A Brief Overview of some Deviant Sects by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
21-08-2007
[This is
an excellent overview of some of the major deviant sects out there. We have put
this here so that all of us are aware of the deviants and would be able to spot
them whenever we see them; and our practice of Baraa’ah will become easier
inshaa’Allaah.]
There are certain signs that indicate people of innovation, such as.
1. They attribute themselves to something other than Islaam and the Sunnah, due
to what they have introduced from innovations in speech, action and belief.
2. They cling fanatically to their opinions and do not turn to the truth, even
if it is clearly conveyed to them.
3. They hate the scholars of Islaam and the Religion.
From
their groups are:
1. Ar-Raafidah They are the ones who go to extremes with regard to the
Members of the Household (Aali Bait). They declare the companions that opposed
them as being disbelievers or they accuse them of evil (fisq). They are divided
into many sects, among which are the extremists, who claim that ‘Alee is god,
and among which are other than them. Their innovation first appeared during the
Khilaafah of ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib when ‘Abdullaah bin Saba’ said to him: “You
are God.” Due to this, ‘Alee commanded that they be set on fire. However, their
leader, ‘Abdullaah bin Saba’, escaped to another city.
They hold various views concerning the Attributes of Allaah, so among them are
those who perform tashbeeh, those who perform ta’teel and those who are in
conformity (with the correct view of the attributes). They are called the
Raafidah because they rejected (rafd) Zayd bin ‘Alee Ibnul-Husayn bin ‘Alee bin
Abee Taalib, when they asked him about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and so he said
“rahimahullaah” for both of them.
So they rejected him and distanced themselves from him. And they named
themselves Shee’ah because of their claim and notion that they are taking sides
(tashayu’wink with the Aali Bait and that they support them and that they are
reclaiming their right to Imaamship.
2. Al-Jahmiyyah They attribute themselves to Al-Jahm bin Safwaan who was
killed by Saalim or Salim bin Ahwaz in the year 121H. Their views concerning the
Attributes of Allaah are composed of ta’teel (denial) and nafee (negation).
Concerning Al-Qadar, they hold the opinion that mankind is coerced to do deeds
(al-jabr).
Their view concerning Eemaan is that of Irjaa, which means that they believe
Eemaan is merely the confirmation of the heart, and that statements and actions
are not part of Eemaan. So according to them, someone who commits a major sin is
a believer with complete Eemaan (i.e. Eemaan does not increase or decrease). So
they are the Mu’atazilah, Jabariyyah and Murji’ah all in one and they are
divided into many sects.
3. Al-Khawaarij They are the ones who set out to kill ‘Alee bin Abee
Taalib (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) due to his rulership. Their methodology consists of
freeing themselves from ‘Uthmaan (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) and ‘Alee (radyAllaahu ‘anhu),
setting out against the Imaam if he opposes the Sunnah and declaring disbelief
upon the one who commits a major sin. They believe that this type of person will
remain in the Hellfire forever. They are divided into numerous groups.
4. Al-Qadariyyah Their methodology consists of negating Al-Qadar from the
actions of the servant and that his desire and ability are independent from the
Desire and Ability of Allaah. The first to manifest this view openly was Mu’bad
Al-Juhnee, in the last part of the era of the Sahaabah. He learned it from a
Majoosee man from Al-Basrah.
They are divided into two groups, one that is extreme and one that is not
extreme. The extremist group rejects the attributes of knowledge, desire,
ability and creating from Allaah in favor of the actions of the servant. This
type of people has now become extinct or close to it. Those that are not extreme
believe that Allaah is knowledgeable of the actions of the servant. However,
they reject its occurring by His desire, ability and creating. This is what
their belief is founded upon.
5. Al-Murji’ah They believe that actions are deferred from Eemaan (Al-Irjaa).
Thus actions, according to them, are not part of it. Eemaan is simply the
complying of the heart. Thus the sinner, according to them, is a believer with
complete Eemaan, even if he does what he does from the disobedient acts or he
abandons what he abandons from the obedient acts. And if we ruled that someone
that abandoned one of the commandments of the Religion is a disbeliever, then
that would be due to the absence of the complying in his heart not due to his
abandonment of that deed. These are the views of the Jahmiyyah. And it, along in
comparison with the views of the Khawaarij, are the two opposite extremities.
6. Al-Mu’atazilah They are the followers of Waasil bin Ataa’, who
withdrew (’Itizaal) from the gathering of Al-Hasan Al-Basree. He determined that
the sinner is in a level between two levels. Thus, he is neither a believer nor
a disbeliever, yet he will reside eternally in the Hellfire. ‘Amr bin ‘Ubaid
followed him in that and their views concerning the Attributes of Allaah are
based on ta’teel, like the Jahmiyyah, and concerning Al-Qadar, like that of the
Qadariyyah.
They reject the relation of the Qadaa and the Qadar of Allaah to the actions of
the servant. In regards to the one who commits a major sin, they hold that he
will remain in the Hellfire forever and that he is extracted from the fold of
Eemaan into a level between the two levels of belief and disbelief. Thus they
oppose the views of the Jahmiyyah in regards to these two principles.
7. Al-Karaamiyyah They are the followers of Muhammad bin Karaam, who died
in 225H. They incline towards tashbeeh and hold the belief of Irjaa. They are
further divided into numerous groups.
8. As-Saalimah They are the followers of a man who was called Ibn Saalim.
Their views consist of tashbeeh.
These are the groups mentioned by the author. He then said “And those similar to
them”, such as the Ash’ariyyah. They are the followers of Abul-Hasan ‘Alee bin
Ismaa’eel Al-Ash’aree. At first, he inclined towards the views of the Mu’tazilah
sect, until he reached forty years of age. Then he openly announced his
repentance from that to the public and exposed the falsehood of the Mu’tazilah.
So he took hold of the methodology of the Ahl-us-Sunnah, may Allaah have mercy
on him.
As for those who attribute themselves to him, they remained upon a specific
methodology, which is known as the Ash’ariyyah sect. They do not confirm any of
Allaah’s attributes, except seven, which they believe are proven by intellect.
And they distort the meaning of the rest of them. The seven (they affirm) are
the ones mentioned in this verse:
“He is Living, Knowing, Able and has Speech Desire, and likewise Hearing and
Seeing”
They also commit other innovations with regard to the meaning of Speech, Al-Qadar
and other than that.