Question: The questioner asks: Please inform us about the principles and criteria used by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajoori to classify Al-Adani and his companions as Hiz

Response by Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdulwahab Ash-Shimeeri: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions. To proceed: We say firstly that Hizbiyyah is based on [restricted] walaa wal baraa, and this was evident in this particular fitnah. The fitnah initially arose from the issue of registering to purchase land, not from the idea of building the center itself. In fact, I was among the first to approach Abdurrahman Al-Adani, accompanied by the representative of the donor, to offer to establish a centre for him. However, the true root of the fitnah began with the registration for purchasing land for student housing. Preference was given to students from the southern regions, who encouraged others to leave Dammaj and establish a centre in the south that would rival Dammaj. They often chanted slogans like "South! South! Until when will it be the North?" Some even mockingly referred to northerners as Dahabishah (a derogatory term). As a result, many students from the south left Dammaj, selling their homes at low prices. Before their departure, when they heard Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajoori (may Allāh preserve him) advising against this registration, they launched an aggressive campaign against him, which included the following: 1. Boycotting Sheikh Yahya’s public lessons. 2. Holding meetings in bachelors' rooms. When the guards monitored them, they moved to the homes of married individuals. These gatherings reportedly included incitement against Sheikh Yahya and those with him. 3. Defaming Sheikh Yahya within and outside Dammaj. They accused him of envy and spread defamation beyond Yemen, including in Saudi Arabia and other countries. I personally witnessed this when we went for Hajj that year. We met a brother from Aden while accompanied by several scholars, including Sheikh Abu Amr Al-Hajoori and Sheikh Fath Al-Qadasi. The brother informed us that Haani ibn Buraik had tarnished Sheikh Yahya’s reputation with some Saudi scholars. He took us to one of these scholars, Sheikh Usama Attiyah, and asked him directly, “Sheikh, did Haani bin Buraik warn you against Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajoori?” Sheikh Usama replied, “Yes.” This is just a glimpse of their efforts to undermine Sheikh Yahya and his students. Haani bin Buraik openly stated, "We will not abandon the registration, even if it splits the da'wah into a hundred factions." And now, this same Haani ibn Buraik calls for dividing Yemen into North and South. 4. Inciting some residents of Dammaj. This led to some threatening to expel Sheikh Yahya (may Allāh preserve and protect him) from Dammaj. 5. Creating disturbances and chaos in Dar Al-Hadith, Dammaj. This included numerous disputes and fights. One of them even claimed that Sheikh Yahya was Haddadi (an extremist). When confronted, he clarified, “I mean that the Sheikh works in blacksmithing,” as Sheikh Yahya had some experience in that craft. Despite this, they continued to insult and slander him. The registration process in Dammaj prioritised individuals from the south, then those who supported them completely, followed by those deceived into joining them. Walaa wal Baraa were evident in their actions. When they left Dammaj, they harboured enmity against Sheikh Yahya and his students, incited the general public against them, and even seized some masaajid from our brothers. The space here does not suffice to detail the entire fitnah from start to finish. Perhaps we will provide a summarised audio recording of this fitnah (1), which has long since concluded. Written by: Abu Muhammad Abdulwahhab ibn Sa'eed Ash-Shimeeri