Question: “O Shaykh There are some principles of which some youth actualize, and that is: ‘The one who does not proclaim takfir on the Muslim and declare to him to be Kaafir [disbeliever]; then he is a Kaafir , and the one who does not proclaim a Mubtadi’ [an innovator] to be an innovator; then he [himself] is an innovator, and the one who is not with us; then he is against us : So what is your opinion on this principle, O Shaykh?”
Shaykh al-Albaanee : ‘And from where did you come up with this principle !? And who is the one who formulated it !?’
This reminds me of a thing which is narrated from our original homeland –Albania – it was narrated in some of the sittings of my father rahimahullaah, the story goes : That a knowledgeable person visited a friend of his in his home, and when he exited from him; he [the scholar] excommunicated [made Takfeer] of him [the host].
So it was said to him : ‘Why?’
[You know] we have a custom in our land –and I think it is spread in the lands of the world- and that is that the scholars are venerated and are honoured in certain manners and ‘blind-followings’; which [indeed] vary in different lands, and among them is for example a man entered a room and sat there, when he is leaving; it is must that his sandals [shoes] are prepared for him such that this scholar does not have to make an effort of bending or going around as if he is just entering, rather his shoes are made ready in front of his feet.
So this scholar when he visited his friend and exited and found his shoes as they were – meaning [as if] the Shaykh was not honoured- as they had left the shoes as they were, hence this scholar said : ‘Indeed this one has disbelieved!’
[It was asked :] ‘why?’
He said: ‘because he did not honour the scholar, and the one who does not honour the scholar; does not honour knowledge [itself], and the one who does not honour knowledge; does not honour the one who came with knowledge, and the one who came with knowledge was Muhammad –may peace & blessings be upon him- : [Shaykh Al-Albaanee says] ‘and like this he linked it in a chain to Jibreel, and then to The Lord of The Worlds. Thus he is [or thus he became] a Kaafir !
This question , or this principle has reminded me of this generalization.
It is never a condition that for one who declared Takfeer on a person -and established the proof on him – that every person should be with him in declaring Takfeer [of this person].
This is because he [this person being excommunicated] may be a person who has a different interpretation ; hence another scholar sees that it is not permissible to make Takfeer on him [for this reason]. And likewise Tafseeq [declaring someone to be an evil person / an open sinner], and also Tabd’ee’ [declaring someone to be an innovator].
Indeed in reality : this is one the Fitnah’s [tribulations] of this present era. And the hastiness of some youth in claiming knowledge whether the intention of this is in stages or by way of adhering to a specific scholar this is always necessary.
This field is vast, [just as] one scholar might view something to be compulsory while another does not hold an opinion like that. And the scholars -past and present- have differed [to have different opinions on some matters]; only because the Ijtihaad [scholarly deductions] [do not become and] are not a must on others to hold the same opinion as his. [That is why we have varying opinions in some matters.]
The one whom is a must on him to hold the opinion of another is the Muqallid [the follower] who does not have knowledge ; thus it is a must on him to follow [a scholar]. As for one who is knowledgeable just as the one who pronounced these rulings of Takfeer and Tafseeq and Tabd’ee – and he does not view the same opinion as him – then it is never a must on him to follow that other scholar [who made the ruling].
Anyway what is apparent is that this calamity –InshaAllaah– has not spread in other lands apart from your land.”
Source : Silsilatul Hudaa wa-n-Nur : 778 , Fourth question – from Minute 10 to 15.
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A Benefit A Day Keeps Ignorance Away 
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