Imam Shatibi is a scholar often mentioned by Wahhabis in discussions about Bid'ah (reprehensible innovation). However, they usually do not mention his observations related to Bid'ah. Below is a summary of what Imam Shatibi said in his "Al-I'tisam" regarding the general characteristics of the people of Bid'ah. It is hoped that the Muj[ahids/ama]s will never quote Imam Shatibi again [in this context];
Imam Shatibi (﵀) describes the general characteristics of the factions of Bid'ah.
Rejection of Hadith;
Rejecting Hadiths that do not conform to their ideas is a common characteristic of the people of Bid'ah.
They reject Hadiths that are not favorable to their own beliefs and principles.
Matters clearly established through Islamic sources like punishment in the grave, the Sirat (bridge over Hell), the Mizan (scale of deeds), the divine vision [of Allah], and the Hadith related to the fly are just some of the things they reject. At the same time, they rely on fabricated and weak Hadiths that align with their arguments.
They will criticize Hadith narrators among the Sahaba (Companions) and Tabi'un (Successors), as well as Hadith scholars unanimously accepted by the Islamic world. Sometimes they will reject their Fatwas (legal verdicts) and speak disparagingly of them in front of the general public. This is done to create aversion in the general public towards the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah.
Posing as a Mujtahid (Independent Jurist);
It is their characteristic to present themselves as Mujtahids and engage in Ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) without possessing any of the qualifications for it.
It is their method to interpret the Holy Quran and Hadith and derive rulings without even basic knowledge of the Arabic language, and to reject the research of qualified scholars.
Following the Mutashabihat (Ambiguous Verses/Texts);
Following the Mutashabihat – those texts in the Holy Quran and Hadith which human intellect has limitations in fully understanding – is a common characteristic of those who have deviated from the path of Ahlus Sunnah.
For something to be a proof (source of authority) in Islam, its meaning must be clear without any doubt, definitive, and not contradictory to established sources.
Therefore, texts that are unclear, have multiple possible meanings like allegories, and are contrary to definitive sources should never be understood as primary proofs.
Sources that seem to contradict established general principles in Islam should be interpreted [in light of those principles]. On the contrary, formulating general principles based on such ambiguous texts with multiple possible meanings is entirely unjust and reprehensible.
Following Mutashabihat, which have various possible interpretations, is itself reprehensible. Then how can it be made a primary proof?
Since it is established that Mutashabihat are not primary proofs in themselves, making them primary proofs is itself a Bid'ah. This is the reality.
The claim of the Zahiriyyah (a group that interprets texts literally) that the Creator, who is pure and free from imperfections, has limbs is an example of this.
They say that the Creator has all the limbs that creatures have, such as eyes, hands, feet, face, and so on.
They did not pay attention to the definitive statement of the Holy Quran, "There is nothing like unto Him." That which resembles creation would itself be creation, wouldn't it? (Al-I'tisam 1/294-305)
(وفي الاعصام ١/٢٩٤-٣٠٥)
(فَصْلٌ وُجُوهُ مُخَالِفَةِ طَرِيقِ الْحَقِّ)
اعْتِمَادُهُمْ عَلَى الْأَحَادِيثِ الْوَاهِيَةِ الضَّعِيفَةِ وَالْمَكْذُوبِ فِيهَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالَّتِي لَا يَقْبَلُهَا أَهْلُ صِنَاعَةِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي الْبِنَاءِ عَلَيْهَا:
وَمِنْهَا ضِدُّ هَذَا، وَهُوَ رَدُّهُمْ لِلْأَحَادِيثِ الَّتِي جَرَتْ غَيْرَ مُوَافِقَةٍ لِأَغْرَاضِهِمْ وَمَذَاهِبِهِمْ، وَيَدَّعُونَ أَنَّهَا مُخَالِفَةٌ لِلْمَعْقُولِ، وَغَيْرُ جَارِيَةٍ عَلَى مُقْتَضَى الدَّلِيلِ، فَيَجِبُ رَدُّهَا:
كَالْمُنْكِرِينَ لِعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَالصِّرَاطِ، وَالْمِيزَانِ، وَرُؤْيَةِ اللَّهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ حَدِيثُ الذُّبَابِ وَقَتْلِهِ، وَأَنَّ فِي أَحَدِ جَنَاحَيْهِ دَاءً وَفِي الْآخَرِ دَوَاءً، وَأَنَّهُ يُقَدِّمُ الَّذِي فِيهِ الدَّاءُ، وَحَدِيثُ الَّذِي أَخَذَ أَخَاهُ بَطْنُهُ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِسَقْيِهِ الْعَسَلَ. . . . وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ الْمَنْقُولَةِ نَقْلَ الْعُدُولِ.
