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On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture] | Dr. Yasir Qadhi

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Shaykh Yasir Qadhi’s recent lecture Rethinking Salafism: Shifting Trends and Changing Typologies Post Arab Spring at Georgetown University. The lecture starts at 3:40.

This post will cover 4 topics:

  1. Definitions: What is Salafī Islam?
  2. Positive contributions of the Salafī trend
  3. Criticisms of Salafism
  4. Concluding remarks

1. Definitions: What is Salafī Islam?

What exactly is ‘Salafism’? In the absence of a unanimously agreed upon definition, I propose to elucidate the modern Salafī phenomena via an outline of its beginnings, an assessment of its particular characteristics, manifestations of it in various contemporary groups, and a discussion of its positive and not so positive contributions to Islam and our global society.

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Within the context of our modern World, or to be more precise over the last half a century, the term ‘Salafī’ has come to designate an Islamic methodology, the aspirational objective of which is the emulation of the Prophetic example via the practices and beliefs of the earliest generations of Islam. This is because the first three Islamic generations, in being closest to the era of Muḥammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and the period of revelation, are understood to best embody the Prophetic Sunnah, and thus a pristine Islam.

Inasmuch as the term refers to a methodology, it would be fair to say that it does not specify any one particular or distinct community or group of believers. The generic nature of this term is further illustrated by the fact that more than a dozen distinct groups either identify themselves as Salafī, in that they believe themselves to be on the Salafī manhaj (methodology), or they do not object to the term being ascribed to them even if they themselves do not use it. Whilst saying this, however, it is worth noting that every one of these groups considers the correct application of the term exclusive to itself, alleging that all other claimants are not representative of ‘true Salafism’. This being the case, an outline of the various points of agreement and disagreement amongst the multiple strands of Salafī Islam is a prerequisite to a comprehensive understanding of ‘Salafism’.

1.1 Points of consensus among Salafī movements

There are some general characteristics that are present in all manifestations of Salafism, without exception. In particular:

1)    they consider themselves alone as correctly espousing the teachings and beliefs of the salaf al-ṣāliḥ. In particular, they affirm the theological creed that was narrated from them (typically called the ‘atharī’ creed’)

2)    they categorically reject any possibility of metaphoric or symbolic interpretation of the Divine Names and Attributes (tawḥīd al-asmāʾ wa’l-ṣifāt), a hallmark of the sects such as the Muʿtazilah and the Ashāʿirah

3)    they absolutely affirm God’s exclusive right to be worshipped (tawḥīd al-ulūhiyyah) and refute anything that may compromise this directly, or lead to its being compromised. Hence, syncretic practices of certain Sufīs (e.g., extreme saint veneration, intercession of the dead, etc.) are condemned.

4)     they oppose all reprehensible innovations (bidʿa) and dissociate from those who ascribe to them (ahl al-bidʿah). There is especially staunch opposition to Shīʿism, particularly because of the Shīʿite doctrine of dissociating from most of the Companions.

5)    they respect and take recourse to the legal and theological opinions of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). It is important to note, however, that Ibn Taymiyya cannot, and is not, considered a progenitor for the modern Salafī movement, as they view themselves as having no one single founder after the Prophet Muḥammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

1.2 Points of contention among Salafī groups

While there is general agreement on the above, there are numerous issues in which disagreement abounds, and each point of contention is manifested in a spectrum of opinions. Foremost amongst these issues are:

  1. Position with respect to the validity and necessity of following one of the jurisprudential schools (madhāhib):

The numerous Salafī strands hold conflicting positions with regard to the ruling on adhering to a particular madhhab, so much so that it has been a source of tension amongst them.

a)  Impermissible: opposition to the canonization of the schools of law was historically a feature of the Ẓāhirī school (of Ibn Ḥazm, d. 456H). The modern revival of this ‘anti-madhhab’ trend can be traced back to Muḥammad Ḥayāt al-Sindhī (d. 1163) who influenced al-Ṣanʿānī (d. 1182), al-Shawkānī (d. 1250), Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (d. 1307),[1] and, most recently, Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī (d. 2000).  All of these individuals were decidedly anti-madhhabist.

b)  Discouraged but not invalid: some Salafī movements permit the lay person to follow a madhhab in times of necessity, obliging him to go with the dalīl (stronger evidence) when it is made known to him. [2]

c)  Permissible: By and large, Sunnī Islam has considered adherence to a madhhab recommended or obligatory for a lay Muslim, and this is also found in some strands of Salafī Islam. Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (d. 1206),[3] champion of the ‘Najdi da‘wah’ was influenced by al-Sindhī in theology but remained a committed follower of the Ḥanbalī school of law, considering the practice of Islam’s rites and rituals within the paradigm of a madhhab to be both valid and praiseworthy.

  1. Dissociation from ahl al-bidʿa.

Theoretically, all Salafīs dissociate from religious innovations and those who adhere to and propagate them. However, the scope and method of how this dissociation is implemented at the practical level varies from group to group and from scholar to scholar.

Those with the strictest stance on this issue inevitably cast a wide net of ‘guilt by association’: if person B associates with known deviant A, then person B is declared deviant. If person C then associates with deviant B, now he too becomes a deviant, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. The unfortunate, though predictable, product of such disaffiliation and judgment is the precipitation of further division and splintering within this brand of the Salafī community.

This methodology is the defining group of the ‘Madkhalīs’ (students of the Saudi Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), who legitimise this practice by considering it an extension of the science of al–Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl (the science of ‘ḥadīth criticism’ whereby Ḥadīth specialists deem narrators to be reliable or not). While in recent years the popularity of the Madkhalī strand has waned considerably, many non-Madkhalī Salafīs continue to adopt a hardline attitude on this point, refusing even to invite persons of different viewpoints to their conferences and gatherings.

However, some Salafī scholars and groups adopt a more lenient stance in this regard, and are willing to allow co-operation with some non-Salafī communities (for example, allowing cooperation with Deobandis, but not Shīʿīs).

  1. Theological position on ‘īmān’ (faith) and whether actions constitute a requisite part of īmān or are subsidiary to it.

The discussion of īmān and what it connotes is a relatively modern question, one that arose in the latter part of the 90s when Sh. al-Albānī stated that he did not consider actions to be a necessary part of īmān.[4] The standard Salafī position prior to this, and the explicit position of Ibn Taymiyya and the scholars affirming Atharī theology, was that certain actions are a necessary requirement of faith and the absence of such actions contradicted the presence of īmān.

  1. The level of allegiance and obedience toward an Islamic ruler (ṭāʿat walī al-amr), and the amount of political activism allowed.

This point is a vast and convoluted one, and perhaps the most obvious issue of disagreement to those outside of the movement. The levels of political activism and political dissent, and the necessity of allegiance and loyalty to the Muslim rulers, and the ‘Islam’ of an illegitimate ruler, are theological ‘grey’ areas that various Salafī scholars have attempted to negotiate in today’s ever-volatile political climate. The positions can be summarized as follows:

a)  Criticizing a legitimate ruling authority is doctrinally prohibited tantamount to sin and deviation. Some Salafīs, in particular the ‘mainstream’ Saudi Salafīs and Madkhalīs, are extremely pro-government.[5]

b)  Questioning and advising the ruling authority is an extension of al-amr bi’l-maʿrūf wa’l-nahy ʿan al-munkar (‘advising the good and forbidding evil’). Some Salafīs view voicing opposition to government policy as a legitimate and necessary extension of the Islamic notion of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and equate it with the Islamic principle of attempting to prevent an oppressor from committing his oppression. Examples of this are the Ṣaḥwa scholars of Saudi Arabia, who will be discussed below.

c)  Questioning the legitimacy of all rulers of Muslim lands. There are some Salafī groups who consider all the rulers of Muslim lands (or: only those who do not rule by the Sharīʿah), to be illegitimate and regard them as disbelievers, whose legitimacy should be contested, perhaps by force.[6]

  1. The issue of takfīr (deeming the belief of a Muslim to be invalid) and in particular takfīr of the rulers who don’t judge by the laws of the Sharīʿah (al-ḥukm bi ghayr mā anzal Allah).[7]

Once again, there is a spectrum of opinion[8]:

a)  rulers of Muslim lands who judge by secular laws are believers. Some scholars, such as the previous Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Bāz (d. 1999) and Shaykh al-Albānī, held the view that a ruler who judged by secular laws is still a believer (unless certain conditions, difficult to verify, exist). They argued that this is a sin that does not in itself expel them from the fold of Islam.

b)  such rulers are treated as Muslim, and obeyed for the greater good of the community, but their action of ruling by other than Allah is major kufr. This is the view of many middle-of-the-road Salafīs, such as Shaykh Muḥammad b. Sāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn (d. 2001).

c)  rulers of Muslim lands who rule by secular laws have fallen into kufr, and their rule is illegitimate and their belief negated; hence allegiance to them is null and void. This group consists of the hard-liners, represented by figures like Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī and Abū Musʿab al-Sūrī, whose writings inspire the jihadist-Salafī movements, which leads us to our next point.

  1. Position with respect to jihād. Whilst the majority of groups championing Salafism are pacifist, there are minority voices within the overall ‘Salafī movement’ who adopt a more ‘militarist’ position. They consider a military jihād a binding obligation, either on some segments of the Ummah, or on all eligible members of the Ummah. They focus on either or both of the following:

(i)  removing secular rulers from Muslim lands.

(ii)  maintaining perpetual conflict against non-Muslim governments that have militarily intervened in Muslim lands.

Typically, and understandably, the last three points (i.e., the question of ruling by other than Allah, challenging the belief of the Muslim non-Sharʿī ruler, and the issue of jihād) are intrinsically interconnected. Those holding the harshest views on the legitimacy and belief of a ruler who judges by other than the law of God inevitably adopt the most radical position in pronouncing takfīr and thus lay the foundations for necessitating military jihād.

1.3  Some prominent Salafī Groups[9]

  1. Mainstream Saudi Salafism. This is the largest and most prominent of the Salafī groups, as exemplified by the majority of Saudi clerics. These clerics typically adhere to a madhhab (almost always the Ḥanbalī one), are pacifist, and loyal to their rulers. This group, as represented by the Saudi scholarly community, avoids blanket takfīr, and remains vocally critical of extremist jihād groups.
  1. Shaykh al-Albānī’s Jordanian strand of Salafism. Another significant group in terms of adherents, they are extremely anti-madhhabist, and advocate for a strictly dalīl-based jurisprudence. Politically, they are quietest, actively avoiding anything to do with rulers or jihādist Salafīs, although perhaps their revocation of the latter is not as pronounced as that of the first group. This group also tends to be the most literalist in fiqh and strict in its application of the concept of bidʿa to practices that most other Salafīs would view as innocuous (for example, giving adhān inside the masjid, or having marked rows on the carpets, or having other than three steps on the minbar, and so forth).
  1. The Ṣaḥwa movement of Saudi Arabia has been involved in peaceful political reform, without calling for overthrowing the rulers. Clerics like Shaykh Salman al-Oadah, and Shaykh Safar al-Ḥawalī before him, are representative of this trend. For the most part, this group has proven to be politically savvy and extremely active on social media; as a result of this, they have garnered some measure of mass appeal amongst the more educated youth. Their concern for Muslims has been manifested in their active involvement in fighting the social problems in their societies.
  1. The Madkhalī trend is a smaller sub-sect of the Saudi Salafīs. They are a unique strand and more of an exception to the general Salafī trend. Their methodology is inherently the most divisive. This trend tends to almost exclusively concentrate on other individuals and whether those individuals are on the correct Salafī path or not. The Madkhlīs are continuously splintering amongst themselves, based on who in particular is currently ‘on’ or ‘off’ the manhaj. In terms of relevance, they are a dwindling community, as evidenced in the shrill desperation of their hysterical refutations and the minimal impact these refutations make.[10]
  1. Egyptian Salafism – also representing a wide spectrum of views – has, for the large part, been in some disarray since the Arab Spring. Typically, Egyptian Salafīs have been most influenced by the Jordanian-Albānī branch, and hence are extremely literalist in fiqh. There is also a Madhkhalī equivalent amongst Egyptian Salafīs. One also finds, as in all countries, that they have radically different political orientations. The most significant branch, the Noor Party, has adopted a staunchly pro-Sisi position, while others remain apolitical, and some have come out criticizing the current regime. We are currently witnessing a huge overhaul in Egyptian Salafism, and it is too early to fully assess the various positions being adopted and the nuances that will emerge.[11]
  1. Takfīri Salafīs: These typically emphasize takfīr issues, in particular making takfīr against non-Sharʿī rulers, but do not call for jihād against them since (from their perspective) the time is not right and the conditions are not appropriate. This group characteristically highlights the travesties of Western foreign policies against the Muslim people and their lands and the hypocritical positions of Muslim authorities. There is an overarching preoccupation with the notion of walāʾ wa-l-barāʾ (loyalty and disloyalty), which is manifested most in their defense of all Muslim groups who fight against the West, regardless of the legitimacy of their tactics. Their frequent and casual resort to takfīr has often resulted in their leveling the charge of hypocrisy (nifāq) and disbelief (kufr) on their critics. This group shares much with the Madkhalīs in terms of manners and harshness but remains staunchly opposed to them because of their difference of opinion on Muslim governments. Some contemporary personalities subscribing to this particular strand of Salafism include Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī and Abū Muṣʿab al-Sūrī; they have a small yet dedicated following in the West (primarily composed of young men[12] influenced by the American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was assassinated by a targeted US drone attack in 2012). While most members of this group do not actively engage in jihād themselves, their writings lay the foundations for the position of the next group.
  1. Radical jihādist Salafīs: Encompassing radical theological and political positions, this ‘strand’ of Salafism includes militant organizations like  al-Qaeda and ISIS. While I have differentiated between these last two categories, many would correctly point out that they are a continuum, without a clear dividing line separating them. It is worthy of mention, here, that though they may espouse some strain of the Salafī methodology in their theological positions, they are typically condemned by all other Salafīs on account of their militancy. Additionally, these groups emphasize issues that most others Salafīs don’t (such as their version of jihād) and ignore issues that mainstream Salafīs would discuss. (For the record, it should be noted that these groups originated from a union of splintered sub groups of the Muslim Brotherhood and Saudi Salafism in the early 1980s – hence, technically, they are not of ‘pure’ Salafī origin).

The cursory and incomplete list above demonstrates the problem in attributing the term ‘Salafī’ to any one of these designated groups. The existence of so much disagreement between the various strands of Salafīs highlights the very real problem of describing as ‘Salafī’ any of the above issues as one collective whole: none of these individual groups is representative of Salafism in its entirety.

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Sh. Dr. Yasir Qadhi is someone that believes that one's life should be judged by more than just academic degrees and scholastic accomplishments. Friends and foe alike acknowledge that one of his main weaknesses is ice-cream, which he seems to enjoy with a rather sinister passion. The highlight of his day is twirling his little girl (a.k.a. "my little princess") round and round in the air and watching her squeal with joy. A few tid-bits from his mundane life: Sh. Yasir has a Bachelors in Hadith and a Masters in Theology from Islamic University of Madinah, and a PhD in Islamic Studies from Yale University. He is an instructor and Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib, and the Resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center.

542 Comments

542 Comments

  1. Mahmud

    April 22, 2014 at 2:48 AM

    Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

    I skimmed through it, but I skim pretty well.

    Hat’s of, this is the very best full explanation of Salafism I’ve ever come across.

    1)I would put in the article that siding with the enemies of Islam (Sisi) is a sign of nifaq and I would add some more criticism of the various groups, especially the Madkhalee followers and takfiri inclined types.

    2)I would also add a section on how Muslims should deal with certain types. For example, when it comes to the followers of Rabee al Madkhalee, a man whose evil has spread so far and wide it’s a joke he’s given any good title(like Sheikh or Imam of Jarh), I would advise Muslims on how to deal with them
    E.g. the way I deal with them is whenever I find them slandering a righteous man, I defend that Muslim so I’ve defended a Muslims honor in his absence and I also call their manhaj deviated and evil and make a public dua the Ummah is protected from such deviants like them. I call them deviants because I know it hits their psyche. They are deviants. They follow a manhaj of lies and slander.
    So while defending the Muslim they’ve just slandered, I call them out for being deviants and innovators(I should call them blind followers and partisans/hizbis the next time I confront them-both apply to them and I know it gets to them), I wait for the barrage of attacks to focus on me. I remember that their disgusting behavior is a burden to them and I’m happy that I focused their nastiness on to me and turned it away from another Muslim. Then I leave and praise Allah aza wa jal I’m not anywhere in close proximity to them.

    Another toxic group are the Khawaarij like takfiris who will say ‘YOU ARE SLANDERING THE MUJAHIDEEN, WHY DON’T YOU GO FIGHT YOU COWARD” when I try to tell them killing innocent people is unacceptable and so is suicide bombing.

    I hope you have some tips on how to deal with that group…….saying “you are just a bunch of young men” doesn’t really cut it. I’m a young man. I’m 20. That’s not the best criticism. I need a way to deal with those aggressive guys(and girls.)

    But all in all, a wonderful piece. The only BIG thing I feel missing is tips on how to deal with them, especially the Madkhali followers(both the followers and those who act like them) and the takfiri types.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:08 AM

      Thanks for your comments. This article wasn’t intended to address tips on how to deal with Salafis. And at this stage, I don’t foresee myself writing such an article. But feel free to do so yourself and insha Allah MM can look into publishing it.

      Reply

      • aliyaimadudeen

        April 23, 2014 at 5:16 AM

        Assalamu Alaykum Shaykh,

        Yesterday I’ve read your posts about studying in Medina (http://on.fb.me/LfSnSP), because I also have a target to get there, hopefully there can be a further article to discuss about it.

        Also want to ask, why did you choose Yale instead Oxford or Cambridge or continue doctoral in Medina?

        Thank you for the answer. :D

        Reply

      • Abdul Hameed

        April 23, 2014 at 3:56 PM

        Yaser Qadhi.What ever good coming from you is due to MADINA association and what ever bad is coming to you is from PhD you did in the western university.There are thousands of salafi scholars who are more knowledgeable than you and not a single one would consider worth to comment against you.That is their greatness.There are enough ignorant who would fall in your trap but ultimately you will fail miserably.

        It is the time for you to pray sincerely this dua.Rabbana la tuzie kuloobana baeda Id hadytana Wa hablana minladunka rahma innaka antal wahhab.
        You are slipping and try to stand up before you fall flat on the ground.Allah gives chance for all to correct and cone back to truth.Put your best effort and dua for av speedy recovery.

        Abdul Hameed M H
        Mangalore.India.

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 24, 2014 at 9:13 AM

          Whatever good has come from me, is due to Allah and solely to Allah. Whatever bad has come from me, is from the whisperings of Shaytan, and from my sins, and Allah and His Messenger are free of it.

          Reply

      • Hassan

        April 28, 2014 at 1:03 AM

        Assalamu Shaykh Yasir
        I’d appreciate your thoughts on this. According to the Mardan fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah he said it was permissible to use force to change rulers who arn’t ruling by the sharia.
        What is your opinion on this? Can the uprisings in Syria justified based on this fatwa or was Ibn Taymiyyah’s fatwa relevant only for his time?
        Please explain.

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 28, 2014 at 9:58 AM

          Salam

          Such fatwas are useful references, but we can’t and shouldn’t just cut/paste fatwas and re-apply them in our times. Scholars can and should benefits from such fatwas, but they also need to see what is the same and what is different in our times.

          Let each region’s scholars decide what is best for their peoples. As someone who has no experience living in Syria, I don’t feel qualified telling the Syrian people what exactly they should do.

          On the other hand, you don’t need any experience in Syria to state that the current non-Muslim anti-religious Pharoanic regime is one of the worst and most evil and brutal dictatorships the world has seen.

          Yasir

          Reply

          • Muhammad

            April 28, 2014 at 2:33 PM

            Dear Brother Yassir, I read your article on Salafism and I must admit that it is one of the most comprehensive I’ve read, That said. I don’t share your view on Syria, The Government of Syria is not an, anti-religious regime. Syria has 0ver 5,500 years of religious Historical Artifacts that the Nifaq-Taqfiris Jihadi/Zionist have destroyed. The Al-Bath Party of Syria are made up of a diverse group of multi sect Muslims, Christians, and minorities. the Al-bath protects the Minorities from dangerous extremist. While it has committed unspeakable crimes , and needs to be reformed, it did not deserve the violent calamity that was wrought upon it, nor did the Syrian People, deserve such wicked and hateful Barbarism. And
            If this is all the the Muslim World has to look forward to, in the Future then I’ll pass. The crimes that are being committed by, these Nihilist Takfiri “Convert to Islam or die” Mad men Ulimah of Saudi is to say the least, frightening and Archaic in Nature. What is to
            become of the Islamic Ummah, by Allowing such sick and dangerous Infantile behavior to persist. Moreover allowing outside Zionist influence to cause Civil War and Fratricide among Muslims. The Prophet(SAW) would not be proud of us today, Allowing Anglo-Christian/Zionist to come in to the land of Islam and foment decent and destruction in Muslim Lands.
            And it would help if learned Men like you, spoke out on such matters. If such Turmoil and Chaos continue to persist throughout the Muslim World, Hypocrisy, Fratricide, and oppression will rule, Humanity will suffer and Mankind will loose hope in Islam! Islam is supposed to be the Hope and light of the world. Our Enemies are rejoicing! They’ve found away to destroy Muslims and defame Islam!

          • Mahmud

            April 28, 2014 at 8:16 PM

            Muhammad-secularists are kuffar, and these secularists of yours don’t judge by Allah’s law. The mujahideen aren’t Zionist, no matter how much you slander them, they are Muslim. Yes, some like ISIL are Khaawarij and are spreading fasad but that is no excuse to support the secularists who are disbelievers and the Rafidhi Shia.

            And if by extremist you mean ISIL, well unfortunately all they have going for them is some sweet propaganda, some good looking buildings, slogans, dawah handouts but there are some very bloodthirsty Khaawarij among them. There were sincere Mujahideen among them who abandoned them(I think even judges, Kurds and so on) once they realized they were on the wrong side.

            And it’s the MUJAHIDEEN who are fighting these extremist Khaawarij-NOT Asad. Asad and these Khaaawarij don’t fight each other, they fight Muslims. They know if one of them goes, the full force of the mujahideen will be against them.

            And yes, even among the mujahideen we find some wrong actions like suicide bombing and we may find some mistakes. But even the Sahaba RA committed mistakes in war.

          • Hassan

            April 29, 2014 at 3:04 AM

            Assalamu Alaikum Shaykh Yasir
            Jazakallah khair for your input, in fact I was reading the Mardan fatwa and it was said the word Ibn Taymiyya used was misquoted instead of ” should be fought” he implied ” should be treated” and the original manuscript can be found in the Azhariya Library in Cairo.
            What is your opinion on this? Please explain and keep up the good work.

      • Arif Ahmad

        August 6, 2014 at 4:23 PM

        No, Mr. Qadhi, mainstream Sunni Islam, Ashari and Maturidi, has not “fallen into shirk” like the Wahabis have claimed. As for your saying that the Wahabis have been guarded themselves by not seeking the help of others than Allah, this is a lie:

        Saud and the scholars of the Saud dynasty have not only asked for madad from the kufaar, but they have allowed them to stay in the Hijaz, as their protectors. They have asked for madam from Britain when they fought the Caliphate as well.

        Tell me, then, Mr. Qadhi, is tawassul thought our Prophet, saw, “haram”, and the waseela of USA jaiz?

        Reply

      • Adem

        August 11, 2014 at 1:06 AM

        Aw brother Yasir ,yuo are commiting mistakes. Even if they are (salafists) making mistakes this is not the way to correct them. Your aim must be correcting the mistakes not insalting or propagation. I advice you to study sira and to understand the righteuos islam. Yuo should know tha Islam is devin religion you are not allowed to teach only by your opinion .
        My brothet yasir our in religion is to get jenah not supriority .
        Your brother Adem (theologist )

        Reply

      • OUSMANE

        October 18, 2014 at 4:35 PM

        oh my brother and dear Doctor Yasir,
        what can we say if not to say Alhamdulillah, may ALLAH rewards you immensely , we need people like you who help the Ummah who seem to be lost in the middle of all these movements.
        Allah called us muslims,that should be enough for us.
        Jazakallah khairan Dr

        Reply

      • Ismail

        December 26, 2014 at 7:06 PM

        Salaams shaik Yasir

        I met you earlier this evening in makkah. I told you that I’m from South Africa. If I can meet you again I would love to.

        Please advise.

        Shukran

        Reply

      • Sebih

        March 31, 2015 at 5:20 PM

        MashaAllah respectful Şeyh
        A wonderful and very beneficial article. We would really be happy to see you writing same articles about each presence movements in Umme.
        Jezakallahu Ğayr.

        Reply

      • Mohammad Hammad ullah

        April 27, 2015 at 12:32 PM

        Assalamoalaikum,
        This article surely was an eye opener. I did have some misconceptions that have got cleared.
        Ya Allah guide us all and accept us to be your loyal servants. And make us of those who help one another in guidance rather than just pointing out the errors. Amin.

        Reply

      • ghazzali isah

        October 4, 2015 at 4:05 PM

        all praise due to Allah who has given us life free of charge just to warshipp Him alone
        shaikh yasr qadhi May Allah continue help u in what u do and give long life protect u and ur whole family

        indeed i very happy to get this access becouse i tok long time want tok with theres no access bt now Alhamdulillah thank alot

        Reply

      • Jason Hoelzel

        July 4, 2016 at 11:44 PM

        Hi Yasir! I am a New Yorker reading this article and your work for the first time. I don’t know anything about you, but I just want to say I appreciate the work you are doing and I want to encourage you! Thanks for an insightful read!

        Reply

      • Mumtaz Lakhani

        August 27, 2016 at 10:50 AM

        Why did you leave salafi Slam? Which group did you belong to in past and what do you follow now.m

        Reply

      • Sunny Mullick

        December 22, 2016 at 11:09 AM

        Assalamoalaikum
        Brother are you planning to start any face to face/postal/offline educational venture in India, more specifically Kolkata?
        I hope you will do so in near future..
        If there is any such venture already please let me know..
        Jazak Allah

        Reply

      • Yusuf

        July 4, 2018 at 11:21 AM

        An interesting point to note is how Yasir Qadhi thinks he’s a scholar, refuting Salafism, as if he has knowledge of the Deen. Just because he went to Madinah doesn’t mean he’s a scholar. Anyone can get misguided. For example, picture taking is haraam, as agreed by Ibn Baz, Al Albaanee and the Ahadeeth prohibiting Taswir. He also made lies against Al Albanee, Abdul Wahhaab and many other lies. The Salafis are not extremists, neither are they Takfiris.

        http://www.bakkah.net/en/shaykh-saalih-al-fowzaan-on-the-reality-of-yasir-qadhi.htm

        Reply

      • yusuf

        July 4, 2018 at 11:23 AM

        An interesting point to note is how Yasir Qadhi thinks he’s a scholar, refuting Salafism, as if he has knowledge of the Deen. Just because he went to Madinah doesn’t mean he’s a scholar. Anyone can get misguided.

        http://www.bakkah.net/en/shaykh-saalih-al-fowzaan-on-the-reality-of-yasir-qadhi.htm

        Reply

    • Edward Kefas

      April 25, 2014 at 1:48 PM

      It doesn’t take much courage to attack the traditionalists / salafees at Yale or elsewhere, especially as it is a waning movement, whereas criticizing modern gender rights issues could cost you your ph.d or job. I’d like to see the YQs put their pensive pose repeatedly next to an article on the shariah ruling for the LGBTs.

      Loud Condemning of the murder of thousands of beardless MB youth peaceful protestors in egypt would also be a good move for the Bowering-Griffel mystics at Yale, and for the sheikhs at al azar.

      God willing.

      it seems Pharasaic Scholasticism marks the decline of the Islamic Civilization.The companions were men of action, not bookworms debating how many angels can fit on the end of a pin.

      But what do I know , I didn’t study at medina, nor could I have. I only wish to approach, get closer to, the teachings of an illiterate prophet.

      Reply

    • Kev

      August 4, 2014 at 10:33 AM

      :159 Those who have divided their system and become sects, you are not with them in anything. Their matter will be with God, then He will inform them of what they had done.
      Good luck to so called Muslims,most of you have strayed from the path,Keep reading your beloved Hadiths and stay separated.

      Reply

      • Ben The Moor

        August 12, 2014 at 8:57 AM

        @Kev ,at last just comment that made full sense ,, good job. praise be to God

        Reply

    • Umm Abdullaah

      August 9, 2014 at 7:22 AM

      Just a reminder: Based on the following statement “Rabee al Madkhalee, a man whose evil has spread so far and wide it’s a joke he’s given any good title(like Sheikh or Imam of Jarh),” The flesh of the scholar is poison…and Allaah (exposing) removing the cover from the one who belittles the scholar, this is well known. And talking about them in a manner in which they are innocent is a tremendous (horrendous) affair. And to eat of their honor with lies is a matter that is shameful. It is known that Allaah causes the heart (of the one who does this) to die before their body dies.

      And they only harm themselves, and they acquire humiliation, because Truly, Allaah defends those who believe. (Al-Hajj, ayah 38) And Allaah will not allow any good to come from the actions of the evil doers.

      Reply

    • Malhar Zawahir

      April 18, 2015 at 1:47 PM

      Asalamu alaikom, always good to watch this video,
      Baarak Allahu feek, as it was one of the first things I saw – and had a tremendous effect on me, Alhumdulilah

      http://salaf-us-saalih.com/2014/10/01/this-is-our-call-the-way-of-the-salaf-imaam-al-albaanee/
      http://salaf-us-saalih.com/?s=This+is+our+call&submit=Search

      Reply

  2. Abu Turab

    April 22, 2014 at 3:03 AM

    Wow! That’s a lot to digest. Finished reading once. Will need to read many times again :) Jazak-Allaah Sheikh for taking the initiative to document your views on the subject. May Allaah make us benefit from all the good in this, and protect us from the evil of what we might otherwise lead ourselves to.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:33 AM

      Ameen ya Aba Turab!

      Reply

      • Hassan

        April 24, 2014 at 6:02 AM

        Assalamu Alaikum Dear Shaykh
        Could you please tell me if Ibn Taymiyyah was an Arab,Kurd or Turkish? Please shed some light on this?
        Jazakallah

        Reply

        • Anon

          April 26, 2014 at 2:51 PM

          Does it matter?

          Reply

          • Hassan

            April 27, 2014 at 4:09 AM

            No it doesn’t matter I am a great admirer of Ibn Taymiyyah and I have been researching his materials.
            It was only out of curiosity and not for any other purpose.

      • Anti Yasir Qadhi

        July 4, 2018 at 11:13 AM

        http://www.bakkah.net/en/shaykh-saalih-al-fowzaan-on-the-reality-of-yasir-qadhi.htm

        This fool has got refuted! By the way, taswir [photo taking] is haraam!

        Reply

  3. ibnmasood

    April 22, 2014 at 3:17 AM

    I find this statement extremely unsettling as representative of the athari creed: “they categorically reject any possibility of metaphoric or symbolic interpretation of the Divine Names and Attributes”…I did read the entire article hoping you would clarify that the position is more clearly that they do not say beyond what is mentioned in the text, rather than accepting a *literal* interpretation with the caveat of “in a manner befitting God” which is hardly befitting at all and leads to many contradictions.

    Your example helps to illustrate my point. If you take verses such as Quran 7:54 to mean that God has literally established Himself upon the Throne “in a manner befitting to Him,” then you must take a different approach when reading 2:115 and 50:16 in order to avoid contradiction. There is simply no consistency in this sort of interpretative method.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:11 AM

      This is not the place to elaborate on Athari versus Ashari versus Mutazili understandings of the Divine Attributes. Such discussions have occurred and continue to occur, and I beleive not much new can be added to those classical writings. The verses that you referenced have been discussed in detail by all of these groups.

      Reply

      • ibnmasood

        April 22, 2014 at 11:45 AM

        Well, I do believe you are appropriating/misrepresenting the athari position, and that was my only contention. You seem to ignore or fail to highlight the differences amongst the salafis on the Attributes, which would not be the case if the position of the atharis was better represented as “not going beyond the text” rather than literalism.

        I’ll just leave this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athari#Athari_views_on_the_Attributes_of_God

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 22, 2014 at 3:23 PM

          Oh I see what you are saying now, I didn’t understand your initial comment.

          Well you have raised another tangent, and it is very essential, but for this article I really do want to stick to the main thrust, which is a discussion of Salafism. It is true there was a spectrum of opinion, but from my reading its not as vast as what you might be implying.

