Ottoman Fatwa: Whoever Reviles the two Shaykhs is a Kafir, Whoever declares Baraa' for the Madh-habs of Abu Hanifa and Shafi'i have Disbelieved
By Abul Layth
I recently stumbled upon a short treatise called, “Risalah fi takfir ar-rawafid” or ‘Treatise (or letter) regarding the declaration of disbelief upon those who revile the Sahabah’ written by Shaykh ul Islam Ahmad ibn Sulayman Ibn Kamaal Basha (Pasha in Turkish), well known as Ibn Kamaal (d. 940 A.H.). I am not certain, but I think that Ibn Kamaal Basha was the teacher of the famous grand Shaykh of the Ottomans, Abu Su’ud (spelled Ebu Su’ud by some). It is interesting to note that the Ottomans referred to these rawafid as “Qizilbaash” – or those having a ‘red-head’, a term used to refer to the Safawid sect of raafidis who were prevalent in the times of the Turkish Ottomans. The following is a rough translation of an interesting excerpt from the treatise that I would like to share with the readers of Seekingilm. I would like to clearly state that this fatwa was revelant at the time of the Ottomans some 500 years ago, and may not be applicable in todays time for legal reasons one needn’t delve into within this medium. I have chosen to translate and upload this fatwa because I believe it holds historical, as well as academic relevance in the circles of the Sunnis or Muslim Traditionalists. Again, this fatwa must be taken in context and must be understood in the political sphere of 900 A.H. Now to the excerpt: