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This indicates the obligation of refuting the opposer contrary to what the people say: Abandon refutations and leave the people alone, everyone has their opinions so we must be respectful, likewise, (we have) freedom of speech and opinion. The ummah would become destroyed if this is applied.

The illustrious Imām, Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Barbahārī stated:

Know that straying from the correct path occurs in two ways. Firstly: an individual strays from the correct path intending nothing but good, so his error is not to be followed since it leads to destruction. [Secondly:], a man who deliberately opposes the truth and acts contrary to the pious ones who came before him. He is astray, leading others astray, a rebellious devil within the Ummah. It is a duty upon those who know of him to warn against him and to clarify his condition so that no one falls into his innovation and is destroyed.

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān explains:

The first individual unintentionally strays from the correct path while wanting good but taking a path which is not good. Ijtihād (independent reasoning) is – insufficient even if this individual’s intentions are pure. He must embark upon the correct path along with correct intentions. In this case, such an individual is considered to be upon error and whoever knowingly follows him in his error will be destroyed even if it is unintentional and they (genuinely) seek good.

This is the case with many of those who innovate matters related to ʿaqīdah from themselves, this is impermissible. Likewise, it is not permitted to follow such people (in their deviation) as they are not upon correctness. Allāh mentions:

وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This is what He has ordained for you that you may become righteous. [Sūrah al-Anʿām, 6:153]

Therefore, we reject any path which separates us from the straight path even if the caller to this path intends good. We do not follow him for his good intentions and if he continues upon his error then it will lead him to his destruction, because the one who abandons the correct path during his travels, -embarks upon a lost path and will be destroyed.

As for the second individual, he intentionally strays (from the correct path). He knows the truth and he knows that which he is upon is falsehood. He intentionally strays from the truth in order to misguide the people. The first individual intends good towards the people but does not take the right path, but as for the second individual, he intends to misguide the people and to deviate them from the correct path. He is a devil because the devils deviate the people from the straight path. Iblīs said to his Lord:

لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. [Sūrah al-ʾAʿrāf, 7:16]

He (Iblīs) wants the people to deviate towards other divergent paths. The Prophet ﷺ also struck an example when he drew a straight line and then drew other lines around it and said regarding the straight line, “this is the path of Allāh”, and he said regarding the other lines, “these are other paths, upon each path is a devil calling the people towards it”. This is a clear example which corresponds with that which Imām al-Barbahārī mentioned above.

Whoever deviates the people from the straight path towards newly-invented paths does not want good for the people, rather, he is a devil who seeks their downfall. Whether he is from the devils amongst mankind or jinn, we must warn against this second individual more than the first one because he intentionally wishes to misguide the people.

Imām al-Barbahārī states: he is astray, leading others astray, a rebellious devil…

This means he himself is misguided and he causes others to become misguided. He is a rebellious devil who seeks to deviate the people from the straight path.

Imām al-Barbahārī states: It is a duty upon those who know of him to warn the people against him and to clarify his condition to them so that no one falls into his innovation and is destroyed.

This means it is impermissible to remain silent regarding this individual who intentionally strays from the truth. Rather, it is an obligation to clarify his affair and expose his despicable nature so that the people may be cautious of him. It should not be said that people have the right to freedom of opinion and speech and that we must respect the opinions of others as they say nowadays. This is not a matter of opinions, it is a matter of adherence. Allāh has enjoined upon us a clear path and He has told us to tread this path, Allāh mentions:

وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ

And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it. [Sūrah al-Anʿām, 6:153]

Therefore, anyone who comes to us seeking to make us stray from this path, we will—firstly—reject his statement and secondly, we will clarify and warn the people from him. We can not remain silent because if we do, he will deceive the people. Especially if he is one who is educated, an eloquent speaker or a persuasive writer, the people will become deceived by him and they will say he is a qualified intellectual, as they say nowadays. It is a very dangerous matter indeed.

This indicates the obligation of refuting the opposer contrary to what the people say: Abandon refutations and leave the people alone, everyone has their opinions so we must be respectful, likewise, (we have) freedom of speech and opinion. The ummah become destroyed if this is applied. The salaf never remained silent of such individuals, rather, they exposed their realities and refuted them because they knew how dangerous such a people were to this ummah. Therefore, we cannot afford to remain silent regarding their evil, rather, we must clarify that which Allāh has sent down (i.e. His religion), otherwise we would be considered from among those who conceal (the truth), the very ones whom Allāh has mentioned:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ

Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allāh and cursed by those who curse. [Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:159]

Therefore, the issue is not restricted to the innovator alone, rather, it also encompases those who remain silent [regarding the innovator and his evils], they will also be subject to humiliation and punishment because the obligation is to clarify and explain [the truth] to the people. This is the purpose of knowledge-based refutations—which are widespread in the libraries of the Muslims—they are all in defence of the straight path and warn against such people. So no one propagates this slogan of freedom of speech, freedom of opinion and respecting the opinions of others except one who is a misguided, concealer of the truth.

We intend the truth, we do not intend to refute and speak about the people. The goal is to clarify the truth, and this is a responsibility which Allāh has placed upon the scholars, so it impermissible to remain silent. Sadly, whenever a scholar refutes the likes of these individuals (i.e. innovators), the people say regarding the scholar: he is hasty etc. and other than that from whispers of the devil.

Source: إتحاف القاري ص.٩١–٩٥
Translated by: Munīb al-Ṣumāli