          Reply

      • Silvia Ferreira Noor Farira

        August 31, 2014 at 8:10 PM

        I am not satisfied with the article, in order to understand whether you like or dislike the e’importante Salafismo.Isso because I think one of the great scholars of our time

        The experience I have of Salafism is here in Brazil where I see the reversed giving d on account of Salafist Islam approach

        Reply

  4. aliyaimadudeen

    April 22, 2014 at 3:26 AM

    Alhamdulillah, this is not taboo after all. ;)

    Reply

  5. Muhammad Faisal

    April 22, 2014 at 4:12 AM

    Asalaamu alaikum,

    @Shaikh Yasir Qadhi

    As a Salafi I agree with some of your point (even some of the criticisms) and disagree with some.

    On an academic level I do see a flaw in your representation of the Salafi movement as “modern”. Isn’t the salafi movement an extension of the Ahlul Hadeeth movement which has been around since the time of the Taba’een?

    I also noticed that you left out the Salafi/Ahlul Hadeeth of Subcontinent- even though they have made major contributions in Hadtith sciences especially.

    Can you kindly address these two points?

    Jazakhullah khair

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:15 AM

      The Salafi movement is a modern manifestation of the classical Ahl al-Hadith (aka Athari) movement. It is causally linked, meaning that yes, it does have precedents in early Islam. Imagine a series of dominoes falling – the one that is currently falling is the ‘Salafi’ movement, but before it were other, different dominoes going all the way back to the Athari/Ahl al-Hadith movement of early Islam.

      Don’t confuse the last domino for the first one.

      So, as I mention in the article:
      1) the term ‘salafi’ is a modern one as a proper noun. Even the Najdi dawah did not use it for itself until al-Albani introduced it in the late 60s.
      2) it is impossible to claim the Salafi position on a modern issue as being the salafi position on a modern issue. (Read my article again if you didn’t understand this line).

      Reply

      • Muhammad Faisal

        April 22, 2014 at 3:51 PM

        I don’t understand your differentiation between salafis and ahlul hadith. Here in Pakistan for example, Ahlul Hadith have been around for ages. The scholars and the regular people use the terms ahlul hadith and salafi synonymously. Surely the adoption of the term salafi is a semantic change rather than an ideological one.

        Reply

      • muadhkhan

        April 22, 2014 at 5:40 PM

        Ya Shaykh, first the analogy for human evolution, now this- is dominoes a game you particularly like? :)

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 22, 2014 at 7:40 PM

          No, but it is one that everyone understands :)

          Reply

      • Syed Muhammed

        November 12, 2014 at 2:17 AM

        Good Answer & Research. Salafi Follower should know the history of salafism before criticsizing others group

        Reply

      • Ehsan

        October 5, 2015 at 3:26 PM

        Assalamualaikum wa rahmatUllahi wa barakatuh,

        Although I do agree with you in most criticisms and understand there are grave issues faced by the community which need addressing. I still don’t get how not calling yourself a Salafi change anything. A crude example, because there exist bad Muslims ,I’m going to stop calling myself one.
        What about the fact that the term Salafi was indeed used by scholars of the past.

        For instance Imam Ad Dhahabee (D.748H) said:

        “It is authentically related from ad-Daaraqutnee that he said: There is nothing more despised by me than ‘ilmul-kalaam (innovated speech and theological rhetoric). I say: No person should ever enter into ‘ilmul–kalaam, nor argumentation. Rather, he should be SALAFI”.[1]

        Adh-Dhahabee also said concerning the biography of Muhammad Ibn Muhammad al-Bahraanee, “He was a good SALAFI with respect to the Religion.”[2]

        He also said about Imaam Abul-Abbaas bin Majd al-Maqdisi, “He was reliable and trustworthy, intelligent, SALAFI and pious…”[3]

        [1] Siyar 16/457]

        [2] Mu’jamush-Shuyookh (2/280)]

        [3] Siyar 23/118]
        Taken from the website https://abdulqadeerbaksh.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/is-the-word-salafi-a-modern-contemporary-term/
        Could you please respond to that ?
        JazakAllahu khairan.

        Reply

    • uzairzubairi

      December 2, 2014 at 12:26 AM

      what kind of salafi are you, reading the garbage of yasir qadhi! They salaf were completely against listening to ahlulbidah. Imam sufian al thawri said the one who lends his hearing to ahlulbidah, goes out from the protection of allah and is entrusted to himself.
      By the way, just in case you are wondering, I didnt read his article, infact Im being careful not to even read the comments written by him.

      Reply

      • Abdulwaheed

        December 6, 2016 at 11:56 AM

        that is blind followership and indoctrination of the highest order.

        Reply

  6. Umm Ayoub

    April 22, 2014 at 4:30 AM

    Assalamou alaykoum

    Very nice article jazakoum Allahu khrair to Sheikh Qadhi.

    I would add in the section of the critism of salafism, critics about the takfiris who claim that killing of innocent peoples is allowed and make apology of terrorism. This is very far from the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS) and the Salafs.

    You criticized the Salafis to be too much obedient and to stay silent in front of the bad ruler, i agree with this, but what is the correct solution? How to behave? The Salafi mouvement did not answered this question yet, except the Tafiris and it is a very extremist stand, and I think, we should really think about theses problems and issues, especially in Egypt, where I live, where peoples are killed in peaceful demonstrations, and where some bombs have explodes also. What is the middle way ?

    Jazakoum Allahu khrair
    Wassalam
    Umm Ayoub

    Reply

  7. dawahtweet

    April 22, 2014 at 5:24 AM

    As a Student of knowledge studying under Salafi Sheikhs from Madina,As a person who starting practicing because of the help of Salafi brothers/duats/scholars…I find this article really balanced and academic.It resonates with my current viewpoint to a great extent(although i mat disagree with some points).
    Many of the the points that Sh.Yasir made,I have come to realise throughout my journey as a student of knowledge(I’m still taking baby steps :) )
    Great article,
    May Allah bless each and everyone of us.Ameen

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:16 AM

      More and more intelligent students of knowledge, in Madinah and elsewhere, are realizing this. One of the goals of the article was to make them feel that they are not alone, and take active measures to correct these mistakes.

      Reply

      • Ibrahim

        May 7, 2014 at 9:57 AM

        “More and more intelligent students of knowledge …” So those who don’t agree with you are not so intelligent or perhaps they are stupid. (No comments… though I’m tempted!!!)

        Alhamdulillah for my “stupidity”!!!!
        “Allah umma uhshurni fee zumrat al masakeen” ” O’ Allah join me with the group of maskeens, on the day of judgment”

        Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        July 4, 2018 at 11:12 AM

        WOW. This so called Shaykh can try to correct us. This photo taker who has gone against numerous Ahadeeth which prohibit Tasweer and the sayings of the scholars can “advise” the salafis. The Salafis didn’t make such mistakes. This is based upon ignorance! Shaykh Al Albanee didn’t start the term Salafi you ignorant fool! Neither do Salafis only know the deviants. That’s what you assume about the Salafis. I am a Salafi. I have seen numerous Salafis, actual ones – not the fake one you were! They all know about the Deen, the Sahaba. None of them made Takfeer of them. Guidance has reached you numerous times Oh Yasir! Yet, you ignore it, you block it away so as to misguide more people as mentioned by the actual Shaykhs.

        http://www.bakkah.net/en/shaykh-saalih-al-fowzaan-on-the-reality-of-yasir-qadhi.htm

        Reply

  8. Ibn Ya'qûb An Naijiree

    April 22, 2014 at 5:47 AM

    Baarak Allaahu Feek Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi…You have been able to comprehensively put into pen arguments for and against Salafiyah. While we recognise that there may be flaws in the attitudes and behaviours of those of us who have an attachment to Salafiyah, but to completely say the term Salafiyah is a new term for this age isn’t correct, to mildly put too critical of you and probably laughable. I feel very reluctant to feel that the Term “Athari” isn’t synonymous with Salafi. While some advocates of Salafiyah may have glaring faults which clearly show they are fallible, Salafiyah itself is free from errors and it is the Pristine Islaam. We can all claim to be Salafis which will only be a claim if we do not follow the Manhaj of the Salaf. No doubt you have advanced some points which can’t easily be dismissed in all fairness but remember our affairs cannot be rectified by any means except the means which rectified the affairs of those before us. The Manhaj of the Sahaabah and those who came after them is inevitable in this Contemporary Dilemma and to attempt to say these times are different from theirs and so their should be completely new rulings might not entirely be the best to say, Scholars can derive rulings on Issues especially as the world advances in many fields and sometimes they are correct and other times they may be wrong, and these rulings are in consonance with texts from the Kitaab and Sunnah based on their understanding, and Fatwahs may change based on the needs of the time but to completely compromise our beliefs and methodologies because of the times we are in sound ridiculous and of course extremely liberal. May Allaah guide us all and grant us Istiqaamah. Assalaamu ‘alaikum. Ibn Ya’qûb An Naijiree, Republic of Uganda.

    Reply

    • Jakub Maciagowski

      April 23, 2014 at 4:25 PM

      Assalaamu ‘alaykum. “Salafiyah itself is free from errors”. No, only Islaam itself is free of error. We are far from perfection, but salafies will not came out of their errors, unless they will be open minded and critical in their approach – unless Allah wills otherwise. This additude: take only from those and abandon these, even if there is benefit in their teachings will leave them where they are – unless Allaah wills otherwise. If you want to be like the sahabah, then treat scholars and even the sahabah as means to the goal, not as the ultimate goal, because only Allaah is the ultimate goal.

      Reply

      • O H

        April 26, 2014 at 1:29 AM

        Salafiyyah is the way of the righteous predecessors which has been prescribed by the Prophet (peace be upon him)-not a cult movement which few people have a right to. The approach of Salafiyyah is the way of the Sunnah & Islam. However the current implementation of the people claiming to follow salafiyyah is obviously not free from errors as highlighted in the article.

        “The best of people is my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them (i.e. the first three generations of Muslims).” [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim

        This above hadeeth is what salafiyyah refers to. Salafiyyah is not the same as the statements,actions of modern day salafis.

        Reply

  9. ummAda

    April 22, 2014 at 6:17 AM

    Subhan Allah, amazing article, someone needed to say all this! Jazak Allah khair!

    Reply

  10. Abdullah

    April 22, 2014 at 6:24 AM

    How did Muḥammad Ḥayāt al-Sindhī (d. 1163) influence al-Sanani, Shawkani ? Was Muhammad Hayat Sindi anti-madhhab like Ghumari brothers ?

    Thank you.

    Reply

  11. Ummyahyaa

    April 22, 2014 at 7:51 AM

    Salams Jzk khayran for the article sheikh Yasir, May Allah ta aala guide us all onto the right path the path to Him alone and to His beloved prophet Muhammed saas Aameen

    Reply

  12. Ismail Kamdar

    April 22, 2014 at 8:07 AM

    As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu

    Firstly, I would like to thank you for writing this comprehensive piece which in many ways mirrors my own spiritual experience.

    To understand my comments and questions, please keep my background in mind:
    Until the age of 19 I was a hardcore Deobandi Sufi completing my Alim course. I then became a hardcore Salafi and remained so until I was around 23 years old. At that age, I spent two months in the company of staunch Ahl-Hadith members in India and got completely put off sectarianism. Since then, I do hold to the Salafi Aqeedah and the belief that revival of Ijtihad is necessary for dealing with contemporary issues but I have become averse to the sect/box-like mentality and prefer working with all Muslims in areas of mutual agreement, and staying away from labels.

    I am really happy that you raised the issue of Tazkiyya An-Nafs. When I first switched from Sufism to Salafism, I was really confused by the attitude I saw towards Tazkiyya. I never understood why Salafis are so distanced from Tazkiyya when it is clearly part of the Sunnah and the way of the Salaf.

    I noticed that whenever I talk about spirituality, getting closer to Allah, increasing Taqwa, etc. Many Salafis ask me if I’m a Sufi? What’s that got to do with Sufism! Many of my lectures and classes revolve around connecting with Allah the Sunnah Way, and I believe that is the way of the Salaf.

    Another issue I strongly agree with is the unity issue, and this is why I tell my History students:

    If Salahudeen Ayoubi was alive today leading the liberation of Palestine, how many Salafis would join, and how many instead would write refutations of him being an Ash’ari Shafi’ee, and miss the bigger picture.

    One issue I disagree with is the treatment of women. Coming from an ultra-conservative Deobandi background where women are banned from Masjids and hidden way, the Salafis in my community are far better in their treatment of women. But then again, that’s probably just the case in my country/culture.

    Overall, I agree with your list of positives and negatives and this is why I teach my students to stick to the understand of the first three generations in terms of Aqeedah and Usool, but without becoming a sect, group, gang or alternative math’hab. Rather, remain active members of your communities and be good to all of Allah’s Creation.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:18 AM

      Jazak Allah Ismail. While we have never met, I always feel a camaraderie with you and appreciate your writings.

      Reply

      • Taha Ali

        April 23, 2014 at 7:08 PM

        Salaam Alaykum Shaikh !
        Jazak Allaah for the article !…very informative
        Could you please explain a bit
        #1 who are the deobandis ?
        Are they the same as Tableeghi ?
        #2 I have heard some Tableeghi call themselves Hanafi….
        So then…who are Tableeghi ?
        #3 Also…some Deobandis refuse that Deobandi is a sect…they say that it is only a label for those who graduate from Deoband University in India

        It would really be helpful if you could shed some light on these few issues or provide me a link where you have already answered this,
        Jazak Allah Khair
        wa Salaam !!

        Reply

        • mahmoud

          April 24, 2014 at 8:54 PM

          1. Deoband is a city in India, which is famous for a school that was established there in 1866. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious islamic institutions extant today. After the establishment of the madrasa, many of its graduates went on to establish their own schools and madaris, all of which followed a similar methodology to the original school. Almost all of the madaris in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India are Deobandi in methodology (there is a small minority of Brelvi and ahl-e-hadith madrasas as well). This methodology involves: (1) a call to tawhid as opposed to the shirk that was being practiced in India at the time, (2) a move towards a more pristine practicing of Islam the way Rasulullah and his Sahaba and Tabi’in practiced it. (3) A revival of academic Islamic knowledge, particularly in hadith which was lacking in India at the time.

          It is this last point that distinguishes Deobandis and tablighis. Most Tablighis are Deobandis, but not all Deobandis are Tablighis since it was the ulama of Deoband (Maulana Ilyas Kandahlawi, Maulana Zakariyya Kandahlawi, etc) who popularized it, but tablighi jamat is a mass movement for laypeople, and does not encourage studying Islamic academia at all. Instead it teaches salah and siyam and basic ibadat. Deoband is an academic movement of ulama, unlike the tablighi movement which actually discourages excessive academic endeavors in lieu of more spirituality. That the two are tied is undeniable, though, but there has been some recent tension between the two.

          2. None of the purposes of the Deoband madrasa was to propagate Hanafi fiqh exclusively. Due to the predominance of the Hanafi maddhab in the Indian subcontinent, they adopted that for historical reasons. But there have always been non-Hanafi Deobandis, such as Maulana Taha Karan and his father, who is arguably one of the top five Shafi’i scholars living today. They are strictly pro-maddhab, though, and though the Nadawi movement (which stemmed from the Deobandis as well) has some Ahl al-hadith members within it, Deoband has come to exemplify the strand of strict pro-maddhabism that most Salafis oppose.

          3. Are the Deobandis a sect? They like to think that they follow “true” Islam, and are not a sect, but every group likes to think that. It is your perspective as to what you call them. The Brelvis call them Wahhabis, since they oppose bidah, and the salafis call them sufis for their adherence to maddhabs and refusal to denounce all forms of tawarruk and tawassul. They are really quite in the middle of those two groups.

          Pros: (1) Deoband as a movement really brought forth the best of the hadith scholarship of the subcontinent in a massive effort to defend the Hanafi maddhab against the ahl al-hadith. (the 18 volume Awjaz al masalik, a commentary on Imam Malik’s Muwatta, the 21 volume I’la as sunan, the 16 volume Badhl al-majhud, a commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud, Ma’arif as sunan sharh jami at tirmidhi, the countless works of Anwar Shah Kashmiri, and the list goes one. (I wish that these works were popularized so that the idea of the Deobandis having a lack of intellectual and academic prowess could be abolished, because they really are incredibly sophisticated, and demonstrate the ocean of knowledge these people had) (2) their wiping out many forms of bid’ah and shirk and movements like the Ahmadiyah and Quraniyyun (3) their popularizing the tabligh movement and opposition of secularism and materialism, and bringing their proponents back towards Islam

          Cons: (1) politics: have always remained on the fringe of Indian and Pakistani politics, and like the Salafis, have been tainted by it and marred by charges of corruption, (2) violence: many of the violent takfiri groups stemmed from the deobandis, (3) intolerance: varies amongst different Deobandis, but for the most part are very strongly opposed to doctrines that may actually be similar to theirs but do not match theirs exactly such as the jamat-e-islami (4) focus on minor issues similar to the Salafis, such as length of beard, etc. to an excessive point.

          For more on Deoband, read Muhammad Qasim Zaman of Princeton University’s excellent books The Ulama in Contemporary Islam, and Modern Islamic Thought in a Radical Age.

          Reply

          • Abu Dajana

            June 18, 2014 at 1:48 AM

            Mahmoud

            “but tablighi jamat is a mass movement for laypeople, and does not encourage studying Islamic academia at all”

            Hmmm. How do you know this for certainty. I got to start ascribing myself to salafiya through a salafi shaykh I met and learnt from Though the shaykh grew up in a sufi background, he was introduced to salafiya and the study of hadeeth through a tablighi scholar from India who was also his math teacher. During lessons, the teacher would use examples from the sunnah to illustrate math principles. He also gave his student- my scholar- a book as a gift. Guess what- that book was the first edition of sifaat salat nabiyy. By Shaykh Albaanee. It is tantamount to sheer arrogance by salafees and salafee-like elements to make absolute claims like “not encourage studying Islamic academia at all”. Do you have all-encompassing knowledge? I know tablighi brothers who purposely sent their children to the Islamic University in Madeenah. It is arrogance like this that makes what is called salafiyya and salafees a turn off. And what makes you think that Islamic academia, as it is today, is something praiseworthy? Seeking knowledge for the sake of Allah and only for the sake of Allah is not necessarily synonymous with the western-education backboned academic Islam we have in our times. In some respects, today’s academic Islam may not be too far from the way of the Xtians and Jews who study their former books but do not practice what it contains or even oppose it. As far back as the time of Bilal Philips in the Islamic University in Madina, students were cheating in their exams just to get a certificate. Now tell me where is the practical manifestation of the ikhlas and tawheed they learnt academically.

      • Taha Ali

        April 23, 2014 at 7:13 PM

        Sorry to bother you again :p
        If you could also please give me a link on your lecture you gave in UK on Shiism Theology…
        I was interested to learn more about it after listening to your lecture on Massacre of Karbala…where you explained a little bit on how Theological Shias differ from Political Shiism
        Thank You once again !!
        Jazak Allaah Khair
        Barak Allaah Feekum !!
        :)

        Reply

      • Basha

        September 7, 2015 at 6:10 AM

        Most of the Muslims are with you brother……..Yes…….As long as you are with this balanced view.Don’t worry about the arab rulers!
        May Allah Overthrow them!!!!

        Reply

    • Abu Yunus

      April 24, 2014 at 12:04 AM

      The three constants (Thawaabit) of Salafiyyah ARE:

      1. Tawheed;
      2. Ittibaa’;
      3. Tazkiyyah.

      So, I am not sure how one can say that Salafiyyah does not emphasize Tazkiyyat-un-Nafs.

      Contrary to what Yasir Qadhi said that the term Salafi wasn’t used in earlier history of Islam, al-Sam’aanee used the term “Salafi” in 562 AH (circa 1166 CE).

      Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 24, 2014 at 9:16 AM

        Actions speak louder than words.

        Also I never claimed that the term ‘Salafi’ was never used in early Islam; be precise in your quotations. The term ‘Salafi’ was not in vogue, nor used as a proper noun. Yes, if one uses a fine-tooth comb, one finds one reference in al-Samani, one or two in al-Dhahabi, and a handful in Ibn Taymiyya’s writings, where the term is used as an adjective. But it was not in vogue, and you will never find al-Samani, or al-Dhahabi, or Ibn Taymiyya saying ‘I am a Salafi’. You will find al-Albani, and many modern Salafis, saying this.

        Reply

        • Mohammad

          April 25, 2014 at 3:19 PM

          I was just following some of Dr. Qadhi’s responses in this blog. Not sure what message he actually tried to convey by making these two contradictory comments in the very same blog.

          “You will find al-Albani, and many modern Salafis, saying this” (I am a Salafi)

          “In fact al-Albani has comments about him that he wasn’t fully salafi because he clung to a madhhab.”

          Reply

          • Yasir Qadhi

            April 28, 2014 at 10:01 AM

            You misunderstood those quotes.
            Al-Albani was the first Muslim scholar ever, in the history of Islam, to claim that it is wajib to call yourself a Salafi.

            Al-Albani, on some audio cassettes that I myself listened to, also claimed that Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab was a great reformer but wasn’t fully salafi because he followed a madhhab (note: I don’t remember the exact words he used but the gist of the verdict was what I said).

        • abu Yunus

          April 26, 2014 at 1:58 AM

          How is this any different than a man saying, “I am Salafi”

          Imaam adh-Dhahabee (d.748H) – rahimahullaah – said: “It is authentically related from ad-Daaraqutnee that he said: There is nothing more despised by me than ‘ilm-ul-kalaam (theological rhetoric). I say: He never entered into ‘ilm-ul-kalaam, nor argumentation. Rather, was a Salafi (a follower of the Salaf).”[Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa’ 16/457]

          Reply

          • abu Yunus

            April 26, 2014 at 9:49 PM

            Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) said,

            “And there is combined in those who turn away from the Prophetic Salafi Way (الطريقة النبوية السلفية) both this and this, following the alluring desires and misguiding tribulations, thus there is misguidance and allurement within them to the extent of their departure from the way Allaah sent His Messenger with.” (Daar al-Ta’aarud, 1/166).

            Likewise, he said,

            “So everyone who turned away from the Divine, Legislated, Prophetic, Salafi Way (الطريقة السلفية النبوية الشرعية الالهية), then he will (by necessity) go astray and contradict (himself) and remain in ignorance, simple or compound.” (Daar al-Ta’aarud 5/356).

            Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Safadiyyah (p. 168):

            “And whoever traverses the Salafi Prophetic paths (الطرق النبوية السلفية) will know that sound intellect agrees with authentic text…”

            Ibn Taymiyyah refers to 3rd, 4th and 5th century (hijri) scholars as “Salafis” and he actually uses the word “Salafiyyah” to indicate a faction often in his writings, he says, (وهو قول السلفية), “It is the saying of the Salafis” (Majmu’ 6/51).

            Someone might object by saying that he used “Salafiyyah” not “Salafiyoon”. However, this is similar to Hanaabilah which refers to Hanbalees not necessarily Hanbalism. The following two statements of Ibn Taymiyyah will clarify this fact,

            (وأما السلفية فعلى ما حكاه الخطابى وأبو بكر الخطيب وغيرهما), “As for the Salafis, then they are upon what is cited by al-Khattaabi and Abu Bakr al-Khateeb” (Majmu’ 33/177) and (السلفية الذين يقولون إنه فوق العرش), “… the Salafis, who say He is above the Throne.” (Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyyah, 2 vols, 1/122).

          • Shahab

            April 27, 2014 at 3:21 PM

            Salam Bro:

            With all due respects, your responses just demonstrate the problem with salafism today from an academic point of view (I won’t even bother wasting my time discussing the adaabi aspects of the movement).

            This is what is SO wrong with the “Salafi manhaj” (which in itself a gross aberration of the term as it used to be). You take quotes and show them completely out of context. When Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim et al use the word “Salafiyyah” or “Salafi” then the are not referring to a distinct group of Muslims. Rather, the term is used to mean “Predecessors”, period! This group includes the Hanabilah, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanafi and all the other madhahib that form part of the Ahlus sunnah wal jama’ah (there were many schools like those of Imam Awza’i and Imam At-Tabari that didn’t continue past the 5th century AH).

            Similarly, when Ibn Taymiyyah speaks of the “manhaj as-Salafiyyah” then he is speaking of ALL the different madhhahib that the previous scholars adhered to (before and after the crystallization of fiqh). You take a quote from Siy’ar A’lam An-Nubala’ of Imam Dhahabi and base an entire argument on it not knowing the context of it. For example, when Imam Dhahabi refers to someone as a “salafi” in Tadhkirah Al-Huffaz or even in Siy’ar then he is simply referring to the persons proclivity to stay away completely from wranglings of kalam. For example, Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi and Ibn As-Salah are 2 person that Imam Adh-Dhahhabi terms as “salafi”. However, he also states the madhahib that they followed (Hanbali for the former and Shafi’i for the latter). So, clearly, you have either not read the entire entry of Imam Dhahhabi or choose to not show those aspects that obviously weaken your claim.

            In fact, if only “Salafis” of today could be honest enough then you still have the manuscripts of Ibn Taymiyyah in tact today where you can CLEARLY see how he refers to himself as a HANBALI. That alone is enough to rubbish this claim that “Salafi” was a group distinct from the other madhahib at the time.

            Sp, to reiterate, every salaf had a madhhab; each madhhab has its own unique manhaj. Furthermore, the all the salaf who belong to a particular madhhab followed a particular school of ‘aqidah. The Shafi’is, for example, pre-dominantly followed the Ash’ari school. However, there were some of within the madhdhab who followed other schools of ‘aqidah. Suyuti, Nawawi, ibn Asakir, Al-‘Asqalani are examples of Shafi’i scholars who followed the Ash’ari school of ‘aqidah. Ibn As-Salah is one of the few examples of the Shafi’i you will find who didn’t indulge in kalam.

          • Only a Muslim

            May 3, 2014 at 3:36 PM

            Dear Brother Abu Yunus,
            Regarding the above references to the word ‘salafiyya,’e.g: “And there is combined in those who turn away from the Prophetic Salafi Way (الطريقة النبوية السلفية)”
            Please consider the following:
            1. Logical: Shouldn’t the movement then be called the ‘an noubouwiyya as salafiyya’
            2. Arabic: I would read the term as salafiyya as an adjective (sifat) of the term at tariqa (mawsoof), and not a possessor (moodaaf ilaih). Else it would have been tariqaa -as-salafiyyati (tariqaa in undefined form). It means here ‘the prophetic ancestral way’ instead of ‘the prophetic way of the salafi’.
            3. Worst case scenario: Yet those scholars did not embody a complete movement and ascribed it to the name ‘salafi’
            4. Usool: The statement of a scholars does not have enough weight to be binding on the whole Ummah as Quran and Sunnah. [This reminds me of Sheik Yasir sentence “Salafīs take statements of the salaf regarding treatment of heretical groups as they would the Qur’an and Sunnah.”] Therefore should such a movement be binding on the Ummah, it would have been legislated clearly by the Qur’an and Sunnah, and explained by the salafs clearly. We would not need to go with microscope to look for some statements of respected scholars and take them out of context or mistranslate them to justify an entire movement.

        • Musa Hoda

          April 26, 2014 at 6:40 PM

          What do you guys think of this clarification by Sh. Rabee’? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXd0bMrORO0

          Reply

          • Hassan

            April 27, 2014 at 7:44 PM

            Wow first time I am hearing him, how can people hate this guy?

    • Muna Ga'al

      July 16, 2014 at 5:38 AM

      that really angers me, why do some people see the need to stop women studying the deen and banning them form the masjid isn’t the knowledge for them too

      Reply

    • Shahzad Alam

      September 17, 2014 at 7:46 AM

      I totally agree with your points bro, the present and coming generation must have to understand the pristine Aqeedah without having any association with sects or groups existing today. I personally found your comment almost similar to mine.

      Reply

  13. Nabil Salik

    April 22, 2014 at 8:43 AM

    When do we get to lay our hands on your dissertation? I have been waiting since eons :)

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:36 AM

      Email me, introduce yourself, and insha Allah I’ll send you a PDF of it.

      Reply

      • Saad

        April 22, 2014 at 11:26 AM

        Salam Sheikh,
        Thank you for this great article. I have always admired you for keeping to the middle. Where would we find your email? I would very much like to read it too.

        Reply

      • Abdul Hakeem

        April 22, 2014 at 2:27 PM

        I’d love to take you up on that offer (assuming it’s extended to me as well), except that I don’t have you email address.

        Will you oblige to sharing it here? If not, where/how can I get it?

        Reply

      • ibn Ahmed

        April 23, 2014 at 10:39 PM

        Asalamu alaikum warahamatullahi wabaraktuhu Shaykh,

        Would you really send a copy of your PhD dissertation out? I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for a couple of weeks, and even tried requesting it through my university, but apparently it isn’t in circulation. Could I get a copy as well? JazakAllahu khairun!

        Reply

      • Nabil Salik

        April 24, 2014 at 3:32 PM

        Sent you an email on the address mentioned on your facebook page.

        Reply

      • Hilm

        May 6, 2014 at 1:28 PM

        can you explain this statement of yours: ‘the unfounded veneration of saints’

        in what way is the veneration of great Saliheen unfounded? your use of the word ‘saints’ throws many readers off. but what we are talking about is having huge respect for the Saliheen. why is this unfounded?
        also, your point 7 in your critique shows that Salafis are just like some Sufis in their veneration and total obedience to their Teachers.

        Reply

      • Hamza Sanussi

        January 1, 2015 at 4:05 PM

        Assalaamu alaykum……. Alhamdulilah we benefitted from your article is it possible to have a copy of your dissertation?

        Reply

  14. loveprophet

    April 22, 2014 at 9:04 AM

    What is “True Islam” and does it need to be modernised? This is answered per the Hadith below:

    http://muslim-lion.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/what-is-true-islam-and-does-it-need-to.html

    Reply

  15. Arif Kabir

    April 22, 2014 at 9:32 AM

    Masha’Allah, a lot of important points mentioned.

    I do genuinely hope though, that with this disassociation with Salafism, that there is thoughtful understanding of how you move forward.

    If a list of common words were generated from your recent discourses, Orthodoxy, Cleric, and other Christian terms come up much. There is historical baggage in using Christian terms that must be understood in a context beyond the ivory towers of Yale. When we let ourselves be defined by terms that do not completely reflect what our terms mean, we are letting an orientalist point of view dictate the way we may come to see our own selves.

    It also does seem rather problematic that Ibn Taymiyyah is almost exclusively mentioned by you, and that there still seems to be a disregard for non-Western ulama to have anything to do with the west in any manner. If left unchecked, we may see another clique developing where the most senior scholars that are deemed to be acceptable in the West are in their early adulthood (40s).

    I mention all this because nobody exists in a theoretical vacuum. Your words, both in choice and content, will have its own repercussions that I hope you are able to deal with.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:24 AM

      Some very valid points Arif. And time will tell. And I pray that Allah guides me to that which He loves.

      BTW, my ‘solution’ to the lack of senior scholars in the West is that the the not-so-senior scholars of the West

      1) reach out to those senior scholars who are more culturally aware and in touch with differences in the world. Not all ‘senior scholars’ are disconnected from Western realities!

      2) congregate together and try to pass ideas around and within and amongst their own ranks (ie., the students of knowledge/scholars from the West should come together as much as possible and form ideas together).

      Reply

  16. Hyde

    April 22, 2014 at 9:44 AM

    Mashallsha! An catharsis at last. Excellent pieace.

    Reply

  17. um rayan

    April 22, 2014 at 10:05 AM

    I am wondering what the author has to say about very balanced scholars like Muhammad Hassan of Egypt and his brothers from the TV channel al-rahma. Verily they do not teach except that which reforms the character of muslims and improves it so that muslims can be become true representative of virtue wherever they are (in egypt, in the west, and everywhere). Yes they have had to take various stands in the context of political turmoil in their country but that is not to be held against them. What would we have done in a similar context? We would have taken whatever position we deem appropriate. It remains that these scholars call people to coming closer to Allah. I have never seen them preoccupied with refuting anyone. So if their methodology is called salafiya, then what a beautiful and beneficial methodology.

    Reply

    • Sara

      April 23, 2014 at 6:39 PM

      Jazaki allahu khayra. My Allah bless you. 100% right. I preferred your reply to the whole article!

      Reply

  18. Yasir Qadhi

    April 22, 2014 at 10:07 AM

    Before I begin answering some of the questions, has NO ONE noticed/commented on the irony of this article itself being available as a PDF ?!?!?

    :)

    Reply

    • Mahmud

      April 22, 2014 at 10:13 AM

      Title it with something really dramatic.

      I didn’t notice the irony lol.

      Reply

    • Umar

      April 22, 2014 at 10:27 AM

      Assalamu alaikum Sheikh pls put “print” option on every article you make so that I can take it home for reading, I don’t have laptop and I love reading while I’m on a bus. Jazakhalahu khairan. :)

      Reply

    • Abu Milk Sheikh (@AbuMilkSheikh)

      April 23, 2014 at 4:27 AM

      It is proof that you can take a Salafi out’the hizb but you can’t take the hizb out’the Salafi. ;)

      Reply

    • SC

      April 23, 2014 at 6:27 AM

      Yes the irony of it all – a pdf by yasir qhadi and not the more common pdf refuting yasir qadhi.

