30 Statements and Observations on the Raafidhah – by Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah – Part II

الحمد لله وحده، والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده، وعلى آله وصحبه، أما بعد

 

The following selection of statements and observations are gathered from the writings of Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) with regards to the Raafidhah Shee’ah. The quotes have been taken from the work: Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah – unless otherwise stated, the reference for each quote is also given.

 

The baseless proofs and evidences utilized by the Raafidhah and their opposition to the people of the Sunnah

 

1. “Indeed; the Raafidhah in origin are not the people of knowledge and experience by way of: consideration and debate and having an understanding of the proofs and that which enters into it from prevention/restrain and opposition. Just as they are from the most ignorant of people in having an understanding of that which is transmitted (conveyed) as well as the ahaadeeth and the reports as well as being able to discern between its authentic from its weak. Instead; their prop in that which is transmitted (conveyed) is based upon chronicles that are severed of any chains of narration – and much of it is from the fabrications of those that are well known for lying – rather for heresy.” (1/58)

 

2. “And the truth is that the people of the Sunnah have not unanimously agreed upon an error – ever, nor have the Shee’ah been distinguished from them with that which is correct – ever. Rather all of that which the Shee’ah have differed in from all of the people of the Sunnah; then the Shee’ah in that are in error.”[1] (3/98)

 

3. “And so the Raafidhah and their likes from the people of ignorance and oppression; they rely as a point of argument upon proofs which necessitate the corruption of their statement as well as their contradiction.[2] For if one were to rely as a point of argument with its equivalent upon them; then their annulled statement would be corrupted by its equivalent, and if one did not rely as a point of argument with its equivalent; then it in of itself is rendered futile. This is because it is a must to equalize between two things which resemble each other, however their utmost degree is merely desires that has no knowledge with it, and who can be more astray than the one who follows his own desires without any guidance from Allaah? Indeed; Allaah does not guide the people of wrongdoing.” (4/358)

 

4. “So in general; whoever has experienced the Raafidhah with regard to their writers and their (method of) address, then he comes to know that they are from the most dishonest of the creation of Allaah. How then can the heart be at trust with the transmission/conveyance of those from whom lying is so abundant – before he knows the honesty of the transmitter?” (2/467)

 

5. “Indeed; there is present in the Shee’ah from the atrociously abominable affairs which are in opposition to the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus – that which is much greater and more atrocious in comparison to that which is to be found in any presumed group from the groups of the Sunnah. Hence, there is not a group from the groups of the Sunnah in whose saying there is to be found that which is weak except that there will be found that which is weaker and more atrocious than it from the statements of the Shee’ah.” (3/435)

 

6. “These Raafidhites have attached the success/salvation of the creation as well as their bliss and their obedience to Allaah and His Messenger with an impossible condition that the people could not have the capability upon (to attain). Rather; nor do any one of them have the capability upon it either, and so they say to the people: no one can be delivered from the punishment of Allaah except by way of that, nor can one be happy except by way of that, neither can one be a believer except by way of that.

 

Hence it necessitates one of two affairs:

 

Either the futility of their statement.

 

Or that Allaah has caused His servants to despair of His Mercy, and has necessitated His punishment upon the whole of the creation; the Muslims and other than them, and so upon this valuation; they then would be the very first of the wretched ones to be punished.” (1/89)

 

The Raafidhee societies and the kind of people who accept their ideology and the extremist groups that are veiled by them

 

7. “As for the one that refers back to that which is transmitted by the one who is the most ignorant of the people with respect to that which is transmitted (conveyed) and the most distant of people from understanding the affairs of Islam, and the one who is known for fabricating lies with a great deal of lying – of a nature that could not be propagandized except amongst the bovid mammals (livestock). Likewise he could propagandize his lies upon a people who do not know Islam: being either a people that reside in the open country or upon the tops of the mountains (mountain people) or a land whose inhabitants are from the people with the least knowledge and the greatest of them in lying – then this is the one that goes astray.

