Hakikat Kitabevi Publications No: 10 answer to an enemy of islam

“My umma do not agree
on heresy.” The scholars of Ahl as-Sunna have held fast to ijmâ’
and to the majority because it was commanded by Rasûlullah
(’alaihi ’s-salâm). A hadîth sherîf, which is written in the section
“Fitan” of the 
Sahîh of al-Bukhârî, declares, “He who deviates
from the community as far as a span and dies in that state will have
died with the death of jâhiliyya.
[1]
” This hadîth sharîf explains the
114th âyat of the sûrat an-Nisâ’. Another hadîth sherîf, written
after the above one in the 
Sahîh of al-Bukhârî, declares, “Allâhu
ta’âlâ, to take knowledge away from you, will take away the
’ulamâ’ who live up to their knowledge. The ignorant will remain.
By answering religious questions out of their own reason, they will
cause Muslims to deviate from the right path.” This hadîth sherîf
calls attention to the harm of religion reformers who blame Ahl as-
Sunna by saying that it is imitation to convey the words of the
’ulamâ’ and who demolish the religion from the inside with their
short reasonings and addle heads.
[2]
Another hadîth sherîf, which is
quoted at the section about “ ’Ilm” in the 
Sahîh of al-Bukhârî,
declares, 
“One of the foreshadows of Doomsday is that knowledge
will vanish; the ignoramuses of religion will increase in number;
there will be more of those who have alcoholic drinks and who
commit fornication.” Religion reformers’ attempts to annihilate
Ahl as-Sunna and coming forward as men of religious post reveal
the fact that this hadîth sherîf has proved one of the miracles that
informed about what would happen in the future.
34– The religion reformer says:
– 52 –
[1] “nescience” or “disbelief” of the pre-Islamic era.
[2] This hadîth is written more thoroughly at the beginning of the 
Sahîh
of al-Imâm al-Muhammad ibn Ismâ’il al-Bukhârî, who was born in 194
(809) and passed away in Samarkand in 256 (869).

---

“Taqlîd is a result of ijtihâd. It does not exist where there
is no ijtihâd. It is not necessary for those who have done
completely all the matters that had been agreed on to do the
discordant ’ibâdât. They are permitted to give up all of
them. Would it be conscientious and judicious to follow
(taqlîd) someone whom one does not know? Getting a
fatwâ is not taqlîd, but it is something like communication
(naql) and narration (riwâya). The superiority looked for in
a mujtahid whose opinion is to be followed or whose ijtihâd
is to be adopted is not like the superiority which is in
question among the Caliphs or other Sahâbîs. That is, it is
not a superiority in Allâhu ta’âlâ’s view. It is [with respect
to] the strength of [his] faculty of judging, knowledge,
research and insight. He who comes later may be superior.
Among the imâms, al-Imâm ash-shâfi’î was the strongest.
When I cannot find documentary evidences, I follow the
madhhab whose evidences I deem superior. That is, I
become both a mujtahid and a muqallid. Thus, I get rid of
being solely a muqallid. Today’s Muslims know neither a
madhhab nor îmân. Religious knowledge which the
majority have is only that Allah is in heaven and that the
Prophet ascended to heaven and saw Allah.”
The statements of Rashîd Ridâ are again the expression of his
personal opinions. Since he is not an Islamic scholar — as a
matter of fact, his statements that have been quoted before have
shown the kind of way he has been following — these hastily
collected statements are not worth answering. Yet, as required by
the proverb, “The fly is small, but it nauseates,” it will be suitable
to write a few words in order to protect the youth against his
harm.
It is incorrect to say that taqlîd does not exist in the case when
there is no ijtihâd; Allâhu ta’âlâ declared,