No one of scholars declares Ibn Hajar or other scholars, who slipped into the pitfall of Ta'wil, to be disbelievers and the
A lSabuny then stated in his fifth article may Allah guide him and grant him success "Yet, hope Salafi brothers would escape the burden of misleading the Ummah and declaring the Imams of the Muslims and scholars of Fiqh, Hadith, and Tafsir (Exegesis) who follow the Madhhab of AlAsha`irah, to be disbelievers. What would we gain if we split the line of the Muslims and accuse someone like ShaykhulIslam Ibn Hajar Al`Asqalany, the commentator of AlBukhari, of disbelief? He then referred to some other scholars and said, "All those and other revered Imams followed the Madhhab of Imam AlAsh`ary ... " (End of Quote)
A: None of the Salafi scholars declares those scholars to be disbelievers. Rather, they uncover their mistakes as regards Ta'wil of many Attributes and explain that it is opposite to the Madhhab of AhlulSunnah. Thus, they do not declare them to be disbelievers or disrupt the unity of the Ummah or even split their lines. Rather, this is advice for the sake of Allah and His slaves, an illustration of the truth, refutation of the claims of their opponents through textual and logical evidence, performance of what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) obliged scholars to do, including explaining the truth, carrying out Da`wah (calling to Islam), and guiding to Allah's Way. Hence, if the advocates of truth refrain from unfolding the truth, those on the wrong side will persist in their mistakes and others would imitate them in their mistakes. In turn, those who refrain from unfolding the truth would draw on themselves the sin of withholding the truth, a sin that Allah (Glorified be He) warned those who commit it in His saying,
Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidence and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allâh and cursed by the cursers.
Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.
Moreover, Allah (Exalted be He) took the covenant from the People of the Book to make it known and clear to mankind, and condemned them for throwing it away behind their backs and also warned us against following them. Thus, if the followers of truth refrain from exposing the mistakes of those who oppose the Qur'an and the Sunnah, they would resemble the People of the Book who earned Allah's Anger and went astray. Then, we say to AlSabuny, "The scholars of AlAsha`irah are not among the followers of Abu AlHasan AlAsh`ary, since he recanted Ta'wil on the Attributes and assumed the Madhhab of AhlulSunnah WalJama`ah as regards affirmation of (Divine) Names and Attributes and acknowledgement of them just as they are mentioned without Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), Ta`til (denial of Allah's Attributes), Takyif (questioning Allah's Attributes), or Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation). He explained that in his two books, AlIbanah and AlMaqamat. Therefore, it becomes clear that whoever performs Ta'wil on the Attributes from among those affiliated with AlAsh`ary is not really a follower of his new Madhhab. Rather, he would be a follower of his old Madhhab, knowing that the Madhhab of the scholar is the last to which he adhered and believed in before his death, not that which he claimed earlier and then recanted. Hence, we should be aware of this and be cautious against those who confuse matters and put things in other than their due positions. After all, we ask for the help of Allah Alone.