      Reply

  19. Hassan

    April 22, 2014 at 10:12 AM

    Salaam, surprisingly the negatives you mentioned also have presence in other groups. It may have to do with culture rather than Islam itself. For example a very dear brother (Pakistani, strict deobandi/tableeghi) objected to a sister name on the masjid big LCD for her class. He said, should have used Umm ABC etc. I (Pakistani, salafi), politely mentioned the hadith of Amr Ibn Al Aas where he asked prophet Muhammad PBUH whom he loved most, and he used his wife first name (Ayesha).

    And lack of spirituality is quite astonishing surprising criticism. When I was turning religious, the first thing I did was to go on jamaat (tableeghi) for 3 days, and came back with still spiritual voidness. Then your friend (and mine) Amad Shaikh invited me to TX Dawah conference in Austin, and it was huge emaan boast. Frankly I attend all al-maghrib classes (and never take notes, nor exams), just for emaan boast. I became salafi for tazkiyah-nafs and spirituality. So saying salafism lacks spirituality is something new to me.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 10:32 AM

      You are right that in that many of these negatives do exist in other movements. That doesn’t justify their existence in Salafism!

      Also, TDC and al-Maghrib are two organization that have sprung from an initial salafi methodology, but have recognized the faults of the movement and actively worked to change them. Whether you wish to call them ‘salafi’ or not is up to you. I know for a fact that neither applies the label to itself.

      Reply

      • Hassan

        April 22, 2014 at 10:48 AM

        Salaam. So perhaps it is safe to say true knowledge is the right methodology. There is nothing more emaan boasting that knowledge (which includes knowing Allah in right way and His messenger). This is what attracts me to salafi or the organizations that we mentioned whether they call themselves anything else.

        Reply

      • Arif Kabir

        April 22, 2014 at 11:47 AM

        Sh. Yasir, it may be a good idea to mention these organizations as a category that do not call themselves by the Salafi term, but may represent moderate ‘Salafism’ (“If it looks like a duck…”) in that they are politically and civically active, give respect to women, and work with Muslims of other interpretations.

        One AlMaghrib instructor had mentioned to me how it was his opinion there was a need decades before to call oneself Salafi, but how that has changed. To me that was indicative of how the movement itself is evolving, and how that should be documented too. Umar Lee made good mention of this evolution in his own series of Salafism, and I think this is a big enough movement now to be mentioned.

        Reply

        • Saad

          April 22, 2014 at 12:29 PM

          Salam all,
          Would not ibn Uthaymeen and a great deal of the first category of Saudi salafis fall underneath this category too. They don’t identify themselves with the label salafi either.

          Reply

  20. dawahtweet

    April 22, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    PDF download available….i was thinking it was deliberate…..and Sh Yasir confirmed it.
    Lool the irony!!

    Reply

  21. hasnain

    April 22, 2014 at 10:48 AM

    salam shaykh Yasir,

    for the benefit of the ummah, i believe this article would have been better received if titled in the correct format. here is a suggestion:

    33 points on the correct understanding of salafism

    wallahualem.

    :) seriously though, JAK for bringing clarity to these titles/movements.it seems that us muslims in the west create our identities, many times, in reflection to our ummah in the east–without really knowing the context/history that lead to them.

    Reply

  22. Nihal Khan

    April 22, 2014 at 11:03 AM

    Enjoyed this thoroughly Shaykh sahab!

    Perhaps a series of articles highlighting the various known groups among the Sunni schools would be a good article series for MM? Just a thought.

    —
    Nihal Khan

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 11:41 AM

      I actually do have that in mind.

      Reply

      • Anum Hashmi

        April 22, 2014 at 11:54 AM

        Are you still working on a course on this material?

        Reply

      • Tadar Jihad Wazir

        June 23, 2014 at 12:08 PM

        As-Salaam-u alaikum, Sheikh Yasir jQadhi.

        When you research the info for these series of articles please include info on Bro. Imam W. Deen Mohammed (a.) who was guided by Allah to start the answer to His promise to Prophet Ibrahim a.k.a. Abram (a.) in the Bible: Genesis 15. According to the Bible in English it was Abram (a.) whose name Allah changed, just before promising Abram the birth of “another” son, to Abraham (Ibrahim, in Arabic) (a.) who is the father of Isma’il (Ishmael) (a.).

        His progeny are promised to be enslaved for 400 years and then to be brought out with great sustenance.

        Bro. Imam W. Deen Mohammed (a.) stressed individual scholarship based on The Qur’an and the Uswah of Prophet Muhammad (s.) which includes his sunnah. And he condemned the establishment of any madhdhab proclaiming him as its founder. He encouraged us to follow the laws of nature by following the fiqh of any madhdhab decision that would be best for us in our situation at the time. And he only insisted on us being known as Muslims, which is what Allah (h.) and Prophet Ibrahim (a.) calls and named us.

        In reading your article it dawned on me that a lot of what you say pertaining to what is a Salafi pertains to us. We were taught that words have meanings and it is in the application of the meaning that makes what it is, what it is.

        It is reported that almost 1/3 of the slaves brought to America were Muslims. This was due to the first few hundred years of the American Slave Trade the Christians refused to have any Christian to be a slave. That is part of the reason why the slaves were not allowed to have religious practices.

        Greed caused a change in the last hundred years so that a persons faith had no bearing on whether one could be a slave.

        May Allah’s Will, Word, and Way prove true during our lifetime? Ameen.

        Thanks!!!

        Reply

  23. Abu Turab

    April 22, 2014 at 11:44 AM

    Shaykh I have a few abstract queries with regards to your personal position. Please feel free to ignore any/all if you deem them inappropiate.

    From a taxonomic perspective does your dissociation with the Salafi movement (capital S), put you in another contemporary group of likeminded individuals? If yes then what is this group, what is their history and how are they represented using contemporary nomenclature. I know you have identified with the Athari creed and Imam Ibn Taymiyya, but to use your analogy what latter domino does that represent? Or is it a new domino altogether?

    Can you verify whether with respect to the points of consensus amidst the Salafis as you have outlined, do you also agree with all the points?

    Can you verify with respect to the points of contention, where does your personal position lie on each of the individual points?

    Finally, is your personal position a combination of the various opinions on the points of contention amidst the Salafis. In other words, does your position represent a unique combination of the opinions on the points of contention, yet still draws from the existing set of opinions? As an extension to this query if a Yasir Qadhi clone were to academically classify Yasir Qadhi, then would he be putting Yasir Qadhi I as belonging to a new and refreshing Salafi group, or to a group that is not Salafi?

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:46 PM

      This is a complicated question.

      If a cynic were to say ‘Yasir Qadhi has dissociated from the Salafi movement but in reality he is spearheading reform within the movement’ there would be an element of truth to this. Labels at some point are meaningless, and at other points are useful.

      I do admire the positives of Salafism, by and large. But some of those positives are not the priorities of the Ummah, and hence they don’t necessarily make my own list of priorities. It just make more sense to me, taxonomically, to merely break away from the movement, given all of the negatives that are associated with it and that I strongly object to, and given that its list of priorities does not mirror my own.

      As for my own views on the points of contention, I am speaking about them here and there in my lectures, and will continue to do so. They are too many to list here! Also, (and note how un-Salafi what I am about to say is!), THERE IS GREAT BENEFIT IN HAVING A SPECTRUM OF OPINION ABOUT GREY AREAS OF ISLAM, and there isn’t necessarily ‘one right opinion’ about how to proceed forward. It is healthy for the Ummah that people engage with politics in slightly different ways, for example. So, my opinion on any one issue is just that: my opinion!

      Reply

  24. Musa Hoda

    April 22, 2014 at 12:24 PM

    The “Fiqh al-Waaqi’” Scam Revived

    In reality, this is just another modern rehashing of the Qutbi fanaticism (ghuluw) regarding “Fiqh al-Waaqi’” (the Fiqh of current affairs). Over the last few decades, it has been a tool by which aspiring political activists would gain popularity with the people, speaking about matters that are in today’s newspapers and TV news reports. While the real scholars of Islaam were taking careful steps to verify and investigate news reports before speaking, the opportunistic political activists (the likes of Salman al-’Owdah, one of Yasir’s “forward-thinking” shaykhs) would use that period of time to blame the senior scholars for neglecting the needs of the people, and claim they were forced to speak since the scholars were silent, leaving the people in the dark, as they would twist it.

    Honest everyday people were tricked into thinking their scholars were not concerned with the current state of the Ummah, and the only ones who really care are those who (recklessly) speak about today’s headlines!

    Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 22, 2014 at 3:28 PM

        Salam Musa,

        Thank you for exemplifying Madkhalism. We still need people like you so that others can see and judge for themselves.

        Peace.

        Yasir

        Reply

        • Abdul Baasit Sullivan

          April 22, 2014 at 10:17 PM

          SubhanAllah, just looking at your profile pic Yasir is like a bad joke. It’s almost like, “Hey, look I’m so well learned…did you get that Mr. Cameraman? Honestly, I don’t know how you fool the masses of psuedo-intellectuals and hipster Muslims into following you. Sigr bayyan indeed. All I need to know is that you learned Islamic studies from Non-Muslims, Sufis, Shi’ites etc. and THAT is something you can never bring proof for in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It’s amazing how the love of fame will debase people and cause others to be debased as well….Tony Blair is your chain of narration. SubhanAllah.

          Reply

          • Abu Zayd

            April 23, 2014 at 2:37 PM

            Let’s count the fallacies in that post:
            1) 2 Ad Hominem attacks (Attacking his profile pic, and accusing him of having love of fame. I will quote the prophet SAW and say “Did you open up his heart and see what is inside??”)
            2) 1 Red Herring (What does his pHD education at Yale have to do with the points he raised in his article?) – As well, even though your point was a red herring, it is a false premiss. In the Quran it says “Fas’aloo ahl dhikr in kuntum laa ta’lamoon” (Surah Nahl: 43). Ask ‘ahl dhikr’ if you do not know. Who does ahl dhikr refer to? Mujaahid and Ibn Abbas were both reported to ahve said it refers to the scholars of the ahl ul kitaab (Za’d al-Maseer, Ibn Jawzi). So there seems to be some proof from the nusoos.
            3) 1 Strawman Fallacy (LOL, you can’t be serious that you think Tony blair was relating Hadith to him and teaching him about Islam…sighhh )

            4 separate fallacies in 4 Sentences…impressive!

          • Mahmud

            April 23, 2014 at 2:51 PM

            “All I need to know is that you learned Islamic studies from Non-Muslims, Sufis, Shi’ites etc. and THAT is something you can never bring proof for in the Qur’an and Sunnah. ”

            Really?

            1) You have no proof against it

            2) A Sahabi learned ayatul Kursi is a protection from Shaytan…….from IBLIS himself

            Yaneeeee, you deviation has been exposed to all and you are upon the manhaj of straying. May Allah protect the Ummah from you, Madkhali, and all your ilk. It’s is clear what you are upon!

          • Sameel

            April 23, 2014 at 2:56 PM

            I guess you forgot to mention the fact that he has a undergraduate and graduate degree in islamic studies from the University of Medina part! And your etiquette or lack thereof is typical of you pious people claiming to follow our prophet.

  25. Daarul Aman

    April 22, 2014 at 12:28 PM

    Aslalamualikum Warahmatullah,

    I must say, a very compelling and thought provoking piece but at the same time i find a part of it Incoherent and over-simplified

    1) While you rightly pointed out that the traditional Salafist scholarship has shown a passive approach towards understanding and grappling with contemporary ideologies and theories like Secularism, Darwinism, Feminism. I felt a certain disregard and trivializing of the Issues of creed. While I agree that there needs to be an earnest effort made to tackle the former issues, at the same time i certainly do feel it necessary to properly emphasize on the latter and make them the primary concern.

    2)Hasn’t the rejectionist approach been one of the reasons why Salafis have relatively remained immune to major heresies and Innovations (Eg. The Strict position against learning Kalaam)?

    3)Re Sh Albani’s anti Madhab stance, you mentioned it was a relatively new call, but his call already has a Precedence in the Ahlal Hadith, which is a very old movement, in fact one of the earliest.

    4) You refrained from delving on the Implications of figures like Sayyid Qutb, Mawdudi and Muhammad Suroor.had on shaping the Political ideology of some of the Modern Salafis particularly the Sahwists Preachers like Salman al Awdah. Safar al Hawwali, Mansur al Nuqaydan.and Jihadists like Al Maqdisi, Abu Qatadah, Zawahiri, Suri, Azzam etc, You describe the Sahwists as moderate while they spent efforts in courting Radical Shuaibi preachers like Sulaiman al Ulwaan, Ali al Khuzairi, Nasir al Fahd and became a spring board for Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:51 PM

      When you have such a wide-encompassing article, it is bound to be over-simplified at places. I agree with this judgment! To make it detailed would require a few dissertations; what I have accomplished in this one piece was, in itself insha Allah, a good survey.

      1) It was not my intention to trivialize aqeedah. And if you know me personally or have ever attending any course/class of mine, you would know this first-hand. But even something necessary/useful can be misused and abused: drinking too much water will eventually kill you!

      2) Yes, but that is not the solution. By merely being narrow-minded and intolerant of any change, that doesn’t make it the best way forward. Rather, it will lead to its own problems, such as ossification of thought.

      3) No I didn’t mention it was new; I said he ‘revived’ it in Arab Salafism. The Ahl-e-hadees are NOT an old phenomenon; they only go back around a hundred years in India.

      4) Surely you can’t seriously expect me to tackle all of these thinkers in this article!? Perhaps at another time and place.

      Reply

      • Daarul Aman

        April 23, 2014 at 5:05 AM

        Jazak’Allah for replying. No. i haven’t had a first hand experience of conversing with you. I came to know you through Peace Tv which is a popular channel here in Indian administered Kashmir.

        1) Building on the previous comments, i think Salafis have had a constructive impact on Muslim women by encouraging religious awareness and progression, particularly in South Asia. The Predominant Deobandis and Barelwis tend to be regressive in that regard

        2) Concerning the anti-madhab attitude of the Ahl-Hadith, One needs to understand it in the proper Context. The attitude was a response to the fanatical blind following and an ultra static approach towards Fiqh by Muslims in South Asia who overwhelmingly followed Hanafi Fiqh. In case of Albani and Shawkani, they encountered a similar situation in Syria and Yemen respectively. The Ahl Hadith movement has always intended an evidence based and comparative understanding of Fiqh

        3) While modern philosophies and contemporary issues need to be tackled, at the same time utmost caution must be exercised. Otherwise, these same ideologies might overwhelm those who are grappling with them like it happened with many individuals and groups before. This trend is very evident in Politically Inclined groups like the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon and Jamaat-e-Islmai in the Arab world and South Asia respectively. Most contemporary Modernist preachers like Ameen Eslahi, Javid Ghamidi and Wahid ud din Khan have come from the JeI

        4) Salafi/ Ahl Hadith/ Athari is an attributive name. Don’t see any harm in using it in that sense

        5) Regarding the quietist and subservient approach of Saudi Salafis,towards the ruling family, it is an enduring legacy of the second state of Saudi Arabia and also has a strong Islamic background(Obedience to the Ruler)

        Reply

  26. Tauqir

    April 22, 2014 at 12:30 PM

    Assalam alykum, although you make great points I just had to point out a few things; as someone who grew up in Saudi Arabia never hearing the word ‘salafi’, it’s only in India that I was exposed to this ideology. Salafis are the best thing which happened to women in India, firstly not only did they teach them the right aqeedah but they are the only ones who let them come into masajids for salah and to listen to khateebs and learn Islam. They run a number of institutions for young urban educated women, the type the other schools of thoughts have neglected. The whole repression of women’s rights (aka driving and such) is more a Saudi cultural phenomenon rather than a religious one . The Salafis generally tend to have a more evidence based approach and are much more open to being questioned, something the Muslims of India, especially the youth desperately needed as Islam there is treated more like unquestionable inheritance rather than a way of life.

    Reply

    • dawahtweet

      April 22, 2014 at 2:23 PM

      This is really true.As an Indian what i find is that the institutions that promote islamic education for women and allowing them greater participation in the masjid,most of the time are salafi or salafi minded institutions.
      In India the salafi masajid were the first to break the ‘NO women in the MOSQUE’ thing

      Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 8:13 PM

      Salam

      Yes these are valid points. Compared to Indian Deobandism, Salafism has indeed benefited women immensely. Also, in the Indian/Pakistani environment, where shirk and bida are far more rampant, no doubt it is necessary to start any Islamic activism with tawheed and an emphasis on the Sunnah.

      Reply

      • dude

        April 23, 2014 at 11:50 AM

        have not tableeghis done much to help combat shirk and bidaa in the subcontinent.

        Reply

  27. Ismail Kamdar

    April 22, 2014 at 12:33 PM

    Wa iyaak, Shaykh.

    Actually, we did meet. A long time back and very briefly.

    Remember your trip to Durban, South Africa in 2009? I was the young Maulana who you told to carry your bag when you made wudhu once during that conference. :P

    Your lecture on the hadith of the 73 sects at that conference changed my understanding of Islam, and I’ve been following your works closely ever since.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:43 PM

      Wow… I actually remember that. Subhan Allah, yes thank you for reminding me :)
      But I didn’t ‘command’ you to carry my bag, I politely requested you as I needed to refresh my wudhu :)

      Reply

      • Ismail Kamdar

        April 22, 2014 at 11:48 PM

        Wow! I’m surprised you remembered as it was such a brief meeting so many years ago. Alhamdulillah!

        Your politeness was noted, Shaykh. It was your Adab that drew me to you, more than your lectures. :)

        Reply

    • Seeker

      August 15, 2014 at 6:35 PM

      Is there a recording of this lecture?

      Reply

  28. Sameer

    April 22, 2014 at 12:41 PM

    Jzk Sheikh Yasir. I think this is an excellent piece of work, and whilst there are numerous issues which consistently chip away at the morale of the Muslim living in the West, it seems that there is a revival of scholarship in the English language. I applaud you for your efforts, and pray that Allah rewards you immensely for putting this together.

    Obviously being a theologian yourself, you have grappled with this topic from that viewpoint. However, I would be really interested in reading a critique of the salafi movement from the eyes of someone who is a specialist in Islamic legal theory, focusing on the good/bad that they have bought to the field of Islamic jurisprudence, and their application of fiqh in various contexts (eg comparing their application of fiqh in Muslim majority countries vs muslim minorities). I am sure such a discussion would be equally as lengthy and as rich as the one you have provided.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:31 PM

      There is no such thing as ‘Salafi fiqh’. It is a myth propagated by the hard-core Jordanian branch of Salafism.

      The Salafi attitude towards fiqh has really damaged its reputation and opened up a can of worms that has still not been solved.

      No doubt, blind adherence to one of the four madhhabs has its issues, but it is patently clear that the dangers of opening up fiqh to anyone and everyone (‘salafi fiqh’) causes far more tangible damage and brings chaos to the people. Between the two, I would say ‘Stick to a madhhab’ any day.

      Reply

      • Sameer Mallick

        April 22, 2014 at 8:32 PM

        Jzk Sheikh for your response, and I think everyone commenting should really appreciate the fact that you are taking the time out to respond to as many of us as you can.

        Obviously the term ‘Salafi Fiqh’ is a myth as you mention. But would you say that Salafism has actually had a detrimental effect on how the Hanbali Madhab is viewed in modern times? Because many Salafis study fiqh from Hanbali books, it is almost as if the two entities have become synonymous with one another, and as a result the Hanbali madhab has unfairly gained a reputation of being a very simplistic madhab which lacks the intellectual rigour of the other madhahib?

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 23, 2014 at 3:48 PM

          Completely agree with you. Even the Hanbali madhhab, one of the most sophisticated and rigorous madhhabs, has suffered as a result of the negatives of the modern Salafi movement.

          Reply

      • Abu al-Harith

        April 22, 2014 at 9:11 PM

        I agree that there is no such thing as ‘Salafi fiqh.’ However, I would say that what is commonly termed as such is more an exposition of the strongest opinion according to a particular scholar on a particular issue (tarjīḥ) than it is an attempt at founding a new mathhab explicitly referred to as salafī. I say this thinking more of al-Shawkānī, al-Qinawijī or al-Ṣanā`nī, for example, than al-Albānī.

        Reply

  29. Mobeen

    April 22, 2014 at 12:45 PM

    Excellent article Shaykh Yasir. A small point I would add is that almost every popular manifestation of Islam is, like Salafism, a byproduct of post-modern reform movements. Deoband/Darul Uloom, Tabligh Jamaat, the Ikhwan, Jamaatul Islam, etc. Even contemporary Traditionalists practice an Islam that has been deeply influenced by modernity and only vaguely resembles its traditionalist antecedents. I say this because historicizing these movements, though important, should not become an immediate cause for dismissal. At the risk of stating the obvious, Islam is and has always been impacted by the vicissitudes of time, place, and circumstance, and I know this is something that scholars such as yourself have made a point of emphasizing and embracing over the past several years.

    This fact only becomes problematic for groups that refuse to acknowledge it, insofar as they try to appropriate an exclusive preserve to authentically held tradition, and I think the Salafi movement certainly constitutes one of these groups. Jazak Allah khayr again for the detailed write up.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:33 PM

      Jazak Allah Mobeen.

      And everything that you have written is what I firmly believe and have been, subtly at times and overtly at others, preaching and teaching, as you very well know :)

      Reply

      • Maghazine

        December 26, 2014 at 8:31 AM

        Assalamualykum Shaikh,
        I very academic article not intended for a baby like me! Ahamdulillah!
        When you refer to the positive aspects, did you think about the Ahle Hadith movement in the Indian subcontinent? Would you kindly discuss (if its your choosing) the effects of the so-called “Wahhabi movement” on the independence movements of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh? Would you credit personalities like Ahmad Sirhindi and Haji Shariatullah?

        Reply

  30. um rayan

    April 22, 2014 at 12:59 PM

    So if salafiya as a methodology is superior to any other one, the article is criticizing some misuse of the methodology. Is it the author’s position that this methodology in its “pure” form is to be favored and espoused over any other methodology? I have trouble understanding how being of the athari creed is different from using the salafi methodology? What does being of the athari creed entail specifically that is at odd with the salafi methodology? Note that I am talking about the methodology not particular uses that various groups make of it.

    Reply

    • Hassan

      April 22, 2014 at 1:58 PM

      So from article, it seems that all groups that uses salafi label have common aqeedah of athari, but then they have many differences. Similarly a person who does not call himself anything (infact may not know even what is athari vs ashari), by default may just have athari aqeeda without knowing the name,

      Reply

  31. mogreen88

    April 22, 2014 at 1:19 PM

    Asalam mu alaikum wr wb. Jazak Allahu khairan. Shaykh I would also like a copy of your dissertation, please forward me your email.

    Reply

  32. Waleed Ahmed

    April 22, 2014 at 1:20 PM

    Salamalaykum shaykh yasir. Nice to see a wonderful article from you on MM after a long time!

    I agree with your analysis overall, but would add one criticism which personally affected me the most. This would be the lack of a coherent or canonical presentation of Fiqh. Most salafees I’ve encountered indulge in some degree of tarjeeh in fiqh as apposed to sticking to one school. I personally found this quite confusing as I could never get a straight answer to a simple question. I would get the ‘most correct opinion’ response and, as it turns out, the ‘most correct opinion’ is different according to different shaykhs. This left me quite confused and I only got clarity once I studied a proper matn according to one school and followed it in my daily practices.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:36 PM

      I wrote this for a comment above:
      “There is no such thing as ‘Salafi fiqh’. It is a myth propagated by the hard-core Jordanian branch of Salafism.

      The Salafi attitude towards fiqh has really damaged its reputation and opened up a can of worms that has still not been solved.

      No doubt, blind adherence to one of the four madhhabs has its issues, but it is patently clear that the dangers of opening up fiqh to anyone and everyone (‘salafi fiqh’) causes far more tangible damage and brings chaos to the people. Between the two, I would say ‘Stick to a madhhab’ any day.”

      And I’ll add here: what happened was the creation of multiple madhhabs (of al-Albani, or others of that background), and the presumption that an average student of knowledge was qualified to break away from agreed upon opinions.

      It is safer and better for an average Muslim to follow one of the accepted historic madhhabs. And this has been the standard methodology of the Ummah for most of its history.

      Reply

      • Chaplain Zain

        April 24, 2014 at 11:53 AM

        Many of my college friends who used to listen to you but are now madkhalis or still identify with salafism would liek to disagree and will say you changed your opinion.

        But I am glad to finally know where YOU stand.

        Reply

      • O H

        April 26, 2014 at 7:22 PM

        Assalamalaykum Shaykh

        I do agree with you regarding both extremes of blind following of a madhab and the danger of leaving opening up fiqh to anyone and everyone (‘salafi fiqh’). However I personally support the approach of ‘salafi’ scholars like Saalih al Uthaymeen, Salih al Munajjid, etc in not giving fatawa solely from a particular madhab which appeals to many people and appears to be a more comprehensive and more rounded approach. It’s not a perfect approach but it is perceived to not be as narrow as following one specific madhab. I am aware many of these scholars have studied a particular madhab (Hanbali for the salafi saudi scholars) and may have a slight tendency to lean towards it but it’s perceived to incorporate multiple schools of thought in a sense, not necessarily shunning all of the madhabs as some misunderstand. Obviously Taqleed is involved in both cases of a person following a madhab or following a salafi scholar they trust.

        Reply

  33. Basel

    April 22, 2014 at 1:44 PM

    This is monumental. Arguably a prerequisite for authentic North American scholarship and strong genuine independent authority for the North American Muslim body. It’s a post-Salafi era.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:36 PM

      The article is meant to push us forward, yes.

      Reply

  34. Siraaj

    April 22, 2014 at 1:54 PM

    Salaam alaykum Shaykh Yasir,

    Jazakallah khayr for writing up this paper, I think the community has been looking forward to a fair and objective presentation of this material for some time now, that recognizes both the good and the bad within the movement and humanizes all personalities involved. I believe another paper like this is in order about other influential movements in the community which covers both their good and their places for improvement.

    I continue to find the principles of remaining as close to the practice of the Prophet (SAW) and the Companions and the later generations what most resonates with me, as well the ability to continually critically evaluate what is stated from what has come from past scholars as well as present, not necessarily as a scholar would, but in terms of deciding eventually, as all people must do, what I will incorporate into my practice since, no matter how anyone frames it, even the layperson must make a choices eventually about who and what they will follow.

    Some questions for you:

    1. Do you find yourself more aligned with the sahwa strand in thought? Do you differ with them in any way?

    2. What are your thoughts about the place of AMJA within the continuum of salafi thought you’ve outlined as it relates to Western Muslim scholarship? Would you say this group of scholars more closely resemble the type of thought leader you see yourself to be now or in the future?

    3. Do you think there ought to be a mea culpa of sorts from Muslim teachers who led people previously down the path of avoiding certain groups and personalities and were harsh towards those personalities? I don’t mean owning up to the people maligned, but owning up to the students and hand-holding them through the thought process that brought about change?

    I ask because I find myself increasingly in the corner of laymuslims rather than muslim scholars or teachers because I find that they take the brunt of the stereotyped criticism of being shallow and without manners when it’s the case that they had teachers which took them down this path, teachers who may evolve and mature with time, but who have left behind them students who don’t understand how a person who passionately and stridently argued for one thing is now calling for it’s opposite. It’s something I see among our madinah brothers, quite a lot from our azhari brothers who seem to think differences of opinion are legitimate only when it’s convenient, and the same from our “theological cousins”, as you like to say ;)

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone take responsibility for these mistakes, only fingerpointing at followers.

    4. I do see a lot of “salafi” Muslims quietly stepping away from the label salafi and discarding the manners that are stereotypically associated with the group in favor of tazkiyyat an-nafs minus the eccentricities of the various tasawwuf movements. I think this is a positive development as well, and insha’Allah a part of the reform that needs to take place.

    Jazakallah khayr again for all that you’ve done and benefited us =)

    Siraaj

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:40 PM

      1) Yes…but they are obviously too Saudi-centric!

      2) AMJA has some great pros and cons…this is not the place to elaborate on them. I really wish that they were more English/Western friendly, and that Western Muslims were more aware of them.

      3) Yes. And I have been guilty of some of this in my earlier phases, and I believe it is essential that teachers acknowledge their mistakes as they move on.

      4) I agree!

      Reply

  35. Tariq Ahmed

    April 22, 2014 at 1:56 PM

    Reading this article was beneficial as well as unsettling. May Allah make those who rejoice in the divisions of the Ummah repent for or rue their laughter.

    I pray your work will help heal misunderstandings and encourage self-scrutiny. I pray that one result will be an emphasis on self-improvement in Islam over criticism of anyone else. That said, I also pray for you that Allah helps you to forgive those among the Muslims who have been unjust to you, and to deal with them mercifully. May Allah forgive me, you, and all the Muslims.

    Reply

  36. Abdullah

    April 22, 2014 at 2:37 PM

    Assalamu ‘alaykum Sh Yasir,

    Firstly, thank you for a balanced article on Salafism, which is a valuable contribution to the academic discussion on this movement.

    Secondly, I have a few questions which I hope you could shed some light on:

    1. Do you agree that the mindset that leads to quick and unjustified tabdee’ is the same as the mindset that leads to quick and unjustified takfeer. We see the followers of Rabee’ Al-Madkhali doing tabdee’ of practically everyone outside their narrow group, whereas we see takfeer from the likes of ISIS of other Syrian resistance groups (one of the excuses they used for takfeer was that one of the rebel groups “sat” with John McCain!).

    I feel that this tabdee’/takfeer mindset that afflicts the fringes of the Salafi movement actually at its core comes from parts of the Najdi da’wah. It is said that some of the scions of the Najdi da’wah made takfeer of the Ottomans, and Al-Maqdisi in his videos himself says that he studied the works of the Najdi scholars whilst in Madeenah. The fact that Al-Maqdisi is not a scholar or has any qualifications is altogether different matter, yet he bases his extreme brand of takfeer on the works of the Najdi da’wah with some justification.

    2. Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) is a giant among scholars whose virtue I’ve seen affirmed by Salafis and non-Salafis alike. Even those who disagree with him in points of theology duly respect him for this intellectually towering writings and his contributions to Islamic thought. I’m afraid the same cannot be said of Muhammad ibn Abdilwahhab (rahimahullah). Whilst the latter undoubtedly fought shirk and bid’ah, do you agree that the extreme tendencies in his movement alienated large sectors of the Ummah, who have used the false label “Wahhabi” to tar anyone who calls to tawheed.

    3. Sh Al-Albani rejected madhhabs but what we see in reality is that he has founded a madhhab himself, where his followers blindly follow his every opinion and engage in the same issues that they condemned the classical madhhabs and their followers for. The same extremism is rampant in the Ahl-e-Hadeeth movement in the subcontinent, to the point that they will fight among themselves over fiqhi issues. A friend relates how two groups of Salafis in India disgreed over moonsighting fataawa and the matter came to blows inside a masjid wallahul musta’aan.

    4. And finally, and this is a crucial point, since you yourself have disavowed the Salafi label, do you agree that the latter part of this Ummah cannot be reformed except by that which reformed the earlier part. I feel like there need to be major academic revisions carried out by sincere scholars affiliated with the movement, including explaining the mistakes in the Najdi scholars’ writings, mistakes in some of the works of Sayyid Qutb (rahimahullah) and a disavowal of the disease of tabdee’ and takfeer that tears communities apart. There is bid’ah and there is kufr but the application of these serious labels should be limited to senior scholars who get consensus on this, just like an Islamic court needs proof before pronouncing someone guilty and does not base its decisions on PDFs!

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 3:48 PM

      Salam Abdullah. Some very wise points ma sha Allah.

      1) Yes, I agree 100 %. This ‘aberration’ actually stems from standard modern Salafi dynamics of being obsesses with categorizing other people based on arcane beliefs.

      2) Yes.

      3) True; by rejecting the madhhabs he and his Salafism were forced to found their own.

      4) Hmmm…this requires more elaboration It is a cliche with some truth to say ‘the latter part of the Ummah will not be corrected except how the earlier part was.’ It is true in terms of rituals and theology and spirituality. But what does that cliche mean when it comes to an actual path forward? Politics? Palestine and Syria and Kashmir? Colonialism? American foreign policy? Darwinism and hedonism? And on and on. At some point, Salafis need to realize that being salafi is more than just talking about issues the salaf talking about. Had the salaf been alive now, their discourse would be about modern issues.

