From the greatest of signs of the depravity and desperateness of the followers of the secular (non-Islamic) methodologies of al-Ikhwan al-Muslimeen (brought to them by Qutb and Banna from the ideologies, philosophies, doctrines, methodologies and manifestos of secular atheist Jews, Christian philosophers and others) - is that they seek to make excuses for their lords of innovation by comparing them with the great, lofty, mighty and noble Scholars of Islam whose contribution and benefit to the Ummah is truly immense.

The doctrines of these innovators cannot stand on their own grounds and merits. The Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have demolished and refuted these foreign, alien methodologies. The Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have demonstrated the ignorance of these individuals (speaking with all the major innovations, uttering kufr, attachment to the graves, speaking with Wahdat ul-Wujood, uniting between the Sunnis and Rafidees and so on). So what was left for these people? To compare the contribution of Qutb and Banna to the Ummah to that of Ibn Hajar and Nawawi and to compare the mistakes of Qutb and Banna to those of Ibn Hajar and Nawawi.

In this series we will burst this myth in order to defend the honour of Imaams like Ibn Hajar and an-Nawawi, from them being belittled through comparison with ignoramuses of the 20th century who left nothing but trails of destruction and vile hizbiyyah in the Ummah.

The Contribution of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani to the Ummah

From an online source: Ibn Hajar authored more than fifty works on hadith, hadith terminology, biographical evaluation, history, Quranic exegesis, poetry and Shafi'i jurisprudence.

• Fath al-Bari - considered the most prominent and reliable commentary on al-Bukhari's Jami` al-Sahih: In 1414 (817 A.H.), Ibn Hajar commenced the enormous task of assembling his commentary on Sahih Bukhari. Ibn Rajab had begun to write a huge commentary on Sahih Bukhari in the 1390s with the title of Fath al-Bari, thus Ibn Hajar decided to name his own commentary with the same title, Fath al-Bari, which in time became the most valued commentary of Sahih Bukhari. When it was finished, in December 1428 (Rajab 842 A.H.), a celebration was held near Cairo, attended by the ulema, judges, and leading Egyptian personalities. Ibn Hajar read the final pages of his work, after which poets recited eulogies and gold was distributed. It was, according to historian Ibn Iyaas d. 930 A.H., 'the greatest celebration of the age in Egypt.'
• al-Durar al-Kamina - a biographical dictionary of leading figures of the eighth century.
• Tahdhib al-Tahdhib - an abbreviation of Tahdhib al-Kamal, the encyclopedia of hadith narrators by Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi
• Taqrib al-Tahdhib - the abridgement of Tahthib al-Tahthib.
• Ta'jil al-Manfa'ah - biographies of the narrators of the Musnads of the four Imams, not found in al-Tahthib.
• al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba - the most comprehensive dictionary of the Companions.
• Bulugh al-Maram min Adillat al-Ahkam - on hadith used in Shafi'i fiqh.
• Nata'ij al-Afkar fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Adhkar
• Lisan al-Mizan - a reworking of Mizan al-'Itidal by al-Dhahabi.
• Talkhis al-Habir fi Takhrij al-Rafi`i al-Kabir
• al-Diraya fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Hidaya
• Taghliq al-Ta`liq `ala Sahih al-Bukhari
• Risala Tadhkirat al-Athar
• al-Matalib al-`Aliya bi Zawa'id al-Masanid al-Thamaniya
• Nukhbat al-Fikar along with his explanation of it entitled Nuzhah al-Nathr in hadith terminology
• al-Nukat ala Kitab ibn al-Salah - commentary of the Muqaddimah of Ibn al-Salah
• al-Qawl al-Musaddad fi Musnad Ahmad a discussion of hadith of disputed authenticity in the Musnad of Ahmad
• Silsilat al-Dhahab
• Ta`rif Ahl al-Taqdis bi Maratib al-Mawsufin bi al-Tadlis

Now, stand in front of your Lord, pray two rakahs, then sit and make dhikr for half an hour, then spend the next half hour in striving to rid your soul of all desires, and when you feel you have, answer truthfully and boldly, (don't be a coward) this question:

Did Sayyid Qutb or Hasan al-Banna make a contribution to the Ummah such as this? Or the likes of this. Or one half of this? Or one quarter of this? Or one tenth of this. Or even one-hundredth of this?

And on the basis of the answer that you find in your soul, do you think it is correct for Ibn Hajar to be defamed and belittled by comparing him to 20th century ignoramuses - one of whom caused doubt about the Sunnah in general (see here), and rejected aahaad hadeeth in matters of aqidah ( see here)? And in this moment of honesty, sincerity and truthfulness, do you think that comparing this mountain of knowledge to 20th century ignoramuses who brought the doctrines, ideologies, manifestos and methodologies of secularist atheist Jews, Christians and others, into the Ummah, putting it to trial and tribulation, as well as mocking a Messenger of Allah, reviling the caliph Uthmaan (radiallaahu anhu), accusing the Uncle of the Believers Mu'aawiyah (radiallaahu anhu) of nifaq, ghish, khadee'ah is anything but a fraud of the highest order? Allaah is watching over you and knows your inner thoughts and secrets!

Once, you have spent this hour of honesty and truthfulness, alone with just you and your Lord, then come back to your online cesspit and write and distribute this plain obvious manifest truth, if you are a person who venerates, honours and respects the Sunnah and its people!

We can add here what we mentioned in a previous article:

What's the Difference Between the Books of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, an-Nawawi and those of Sayyid Qutb

Ibn Hajar, an-Nawawi: Take out the ta'weels that Ibn Hajr fell into in all of his various works and what are you left with? Tens of thousands of pages of truly beneficial knowledge in a wide range of subjects - in hadeeth, in fiqh, in aqidah, in adab, in mu'aamalah and so on and so on. We have great works such as Fath ul-Bari, and Buloogh ul-Mar'aam and really, this deserves a separate article on its own. Their errors are completely drowned in the mountains and oceans of goodness, which continue to benefit the Muslims in their deen to this day.

Sayyid Qutb: Take out all of the ta'weels and Jahmite Ash'ari beliefs out of Sayyid Qutb's works and you are left with the doctrines of the Rafidah in attacking the Companions and accusing them with nifaq, ghish, khadee'ah (hypocrisy, deception, treachery) and Takfir of all Muslims and declaring them as apostates, followed by the manifestos of secular atheist Jews in calling for bloody violent revolutions in the Muslim lands - which have left a trail of destruction and ruin in the Ummah, as well as allowing the ghazw of the Muslim lands to be justified. And spawning the various groups of Takfir and factions of the khawaarij and unleashing them upon the Ummah. So as a result today, we have the Ummah poisoned by the manifestos of secular atheist Jews of focusing on the rulers, governments and violent revolutions, in the name of Social Justice, the slogan of Dhul-Khuwaisarah at-Tamimi, whilst belittling and mocking the methodology of the Prophets in calling to Allaah, in which there is wisdom and intellect (see here). Is there any good in Qutb's books? There was no innovator who never had any good, or something of the truth - otherwise no one would have ever followed an innovator. So if Qutb had some good, then al-Harith al-Muhaasibee had mountains more goodness than any 20th century ignoramus - and the way of the Salaf towards him is known - and in general all the Innovators of Islaam had something of goodness.

Thanks Qutb (and Banna), you really aided the deen and the dunyaa!

And be sure to read this:

• Ali al-Timimi on the Emergence of Takfiri Leninism in 1965 Egypt and The Obligation to Warn From Its Evil - (see here)