Benefit 34: What is Rudood?

Radd (ردٌّ) singular - Rudood (رُدُودٌ) plural: reply, response, refutation... Knowledge based Rudood (refutations) are a branch of knowledge, and more specifically, an extension of Al-Jarḥ wā ta'deel; a branch within the science of ḥadīth (Musṭalaḥ Al-Ḥadīth), whose main objectives are to: ▪️Promote the pure, authentic teachings of Islam ▪️Counter the spread of falsehood & misguidances ▪️Distinguish truth from falsehood ▪️Distinguish the people of truth from the people of falsehood 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝘂𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗱: 🚫 The first extreme: Neglecting that which is of greater importance, such as acquiring obligatory knowledge in ‘Aqīdah, Fiqh, Adab, etc., and instead dedicating attention solely on Rudood. He has no interest in acquiring knowledge. All that concerns him is knowing what is going on; what did so-and-so say about so-and-so, and what was so-and-so's response. This type of person is well acquainted with the different calls and ideologies and spends most of his time warning others from different callers. He does not make himself available to teach & educate his community in order to provide an alternative option to those callers whom he warns people from. 🚫 The second extreme: Neglecting Rudood altogether. Forbidding others from reading knowledge based Rudoods and gaining insight in relevant matters. He does not consider Rudood to carry any benefit whatsoever, but rather he sees it to be a waste of time, a form of gossip & backbiting and something which hardens the heart. Due to such negligence, he is gullible to innovations and people of innovation; he is unable to differentiate the people of Sunnah from the people of innovation. And so you find him at every Islamic conference, no matter who the organisers; no matter who the speakers. One week he is studying with the Salafees, the next he is at the coffee shop with the Takfeerees, and the next you find him touring with the Tableeghees. ✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲: The student who spends most of his time with that which is of greater benefit to himself as well as his community. Simultaneously, he sets himself time to read beneficial Rudood. This student is neither negligent such that he is unable to differentiate truth from falsehood and the truthful from the people of falsehood, nor is he one who sits on the sideline watching his community go from bad to worse. Rather, he is an active member within his community. He tries his best to cleanse his community from Shirk and its callers, innovation and its callers, and from major sins and its callers. At the same time he cultivates his community upon Qur'ān & Sunnah and encourages them to hold onto the Methodology of the Salaf; pure, unadulterated, orthodox Islam. He is fully aware that calling to the truth is not achieved except through Tasfiyah (purification) and Tarbiyah (cultivation). And thanks to His Tamayyuz (distinction), his community know exactly what he calls to and what he stands for. 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝘂𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱: Sheikh Fawzān ḥafidhahullāh said: «الردود على قسمين: الردود الصادرة عن أهل العلم والمعرفة والبصيرة لبيان الحق ودحض الباطل فهذه ردود مفيدة ولا بد منها. أما الردود التي تصدر عن الجهال والطلاب غير المتمكنين أو الردود التي تصدر عن أهواء ورغبات فهذه ردود لا تجوز لأنها تضر ولا تنفع. أما الردود الصحيحة الصادرة عن أهل العلم المعتمدة على بيان الحق لا على الهوى فهذه لا بد منها لأنه لا يجوز السكوت عن أهل الضلال ينشرون ضلالهم ويغررون بالأمة وشباب الأمة». “Rudood are of two types: Rudood issued by scholars, people of knowledge and insight in order to clarify the truth and refute falsehood; these Rudood are beneficial and they are necessary. As for Rudood issued by the ignorant and the incompetent students, or Rudood based on whims and desires; these Rudood are not permissible, because they are harmful and have no benefit.