Question:
Assalamu Alaikum,
In the Subcontinent many Muslims follow the scholarly opinion of Imam Ahmed Raza (RA) that Deobandis and Wahhabis are apostate unbelievers. Therefore, they do not meet them, pray behind them, etc. What is the view of other Ahl al-Sunna scholars regarding the Wahhabis in particular? For example, what did Allama Shami (RA) say about them in his famous book on Hanafi fiqh? Did he declare them kafirs? What was the opinion of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Kattani (RA) on this issue? Is it absolutely necessary to declare another Muslim’s disbelief or make takfir of him? May one remain silent, think well of that Muslim, meet him, pray for him, and wish him well in this life and the next?
Answer:
`Alaykum as-Salam,
Of course one may remain silent and that is the best course for 99.99% of the Ummah. “Whoever stays silent is safe” (hadith). Dr. Muhammad Sa`id Ramadan al-Buti said in his book on Islamic belief (Kubra al-Yaqinat al-Kawniyya) that if a Muslim spends his entire life not cursing Shaytan even once, he will be safe; but if he curses the wrong person even once in his life he may jeopardize his own soul.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
