“So High above all is Allah, the King, the True. And do not hasten with (reciting) the Qur’an before its revelation to you is concluded, and say, “My Lord, improve me in knowledge.” (Qur’an 20:114)
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This entry was written as a response to a well-known Salafi Preacher by the name of Assim Al-Hakeem.
He has unfortunately uploaded a video in which he attacks Ahl al-Haqq wa-l istiqama (The People of Truth and Straightness). This is possibly due to one of three reasons.
Reason 1 is due to his lack of understanding.
Reason 2: maybe he made these statements about the Ibadi school while under the influence of alcohol. That is because Assim Al-Hakeem told young people all over the world that he “drinks beer” and that he is “proud of that.” So it is possible he made his comments while under the influence of intoxicants.
Reason 3 is this: Assim lied about his own Sunni Imam (Imam Malik) and it is not above him to willfully lie about the Ibadi or tell half-truths. May Allah (swt) guide him to a more just course.
Reason 1. His lack of understanding. No proper knowledge.
“Mabrouk says, who are the Ibaadiyyah? The Ibaadiyyah is a faction of Al Khawarij. It is one of the 72 sects that the Prophet (a.s) warned us from, dividing into. They follow the Khawarij; but they are a softer copy of the hard core Khwarij. And this what called Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (May Allah have mercy on his soul) to describe them as being the gay part of the Khawarij. They’re so gay compared to the Khawarij, that gives takfir and to have bloodshed. They are close in the attributes of Allah (Azawajal) to the Mutazila. So they deny allot of Allah’s attributes. They have their own misinterpretation when it comes to the scale and to the siraat. And to the things related to yom al qiyyamah (the day of judgement). They also believe that those who commit major sins are kafir, like the Khawarij. But they, it is is permissible to marry them. So they believe that those who are not from the Ibaadiyyah like us, they can marry from us and they can inherit from us. But we are, we will be in hellfire forever. And they have so many weird things. They believe the Qur’an is created and it is not one of Allah’s attributes. They believe that it is impossible to see Allah in paradise. So it’s a deviant cult. And allot of the scholars say that you must not pray behind them as the prayer would not be accepted and Allah knows best.”
The response to the Salafi Preacher Assim Al-Hakeem.
First point.
Assim says about us, “They’re so gay compared to the Khawarij, that gives takfir and to have bloodshed.”
Yet, he is the one who says, “And allot of the scholars say that you must not pray behind them as the prayer would not be accepted and Allah knows best.” Talk about takfir!
Second point.
Assim says about us,
“They have their own misinterpretation when it comes to the scale and to the siraat. And to the things related to yom al qiyyamah (the day of judgement).” He did not elaborate on what those things were. So it is challenging to comment upon what he did not elaborate upon.
Third point.
Assim says about us,
“So they deny allot of Allah’s attributes.” What attributes do they think we are denying? It is actually Assim Al-Hakeem’s group who make up attributes about Allah (swt).
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen stated:
“We believe that Allah, The Most High, has two real eyes. And this is the saying of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah. Abul-Hasan Al-Ash’aree said: The saying of Ahlus-Sunnah and the As-hāb Al-Hadeeth is that Allah has two eyes, without saying ‘how’ just as Allah has said, “[It was] sailing under Our Eyes.” (54:14).”
Source: (See Izālatus-Sitār ‘an Al-Jawāb Al-Mukhtār li-Hidāyatil-Muhtār of Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 22; also Al-Maqālāt Al-Islāmiyyeen 1/345)
There is nowhere in the Qur’an or the Sunnah that says Allah “has two real eyes.”
The following video is for your educational purpose.
A typical conversation between us Ibadi and those who claim we deny the attributes of Allah (swt) usually goes like this.
Fourth Point.
Assim says about us,
“They also believe that those who commit major sins are kafir, like the Khawarij.”
If you want to read our understanding of this, based upon the Qur’an and Sunnah you may see the following:
https://primaquran.com/2022/10/04/the-position-of-the-ibadi-school-on-muslims-who-commit-major-sins/
Sixth point,
Assim says about us,
“But we are, we will be in hellfire forever.”
This is quite a statement considering Preacher Assim believes in the hadith of the 73 sects. So we could ask Preacher Assim. “Are the Ibadi part of the saved group or not?” We don’t say simply because someone is not Ibadi, they will be in hellfire forever! That is false. Please see what our noble Shaykh says here:
https://primaquran.com/2022/10/04/do-only-ibadis-go-to-heaven/
Seventh point,
Assim says about us,
“They believe the Qur’an is created, and it is not one of Allah’s attributes.”
That part is true. The Qur’an is created. It is not an attribute of Allah (swt). Although Allah (swt) does have the attribute of Speech. You may see our position here:
Eighth point,
Assim says about us,
“They believe that it is impossible to see Allah in paradise.”
That part is true. We stick to the evidence of the Qur’an & Sunnah. No one will see Allah (swt). Not in this life, not in the life to come.
Reason 2. Assim Al-Hakeem was under the influence of alcohol. He was intoxicated when he made such statements.
“I drink beer, and I’m proud of that. But the beer I drink before you quote me for that is from Saudi Arabia, and it has 2% maybe 3% alcohol, and it’s legal, and it’s halal. One says, “Oh, it has alcohol!” Akhi, If I drink half a pack, nothing happens.”
Now the individual who made the video above chooses to use the pejorative ‘Wahabi’. However, I prefer to use the term ‘Salafi’.
Now, obviously, images of Muslim youths breaking their Ramadan fast with a bottle of 3% Hoegaarden beer and dates do not sit well with many more sensible Muslims.
There was lots of backlash and so Assim issued a retraction, clarification, kind of, sort of, not really….
The Preacher Assim continues…. “The presence of alcohol, if you consume a large amount of it, and you are not intoxicated, this means that it is permissible to consume.” Because why is wine haram? Because if you drink a lot of it you become intoxicated. If I have a barrel of whatever substance, and I’m not wasted, I’m not intoxicated, then drinking a little bit is o.k. But, if I have a bottle of a liquid of a drink and if I drink the whole bottle, I become wasted, I become drunk, then a single drop of it is haram.
Preacher Assim is following the view of the famous Salafi Shaykh, Saleh Al-Uthaymeen. The same one above who says that Allah (swt) has “two very real eyes.”
May Allah guide us!
Shaykh Saleh Al-Uthaymeen gave a controversial beer drinking fatwa.
Please do not listen to people like Shaykh Saleh Al-Uthaymeen or Preacher Assim Al-Hakeem! Please listen to someone sensible like Shaykh Mufti Menk on this matter!
Reason 3. Preacher Assim Al-Hakeem lied about a Sunni Imam (Imam Malik); and it is not above him to willfully lie about the Ibadi or tell half-truths.
You read the following and you decide.
Preacher Assim Al-Hakeem otherwise makes himself available to people via social media. It is not sure what his methodology is or the school that he follows. However, he is to be warned against because he gravitates towards a flippant and non-sober approach to many issues that demand sobriety.
May Allah (swt) guide him and us!
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is guided.” (Qur’an 16:125)
May Allah (swt) Guide the Ummah.
May Allah (swt) Forgive the Ummah.
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