Why Do You Boycott “Deviant” Muslims (Ahlul-Bid’ah), But Do Not Boycott Doing Business With The Jews & Christians?

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BISMILLAH

This is the latest doubt has been propagated by some of the enemies of the Salafi Methodology and Belief in the West. It has spread to such an extent that it warrants at least a brief but decisive response.

The Consensus (Ijmaa’) of the Early Scholars In Boycotting & Warning Against Ahlul-Bid’ah (Deviant Muslims)

The Messenger (‘alaihi salaatu wassalaam) would say in his sermons the following:

“The most wicked of all affairs are the newly introduced affairs [into Islaam], and every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.”

Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“There will appear people at the end of [the time of] my Ummah who will narrate to you things that neither you or your forefathers have heard, so beware of them, and keep away from them.”

Reported in the Muqaddimah Saheeh Muslim (1/12)

Thaabit b. ‘Ajlaan (rahimahullaah) said:

“I met Anas bin Maalik, Sa’eed bin al-Musayyib (d.94H), Al-Hasan Al-Basree (d. 110H), Sa’eed bin Jubair (d. 95H), Ibraaheem An-Nakha’ee (d. 96H), ‘Ataa bin Abee Rabaah (d. 114H), Tawoos bin Kaysaan (d. 106), Mujaahid (d. 104H), Abdullaah bin Abee Mulaikah (d. 117H), Az-Zuhree bin Shihaab (d. 124H), Mak-hool Ash-Shaamee (d. 112H), Al-Qaasim Abu Abdir-Rahmaam, ‘Ataa Al-Kurasaanee (d. 135H), Thaabit Al-Bunaanee (d. 120H), Al-Hakam bin ‘Utaibah, Ayyoob As-Sakhtiyaanee (d. 131H), Hammaad, Muhammad bin Seereen (d. 110H), Abu ‘Aamir and he had met Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (radiyallaahu ‘anhu), Yazeed ar-Riqaashee (d.119H) and Sulaymaan bin Moosaa. All of them commanded me to stick to the Jamaa’ah and all of them forbade me from the people of misguided desires (ahlul-Ahwaa).”

Al-Ma’rifah wat-Taareekh of al-Fasawee (3/491-492).

The Jamaa’ah here refers to Ahlus-Sunnah, those who adhere to the truth.

Allaah, the Most High, stated:

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ

(Al-An’aam: 68)

Imaam at-Tabaree (rahimahullaah) said in his Tafseer (5/330):

“This verse is a clear proof showing the forbiddance of sitting with the people of falsehood (Ahlul-Baatil) of every persuasion regardless of whether it be the innovators (al-mubtadi’ah) or the open sinners whilst they continue to speak with their falsehood.”

Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) said:

Do not sit with the people of desires (Ahlul-Ahwaa) for their gatherings are the cause of sickness in the hearts.”

(Al-Ibaanah, 2/438)

Shaikh adh-Dhufayree said:

“And it is for this reason that the Salaf would give so much importance to this mighty fundamental – And that is to boycott Ahlul-Bid’a (the People of Innovations) and this is from the most important of affairs, and they would give it the greatest of concern. Their biographies are filled with reports of them boycotting Ahlul-Bid’a, and disgracing them and humiliating them – and were I to write that which has been narrated from them in that regard it would reach a volume, rather volumes.

(See Ijmaa al-‘Ulamaa ‘alal-Hajri wat-Tahdheeri min ahlil-Ahwaa (“The Consensus of the Scholars Upon The Boycotting and Warning Against The People of Desires”), with introductions from Shaikh Zaid al-Madkhalee and Shaikh ‘Ubaid al-Jaabiree)

Mujaahid bin Jabar (d. 104H) said:

“Do not sit with the People of Desires for they have a contagious disease like the disease of scabies.”

(Al-Ibaanah, 2/441)

Ibraaheem an-Nakha’ee (d. 96H) said:

“Do not sit with Ahlul-Ahwaa for indeed their sittings remove the light of Imaan from the hearts, they rob the beauty and good countenance of the face, and they leave in the hearts of the believers hatred.”

(Al-Ibaanah, 2/439)

Isma’eel bin ‘Ubaidillaah (d. 132H) said:

“Do not sit with a person of bid’ah for he will disease your heart, and do not sit with one put to trial [with deviation] for he will prompt you with his evidences.”

(Al-Ibaanah, 2/443)

So the issue of boycotting Ahlul-Bid’ah is a fundamental from our Religion proven by the Qur’aan, Sunnah and Ijmaa’.

As for doing business with the Jews and Christians, then that is permitted in the Revealed texts and by consensus (ijmaa’). Boycotting doing business with the enemy of war is at the discretion of the Muslim ruler and the upon the verdicts (fatawa) of the scholars who may give some leeway in this regard as I have stated in two previous articles (here, and here). But as for youths passing fatwa (edicts) commanding wholesale boycotting of supermarkets and other business establishments nationwide, then that is not permitted (that is not for them to command) – let alone the bid’ah of demonstrations and supermarket protest sit-ins!