Sh. Al-Habib Bin Tahir: Dr. Ali Goma’s Critical Mistakes
With Allah’s names: The Merciful, The Mercy giving, and with prayers and peace be upon His noble Prophet ﷺ .
This response is aimed to clarify that the former Mufti of Egypt should not mislead young Muslims about their faith.
The gravest stance a person can assume involves disseminating religious information to believers who trust him, while he is aware of the deceit in his words. This scenario, arguably the worst of its kind, was manifested by Ali Gomaa, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt and presently a member of the House of Representatives.
He convened a gathering of young people, who, enamored by his scholarly prestige, were predisposed to his influence. In this setting, he defied definite jurisprudential mandates from the Islamic faith, fully conscious that those commamds are unequivocally established within the religion, and cognizant that the scriptural verses directly refute his declarations.
This occurred when he discussed two theological issues: the destiny of non-Muslims on the Day of Judgment and the speculative negation of divine retribution against the disbelievers and the disobedient by potentially annulling hellfire.
Addressing the first matter, he referenced the verse from Allah Almighty: (Indeed, those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians – whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and performs righteous actions – shall receive their recompense with their Lord, and they shall not fear, nor shall they grieve)[Al-Baqarah: 62].
The consensus among scholars is that “whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and performs righteous deeds” necessitates belief in the Prophet ﷺ and adherence to his statutes, thus erroneously suggesting to his audience that non-Muslim deniers of the Prophet ﷺ, including Jews, Christians, and Sabians, are destined for paradise as are Muslims.
He concealed verses that explicitly clarify this issue, including the proclamation by Allah Almighty: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Quran 3:85], and the verse: “But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs – they will be companions of the Fire, dwelling therein eternally)[Quran 2:39], and the statement by Allah Almighty: “Indeed, those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, dwelling therein forever. They are the worst of creatures. [Quran 98:6]. There are also verses regarding the People of the Book: the Jews, and the Christians, Allah says about the Jews: “These are they who have exchanged the Hereafter for the life of this world. The punishment shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be aided)[Quran 2:86], and regarding the Christians:: “They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allah is the third of three.” There is no god but One God. And if they cease not from what they say, a painful torment will surely befall the disbelievers among them)[Quran 5:73].
Concerning the second topic, he informed them about the possibility of Allah Almighty annulling the fire and admitting everyone into paradise, emphasizing His ﷻ omnipotence and the quoting numerous Islamic theologians that such an event is plausible.
Goma’s intention was to convey to them that the tenets of heaven, hell, and all matters pertaining to the Day of Judgment are within the realm of possibilities (Allah could or could not), subject to Allah Almighty’s omnipotence, thereby introducing a spectrum of outcomes and suggesting that the specifics of the Day of Judgment remain undetermined until we witness Allah Almighty’s final will!
He deliberately misled them, despite teaching students in is books and lessons on theology this agreed upon principle: intellectual possibilities are treated equally in their essence, but when divine revelation confirms their occurrence, they transition to being logically obligatory, immutable facts because Allah Almighty does not deceive, nor does His proclamation fail.
His discourse led the youth and his followers to assume that Allah has not preordained the events of the Day of Judgment, suggesting a flexibility in His actions – an assertion far removed from the exalted nature of Allah.
He stated, despite existing scriptural affirmations regarding heaven and hell, and the Quranic revelations to Muhammad ﷺ detailing divine promises and threats, that Allah Almighty might opt – transcending such notions – to annul the fire. He claimed this perspective is shared by many Muslim scholars, regrettably without specifying any.
His speech included a segment of the verse emphasizing that He is Almighty (effector of what He wills), elucidating in his theological studies that what Allah Almighty has revealed about the unseen signifies His definitive will has eternally determined the existence of those predestined events, and when Allah Almighty decrees a matter, it inevitably occurs. Allah Almighty has disclosed certain matters His will has ordained, including the eternal damnation in Hell for those who deny the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ among the polytheists, Jews, and Christians, as elucidated in the aforementioned verses.