      Reply

  37. Abu Bilal (Swiss)

    April 22, 2014 at 2:52 PM

    In the beginning I would like to thank the author for this balanced article which is both, conclusive and very informative. As a student of knowledge who also studied at the prestigious Islamic University of Al-Madinah I would personally agree with most of the points mentioned in this essay. I particularly like the nuanced way of dealing with a very complex issue at hand and the reference to matters of tazkiyah.

    Certainly, the last couple of paragraphs may irritate a good number of fellow “salafi” students and du’at as it could be understood (if not read properly) as a blank endorsement of the “other” movements and groups. Hence it would have been helpful, in this respect, to further clarify the level of co-operation one should consider with fellow Muslims who may hold an intrinsically different creed or methodology (i.e. that working for the common good of the Muslim ummah, is not an option but a religious obligation; whilst at the same time, discussing and debating abstract issues still remains something which Muslim scholars, academics and students of knowledge should be engaged in, albeit whilst upholding Islamic adāb). To be fair, the author has elaborated on this issue in various talks and previous articles.

    Further, it would have been interesting to remark that the term “salaf” obviously predates Rashid Rida and was used in many classical Islamic texts. This fact was vaguely alluded to in the footnotes but should have, nevertheless, taken a more prominent description as it may have helped to clarify certain misconceptions many some practicing Muslims hold in that regard. It is true that Muslim scholar in the past have used the term “salaf” in order to refer to a methodology (i.e. how to follow the best of all generations in the way they have understood and applied the noble Qur’an and the sunnah) and not to define a particular group or sect. Nevertheless, I believe that whilst the student of knowledge is well aware of the term “salaf” others may need a more detailed linguistic and contextualized explanation of the term. In may humble opinion it would have completed this article and made it even more holistic. In the same way the author could have expanded on the term “athari” and explain that, ever since the formative period of Islam, many scholars who ascribed to the creed mentioned in the article have had a range of different denotations (e.g. At-Tāifah Al-Mansūrah, Ahlul-Ḥadīth, etc. but many of these terms have subsequently been high jacked). It is therefore vital that Muslims study the essence of creed and don’t lose sight of imān as an indispensable connecting factor between people pertaining to the same Islamic faith. Insofar, every attempt to label the highlighted pure creed with a “new” term (be it “orthodox” or other labels) will inevitably by misused and history repeats itself. It would be much more productive to academically demonstrate that the described creed and methodology was, in fact, the normative position of the early Muslim scholars and thence establish a productive dialogue with members of the Muslim community who may disagree with such a position.

    Finally, as an educator myself, I would like to point out that the original idea of establishing the madhāhib might have well been in order to establish a set pedagogical and academic curriculum to ease the learning of fiqh for the Muslim layman. Such is the job of most teachers and policymakers in education anyway and I would like to look at the Imāms of our ummah as our role-models in tarbiyyah and eructation. I personal believe that Muslims should start to look at (or choose) a particular “madhab” in order to follow a well-established curriculum in fiqh whilst being open-minded and receptive to other (established) opinions, especially if they seem closer to the way of the Prophet sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. In the end of the day we will all be held responsible for the decision we make in this world!

    I pray to Allah ta’ala to make us realize the truth and thus guide us on the straight path so we can follow it.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 4:08 PM

      Salam

      Read some of my previous comments where I deal with some of your issues.

      The issue of cooperation with other groups is not as complicated as Salafis typically portray it. Every student of knowledge and da’i has the right to judge pros and cons, and decide accordingly. As I said, Islam does not in itself preach guilt by association.

      I agree with you about the necessity of pure creed. But just be careful that you don’t mix the forest for the trees: true iman transcends a list of bulleted points.

      Once again, thanks for your comments. BTW were you in Madinah at my time?

      Reply

      • Abu Bilal (Swiss)

        April 22, 2014 at 4:21 PM

        We went together to some of the local shuyukh and I was among the “German group”. We met recently in the UK – Barak Allahu feek!

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 22, 2014 at 8:16 PM

          Aah… I didn’t recognize your kunya. Yes of course. Keep in touch akhi!

          Reply

  38. گنهگار

    April 22, 2014 at 3:01 PM

    Salaam Aleykum Shaykh Yasir Qadhi,

    In our University whenever there is a talk by a guest speaker/scholar during the Q/A time the sisters can not use the mic to ask questions but they are told to write their questions on the piece of paper and a brother will read it.

    I ask is this really Islamic?

    I read the Seerah of the Prophet (saw) and his Companions (ra) and Tabi’een women in their time would ask questions in the Masjid or in other places. The Question is are we more ‘religious’ than the early Muslims who knew more about the religion than us? Why are we acting more ‘pious’ and ‘religious’ than the Companions? Isn’t this going to extremes?

    Note: What I wrote above is not about any group because I don’t even know whether the bros who organize the events are Salafi or non-Salafi. I am just asking a question.

    Reply

  39. Fatima

    April 22, 2014 at 3:18 PM

    Couldn’t agree with you more . Awesome job!

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:51 PM

      Couldn’t agree with your comment more. Awesome comment!

      Reply

  40. Abu Aadilaa Abdur Razzaq

    April 22, 2014 at 3:30 PM

    As-salaamu Alaikum brother Yasir, your conclusion of the article is in fact defeat to the purpose of being 1 ummah, how else do you think that Muslim will unite, by following diff madhab and not on the foot step of our salafs, subbhan-Allaah, grow up and do a proper historical research on when and where salaf begin, its not by Sheikh Rida, and come on ‘Salafism is a human method’, of course is a human method and so is all madhab and sects, however following the authentic salaf practices with their understanding is what salafee teaches. Your first page itself was so badly researched and documented that i skipped to read the rest and saw your conclusion, which gives an open hand to create more fitna. May Allaah correct your affairs and may he give you more emaan to understand our salaf.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 4:10 PM

      Well.. ameen to your duas, and may you as well be blessed with the same :)

      Reply

  41. zahoor basha

    April 22, 2014 at 3:37 PM

    Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuhu
    This zahoor basha often writes queries to you , I hope many such queries has come to especially at this era of internet and technology it is difficult for a working individual to access knowedge just 1/2 hour Friday which he is busy with work schedule in the back of his mind.Indivdual like me who don’t have time to sit with scholar neither the scholars are like that in the east who teach us outside the 5 daily prayers.We learn a lot when we come to Saudi Arabia about aqeeda and basic practice of reliegions and from the books of standard publiations like darusalaam and iiph. But then in our free time in home we learn islam from internet. I hear lot of speeches and then come across your seerah which is very beneficial to our ummah you will not imagine inshallah what Ajar ALLAH will give you with sadaqa of knowledge you give people like us our imaan gets boost often my mind shakes feeling I am in that century. Alhamdirullah then we listen to other scholars like mufti menk good talking about present evil problems and scholar which affect the heart and then we strenght our knowledge in dawah with zakir bhai and we have nouman who explain some details of language of Arabic and often it goes above the head and sometime understandable and then we come across scholars of ahlul hadith of india teaching the importance of hadith and what I learn nowadays from site who are first category of pro government scholars put a long list of deviants including your name, zakir , dr israar who ideas of reforming islam and global thinking was very good disputed because some issue contradict with aqeedah that is correct what they say and then they carry on not to listen at all which is very difficult to live like that.i was totally confused when they criticize you on some matters of your thinking cannot able to understand and their only doing the job of criticizing nothing they have done to spread islam in India and third world country only people who work there will have acces to such knowledge. They criticize peace tv I asked why did u not brought before one such do they don’t have money to open a channel there are late and backward in present muslim problems in the world as u correctly pinpointed.At last I feel we can take the creed and practice of worship on the pillars of islam can be taken and other points are diversified in different scholars of around the globe each having some speciality we can take help of that and not only sticking everything to what they say-Jazhakhallah kahiran u have said what a common man can understand also.

    Reply

  42. Saiful Islam

    April 22, 2014 at 4:15 PM

    According to the Asharites, Tafweed is the mainstream Sunni position when it comes to the attributes of God.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 4:17 PM

      You are absolutely correct….’according to Asharites’.

      Whether that assessment actually lives up to reality is another question :)

      Reply

  43. Behar

    April 22, 2014 at 5:05 PM

    Salaam Alaykum,
    Why do you consider Takfeerees & Jihadists to be among salafis knowing that All of the shayks you mentioned above refuted them: Albanee, Bin Bazi, Uthaymin, Abdul Muhsin Al Abadi?
    Are they not from groups of Haawaareej?

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:23 PM

      Who gets to decide? You? Or them?

      As I wrote, each of the sub-sects views itself and itself alone as being ‘the correct Salafi group’. The group you criticized would view themselves as being ‘the correct Salafi group’. And you as well view yourself in the same way. Precisely my point.

      Reply

      • Ismail Kamdar

        April 22, 2014 at 11:56 PM

        Wa Alaikum Salaam

        I can add to this that 90% of the Takfeeris and Jihadists I interact with identify themselves as Salafi so listing them as a sub-sect of Salafism is quite legit.

        Reply

      • Behar

        April 23, 2014 at 4:26 AM

        Do you know any sect that don’t consider themselves as not calling in the methodology of salafusalih?
        The point that i’m trying to emphasise is that, when you proceed to explain the positive aspect of the Salafis, one might think that you see All of them as salafis, including Hawarij; and all of them have good/bad things.
        now another question; when in the history of islam Umah benefited from hawarij? it is not one of their misbeliefs that they don’t try understand the ayas of quran as sahabas understod? hence they deviated?
        this is definition of salafism as you explained

        Also if you listen to some tapes of Sheikh Albanee (even in albanian, in my mothers language) you’ll see that he expresses love for Everyone that tries to benefit ummah including Hasan Al Bana, Said Qutbi, even if he does not agree with their manhaj and he criticised Rabi al Madkhali for his book on Said Qutbi.

        I think that Sheikh Albanee was an ahlu sunnah doesn’t matter if he considered himself as salfi or not, and in his time happend things that never happend before but he trated those things with wisdom. But as you said none is free from error, saying this, yet you speak alot for errors of past that schoolars made.

        Reply

  44. Abu Yunus

    April 22, 2014 at 5:09 PM

    The article, despite attempting to assess Salafiyyah, is still devoid of any reference to many of the significant observations which have be leveled against Dr Yasir Qadhi by adherents of the Salafi tradition.

    There have been a number of valid criticisms against Dr Qadhi’s theories (such as his void assertion that the modern Salafi scholars “disorientated” the view of Ibn Taymiyyah in regards to ruling by other than what Allah has revealed and thus invented istihlal) yet these are all treated with either academic snobbery or a flagrant intellectual denial. For one operating in the field of academia Dr Qadhi has to take criticisms seriously and dispassionately otherwise his credibility as an impartial academic will always be questioned by those of the Salafi tradition.

    Let us take the issue of Istihlal, which Dr Qadhi has asserted was an invention and concoction of ‘the modern salafi scholars’ and nothing to do with Ibn Taymiyyah. The concept of istihlal is replete within the writings of Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, yet Dr Qadhi, instead of having the academic impartiality to rethink his 2009 paper, he has not even discussed it and neatly swept the matter under the carpet.

    Moreover, Dr Qadhi has been criticised for his apparent disgust of, and antipathy towards, Imam al-Albani and also, during his time at Madeenah University, asserting that Albani had “mistakes in the issue of eemaan”. This is to the extent that Dr Qadhi even holds, as noted in the poorly researched article above, that Imam al-Albani does not even hold actions to be from eemaan?! This is a blatant distortion of the creed of Imam al-Albani for which Qadhi provides no evidence for from the writings of Imam al-Albani whatsoever. This is an inappropriate method for an academic.

    Here are some matters regarding Imam al-Albani and the issue of eemaan, which Dr Yasir Qadhi would do well to ponder on:

    According to Imam al-Albani: eemaan is statement, action and belief. Righteous actions are from the reality of eemaan. See adh-Dhib ul-Ahmad, pp.23-33. Also according to Imam al-Albani: Actions are a foundational pillar of eemaan. See Muqaddimah Sharh ul-’Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah, p.58. According to Imam al-Albani: Kufr can be with the tongue, heart and limbs. It is committed via takdheeb (denial), juhood (rejection), ’inaad (arrogance), nifaaq (hypocrisy), I’raad (turning away) and shakk (doubt). See at-Tahreer li-Masaa’il it-Takfeer and also as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, vol.7, p.134.

    According to Imam al-Albani: Ruling by other than what Allaah has revealed is kufr however it could either be minor kufr which does not expel the doer out of the religion (meaning it is fisq) if it is done as an action; or it could be major kufr which expels one from the religion when one makes it lawful with his heart and the likes. See at-Tahdheer min Fitnat-Takfeer and Silsilah as-Saheehah, vol.7, p.134.

    Therefore, Imam al-Albani (rahimahullah) accurately noted that the difference between Ahl us-Sunnah and the Murji’at ul-Fuquhaa is real, it is neither imaginary nor hypothetical. See Sharh ’Aqeedat ut-Tahawiyyah, pp.62-3.

    How Dr Yasir Qadhi can deny all of this, not only reeks of intellectual denial and academic snobbery, but is also unbecoming on one who is operating in the field of academia, this is not a matter in which Dr Qadhi can seriously expect people to follow what he says uncritically.

    It is for this reason that the criticisms leveled against some of the theories of Dr Qadhi are tangible and very serious, such as what has been documented here for instance:

    http://download.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Qadhi.pdf

    denial of them does not do Qadhi any favours.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:31 PM

      Mr ‘Abu Yunus’.

      What reeks of intellectual arrogance and cowardice is the fact that you choose to attack me and single me out as if I am the one propagating such views. Why not take your anger out on the ‘kibar’ of the Kingdom who actually were the ones who went back and forth with al-Albani and Halabi et. al. on these issues? I was in Saudi in the late 90’s as a student in Madinah, and we followed each fatwa back and forth in explicit detail.

      At this stage of my life, I truly cannot be bothered to care about this issue enough to write about it in detail. Nonetheless, the position that I wrote above and which you so vehemently disagree with is the analysis of a whole cadre of Saudi ‘kibar’, from the current Mufti to Bakr Abu Zayd and so many others whom you would otherwise look up to. Don’t be selective in your anger and channel it only at me, go ahead and smear all of them as well, so as to be consistent.

      I might have my disagreements with the ‘kibar’, but I also recognize that they know Athari theology better than the Jordanian branch ever did. Shaykh al-Albani is someone whom I admire greatly (regardless of what you say) but he was human and had his errors, and theology was not his speciality. Clearly, he contradicted himself in a number of statements regarding this issue and he didn’t understand Ibn Taymiyya’s position. This is not *just* my analysis, this is the analysis of my own theology teachers at Madinah (in the Masters program!) and of the ‘Kibar’ of the Kingdom.

      In any case, this is all I will write about this issue, as the arguments for this are well-known and documented for those who care about this issue.

      Reply

      • Abu Yunus

        April 23, 2014 at 1:53 AM

        Again, utter sidetracking of the core issue. Your erroneous argument which you presented in your 2009 paper is again swept under the carpet and not addressed.

        The reason why you, Dr Qadhi, have been “singled-out”, as you argue, is not due to any personal agenda against yourself which is another strategy which is used by people in order to deflect valid criticisms.

        Rather Dr Qadhi, we have not seen the sources which support what you assert. Moreover we have not yet observed the citations wherein Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd or the current Mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaykh ABdulAzeez Aal Shaykh have ever asserted what you proposed in your 2009 paper and in your statement above, namely:
        a. That Albani, Bin Baz and Uthaymeen emphasised Istihlal in the issue of ruling by other than God’s law and that this is contrary to the stance of Ibn Taymiyyah in the issue

        b. That Imam al-Albani had such errors in eemaan to render him as not even deeming actions to be from eemaan (!?).

        c. That Ibn Taymiyyah did not discuss istihlal in regards to the matter of ruing by other than God’s law

        The only one to make such venomous accusations against Albani, which may indicate your actual academic sources, was Safar al-Hawali. If this is your main citation for your theories about Imam al-Albani, and for your promotion that Albani was from the Murji’ah (another of the risible positions held by Dr Qadhi for which he has received justified critique) you would do well to clearly state that instead of trying to impute the Mufti Abdul’Azeez Ali Shaykh to that position.

        For an academic, not to mention one who is supposedly specialised in Islamic theology, Dr Qadhi is often lax in regards to source-referencing, and has not even addressed the Istihlal error which you asserted in 2009 at the University of Edinburgh. It would be the honorable thing to merely admit that what you hypothesised is absolutely incorrect.

        Reply

        • Mohammad

          April 25, 2014 at 11:06 PM

          I was just following some of Dr. Qadhi’s responses in this blog. Not sure what message he actually tried to convey by making these contradictory comments in the very same blog.

          “You will find al-Albani, and many modern Salafis, saying this” (I am a Salafi)

          “In fact al-Albani has comments about him that he wasn’t fully salafi because he clung to a madhhab.”

          Moreover, he has strongly agreed to the commentators here who said that al-Albani created (unconsciously) a new ‘madhhab’ (his blind followers) by not following one of the traditional madhhabs. It seems to me that he’s using al-Albani for both approving and disapproving his current stance. Honestly, I couldn’t believe when I heard one of the Salafi preachers called him a ‘liar’. After reading this article as well as his double-faced responses to the reader’s comments, I have started to believe so.

          Reply

    • Hassan

      April 22, 2014 at 9:35 PM

      May I ask the obsession of PDF format? I am not commenting on matter you described, I am just curious on excessive usage of PDF. I think HTML5 can be a good moving forward, it can be rendered easily on desktops/laptops and smart devices alike.

      Reply

      • themodernmuslimman

        April 22, 2014 at 10:09 PM

        HTML5 is off the manhaj brother

        Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 22, 2014 at 11:54 PM

        They are known for their PDF refutations and so that is the significance. It seems like they make refuting other Muslims 90% of their deen.

        Reply

      • Imran Kokar

        April 23, 2014 at 6:54 AM

        Is that all you have to say, “obsession of PDF”?! Seriously! The truth is the truth. Let that be your criterion, not whether it’s published as a PDF or not.

        Reply

      • salafimanhajadmin

        April 23, 2014 at 8:30 AM

        It’s my website. I have no “obsession” with PDF’s. We publish many PDFs for free, so this is to try and prevent people from easily copying the work and making a profit by selling it and re-branding it with their own details.

        Sorry if it’s an inconvenience for anyone.

        If enough people complain, I will consider making text only articles, in-sha Allah.

        Reply

  45. Sarah

    April 22, 2014 at 6:25 PM

    Assalamu alaykum!

    I am a young Muslim active on some social media and blogging sites such as Tumblr – and I was extremely shocked when I found that the ‘madkhali’ group of Salafis are very much ‘coming back to life’. They are quite influential over convert Muslims, or those who do not want to adhere to ‘blind’ Islam; basically, those who rely on the Internet for their learning due to not having reliable scholars or family members to rely on. What ended up warning me away from them was that I realized that they and those who hate Islam seem agree beautifully on what our religion is!

    I would love if you could clarify some of the points that they use as a form of ‘intellectual terrorism’ to scare people into joining them. For example, jarh wa ta3deel, and their repeated insistence that you cannot in any way, shape, or form learn from someone who has made a ‘problematic’ statement. For people who have access to Islamic knowledge, points such as ‘We distinguish between an incorrect statement, and the person who makes it’ would obviously warn away from such groups, and allow a person to understand the context of many scholarly statements. But to those who are new and learning, these online-madkhalis can be damning!

    Jazakallahukhairan.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 6:59 PM

      Salam Sr. Sarah,

      I have first-hand experience with Madkhalis for the last 15 years. My experiences with them have shown me one simple fact: those with sincerity and intelligence amongst them eventually leave that understanding and move on to that which is more beneficial to the Ummah.

      So…you continue being productive and useful to the Ummah, and always, always be better than them in your manners and in your sincerity. As I said, those who are sincere and intelligent will move on. Those who are not sincere … well, they have bigger problems than this. And those who are not intelligent, inshaAllah Allah will forgive them for them misguided overzealousness.

      Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 22, 2014 at 11:47 PM

        “So…you continue being productive and useful to the Ummah, and always, always be better than them in your manners and in your sincerity. As I said, those who are sincere and intelligent will move on. Those who are not sincere … well, they have bigger problems than this. And those who are not intelligent, inshaAllah Allah will forgive them for them misguided overzealousness.”

        JazzakAllahu khair

        If we know what we are dealing with, we are better equipped to handle the situation.

        Reply

    • O H

      May 2, 2014 at 4:24 PM

      Madhkhalis have by far caused the biggest dent to the image of modern salafiyyah so much so that people assume Salafis=Madhkhalis. A clear distinction should be made between them so as to not harm those trying to adhere to the path of the salaf/righteous predecessors or those who are making these baseless accusations or incorrectly assuming such, hence being put off from salafi scholars upon the haqq.

      The Ummah has much to gain from the works of giants such as Ibn Baaz, Ibn Uthaymeen, Abdullah Ibn Jibreen, Saalih al Fawzaan who have vast knowledge of the Qur’an & Sunnah and strict adherence to it in their conduct and books/verdicts. A lot of credit goes to the salafi scholars who have taught Shaykh Yasir Qadhi and other western based Shuyookh enabling them to share the knowledge among the Muslims in the West. We owe them respect and fair judgement. Whatever criticisms & issues there are of modern day salafiyyah are dwarfed by the issues relating to scholars from Al Azhar (Egypt),Deobandi school of thought, Brelvies etc who have far more negative issues, both in terms of number and severity. I rather learn from a close minded salafi with proper ilm of aqeedah than a well mannered Deobandi scholar with an aqeedah understanding corrupted with bidah and shirk. Ideally I would learn from someone like the late Shaykh Saalih Ibn Uthaymeen, who in my opinion, was both knowledgeable and fair in his verdicts and views.

      Note: By the way I am not saying all deobandis hold views which may constitute shirk but a significant section of them do as per my experience as a person from a subcontinent background.

      Reply

  46. Maryam

    April 22, 2014 at 6:54 PM

    Interesting article, but I personally have problems with most of the cons you mentioned.
    My question is, alhamdulilah you still claim to adhere to the athari creed (which in my opinion is the same as the Ahlu hadith or what we call salafiyah today), but what was disturbing is seeing you on youtube stand next to a shia that insult Uthman in his old lectures. Was that a mistake?,and what are your limitations in terms of associating with individuals that are known innovators and defenders of their innovations?(as someone who still claims to follow the salaf of this ummah)

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 8:23 PM

      I wonder if you actually read the article carefully?

      This is actually one of my main criticisms of the movement: the ‘guilt-by-association’ syndrome that the movement instills.

      I have never supported Shi’ism or Shi’ite theology. I find it unpalatable and insulting. But merely by standing on a public stage, in a public forum with a large group of clerics, one of whom is Shi’ite is in no way, fashion or form endorsing Shi’ite theology. The whole notion of ‘associating with deviants’ needs to be re-looked at and re-taught in light of…wait for it… the Quran and Sunnah, and not JUST in light of specific statements of the salaf themselves.

      You have every right to disagree with me ‘standing next to’ someone whom you disapprove of, but your opinion and stance is not obligatory on me to follow, and even if you are correct, my opinion doesn’t make me an innovator. I might find there to be a specific benefit in ‘standing next to’ someone (even a non-Muslim!) for a greater need of the Ummah. Merely standing next to, or even cooperating on one project, or multiple projects, does not in itself imply tacit approval. What would be actual deviation is (god forbid) for someone to say that cursing the Companions is permissible or laudatory. I believe that cursing the Companions is a sign of hypocrisy; yet, at times and in certain places, I will indeed stand next to someone who does so, even as I hate the theology that this person is propagating. The Prophet salla Allah alayhi wa sallam cooperated with pagans for the greater good of the Ummah; surely Muslims of other sects are more worthy of such cooperation if the need calls for it?

      Again, this mindset is one of my main criticisms of the movement.

      Reply

      • Nafs Zakiya

        May 13, 2014 at 10:41 PM

        Salam, as a western Muslim it has been quite a joy to to witness your continued maturation of understanding–or to put it succinctly–your hikma. I do not mean this condescendingly, but out of respect

        One small note when speaking of shi’ism, as a scholar I’d request you be a bit more precise, it is 12vrs or Jaafari who engage in cursing, but others such as Zaidiya do not. I realize this seems like splitting hairs, but I feel it may be helpful for others to know this.

        Apologies in advance for giving your critics more fuel to denounce you by having a follower of Zaidiya say some kind words :-)

        Reply

      • b.s

        June 26, 2016 at 7:55 AM

        And do not incline towards the wrong doers lest the fire touches you.(Al Quran )

        Reply

  47. Imran Kokar

    April 22, 2014 at 6:57 PM

    Yasir, why are you being selective in what you allow and what you delete. Why are you deleting the detailed responses left by Salafis? Fine. Be prepared for a detailed response published very soon insha’Allaah.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 7:04 PM

      As far as I know no comments are being deleted, but I will check and make sure that is not happening.

      As for refutations…make sure it is in PDF so that you are still ‘on the manhaj’ ;)

      Yasir

      Reply

  48. Jakub Maciagowski

    April 22, 2014 at 7:07 PM

    Assalaamu ‘alaykum. I haven’t read it yet, but I am excited and will print it insha’Allah.
    In my view salafies imitate jews in some ways (I don’t mean all of them!) :
    1. They appear to always look for the most literal interpretations (in my belief sometimes less literal and more rational posiotions in fiqh are better) and this leads to strickness and hardships.
    2. They don’t touch statements of previous scholars that they choose for themselves and are opposed to do that. In my belief sometimes statements of scholars could be slightly wrong or could be right but not completely right for a different time and place, that’s why I see no problem in modifying or expanding them – if there is a need and only if it’s done with sincerity.
    3. They isolate themselves from others and try to raise themselves above others. And one can do this by constantly attacking and insulting others or by constantly praising their own group and then just adding that they are the ones who belong to it.
    4. Some of them resemble even in their appearance…
    May Allaah the Most High guide them and all of us here and save us from the fire. ameen.

    Reply

    • Jakub Maciagowski

      April 22, 2014 at 7:51 PM

      There is an interesting PDF available on the topic of the saved sect:
      http://www.jawziyyah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Seventy-Three-Sects.pdf

      Reply

      • Jakub Maciagowski

        April 23, 2014 at 5:04 PM

        hehe, it’s funny how many dislikes I got. In point 4 I mean their behavior and appearance bear resemblance… and I don’t mean the beard itself because that is a great command from our Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him)

        Reply

  49. jay

    April 22, 2014 at 7:25 PM

    Yasir, whatever praise for the salafis you feel you have portrayed doesn’t really matter at the end cause the theme of this article is criticism for salafis. Somehow, you’ve succeeded in creating waswas in the hearts of most people regarding the salafis, and the next time a salafi would advise such persons to for example, ask about the authenticity of hadiths, that advice and whatever else advice they give wouldn’t be taken so easily. Your saying you left the salafi movement at the end comes down to indirectly asking people to do same. And as you are knowledgeable enough to take some of their creed and methodology/theology which you see as justified, know that not everyone would understand that and take what’s good from them. Muslims make mistakes, that shouldn’t make people leave islam. Salifis are fallible, what they call to isn’t. They might have left some aspects lacking, but saying their views on the importance of proper understanding of Tawheed or where Allah is or aqeedah is over exaggerated is just bad. “Sects are parts and parcel of Islaam, and the one who denies that is deeply wallowing in Ignorance, Didn’t the Rasul Sallallaahu ‘alayh wa Salaam say ” The Jews and Christians have decided their religion into 72 Sects and you Muslims will divide yours into 73, but all these go to Jahannam except one”(Saheeh Bukhari)”. May Allah guide you and us brother. Maybe next you’ll take grave worshippers and people that ask help from their Shaykhs and say Glory be to those Shaykhs as your brothers all in the name of love and unity. Please next time don’t generalise your western world muslim challenges as that of the entire Ummah, where I come from, problems amongst the muslim youths and Ummah here don’t arise from temptations of secularism and materialism, the hearts and general beliefs of people are shaped by their aqeedah, manhaj n understanding of tawheed which you consider trivial. Bever underestimate the powers of thoughts or words, be more careful with them.

    Reply

    • Asdren Zajmi

      April 23, 2014 at 8:05 AM

      How can you claim yourself to be from the followers of salaf who did not debate neither call for good and prevent from the evil under fake names?

      Reply

  50. Haarith

    April 22, 2014 at 7:48 PM

    Salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah

    Thank you for this article, which has been written in lucid and engaging manner.

    If I then may advance a few brief questions for your attention please:

    1) it was stated in the article that salafism was promoted and popularised by Shk. Albani, and thereafter by the Nejdi counterparts.

    I am curious, how you came to this conclusion – and if we have any *academic* references to substantiate this claim? If so if you could furnish us with it, and may Allah reward you.

    2) Is it not the case that some, at the head of the movement, ironically, did not promote it as a group but with a more encompassing and indeed emancipating outlook?

    I am thinking of the likes of Shk B. ‘Uthaymin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_qeMxc_vY – who herein said that the ‘saved sect’ is not the Salafi sect – though they may be the closest in doctrine, but embracing the overarching way of the earliest generations in terms of statement, deeds, piety and conduct. Presumably what you would in general terms agree with fully today?

    3) Following on from #2) above:

    Given we ought to accept certain sizeable sections of the salafi movement actually agree already with what has preceded in the paper, would you thus agree that factually there may be little/no difference in methodology between yourself and a sizeable portion of salafis almost letter-for-letter, even after your ‘exiting’ from salafism?

    4) In terms of reforming salafism, would you accept that doing so from within the movement would usually be expedient?

    5) Lastly, in your experience from days in the Islamic University of Medina – a predominantly Salafi university, instrumental in promulgation of salafi teachings – was you experience that teachers and lecturers from other continents and countries were brought over to the University to lecture in their given field of expertise?

    It seems in the article the implication is that scholarship was limited to one country.

    As a follow on from this, were this to be accepted for the sake of argument, that this is the case, then would you agree that at least from the point of scholars within a given country, it is fairly natural to sign post other students to scholars whom one is familiar with – who in a time of little internet access, is more likely than not to be local, rather than remote? This seems particular instinctive when it comes to recommending a scholar to one’s students for tarbiyyah (holistic Islamic development and nurturing).

    My apologies for the length of this communique and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

    Jazakum Allah khayran

    Wassalam

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 22, 2014 at 8:42 PM

      1) I am not aware of any academic references; however, the Najdi Dawah did not call itself ‘Salafi’ for the bulk of its existence. It is historically undeniable that the term was introduced by Rida, adopted by Albani, and then propagated by the Najdis as well. I would be interested if you can find evidence to the contrary!

      2) Yes. I had the great honor and privilege of sitting at the feet of Sh Ibn Uthaymeen the summer before he passed away, during his intensive summer program. I feel his understanding of ‘Salafism’ is far more in line with this article’s!

      3) To a certain extent, yes.

      4) For some. Not for me; as I said, I feel more comfortable concentrating on the broader Ummah. This article, while no doubt will cause some reform (insha Allah) is not meant to do that directly.

      5) I studied with over one hundred scholars at the University during my ten years there. Of these, exactly two were non-Saudis; Egyptians to be precise. One was an Indian naturalized-Saudi (Sh. Adhami). I also studied with a few outside the University – some of them were non -Saudis (Sh. Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri, for example). But by and large, the entire University during my time was Saudi, and from what I understand still predominantly remains so. This was not the case throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

      Reply

  51. Haarith

    April 22, 2014 at 8:39 PM

    To add to the above, therefore: within the Western context, to what extent would you say the same holds true of Salafi *scholarship* with reference to not seeking to address issues relevant to the day?

    Reply

  52. p4rv3zkh4n

    April 22, 2014 at 8:39 PM

    Salam Sheikh Yasir Qadhi.

    Thank you for the informative article about Salafis.

    Is it possible for you or another Scholar to type an article about deobandis and barelvis?

    Since my family is from bangladesh, I want to know more about these two “groups”.

    Salam

    Reply

    • Hassan

      April 23, 2014 at 11:46 AM

      This is one disagreement I have with muslimmatters in general, they will not criticize anyone other than salafis for sake of unity of ummah etc.

      Of course Sh. Yasir is more aware of salafis, so he could critique them. But you will not get any article on any other movement from anyone on muslimmatters. You will only hear nice things about them.

      Reply

      • Umm.Esa

        April 23, 2014 at 10:50 PM

        I think enough of PDFs are available critiquing other groups :)

        Reply

        • Hassan

          April 24, 2014 at 8:31 AM

          Enough of salafi criticism is available over the internet as well, question is will muslimmatters single out salafis for criticism or they will have similar academic level article on other groups. I doubt though.

