HOW DID OUR ELDERS TREAT DEVBANDIS?
Ṣadr-ush-Sharī’aĥ, Badr-uṭ-Ṭarīqaĥ, Shaykh Muftī Muhammad Amjad ‘Alī A’ẓamī َ(raHmatullahi ta’ala ‘alayhi) has stated on page 175 of Bahar-e-Sharī’at, Volume 16, That the loss caused by a deviant is far greater than the harm caused by a Fāsiq (sinful person). The harm caused by a Fāsiq will be relatively less than the harm caused by a deviant because the loss suffered from a Fāsiq is usually worldly and the loss suffered from a deviant is detrimental to one’s religion and Imaan. In order to spread their deviant tenants, they punctually offer Ṣalāĥ and observe fasts, so that they command respect. Once the respect is attained, then their statements hold more weight. Therefore, exposing their deviant ideologies is of far greater importance than revealing the sinful acts of a Fāsiq. Thus, never hesitate to warn people against such deviant individuals. (Bahar-e-Sharī’at)
ARE WE PERMITTED TO SIT WITH DEVBANDIS?
Once two deviants visited Shaykh Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Muḥammad Ibn Sīrīn (رضي الله عنه) ْand said: “O Abū Bakr! Today, we will tell you a Ḥadīš.” Shaykh Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Muḥammad Ibn Sīrīn (رضي الله عنه) replied:
“I will not listen to it.” Then they said, “Ok. Just listen to one Qurānic verse.”
He replied, “I will not listen to it. Either you leave, or I will get up and go from here.” Therefore, they both finally left. Then some people asked, “Abū Bakr, what could have gone wrong if you would have listened to the Ḥadīš or the verse from the Quran?” He (رضي الله عنه) replied, “I was scared that they would add their own explanations to the Ḥadīš and the Qurānic verses, and one of those found permanence in my heart (if it did, then I would be at a complete loss, that is why I did not tolerate listening to the Quran or Ḥadīš them). (Fatāwā Raḍawiyyah, pp. 106, vol. 15) (Sunan Dārimī, pp. 120, vol. 1, #397)