Additionally, concerning the believers who commit grave sins, Allah Almighty has decreed to punish those who perish without repenting for their major transgressions, while also stating they fall under His merciful will should He choose to forgive them. Thus, it becomes an integral part of the creed that the promise of punishment must be realized for certain groups committing major sins, harmonizing the verses on divine threats with those concerning divine will.
Allah Almighty, in His scripture, has declared the establishment of Paradise and Hell as a means to execute justice among His creation, stating: “And We will set up the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly in the least. And if there is even the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as reckoners.” [Quran 22:47]. And he ﷻ says,: “To Him is your return all together. The promise of Allah is true. It is He Who begins the creation and then will repeat it, that He may reward those who believe and work righteousness, with justice. But those who disbelieve will have a draught of boiling fluids and painful punishment because they used to disbelieve)[Quran 10:4], and he ﷻ said, “If every soul that had wronged had all that is on earth, it would offer it in ransom. They will confess their sins when they see the punishment; Nobe judged in fairness, and they will not be wronged)[Quran 10:54].
These verses underscore that in the balance of divine justice, there is no equivalence between good and evil, truth and falsehood, disbelief and faith. Allah Almighty says: “Then, are those who believe and perform righteous deeds like those who cause corruption in the earth? They are not equal! To those who believe and perform righteous deeds, there will be Gardens of bliss, in hospitality for what they used to do. But as for those who were defiantly disobedient, their abode is the Fire. Every time they wish to get out of it, they will be returned to it, and it will be said to them, “Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny”)[Quran : 18-20]. And Allah Almighty says: “And not equal are the blind and those who see; nor are those who believe and perform righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you remember)[Quran 40:58]. And He states, “Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of Paradise. The companions of Paradise, they are the achievers) [Quran 59:20]. And He asks: “Then, do We treat the Muslims like the criminals? What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?)[Quran 68: 35-36].
Ali Gomaa, in his discourse, misleadingly equated believers with disbelievers, the oppressed with oppressors, murderers with victims, and those adherent to obedience with those engulfed in sinfulness. Was he cognizant that in doing so, he was negating Allah Almighty’s clear pronouncements on establishing justice and non-equivalence, thereby eroding a foundational principle of Islamic creed? Was he aware that he was influencing these young individuals and all his audience to perceive adherence to the Islamic faith as futile if the final destinies of all religious adherents are deemed equivalent, enticing them towards sinfulness under the pretext that everyone will ultimately reside in Paradise, with Hell being non-existent?
Should the former Mufti have sought to obscure a truth of Islam, irrespective of his motivations—be they political, sectarian, or aimed at promoting an appealing form of dawah—he unmistakably acknowledges that Jews deem Christians apostates destined for Hell, just as both Jews and Christians collectively view Muslims as apostates bound for the inferno. He is also aware that these truths are not concealed from adherents of these faiths, given the accessibility of Allah Almighty’s scripture to all humankind, rendering it impermissible to obscure any aspect of it or to mislead regarding its contents.
Moreover, if his intent was to endear the youth to Allah Almighty by emphasizing His merciful disposition towards His servants, would the youth then accept a conception of divine justice so skewed as to amalgamate the righteous and the wicked, the oppressor and the oppressed, under a uniform dispensation of mercy, notwithstanding Allah Almighty’s affirmation: (Inform My servants that I am indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful (49) And that My punishment is indeed the painful punishment)[Quran 15:: “49-50]?
The venture undertaken by Ali Gomaa, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, transcends the bounds of ijtihad (independent reasoning) wherein an error might be excusable. Instead, it represents a grave deviation that threatens to undermine the very foundations of Islamic creed.
Such a serious matter cannot be overlooked or ignored. This situation demands a forthright response from the scholars of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, who are obliged not to shirk their responsibility towards Allah, nor to fear the criticism of any critic. Similarly, a response from scholars throughout the Muslim Ummah is imperative, for this represents an instance of misguidance that must be corrected. Among the most egregious forms of misguidance is the distortion of divine words from their intended contexts.
We implore Allah Almighty for steadfastness and unwavering conviction.
Al-Habib bin Tahir
25/03/2024
15 Ramadan 1445 H