Can we implement the qāʿidah (ie: rules of) al-Jarḥ wa ʿl-Taʿdīl on everyone who errs or there is a detailed addressing whereas some people are advised and others are criticized?”

 Can rules of al-Jarḥ wa ʿl-Taʿdīl (ie: praise and criticism) be implemented on everyone who errs?

(Question): “Can we implement the qāʿidah (ie: rules of) al-Jarḥ wa ʿl-Taʿdīl on everyone who errs or there is a detailed addressing whereas some people are advised and others are criticized?”

(Muqbil b. Hādī al-Wādiʿī): Praise is to Allah, and may Allah send praise and peace upon our Prophet Muḥammad, all of his household and his companions.

I bear witness that no deity is worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His messenger and His servant.

To proceed:

Verily al-ʿulamāʾ wa ʿl-ṣaḥābah (ie: the scholars and the companions) before them used to commit mistakes,

And Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taimiyyah may Allah have mercy on him mentioned some of that in his treatise “Rafʿ al-Malām ʿan al-Aʾimmah al-Aʿlām”.

And he mentioned errors of Abū Bakr then ʿUmar then ʿUthmān then ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with them all,

And mentioning these mistakes takes a long time so we refer the listeners to that book.‏

Abū Bakr and ʿUmar as it mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī disputed over the matter of delegation from tribe of Banī Tamīm.

Abū Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allah, appoint so-and-so”

And ʿUmar said: “O Messenger of Allah appoint so-and-so.”

Abū Bakr said to ʿUmar: “You only want to oppose me.”

And ʿUmar replied: “I did not want to oppose you.”

So their voices were loud,

Then Allah revealed {O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not} [49:1-2].

So that is a disciplining and blame from Allah the Exalted to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar.

And likewise His saying exalted He: {Follow, (O mankind), what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember} [7:3].

However if the error is not in al-ʿaqīdah (ie: creed),

And the ʿālim (ie: scholar) has ḥasanāt (ie: good deeds) the error is immersed in the good deeds.

al-ʿulamāʾ may Allah have mercy on them, have mistakes such as Ibn Ḥazm in his book al-Muḥallá, his book al-Iḥkām fī Uṣūl ʾl-Aḥkām, and al-Shawkānī in Nayl al-Awtār.

However their mistakes are forgiven due to their virtue and their error is immersed in their virtue.

As for the error in al-ʿaqīdah or al-kaḏib (ie: lying) on the Messenger ﷺ the scholars shout about it and warn against it vehemently.

As for advising the one who errs, that is a vital matter.

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs, Jarīr b. ʿAbd Allah al-Bajalī, may Allah be pleased with him said: “I gave pledge to Messenger of Allah ﷺ that I hear and I obey, I establish the prayer, I give alms and I give advice to every Muslim.”

And in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, on the authority of Tamīm al-Dārī, may Allah be pleased with him that the Prophet ﷺ said: “al-dīn al-naṣīḥah (ie: the religion is advice).”

Matter of fact, Allah mentioned regarding some of his Prophets that they said {and advise you} [7:62].

So regarding advice, the scholars have always advised each other on al-akhtāʾ (ie: errors),

And clarified the error while preserving the virtue of the scholar if that was needed.

There is no harm in that and the help of Allah is sought.

Ġaratu ʿl-Ashriṭah 1/70-71
26th of Shawwāl 1434H.

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