BENEFIT 355: The Golden Principle of #Ikhwan_Muslimoon

نتعاون فيما اتفقنا عليه، ويعذر بعضنا بعضا فيما اختلفنا فيه "We cooperate in what we agree upon, and we excuse each other in what we differ over." ▪️Origin of this Principle: This principle, expressed in this form, was first introduced by Rashīd Riḍha, the founder of the Islamic journal 'Al-Manār' and the author of 'At-Tafsīr'. It was frequently cited by Hassan Al-Banna, the founder of #The_Muslim_Brotherhood, in his writings, which led many to mistakenly attribute it to him. [This was mentioned by Qarḍhāwi] ▪️Who Uses It? The proponents of innovation often use this principle to justify their cooperation with others who share their views within their sects. However, they apply it selectively and do not extend the same treatment to Ahlus-Sunnah. For instance, the Ikhwanis welcome Sufis who venerate graves, Rafidi Shiites, extremist Takfiri activists, and others with similar ideologies into their mosques and gatherings, giving them the platform to openly promote their erroneous beliefs. However, when a Salafi Da'ee arrives to call others to the truth, they oppose him, prevent his efforts, warn others about him, and obstruct his work. Thus, this principle is misused to justify cooperation with Sufis, Rafidis, and other innovated sects, and even with Jews and Christians under the guise of religious tolerance. Consequently, Coptic Christians are part of the Muslim Brotherhood and even hold high-ranking positions in this deviated group, while they simultaneously declare the rulers of Muslim nations to be disbelievers. Their primary reference, Sayyid Qutb, has declared Muslim societies to be apostate. Meanwhile, their compassion seems to extend only toward Jews and Christians, as evidenced by Yusuf Al-Qaradawi’s statement, “They are our brothers in creed." This ideology resembles the early Khawarij, about whom the Prophet ﷺ said: "They kill the people of Tawhid and leave the idol worshippers alone." In reality, the principle followed by the Ikhwanis appears to be: "We cooperate in what we agree upon, and we excuse each other in what we differ over—except for Ahlus-Sunnah, whom we neither excuse nor cooperate with in any matter, whether of agreement or disagreement." ▪️ Is There Anything Wrong with the Principle Itself? Yes! Even though the Ikhwanis call it a golden principle, it is flawed. Sheikh Al-’Uthaymeen, may Allāh have mercy on him, stated: «فهذه القاعدة ليست قاعدة ذهبية، ولعلك تسميها قاعدة خشبية» "This principle is not a ‘golden principle’; rather, you might call it a ‘wooden principle.'" [Islamic Awakening: Guidelines and Directions (1/218)] Sheikh ’Abdullāh Al-Ghudayyān refuted this so-called "golden principle" and explained: "This principle is a newly devised concept; it is not among the established scholarly principles of the early scholars. It can be used by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. They might say: ‘We all agree on the existence of God, so let us unite on that while each maintains their own religion.’ This implies an acknowledgment of false religions, which is incorrect. Allāh, the Almighty, says: ‘And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him’ [Aal ‘Imran 3:85]. He also says: ‘Indeed, the (true) religion in the sight of Allāh is Islam’ [Aal ‘Imran 3:19]. And He commands the Messenger ﷺ: ‘But no, by your Lord, they will not (truly) believe until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, then find no resistance in their hearts against your decision and submit with full submission’ [An-Nisa 4:65]. This principle leads to religious permissiveness, which can justify ideas like the permissiveness of human life, intellect, morality, and even actions such as same-sex marriage. The permissiveness of ideas that contradict the standards set by Allāh is impermissible." [شرح كتاب القواعد الاصولية للإمام ابن اللحام البعلي - أسئلة الدرس الأول]