          Reply

      • Amad

        April 24, 2014 at 8:55 AM

        Charity starts from home :)

        Reply

        • Hassan

          April 24, 2014 at 10:29 PM

          What home? this is muslimmatters not salafimatters (as someone said many years ago). BTW it is interesting that you have articles in muslimmatters by deobandis and sufis (scholar level people who admit to being one), while you do not have any articles from people who claim to be salafis. It seems they are being kicked out from sunni or muslim umbrella.

          Reply

      • p4rv3zkh4n

        November 21, 2014 at 5:40 PM

        i found an interesting document about the barelvi group;

        http://www.calltoislam.com/pdf/The%20Brelwies%20And%20Ahmad%20Riza%20Khan%20%282nd%20Ed%29%20-%20Abu%20Anas%20Muhammad%20Khan.pdf

        Reply

      • Khalil al-Puerto Rikani

        August 2, 2016 at 5:05 PM

        Bro. Hassan,

        Thank you are stating this. I have found this to be the case with many camps of Muslim in the USA that call for unity. It seems that they are aways saying how we should be united and not criticize other Muslims. However, when it comes to Salafis it is open session and they are always criticism. This to me smells like a type of partisanship of the very type that these groups claim to be staying away from. SubhanAllah.

        Reply

  53. Shahnawaz Baig

    April 22, 2014 at 9:09 PM

    Assallamu Alaikum ya Shiekh. JazaKAllah Khairun for this brilliant investigative and academic article on the evolution and current status of “Salafism” – Who’s Who and What is What and most importantly How did we come to this. I feel an immense form of brotherhood when I read your thought-provoking journey and how you arrived in your understanding through honesty, truth and fair justice – which I feel is a much bigger character trait than be smitten by being scholarly or philosophical about things. I understand that it would’ve been impossible to ask more of you as a contributing element to this article but as I was reaching the end I was gasping in anticipation that perhaps my “Dream” question is about to be answered. Wallahi, I would have loved and appreciated you and the article even more (for the sake of Allah) IF I had just a few more specifics spelled out. Although my knowledge was increased many folds Alhumdullilah of things which were a bit hazy and concepts/information where I was confused about. I understand and appreciate that perhaps there could be some Hikma’h of you withholding the “Creme de le Creme” Specifics (which I so much desired). A Wisdom which I cannot presently see.

    Whilst growing up when any Muslim gathers “Shao’or” – Consciousness of his / her deen – they are told to follow the Qura’an and Sunn’ah and implement the teachings in their daily lives and live by it. There have been many interpretations of the Qura’an in many Languages and perhaps many authentic Ahadeeth do provide an excellent interpretation or the best examples on how to implement that particular directive in the Qura’an. But where things are not that clear and when a practice or a ritual comes under questioning, we find conflicting interpretations (extracted wisdom) which seems to condone or condemn a practice, ritual, obedience, an action which are sometimes done with vested interests and sometimes regardless of the outcomes – politically, economically, egotistically – simply honestly. But Behold! These are carried out by Scholars who again proclaim to be on the right Manhaj. I say this because I haven’t met any scholar yet, who doesn’t proclaim so, or isn’t more confident of where he / she is heading / following.

    But for a Layman Muslim like me, the scholarly discussion about the existence of “Schisms” isn’t as important as the outstanding Question, which is, When we know that the Middle path of moderation needs to be applied – that we need to gain our knowledge from those scholars who are on the middle path, but how does one identify them? In Essence How much Middle is Middle anyway. What I am genuinely trying to ascertain is what if we, the layman Muslims (not the scholars) get it wrong in our selection process? And if we ask a Scholar – he definitely would invite us to what he understands in the best group or sect that is on the Middle and Moderate path based on his / her research. Is it even possible to clearly disembark the norm of being generalistic and specify exactly who today are the moderate and correct Scholars belonging to a certain methodology or a Tanzeem / group / sect of this day and age – where their internal differences of opinions are dwindling between the definition of “Schisms” or even worse their actual manifestations – Looking at this article, I cannot escape from the idea that it was a Minor difference of Opinion and then it’s gradual expounding (thanks to Shayta’n) that has led to the current state of dissensions that we find ourselves in today.

    This was my “Dream” question- about understanding those correct moderate Muslims and scholars of this day and age (constituting that sect, group, manhaj)- how do I identify them- who are they – what are they- How are they – where are they- and then knowing I am sure without causing any Fitna. Because this would make it so much easier for Muslims like me to unite and follow that one banner – Maybe unrealistic, romantic, naive, fairy-tale thinking (as the ultra-liberals and the ultra-orthodox would say) and not very scholarly of me or perhaps it is just too late in the day for Muslims where we need to simply have that patience and perseverance where we rely on our un-scholarly senses which Allah (swt) has given us to chose the best from that talk, baya’n, literary work, tafsir, article that scholar or sect or group or Manhaj has given. But then again, how do we know if we are even extracting the best?

    JazaKAllah Khair,Shk Yasir Qadhi (or anyone else)- if you do manage to find time in reading this comment this far. Please do a sequel to this article where there is some connection of dot’s, some coming together of art and science to identify if you are unable to specifically mention names, a gist of your Thumb-rules approach in the identification process, a gist of your own thought-process in your own journey, which still is on-going, but Alhumdullillah has reached a much more mature state of better realization of this wonderful Deen of Islam. I believe that our success in being good Muslims and having a fighting chance against the injustices and atrocities of this world, unleashed upon us, lies in a united Ummah which struggles with this question. I sincerely hope you understood my distressful question because Wallahi I must confess that I have fallen short of clearly articulating it (but it is the best I can do) and I sincerely hope that you will oblige, someday pretty soon, Insha-Allah!

    May Allah (swt) always keeps inspiring you to guide us correctly to the best of your abilities and May HE accepts our deeds and intentions and forgives our shortcomings- Ameen

    Reply

  54. Shameen Taj

    April 22, 2014 at 10:58 PM

    Dear Shayk Yasir Qadhi
    Assalamualikum
    Thanks for the immense knowledge of the article at correct time. After reading the article and comments below feel happy and pity.You have already said the Aqeeda and Pros of Saudi Salfism is enough to prove what you believe. Now the ummah is required of action there is no voice of ummah we are like scum in the sea.This the time of Technology and information everyone understand the creed of Salafi Saudi is authentic but in the actions there are backward feeling pain that the ummah is not united.Even there is no khilafah for which we all work for including Qadhi I think but to establish that atleast we should unite to form a union to raise our voices to the goverments when our muslim brother are hurt or when some calamity happens.We muslim should have a body of club in every city and country and then all together should raise the voice for any human injusctice today what I see the top clerics may pass on the road and if someone urine on the road he will not advice them also after he finish that please don’t do here but he thinks his job is over if he has refuted a scholar and wrote a big artice what a normal individual will not understand also common what this U have made ISLAM as something theory and not practical.
    Jazhakhallahu khairan –

    Reply

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  56. Isa

    April 23, 2014 at 2:15 AM

    The Asharis (of today) often maintain that there are some differences between Salafi and Athari aqidah. For example, they will endorse the aqidah texts of Ibn Quddamah (as authentic Athari aqidah) but not accept the aqidah texts of Ibn Tayymiyyah (who will be likened to Salafi aqidah). Any thought on that dear shaykh?

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:52 PM

      I have a lot to say on this…but this is not the article to comment on intra-Athari disputes. Very succinctly: there is a narrow spectrum of opinion within the Athari creed. Ibn Qudama is ‘center-right’, not quite on one extreme. Perhaps Ibn al-Jawzi would represent that extreme. On the other extreme you have Abu Ya’la, and one shade less than him Ibn Khuzayma. Ibn Taymiyya is center but different, as he explains what his centrist position is in a manner that is unprecedented.

      Bottom line: to cling to one Hanbalite and ignore all other Athari specialists isn’t very academic.

      Reply

      • Isa

        April 23, 2014 at 10:58 PM

        Thank you Dr. Qadhi. I look forward to reading that article one day insha Allah.

        Reply

      • p4rv3zkh4n

        May 1, 2014 at 7:34 PM

        Salam Sheikh Yasir Qadhi,

        Is it possible for you to explain briefly the difference between ibn jawzi and abu ya’la ‘s creed?

        since you mentioned the word “extreme” and “centre” within the athari creed.

        thank you

        Reply

  57. The Salafi Feminist

    April 23, 2014 at 2:28 AM

    I would venture to say that one common issue amongst *many* Salafis is the lack of recognition regarding the importance of social work and grassroots activism… not merely holding duroos or teaching the masses about Tawheed, but in addressing social issues in a wise and relevant manner that still adheres to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

    So much time is spent on theology, fiqh, and politics that the struggles of the average (and even not-so-average) person are completely overlooked… leaving behind entire communities that are brow-beaten into listening only to the ‘kibaar al ‘Ulamaa’ and watching out for ‘deviance’, but are unable to function as holistic Muslims on even the most basic of levels – as individuals and within their own families.

    As a result, societal issues which are easily written off as ‘kaafir problems’ (domestic violence, sexual abuse, toxic marriages, bullying, and so on) fester even more amongst these groups, thus effectively destroying themselves and generations to come.

    Reply

    • Abu Yusuf

      April 23, 2014 at 7:42 AM

      Very well said Salafi Feminist, and this is an area where direction and leadership is lacking among many Salafi communities, especially in the west today. As a member of one such community, the negative effects of this social neglect has began to affect the next generation who, while cognisant of the correct aqeedah and all it entails (which is foundational and the first step) they are ill equipped to actualise it in social spheres.

      Reply

  58. shamreez

    April 23, 2014 at 3:11 AM

    Assalamu alaikum. Just wanted to bring one point, don’t you think there may be places where tawheed is the most important issue. There are places which are indulged in shirk and bidaa and therefore they paying attention to that could very well be justified. Allahu aalam. Informative article. Jazakumullahu khairan. May Allah guide us all. Ameen

    Reply

  59. Bahader from Sweden

    April 23, 2014 at 3:34 AM

    @YasirQadhi – SubbhanaAllah amazing article and what a deep insight. Ma sha Allah tabarakAllah.

    Although I wish that this article had been published few years earlier to save our youths from becoming zombies who lives in parallell society.

    As a former “salafi” myself I realized early on that this movement suits the rulers perfect in safeguarding their chair and oppose no threat at all to the political arena in the society, because it turns you into a quoting zombie with zero influence in the very same society your living in.

    I still have some friends that are stuck in this movement and when I look at them I feel sadness because they are physically living in west but their mentality is as if they’re living in Saudi. This movement have turned some of the most intellectual and brightest youth to zombies.

    Alhamdolilah I realized this early due to Ali AtTamimis lectures and due to the fact that my father is a politician himself.

    But I must say that I am still struggling with agree to disagree manners and as you said the spirituality concept because of the prints this movement made on my personality.

    Reply

  60. Abu Jibreel

    April 23, 2014 at 4:12 AM

    BarakAllahu Feeka Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. I would just like to add/modify the following points:

    (1) The maximum number of divisions within Salafiyyah are 3 or 4. They are: Moderate Salafi, Jihadi Salafi, Madkhali Salafi, and Conservative Salafi. This categorization is based off how many Salafi groups believe themselves to be the TRUE and ONLY Salafis. I believe the maximum there are is 3, and certainly no more than 4.

    (2) Like any other movement, be it the Deobandi movement, or Ikhwani movement, Salafiyyah is an EVOLVING movement, so I do believe it may have a positive future and positive reformation. And with all due respect (or praise, however you see it), I still consider you to be part of the Salafi movement. You’re a favorable type of Salafi.

    (3) I’m glad you mentioned the positives of the movement and its approach/methodology. Just picking up Kitab At-Tawhid by Sh. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab yesterday, I felt it to be a classical book, though written only a few hundred years ago. If I’m not mistaken, Deobandis and Ikhwanis have praised the Shaykh (rahimullah). I’d like to add that the Salafi approach (with or without its label), I find it more traditional and classical than some of the neo-Sufi groups we see today, who sadly, have sometimes a very secular-liberal or pluralistic view of things.

    (4) And lastly, please stay focused on benefitting the Ummah, specifically two items:

    (a) Provoking Muslims to question their relationship with Allah subhana wa t’ala, and the state of our Ibadah

    (b) Ensuring that Muslims are more productive, effective, and efficient when it comes to contributing to the Ummah and Community

    (5) Finally, I’d like to see more cooperation between Deobandis, Ikhwanis, Tablighis, Salafis, etc. At the end of the day, we are Muslims, Ahlus Sunnah (in-sha-Allah), and these labels are nothing but descriptions for efforts/movements and methods of revival. We may be Salafi or Deobandi when it comes to scholarship, but we are partisan and Muslim when it comes to brotherhood and sisterhood and cooperating for the greater good and our priorities. And Allah knows best.

    JazakAllahu Khayr

    Reply

    • Abu Jibreel

      April 23, 2014 at 4:48 AM

      *Sorry, as for point #5 I meant: “we are non-partisan and Muslim”

      Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:47 PM

      1) Labels and categorizations are all subjective. You have the right to your own, and yes it does have some basis to it.

      2) Same as part (1) and also I’ve addressed this in other comments.

      3) No doubt, other movements have their fair share of problems as well. Some of them are worse than Salafis’ problems.

      4) That is what I’ve been doing for the last few years and hope to continue to do for as long as I live insha Allah.

      5) Again, I hope my own methodology is indicative of this as well.

      Reply

  61. Abu Milk Sheikh (@AbuMilkSheikh)

    April 23, 2014 at 4:20 AM

    Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Jazakumullahu khairan.

    I’m still going through the comments so I apolgize if this has been asked already. How would you deal with the fact that from the perspective of non-Salafis (particularly if they are anti-Salafi) you are still ‘Salafi’ in your ‘manhaj’, even if you say ‘I’m not a Salafi’?

    Yes the attitude is reductionist but it exists, even among the moderate Salafis who still identify with the label/idea. You’d be considered more of a liberal-leaning adherent of ‘salafiyyah ilmiyyah’ (academic salafism).

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:07 PM

      Labels, at some point, become meaningless. What others call me is of little concern to me, and yes, I do understand the cynicism of someone assuming that I’m just a more moderate/liberal Salafi.

      For me, Salafism was about emphasizing the Athari creed above and beyond anything else, including religiosity and iman itself! I am opposed to this misuse and exaggeration of aqidah, even if I subscribe to the Athari creed. Islam is more than just aqidah.

      From my perspective, I have a different set of priorities than Salafis, and a different vision of the Muslim world. If someone wishes to categorize me as a ‘liberal Salafi’, that’s his categorization, not mine.

      Reply

  62. Farrukh

    April 23, 2014 at 5:44 AM

    Assalaamoalaikum
    After reading your article, i’m bit afraid, there are two types of sunni in our country, first brailve, and 2nd deobandi.
    brailvi are on one extreme of polytheism, I was a brailvi when I was a child, but soon I realized their bid’at and left them.
    others are deobandi/wahabi who seem to have good Islamic believes but they have killed more than 50,000 people in Pakistan for enforcement of Islamic Law. in different masaajid of debandi, they ask for support for enforcement of Islamic law.
    As Dr. Zakir Naik often says there is no sunni shia thing in Islam, Quran teaches us to call ourselves Muslims, then why we label each and every Muslim with some sect? why can’t we call ourselves Muslims?
    why you used the word ‘Deobandi Tablighi Maturidi’ instead of Muslims?

    Reply

    • Mahmud

      April 23, 2014 at 2:55 PM

      I don’t agree with killing innocent people, but as a Muslim you must support Islamic law!

      Reply

    • Dr Haroon

      November 30, 2014 at 5:08 PM

      Those who killed 50,000 or more are Takfiri / Khawariji NOT wahabi or salafi. Please research and stop spreading lies and disinformation just because you heard on Foxnews that they were wahabi. There is nothing in salafi or wahabi or any other mainstream group’s ideology which asks for killing of innocent people, even if they are on different “madhab.”

      Good portion of that 50,000 is result of US intervention in Afghanistan and the illegal drone attacks.

      Watch and learn (this is salafi/wahabi scholar out of Saudi):

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV__1xqGCxQ

      Reply

  63. Maria_Rus

    April 23, 2014 at 6:18 AM

    Assalamu alaikum.
    First of all, I would like to thank Shaikh for speaking out about the current situation of Salafism as many people of knowledge do feel the same but seem to be afraid to acknowledge their thoughts in public as they will be immediately blacklisted. May Allah reward you for speaking the truth as it is one of the biggest struggle of all. Also, after reading your article I felt a great relief as lots of questions and issues I had are finally answered.

    I would like to add few more issues I have personally encountered following modern Salafism myself. Being a European convert for more than 8 years now, I found mainstream Salafism quite ‘Saudisised’ especially when it comes to their fatwas regarding everyday life affairs. Certain way of life they propagate I find inapplicable, for instance, in Europe and their scholarship don’t seem to be concerned about it. Some people are literally confused after following some fatwas while living in the West i.e. to drive or not to drive; to study in universities or not and so on. There doesn’t seem much of understanding different of cultures, mentality and situations in their literature in overall.

    Secondly, I found that mainstream Salafism almost ignores the Islamic history and its relevance to current affairs. There is a lack of good historical literature with a profound analysis of certain historical events. Furthermore, certain historical facts seem to be even skewed and misrepresented (probably in order to match an ideology). To sum up, while reading the Saudi salafi literature sometimes I feel I have been placed into a bubble without links neither to the past nor present where I feel literally intellectually suffocated.

    May Allah forgive me if I said anything wrong while expressing what’s on my heart and mind.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:22 PM

      It was precisely for people such as yourself that this article was written. You are not alone, my dear sister, and your concerns and fears were felt by many people, including myself in an earlier phase of my life.

      Reply

  64. abuhasna

    April 23, 2014 at 7:56 AM

    Jazakullah Sh. Yasir for your article. I was an active member of Islamic Societies at various UK Universities in the late Eighties & early Nineties. The Salafi group(s) in my experience only ever brought Fitna , Fire among the Muslims. They were self-declared Aqeedah policemen, suspicious of everyone & everything, and were always questioning everyone. They created a very nasty atmosphere on campus (-they were not alone in this, the Khilafa boys have a lot to answer for). For example they declared groups Kufr such as the Ikhwan, people who followed Mathab (-the Shia were to be burnt alive! Not Joking). My own position was always to look for excuses to bring Muslims together, including the Shia. The Salafi methodology was to look for excuses to break the JAMA, UNITY of Muslims EVERYWHERE. They made an utter, utter mockery of the noble institution of marriage (-it was merely a means to an end), and ironically made the Shia concept of Mutah appear as a veritable Island of Honour!. They never accepted our appointed Imams during Salat and many prayed in their own Jamah. I have also seen Burnout. Many decades have gone by, but they (including ex members) still carry a strong air of suspicion. In a recent DAWA event for non-muslims, a local Salafi visited us, he wanted to debate with us: Not help us. I personally advice my friends, relatives to keep well clear of them & their institutions: It need not have been like this-so much wasted energy. The Muslims lands are in a terrible state, we do not need (or ever needed in my opinion) more Fiqh, Aqeedah; what is needed is 99% humanity with !% Aqeedah. May Allah bless the Ulema to heal the Islamic Nation. And Muslims have to accept that the ISLAMIC nation is very, very, very diverse- and was ever thus.

    Reply

  65. sam

    April 23, 2014 at 8:01 AM

    Salam sheikh..very detailed article amidst an overwhelming reaction of debates….for the muslim layperson like myself who does not have the same amount of knowledge….there is a sea out there and its very daunting to get a grip of all the different mahabs and their historical perspectives….I sincerely pray that whatever form of Islam one connects to let it be…connection with Almighty and to follow in the way of our beloved prophet should prevail in the hearts of us Muslims…let us leave that judgement with Allah swt.
    It was a good read….please write about the status of women in islam…until we engage with women…and all the differences fiqh..adab…what women can or cannot do…our ummah will never make progress to engage them in the dawah and community.

    Reply

  66. farasat

    April 23, 2014 at 9:53 AM

    Regarding the issue of Sh Albanee, and whether he considered actions to be a necessary part of eemaan.

    Shaikh Albanee divided kufr into two types; kufr of belief and kufr of action. But he further divided kufr of action into: those actions which negate eemaan, and those actions that do not negate eemaan. As for the former he said; “among those actions are those on account of which a person actually disbelieves with the kufr of belief” (and he gave the example of intentionally kicking the Quran) {Fitnah of Takfeer, p72)

    Elsewhere Shaikh Albanee stated that “actions are a condition for the completeness of eemaan and not a condition for its existence”. (tape, Tah’reer li Usool at Takfeer, February 1996)

    So brother Yasir’s contention that Sh. Albanee did not consider actions to be a necessary part of eemaan is mistaken.

    Reply

  67. Ibn Masood

    April 23, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    Assalamualaikum

    JazakAllah khair for the amazing article. I only have one point which I found difficult to accept: That from among the positive aspects of Salafism is this:

    “A general and more comprehensive awareness of the branches of academic Islam. An average Salafī would be cognizant of the role of uṣūl al-fiqh, the importance of muṣtalaḥ al-ḥadīth, the basic structure and scope of ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, and so forth. It is safe to say that an average follower of Salafism is more aware of the academic disciplines underpinning Islam than an average follower of any other tradition.”

    Being a student also, I find this point quite contentious. I have found in general that Salafis are very weak when it comes to usul ul fiqh (which may be explained more the fact that most of them are Hanbali).

    Rather, fuqahaa from all spectrums of islam and all madhhaaib are usually very strong in usul ul fiqh, regardless of ideology.

    There are also quite a fair share of Ash’ari/’Sufi’ scholars who are very strong in hadeeth and its sciences.

    Reply

    • Hidayath

      April 23, 2014 at 11:01 AM

      Wa`alaikum ussalam warahmatullah

      The shaykh is talking about the “average” Salafi – not the scholar. Of course the actual scholars from all traditions will be stronger in usul, hadith, etc.

      Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 23, 2014 at 12:08 PM

        Thank you for clarifying that Hidayath!

        Reply

  68. Abu Abu

    April 23, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    “Its relegation of theology to the mainly abstract and theoretical doctrines tangential to the message of Islam, to the point that abstract theology and man-made creeds eclipse each and every other aspect of Islam.”

    This is probably the most verbose and arcane sentence that I’ve read in years. There are at least a dozen ways of re-writing this in a more easy-to-digest manner. A good writer always writes to the level of their general audience.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:17 PM

      Abu Abu (interesting kunya there!)

      It might be arcane and verbose, but it’s definitely not the most arcane that I’ve read in years! Try reading some Homi Bhabha and then tell me that my sentences are that bad!

      But feel free to suggest alternative wordings for our readers. :)

      Reply

    • O H

      April 27, 2014 at 12:14 AM

      Sorry to be naive but can someone tell me what that quote means :).

      Reply

  69. Khala Hurse

    April 23, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    Alhamdulillah, Sheikh Muhammad bin Hadee has refuted you. Na’am.

    Reply

    • Larry Barry

      April 23, 2014 at 12:08 PM

      Alhamdulillah. May Allah preserve Sheikh Muhammad bin Hadee! Yasir Qadhi is the definition of Baatil. Misguiding the masses. #AhlulAhwa

      Reply

      • Sarah

        April 24, 2014 at 2:04 AM

        Wow, my friend. If Yasir Qadhi is the definition of Baatil, misguiding the masses, and ‘ahlulahwa’, let’s ask God to save the 5 billion Muslims worldwide who live their lives in almost precisely the same manner and practice as Yasir Qadhi and many of those at Muslimmatters do!

        Extremism is first identified by how it sits on the fringes of society – you are so arrogant as to believe that you and your friends are the only saved sect in the entirety of the world, yet Allah would mislead all of the other Muslims? Think again, go back to the sunnah, and see what it says about the majority of the Muslims never agreeing on an error!

        Reply

        • Khala

          April 25, 2014 at 11:45 AM

          Think you need to go back to the sunnah mate!

          Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 12:12 PM

      Shaykh Muhammad b. Hadi al-Madkhali is a teacher whom I benefitted from in Madinah. I pray that Allah blesses him to benefit the Ummah in the best way possible. If you do ever actually get in touch with him, you may inform him that I have nothing but the highest regard for his knowledge.

      May Allah guide him, and me, to all that He loves. Ay Na’am.

      Reply

      • Khala

        April 25, 2014 at 11:59 AM

        You made a contract with sofees, grave-worshippers etc, you denounced yourself from salafiyyah, your fellow colleague you went medinah university with all said you were arrogant and they advised you but you had your own agendas, you beautify your speech which Imaam Al-Awza’ee warned against, you brainwash the masses, you slander salafiyyah, Sheikh Muhammad bin Hadee said you are only considered a student of a sheikh if you are upon the same aqeedah and manhaj as the sheikh. you are an open enemy to salafiyyah. you don’t forbid the evil. you are upon the ways of innovation and desires and falsehood. you unite for the sake of unity rather islam only unites upon the haqq. haqq is unity. you propagate your own opinions and thoughts like your from the perminant comittee instead of going back to the reference point the quran and the sunnah upon the understanding of the best of generations the salaf-us-saalih. you cause disunity yet people think you are the cause of ‘unity’. you put your principles first then you look in the quran and sunnah to back up the points you made. the shia love you. the qubooris love you, the jahmees love you, the asharis love you. what is all this nonsense. you worried about your image? you have an ego so large it can reach mars. it seems you only went medinah just to show people ‘oh look i’ve got a certificate, i’m a great sheikh’. you share platforms with people who are deviants. anyway why you so indulged in ‘salafiyyah’. you’re an ex salafi like you said. take your own advise and don’t waste your time talking about the salafees.

        I’ll leave you with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Berk-6Z0J2w

        Reply

        • O H

          April 27, 2014 at 12:39 AM

          Cmon man (or woman), objectively critique his viewpoint instead of launching lowly personal attacks. It’s posts/statements like this which give salafiyyah a bad name :@. I personally don’t support many of Shaykh Yasir Qadhi’s views but this approach is silly. It re-inforces the negative stereo types against salafis!

          Some tips:

          Go learn some adab before you gain ilm.

          The chances of people listening to your viewpoint or reflecting upon them are close to nil with such a negative attitude.

          na’am X2

          Reply

    • Amad

      April 24, 2014 at 8:57 AM

      My favorite part in this comment is the closing with “na’am”… it’s like the new pwned.
      yeah na’am.

      Reply

  70. Abu Adira

    April 23, 2014 at 1:04 PM

    AsSalaamu Alaikum Dr. Yasir,

    Please forgive any grammatical errors. I am typing on an iPhone and they tend to change words and make sentences non-sensical. JazakAllahu khair! I really appreciate your breakdown of this movement. It is greatly needed for the Ummah, to have some historical and regional sense of how our communities have become what they are for better or for worse. I have much to say, however, I will just ask your opinion about Islamic Studies and the athari creed.

    Is the creed of Imam At-Tahawi not an athari creed?

    I would like to discuss this topic of the Salafi movement and Islamic theology further with you at the moment my time is greatly restricted. JazakAllah khair! May Allah reward you for your efforts.

    AsSalaamu Alaikum.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:21 AM

      The Creed of al-Tahawi (d. 310 AH) is neither purely Athari nor purely Ashari/Maturidi. It represents a trend that no longer exists in Sunni Islam; hence, when Salafis teach this creed, they need to ‘explain away’ certain statements, and when Asharis teach it, they do the same.

      But the Asharis in particular like this Creed because it is perhaps the earliest creed they can find that hints at metaphorical/symbolic interpretation of some of the Divine Attributes. There are plenty of Sunni creeds written and printed in the century before this and contemporaneous to this that are purely Athari. al-Ashari himself died a decade and a half after al-Tahawi.

      Reply

      • Shahab

        April 28, 2014 at 11:39 AM

        Salam Shaykh:

        I know that you have been in Madinah and learned from some of the teachers/Shuyookh there on the “Athari” (I have mentioned in a previous post to you how this word is nowhere to be found in Islamic literature, as a distinct school of ‘aqidah, until recently) take on things. However, I am wondering if you have spent time with some of the proponents of the Ash’ari/Maturidi ‘aqidah to understand their take on ‘aqidah? For example, Dar Al-‘Ulum Deoband in India might be a good place (they teach both Ash’ari and Maturidi).

        I suggest this because although you are right that ‘aqidah Tahawiyyah is a preferred document by the Ash’aris and Maturidis, it isn’t entirely correct that this is “the earliest” document where one finds evidence for metaphorical/allegorical interpretations of the Attributes of Allah (or the Mutashabihaat ayaat). In fact, a generation earlier than Imam Tahawi is Ibn Jarir At-Tabari (he died about 13-15 years before him). And even earlier than At-Tabari is the teacher of Imam Bukhari, Imam Abdur Razzaq As-San’ani (died 211 AH).

        In the works of both these erudite Imams you will find compelling evidence for the methaphorical/allegorical interpretation school of thought. In fact, both these Imams produce rigorously authenticated chains of narration where they prove that the Sahabah themselves indulged in metaphorical interpretations of the mutashabihaat and siffaat khabariyyah. As such, if it is the “athaar” of the Sahabah that is under discussion then these clear ahadith that these Imams reproduce are categorical proof for the usage of such ta’weelat. Also, please note that metaphorical explanations are only one of 2 different ways that the Asharis/Maturidis agreed on approaching these verses. I quote Shaykh Buti (rah) on this subject, which will settle the matter of what the Ash’ari creed is (hearing it from the horse’s mouth, as they say):

        — Start Quote —
        The consensus in place regarding these texts is the refraining from applying to them any meaning which establishes a sameness or likeness between Allah and His creatures, and the refraining from divesting their established lexical tenor.

        The obligatory way to proceed is either to explain these words according to their external meanings which conform with divine Transcendence above any like or partner, and this includes not explaining them as bodily appendages and other corporeal imagery. Therefore it will be said, for example: He has established Himself over the Throne as He has said, with an establishment which befits His Majesty and Oneness; and He has a Hand as He has said, which befits His Divinity and Majesty; etc.

        Or they can be explained figuratively according to the correct rules of language and in conformity with the customs of speech in their historical context. For example: the establishment is the establishment of dominion (istila’) and that of authority (tasallut); the hand of Allah is His strength in His saying: “The hand of Allah is over their hand” (48:10) and His generosity in His saying: “Nay, both His hands are spread wide, and He bestows as He wills”
        — End Quote —

        Was-salam alaykum

        Reply

        • Mahmud

          April 28, 2014 at 3:08 PM

          Sheikh Ramadan Buti was one who was exposed and died a disgraceful death.

          And no, I don’t care if you’ve got some weird transcripts which have a faint level of allegorical speech, it’s clear to any Muslim with a decent fitrah that the Ashari and Maturidi schools of thought are falsehood and disgusting.

          Reply

          • Shahab

            April 28, 2014 at 8:40 PM

            Comments like yours, Mahmud, convince me that Allah (SWT) allows people like you to exist so that the rest of the ummah can see the path of i’tidaal clearly and distinct from your ghuluw.

            Your sad state is such that you:

            (a) are so petty that you can’t see Buti (rah) political opinion separate to his scholarly standing – it is people like you who slapped takfir on Shaykh bin Baz (rah) just because you couldn’t stomach his political opinion. It is a fact that the ‘ulama are going to disagree on matters of siyasah just as they do on all aspects of deen. Although Buti’s and bin Baz’s opinions on specific matters were unpopular, but they had a right to their opinion and based it on their relative, sound judgement.

            (b) you stoop to a ridiculously shameless level by calling his death a “disgraceful death”. You and I both have to die and I’d advise you that we both worry about our own deaths. If the manner in which a person dies determines his/her standing in Allah’s Eyes then what would you say about Hamza (RA) and Hussain (RA)? The gruesome manner of their deaths only extolled them to the highest ranks of the shuhada, Please take your ignorance to where it belongs – the gutter.

          • Mahmud

            April 28, 2014 at 10:04 PM

            Comparing Bin Baz to Buti? Now that is quite interesting…..

            Butis death was disgraceful because he died and he was a defender of the Kaffir Bashar al Assad.
            I wasn’t talking about the physical method in which he died….

            And no, I haven’t made takfir on Bin Baz and people like me do not make takfir on Sheikh Bin Baz…..

            In any case, there is absolutely no compelling evidence(or even evidence for that matter) for anyone to follow Kalami beliefs, neither from Allah and His Messenger, nor from the Sahaba nor from the Salaf.

            I’ll wait for Sheikh Yasir Qadhi to respond to your tall claims.

          • Edward Kefas

            April 29, 2014 at 2:16 AM

            sorry I am confused.

            please explain why fighting for hilary clinton, john kerry, and israel against assad / iran is a righteous deed?

      • Mahmud

        April 28, 2014 at 3:02 PM

        Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

        You know Sheikh, my nafs prevented me from accepting Tahawi as a total. I was reading the translation and despite the impression people give you, that all of Ahlus-Sunnah accepts it, I just couldn’t bring myself to accept some of what was said.

