The Trouble with Tashfiyah
Initiating change within the Muslim community rests on two main pillars - tashfiyah (purification) and tarbiyyah (education). Tashfiyah covers three main areas - 'aqeedah, 'ibadah and akhlaq. This involves freeing Muslims from fanaticism of madhabs or of their shaykhs, and returning to Allah's revelations - the Qur'an and authentic prophetic narrations.
Living in an Asian community, specifically the Malay community, matters of adab is of extreme importance. One of the main barriers of initiating change is the perception that those who attempt to correct the errors and waywardness that has been adopted as part of religion within the community as people who lack proper adab.
Many among mainstream Muslims will easily be swayed with such an argument and cover their ears form "those who lack adab". There are three main strategies adopted by those who wilfully continue to deceive mainstream Muslims - the use of emotions, stereotyping and intellectual deceit. All three strategies veer from clear facts and methodologies in Islam.
Similarly, emotion is used when tashfiyah is quickly condemned as an act of su'ud dzon, fitnah and ghibah. This defensive act sways everyone's attention from the facts discussed and attempts to pull others to use their emotions to form their verdicts. And it is usually highly successful especially among those without proper knowledge of the religion.
Let's get the facts...
Types of Ghibah which are permitted
Imam an-Nawawi RH, in Riyadhus Sholihin and al-Adzkar, clarified the position of the Ahlussunnah with regard to the permissibility of ghibah in certain circumstances:
1. Complaints of Injustice
2. Seeking a Fatwa
3. Seeking help to change a Munkar
4. Warning others
5. Mentioning the sin of one who commits his sin openly, or the innovations of the innovator
6. Description of someone who is known by a certain physical characteristic
This is the position adopted by our scholars of Ahlussunnah in criticizing the fatwas and methodologies adopted by other scholars.
For more details, refer to: Religious Scholars: Beyond Criticism?
'Aishah RA said: The Messenger of Allah SAW said, "I do not think that so-and-so understands anything of our Faith.'' [Saheeh Bukhari]
From the above hadith, it is clear that Imam Bukhari had justified the backbiting of wicked people to save people from being deceived from their appearance. If people are not informed of the real conduct of such persons, their religious as well as worldly life will be exposed to a grave danger. For this reason, the backbiting of wicked persons for the purpose of warning others is permissible.
Unfortunately, many, even among Muslims who have the correct understanding of Islam, continue to be uncomfortable with tashfiyah... Allahul Musta'an.
The Messenger of Allah SAW said, "This `Ilm (Deen) will be carried by the trustworthy of ones of each generation. Negating from it the tahreef (alterations) of the ones who are ghuluw (extreme), the false assumptions of the liars, and the ta'weel (false interpretations) of the jahil (ignorant)." [The great muhaddith, Shaikh `Abdul Qaadir al-Arna'oot, said in "Tashfiyah-wat-Tarbiyyah" - "This hadeeth is hasan due to all its chains and shawaahids (supporting narrations)"]
Imam Malik RH said: "Be God-fearing and scrutinize the credibility of the person whom you are receiving this knowledge from." ["al-Kifayah", Imam al-Khatib al-Baghdadi]
When some people said to Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal RH that they felt uneasy about criticizing people, he replied, "If you remain silent and I remain silent, then who will make the ignorant person aware of the authentic from the defective?" ["Majmu’ Fatawa", Ibn Taimiyyah]
