The Manhaj of Shaykh Al Albaani Rahimahullah regarding Takfir, Tafsiq, and Tabdi’; and his Manhaj rahimahu Allah in whether or not it is binding upon all to take the opinion of a ‘Aalim who has declared a person to be a Kafir, innovator, or open sinner, and to follow him in that

Shaykh Al Albaani Rahimahullah said:

It is not a condition ever that he who declares a person to be a Kafir and established against him the evidence, that all the people should be with him in his Takfir of that person, because it could be that he (the one who made Takfir of the other person) has interpreted it so, while another ‘Aalim sees that it is not allowed to make Takfir of that person, and the same applies with Tafsiq (calling someone a Fasiq, or open sinner) and Tabdi’ (calling someone a Mubtadi’, or innovator).

So this in reality is of the Fitan of the current times along with how the young ones hasten to make allegations against a ‘Aalim, the point being that this sequential [occurrence of a ‘Aalim calling someone a Kafir/Fasiq/Mubtadi’ and everyone following him in that ruling] and making it binding [to follow that ‘Aalim in his ruling] is not binding ever.

This is a wide door (i.e. there is flexibility in this area), it could be that a ‘Aalim views an issue to be obligatory while another views that it is not, and the ‘Ulamaa have not differed with each other before and after except because it is due to Ijtihad, it is not binding upon others to take his opinion; he for whom it is binding upon to to take the opinion of another is the Muqallid who does not posses any knowledge, and it is he for whom it is obligatory to make Taqlid. As for he who is a ‘Aalim, then it is not binding ever for him to follow the ‘Aalim who made Takfir or Tafsiq or Tabdi’ of a person so long as he does not hold the same opinion.

Ref: Silsilah Al-Huda Wal-Nur, no. 778

Taken from http://www.salafibayaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Answering-the-ghulaat.pdf