on the Day of Judgment? He replied: “That they complain against me is more beloved to me that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم complaining against me on that Day by saying: ‘Why did you not expel the lies that they had attached to my Ahaadeeth?’”

Abu Turaab al-Nakhshabiyy heard Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمه الله speaking about some of the narrators (of Hadeeth), so he said to him: Do you backbite the scholars? Imaam Ahmad replied: “Woe to you! This is sincere advice. This is not backbiting.”

And it is said: The first one to speak about (the weaknesses of) the narrators was Su`bah Ibn al-Hajjaaj, then Yahya Ibn Sa`eed al-Qattaan followed him and then his (Yahya’s) students: Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, `Alee Ibn al-Madeenee, Yahya Ibn Ma`een and `Amr bin `Alee al-Fallaas and other than them.

Imaam Maalik, Hishaam bin `Urwah and a group of Salaf have already spoken about this and the Prophet صلى الله عايه وسلم said:

الدين النصيحة

“The religion is sincerity” [Saheeh Muslim (103)]

[Al-Baa`ith al-Hatheeth (2/665-666)]