To the right is the cover for the second edition of "Baraa'ah Ulamaa il-Ummah Min Tazkiyah Ahl il-Bid'ah wal-Mudhammah" (The Innocence of the Scholars of the Ummah from the Commendation of the People of Innovation and Censure). This book was prepared by Isaam bin Abdullaah as-Sinaanee. It contains a refutation of the one who used the intercession of Shaykh Bin Baaz (rahimahullaah) for Sayyid Qutb as a proof for the 'adaalah (integrity) of Sayyid Qutb and commendation of his (Qutb's) manhaj, when it is not a proof at all.

The book, after compilation and authorship was sent to Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan who checked over it and made recommendations, and also suggested an improvement to the title of the book. Then it was read by Imaam Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah), who made his own written notes on the pre-print copy that was sent to him, and he also advised that the section titled "The Salafi Manhaj", should be placed before "The Qutubi Manhaj" and not after it, unless the author had a specific reason for doing that. And images of these hand-written notes are included at the end of the book. We will be quoting from this book inshaa'Allaah in this series. Both of these scholars endorsed the contents of this book and the purpose for which it was to be published and distributed. And the purpose is clearly outlined in the title of the book itself. Namely, to declare the Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah free and innocent (in particular Imaam Ibn Baaz, and the other scholars in general) of having made tazkiyah (i.e. given adaalah) to those who are from the people of innovation: In this case Sayyid Qutb, who aside from writing his commentary on the Qur'an upon an Ash'arite creed, added other great calamities, some of which are serious enough that they cannot really be excused by mere ignorance, such as accusing the Scribe of the Prophet (alayhis salaam) the Uncle of the Believers, Mu'awiyah - whose integrity is attested to by the Prophet himself - of treachery, deception and hypocrisy.

And this book essentially sunk their ship, leaving them only the flotsam to hold onto thereafter, which is what they have been doing since then.

Shaykh Saalih Aal as-Shaykh on Sayyid Qutb's Ghuluww

Shaykh Saalih Aal ush-Shaykh commented on the Extremism of Sayyid Qutb in making Takfir of the people of sin using the issue of "obedience" and applying it absolutely:

And amongst [those matters] is that in the issue of obedience to the Mushrikeen, he did not understand the tafseel of the people of knowledge concerning it. So it is what is understood from his words is that which is in agreement with some of the Extremists (Ghullaat) on the issue of obedience (taa'ah), that is obedience to the Mushriks. Or obedience to the priests and rabbis (i.e. scholars).

And from the examples of this is what he has mentioned in Surat ul-An'aam concerning the verse, "And if you were to obey them, you would be Mushriks", so he says many things about this verse.

And amongst them is the issue of the clothing of the fashion women and models, which are designed by the fashion agencies in Paris - using his (i.e Qutb's) expression. So he says that those who legislate for the women their clothing, such that in the morning they should wear such and such type of clothing, and in the evening this type of clothing and in the night this type of clothing, and at work this type of clothing and so on... Sayyid Qutb says, that this group of people, meaning the fashion designers, that they are gods (aalihah, plural of ilaah) because they have made the haraam to be halaal and so they are obeyed in that, and they made the halaal to be haraam, and so they are obeyed in that. So he (Qutb) says, that the Muslim woman who obeys them in this has taken them as objects of worship (aalihah), because she has obeyed them in making lawful what is unlawful and making unlawful what is lawful.

And there is no doubt that these words are baatil (false). Because when a woman wears forbidden clothes which have come from the direction of those designers, this does not at the same time mean she has believed that they are lawful (halaal) for her to wear. For the issue of Takfir is in relation to the belief that this thing that Allaah, the Majestic and Exalted, has made unlawful is actually halaal... So for example, a woman who wears clothing that reveals her bosoms somewhat and her legs, in front of the foreign men, following the fashion designers in this, then if she believes that this act is haraam, yet she is overcome and her eemaan is weak, then this is not kufr and she has not worshipped them. So he (Qutb) has made mere obedience to be kufr, and some of the Jamaa'at have adopted this saying from him, those who have exaggerated in the issue of ruling by other than what Allaah has revealed, (they have taken from him) in the issue of obedience, that is obedience to the fashion designers and the promoters...

Source: Cassette, Sharh Kitaab Masaa'il ul-Jaahiliyyah, 2nd cassette, 2nd side, and it is also in Baraa'ah Ulamaa il-Ummah of Isaam bin Sinaanee, being a compilation of the sayings of the scholars on the deviations of Sayyid Qutb.

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah clarified the issue of obedience in "Kitaab ul-Eemaan" (p. 70):

And those who have taken their priests and rabbis as lords, when they obeyed them in their making lawful what Allaah had made unlawful, and making unlawful what Allaah had made lawful, then they are of two types:

The first of them: that they know that they (the priests and rabbis) have made Tabdeel (baddaloo) the religion of Allaah and hence they follow them in this Tabdeel believing (ya'taqidoona) in the lawfulness of what Allaah had made unlawful and in the unlawfulness of what Allaah had made lawful, following their leaders in that, alongside their knowledge that they have opposed the religion of the Messengers, then this is kufr (disbelief), and Allaah and His Messenger have also made it Shirk - even if they (the followers) do not prayer or prostrate to them. Hence, whoever followed someone else in something that opposes the religion while knowing that it opposes the religion, and believes (i'taqada) in what he said, as opposed to what Allaah and His Messenger said, then such a one is a Mushrik, just like them.

And the second type: that their belief (i'tiqaad) and Faith (Imaan) in the lawfulness of what is lawful and the unlawfulness of what is unlawful is established, however, the follow them (the priests and rabbis) in disobedience to Allaah, just as a Muslim does when he commits a sin and believes that he is a sinner, so these ones have the same ruling as those like them from the people of sin.

And this is one of the many doubts used by the followers, allies and defenders of Sayyid Qutb, in eliciting Takfir, upon other than Sharee'ah principles.