        Especially

        “the six directions do not contain him”

        I think-why should I even say that? I’ll just stick to what Allah and His Messenger said and leave it at that.

        Reply

      • Abu Adira

        April 30, 2014 at 11:52 PM

        AsSalaamu Alaikum Dr. Yasir Qadhi,

        I really appreciate you answering my question. You have now entered the rabbit hole and I have plenty more questions for you. Please excuse my horrible attempt at humor. I do have further questions but I request that we discuss them privately. I am currently studying the creed of Imam At-Tahawi with commentary from an Scholar of the athari creed. I would rather not continue on this forum as I am not seeking debate, just the prospective from a learned brother in the deen. Thank you again for responding. JazakAllahu khairun!

        AsSalaamu Alaikum,

        Reply

      • p4rv3zkh4n

        May 1, 2014 at 7:43 PM

        Salam Sheikh Yasir Qadhi ,

        may I ask which of the Divine Attributes or Qualities did Imam Tahawi hinted at metaphorical/symbolic interpretation for the Attributes?

        salam.

        Reply

    • p4rv3zkh4n

      November 27, 2014 at 2:00 PM

      There occurs in Aqeedat ut-Tahaawiyyah, the saying of Imaam at-Tahaawi ; The six directions do not enclose, contain, encompass, surround Him as [is the case with] all of the created things.

      the text Is a decisive, definitive proof for Allaah’s Uluww, since it establishes He is not contained by the creation (as the notion of six directions only exists within the creation and it is all relative), and this establishes that He is unequivocally outside the creation, separate and distinct from it, outside of the confines of created bodies that are encompassed by the six directions on account of them being from within the creation.

      Tahawi also said ; And the Arsh and the Kursee are haqq (true, real). And He [Allaah] is not in need of the Arsh and whatever is below it. He encompasses everything and is above [everything].

      In opposition to at-Tahawi, the Ash’ariyyah are not able to give any sound consistent position on what they believe regarding the Throne. So some of them take the approach of the Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilah, and some of them say that the Throne is “mulk”, Allaah’s dominion, and other say it is only a metaphor that has been given for the purpose of illustration, but it does not really exist and so on. So how can it be said that they are upon the creed of at-Tahaawi?

      When at-Tahaawi affirms that the Throne is “true and real” and then he says that Allaah “is not in need of the Throne and whatever is below it”, and then he adds after that Allaah “encompasses everything and is above (everything)” and when he has already established that the “The six directions do not contain Him” but rather Allaah is the one who encompasses everything (in the manner explained above) – then all of that establishes that at-Tahaawi is upon what his Salaf were upon, that Allaah Himself is above the true and real created entity which is the Throne, without being in need of it or what is below it.

      The Quran describes the “exaltedness” or “highness” of Allah in different ways, as His being high and above, and by describing how things come down from Him, and go up to Him, and by stating that He is above heaven. For example (interpretations of the meaning):

      (Highness):
      “… and He is the Most High, the Most Great.” [2:255]

      “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.” [87:1]

      (Above):
      “And He is the Irresistible, above His slaves …” [6:18]

      “They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.” [16:50]

      (Things coming down from Him):

      “He arranges (every) affair from the heavens to the earth … ” [32:5]

      “Verily We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Quran) …” [15:9]

      (Things going up to Him):

      “… To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it …” [35:10]

      “The angels and the Rooh (Jibreel) ascend to Him …” [70:4]

      (Allah is above heaven):

      “Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you …?” [67:16]

      Reply

  71. Abdul Sattar

    April 23, 2014 at 1:35 PM

    salam Sh. Yasir,

    BarakAllahu feek for this awesome piece.

    I was wondering if you could help us understand something. From what I understand, madhaahib are essentially different from one another primarily due to their usul. Their ikhtilaf in usul, mean that even when you throw all the adilla at them (let’s say after the formative period of the madhab), they will prioritize some adilla over others, and interpret some in different ways, resulting in some form of tarjih.

    We know that there is ikhtilaf within a madhab itself on usul and on the final opinions often times but that generally, there are ‘mufta bihi’ positions which were taken are various times during the development of the madhab, that represented the normative opinion on an issue for a given historical period.

    I understand that madhabi fanaticism causes this “perfect picture” I’ve painted about madhabs to not always be true practically, but we would hope it was what a madhab was supposed to be – staying true to the usul while processing any adilla honestly. So:

    When Salafis use the phrase “strongest opinion”, and essentially do tarjih between the opinions of the madhaahib, what usul do they use? If tarjih is possible because of differing usul, wouldn’t the Salafis need to be using their own specific set of usul to perform it?

    If they are using a specific set of usul, and of course, those usul have to be initially codified and formulated by some human beings – isn’t that essentially a madhab? Instead of Alqama and Hammad and Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad etc, they’d simply have another set of individuals?

    I always found this to be greatest self-contradiction in the “strongest opinion” while carried with the “don’t pick a madhab” form of fiqh that was characteristic of Salafis, and wondered what exactly the academic reasoning is behind it. I found it to be nothing more than a fifth madhab (with all the problems that may come with such a claim). I have friends who are students at Madinah now who said they would ask their teachers but I haven’t gotten a final answer yet.

    jazakAllahu khairan,
    AS

    Reply

    • Hidayath

      April 23, 2014 at 4:09 PM

      I really hope Shaykh Yasir voices his thoughts on some of these questions. This is something that bothers me on and off as well.

      I’ve asked a number of people a similar question and tried to look into the historical development of fiqh to satisfy my curiosity. Here are some things that helped me with my dissonance (and I could be wrong on all of these):

      – The state of the madhahib is more chaotic than you describe above. Usul were developed retroactively after the fiqh rulings (furu`) already took shape. Precedence in each madh-hab thereafter was given to the tradition of the taught furu` rather than the usul (which themselves were sometimes disputed) and so the process of bringing the furu` into complete alignment with usul was stunted. Promulgators of a madh-hab are always torn between applying an ‘asl anew or sticking to the traditional ruling.

      – The main usul of the “strongest opinion” folks seems to be an emphasis on the text and authenticity of all the relevant evidence above anything else. Particularly above structural rules. This can be seen as a methodology in itself. It is also this that attracts criticism from traditional fuqaha who are much more used to operating in better-structured environments.

      – Most scholars who advance a “stronger opinion” do so after getting a good grip on their primary madh-hab (usually the Shafi`i and Hanbali scholars as far as I’ve seen) and comparative fiqh (fiqh muqaran), and then use their knowledge and wisdom to adjust or apply their usul when doing tarjih between opinions across madhahib (much like the progression of ibn Qudamah’s books on fiqh and usul)

      Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 24, 2014 at 9:21 AM

        Sorry to disappoint you guys, but again this is not the place to elaborate on the issue of madhhabib and ‘strongest evidence’. And btw hidaayath that’s not entirely true; for example al-Shafi wrote his own Usul work as well.

        Reply

    • Abdul Ahad Mussarat

      February 12, 2016 at 5:11 PM

      As-Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,

      From what I understand, these Salafis you are referring to typically use Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal’s Usool and then pick the strongest hadith following his time. So, in other words, they adopt the Usool of Imam Ahmed but revisit hadith collections to find the strongest narrations. I know that this is not the best place to discuss this issue, but I do not see why people in ever Madhab could not do this with their own respective school. I know it takes a lot of work, but assuming the students and the community was open to doing so. Allah knows best.

      Reply

  72. Abu Jibreel

    April 23, 2014 at 1:49 PM

    Shaykh Yasir:

    Regarding all the in-fighting, I feel since Muslims have forgotten their priorities and our common enemy, we begin to turn on each other. For example, I was just reading an article on AlJazeera about Nairobi’s Somalis living in Kenya and some of the women said they had been raped and impregnated in prison. We have more pertinent issue right now as you have pointed out many times Shaykh. It’s not about stirring up the Muslim masses in a Malcolm X style, rahimullah. But rather, making the Ummah aware of its priorities, whether it’s the social issues, spiritual issues, and psychological and military onslaught facing the Ummah, which I believe Malcolm X did as well, rahimullah. We need to focus more on our priorities, specifically that which the Qur’an and the Sunnah make priorities, as Ustadh Nouman Khan often says.

    BarakAllahu Feeka Shaykh., Allah increase you in ikhlaas, strengthen you with the courage to speak the truth, and allow you to be a means to spread this deen, and may we all be reunited in the hereafter. Ameen. Asalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 3:53 PM

      Jazak Allah for your kind words, and ameen to your duas!

      Reply

  73. Sameel Salim

    April 23, 2014 at 3:04 PM

    ASAK Sheikh,

    I’m not a scholar or even a student of knowledge, but i enjoy your talks and get great benefit from them. Just wanted to say JazakAllah to you and too all scholars who leave there families and are out and about doing gods work. It isn’t easy…And I especially enjoyed seeing you through the years and how it appears you grew as your knowledge grew. I would like to hear you thoughts on the transformation you have gone through as you grew older and wiser iA, one day…

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:22 AM

      Perhaps one day, when I actually *AM* older and wiser, I’ll consider your request.

      For now, I would like to delude myself into thinking that I’m young…and on the path to wisdom :)

      Reply

  74. Ali

    April 23, 2014 at 3:27 PM

    Asalam O Alaikum Shaikh, May Allah bless you and grant you a high position in Jannah and forgive you for your sins. Excellent article. I had most of it in my mind, but I did not have a decisive position on where I myself stood.

    I have certain concerns and questions.

    1. Please elaborate what the meaning of sticking to the ‘Jama’ah’ is ? and elaborate the meaning of the hadith that “a group of my ummah will remain victorious” in context of what you have written in regards to not one group having tenancy to the truth. Because I assumed that the Ahlul Hadith were Ahle Sunnah wal Jam’ah sticking to whom was part of our deen.

    1.5. In this context of question 1 is the Manhaj that is consistently stated in books like Usool us Sunnah, Sharh us Sunnah, talbees e iblees, Ghunyat al Talibeen, in the works of Ibn Taymiyya etc IJTIHADI in nature ?
    I am disturbed and hence having trouble leaving a methodology consistently followed by the salaf because it appears outdated.

    2. Isn’t taking a pluralist approach contrary to our singular understanding of Sirat al Mustaqim.

    3.how would you interpret this ayat in terms of the Asharis who split from the jamaah and formed their own sect ? 6.159
    “Indeed, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no part with them in the least: their affair is with God: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they used to do”

    4. How I see it in terms of you distancing yourself from all sects. Isn’t this similar to how an atheist claims to have no religion, even though technically atheism is his religion. Wonder if a-sect-ism is a word :D

    5. Could you sometime write an article on how deviance in asma o sifat affect a person. For example layman Deobandis in Pakistan have common aqeedahs of Allah being present everywhere and the Prophet(saw) being alive. Are these areas of kufr that I should address or ignore ? Some times Asma O siffat issues form a formidable basis to help shake people who are blindly strict upon the deobandi maslak.

    6.If creedal (asma o Sifaat) issues are man made opinions then should it not be classified in the ijtihadi issue section rather than the kufr section ? Have we blown semantics been blown out of proportion? What is their right place ?

    I hope you understand where i’m coming from, because what you say makes a lot of sense to the mind and it’s sweetness touches the heart, yet it is in some cases either lacking daleel or perhaps conflicting daleel that I may have misunderstood.

    Awaiting your response,
    Love, Ali.

    Reply

  75. Abu Muadh

    April 23, 2014 at 3:32 PM

    Sheikh Yasir Qadhi,

    Jazaka Allah khairan for putting in the time and effort to write this piece of work, which I think is one of the most informed of prespectives on modern day salafist movements and its branches.

    In the light of this paper, being a person who is attached to the salafi ‘methodology’, but not so much to the ‘title’ or the ‘hizbi’ side of things. I agree with many things you mentioned and I think I would disagree on some points raised but over all I do respect your informed point of view and the concerns you have for the ummah. I would like to sincerely ask, as Muslims we have been informed by our messenger (sala Allah alyhi wa salam), in the long hadeeth, “then it shall be a caliphate, upon the methodology of prophethood”. The use of the term “upon the methodology of prophethood” really makes me think at times, that we should love our fellow muslims and respect them even when we differ with them on points of aqeeda especially, but then is it possible that multiple difference of creed issues, especially matters to do with sainthood and calling on dead people, could fall under the methodology of prophethood? Being a layman who is eager to find the truth, I cannot comprehend that. How would you define the methodology of prophethood???, and should we not all strive to be followers of this methodology, rather than having to adhere to specific titles and groups?

    Also another point, in your conclusion you mentioned that you would prefer to be close to an ash3ari/maturidi or a sufi (with all due respect to all) and not a salafi who is hardcore. My question is on what basis would you take such a stance (from the quran and the sunnah) and can’t a person be in the middle, where he doesn’t have to associate himself with neither side (whilst keeping the due respect)???

    بارك الله فيكم
    والسلام

    Reply

  76. Pingback: There seem many different “Islams”, some I have heard of like Shia, Alawites, Ismaeli, Sunni, Wahhabi and many others. Which one is the right one? | Social. Political. Economic. Religious | Seyed Ibrahim

  77. Omair

    April 23, 2014 at 3:43 PM

    I have a question. As a lay muslim, to what extent should I follow a particular Sunni sect within Islam? I sometimes feel that it becomes a burden to decide the right choice to make when presented with conflicting approaches towards (particularly in the matters of Fiqh), specially in cases where I am presented with strong evidences from different sects. To what extent am I allowed to exercise my logic in such conflicting matters?

    Reply

  78. Dawud

    April 23, 2014 at 3:44 PM

    Assalamu Alaykum… I just skimmed through this article, and I intend to come back to it inshallah so that I can examine the whole thing properly… But, just wanted to comment (although most times I’d rather not) and say that (mashallah) Shaykh Yasir Qadhi is a blessing for the Ummah. It’s very unfortunately to hear such brothers bash him… On one hand I totally agree with Abu Mussab’s lecture (in regards to what he said about not saying Merry Christmas, and his more recent lecture about “dissing the ulama”) but at the same time I agree with a lot of what Yasir Qadhi says… Subhanallah he’s preaching the truth! Inshallah may Allaah give Yasir Qadhi a more grander stage, in the sense that he will be heard by traditional Salafi’s…

    Reply

  79. Gufran Khan

    April 23, 2014 at 3:46 PM

    Thank you so much i have read this article and i want to know about 8 rakat of taraweeh, which ahle hadith aalim has started it and when?

    Reply

  80. Yasir Qadhi

    April 23, 2014 at 3:50 PM

    Which is exaclty what the real founders of the madhhabs did. Which implies that by doing the same thing, these scholars in essence founded their own madhhabs. Which is exactly what happened! Except that their madhhabs were never accepted as widely as the four madhhabs were.

    Reply

  81. Moosa Ali

    April 23, 2014 at 3:51 PM

    assalamualaykum Sh. Yaasir

    I read your article from beginning to end and thoroughly enjoyed it. It brought back memories from a transition similar to yours. I would make the following comments/ask the following questions:

    1. I would love to read your phd – any chance the public can access it?
    2. In your conclusion you locate the association of the term salafi (as in the modern group or phenomenon of salafism) with Shaykh Albani (at the top of page 5) – as opposed to one of his teachers, or the Saudi proponents such as bin Baz, Ibn Uthaymin or one of their teachers etc. Is this something your very confident about. If I was to say the same thing and someone asked me for proof I wouldn’t feel confident.
    3. My only contention – if I may call it that – is with your choice of title ‘salafi Islam’. You’re a professional theologian and if you use a term like that it legitimises similar terms such as ‘Sufi Islam’, ‘deobandi Islam’, ‘barelvi Islam’, ‘Shia Islam’, ‘Ash’ari Islam’, ‘jihadi Islam’, ‘British Islam’, ‘French Islam’, ‘Californian Islam’, ‘European Islam’ and a million other islams. It’s as if it’s an endorsement of aziz azmeh’s statement that there are ‘as many islams as situations that sustain it’. Surely you don’t believe that …. and surely it’s jarring for readers of the Qur’an to have to grapple with the concept of multiple islams when it’s always alluded to as a singularity. American scholars and speakers seem especially at ease with this – I think the Brits are less easy going with it. Especially a Brit such as me, a Londoner who ended up in Birmingham – which it seems is famous enough to make an appearance in your article :))) (albeit perhaps not for the right reasons).

    Thank your for brilliant article and taking the time to read my humble request that it be referred to as salafiyyah/salafism or even – to make use of Marshall Hodgson’s term – the salafi islamicate. With my Salam and kindest regards.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:26 AM

      1) I’ve been bombarded with a ton of requests…am wondering whether I should actually publish. But time, time time!

      2) This is a historical fact; do the research yourself and see if the Najdi dawah called itself ‘Salafi’ before al-Albani came to Madinah in the 60s.

      3) Hmm…. sorry to dissapoint you but there is an element of truth to what Azmeh and others are saying. It is nice and dandy to say ‘There is only one Islam’; but the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of understandings of Islam. Look around you :)
      Even to claim ‘There is only one Islam that is correct’ needs some discussion. What do you mean…even the minutiae of fiqh? Even modern political stances?
      Perhaps one day I’ll give a longer lecture on this issue. But I don’t see any problem with calling this strand of Islam ‘Salafi Islam’. Because it is :)

      Reply

  82. Dawud

    April 23, 2014 at 4:02 PM

    Also wanted to say, that in the spirit of the new X-Men movie (Days of Futures Past), I decided to re-watch some of older movie X-Men clips… As I did I realized how interestingly enough we can relate well with the movie… Think about it, the whole movie surrounds itself around the idea that there are a “special” group of people (replace the idea of mutants with Muslims) who are being cast aside as freaks by the majority, simply because they are being misunderstood. On one side of the “special” group of people, you have those (replace Magneto and his group with the Islamic extremists) who don’t believe that it’s possible to co-exist, nor is it there job to try and make an effort to co-exist with the majority, since after all they are the “special” ones… and on the other side you have those from among the “special” group who believe that it is possible and are doing everything they can to try and find a more diplomatic civilized way to interact with the masses and educate them to build a sense of mutual understanding. They are referred to as the X-Men lead by Charles Xavier, but here we can replace the idea of Charles Xavier with non other than Yasir Qadhi llol… Cool huh

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 6:02 PM

      I have been called many things in my life…but I guess I needed a young, enthused, X-Men movie fan to call me ‘Charles Xavier’. :)

      So…out of curiosity…I assume you think you are the wolf character?!

      One last point: you might want to reconsider viewing and analyzing the world through Hollywood movies. I seriously doubt Hollywood producers intend to provoke intelligent thought in their viewership :)

      Reply

      • Chaplain Zain

        April 24, 2014 at 11:40 AM

        X-men were always about real life issues that minorities dealt with.

        Many books of literature, comics, and films give insight on culture and issues plaguing the people of a certain land :)

        Reply

      • Haseeb

        April 23, 2015 at 3:50 PM

        Wolf Character? Maybe you are confusing X-men with Twilight?

        Reply

  83. Abdurrahim

    April 23, 2014 at 4:04 PM

    Assalamu Alaikum,
    Thank you, and may Allah be pleased you. I like you dear Sheikh Yasir, and your opinions, views,
    I glanced your artikel very breafly, because it was difficult to understand for me, because it includes a lot of jargons, terms etc.

    But I want to share an idea with you, Usually I see that, some people who are claims themselves to be salafi, they boast, brag with themselves. Even more, most of religious grops claims they are better than the others and the others are in loss. I just want to say that, the only pride source is being a muslim. A muslim that obeys Qur’an and Sunnah.

    “Say : Bear witness that we are Muslims.” – Al-i İmran 64

    Wassalamu alaikum

    Reply

  84. Mohammed Sharjeel

    April 23, 2014 at 4:24 PM

    “A note to my detractors: It is un-Islamic to quote one sentence from this article and portray it as representative of my entire opinion. Context is crucial, otherwise even the Qur’an and Sunnah can easily be misunderstood. Feel free to differ, but please link to the entire article, and let educated readers decide my views for themselves as they read the complete article, and see my praise alongside my criticisms of the movement, and the disclaimers in the end.”

    On a lighter note, this should have been there on the top of the article. I did post one of the para before even completing the whole article. (Did share the link later) :)

    Really a nice article and I hope those you are addressing to take it as a Criticism for the sake of Islaah!

    Reply

  85. Andrew Booso

    April 23, 2014 at 5:09 PM

    As-salam alaykum

    Dear Dr Yasir

    Jazak Allah khairan for this brave and honest essay. The PDF option is most appreciated :) Even if one disagrees on certain individual points, as I do, I thank you firstly for enriching the discourse, and secondly for reaching out so beautifully to your other aspiring-Sunni brothers (as exemplified in the touching conclusion).

    My main point of contention was your point 5 on the benefits of the movement. Maybe it is just my experience of the movement in England and from outside of it, as well as my greater familiarity with other aspiring-Sunni groups, that makes me disagree on this point. But it is no big deal.

    Just a note on the term “Wahhabi”, Shaykh Jamal al-Din Zarabozo, in his Life of Abdul-Wahhaab (pp. 158-9), has an interesting discussion of the use of the term by those who consider themselves to be followers of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab. He portrays two camps in this regard: one who have no problem using it for themselves, and others who dismiss the term (like Salih al-Fawzan and Ibn Jibrin). My point is that the use of the term, even by opponents or just non-adherents, is not always derogatory (as it, perhaps, often is), but merely descriptive; although “Najdi” – as Zarabozo does quote some preferring – is perhaps better. I guess “salafi” works sometimes for “non-salafis”, as well :)

    Take care, and keep us your ever-increasing portfolio of brave and beneficial work, masha Allah

    Kind regards and requests for prayers,

    Andrew Booso

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:27 AM

      Thank you for your kind comments Andrew. I look forward to reading more stuff from you as well.

      Reply

      • Andrew Booso

        April 24, 2014 at 5:55 PM

        May God bless you. Not only have you provided an authoritative guide to the complex phenomenon that is “salafism”, but you have shown true leadership qualities to your fellow western Islamic leaders: how to be introspective, publicly open about such reflections and then engaging with the public at large (as so clearly evidenced by your caring and responsive interaction on this very site). Masha Allah. You have shown leaders in any of the many “superman groups” (those on the “my way or the highway” method, whether in word and deed, or just in deed) that every one of them is a human attempt at understanding the primary sources of Islam; and while many can construct good arguments on a variety of subjects, none of them can claim to have sole possession of the truth on each and every issue. Of course, I am here talking about differences on non-definitive matters of the faith only, which none of us can definitively prove, even when we are convinced of a position or have quite a host of great scholars backing our argument. It’s humble leadership like this which I pray increases in you and in others, bi idhnillah.

        Reply

  86. DMachineJMC

    April 23, 2014 at 5:27 PM

    Assalamu ‘Alaikum

    Jazakallah for the amazing article. As a youth living in NYC, I have grown up learning the Deobandi methodology and outlook on Islam, and most of my teachers are harshly critical of the Salafi movement and any opposition to the madhaahib. This article was very helpful for me in understanding what exactly this movement is, and its advantages and disadvantages, all given from (what I believe to be) a sincere and impartial source. I found the information in this article to be very beneficial in that it has expanded my horizons, outlook, and understanding of Islam.

    Is it possible for you to write a similar article on Sufism/Deobandis?

    Reply

  87. Hamza

    April 23, 2014 at 5:40 PM

    Asalam Alykum Sheikh, not sure if you remember but we met at the brothers’ night in Detroit. I sat to to your right by the sofa,representing non-Uzair-Nazir Hizb from Toronto :P. Can’t thank the brother enough for his hospitality. 1. Sheikh al Madkhalee has passed away, may Allah have mercy on him. http://turntoislam.com/community/threads/death-of-shaykh-zayd-al-madkhali-13-3-2014.95267/. 2. Some of the strands of Salafis that you describe are so minuscule to the point where I question even their mentioning. For example the serial-marriage predators of England and United States. In addition the militant strands of Salafis represent a very small but rather vocal and shock-based insurgents. Most of those involved in the several conflicts have nothing to do with their theological or religious understanding. Their original group which surfaced after high profile acts of murder were very media savy and made them look bigger than they actually were. But none the less you get my point even if they are visible don’t make them the majority or of significant influence on the over all theology or law of the group as a whole. As for the Egyptian movement, it is rather a cruel joke, more than anything else. 3. Now you are starting to wonder if I am “Salafi”… I am not. Never was and never will be, I was and am a central Asian Hanafi (fiqh wise lol). In fact I found the Fiqh courses in Al Maghrib more confused than anything else. (good thing I have started to learn Arabic which is a better usage of time and money, but I love courses of creed, tafsir). 4. Now you mentioned that some of the Salafi scholars are incapable of tackling modern issues. That is very understandable, but it isn’t the issue that is exclusively faced by those of the Salafi inclination, as the sciences of secular and non-have drifted miles a part. How can one fully master science (and which strand?) and then go on to be an authority in Islam as well? Furthermore, you mentioned that some non-Salafi trained people have better answers. Now I agree that some young professionals that you are dealing with are undoubtedly bright people, (By employing a team tactic to tackle issues like Imam al A’zam), but I am very skeptical of those brothers who haven’t been trained fully and under the supervision of known scholars in wholesome Islamic sciences. You spent years in Medina, and others like you have spent years in Deoband, Nadwa, Azhar etc, how can they be more qualified to tackle such issues with confidence? What do you have to say regarding that?

    Reply

  88. Br. K

    April 23, 2014 at 5:56 PM

    This is a very sad read but was always going to happen just like it did for the old JIMAS crew.
    I benefited a lot from all sides but articles like these are just the opposite of good manners in advising your brothers & just showing off others perceived mistakes and i do not think it is your place to judge in some of these matters. And Allah knows best.
    We ask Allah to keep our hearts steadfast on the deen

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 6:15 PM

      I am judging no one. If you read that anywhere in the article, you are mistaken.

      At the same time, it is necessary to learn from the mistakes of the past. Perhaps if I had been around back then, I too would have fallen into the same mistakes. And I fully expect, decades from now, for others to look back at me and others of my era, and see what mistakes we made, so that they can benefit and not fall into those same mistakes.

      No one is perfect. The wise one learns from the experiences of others, the good and the bad. And we create our own experiences as well, which others can learn from, if they are wise :)

      Reply

      • Br. K

        April 23, 2014 at 6:37 PM

        Shaykh, my point being there is very little benefit in this public laundry washing.

        Lets also me honest the salafi scholars you describe here made you the aalim that you are so this critque seems a bit out of place just like your praise of Sh Muhammad Madkhali.

        Your point about human movements is totally correct but you have to separate the practical implementation of the theory, this is where we fall short.

        For me the real issue is being salafi and making positive influences in the modern and western world where you have to cooperate and the world isnt as black & white as the theory would dictate but i can see many shaykhs such as Sh Tawfique, Sh Haytham and others on a ground level doing much khayr while following the salafi methodology and using ijtihad on these modern matters.

        Sometimes academics over analyze things rather than getting on with what needs to be done and focusing on beneficial matters. Carry on teaching and reminding the ummah on turning back to Allah and the deen and practicial matters like sh tawfique is doing with his NZF / charity right et al.

        Too much kalam on futile matters like these in my humble opinion

        Reply

      • Br. K

        April 23, 2014 at 7:17 PM

        ps – did you run this article past other al magrib instructors such as sh waleed & sh yasir as i think would of been good to check the impact of such an article before its release

        Reply

  89. Abdullah

    April 23, 2014 at 6:07 PM

    Salams Shk Yasir, may Allah swt reward you. I think Shk Yasir many Asharis / Maturidis have Athari tendencies – so many do Tafweed yet say they Ashari/Maturidi, i think labels in Aqeedah are very loose. Many contemporary duat/ulamah say they are Ashari but like yourself are reakky athari in principle…

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:29 AM

      Totally agreed. In fact let me add to this: in the 90s, with the harshness and overzealousness of the Salafi Dawah, many of these movements who would otherwise have been athari were prompted to rediscovering their roots and making their Asharite/Maturidite origins more pronounced.

      In other words, the fanaticism of the Salafis was a direct cause of the fanaticism of the Ashari Sufis. For every action…

      Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 24, 2014 at 2:26 PM

        I KNOW!!!!! ALLAHU AKBAR THIS WAS MY THOUGHT AS WELL!!!!

        Is they had just shut up as loads of Muslims don’t even know Ashari/Maturdi aqeeda anyways, and spread the truth silently, we probably would have almost annihalated the Kalami aqeeda from the Ummah!!!!

        BUT NO!!! They had to start calling everyone deviant and bringing their attention to their scholarly Ashari/Maturidi roots!!!!!

        Allahu akbar, it’s absolutely amazing.

        Nouman Ali Khan HARDLY talks about aqeedah, simply mentions “Allah rose over, balanced, established himself on the throne” and who in the audience now has the right aqeeda? Probably everyone!!! And without a fuss!

        I’ve been thinking, the way to win against these aged batil aqeedas is simply shut up about it and let the other groups save face by avoiding confrontation! Then after a while people will return to their fitrah/

        Reply

  90. Sulemana Issifu

    April 23, 2014 at 6:15 PM

    Assalamu alikum. I m Suleman Yussif from Ghana. Sheikh you are my role-model. i love your inductive and deductive analysis. may Allah grant you more insight so that you can continue to enlighten us. kindly email this post to my mail issifusulemana@yahoo.com or sulemanaissifu@gmail.com because i could download it with my device.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:30 AM

      Thank you for you comments…but please don’t take me or any living scholar as a role model. The living can never be fully trusted, except those whom Allah has mercy on (and I pray I am amongst them). If you must take a role model, look to the scholars who have moved on and left solid legacies.

      And of course, there is no ultimate role model better than the one whom Allah sent in order for us to take him as a role model, salla Allah alayhi wa sallam.

      Reply

  91. Knzah

    April 23, 2014 at 6:42 PM

    Smashed it, Sheikh! May Allah protect you and keep you on the right path!

    Reply

  92. Abdur-rahman Ali

    April 23, 2014 at 6:55 PM

    OMG! I thought it was only the masjid that I attended that didn’t put rows in the carpet!! The imam of the masjid actually made dua and encouraged the others to make dua against one of my friends who actually put rows in the carpet one day.

    Reply

  93. Erkin Sidiq

    April 23, 2014 at 7:20 PM

    Dear Dr. Yasir Qadhi, I am an Uyghur Turk, and am a Senior Optical Engineer with a PhD in EE. I started to introduce your valuable lectures into our Uyghur Muslims. I can tell you that many of the 10 – 15 million Uyghur population now knows you. I want to ask you a question, and would appreciate it greatly if you can give me an email address to contact you in private. Thank you very much in advance. My email address is: bilimxumarmen@gmail.com

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:32 AM

      I’m very humbled…please give my salams to our Uyghur brothers.

      You are facing great challenges – remain firm and stick to your scholars whom you trust. I am living in a land far, far away, and my advice and methodology is more relevant to the Muslims in my part of the world.

      Reply

  94. Mohammad

    April 23, 2014 at 7:48 PM

    Dear Sheikh,

    Assalamu Alaikum

    I am neither a Salafi nor a scholar who is qualified to debate with a scholar like you, yet I cannot full-heartedly support many of your arguments in this article. I understand that this article is an aftermath of the recent controversy that has been going on between some of the Salafi preachers and you. So I don’t want to spend a lot of time in rigorous study and critical analysis of all the topics mentioned in this article. Rather I would like to specifically point out the 3rd section of your article regarding some criticisms of the movement. It seems that you have some doubts even in yourself since you have used the word ‘problems’ within the quotation marks which raises a question – whether these are real problems that, you think, need to be seriously dealt with. I have summarized the problems you described as follows:

    1. They give more stress on Aqeedah
    2. They give less stress on purification of souls
    3. They are harsh towards the people who practice Innovation
    4. They are harsh towards the people who practice Innovation
    5. They are harsh towards the people who practice Innovation
    6. They are harsh towards the women
    7. They blindly follow a specific group of scholars
    8. They have limited understanding of modern politics

    You described a total of eight significant ‘problems’, almost half of which (point#3-point#5) are just repetition of the same topic. By doing this, it seems that you attempted to stretch that criticism part of your article to prove them immensely wrong, or perhaps you attempted to label them as another deviated sect. It’s somehow true that some of the Salafis are harsh or rude towards the innovations and the innovators which, they think, is based on “They used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do” [Qur’an, 5:78-79]. While they should do it with kindness and patience, they also do not force or compel the innovators to follow their way, atleast not so without proper authority. There could be exceptions, but you have generalized it. While one of your sincere advice to the Salafis in this article is that they should be broad minded in many concurrent topics and think critically about these, I wonder how you could possibly neglect the importance of learning the abstract Aqeedah, even for the lay Muslims. I don’t think that you are unaware of what many of the Muslims do practice in the Indian subcontinent while they still think they would properly follow the Quran and the Sunnah. Many of them pray Salaah five times a day, yet they do associate partners with Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala. Please visit the numerous shrines located over there and you will find the answer why the Salafi scholars put so much stress on the learning of the fundamental aspects of Aqeedah for every Muslim. I do agree with you that there are many other major problems or issues for this Ummah, yet Shirk is the greatest sin (Inna -al-shirka Zhulm al-azheem, Quran 31:14). While the Salafis do not deny the importance of soul purification and rectification in Islam, they firmly believe that it should be done according to the relevant and limited instructions found in the Quran and the Sunnah (please note that I am talking about the methodology), contrary to the innovated concepts or methods for the soul purification proposed and practiced by the Sufis. While I was reading your point#6 regarding the issues of women, I thought, for a while, this part of the article was written by a non-muslim critics. Subhanallah! The same ‘logics’ that are being used by the Islam haters who think Islam does not recognize the status of women. It is not entirely true that the Salafis blindly follow their senior scholars. Let me give an example. Sheikh Nasiruddin Albani believed that wearing Niqab is Mustahaab for the women, while many other Salafi scholars have disagreed with his view, referring the use of Niqab as Wajeeb. Where is the scope for the rigorous study and analysis of the local as well as global politics today where bulk of the world’s population, both muslims and non-muslims, think that democracy is the best and only acceptable form of government? Where is the democracy in the Quran and the Sunnah? As far as the recent situation in Egypt is concerned, their superficial stance on this cannot be denied so simply. Shaykh Uthaymeen said, “Even if we were to assume the extreme – that a leader is a disbeliever – does this then mean we can incite the people to oppose him, even if it causes revolt, chaos, and killing? This is definitely wrong. The kind of rectification and improvement desired will never come by this approach. Rather, the only thing it will bring is more corruption.”

