Insulting the people of bid'ah (innovation) - OBLIGATORY

Some of the uninformed Shias believe it is completely impermissible to do sabb (insult) anyone. In our most valuable book of hadith, Al Kaafi it mentions an important tradition on the special permission, and OBLIGATION of insulting the people of bid'ah (innovation).

Sheikh Al-Kulayni:

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Al-Hussain from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Aboo Nasr from Dawood ibn Sarhan from Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (a.s), who has said the following: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) has said,

When you after me find people of Bid'ah (innovation) and skepticism, express your disapproval of them. Do Bara'ah (disassociation) from them and increase in your insults (sabihim) to them, and bring evidence against them so they may not become greedy to bring destruction to Al-Islam. You must warn people against them and against learning their heretic ideas. Allah (swt) will reward you for this and will raise your position in the next life.

Grading: Al-Majlisi II said this hadeeth is Saheeh (Authentic) in Mirat Al-Uqool. Vol. 11, Pg. # 77.

Source: Al-Kafi. Vol. 2, Pg. # 213, H. # 4.

Scans taken from: Revisiting the Salaf article: Cursing the people of Bid’ah

In regards to the acceptance of this hadith, here is a list of scholars endorsing this hadith:

1. al-FaaDil al-Kaadhimi (d. 1065), Masaalik al-Afhaam 'ila Ayaat al-Ahkaam, vol. 2, pg. 397
2. Shaheed al-Thaani (d. 966), Masaalik al-Afhaam ila TanqeeH Sharaa'i` al-Islaam, vol. 14, pg. 434
3. al-Majlisi I (al-Majlisi's father), RawDah al-Muttaqeen, vol. 9, pg. 327
4. Muhaqqiq al-Sabzawaaree (d. 1090), Kifaayah al-Ahkaam, vol. 1, pg. 437
5. `Abd al-`Ala (d. 1414), Mahdhab al-Ahkaam, vol. 16, pg. 134
6. `Abd Allaah al-Jazaa'iree (d. 1173), al-TuHfah al-Suniyyah, pg. 83
7. Yoosuf al-Bahraani, al-Hadaa'iq al-NaaDirah, vol. 18, pg. 164
8. al-Hussayn bin Aal `Asfoor al-Bahraani, Sadaad al-`Ibaad, pg. 446
9. Muhammad Mujaahid al-Tabataba'i (d. 1242), al-Munaahil, pg. 259
10. Ahmad al-Naraaqi (d. 1245), Mustanad al-Shee`ah fee Ahkaam al-Sharee`ah, vol. 14, pg. 162
11. Murtada al-Ansaari (d. 1281), Kitaab al-Makaasib, vol. 1, pg. 353
12. al-Khoei, MisbaaH al-Fuqaahah, vol. 1, pg. 354
13. Jawad al-Tabrizi, Irshaad al-Taalib 'ila al-Ta`leeq `ala al-Makaasib, vol. 1, pg. 162
14. Jawad al-Tabrizi, Asad al-Hadood, pg. 235
15. Abu Talib al-Tabrizi, al-Ta`leeqah al-Istidilaaliyyah, pg. 430
16. al-Sayfa al-Mazandaraani, Daleel Tahreer al-Waseelah, vol. 2, pg. 17417. al-RooHaani, Fiqh al-Saadiq, vol. 14, pg. 296
18. al-RooHaani, MisbaaH al-Fuqaahah, vol. 1, pg. 379
19. Muhammad Sa`eed al-Hakeem, MisbaaH al-Minhaaj, pg. 359
20. `Alee al-Namaazee al-Shahroodi, Mustadarak Safeenah al-Bihaar, vol. 1, pg. 303 & vol. 8, pg. 202
21. Haadi al-Najafi, Mawsoo`ah aHaadeeth Ahl al-Bayt, vol. 2, pg. 25
22. al-Turayhi, Majma` al-BaHrayn, vol. 3, pg. 343
23. Muhammad Taqi al-Isfahani, Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 2, pg. 259

List compiled by brother Nader Zaveri at Reviving Al Islam.

Here is the opinion of Sayed Al Kh'ui on the matter from his book of fatawa:

الوجه الأول: أنه ثبت في الروايات والأدعية والزيارات جواز لعن المخالفين، ووجوب البراءة منهم، وإكثار السبّ عليهم، واتّهامهم، والوقيعة فيهم ـ أي غيبتهم لأنّهم من أهل البدع والريب بل لا شبهة في كفرهم، لأنّ إنكار الولاية والأئمّة حتى الواحد منهم، والاعتقاد بخلافة غيرهم، وبالعقائد الخرافية كالجبر ونحوه يوجب الكفر والزندقة، وتدلّ عليه الأخبار المتواترة الظاهرة في كفر منكر الولاية، وكفر المعتقد بالعقائد المذكورة وما يشبهها من الضلالات

I say – It has been proven in the aḥādīṯh, the duʾās and the ziyārat the permissibility of cursing the muḵḫālifin, and the obligation of disassociating from them, and to increase the insults towards them, and to accuse them - ġheeba - because they are from the people of bidʾah, and the doubt/suspicion, and that there’s no doubt in their kufr [disbelief], because denying the wilayah, and the Imams, even one of them, and believing in the ḵḫilāfa of other than them, and also the belief in fictitious [fake] beliefs, such as al-jabr, obligates kufr and zandaqa [on the one that believes in it], and the recurring aḥādīṯh indicate that the denier of the wilayah is a kāfir, and the kufr of the person that believes in the aforementioned beliefs, and similar ḍhalālat.

(1) disown here as in barʾah, to do tabarra from them.

Source: al-Sayyid al-Ḵḫʾūi said in Miṣbāḥ al-Faqāha, page 497.

One of the common objections to this practice of insulting (doing sabb) is that the Quran itself allegory forbids this. In verse 6:108, Allah swt says the following:

And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.

Sheikh Yasser Al Habib has an excellent and nuanced analysis of this verse based on overwhelming evidence. He proves that this verse is specific and not a general forbiddance of insulting. There are certain cases where insults are permitted, needed and obligatory. See his video below.

Lastly another work by Al Khui permitting the gossiping about non-shiites.

Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khu’i writes:

إن المستفاد من الآية والروايات هو تحريم غيبة الأخ المؤمن، ومن البديهي أنه لا إخوة ولا عصمة بيننا وبين المخالفين

From the revelation and the traditions, the prohibition of gossiping the brother in faith is clear and it is obvious that there is neither brotherhood nor inviolability between us and the non-Shiites (Mukhalif).

[Misbah-ul-Faqahah, Volume 1 Page 324]