"Iblis has deceived members of this Ummah in matters of creed using two paths," the eagle continued. "The first, blind fllowing, making taqlid, of forefathers. The secod, dwelling into matters that humans could never comprehend, which resulted in much confusion.
As for the first path, Iblis convinced imitators that proofs may become confusing, and that the truth may become hidden, so it is best to imitate others. Many people went astray because of this way of thinking. In fact, it is the destructive path of most people; Yahud and Nasara imitated their forefthers and scholars, and so did the people of Jahiliyyah. And let it be known that the same argument they used to praise imitation can be used to condemn it - If proofs became confusing and the truth unclear, then it is a must not to imitate because imitation will lead to misguidance.
Allah tells us about His close friend, Ibrahim, alayhissalam, and how He bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age. He inspired him with truth and evidence against his people. Allah says,
meaning, Ibrahim asked, which you worship with such devotion.اِذۡ قَالَ لِاَبِیۡہِ وَ قَوۡمِہٖ مَا ہٰذِہِ التَّمَاثِیۡلُ الَّتِیۡۤ اَنۡتُمۡ لَہَا عٰکِفُوۡنَ"When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues to which you are devoted?'" - [QS.21:52]
means, they had no other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers.قَالُوۡا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا لَہَا عٰبِدِیۡنَ"They said, 'We found our fathers worshippers of them.'" - [QS.21:53]
meaning, speaking to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking to you. Both you and them, are misguided and are not following any straight path.قَالَ لَقَدۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اَنۡتُمۡ وَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ"He said, 'You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.'" - [QS.21:54]
In the Qur'an, Surah 26 Shuaraa verses 69-82, Allah tells us about the story of Prophet Ibrahim, alayhissalam, when he asked his father and his people, “What are these things that you worship?”They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?”They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”
It is well known that one of the most popular reasons for disbelief in our Prophet (ﷺ) and the numerous before him was, an adherence to ones ancestral legacy. By accepting a messenger’s claim, one would have to acknowledge that the heritage that had been a source of pride and identity is now reduced to a history of misguidance, ignorance and a legacy of false beliefs and practices. It is not an easy thing to accept, much less to declare for anyone. Incidentally, we have it much easier now than the contemporaries of any prophet as they had to take one man’s word over their entire tribe, community, leadership and over and above all, their own family legacy. The Qur’an captures the thought process of those who follow their family’s religious, social & ethical legacy in two very similar verses. Allah says,
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ"And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.2:107]
And
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ"And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers.' Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.5:104]
Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, condemned those imitating their fathers, saying,
meaning, they have no grounds for their belief in idolatry apart from the fact that they are imitating their fathers and forefathers who were following a certain Ummah or way, i.e., religion.بَلۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا عَلٰۤی اُمَّۃٍ وَّ اِنَّا عَلٰۤی اٰثٰرِہِمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ"Rather, they say, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided.'" - [QS.43:22]
They claimed that they are rightly guided by following their fathers and forefathers. This is their claim with no evidence. Then Allah points out that what these people say was already said by those who were like them among the nations of the past who disbelieved in the Messengers. Their hearts and their words are similar.
And Allah says,
‘Even if they were convinced of the truth of what you have brought to them, they will not follow it, because of their evil intentions and their arrogance towards the truth and its people.وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍۢ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ"And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following.'" - [43:23]
قَٰلَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُم بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ"[Each warner] said, 'Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?' They said, 'Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers.'" - [43:24]
In blindfolowing (making taqlid) there is a nulicaton of intelect because intelect was meant for contemplation. Indeed, it is inappropriate of someone who was handed a lit candle to turn it off and walk in the darkness.
Most followers of schools of thought, glorify certain people, and therefore follow their opinions without adequate analysis. This is the essence of misguidance because people should consider the opinion itself, not the one holding this opinion. Al-Harith lbn Hawt asked Sayyidina Ali, radhiyallahu 'anhu, "Could Talhah and al-Zubayr have been on the wrong path?" Sayyidina Ali responded, "You have been deceived. Truth is nt determined according to identity of individuals (who claim to behold it). Realise the truth and only then will you identify those who are on it."
Imam Ahmad lbn Hanbal used to say, "It is a sign of a lack of knowledge for someone to imitate another man in matters of creed". This was why Imam Ahmad adopted the position of Zayd regarding the grandfther's inheritance instead of Abu Bakr's position.
Proofs of matters of creed are clear, and no logical person could not realise them. As for matters of branches (not related to creed), it is better for a layperson to imitate someone knowledgeable. This is because these matters are large in number and it is more likely for a layperson to misunderstand. However, the layperson is still required to use his intellect to identfy the person (scholar) most worthy to be imitated.
As for the second path, just as Iblis was able to deceive simple minded folks into practicing taqlid, he was also able to deceive those with some intelligence. He did so to his best of ability. Iblis deceived some to reject imitation and encouraged them to contemplate in a particular field of thought. He made some believe that it is a sign of weakness to adhere to the apparent meanings of religous verses, so he directed them towards the way of philosophers - to the point of taking them out of the fold of Islam.
Iblis swayed others to reject imitation and to dwell into sciences of kalam (theological rhetorics and deductive reasoning). They thought that this would remove them fom the ranks of laypeople.
It was not out of weakness that early scholars of Islam remained quiet regarding the harm of kalam. Rather, they saw that it did not provide satisfctory answers, and converted truth into falsehood, so they remained silent about it and encouraged others not to dwell into it. Imam Al-Shafi'i said, 'It would be better for a servant to commit all the sins fom which Allah has forbidden, except Shirk, than for him to dwell into kalam.' He also said, 'If you hear someone saying thigs like: 'The name is the same as the thing which was named', then bear witness that he is of no religion.'
He also said, 'My ruling regarding people of kalam is that they must be beaten with palm tree branches, and they must be taken around tribes, and it must be announced: this is the punishment of those who abandon Qur'an and Sunnah and dwell into kalam.'
Amad Ibn Hanbal said, 'a person of kalam will never succeed, scholars of kalam are of no religion.'
How could kalam not be condemned? It lead Mu'tazilah to believe that Allah only knew generalities of things not the details. And Jahm Ibn Safan said, 'Allah's Knowledge, Ability and Life are recent (became after they were not).' He also said, 'Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, is not a (physical) thing.'
Abu 'Ali Al-Jubba'i, Abi Hashim and their fllowers fom Basrah, claimed that non-existence is something with an essence and attributes, and that Allah does not have the ability to create anything. He can only bring thigs out of non-existence to existence. The Mujabbirah sect claimed that a human had no free will, just like inanimate objects, deprived of choice and action. As for Murji'ah, they said, 'Whoever uttered the Shahadatain, will never enter the Hellfre, even if he committed all sins.' They went against many Prophetic traditions that advocate all muwwahidun (monotheists) would eventually exit the Hellfire."
Then the eagle said, "O my brothers and sisters, it is fom the enmity and hopelessness of the devil that he tries to misguide mankind from the Path of Allah; and this misguidance takes so many shapes and forms. From planting seeds of doubts, to giving rise to deviant ideas, antithetical to the sacred teachings of divine revelation of Islam. Many deviations remaining prevalent today, while more continue to be plotted by the devil and his allies that need to be exposed and pre-empted. And Allah knows best."
Reference :
- Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi, The Devil's Deceptions, Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.
Begin here
[The Firqa]
