Should there be Unity between Ahlus-Sunnah and Ahlul-Bidʿah against the Unbelievers, Liberals and Secularists? (Ibn Bāz and al-Fawzān)

The noble Scholar, Al-ʿAllāmah, Sālih Al-Fawzān (may Allah preserve him) was asked: “I heard on one of the Islamic channels where a thinker stated that it is from wisdom that the various Islamic groups cooperate with one another against the secularists and those like them. Is this saying correct?”

Shaikh Al-Fawzān responded: “No. This is not correct. We do not cooperate with the people of falsehood, we do not cooperate with the deviated sects, ever. Rather we cooperate only with our brothers who are steadfast upon the obedience of Allah and upon the sound Methodology (Manhaj). As for the deviated, misguided and opposers of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamäah, then we do not cooperate with them because that would be cooperation upon sin and transgression; and it would justify what they are upon. Furthermore, the one who opposes you in your religion will not help you in establishing it!” (Ref: https://www.sahab.net/forums/index…..id= 151056)

Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Bāz (rahimahullāh), was asked to reply to the comment that ‘this is the time to unite the Islamic groups and assist in the efforts against the enemies of Islam—now is not the time to attack the followers of the other schools of thought, not the Ashāʿirah, nor the Ikhwānis, not even the Sufis.’  So, Shaikh Ibn Bāz responded: “There is no doubt that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to unite their ranks and to unite their word upon the truth—and that they to co-operate with one another in righteousness and piety against the enemies of Islam just as Allah (the Most Perfect) has commanded them in His saying:

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ

‘And hold fast all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided.’ (Surah Aal ʿlmrān 3:103)

And He (the Most Perfect) warned the Muslims from dividing and splitting in His saying:

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَٱخْتَلَفُوا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ ۚ

‘And do not be like those who differed and split after the clear evidences came to them.’ (Surah Aali ʿImrān 3:105)

However, the command to Muslims to unite and for them to unify their word upon the Truth and to hold fast to the Rope of Allah does not mean they should forbid and rebuke the evil that the people do or the evil beliefs that they hold whether they are Sufis or others [from Ahlul-Bidʿah]. Indeed, the command to hold fast to the Rope of Allāh includes the command to enjoin what is good and to prohibit what is evil, and to clarify the Truth to the one who has strayed from it or thinks that which opposes the Truth is correct—this is done with the Shareeʿah proofs until the people are united upon the Truth and they turn away from that which opposes it. This is encompassed in the saying of Allah (the Most Perfect):

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ

‘And help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and transgression.’ (Surah al-Mā’idah 5:2)

And in His saying (the Most Perfect):

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ١٠٤

‘Let there arise from amongst you a group of people calling to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, they are the ones who are successful.’ (Surah Aali ʿImrān 3:104)

So, when the people of truth withhold from clarifying the errors of erroneous ones, and the mistakes of the mistaken ones, then they will not have achieved what Allah ordered them with, regarding calling to good, enjoining what right and forbidding evil. That which results from this is known that the sin is carried by the one who is silent and withholds from forbidding evil, and the erroneous one [therefore] persists upon his error, the opposer of truth remains upon his mistake—and this is contrary to what Allah (the Most Perfect) has prescribed about giving of sincere advice, cooperation upon goodness, enjoining what is right and prohibiting what is evil. And Allah is the One who grants success.”