Assalamualaikum

I didn’t get an opportunity to watch the initial video, but alhamdulillah I managed to soak up this document like a sponge. Vast amount of information in there.

JazakAllah khair ya sheikh, may Allah swt preserve you and increase you in knowledge.

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Fundamentals of the True Traditionalist Methodology

This methodology is generally based on the following principles and fundamentals:

1. Judging by the infallible texts, not by men’s sayings.
2. Having recourse, in determining the meaning of the intricate (texts), to the perspicuous ones of the inconclusive ones to the conclusive ones.
3. Understanding secondary concepts and subsidiary judgments in the light of the principles and generalities.
4. Advocating ijtihad (personal reasoning) and renewal, and denouncing rigidity and imitation.
5. Advocating commitment (to proper conduct), not looseness, in the field of morals.
6. Advocating facilitation, not complication. in the field of jurisprudence.
7. Advocating tabshir (being affable to people and giving them a nice and kind example) rather than tanfir (scaring them away by behaving harshly with them) in the field of guidance.
8. Devoting attention to the cultivation of true and firm belief, not argumentation, h1 the field of faith.
9. Devoting attention to content, not form, in the field of worship.
10. Paying attention to adherence to rules in religious matters, and innovation of rules in earthly matters.

This is the essence of the methodology followed by the early believers and applied in the theoretical and practical education of the cream of this nation’s generations, who were praised by Allah in the Holy Quran and by the Prophet in the hadith, and proved to be worthy of that praise as told by history, for they have handed down to their successors the Holy Quran after they had led a life in which they kept the approved practices, accomplished conquests, spread justice and goodwill, established the State of science and belief and laid the foundations of a universal, moralistic, humanitarian and religious civilization whose memory is still alive in history.

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_Priorities/ch3p1.htm#Fundamentals%20of%20the%20True%20Traditionalist%20Methodology

Corss-posted on other article/lecture too:

Assalam alaykum Sh. Yasir,

I have an interesting quote from Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn Hajar on the issue of the born Muslim (following Islam ‘coz he was born into it – Muqallid Believer/Muslim, as you called it):

“…Most Muslims are born to two Muslim parents, essentially becoming Muslims by name, without there being any actual faith on their part. Then, when they reach puberty, from them are those that are blessed with actual faith, performing their obligations. Likewise, from them are those who perform these acts out of ingrained habit, and just to go along with his relatives, the people of the land in which he lives, etc. For example, he gives Zakah simply because it is a habitual tradition that the ruler collects tax, and not because he realizes either the generality or specifics of the obligation to pay it. So, in his eyes, there is no difference between the innovated tax and the legislated Zakah. Such is the case with the inhabitant of Makkah who goes out to ‘Arafat every year simply because this is the way it is done, without realizing the generality or specifics of this being an act of worship of Allah.

So, the acts of worship performed by such people is invalid, without a doubt. In fact, the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as the consensus of the Ummah, are clear in the ruling that these actions do not fulfill the obligation placed upon their doer…

…So, the Islam of most people is by name, only. Rather, it (faith) only enters into their hearts during the course of the matter (i.e., later in their lives), if it enters at all. So, were this intention not to be obligatory upon them, they would not at all attempt to have it, and their hearts would be empty of it, and they would essentially be hypocrites, carrying out their actions out of habit and imitation, as is the case with many people.”

['Majmu' al-Fatawa'; 26/32]

Also, commenting on the hadith of the questioning in the grave: “…as for the hypocrite or disbeliever, it will be asked of him: ‘What did you say about this man?’ He will say: ‘I do not know! I used to say what I heard the people saying!’” Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani said:

“And in it is the blameworthiness of believing in something in order to follow others, due to the punishment that will be meted out to the one who said: ‘I used to hear the people saying something, so, I said it.’”

['Fath al-Bari'; 3/284]

Adapted from Iskandrani.wordpress.com

Doesn’t IT’s statement indicate something different from what you stated in the lecture?

Thanks in advance!

Wassalam