 

Such are the Raafidhah, it cannot even be imagined that their madhab would be propagandized upon the inhabitants of a large city from the cities of the Muslims in which there are the people of knowledge and religion. Rather it is propagandized upon the ignorant that reside in the open deserts and the mountains.” (6/179)

 

8. “…This from all of that which Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited and so all of that which Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited; then it is blameworthy and thus prohibited. Whether the one that carries it out be someone that affiliates himself to the Sunnah or to Tashayyu’ (Shi’ism), however; the affairs which are blameworthy and in opposition to the Book and the Sunnah in this and in other than it; then they are present in the Raafidhah more than amongst the people of the Sunnah. Hence there is not to be found an evil in the people of the Sunnah – but that in the Raafidhah it is more than it, and there is likewise not to be found in the Raafidhah from any good; except that in the people of the Sunnah it is more than it.” (1/483)

 

9. “They do not – in most cases forbid one another from wrongdoing which they commit, rather; their lands are the greatest of countries in committing abominations from oppression and illicit sexual indecencies and other than that.” (3/376)

 

10. “Then these people who went with him (‘Ali); from them were those that declared him to be a disbeliever after that and so fought against him – just as the Khawaarij did, and their sword was the first sword which was drawn upon the united body. From them were those that manifested disparagement upon the three Caliphs – just as the Raafidhah did, and so by way of them the heretics were veiled – such as the extremists from the Nusayriyah and other than them and from the Qaraamitah Al-Baatiniyyah and the Isma’iliyyah and other than them.

 

For they are the source of every tribulation; and the companions (radhiyallaahu ‘anhum) are the source of every aspect of knowledge and rectitude and guidance and mercy to be found in Islaam.”[3] (6/370)

 

The acknowledgement of their ilk and their own “scholars” that their madhab is false

 

11. “And their scholars who author; amongst them are groups that know that much of what they say is lies, however they author for them due to their leadership over them.” (5/162)

 

12. “Their intellectuals know of their lies and of their ignorance, however; due to their service to them; leadership (position) and wealth and desires are acquired for them, that which would not have been acquired without that. Hence they assist them just as their likes from the people of lies and oppression are assisted; in order to attain such objectives through them.” (3/482)

 

13. “As for the Shee’ah; then many of them acknowledge that they intended by way of reign (sovereignty): the corruption of the religion of Islaam as well as to treat the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as an enemy. Just as that is known from the speech of the Baatiniyyah and their likes from the innermost in and amongst the Shee’ah.

 

For they indeed acknowledge that they in reality have no belief in the religion of Islaam, and that they manifest Tashayyu’ due to the scant intellect of the Shee’ah as well as their ignorance, in order for them to use them as a means of attaining objectives.” (2/68)

 

14. “However; the Imaamiyyah contradict the Ahlul Bait (the Prophet’s family/household) in general in their principles, for there is no one from the Imaams of Ahlul Bait – such as the likes of ‘Ali bin Al-Hussain and Abee Ja’far Al-Baaqir and his son Ja’far bin Muhammad As-Saadiq – who rejected the seeing (of Allaah in the Hereafter) or said that the Qur’aan is created or rejected the pre-decree, or spoke with a specific text for ‘Ali, or for the infallibility of the twelve Imaams or for reviling Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar.

 

Whilst that which is transmitted (the narrations) are established and are successively frequent from these (individuals), they are well known and present, and are from that which the people of the Sunnah rely upon.

 

The scholars of the Raafidhah are in acknowledgement that this belief in Tawheed and the attributes (of Allaah) and the pre-decree – that they did not obtain it from the Book or the Sunnah or from the Imaams of Ahlul Bait. But rather they claim that the intellect denoted them to it, just as is stated by the Mu’tazilah.” (2/368)

 

15. “Whoever has the slightest familiarity with the religion of Islaam will know that the Raafidhee ideology is in contradiction to it. Due to this reason the heretics whose intentions were to corrupt Islaam; they would command with manifesting Tashayyu’ (Shi’ism), and thus entered into their desired intents from the gateway of the Shee’ah. Just as that was mentioned by their own Imaam; the author of: ‘Al-Balaagh al-Akbar’ and ‘An-Namoos al-A’dham.’” (8/479)

 

The Raafidhah violate the very fundamentals of the religion through corrupt beliefs and engaging in acts of shirk

 

16. “Likewise the Raafidhah have gone to extremes with regard to the Messengers – rather with regard to the Imaams, such that they have taken them as lords besides Allaah, and so they left the worship of Allaah alone without there being any partners for Him which the Messengers commanded them with. They likewise belied the Messenger in that which he informed of from the repentance of the Prophets and of their seeking forgiveness, so you will find that they suspend the mosques which Allaah has ordered to be raised and that His Name be mentioned therein.

