AVOID HIZBIYYAH (BLIND FOLLOWING / PARTISAN FANATICISM)

10.7.25

بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم

🔐 AVOID HIZBIYYAH (BLIND FOLLOWING / PARTISAN FANATICISM) 🔐

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (d. 1421 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said:

It is obligatory upon the student of knowledge to free himself from sectarianism and partisanship, such that he does not establish loyalty and disavowal based on a specific group or a particular party. Without doubt, this is contrary to the methodology of the Salaf. The righteous Salaf were not divided into parties; rather, they were one unified group under the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic:

"He named you Muslims." (Qur’an, Al-Hajj: 78)

Thus, there is no partisanship, no divisions, no loyalty or enmity except in accordance with what is stated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Some people, for example, align themselves with a particular group, then formulate a methodology and defend it using evidences that may, indeed, appear to support it. They then become fierce defenders of that group and declare others who differ with them as misguided—even if those others are actually closer to the truth than their own group. They adopt the mentality of: "Whoever is not with me is against me." And this is a despicable principle, because there is a middle ground between being for you or against you. And if someone opposes you with the truth, then let him oppose you, because in reality he is actually with you.

For the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Support your brother whether he is an oppressor or the oppressed."

Supporting the oppressor means restraining him from his oppression. So there is no room for partisanship in Islam.

When parties and factions began to appear among the Muslims, and methodologies became diversified, the Ummah became divided. Some began to declare others as misguided and consumed the "flesh of their brother dead" (i.e., backbiting). Consequently, they suffered failure as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And do not dispute with one another, lest you lose courage and your strength departs." (Qur’an, Al-Anfal: 46)

Therefore, we find that some students of knowledge attach themselves to a particular Shaykh among the scholars. They defend this Shaykh in truth and in falsehood, and show enmity to everyone else. They declare others as deviant, as innovators, and they view their Shaykh as the only righteous scholar and reformer, while everyone else is either ignorant or a corrupter. This is a major error.

Rather, what is obligatory is to accept the statement of whoever aligns with the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the statements and understanding of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

📚 [Majmū‘ Fatāwā wa Rasā’il Ibn ‘Uthaymīn, Vol. 26, pp. 239–240]