[وَ] رُبَّمَا قَدَحُوا فِي الرُّوَاةِ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُمْ وَمَنِ اتَّفَقَ الْأَئِمَّةُ مِنَ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ عَلَى عَدَالَتِهِمْ وَإِمَامَتِهِمْ؛ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لِيَرُدُّوا بِهِ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ فِي الْمَذْهَبِ.
وَرُبَّمَا رَدُّوا فَتَاوِيَهُمْ وَقَبَّحُوهَا فِي أَسْمَاعِ الْعَامَّةِ؛ لِيُنَفِّرُوا الْأُمَّةَ عَنْ أَتْبَاعِ السُّنَّةِ وَأَهْلِهَا
وَمِنْهَا: تَخَرُّصُهُمْ عَلَى الْكَلَامِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الْعَرَبِيَّيْنِ مَعَ الْعُرُوِّ عَنْ عِلْمِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ الَّذِي يُفْهَمُ بِهِ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ:
فَيَفْتَاتُونَ عَلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ بِمَا فَهِمُوا، وَيَدِينُونَ بِهِ، وَيُخَالِفُونَ الرَّاسِخِينَ فِي الْعِلْمِ، وَإِنَّمَا دَخَلُوا ذَلِكَ مِنْ جِهَةِ تَحْسِينِ الظَّنِّ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَاعْتِقَادِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الِاجْتِهَادِ وَالِاسْتِنْبَاطِ، وَلَيْسُوا كَذَلِكَ
وَمِنْهَا: انْحِرَافُهُمْ عَنِ الْأُصُولِ الْوَاضِحَةِ إِلَى اتِّبَاعِ الْمُتَشَابِهَاتِ الَّتِي لِلْعُقُولِ فِيهَا مَوَاقِفُ، وَطَلَبُ الْأَخْذِ بِهَا تَأْوِيلًا:
كَمَا أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ - إِشَارَةً إِلَى النَّصَارَى فِي قَوْلِهِمْ بِالثَّالُوثِيِّ بِقَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٧].
وَقَدْ عَلِمَ الْعُلَمَاءُ أَنَّ كُلَّ دَلِيلٍ فِيهِ اشْتِبَاهٌ وَإِشْكَالٌ لَيْسَ بِدَلِيلٍ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ، حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ مَعْنَاهُ وَيَظْهَرَ الْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ، وَيُشْتَرَطُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ لَا
يُعَارِضَهُ أَصْلٌ قَطْعِيٌّ، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَظْهَرْ مَعْنَاهُ لِإِجْمَالٍ أَو اشْتِرَاكٍ، أَوْ عَارَضَهُ قَطْعِيٌّ؛ كَظُهُورِ تَشْبِيهٍ؛ فَلَيْسَ بِدَلِيلٍ؛ لِأَنَّ حَقِيقَةَ الدَّلِيلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ ظَاهِرًا فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَدَالًّا عَلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَإِلَّا؛ احْتِيجَ إِلَى دَلِيلٍ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ دَلَّ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَى عَدَمِ صِحَّتِهِ؛ فَأَحْرَى أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ دَلِيلًا.
وَيُتَأَوَّلُ الْجُزْئِيَّاتُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ إِلَى الْكُلِّيَّاتِ، فَمَنْ عَكْسَ الْأَمْرَ؛ حَاوَلَ شَطَطًا، وَدَخَلَ فِي حُكْمِ الذَّمِّ؛ لِأَنَّ مُتَّبِعَ الشُّبُهَاتِ مَذْمُومٌ، فَكَيْفَ يُعْتَدُّ بِالْمُتَشَابِهَاتِ دَلِيلًا؟ أَوْ يُبْنَى عَلَيْهَا حُكْمٌ مِنَ الْأَحْكَامِ؟ وَإِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ دَلِيلًا فِي نَفْسِ الْأَمْرِ؛ فَجَعْلُهَا دَلِيلًا بِدْعَةٌ مُحْدَثَةٌ هُوَ الْحَقُّ.
وَمِثَالُهُ فِي مِلَّةِ الْإِسْلَامِ مَذَاهِبُ الظَّاهِرِيَّةِ فِي إِثْبَاتِ الْجَوَارِحِ لِلرَّبِّ - الْمُنَزَّهِ عَنِ النَّقَائِصِ ـ؛ مِنَ الْعَيْنِ، وَالْيَدِ، وَالرِّجْلِ، وَالْوَجْهِ، وَالْمَحْسُوسَاتِ، وَالْجِهَةِ. . . . . . وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الثَّابِتِ لِلْمُحْدَثَات
أَمَّا تَرْكُهُمْ لِلْقَاعِدَةِ؛ فَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِ شَيْءٌ﴾ [الشورى: ١١]، وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ نَقْلِيَّةٌ لَا عَقْلِيَّةٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُشَابِهَ لِلْمَخْلُوقِ فِي وَجْهٍ مَا مَخْلُوقٌ مِثْلُهُ ،انتهى باختصار