 

So they do not pray the Friday nor the congregational prayers therein, neither does it have any great sanctity with them; and if they pray within them; they pray individually (solitarily). They venerate the shrines which are built over the graves and so they are busily engaged over them – as resemblance of the polytheists; they also make Hajj to them just as the pilgrim would perform the Hajj to the Baitil ‘Ateeq (the Ancient House – i.e the Ka’bah) – and from them are those that make the Hajj to them as being greater than the Hajj to the Ka’bah. Rather; they revile those that do not suffice with the Hajj to them as opposed to the Hajj which Allaah has obligated upon His servants.” (1/474)

 

17. “Within them is a branch of faith in Jibt – and it is magic; and Taaghoot – and it is to worship other than Allaah, for they venerate philosophy which encompasses that, and they see (the permissibility of) supplication and worship to the deceased as well as taking up mosques over the graves. They also conduct journeys to them out of performing Hajj – which has for it rites and they say: ‘the rites of the Hajj of the shrines.’[4]

 

Trustworthy ones have narrated to me that amongst them are those that see that the performance of Hajj to them is greater than the Hajj to the Baitil ‘Ateeq (the Ancient House), hence they see that associating partners with Allaah as being greater than the worship of Allaah – and this is from the greatest faith in Taaghoot.” (3/451)

 

18. “They (their scholars) command them with committing shirk with Allaah, and with the worship of other than Allaah, and they obstruct them from the path of Allaah and thus they exit from the reality of the testimony that: none has the right to be worshiped except Allaah; and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. For indeed; the reality of Tawheed is that we should worship Allaah alone and so no one should be called upon (in supplication) except Him, and so no one should be feared except Him, and so no one should be given pious dutifulness except Him, and no one should have reliance and trust except upon Him, and the religion should not be except for Him. Not for anyone from the creation, and we should not take the Angels and the Prophets as lords; how then regarding the Imaams and the shuyookh and the scholars and the kings – and other than them?!” (3/490)

 

19. “Thus; every individual who is more distant from Tawheed and the Sunnah; then he is closer to shirk and innovations and falsity – such as the Raafidhah who are the most dishonest of the groups of the people of desires and the greatest of them in committing shirk. So there is not to be found amongst the people of desires those more dishonest than them, nor more distant from Tawheed than them – such that they devastate the mosques of Allaah in which the name of Allaah is mentioned, and so they render them inoperative from the performance of the congregational prayers as well as the Friday prayers, and (instead) they maintain and visit the shrines which are upon the graves; that which Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden from taking up.” (Iqtidaa as-Siraatul Mustaqeem 2/281-282)

 

Their ceremonies of mourning the dead and the traits of pre-Islamic ignorance

 

20. “What is uglier than that (i.e. the innovations done on the day of ‘Aashuraa), and greater is that which the Raafidhah carry out by taking it as a Matam (ceremonial gathering for mourning the dead) wherein the incident of the killing is read within it, and verses/poems of lament are recited/sung within it and they cause themselves within it to become thirsty and they strike the cheeks within it and tear the pockets and call within it with the calls of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).

 

It has been established in the Saheeh from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that he said:

 

((He is not from us; who strikes the cheeks, and tears the garments and calls out with the calls of Jaahiliyyah [the days of ignorance].))[5]

 

This being within a close proximity of time to the calamity – how then if it is after six hundred and seventy odd years?[6] And yet he who was better than Al-Hussain was killed; and yet the Muslims did not take that day as a ceremonial mourning.” (8/151-152)

 

21. “These (Raafidhah) come with striking the cheeks and tearing the garments and with the calls of pre-Islamic ignorance and other than that from the abominations – after the death of the deceased by many years; of a nature that had they have done that immediately after his death, then that would have been from the greatest abominations which Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited. How then after this great length of time?!” (1/54-55)

 

22. “If Allaah, The Most High has commanded with having patience and anticipating reward at the immediate onset of a calamity (of death), how then with the duration of a prolonged length of time? For that which Satan has made alluring for the people of misguidance and error is taking the day of ‘Aashuraa as a Matam; as well as that which they carry out within it from bewailing and lamenting and reciting verses/poems of sadness and narrating stories in which there is a great deal of lying. Whilst the truth in that is that there is nothing in it except renewing grief and fanaticism as well as stirring enmity and war and casting tribulations between the people of Islaam, and to use that as a means of reviling the Saabiqeen al-Awwaleen (the earliest and foremost companions to accept Islaam) as well as to an abundance of lies and tribulation in the world.

