Islamic Ruling on the Nusayri/Alawi/Alawite Sect

Islamic Ruling on the Nusayri/Alawi/Alawite Sect

By Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah [Majmoo` al-Fatawa 35/145]


What follows is Imaam ibn Taymiyyah’s, may Allah have mercy on him, answer to a question posed to him about the sect called an-Nusayriyyah (they are also known as Alawis/Alawite sect).


The question is very long, as it mentions many Nusayri beliefs and practices, and most of it is not translated for the sake of brevity.


Those who want to see the question in full, they can refer to Ibn Taymiyyah’s Fatawa 35/145. In summary, the questioner mentioned, among other things their legalization of intoxicants, belief in reincarnation; disbelief in resurrection, Paradise and Hellfire; belief that "Five Prayers" (as-Salawat al-Khams) is an expression referring to five names: "Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Muhsin and Fatimah", and that mentioning these five names suffices one instead of making ghusl from major impurity, or ablution, or fulfilling other conditions and obligatory actions of the five daily prayers; that `Ali is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and that he is their god in heavens and imaam on the earth etc.


What follows is the end of the question and Ibn Taymiyyah’s answer.


Question:


"…Is it permissible for a Muslim (man or woman) to marry them (Nusayris)? Is it permissible to eat the meat of cattle they slaughter? What is the ruling on eating the cheese made from the rennet of their sacrificed animals? What is the ruling on using their dishes and clothes? Is it permissible to bury them with Muslims? Is it permissible to employ them in Muslim ports and handing the ports over to them? Or is it obligatory upon the ruler to cut them off and employ others from among qualified Muslim men; and is there a sin in delaying their explusion?"


Answer:


All Praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds. These people named "Al-Nusayriyyah", and other groups from among the Qaraamitah and Baatiniyyah, are greater disbelievers than the Jews and Christians. Nay, they are greater disbelievers than most of the mushrikeen (polytheists from other than Ahl ul-Kitab), and their harm to the Ummah of Muhammad, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, is greater than the harm of the disbelievers who are in war with Muslims, such as at-Tatar, disbelieving Europeans and others.


For they present themselves in front of ignorant Muslims as supporters and advocates of Ahl ul Bayt, while in reality they do not believe in Allaah, or the Messenger, or the Book, or [Allaah’s] orders, or prohibitions, or reward, or punishment, or Paradise, or Fire, or in one of the Messengers before Muhammad, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, or in a religion from among previous religions. Rather, they take the words of Allaah and His Messenger, known to the scholars of Muslims, and they interpret them based on their fabrications, claiming that their interpretations are "hidden knowledge ("ilm `ul-baatin"), such as what the questioner mentioned and more. They have no limit in their unbelief with regards to Allaah’s Names, His verses, and their distortion of the Speech of Allaah, the Most High, and His Messenger from their proper places [usages]. Their aim is repudiation of Islaamic Beliefs and Laws in every possible way, trying to make it appear that these matters have realities that they know, like those mentioned by the questioner and others, such as that "five prayers" means knowledge of their secrets, "obligatory fast" hiding of their secrets, and "pilgrimage to Bayt al-`Atiq" visit to their sheikhs, and that the two hands of Abu Lahab represent Abu Bakr and Umar, and that "the great news and the manifest imaam" (an naba’ul `adheem wal imaamul mubin) is `Ali ibn Abi Talib.


There are well known incidents and books they have written with regards to their enmity to Islaam and its people. When they have an opportunity, they spill the blood of Muslims, such as when they once killed pilgrims and threw them into the well of Zamzam. Once they took the black stone and it stayed with them for a period of time, and they have killed so many Muslim scholars and elders that only Allaah knows their number. They wrote many books, such as what the questioner mentioned, and others.


Muslim scholars have written books, unveiling their secrets, exposing their veils, explaining what they are upon from disbelief, infidelity and atheism, by which they are greater disbelievers than the Jews, Christians, and Indian idol-worshipping Brahmans.


What the questioner mentioned as their description is a little from a great deal that is known to the scholars regarding their characteristics. It is known to us that the coast of Sham was only taken over by the Christians from their (Nusayri) side. And also that they are always on the side of every enemy against Muslims, so [you find that] they are with Christians against Muslims.


From the greatest afflictions that have befallen them are Muslims’ opening conquest of the coast (of Sham) and defeat of the Christians. Nay, one of the greatest afflictions that has befallen them is Muslims’ victory over Tatar, and from the greatest holidays for them is the Christians conquest – and refuge is sought with Allaah the Most High – of Muslim ports.


They don’t admit that this world has a Creator that created it, or that He has a religion that he orders with, or that He has a place with which He will reward people for their deeds, other than this place (in this world). [Majmoo` al-Faatwaa 35/145]


Source: http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm