How you answered the Mursaleen (Messengers)?

By Shaykh Salim al-Gharib 

Question: As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu my Shaykh how are you? I hope you are fine. 

Some people whom I discussed with follow the speech of normal humans more (than using the Qur’an and Sunnah) using the saying of Allah, “Ask the people of Dhikr if you don’t know,” as evidence, until they leave off following the evidences. I read the Tafseer of this Ayah and in it are statements that it was sent down for Quraysh and that the people of Dhikr are the the people the Injeel and Tawrah and for them (Quraysh) to ask them if the Prophets of the past were humans or angels. And from the Mufassireen are those who said the people of Dhikr are referring to the people al-Qur’an and it also mentioned that al-Qurtubee also included those who do not even know the Book and the Sunnah, and as-Sa‘dee also mentioned the first saying and he mentioned another as the people of knowledge are to be asked for seeking knowledge, a source of knowledge for people who do not know. So this argument became the proof by which they base themselves on against those who oppose them. So how are we able to tackle the likes of these misconceptions my noble Shaykh? 

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. May my Lord greet you. Indeed the biggest and greatest ways of ahlul-bida’ is their corruption regarding the methodology of at-Talaqqi (literally accepting/receiving). 
For indeed the methodology of acquiring knowledge has been clarified and made clear in the Noble Qur’an and the Pure Sunnah. So you find therein clear texts in every chapter and you find therein ambiguous texts and you find therein absolute texts and limited texts, and also general texts and specific texts and so on. The Sharee’ah has commanded the following of the best speech and the following of the the clear rulings, and to not pit the evidences against each other, in contrast to the methodology of following in all of its various images and different forms; you will find them united on corruption, away from the Muhammadi Manhaj in their acquisition of knowledge. So from them is the one gives preference to reason and the other gives preference to the whispers of shaytan and the others give preference to Taqleed.

So (starting) from this perspective, your issue which you brought up then this Ayah does not refer in any shape or form to follow the speech of men and to ignore the Sharee’ah, banging the Sharee’ah against the wall (ignoring it and denying it). And if the person with this doubt would put away its foundation it would necessitate authenticating the belief of the Christians; for indeed they asked the people of Dhikr in their religion, and they eventually made Halaal for them what is Haraam and made for them Haraam what is Halaal. So Allah judged them as being misguided and He made them from those who will be in Hellfire for eternity. He said, “They took their monks and rabbis as lords besides Allah,” and He said about the mushrikeen, “Indeed we found are fathers on a way, and we will follow in their footsteps.” That is why His speech, “Ask the people of Dhikr if you do not know,” is limited to asking the people of Taqwa and righteousness as long as it does not become apparent to the person who asks that there is a clear contradiction to the Book and the Sunnah. 

If we were to give a moment to take a glimpse of the statements of the Sahabah and the A'immah on their prohibition of Taqleed, and specifically when it contradicts the Revelation, it would take us a long time (to bring them all up). And indeed He said, “Let those who go against/contradict his command be warned that a fitnah will befall them or that a painful punishment will hit them.” 

And finally, I close with a phrase which was frequently repeated by ash-Shaykh Hamad al-Humaydi: “Undoubtedly on the Day of Resurrection you will be asked how you answered the Mursaleen (the Messengers), not how you answered Ibn Baaz and Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.” 

Wal-Hamdulillahi Rabbil-‘alameen.