    Overall, the article is well-written and I admit that I have learned some important things from it. However, I believe that, rather than refuting each other, both Salafis and you can spend time in doing some more useful things for this Ummah. Jazakallahu Khayran.

    Reply

    • themodernmuslimman

      April 23, 2014 at 9:18 PM

      If you’re reading this as a refutation of anything, you’re reading into it your own opinions.

      Reply

  95. piedpiper2

    April 23, 2014 at 7:55 PM

    Was the claim by certain Salafees was that Albaani fell into Irja’a, what is your opinion ? This confuses me to this day ….. and that he was Murji in certain respects …

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 11:46 PM

      Don’t worry about the issue of whether scholar ‘X’ was ‘Y’ or ‘Z’…it is of absolutely no practical value to you as a Muslim in your daily life. Move on to that which benefits you.

      Reply

    • Mohammad

      April 24, 2014 at 12:02 AM

      Whatever the truth is, there are numerous occasions in where many Salafi scholars along with their followers would disagree with some of the senior scholars opinions. This essentially tells us that they are not blind followers of the senior scholars which Dr. Qadhi has mentioned in point#6, criticizing the movement. And who will become arbitrator in critical matters that can be appeared today? Do you think Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala will send us another Messenger to act as an arbitrator among us to resolve the critical matters?

      Reply

  96. Abderazzaq

    April 23, 2014 at 9:01 PM

    A well-researched and balanced article that is very relevant for today’s Muslim, Dr Yasir Qadhi. thank you for taking time to write this and share it with us. There are many things that resonated with me, but I was particularly struck by the fact that age-old social ills that Islam came to eradicate still plague us. This makes me extremely sad. I totally agree with you on the point that any Islam that does not concern itself with the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden is far the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

    May Allah give us the strength and patience to work together as one ummah to create a better and more compassionate society.

    Reply

    • Mohammad

      April 23, 2014 at 11:31 PM

      Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

      Reply

  97. jihad elyoussef

    April 23, 2014 at 9:25 PM

    Barakallah w fik ya sheikh
    The by this publication lay or not the average man can see where the faults of the ummah as a whole are. Now that the problem has been addressed the next step is mending it.
    It is peer pressure and wanting to “fit in” to a group which creates the extreme versions of how we interprit certain texts. Surely soon enough experience with the bad and the good will set the middle path, because the only thinv that follows truth is lies.
    Surely with hardship there is relief.

    Reply

  98. Anis Gouissem

    April 23, 2014 at 9:55 PM

    While I might disagree with some minor points mentioned in this article, like a few generalisations made and some harshness (I know he mentioned these points, but I can’t help but point them out); I genuinely believe the author was truthful to his audience and was –in my opinion– as close to accuracy in his analysis and judgments as a “human” can be.
    I would also like here to emphasise to all brothers that such constructive criticism is not only needed but necessary to the very existence, continuation and eventually advance of the “Salafi” legacy as a methodology and a reformist movement rather than a mere label that one hotheadedly subscribes to.
    Even though, he now disassociates himself from “Salafism”; judging by his own definition of “Salafim” to be “…an Islamic methodology, the aspirational objective of which is the emulation of the Prophetic example via the practices and beliefs of the earliest generations of Islam” I believe that YQ is still –technically– “a Salafi” regardless of whether he chooses to call himself one or not.
    I must nonetheless accentuate that the title of “Muslim” given by Allah the Almighty should suffice as an affiliation and as a label, and that one should not voluntarily brand himself as “Salafi” or anything else for that matter.
    And Allah SWT knows best.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 11:29 PM

      Again, that is a perspective, and I see where you are coming from. And if a person wishes to label this a Version 2.0 of Salafism, that is his prerogative. But from my perspective, Salafism took the science of aqidah too far, at the expense of everything else. If you look at it, all of the other problems stem from this one point: an over-emphasis on abstract creed (here I am not referring to basic tawhid which clears up grave-worship, I am referring to advanced concepts of Asma wa al-sifat and other such issues).

      Labels are not what’s important. Its genuine religiosity and attachment to Allah, and His Messenger.

      Reply

      • Mohammad

        April 24, 2014 at 12:18 AM

        Please read the renowned books written by the prominent scholars from the Deoband school of thought. No wonder it becomes essential for the scholars to clarify the basic concepts of Asma wa al-Sifat to refute the relevant concepts given by the Deobandis and the Sufis. I have heard many Salafi scholars quoting Imam Malik regarding Istiwa. Imam Malik said, “Istiwa is not unknown.” Therefore, I don’t think the Salafis would exceed the limits in this regard.

        Reply

      • Umm Abdullah

        April 24, 2014 at 2:41 AM

        I agree that labels are not important, and that’s one of the things that has bothered me about the Salafis I know: the insistence on using the label ‘Salafi’ (even though some of their scholars, like Ibn Uthaymeen, actually say not to use the label, from what I understand). It’s as if you’re not a true Muslim if you won’t call yourself a ‘Salafi’. Even though the salaf themselves didn’t call themselves ‘Salafis’!

        Reply

  99. ibn Ahmed

    April 23, 2014 at 10:31 PM

    Shaykh, when will we be able to gain access to your PhD dissertation? According to ProQuest, “At the request of the author, this graduate work is not available to view or purchase.” I would love to read it though!

    Reply

  100. Tasnim

    April 23, 2014 at 10:46 PM

    I think sheikh you are kind in avoiding discussion of how Saudi Salafism intersects with Western interests, and has been powerfully sponsored around the world. You mention that Egyptian Salafism in Al Noor Party is pro-Sisi, but I think it’s important to analyse why. What is going, how can Assalaf asSalih and secularist anti-Islamists align? I would have liked to go further and denounce these sell-out political groups and in Saudi the pro grovernment scholars as having an anti-Islam agenda cloaked in a strictly Islamic face, a controversial stance that Tariq Ramadan has recently provoked. We can’t keep treating them as within the ummah serving it, they are similar to hizbullah, just a mask.

    Reply

  101. محمود عارف

    April 23, 2014 at 11:28 PM

    Asalamu Alaikum,
    A very eloquently-written piece, as always. MashaAllah. It is interesting to see that the discourse on Salafism is slowly beginning to move on from seeing Salafis as a monolith and starting to make distinctions between the different (often opposing) groups that choose the same label.

    However, I have to say that I was expecting something different, something more academic. Although your writing always sounds academic, I always fail to see signs of empirical social research conducted. Despite the use of words like “observable”, it is unclear whether or not there were actual observations that have been done in order to reach such conclusions. And if so, are these conclusions generalizable to Muslim communities around the world? I’m not doubting the fact that you are well travelled, I’m sure you’ve been to numerous mosques around the globe, you’ve been involved with Salafi communities for a very long time in different countries, however, do you think that this substitutes for actual research? We often make false associations or overestimate their significance, and only realise this when we conduct an empirical study. I feel like it’s too risky to reach conclusions on Salafi groups based on everyday observations since these groups tend to be stigmatised and often profiled.

    There is an extreme lack of academic discourse within our communities on the topics that affect us. We give little to no importance to social research, making us reach baseless conclusions very often. We simply don’t know how to talk about ourselves without resorting to stereotyping, Othering and overestimating the significance of assumptions that have not been proven.

    I know this is not a dissertation and I’m not asking for a research paper, but for example, when I read that Madkhalism is typical amongst “immigrant Muslims of lower educational backgrounds” I wonder if this claim is based on a large sample of Madkhalis, and if it’s generalizable. Also, when Takfiris are said to have more intelligence and iman than Madkhalis, I’m perplexed to how intelligence and iman were measured, and how it has become a rule that Takfiris score significantly higher on both. Finally, when reading claims such as “It is safe to say that an average follower of Salafism is more aware of the academic disciplines underpinning Islam than an average follower of any other tradition”, it is unclear what is meant by an “average” Salafi, especially when you’ve defined the often opposing distinctions between the groups, and still I’m a bit uncertain on how this claim was reached.

    Excuse me if this comes off as a bit pedantic, this is not my intention. I have to admit that I do have high expectations when it comes to your writing. This is primarily due to the fact that I see your lectures and writings having a strong impact on a lot of people, and since we trust your academic background and abilities, we should expect the points you make to be grounded in strong academic research.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 23, 2014 at 11:32 PM

      Akhi…in case you didn’t notice, this is a blog entry, not an academic journal :)

      Basically, all your points are somewhat valid. Which is why I’m publishing this in an online blog, and not in the Journal of Islamic Studies. So, yes, most of it is based on my own personal experiences, which, with as much modesty as possible, I would say is pretty extensive :)

      Reply

      • Hamza

        April 24, 2014 at 2:42 AM

        Assalamualkum, mashallah good article. I wanted to ask about one thing tho. The only sin that Allah does not forgive is shirk right? Isnt it true that groups like the deobandies for example practice shirk by practicing tawassul at the graves? also in the book of tabligh jammat there is somethings which seem like shirk? Now if one unites with them to do dawwah and such fine, but what if one prays behind them after its clear that they practice tawwasul at graves? wouldnt the prayer be invalid? I pretty much agree with you on most issues but shirk cant be ignored. so my point is that if you share stages with them and other people who practice shirk and you tell the common people that they are good muslims than what happens when they pray behind them and have in valid prayers? jazzakallahkhair.

        Reply

  102. Uhibbu

    April 24, 2014 at 1:49 AM

    Assalamu alaykum ! ya sheyh

    you have said a lot of truth that I hardly accept, and also I have to accept! Coz sometimes i found some pharadoxes in this Saudi arabia with what our shayh saying.
    as your schoolmate from islamic university of madinah,I wanna know, should I go to the westren universities as you do after graduate or it is better to centinue studying in middle east countries?

    by the way, I am an Uyghur guy from Turkish group who lives in westren China.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:36 AM

      Salam fellow Madinah student!

      I cannot advise you about your course of action – you alone are the best judge for what you should do with your life. But I feel the Uyghur people will need you back home now, in order to help them with all of the trials they are currently facing. Of what use is a PhD to your people at this stage of their struggles? (I don’t know…maybe you feel that will be useful…I’m asking you to think about this).

      Pray istikhara, and ask your scholars whom you trust what your best course of action should be.

      Reply

  103. Asif

    April 24, 2014 at 2:11 AM

    Shaykh Yasir, amazing writeup. You are one of the few western academicians that I look up to. Few English speaking scholars can offer new insights and you are masha-allah one of them. Following your works closely, I can understand you are quite diverse in your research. May I know as a person free of any “organized” manhaj, how do you go about your research? If this is too broad a topic (perhaps you will write a piece on it someday), shortly can you name some of the individuals you always look up to? Specially from the contemporary scholars based in Arabic? It would be amazing if you could categorize your preference scholars in different fields (Aqeeda, Fiqh, etc).

    This is not just a curiosity question. I would like to study the works of the scholars you suggest. Sorry if the question seems a bit naive.

    Reply

  104. Aaron

    April 24, 2014 at 6:02 AM

    An interesting article. There are some points which I understand and which I do not (mainly about the some historical knowledge of this movement), as a a person who don’t really have a good historical background of this movement.

    But in general it is a good eye opener Alhamdulillah. And many I can relate to due to my experience.

    To be honest, a few years ago I haven’t got the slightest idea what this movement is. But after some strange series of events (mainly interracting with people who are follower of this movement) I adopted this understanding without realizing.

    There are a few things which I regret doing when I was in this period. Thinking that everyone’s wrong and I’m the only one who’s right was one of them (a bit like ‘me vs the world’ mentality).

    I didn’t realize how arrogant and ignorant that attitude was. During that period, I alienated everyone and everyone alienated me. It was a foolish move that I did.

    But Alhamdulillah, I feel like Allah has allowed me to see the error of my ways if I could say so. And a few things happened which led to this which I’d like to share with everyone as a food for thought:

    1. Studying Tafseer of Qur’an: Alhamdulillah there are many videos of tafseer available on youtube which helped me moderate what I could consider as my extreme stance. I realized how little I know of the Qur’an and that somehow brought me down to earth Alhamdulillah.

    2. Studying the seerah: Shaykh Yasir I would like to personally thank you for always doing the seerah videos. Jazakallah khayran. Because studying the seerah has also helped me moderate my extreme stance. I realized that many of the things I did which I thought was right has been proven wrong after studying the seerah. It helped me to know context of hadith and many ayats of the Qur’an which I believe protected me by Allah’s permission from misunderstanding them both as a result. On a tangent, studying the periods of the rightly guided caliphs also helped me Alhamdulillah. And if Shaykh Yasir doesn’t mind, if he has finished with telling the story of seerah insha Allah, I hope he won’t mind moving on right away to the story of rightly guided caliphs. :)

    3. Asking scholars live in person: If there is one dangerous shaykh that I know existed, it’s ‘Shaykh Google’ :D.One of my teacher said “it is okay to look for knowledge online as long as you know where to go”. And I admit there are many official, credible and reliable channels which people can look for knowledge. But we gotta know which ones are credible. And if we don’t know, and happened to choose just any channels that lack credibility, then we could be in for some serious trouble.

    However, while one can look for knowledge online (on the condition they know where to go) nothing can substitute the feeling and prescense of having Q&A session with scholars who live nearby. Because scholars who live nearby understand the locals better and know the curent conditions of where they live better than scholars who are not present. This could give some cutting edge in the answers or advices given to the people. Something that might not be likely (although not impossible) to be received from online Q&A session with scholars who are not local.

    This is by no means to discourage anyone who usually look for islamic knowledge online (I myself do). And In fact, listening to views from outside might be able to give a new and better perspective sometimes. But you could say that this is to remind people a little bit about ‘Shaykh Google’ and to remind ourselves to always to know where to go when looking for knowledge. And at the same time be grateful and appreciate the prescense of the local scholars who live around you because they can perhaps understand you and your problems better.

    4. The diversity of the ummah: the reality of the diversity of the ummah itself has helped me to moderate my former extreme stance. Alhamdulillah Allah has blessed me with the chance to interact with muslims from various places. And each of them practiced Islam with some differences here and there (Allah knows best). And I thought if I’m gonna consider kaafir (Allah forbid) all the people who understand and practice Islam differently than me, then who’s left for me to consider as muslims? I stopped right there. No way I’m gonna do that (may Allah protect us). Even if there are differences, I feel that this is an issue to be discussed with the respctive scholars. As a non-scholar, I thought the best I could do is just to love my brothers and sisters the best I can.

    Alhamdulillah, those are the four things that I feel have moderated me by Allah’s permission. And Allah knows best. I apologize if there are things I said here that offend anyone.

    I hope Allah would unite our hearts and make our love for each other stronger. And I hope that Allah would make us among those whom He make as ‘Ummatan Wasatha’. Aameen. :)

    Reply

    • Aaron

      April 24, 2014 at 6:23 AM

      Oh and I forgot to say, (before anyone misunderstood) I would not say that Salafi is bad, and all of the Salafi people are bad. (May Allah protect me). For me that would take me to the realm of judging people without right, something that I ask Allah to protect me from, especially considering that I am not a scholar myself. In other words, I personally am not qualified for that and I should keep my trap shut. :D

      But I would say that as brothers and sisters in Islam we should love each other and respect each other. There are many positive things we can learn from each other if we avoid the wrong attitude (the ‘me vs the world’ mentality, having bad assumptions etc). May Allah help us. :)

      Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 24, 2014 at 9:37 AM

        Great comment Aaron. It is clear you are a seeker of the truth, and insha Allah you will go far in life.

        Reply

  105. May Allah Guide Us All

    April 24, 2014 at 8:20 AM

    There’s something very harmful Dr. YQ picked up from academia, which is to analyze things in a way where you put everything on a level playing field, and get rid of all pedestals.

    That’s fine for STEM and other fields — it is NOT fine at all for deen, and he should know better then to opine abstractly about so and so scholar and so and so school of thought.

    On the other extreme, there are those who just call names and say “they are wrong because they are not us, and we’re right because we’re us” (i.e. make things very personal).

    However, there is a middle ground, and he fails to see it.

    For instance, look at what Allah says in the Qur’an

    وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا
    And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son.”

    لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا
    You have done an atrocious thing.

    تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا
    Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,

    أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدًا
    That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son.

    وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا
    And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son.

    —-

    Those ayaat are so strong, powerful, strict, and absolute — not abstract at all. Look at the terminology Allah uses!

    However, in another place, Allah says:

    قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِينَ
    Say, [O Muhammad], “If the Most Merciful had a son, then I would be the first of [his] worshippers.”

    —-

    It’s almost shocking that those two verse are in the same book, the second is abstract, uninvolved, and makes things so impersonal (you can almost image our prophet (PBUH) shrugging his shoulders when he says this, unlike the first verses, where you would imagine the prophet to read those in a powerful, severe manner).

    —-

    So dear Dr. YQ is exclusively using the second approach, as it’s all what academia does. And it’s how academia should be. But the deen is much greater. Those who leave Islam and pronounce their kufr are to be killed, unlike if an economist changes his school of thought from Keynesian economics to Austrian economics.

    May Allah Guide us and him — American Muslims are in great need for people to teach them their religion.

    Reply

    • May Allah Guide Us All

      April 24, 2014 at 9:59 AM

      Addendum: the truth is tricky, and conveying it more so, and I’m sure Dr. YQ wants to clarify the truth — no more, and no less.

      اللهم أرنا الحق حقا وأرزقنا اتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلا وأرزقنا اجتنابه‏
      O Allah! Show us Truth as Truth and give us ability to follow it and show us Falsehood as Falsehood and give us the ability to avoid it.

      May Allah guide us and him to straight path, and may we remain upon it until we meet him.

      Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 24, 2014 at 2:27 PM

        Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

        Wonderful, now, I would like you to explain yourself because all you have done is accused Yasir.

        Reply

  106. Amad

    April 24, 2014 at 9:04 AM

    Seems this has touched quite a nerve and I think people will look back at this article as a reference for salafi thought… jazakallahkhair.

    Thoughts from a simpleton:

    1) There probably could be more mention of “wahhabism” because usually used as synonym to salafism. My old post here on the subject: http://muslimmatters.org/2007/04/01/the-wahhabi-myth-debunking-the-bogeyman/

    and your comment on this, interesting isn’t it (from 5 years ago)
    Yasir Qadhi
    December 30, 2009 at 8:31 AM
    Great article Amad. I’ve been saying the same thing for years: when different people use the term ‘Wahhabi’ they actually mean totally different things. The term is simply like a bogeyman for ‘bad Muslim’.

    In fact even the tern ‘Salafi’ is now used by so many disparate groups that it is almost totally meaningless. Plus the negative connotations that come from that term are simply too many to count! I avoid it like the plague…

    2) Similarly in the common manifestations, respect of abdulwahhab is another

    3) Would you say that this article also reflects a personal journey, is that what you intended? I mean there is not enough of you in this, how you changed, or how you are changing. By the end of it, I don’t even know if and why you are not salafi anymore? :)

    4) Don’t know if many agree with me, but in this day and age, esp. among the Western crowd, polygamy has become a very much salafi thing? But seriously this should be added under section of women because the harm it has done in certain communities (I know of at least the Philly area), abusing women, and devastating families.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 9:42 AM

      Amad…nice to see you on MM ;)

      1) Indeed!
      2) Not so much. In fact al-Albani has comments about him that he wasn’t fully salafi because he clung to a madhhab. And there are those who view him in a favorable light but not as exaggerated as the Saudi Salafis do. So there is more of a spectrum (but as far as I know, no Salafi views him in a negative light).
      3) It is somewhat of a personal journey, but that was not the main intent of the article. The main intent is to make people realise the human element of this, and every, movement, and to save them from fanaticism and overzealousness.

      I honestly don’t consider myself a part of any organized movement anymore. Each movement has its good and bad.

      Reply

      • Ibn Mohammed

        April 24, 2014 at 7:24 PM

        “I honestly don’t consider myself a part of any organized movement anymore.”

        Does this mean you are part of some disorganized movement?

        Reply

  107. Batman

    April 24, 2014 at 9:58 AM

    off topic: Plz help me with the theory of evolution, ya shaykh! My Muslim biology teacher didnt give us a halal option to believe bcz he said the theory of evolution will become law.

    Reply

    • Jakub Maciągowski

      April 24, 2014 at 8:48 PM

      Assalaamu ‘alaykum. Maybe this will help insha’Allah: in my view microevolution (changes over time within species) is not problematic, but macroevolution (one species becoming another species) is little problematic for me, because I did’t see solid evidence. If one type of species changed into another, then why I don’t see numerous forms of species living today or in fossils changing from one kind into another kind clearly and in abundance (species that are half one and half another for example)? Further more there are reports (according to what I’ve read or heard) of plants, animals, even human bones and tools dating millions and millions… of years. You can check Atlas of Creation by Harun Yahya or works of Michael Creamo. Also, according to what I’ve read the period between Adam and us is not as long as some people might think. So my reconciliation of all of that is as follows: I’ve read from islamtoday.net and heard from Yasir Qadhi that the concept of macroevolution of plants and animals does not contadict islam. There is also an article on islamtoday.net (link: http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow-437-3448.htm) in which it says that there is a possibility that humans did exist before Adam. So my conclusion from all this is as follows: microevolution and macroevolution – whether human or animal could exist, but with one exception, and that is that all of us came from Adam, and neither we nor Adam evolved from an animal. What was before Adam? Allah knows best. Maybe there were other humans or maybe there were ape-like humans or both, I don’t know. Keep in mind that as muslims we make the revelation our priority, we don’t rely on limited human probabilities in the absence of revelation. Also, if you study evolution deeply try to focus on the bones themselves, not necessarily on human imaginations and images of them and remember that there also could be deliberate hoaxes, as human history had plenty of deceptions and evil intentions (check pildown man). Also, most scientists before claimed that the universe is eternal, now they are saying the opposite, so science changes, but moral and scriptual truths don’t. Let’s be like Abraham insha’Allah, who rejected falsehood when so many people clung to it. And think about it, they also had their knowledgeable people and famous leaders and so did ancient Egyptians or Romans, so let’s not be impressed by the popularity of certain views or practices.

      Reply

  108. Chaplain Zain

    April 24, 2014 at 10:26 AM

    I’m going to be honest. I usually hate your writings and the funny thing is I usually AGREE with everything you say in them. Weird isn’t it?

    However I loved this article. Very academic. However is the statement of Al-Albani using the term salafi for the najdi dawa accurate? Didn’t Najdi scholars use the term to describe themselves before?

    (Reason for this comment: I disagreed with what you said about academics in you ‘salvation’ talk since I wish to be an academic and I don’t believe what you said about academics to be true.)

    Love you. Man..

    P.S.
    The only book I have recommended youth to read EVER (after learning to pray and fast and reading quran etc.) was “dua weapon of the believer.” BEST book ever.

    P.S.S.
    Have you ever read Yahya Michot’s work on Ibn Taymiyyah?

    Reply

  109. nazakit

    April 24, 2014 at 10:52 AM

    Asalamu Alaykum

    That was an interesting read. I am a student at the Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and I believe you raised a few valid points. I am going to mention them below and make some recommendations and please comment on them if you get the chance as I would love to hear your response or take on them.

    1) The issue of fiqh al waaqi, you have mentioned in the article above and a few times in the past that certain Scholars issue fatawa without full knowledge of the situation at hand. You also mention that we should go to the Scholars in our land instead of limiting ourselves to a certain group of scholars in a certain country and if the need arises then the Scholars of our land can approach the Kibaar wherever they may be on our behalf with the full situation at hand. You also mentioned there are some Scholars in the Arab world and beyond that are more tuned into the reality of the West.

    Recommendation – There are Scholars in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India and Pakistan and other countries who are aware of the situation in the West to a certain degree. So why do not individuals like you and others sit with these Scholars and explain the situation to them in context and they can help inshaAllah with sincere, relevant and precise advice and fatawas. Hence, this will remove a lot of confusion and division in the West. Such Scholars include Shaykh Saad ash Shihtri, Shaykh Wasiullah Abbas, Shaykh Mukhtar ash Shinqitee, Shaykh Masood Alam (Jamiyah Salafiyah, Pakistan), Shaykh Muhammad Sharif (Jamiyah Salafiyah, Pakistan) and there are dozens of others that I can think of who have travelled/lived/have family in the West and are willing to sit and listen and understand.

    2) Your article mainly focuses on the Salafi Dawah in the West and the Middle East to a certain extent. Therefore many of the criticisms are associated with individuals and organisations in this part of the world. To be just you mention that the criticisms are general to all types of organisation who ascribe to term Salafiyah.

    Point – In response to one of the comments you acknowledged the beneficial work of the Ahle Hadith movement in the Sub-continent especially in regards to calling the people to Tawheed and Knowledge. Also in challenging the status quo on oppression of women. The Ahle Hadith has highlighted the plight of Muslim women in the Sub-continent and helped challenge norms and afford rights to women that were not present before. The Ahle Hadith movement is also very active in the issue of Tazkiyah an Nafs, this is probably due to their strong attachment to the Quran and active Madrasahs that encourage such acts.

    I would really appreciate if you could respond to some of these points inshaAllah.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 6:30 PM

      Salam

      1) Totally agreed that of course there are great scholars who have travelled the world and are more cultlurally in tune than others. I might not agree with everyone on your list (!) but one person for sure is Sh. Abd al-Aziz al-Fawzan, in your city (please give him my salams if you see him!).

      2) Yes, I am writing in English, on a Western blog, to a primarily Western audience. I didn’t mention the Salafis of Indonesia or other places, as I am not too familiar with them.

      Reply

  110. Imran

    April 24, 2014 at 11:23 AM

    Assalaamualaikum was rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu Sheikh Yasir,

    I cannot begin to describe the immense feeling of gratitude I feel towards you, for writing such an introspective and timely article. Over the past few years, with the fitah(s) being continuously inflicted on muslims, it was really confusing to figure out the middle path, especially when one professes to hold Salafi beliefs.
    You have touched on so many points I felt and argued about with other Salafis. The social and political ills that so many salafi scholars never talk about. And then it all came crumbling down when a muslim leader was forcibly removed in Eygpt. It became clear where the allegiances stood. It was very disheartening to hear an Iman stand in Makkah and call innocent men and women, who wanted islamic law and were killed, as terrorists. But then I heard Maulana Salman an-Nadwi of Deoband and his condemnation of the saudi actions and the silence of the saudi scholars and understood that no one group within the sunni muslims has a monopoly on the truth.

    May Allah swt reward you immensely for helping us understand this deen better and always trying to clear the middle path for us.

    “Praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 6:33 PM

      It was for people like you, Imran, that this article was written. To make them feel they are not going crazy, and that their fears and concerns are legitimate.

      Reply

  111. Chaplain Zain

    April 24, 2014 at 11:32 AM

    Also I just didn’t want to leave it as that I ‘hated’ your writings.

    Thing is when you write and speak, people hold on to what you say. Then when you change your opinion those people make takfir against you and have a nervous break down.

    Looking at your older writings, I see why they feel like you have ‘left’ the path or something. Because of the language you used to use.

    Anyways. Back then and NOW I still agree with everything. Other people just lack critical thinking and can’t understand why you ‘seem’ softer.

    WHy do I say this? I had friends who made takfir against me after takign alight upon light class not because I was an ‘ashari’ but because I said EXACTLY what you say at the end of this article.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 6:40 PM

      I encourage everyone to click on the link above and see the standard stereotypical Salafi responses to any criticism.

      Also note in my article, and I quote:

      “This also explains the disproportionate focus on identifying deviants and deviation, which has lead to an absurd result of some Salafī laymen knowing more about deviant beliefs than correct ones.”

      “The Prophet Muḥammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Focus on that which benefits you!” For some Salafīs, success is tantamount to refuting ‘deviants’. They revel in writing lots of refutations against people, warning people from associating with ‘deviants’ and using aggressively harsh language to correct people.”

      I encourage everyone to log on to their website, peruse their articles, and see for themselves the realities of such people. It is people like them that have done the greatest damage to the call of tawhid and the love of the pure Sunnah of our Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and it is people like them who continue to inspire me to show people a better, purer, more Islamic way to revive the Ummah. I pray Allah blesses me to do this!

      Reply

      • Mohammad

        April 25, 2014 at 3:31 PM

        If criticizing the deviants using harsh language with the intention of correcting them is something that damages the call of Tawhid and the love of the Sunnah, then how about the Aimmatul-Hadeeth, including Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, who called certain narrators Kazzab, Dazzal, etc while evaluating the isnads?

        According to your theory, they were then harsh, rude and extreme.

        Reply

      • Amiyn al-Ansare

        July 7, 2014 at 2:47 AM

        I know where you came from with this statement, but it is not that evident in their refutation. Dr. Yassir, please don’t get me wrong, I am not against you, and do believe that their stance against you is too harsh and is not in obedience to ALLAH’s statement which means “…gentle with the believers, and stern with the disbelievers…”

        I wonder, however, what are these issues that you are insistent the Ulama abroad cannot understand, and therefore cannot be reliable council for? I know there are things in secular democracies that are unique from the lands of the Muslims, but if it becomes so complicated…why should we insist on staying in these places?I understand that not everyone can immigrate, and I only say this because I was once one of those who could not find a suitable home other than my birthplace in the West, but I strived, and ALLAH made a way out for me from his mercy. I wanted to ask you about this at the dinner table in Shah Alam, Malaysia back in April, but you were tired that evening as you had just landed :) hours before.

        I see little reason to compromise the excellence of our religion in order to appeal to the secular Western world, even though I will regrettably admit that they control the dynamic of developed civilization today.Voting is something I can marginally agree with; I do not think it is haraam outright, but how much will the Muslims’ vote affect the passing of a bill? What is so misunderstood about non-relational gender interaction between Muslim and secular countries? Is your aim to avoid apostasy of un-learned youths? Would not then the ACCEPTABLE Salafi approach (for lack of better words) be the best way?

        Frankly, I found it very intellectually stimulating in the sense of authenticating what I learn and practice, without getting in unnecessary Jarh wa Ta’deel, I understand that you grew up in Saudi Arabia. I grew up in America, so I am not sure if we had the same experiences, whcih may be why I do not share your exact fears.

        Reply

      • Madhab?

        July 10, 2014 at 11:25 AM

        Asalaumalaykum. Do you follow a particular Madhab now? And if yes, which one?

        Reply

    • Hassan

      April 24, 2014 at 10:38 PM

      Coldfusion Markup Language, not PDF, impressive

      Reply

  114. Abolore Abdulhafeez

    April 24, 2014 at 12:39 PM

    Thanks for this article! In Islam, writing an article is one of the most difficult things because it easy to fault. From my own view, someone need I lot of researches before doing so. Those people that are saying Jazaka Allahu Khiaran to you Sheikh, are they those that have deep knowledge of Islam or those that think what you write ought to be right and benefit.

    Please, tell us among the Scholars of Islam in the recent era that took this stand of yours. At least, Sheikh Bin Baz and other Sheikh you learnt from were aware of the saying of Shiekh Nasirudeen Albani and none of them took this view. Sheikh, you need to be extreme careful, Sheikh Nasirudeen Albani didnt bring any new thing to this Ummah. He also made a lot of mistakes but you are not the one to tell us the mistake because you haven’t reach his status.

