Sheikh Yuusuf Al-Qaradaawi(hafizohu Allahu) widely known as “Qaradaawi”. There is a short video where he was accused of kufr for saying:
“الحرية مقدمة على تطبيق الشريعة”
Meaning: “Freedom is a precursor to shari’ah application”.
In this 59 sec. video, his statement was presented, and then the statement of Sheikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan where he said “there is no doubt about the kufr of whoever says freedom should be considered before shari’ah application”.
It is a popular video and one of the Major allegations against Qaradaawi. Let me buttress this….
Allegation: [Qaradaawi’s statement “Freedom should be considered before shari’ah application” is a statement of kufr and one of what makes him an heretic].
Answer to the allegation:
You need to first ask the person who accused Qaradaawi of kufr for that statement in what context was the statement made?
Yes, Qaradaawi made the statement. He expressed the statement during the Aljazeerah program on Islam wal hayat and it is opposition to despotism and oppression of tyrant rulers in the Arab world. But the scholars of despots who have turn themselves into word police will misconstrue to blackmail to please their despotic paymaster.
Let them bring the whole recording, in situations like this, it is only Allah that can salvage the situation because the propaganda is well financed; before you finish defending one, another will have been manufactured and it will just be consuming precious time, the problem is that the so called salafis are ignorant of the basic ethics of students of knowledge.
Ibn Abdul Bari wrote a chapter on Jamiu’ bayaan ilm wa fadhlihi, likewise Imam Shawkani. All these blackmails are a product of blind partisanship and it is the consequence of inter Mazhab rivalry.
There is no school or scholar that is free from blackmail by mischievous scholars to retain his student followership. Imam Abu Haneefah, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Maalik, Imam Bukhari, Imam Gazali, Imam Ibn Taemiyah and others. All schools of thought are guilty of the mischievous act but it is very common among the Hanabillah which Saudi scholars represent today.
Scholars statements are intepretated with good intention and not with the intent to discredit the scholar, else no scholar will be free from accusation. Neither Ibn Taemiyah nor Ibn Abdul Wahab will be free from accusation or greater scholar than both if we turn ourself to word police with the intention of vilification.
There are several statements of Ibn Taemiyah which is presumed by the mischievous as denigrating Allah, or the Prophet or Ali radiya Allahu anhu.
Freedom in the context of the Qaradaawi’s statement is freedom from servitude and despotism of tyrant Arab rulers who imprisoned and touture scholars without justification, who impose and force a foreign idea on the citizens. So, he was talking about priority of action which is to fight for freedom first, then implementation of the Shari’ah, and should not be construed to mean he relegated Shari’ah, because Qaradaawi in action had been at forefront of championing implementation of Shari’ah, and as contributed positively towards its practicability with his knowledge, wealth and self.
I will boldy say the fact to your face, it is Sheikh Rabiiu Al-Madkhali that started this dangerous trend in modern times under the false claim of Jarhu and Ta’diil, and the consequence of their actions later hunt them.
In the past, scholars struggling on the path of Islam had mutual respect for one another and appreciate their various efforts but unfortunately the centre can no longer hold.
Sheikh Qaradaawi’s statement on Freedom is similar to that of yearly Hajj where they claimed he relegated Hajj, while what he meant was assisting the needy, feeding the poor, investing in education and capacity building should be given priority over continuous Hajj and Umrah, because continuous hajj is not Wajib, just like Ibn Mubaarak who was on the field of Jihad wrote a letter to his colleagues performing Tawaf that if they see those at Ribat they will know that their Tawaf is just a play.
So, if a government had invested money and recruited some sultan scholars to blackmail their antagonists, it will be very difficult for the gullible youth to understand the scheming because they have been mesmerized with the Salafiyyah mantra.
My dear reader, what is the sin of Qaradaawi?
N.B. I am not defending the personality of Sheikh Qaradaawi but Allah gave us all the brain to make good use of it to discuss issues intellectually. If Qaradaawi is wrong, we will all make a voice that he is wrong. But to blackmail scholars upon saying the truth is nothing but slandering which is a sin that must be repented from.
Anyone who has been reading my books, articles will know I am not a fan of any scholar. I present the truth in which I believe in and no one can determine the wave of my pen.
Perhaps we will continue this series and discuss ‘intellectually’ the major allegations against Qaradaawi in which he was branded heretic, misguided for.