When it reached Ibn ʿUmar that a people were delving into the intricacies and complexities of knowledge [i.e., speculating about the qadr (divine decree)] and that they say, “there is no divine decree”, he responded: Inform them that I am free of them and that they are free of me. He did not open a file or start an investigation and so on, as the people of innovation do nowadays. They falsely accuse others with injustice and aggression. Then, when something of their misguidance becomes clear to you and you speak about it and warn against it, they say: “He does not verify”.

We seek refuge in Allāh from following desires. Even if a thousand witnesses were to come against one of their misguided individuals, they would not accept his testimony, rather, they would dismiss it, even if a thousand just witnesses testified against a misguided person among them, they would not accept his testimony.

Thus, they have harmed Islām and misled the youth through these deceitful methods. We ask Allāh for wellbeing.

When a single person informed Ibn ʿUmar of something — and the second individual was only listening — he accepted it because the person was a believer, upright and trustworthy.

Our religion is based upon accepting the reports of trustworthy people. From its principles is accepting the reports of reliable individuals. So if a trustworthy person conveys something to you, then the default ruling is that it is correct, and rulings should be built upon it.

Similarly, Allāh has warned against the report of a corrupt person (fāsiq). So if someone known for corruption comes to you with information, do not accuse him of lying. Rather, verify it, because there is a possibility that this corrupt person may be truthful in this particular report.

Nowadays, a trustworthy person followed by a trustworthy person — one after another — writes and testifies, but their speech is not accepted. They convey the speech of the misguided letter by letter, yet their witness is not accepted. They say: “He is biased”.

These are among the deceptive methods from the people of innovation and trials in this time, may Allāh grant us wellbeing. These (tactics) are not known with the Khawārij, nor with the Rāfiḍah, nor with the people of innovation of old. They have come to the Ummah with methods, principles, approaches, trials, problems, and deceptive tactics, which if combined together — by Allāh — it would leave nothing of Islām remaining. Among these methods is their undermining of the reports of trustworthy people, likewise, they seek to undermine and bring down the methodology of the Salaf in criticizing the people of innovation through deceitful ways which they call “justice” and “counter-balancing between good and bad deeds” and similar claims. If you adopt this methodology, then all of our Imams are corrupt, unjust, wicked transgressors according to this despicable methodology.