14. HERETICAL SECT: SALAFĪ, TAQLĪD-SPURNERS
They are known as Salafīs among Arabs and in the West. They also call themselves as Ahl-e-Ĥadīth, and are against the following of any of the four traditional schools (madh’hab) of fiqh, namely, Ĥanafī, Shāfiýī, Mālikī and Ĥanbalī.
In truth, they are the madh’hab rejectors, Lā-madh’habī or the rejectors of taqlīd of Mujtahid Imāms, known as Ghayr Muqallidīn in the sub-continent. Ghayr Muqallid [Salafī] is a related branch of Wahābī heresy; but they do not say disrespectful things about RasūlAllāh ﷺ like the Wahābīs do. However, they share the same belief system of the Wahabis.
The Deobandis have beliefs worse than that of Wahābīs, and the Salafīs do not consider them disbelievers.
In that respect, they too come under the ruling of “whoever doubts in the kufr of such a blasphemer is a kāfir himself.” An additional heresy of this group is that they do not follow any of the four madh’habs [schools of Islamic Law] and seek to strike their own path separate from the ways of all Muslims; they say that it is heresy and forbidden [ĥarām] to do taqlīd. Legal Precept: It is obligatory to follow scholars and following a specific person among the mujtahid imāms is necessary (wājib). Important Note: The Wahābīs have a generous doling out of bidáh.
They label a number of things as bidáh without hesitation. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the meaning of bidáh. Ugly bidáh – or heretical innovation – is that action or deed which is against the sunnah and contradicts a sunnah. This kind of bidáh is either disliked (makrūh) or impermissible (ĥarām).
As for bidáh per se, it can be permitted [mubāĥ] or recommended [mustaĥab], or even mandatory [wājib] in certain cases. Amīr al-Mu’minīn Úmar al-Fārūq رضي الله عنه said describing the congregation of Tarāwīĥ prayer:
What a fine innovation this is!
And yet, tarawīĥ is Sunnah Mu’akkadah. That action, which has a basis in the Sharīáh and is proven [to be compatible with it] cannot be an ugly innovation. Otherwise, every seminary of the Wahābīs and their speeches, their special attire, would all be bidáh. Why do they not forsake those things?
It is utter hypocrisy to term certain actions done in the love of the souls beloved to Allāh as bidáh and anything that is conducive and beneficial for their own selves as permissible and sunnah!
There is no Power nor Strength except granted by Allāh.
Note: See Appendix I for a concise list of refutations of Salafīs also known as Ahl-Ĥadīth and Ghayr Muqallidīn in the subcontinent.
Footnotes
Note: This paragraph is not present in the original Urdu and added by the translator.
It should be noted that in the time of Alahazrat Imām Aĥmad Riđā Khān [and his student, the author of Bahār e Sharīát] Deobandī elders and their followers had written and published blasphemies about RasūlAllāh ﷺ; they were refuted and called to repent, but they did not retract. The Salafīs of that time did not consider these Deobandī blasphemers as apostates; the ruling concerning such blasphemers is that “anyone who does not consider them an apostate is an apostate himself”. See The Killer Mistake for a detailed exposition on this topic.
Literally: Taqlīd means to follow someone’s opinion without asking for proof. In Islamic parlance, this means following qualified opinion of scholars, and even scholars of our time are required to follow a specific school. Why should one follow a madh’hab? Many fatāwā and books are written explaining this, among which is the monograph by Imām Ibn Rajab al-Ĥanbalī [d. 794 AH] refuting those who seek to follow a path other than one of the four madh’habs, Al-Radd álā Mani’t Tabá Ghayr al-Madhāhib al-Arbaá. 123
This is the wording in the narration of Muwaţţa Imām Mālik §301; similar narration in Bukhārī §2010.
If it every bidáh were an ugly bidáh that ought to be deplored absolutely, why would Sayyidunā Úmar Fārūq رضي الله عنه term a praiseworthy action as a bidáh? Moreover, he has described it as a “good bidáh”. 124