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Since the affair of the Innovators and Deviants in Islām is one that relates to tabdīl (alteration) and taḥrīf (distortion) of the religion, taking it in the direction of what happened to the people of past scripture, such as the Jews and Christians, and the erasing of the signposts of the religion, the Salaf, recognising this with great foresight, were severe and harsh upon the Innovators and Deviants, in order to limit the scope of this misguidance. And this is alongside their knowledge of what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had informed of the splitting of the ummah with the emergence of callers to misguidance and sects of deviation. So they treated al-Qadar, with al-Qadar, so to speak.
The author of “Ijmāʿ ʿUlamā al-Ummah”, Shayhk Khālid al-Ḍhufayrī (حفظه الله) observes:[1]
However, and in Allāh is aid sought, the scales have been overturned and these understandings have changed, and thus, lenience and intimacy for Ahl al-Bidʿah has become the desired (thing). Rather it has become obligatory and praiseworthy. And severity, harshness (shiddah) upon Ahl al-Bidʿah became unique to very few, specific individuals, and they are absent amongst the people of our times.
Meaning, that the insight of the Salaf in this affair has been largely lost and those who have it and act upon, in the required context and desired manner are rare to find, especially in these later times.
Those unique few individuals from the People of Knowledge who perform this task are considered to be those who split the ummah and bring upon harm to the Muslims! And anyone who follows in their path of giving sincerity of purpose to Allāh's religion is a “muqallid” (blind-follower) and “extreme”—and all of this is made blameworthy and undesirable under the slogans of “balance” and “moderation” and “taking the middle path” and “unity and cooperation between the Muslims”—as the Scholars have explained.
This is why from time to time, you will see and hear from some who have concealed themselves in the ranks of Ahl al-Sunnah—having no appreciation or experience of these affairs, not having been subject to any trials and tribulations therein—raising the slogan of “moderation” and “the balanced path” or “the balanced manhaj” and what is similar.
Al-Lālikā’ī reports with his sanad to Sulaymān bin Yasār that:[2]
A man from Banī Ghunaym who was called Subaygh bin ʿAsal approached Madīnah and he used to have books. So he began to ask about the mutashābih (unclear) from the Qurʾān. This reached ʿUmar, and so he went to him and had prepared for him some branches (tied together) from the date-palm tree. Then when he entered upon him, he said, “Who are you?” He said, “I am Abd Allāh bin Subaygh”. ʿUmar said, “And I am ‘Abd Allāh (the Servant of Allāh), ʿUmar”. And then he got close to him and began to strike him with those combined branches, and he did not stop beating him until he broke his head open and blood was flowing upon his face. So he said, “Enough, O Amīr al-Muʾminīn, for by Allāh, that which I found on my head has gone”.
If only we had the likes of ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) in our times to make a lesson out of the likes of Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, and Muḥammad al-Ghazālī and, Muḥammad Saʿīd Ramaḍān al-Būṭī, Ḥasan al-Turābī, and those of their ilk, there would have been less trials and tribulations in their lands.