Way to deal with the followers of Batiniyyah and Ahlul-bi'dah
Question
How can I deal with the Batiniyyin1 and ahlul-bid’ah 2 who come to live in our country? It may be worth mentioning that these people may be students, teachers, physicians, patients, or colleagues.
Answer:
You must avoid whoever exposes their Bid’ah and reveres the Prophet’s family members excessively whether ‘Ali, Fatimah, etc. or even any one of the other Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet). This is because worshipping the Prophet’s family members and revering the Sahabah excessively is Kufr (disbelief) and Riddah (apostasy). Whoever reveals their Bid’ah must be abandoned. They should not be taken as friends or greeted. These people of Bid’ah do not deserve to be teachers or to be entrusted with any such position as they cannot be trusted. However, those who do not manifest their Bid’ah and show that they are Muslims have to be given the same treatment as other Muslims.
A proof for this is narrated in a Sahih (authentic) Hadith that when the Prophet ﷺ was asked: ”What are the best deeds in Islam? The Prophet ﷺ replied: To feed ‘the poor’ and say the greeting of peace (As-salamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)) to those whom you know and those whom you do not Know.” 3 Consequently, whoever reveals their Islam is to be considered a Muslim; we greet them with the greeting of peace and return their greeting. On the other hand, whoever expresses their shirk (polytheism) is not considered our brother (in Islam) while whoever reveals their Bid’ah is to be abandoned until they give it up and surrender to the truth.
Likewise, you must stay away from whoever publicly commits sins such as Zina (premarital sexual intercourse and/or adultery) and drinking Khamr (intoxicants) though such sinful people may be Muslims. You must keep away from them until they offer Tawbah (repentance to Allah) from drinking Khamr and stop their abominable actions.
Regarding non-Muslim people who enter our country under an ’Ahd (pledge) of security or are given asylum, they have to be given medical treatment, advised, taught, and called to Allah until they are judged by Him (Glorified and Exalted be He). However, if they are Harbi (one who is at war against Muslims), they are not to be given medical treatment, as they will subjected to Allah’s command.
Followers of Batiniyyah: a deviant sect that follows many false beliefs such as believing that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is a god and that prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) was abrogated by the coming of the Seventh Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad. ↩
People of bid’ah, followers of religious innovation. ↩
- Shaykh Ibn Baz