 

The sects of Islaam do not know of those that are more dishonest and instigate tribulations and of being of aid to the disbelievers upon the people of Islaam than this misguided stray sect.” (Majmu’ Fataawa 25/308-309)

 

Upholding the religion and defending the Sunnah has always been carried out by the people of the Sunnah – not by the Raafidhah

 

23. “So the Sunnah is that which he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) along with his companions were upon during his era, from that which he commanded them with or approved of with them concerning an issue, or that he himself performed it. Hence the united body are the united/combined assembly, those that did not divide their religion and became sects, so those who divided their religion and became sects; then they are outside of the united body, Allaah has freed His Prophet from them.

 

Thus by way of that it becomes known that this is the attribute of the people of the Sunnah and the united body, not an attribute of the Raafidhah.” (3/457-458)

 

24. “It is known that the total sum of the Ummah are many times as much as the Raafidhah – by a great deal, and that they aspire most ardently upon the preservation of the religion of their Prophet and of its propagation, and are more capable of doing that than the Raafidhah – upon the preservation of what these people say and of its transmission/conveyance. This is from that which is not hidden upon the one that has the slightest understanding of affairs.” (6/462)

 

25. “The companions (of the Prophet) are the most perfect/complete of the Ummah in that by the guiding signification of the Book and the Sunnah as well as consensus and esteemed consideration. For this reason you will not find anyone of the eminent persons from the Ummah except that he acknowledges the virtues of the companions over himself and over his own like, and you will find those that contest/dispute regarding that such as the Raafidhah as being from the most ignorant of people.

 

Due to this; there is not to be found amongst the Imaams of Fiqh (jurisprudence) that are referred back to – one that is a Raafidhee, likewise amongst the Imaams of Hadeeth and nor amongst the Imaams of Zuhd (abstemiousness) and worship and likewise not amongst the aided victorious armies – one that is a Raafidhee army. Likewise there is no one amongst the kings that aided Islaam and established it and fought against its enemies – one that is a Raafidhee, nor amongst the ministers who possess good biographic conduct – anyone that is a Raafidhee.” (2/80-81)

 

26. “Thus it is from that which is known with every intelligent one that there is no one from the well-known scholars of the Muslims anyone who is a Raafidhee, rather all of them are in agreement upon the ignorant nature of the Raafidhah and of their misguidance; and their books – all of them are a witness to that. These are the books of the various groups; they all speak with that; despite the fact that no one coerced them into the mention of the Raafidhah.

 

They always mention concerning the ignorance of the Raafidhah and of their misguidance by way of which it necessarily becomes known that they believe that the Raafidhah are from the most ignorant of people and the most misguided of them and the furthest of the sects of the Ummah from guidance.” (4/130-131)

 

Ignorance, misguidance and the characteristics of hypocrisy – the hallmarks of Tashayyu’

 

27. “The (Raafidhee) people are from the most misguided of people from the right path, for indeed – the proofs are either textual or logical/rational. Whilst the (Raafidhee) people are from the most misguided of people with regards to that which is transmitted/conveyed (textually) as well as the logical/rational in the varying Madhabs as well as in resolution, and they are from the most similar of people to those about whom Allaah has said regarding:

 

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

 

((And they will say; ‘if only we had been listening or used our intelligence, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze [Hell]’)) (Al-Mulk: 10) 

 

The (Raafidhee) people are from the most dishonest of people with regards to the transmitted proofs, and are from the most ignorant of people in the logical proofs. They accept from that which is transmitted as being true – that which the scholars know necessarily that it is from the fallacies, and they belie that which is necessarily known (in the religion).” (1/8)

 

28. “You will mostly find the Raafidhah either amongst the heretical infidel hypocrites or amongst the ignoramus’s who have no knowledge, not of the textual proofs which are transmitted nor of the logical proofs. They had ensued from the open country and in the mountains, or they had been isolated from the Muslims and so did not sit with the people of knowledge and religion, or either amongst those of desires from those that have attained some position and wealth by way of that or that he has lineage due to which he is bigoted over – as was done by the people of pre-Islamic ignorance.” (2/81)

 

