The Rawāfiḍ
Imām ‘Ali Ibn Abī al-‘Izz al-Ḥanafi
[D. 792H] said:
Who could be more astray than those who have malice in their hearts against the people who are
the best of the Muslim ummah and the most honoured of Allāh’s awliyā’
In a way, they (i.e. the Rawāfiḍ) are worse than the Jews and Christians; if
the Jews were asked regarding the best
of their ummah they would answer with the companions of Mūsā. Likewise,
if the Christians were asked regarding
the best of their ummah they would answer with the companions of ‘Isā. However,
when the Rawāfiḍ are questioned as to the worst of their ummah they answer with
the companions of Muḥammad ṣal Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Yet,
if one were to compare them – you will
find those whom they slander (i.e. the Ṣaḥābah and righteous Salafī scholars who came after them) to
be better than those they do not (i.e. their own corrupt leaders).
[Sharḥ
al-‘Aqīdah aṭ-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, (p. 469)]
