As Salafee
29-06-05, 11:43 AM
The majority is not a proof that something is correct
Asalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah
In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger
From the characteristics of the people of ignorance is that they view the majority as proof that something was true and the minority as proof that something was false. Democracy was and still is used to determine truth from falsehood. However, this is wrong, for Allaah says: “And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.” [Surah Al-An’aam: 116]
And Allah says: “But most of mankind know not.” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 187]
And Allah says: “And most of them We found to be not true to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed to be evil sinners.” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 102]
In a hadeeth in which the nations were presented to the Prophet, he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that he saw a prophet that had a small group of followers with him, and a prophet that had only one or two men following him, and another prophet that had no one with him. So consideration is not given to which opinion or view has the most followers.
So the balance is not the majority and the minority. Rather, the balance is the truth. So whoever is upon the truth, even if he is by himself, he is the one who is correct and deserves to be followed. And if the majority of the people are upon falsehood, then it is obligatory to reject them and not be deceived by them. This is why the scholars say: “Truth is not known by way of men, but rather men are known by way of the truth.”
Edited Sharh Masaa'il-ul-Jaahiliyyah (pg. 60-62) Shaikh Saalih Al Fawzaan from www.al-ibaanah.com (http://www.al-ibaanah.com/)
Asalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah
In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger
From the characteristics of the people of ignorance is that they view the majority as proof that something was true and the minority as proof that something was false. Democracy was and still is used to determine truth from falsehood. However, this is wrong, for Allaah says: “And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.” [Surah Al-An’aam: 116]
And Allah says: “But most of mankind know not.” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 187]
And Allah says: “And most of them We found to be not true to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed to be evil sinners.” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 102]
In a hadeeth in which the nations were presented to the Prophet, he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that he saw a prophet that had a small group of followers with him, and a prophet that had only one or two men following him, and another prophet that had no one with him. So consideration is not given to which opinion or view has the most followers.
So the balance is not the majority and the minority. Rather, the balance is the truth. So whoever is upon the truth, even if he is by himself, he is the one who is correct and deserves to be followed. And if the majority of the people are upon falsehood, then it is obligatory to reject them and not be deceived by them. This is why the scholars say: “Truth is not known by way of men, but rather men are known by way of the truth.”
Edited Sharh Masaa'il-ul-Jaahiliyyah (pg. 60-62) Shaikh Saalih Al Fawzaan from www.al-ibaanah.com (http://www.al-ibaanah.com/)