Some Callers are Not Known to Clearly Adhere to the Way of the Salaf

Some Callers are Not Known to Clearly Adhere to the Way of the Salaf, & So Have Been Warned or Cautioned Against, Yet Some People Continue to Sit with them Saying that they have not Been Criticized with a Specific Detailed Criticism

[Translated from Sahab internet forum by Shaykh Rabee’]

Question: This questioner says there are some callers or speakers who are not clearly known to adhere to the methodology or the way of the first three generations, and so others have warned or cautioned against them. Yet some people continue to sit with these callers with the argument that those callers have not been criticized with a specific detailed criticism of their errors and that moreover some of them have been generally recommended by way of some of our scholars such as the guiding scholar Abdul Muhsin al ‘Abbaad and others. Such that the situation stands with the brothers divided regarding these callers between those adhere to that criticism of them and those that choose to accept that general recommendation of them. So what is your view regarding such callers?

Answer: My statement is that it is essential that such an individual whom the people differ about and are divided regarding, and who has not offered a testimony for himself, that he step forward and openly commits and invites to the way of the Salaf. As for the people’s reliance upon the general recommendation given to such a caller by so and so, or so and so, then certainly they are not infallible in their recommendations of individuals.

Because any recommendation is based upon someone’s outward state or observed condition, such that they may be one who puts on a pretended demeanor of compliance, and who outwardly professes that he stands upon the way of the Salaf and is upon the correct methodology; while internally, inside himself, he differs significantly with that which he has presented outwardly. As if his inner condition was actually in conformance with the outward façade he puts forward, it would inevitably show itself in slips of the tongue and unintended statements. It would reveal itself in his sittings, his lectures, and in his meetings with others. As the container will always leak out some of what it has inside, indeed every vessel spills out some of what it holds inside.

As such if he is truly Salafee and he teaches for any length of time, even if he only teaches geography or mathematics, the methodology of the Salaf will inevitably be observed from him. May Allaah bless you. It will be reflected in some form in his lessons and in his sittings and in other general circumstances. So I advise that an individual who has not made apparent this methodology, and is merely satisfied with a recommendation given to him by another, that he offers a witness and testimony for himself by openly reflecting his commitment to this methodology in his lessons as well as in every place or situation it is possible to do so. Indeed, the Ummah in recent times is in genuine need of being called to return to the methodology of the first generations.

So if this person, may Allaah bless you all, is from that category of people that it is said about them that they have only relied upon the recommendations of others but not offered a testimony or a clear statement on his own behalf, then he harms himself by concealing knowledge, by concealing his true belief, and concealing this methodology. And I am afraid that those verses that we mentioned previously which deal with the concealment of knowledge and the failure to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, will apply to him.

As from the greatest and most significant of evils, and from the most disgraceful of affairs in the sign of Allaah is that innovation in religion generally spreads unchallenged within this Ummah. Thereafter some people come forward seeking general recommendations without openly showing the hidden reality which they stand upon. Instead they only offer the outward claim that they adhere to the methodology of the first three generations.

On one occasion I spoke to the Sheikh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon him, when he had previously issued a statement that was similar to a general recommendation to Jama’at at-Tableegh, despite the fact that it contained a subtle and clever admonishment regarding what they possess of misguidance and ignorance of the religion. But they only seized upon and utilized those specific words which contained a degree of praise for them, and minimized whatever it contained of a subtle rebuke of them in regard to their beliefs and their methodology. So they exploited and announced the praise, and minimized and dismissed his criticism.

So when I had a sitting with the Sheikh and I said to him, “Oh our Sheikh, presently you have the position in this Ummah of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and the position of Ibn Taymeeyah, may Allaah have mercy upon them both; indeed you have a significant position in the eyes of the people. By this I mean that, if there comes from you a statement which the people consider a general recommendation for the group of Jama’at-Tableegh even if what you stated was not considerable. But they are crafty and clever, and have their own plans and aims, so they will exploit this general recommendation and praise (word not clear in tape) without showing what it also points to of their ignorance and misguidance.”

I continued speaking explaining this, and shedding light upon their way until I said: “Sheikh…,” he said, “Yes,” I said, “Did anyone from the people of Hadeeth from Hind or Pakistan or from the people of the foundation ‘Ansaara as-Sunnah’ of Egypt or Sudan come to you…” As at that time the foundation ‘Ansaar as-Sunnah’ of Egypt and of Sudan stood upon a high level of steadfastness upon the way of the first generations then afterwards they entered a period of trials and entering into politics, and there crept into their ranks harmful matters, such that they were shaken and became unsteady.

But I had said at that time, “Has anyone come to you from the people of hadeeth from Hind or from Pakistan or someone from ‘Ansaar as-Sunnah’ of Egypt or Sudan requesting a written recommendation stating that they were upon the truth and followed the Sunnah?” He said, “No.” I said, “Why didn’t they do so?” He said, “Why do you believe they didn’t?” I said, “Because their deeds and actions actually bore witness for them and testified that they stood upon the truth. But as for Jama’at at-Tableegh and groups like them, then their actions do not testify or bear witness for them at all. Rather their deeds condemn them and prove that they stand upon misguidance and the way of innovation in the religion.” Upon which the Sheikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, laughed.

So certainly, we see that for some of the people, neither their actions nor their stated positions bear testimony or witness that they are truly upon the way of the first generations of Muslims. Such that they are forced to resort to these other contemptible means in order to deceive some of the people of knowledge and feign compliance and subservience until they are able to receive a recommendation from them. Then, when they are satisfied and have received this, they go on their own way.

If only they then would refrain from spreading harm and evil upon the people of the truth and the Sunnah! Rather, they then proceed to ensnare the general people of the Sunnah using these recommendations. It acts as a trap through which they catch many of the young and cause them to deviate away from the clear methodology of the pious predecessors of the first generations. And from this category of individuals, I am aware of many who proceed upon this insincere and wicked path.

So we ask Allaah for protection and health and such that we are granted success, regardless of whether that be by having our actions stand as those which truly bears witness to the truth, or that He place within our deeds and actions that which bears witness to their goodness, righteousness and adherence to the methodology of the Salaf.