Should he shun those who slander and mock the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

With regard to
reviling, slandering, mocking and making fun of (scholars), that is
something that anyone could do. The most skilled of people in reviling and
mocking are those who are furthest removed from religious commitment, good
attitude and dignity. This is something that should not be done by one who
understands religion; rather he should avoid it. The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Reviling a Muslim is evildoing and
fighting him is kufr.” Agreed upon.

Allah, may He
be exalted, described the criminals and disbelievers in His Book, and listed
as one of their attributes their mockery of the believers. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily!
(During the worldly life) those who committed crimes used to laugh at those
who believed.

30. And
whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another (in mockery);

31. And when
they returned to their own people, they would return jesting;

32. And when
they saw them, they said: ‘Verily! These have indeed gone astray!’

33. But they
(disbelievers, sinners) had not been sent as watchers over them (the
believers).

34. But this
Day (the Day of Resurrection) those who believe will laugh at the
disbelievers”

[al-Mutaffifeen
83:29-34].

So you should not worry
about their mockery, for Allah will bring them to account and Allah will
tell them what they used to do.

What the person mentioned
has to do, if he has knowledge and is religiously committed, and he has
evidence to refute those who differ with him, is to quote his evidence and
explain the truth he has, and leave slander and mockery to people of a lower
status.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Responding by merely
reviling and shouting is something that anyone can do. If a person engages
in a debate with the mushrikeen and the People of the Book, he should
mention proof to highlight the truth he believes in and the falseness of
their beliefs. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the
meaning):

“call to the way of your
Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and reason with them in the best
manner possible”

[an-Nahl 16:125]

“And argue not with the
people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that
is better”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:46].

If a person is debating
with one who uses foul language, even if he belongs to a group that is known
for extreme bid ‘ah, such as the Raafidis, then all that he has to do is
present his proof and avoid saying anything that is of no benefit.

End quote from Majmoo‘
al-Fataawa, 4/186-187

Secondly:

With regard to the ruling
on shunning him and not greeting him or accepting his invitation, it should
be noted that the basic principle is that it is haraam to shun a Muslim for
more than three days, but that applies when the shunning has to do with
personal or worldly matters.

But if the shunning is for
a religious purpose, such as shunning those who promote innovation or those
who commit evil and immoral actions, then in these cases we should examine
the Islamic purposes that may be served. If it is thought most likely that a
shar‘i interest will be served by this shunning, such as making a follower
of innovation give up his innovation, or make people disperse from around
him, or reducing the numbers of those who are deceived by him, or weakening
the spread of his innovation, and other shar‘i interests, then in that case
shunning him is prescribed.

Similarly, it is prescribed
to shun those who follow innovation, especially those who open practise it
or promote it, so as to protect people’s religious commitment from being
affected by any of the specious arguments of the innovators or lest anything
of what they say take root in his own heart, especially if he does not have
sufficient knowledge to protect him against that. This is the principle that
was followed by the righteous early generations.

Al-Baghawi (may Allah have
mercy on him) said:

The Sahaabah, Taabi‘een and
their followers, and the scholars of the Sunnah, followed this principle and
were unanimously agreed on opposing and shunning the people of innovation.

End quote from Sharh as-Sunnah,
1/227

See also the answer to
questions no. 22872 and
47425.