Shaykh Saalih bin
Fawzaan wrote:
From among the aspects
of the days of jaahiliyyah is that they used the majority as a proof of the
truth and the minority as a proof of falsehood. According to them,
whatever the majority of the people are upon is the truth and whatever the
minority are upon is not the truth. Hence, in their view, this is the yardstick
in distinguishing the truth from falsehood. However, this is an error, because Allaah
the most High said: “And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will
mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow not except assumption, and they
are not but falsifying.”[1]
Allaah also said: “But most of
the people do not know.”[2]
He also said: “And We did not
find for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them defiantly
disobedient.”[3]
Therefore, the yardstick in knowing the truth is not the large number [of
people holding such view] or few numbers [of people holding such view]; rather
the yardstick is the truth. Whosoever is upon the truth – even if he is alone –
he is the right person and it is obligatory to follow him. And if the majority
is upon falsehood, it is obligatory to abandon them and not to be beguiled by
them. Consideration should be given to the truth. As such, the scholars stated:
The truth is not known by men; rather men are known by the truth. So it is obligatory to follow whosoever is upon the truth.
Hence, consideration should not be given to the majority; rather it
should be to what is correct and the truth. Of course, it is good if the majority
is upon the truth; but the Sunnah of Allaah is that the majority will
be upon falsehood [most of the time]. He said: “And most
of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly”[4],
“And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will
mislead you from the way of Allaah.”[5]
Source: Sharh Masaa’il
al-Jaahiliyyah, pp. 60-62 by Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve
him)
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