Questioner: May Allāh reward you with goodness. They say in the fourteenth question: Some claim that testing people by individuals is an innovation, and that su

Sheikh Yaḥyā ḥafidhahullāh: In reality, the latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified the earlier part. We have nothing new. What was practiced in the earlier times, if it can still be applied in later times, should indeed be followed. ﴿وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِینَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِینَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَـٰنࣲ رَّضِیَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣲ تَجۡرِی تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ﴾ "And the foremost to embrace Islām of the Muhâjirûn and the Ansâr and also those who followed them exactly in goodness. Allâh is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)..." [Sūrah At-Tawbah: 100] Thus, what was valid in the early times remains valid in later times, unless a person is unable to apply it due to incapacity. This applies regarding this as well as other matters. As for separating the latter generations from the early generations is one of the innovations of the modern age. The matter is connected to one's ability; {فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللهَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ} "Fear Allah to the best of your ability" [Sūrah At-Taghābun: 16] For instance, if one sees someone to be an Imām; one of the Imāms of guidance and a righteous scholar; this (picking and choosing) should not be based on personal desires, but rather, the criterion in such matters should be the Book of Allāh, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the guidance and beneficial knowledge. So if you know someone to be an Imām of righteousness, well-versed in religion, and trustworthy, and you hear others disparaging him, then you should realise that only a person of desires would attack such a person, one whose religion is sound and who follows the Book and Sunnah correctly, with proper Tawheed and adherence to the Prophet’s way. Therefore, testing people by such individuals is acceptable. If someone is criticising them, it means they seek to undermine the good this scholars possess. In earlier times, people were tested with Ḥammād ibn Salamah. It was said, "If you see someone speaking ill of Ḥammād, suspect their commitment to Islam." Despite Ḥammād ibn Salamah not being as reliable in ḥadīth as others, to the extent that Imām Al-Bukhāri didn't narrate from him in his Ṣaḥīḥ. But when it came to the Sunnah, he was an Imām. In conclusion, TESTING PEOPLE BY INDIVIDUALS IS PERMISSIBLE WHEN IT IS KNOWN THAT THEY REPRESENT THE TRUTH. This is a matter of ijtihād, and it is incumbent upon anyone who knows a person for their righteousness, piety, and fear of Allāh, as well as their adherence to the Book and Sunnah, to defend them to the best of their ability, whether he is used as a standard for testing people or not; from the angle of: ((مَن ردَّ عن عِرضِ أخيه ردَّ اللهُ عن وجهِه النَّارَ يومَ القيامة)) "Whoever defends their brother's honour, Allāh will defend them from the Fire on the Day of Judgment." This is a defense of the truth and its people. Yes.