29. “As for the Raafidhah; then the origin of their innovation stems from heresy and unbelief, and premeditated lying is plentiful amongst them, and they acknowledge that when they say: ‘our religion is Taqiyyah’, and it is that one of them will utter with his tongue that which is contrary to what is in his heart – and this is lying and hypocrisy. Along with this they likewise claim that it is they who are the believers in contrast to other than themselves from the people of the religion…

 

…There isn’t amongst those that manifest Islaam any that are closer to hypocrisy and apostasy than them, nor are there to be found any apostates and hypocrites in a group more so than there are to be found amongst them. Consider that in the extremists from the Nusayriyyah and other than them, as well as the heretical Isma’iliyyah and their likes.” (1/68-69)

 

30. “And so he (the Raafidhee) is repugnant with the one that does not know him, and if he does not know that he is a Raafidhee – then there becomes manifest upon his face the signs/expressions of hypocrisy; as well as in the tone of speech. For this reason you will find him playing the hypocrite with the weak from the people and those that he has no need for, this being due to that which is in his heart from hypocrisy which weakens his heart.

 

And yet the believer has with him the honour of eemaan (true faith), for indeed the honour is for Allaah and for His Messenger and for the believers. Yet they (the Raafidhah) then claim to have eemaan in contrast to the people, and yet ignominy within them is more than it is in the other sects of the Muslims.” (6/425-426)

 

 

May Allaah have mercy upon Shaikh ul Islaam; and may He elevate him in the Hereafter for his efforts and service to the religion of Islaam and for upholding the madhab of the people of the Sunnah. Anyone evaluating the implications of the Raafidhee ideology can see; that its essence makes it clear that it is an ideology which was instigated by an enemy of the religion of Islaam. How true then – in light of this; is the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah when he said:

 

“Indeed; were the truth to be as the Raafidhah say; then Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar and the Saabiqoon al-Awwaloon (the earliest and foremost companions to accept Islaam) would be from the most wicked of the people of the earth and the greatest of them in ignorance and oppression, due to their turning (resorting to obstruction) after the death of their Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and hence changed and altered and did injustice to the commissioned trust and so conducted with the Prophethood of Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that which the Jews and the Christians would not have done upon the death of Moosaa and the Messiah (‘alaihimaa as-salaatu was salaam). For indeed the Jews and the Christians did not do upon the death of their Prophets that which the Raafidhah say these people did upon the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), and hence based upon their saying – this Ummah (nation) would be the most evil of nations raised for mankind[7] – and its earlier ones would be its most wicked ones.

All of this; its corrupt nature is necessarily known in the religion of Islaam, and it is from that which makes it clear that the one that innovated the madhab of the Raafidhah was a heretic; an infidel – an enemy of the religion of Islaam and its people.” (Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah 4/363)

 

 

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[1] Shaikh ul Islaam (rahimahullaah) said: “They (the Shee’ah) do not have a single issue in which they parted concerning from the whole of the people of the Sunnah who affirm the Caliphate of the three (companions) – except that their statement in that is invalid.” (Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah 2/370)

[2] Shaikh ul Islaam mentioned: “However the Raafidhah – the majority of their proofs are poems/verses that are befitting of their ignorance and their wrongdoing/oppression, as well as false stories that are befitting of their ignorance and their dishonesty.” (Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah 4/66)

[3] Why then should the Raafidhah be such enemies to the companions if it isn’t because of the vulgarity they have in their hearts? As Shaikh ul Islaam mentioned: “From the greatest filth of the hearts is that in the heart of the servant there should be any rancor for the best of the believers and the pre-eminent allies of Allaah after the Prophets.” (Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah 1/22)

[4] Shaikh ul Islaam mentioned: “Indeed, their Shaikh; Ibn Nu’maan who is well known amongst them as: Al-Mufeed – and he is the Shaikh of Al-Moosawi and At-Toosee, authored a book which he called: ‘The Rites of the Shrines’. He made the graves of the creation to be made pilgrimage to – just as the Hajj (pilgrimage) is made to the Ka’bah.” (Minhaaj us Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah 1/476)

[5] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.1294) and Muslim (no.165)

[6] How then as in the case of our era if it is after over one thousand three hundred years?

[7] Whereas Allaah, The Most High states:

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

((You are the best nation raised for mankind. You enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong and you believe in Allaah.)) (Aal-‘Imraan: 110)

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