    Sheikh, before you collected your Doctorate degree at least some Scholars read your paper and your paper was not endorsed by BSc. holder. Why cannot you allow some scholars endorse your articles before you published it because you will just be making a lot of mistakes which may affect your Dawah in future.

    Abdullah Faisal started like this and we all witness his end. Please, you are a good person and you need to be careful. Am just advising you. Islam is sincere Advise.

    Please, present this article in Arabic and let other students of knowledge that cannot read English benefit from it. We also the need the link for PDF.

    Reply

  115. Hoosier

    April 24, 2014 at 12:44 PM

    “[Salafisim] equips its adherents with knowledge to challenge authoritarianism, question blind-allegiance”. How does it purport to do this but at the same time you mention “criticizing a legitimate ruling authority is doctrinally prohibited tantamount to sin and deviation. Some Salafīs, in particular the ‘mainstream’ Saudi Salafīs and Madkhalīs, are extremely pro-government.” Seems like opposites.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 24, 2014 at 6:35 PM

      Exactly my point! The movement does not live up to its own ideals in some respects.

      Reply

  116. aarif hamid

    April 24, 2014 at 1:17 PM

    This article looks like a christian scholar’s writing. Muslim scholars always quote from Quran and hadith to give their points and aware people with their articles. May Allah guide us all to the straight path of Quran and sunnah followed and practiced by sahaba ikrams…

    Reply

  117. Adnan

    April 24, 2014 at 1:47 PM

    This is a good article, but somehow I get the feeling that the Shaykh wants to legitimize the Salafi movement but talking technicalities and giving their madness some sort of method.

    The Shaykh, with all due respect, sounds like a recovering alcoholic who writes long articles about how drinking red wine helps your heart, or how beer can encourage good friendships.

    Move on and accept that you were brainwashed into a madness and thank Allah swt that you’ve escaped from the madness.

    People who hold salafist views are mad, and they advocate an inhuman movement, end of story. A movement that treats women like cattle *cannot* possibly be a human movement. Nothing good comes from a movement that mocks other muslims all the time.

    Pussyfooting around the truth is a crime in Islam.

    Reply

    • Mohamad

      April 24, 2014 at 6:41 PM

      Assalamalaykum Akhi

      Kindly, points can be made more politely than that.
      May Allah guide us all, forgive us all and enter us all into his mercy

      Assalamalaykum

      Reply

      • Adnan

        April 25, 2014 at 1:58 PM

        Sorry if I offended anyone.

        But these salafis are a serious threat to the integrity of the ummah. When a leading scholar like Sh. Qadhi writes about them and calls them a “human movement” we know the Ummah is in trouble.

        The issue is that Salafis are not “just another school of thought” in Islam. They want to be the *only* school of thought. They want to eradicate everything else. The Sufi isn’t going around saying that everyone else is a kafir and other schools of thought should be destroyed.

        And isn’t it true that the author Sh. Qadhi was himself a Salafi who at one point went around calling Sufis and Shias as kafirs and dangerous? Rather than own up to his mistakes and apologize for his terrible views (in the past), the Shaykh wants to give some level of intellectual respectability to this mad group of people.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw9Wq3zizsw

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzgvbC4IL4U

        Reply

  118. Malik

    April 24, 2014 at 2:26 PM

    AsSalamuAlaikum.
    Thank you for writing this informative article. Your assessment on how they treat women and how they venerate certain scholars will provide food for thought for many readers.
    An off topic question: Is your book “Dua: the weapon of the believer” out of market now ? Do you have plans to re-publish it ?

    Reply

  119. Faraz Omar

    April 24, 2014 at 2:28 PM

    A brilliant, heartfelt article, baarak Allahu feekum :) May Allah only make you better.

    Reply

  120. Ridwan

    April 24, 2014 at 2:42 PM

    jazakumullahu khayral jazaa sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, i do agree most of your writings, what is surprised to me when i read the whole article i thought you came our country and talking about the somali version of salafisim, our big problem is those people calling themselves as salafis in our country they are concentrating only to criticise others as the criticism of others is one of the best deeds that you can enter into al firdaws. i will send you inshaa allah if you gave me a permission one article talking about somali version of salafism and please let me know your email wa shukran

    Reply

  121. alghareebyassalafy

    April 24, 2014 at 6:49 PM

    I will come to fulminate your disfigured papers, oh a water!

    Reply

  122. Sal Khan

    April 24, 2014 at 7:31 PM

    Dear Dr. Yasir Qadhi,
    Thank you for publishing this article. You have brought forth important criticisms against Salafis actions (but nothing against their creed). Laymen Muslim sometimes take your path with a similar analogy – Muslims have taken this and that so far and look at their behavior in here and there, so it’s time for me to choose another religion. Only Allah’s mercy has prevented you from converting to another religion. I do have a few questions which I hope you can address:
    1) Do you think the Islam you currently follow, which you have labelled ‘orthodox Islam’ in a comment on Ni’matullah’s page, is better than the Islam you followed in Madeenah?
    2) Do you feel that your faith is stronger in orthodox Islam than it was under Salafi Islam in Madeenah?
    3) Do you feel you are closer to Allah now that you have abandoned Islam and loosened rules of fiqh? Or do you have a fear that you might be taking a risk with regards to your Hereafter and that the conservative path of najdi scholars is safer?
    4) Do you still advocate the aqeedah in Kitabut tawheed by Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab? Or do you now consider that he had taken aqeedah too far?
    5) Many times you are found to say “this is not the time or place” and it never is. Why do you dodge important questions that come up in relation to topics that you discuss?
    6) Do you think the Islam you learnt from the jews and Christians at Yale gave you a clearer understanding of Islam and did it improve your faith? If given a choice would you recommend a Muslim study at Madeenah or at a western university under non-Muslims?
    7) Why is it that you sometimes conveniently meddle into the affairs of Muslim countries while if Muslim scholars in Muslim countries talk about western Muslims’ issues then they are not knowledgeable enough? Can you not extend that same courtesy to yourself when commenting on Egypt and Syria and other places which the local scholars are more aware about?
    8) Do you have any hesitancy in declaring the Saudi scholars servile and obsequious when the same charge has been laid on you because of which you cannot discuss Islam freely in all aspects?
    9) Do you think it is fair that your editors edit comments out which require deep thinking while they keep comments which are in praise of you? Don’t you think that leads to group think?
    10) In pushing for a more open forum for Muslim women are you comfortable in extending that to your own family? Are you comfortable with men shaking hands with your wife or daughter while you shake hands with females using a certain fiqhi opinion? IN other words are you applying the rules evenly and objectively?
    11) Don’t you feel like you are trivializing creed by attacking the defenders of proper creed? They certainly think they are doing a service to Islam. This has nothing to do with attacking men or madkhalism. Protecting the creed is more important than you have made it out to be.
    12) Don’t you think the focus on sociological issues and political issues should be best left to sociologists, psychologists, and the Muslim governments and theologians should protect and defend the creed and the Prophet as a primary duty? Why do you want to cross over into the domain of others?
    13) Can you clear up the debate (in a separate article) regarding faith and action being intertwined? With some clear hadeeth from the Prophet (pbuh) stating that people would go to Jannah for just saying La ilaha illallAh even if they did nothing else don’t you think Albaani’s creed has some weight? Why do you think Albaani’s creed was weak and that Khalid Anbari’s book was banned with good reason?
    14) Salafis dot com published a refutation of this article of yours but it was very weak and they did not address any of your critiques of salafis, some of which were valid.
    15) Why don’t you spend any time any more criticizing the deobandis, barelvis, Sufis, etc. Why have you as of late only been criticizing salafis? Are they the most deviant of them all?

    Reply

    • Sal Khan

      April 24, 2014 at 7:34 PM

      Clarification: By abandoned Islam I meant abandoned salafi Islam.

      Reply

      • Yasir Qadhi

        April 24, 2014 at 8:34 PM

        – Allah revealed Islam. He didn’t reveal Salafism. The analogy is invalid.
        – I don’t view them as ‘two Islams’. Certain ideas of mind have evolved. I worship the same Creator, believe in the same Prophet, read (and have memorized) the same Book, and so forth. You, and all Muslims, change certain positions over the course of their lives.
        – Faith goes up and down, depending on sins and good actions. I do not believe my methodology per se has affected my iman.
        – What a loaded question! I don’t believe I have watered down fiqh, I believe I have wisened it up.
        – Another loaded question. I didn’t learn tafsir and hadith from non-Muslims; find out yourself my curriculum and knowledge taught at both institutions before you wish to impugn me through your accusations disguised as questions. Also, for your information, quite a few forward thinking scholars at Madinah (including Dr. Adhami) were the first poeple to place in my mind that I should get a PhD from a Western University.
        – I am not aware of any comments being banned. I have myself checked and double-checked. What you see on this page is the comments that people have posted, the good, the bad, and the ugly. As of yet (as far as I know) not ONE comment has been deleted. And I ask the other moderators that as long as no vulgar language is used, all comments should remain.

        I will try to answer all your other questions later; there is only so much time I have but nonetheless insha Allah I’ll come back to it if I’m able.

        Reply

        • Siraaj

          April 24, 2014 at 8:49 PM

          I only deleted one comment so far because it was youtube video, otherwise, all comments have gone through.

          Reply

  123. um Abdullah

    April 24, 2014 at 9:29 PM

    JazakhAllah Khiran for an informative article. I just want to clear up the situation here in Egypt, though. Most of the people who try to be practicing Muslims here follow only the Quran and Sunnah and the righteous Salaf – so they say they are Salafi but they don’t belong to an movement as such. We used to support the Nor party last year, but after they turned against their elected President and brother Muslim, most of us became ashamed of them and what they did. From what I have seen, those who follow the Nor party are very few – and this is clear because even the police know this as they tend to bother those who wear a niqab or who have beards more. There are a small number of Salafi’s who are part of the Salafi movement and disagree with demonstrations etc. but their number is very small. Most of them are non-Egyptians who emigrated to here from the West. But most of the Egyptians who try to follow the Salaf are totally against Nor Party and also the coup.
    Just to keep everybody updated: the Egyptian media are terrible liars, Sisi and Ibrahem are terrible murderers, this coup is against Islam – quite a few religious dars have been told to close, the mosques have been ordered to close soon after the Salat, people have taken of their niqab as they feared they would lose their job or be hassled, especially after quite a few highly qualified bearded lecturers lost their jobs, Tayyab and Ali Gomaa of Azhar have sold the religion for a cheap price with their wrong fatwas and siding with the murderers in the government, and calling the Muslim Brotherhood, who are busy with charities, schools etc., as ‘terrorists’ is like calling Mother Teresa a terrorist – although they have errors, they can’t possibly be called terrorists and no acts of terrorism have been proven to be carried out by them, in fact others claimed responsibility for those bombings.
    JazakhAllah khiran again for the article

    Reply

  124. Shahab

    April 24, 2014 at 11:00 PM

    Salam Shaykh:

    I really liked your article and let me put it on record that I am inspired by the reformation that I have experienced in your own persona. Although I wouldn’t really want to bracket you into any specific group (after all neither is it my station in front of a man of learning such as yourself, nor is it my right to dictate what your beliefs are) I find that some of your writings favors the Hanabilah of Arabia :) Let me also put on record that I am so glad and thank Allah for teachers like yourself who, from time to time, talk about Kalam, which I believe has been overly neglected as part of this puritanical approach that you have recorded here.

    Proceeding thereafter, Shaykh, I would like to bring to your attention the following and like to know your comments on them. I am not a frequent visitor on this website so I am not sure if I will be able to read your response, but what I will NOT do is respond to you out of respect of your position, in sha Allah. I only would like to hear your opinion on the below:

    1- This term “Athari” is absent from the literature of the earlier scholars. In fact, its usage is only seen around the 13th century Hijri (for example, I don’t see Imam Dhahhabi categorizing people in Tadhkirah Al-Huffaz or Siy’ar A’lam as “Athari”?). Furthermore, counting Ibn Taymiyyah (rah) as an “Athari” is basically trying to fit him into something that didn’t exist in his times. As such, he was himself an Ash’ari by ‘aqidah (refer to Al-‘Asqalani’s detailed account in “Durar Al-Kaminah” about Ibn Taymiyyah and the manuscript that he quotes of Ibn Taymiyyah stating in categorical terms his ‘aqidah). Salafis of today bracket him as “Athari” simply because of his writings in which he came out strongly against the mutakallimeen of his times (who had strayed from naqali kalam to ‘aqali kalam) and the Falasifah (who were the most extreme strand of the ‘aqali mutakallimeen). His refutation of them was more about cajoling some of the Ash’ari mutakallimeen towards the tradition-based (naqali) kalam as was done by the early Sunni theologians.

    2- Trying to posit that Ash’arism is different to the early ‘aqidah of the Muslims (that is referred to as “Atharism” in our times) is looking at the issue at a very superfluous level. Ash’ari/Maturidi schools were built upon the earliest Sunni theology. It is when the need to pontificate the Islamic theology from a rationale-based narrative became obvious is when the Sunnis moved in this direction. I think the earliest work (codified) of ‘aqidah (even earlier than ‘aqidah at-Tahawiyyah) that you refer to are the 2 versions of Fiqh Al-Akbar of Imam Abu Hanifah (rah) – One by Abu Balkhi that I have personally read. There is no other earlier book of ‘aqidah besides this that I am aware of? Please note that Imam Tahawi himself was a Hanafi (he used to be Shafi’i). So, his work is just a rehash of Fiqh Al-Akbar (and its 2 variants) and just explanations of earlier ‘aqaid-based stances (1st century) in the nomenclature of his times (4th century). To put it in a nutshell, it just wasn’t sufficient anymore that Muslims – in their debates with Christian, Zoroastrian et al theologians – just explain their creed with the early approach (“Tafwidh ma’a At-Tanzih” or what, in the more well-known Salafi parlance, is might known as “ithbaat”). Sunnis now had to explain (mostly because they were speaking to a non-Arabic audience who didn’t even have any grounding in Islamic knowledge) verses such as “istawa ‘alal arsh” in its proper context. Reading the debates between the Ahlus Sunnah (who at that time were pre-dominantly Ash’ari) versus the Mu’tazili and Nasraani will highlight this fact. In fact, Imam Bukhari himself posited his kalam-based stance on the “Lafzi Qur’an” versus the “Nafsi Qur’an” in his trip to Samarqand where he met Imam Muslim. I think Salafis in our times would (wrongly) portray this stance of Imam Bukhari as a “deviation of the Ash’ariyyah”.

    3- Your assertion that hadith authentication was revived by Shaykh Albani (rah) is, with all due respect and I apologize if this comes out harsh Shaykh, grossly misplaced. For example, in the Indian Subcontinent, ‘ilm al-hadith was reinvigorated as early as in the era of Shah Waliyullah (rah) – who incidentally was a Hanafi by madhhab and Ash’ari by ‘aqidah. Similarly, in the Arab world there never really was a cessation in hadith authentication and its proper understanding. This can be seen from the fact that Shah Waliyullah’s own revivalism of the ahadith was influenced in his exile in Makkah/Maidnah by the ‘ulama who resided there (specifically, Shaykh Abu Tahir ibn Ibrahim Al-Kurdi). In fact, a lot of Al Albani’s own students today do NOT follow his gradations anymore (due to some severe deficiencies that have became well-known in the past 15-odd years). For example, there is no serious Salafi I know today who will narrate Albani’s gradation before checking with authorities like Shu’ayb Al-Arna’aut. In fact, even in Albani’s times you had giants like Abdul Qadir Al-Arna’aut, Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah, Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi and so many other muhadditheen who kept pointing out the flaws in what Albani was doing and who were taken as the authorities on matters of Hadith gradation.

    I would love to hear your pedagogical views on the above. In respect of your position I will desist from responding, but if you do require any clarification from my side or any references then I would be more than happy to provide it for easy reference (as I haven’t provided the references here).

    Was-salamu alaykum

    Reply

    • p4rv3zkh4n

      December 22, 2014 at 10:48 PM

      Imam al-Haafiz adh-Dhahabi said:

      As Allah exists in a real sense, not metaphorically, His attributes cannot be taken as metaphorical, because in that case they could not be divine attributes, because the attributes are connected to the one who possesses those attributes. As He exists in a real sense, not in a metaphorical sense, His attributes cannot be metaphorical. As there is nothing equal or similar to Him, there can be nothing like His attributes.
      [End quote from al-‘Uluw, p. 239, 250]

      The Attributes of Allah are real and not metaphorical. It’s not appropriate that the fundamentals of faith such as Attributes of Allah be revealed in vague language. But rather it is essential that these fundamentals of faith be revealed in clear and explicit manner since the Quran is the book of guidance and in clear Arabic.
      The Attributes of Allah cannot be metaphorical because there can be no analogical relationship between the Attributes of Allah and His creation.

      Ibn Jawzi stated; Nothings harms the Muslims’ belief more than Mutakallimin (practitioners of greek philosophy) and the sufis (mystics). The former group ruins people’s creed, and the latter group ruins people’s deeds and reli­gious laws.
      [Talbis Iblis page 504]

      Imam Ahmad has said: “The partisan of speculative theology (kalam) will never prosper. No one is ever seen who has studied speculative theology, but that there is a corrupt quality to his mind.” [Ibn Abdul-Barr, Jamiâ Bayan al-Ilm 2/942, ed. Abu al-Ashbal, Dar Ibn al-Jawzi]

      Reply

  125. ummabdullah

    April 24, 2014 at 11:36 PM

    I appreciate this article as it confirms many things I’ve been feeling after almost a decade of practicing. I’m also appreciating the sheikh’s straightforward answers, but not the tone. Isn’t good manners in dawah essential? Perhaps the sheikh doesn’t mean it to come across this way..but his tone is highly defensive and rough in his answers. Why not be relaxed and kind? Let the ignorance of anyone else stand ugly by itself instead of coupling it with an answer that matches the tone.

    Reply

  126. Taufique Aziz

    April 25, 2014 at 2:20 AM

    Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullah Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi,
    I would like to thank you for writing this informative article. I witnessed (and continue to witness) with my own eyes some of the things you mentioned and some I’ve read few years ago in books written by Non-Muslims.
    I try my best to follow the beliefs, actions and manners of the Salaf. I also call to it full time, bi idhnilAllah, to the best of my knowledge and physical ability. We are all human and we all need extra motivations from time to time to keep doing our level best. Regardless of what obstacles I face, health or otherwise, I believe Allah Willed for me to read your article at a very good time. I am thanking you because your article has given me that extra motivation, Alhamdulillah, to call to the Path of the Salaf. I realized after reading your article that there really isn’t any time to take a break in our line of work.
    I am not here to debate nor write lengthy comments refuting you or insulting you. I find such actions against you and others similar to you, to be useless. I believe you have the knowledge and you know exactly what you are doing. You are not ignorant at all, MashaaAllah. Whether people harshly refute you or peacefully let you go, Allah will still misguide those who deserve to be misguided and guide those who deserve to be guided. Refuting or praising Dr.Yasir Qadhi will not guide or misguide even 1 extra person more than what Allah has Willed. I have no control over any of that. Also, I am very certain that Allah did not make me a police over you. I don’t even have control over my own guidance. Allah alone is the source of Guidance.
    Such articles, criticizing an ideology and making the ideology look pointless for our time, solely based on the actions of some lay people or valid ijtihaad mistakes of a few Scholars, are all part of Allah’s Plans to test our Faith. Some of us will be left in utter confusion about the best way to please Allah, others will strongly reject the Straight Path and very few will strive to their last breath to call mankind in the best manner to the the Straight Path, with Allah’s Help.
    Allah will clarify Truth from Falsehood to those who are able to suppress their desires and sincerely seek the Path that earns His Pleasure. We du’aat are just tools either working for Allah’s Cause or Shaytaan’s playground. May Allah guide us all to the Truth and give us istiqaamah on it. Thank you once again!

    Reply

  127. adelah

    April 25, 2014 at 3:47 AM

    yasir qaid, you are telling lies against the salafi’s.

    Reply

  128. মুসলিম

    April 25, 2014 at 5:54 AM

    Shaikh, Please see this video. some one from america ask Question to Shaikh Fawzan. who ask the question to shaikh fawzaan he never says your name but in the Writing bracket they wrote your name (Yaisr Qadhi). Please gives us some good answer from your side. cause some people want to spreade fitna…May Allah save us from fitna aameen..http://ahlulsunnahwaljammah.wordpress.com/…/refutation…/

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 26, 2014 at 8:10 AM

      Sh. Salih al-Fawzan is a learned man and I have nothing but the highest respect for him. It is sad that people ask him such loaded and provocative questions.

      My views on Islamic scholarship are very clear, and you can see some of them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzk_GXVMhU

      Reply

  129. Aashiq Hill

    April 25, 2014 at 6:01 AM

    Aslm sheikh hope you are well.I enjoyed this article even though I might disagree regarding certain points.I read passages from your masters dissertation about the Jahmiyyah and their effects on creed obtained from my teacher Sheikh Tariq Appleby,I would like to get my hands on your doctoral dissertation.is this a possibility perhaps?

    Reply

  130. Abu Shakiyla

    April 25, 2014 at 11:33 AM

    How could one get a copy of your dissertation?

    Reply

  131. Idriss Abdelmoula

    April 25, 2014 at 6:07 PM

    Ma sha Allah shaykh, great article and I really enjoy reading your responses!

    Reply

  132. Aldin Ali

    April 26, 2014 at 2:43 AM

    selamun alejkum shaykh

    the ahbash/habashi-sect is also calling itself salafi….and not only salafi, but true salafi.. this is one of the sites that this sect owns http://truesalafi.com/ …the site is no longer working properly, but I remember from visiting the site before, in how the habashies used this site to promote themselves as “the true salafies”..

    Reply

  133. Omar

    April 26, 2014 at 8:16 AM

    Although not of the Salafi movement, but of the Deo-Sufi leaning, I have immense respect for your works recently – also your Sirah is amazing, mashaAllah. May Allah continue to keep you on the path of the righteous, he guide you (and us) to the truest form of Islam. May he put our time and effort in the service of the needy, the downtrodden and the oppressed. Let Him make us bastions of goodness, seekers of justice and voices of moderation and tolerance. Amin.

    We need to badly unite, unite in the love for each other over petty issues that have no resonance in the daily world we live in. We need to focus on all the issues raised in the article and work as one community to overcome them. The beauty of Islam has always been evident in the people who follow it closely. Their examples, mannerisms and open hearts have converted nations.

    Shk Yasir is one of the few people who are seeing the picture from the inside and out and this needs to happen in all movements (Salafi and otherwise), only then can we reach point where we are closer to Him. Yes and that is the ONLY goal. Him, huwa Allah.

    Reply

  134. Jorge

    April 26, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    Salam aleykum! I am a sunni muslim from Mexico City, I read almost all of your publications with a large ammount of interest. I would like to translate this post and read it to the brothers that live here and for that reason I am asking your permission. I will obviously state that this article is property of Sheikh Dr. Yassir Qadhi and cite the link to this page.
    May Allah bless you
    I hope to have the opportunity to go to US and meet you in sha Allah.
    As salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:29 AM

      FOR ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO TRANSLATE:

      Salam

      You may translate this article into any language with the following:

      1) Make sure the translator is reputable and has some experience translating Islamic documents

      2) Have the translation reviewed by one or two knowledgeable brothers to check for accuracy.

      3) State the name of the translator and that it has been translated from the English

      4) Link to the original at MuslimMatters.

      Also please send us the link to any translations and we will link them from our website as well.

      Jazak Allah

      Reply

  135. Scattered Pearls

    April 26, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    Salam Ya Shaikh, and may Allah reward you immensely for this through and careful analysis the Salafi movement, which has both shaped, benefited, and frustrated me to no end.
    I have been carefully following your work in the past few months, as I think it has shown a level of maturity that is necessary in Western Muslim thought.

    My question, you talked about the political unawareness that Salafism has been characterized with. One thing that has particularly bothered me is the knee-jerk rejection of political groups that pervades the movement. It seems that if you mention the Ikhwan, Jamaate Islami, or Hizb ut Tahrir to a regular, even moderate Salafi, they become really uncomfortable, and wish to downplay the influence and centrality of these groups in articulating a more politically aware Islam. Where would political Islam be without the works of the founders and scholars that have emerged from these movements? Yet there is a persistent effort to sideline scholarship, just because it emerges from a political movement. Very few scholars, such as Sh. Qardawi, have been able to break through this barrier.

    What is your view then on engaging with political movements. Am I correct in understanding that they are necessary for the fixing of the Ummah’s collective problems (stemming from the Quranic injunction to form a group that enjoins good and forbids evil), or is there some other way to achieve Ummah-level Islamic reform?

    JAK for your care in responding to comments (even if you don’t get to mine)

    Reply

  136. Sabih

    April 26, 2014 at 11:54 AM

    Thank you and jazakullah khairun Shaykh.

    A piece similar to this, though regarding Sufi movements would be really interesting to read and compare with this article.

    Shaykh, any intentions to produce something like that? Or could you direct me to an article already written on that topic?

    Reply

    • Edward Kefas

      April 27, 2014 at 2:37 AM

      In the USA once you have successfully marginalized the Sufis and salafees , what do you have left — predominantly, ethnic-racially segregated McMasjids that act as home country culture clubs . This makes it easier for an engineer at a Defense sub contractor to forget the money Hijra to the land of Kufr….

      I’d like to see an article on that.

      Reply

  137. James Hay

    April 26, 2014 at 1:06 PM

    Qadhi, you’re a blight on the earth. Come try to steal or anything from my family and you and your sick prophet’s ideas will spend the rest of eternity with dirt over your eyes. I used to respect Muslims even though there is a big difference between us. You, on the hand, had such an ill upbringing you don’t understand anything but hatred. I’ve got plenty of high powered ammo and even a couple of machetes to separate your parts before fed to the dogs and pigs. Your prophet was a thief, murderer and child molester. How old was your wife when you married in your unholy faith? 6? DO yourself a favor and commit suicide. That would be the kindest act possible for all others that have to smell you and your filthy way of living. You want to be a man and come face me alone? I didn’t think so. You and your kind are only good for killing innocents, women and children. There is only one God and His name isn’t allah! See what your prejudicial rants have done. Come reap your just desserts, pig.

    Reply

    • Mahmud

      April 27, 2014 at 2:52 PM

      You are either schizophrenic or stupid enough to think anyone will take your rant seriously.

      Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:33 AM

      I am leaving this racist Islamophobe’s comment here in order to demonstrate what we are battling. On average I would say that I get 2-3 death threats week, and a dozen or so smear campaigns from the Far Right. And this is just against me as a person. Now, multiply this with all of the other speakers/scholars who are getting smeared. And then see how much Islam itself is being attacked. And then realize the political changes, and climates of fear, and other issues that we are facing…

      Then see how the hard-core Salafis only care about ‘refuting’ people like myself and others who are attacked by the Far Right, and who (despite all our flaws) are actually doing something to spread the message of Islam amongst non-Muslims and teach Islam to Muslims.

      Truly, one of the most disturbing issues of hard-core Salafism is its unnatural hatred of effective callers to Islam. This is not just in the Western world as well: look at the main targets of the Salafis of the east, and almost invariably you find their harshest comments reserved for those whom the Muslim world looks up to the most. Wa Allah al-musta’aan.

      Reply

  138. Yahya

    April 26, 2014 at 1:17 PM

    Br. Yasir Qadhi, do you consider Ashari and Maturidi school of Aqeedah from Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l jama’ah?

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:35 AM

      As Ibn Taymiyya wrote, generically yes.

      Also Sh. Muhammad Walad Dadu has some good talks on this issue (a Mauritanian scholar whom I look up to immensely).

      Reply

  139. Nasar

    April 26, 2014 at 1:34 PM

    Respected sheikh,

    I would like to ask your permission for translating this excellent article (entirely) into Malayalam, an Indian regional language, for an Islamic weekly. Hope you would respond positively.

    Reply

    • Aly Balagamwala

      April 28, 2014 at 11:26 AM

      FOR ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO TRANSLATE:

      Salam

      You may translate this article into any language with the following:

      1) Make sure the translator is reputable and has some experience translating Islamic documents

      2) Have the translation reviewed by one or two knowledgeable brothers to check for accuracy.

      3) State the name of the translator and that it has been translated from the English

      4) Link to the original at MuslimMatters.

      Also please send us the link to any translations and we will link them from our website as well.

      Jazak Allah

      Reply

  140. Ali Hamza

    April 26, 2014 at 4:46 PM

    Labelling someone this or that and brushing paint while thinking you have insulted or refuted him is really strange, its as if Islam is philosophy and the most eloquent court jester is to be rewarded with his bag of gold. This is indeed sad especially when their fundamental positions on major (aqeedah) and minor fiqh have not been discussed. Islam will appear strange and return strange, so (glad tidings)/( a tree in paradise) for the strangers. The Prophet SAWS said to his daughter Fatima ra, indeed I am a salaf to you. Salafeeyah is to follow the methodology of the Prophet SAWS, his companions, may Allah have mercy on them, their students and their students’ students. This is the only salafeeyah and the group that is upon this is the saved group.

    Every Muslim should be careful where he takes his or her knowledge from. Its not uncommon to see many youtube scholars, like Anwar al-Awlaki , giving a series of talks on seerah and once they build their numbers of followers, teaching them to despise the knowledge that we got from Al-Albanee, from ibn Baaz, from Ibn uthaymeen, from Abdul Wahab, from ibn Taymiyyah, from Ibn Qudammah, from Imam Shafie’e, from Ahmad ibn Hanbal, from Imam Malik, from the tabiyeen, from the salaf, from The Prophet SAWS.

    The people of Mecca have a saying, ‘if you wish for everybody to remember you, then urinate in zamzam and everyone will remember you’.

    So whereas ibn Abdul-Wahab reunited the madh’habs, where they had even refused to pray under each other’s imams, today we have a phenomenon of people who wish to reverse all this, beginning with the destruction of states that maintain the two holy masaajid by creating doubts in their scholars and eventually returning Muslims to the chaos that we have all witnessed in Egypt and eventually to Madh’hab fanaticsm. All the four teachers of these madh’habs did not belong to those madh’habs and actually all called to their students to reject their rulings if they found an authentic narration that opposed them.

    Division of Muslims is founded on innovations and innovators and dividing salafeeyah is one of the greatest innovations i have come across. A person is either upon the methodology of the first three generations or upon the way of the khalaf. Its that simple. All the scholars of salafeeyah may be insulted and ridiculed by the people of rationality and doctors of philosophy, but this is not strange, this is what led to the persecution of those who refused to say that the Qur’an is created.

    Reply

    • Chaplain Zain

      April 29, 2014 at 11:44 AM

      umm the mihrabs of the different madhabs were taken down at 1925 I believe. WAY after Muhammed Abdul Wahab.

      (If I have my dates correct)

      Reply

  141. O H

    April 26, 2014 at 10:48 PM

    Assalamalaykum Shaykh. May Allaah reward you immensely for your efforts and enable the Ummah to keep benefitting from you. May Allaah keep you steadfast upon the Haqq, Ameen. The thing which concerns me and many others who like the salafi dawah is whether your propositions, some of which are quite pragmatic, will be a bit too extreme or liberal and lead to compromising of the fundamentals of the deen and harm the Muslims in the long run. Time will tell and since your work is closely followed by many, I seriously pray/hope you’re right! One of the main parts I agreed is the relative indifference or lack of opposition to the wrong conduct of the rulers of many salafi scholars. This can be extended to Western shuyookh and their relative indifference or lack of opposition/raising awareness of the oppression of Muslims in the West or other parts of the world.

    These words of Imam Malik rahimahullaah should be written in gold!

    ‘The latter part of this Ummah (nation) will not be rectified except by what rectified its first part.’ End Quote

    With the unforgiving globalisation drive, some form of traditionalism and caution is necessary with all the foreign un-Islamic ideologies spearheaded by the modernists (some of them modern day Mutazilites) which have severely hampered the Muslims. This destruction has terrified the more conservative schools to embrace any sort of change.

    There are far too many cases of Muslims in the ‘West’ being harmed by Greek and other secular philosophies, especially those studying in schools and universities where a lot of anti-Islamic rhetoric is forced down their throat leading to some leaving the deen altogether or having a distorted modernist, watered down viewpoint of the deen. The traditional Ahlus Sunnah scholars of the past did a great job of refuting and tackling the Ashari and Mutazilah schools of thought affected by foreign, un-Islamic philosophies & I think the current salafis do a great job opposing the modernist movements with the latter’s increasing emphasis & drive to belittle the importance of textual evidence and to give far too much of an importance to the intellect. I am aware some generalisations have been made to attempt to make a clear distinction. Overall the salafis have great khair in them & i hope they continue to grow in strength and impact and are not harmed by the Madhkhalis, extreme takfiris or the modernists among them who identify themselves as salafis tarnishing the good work of a large section of the Salafi movement. Obviously no individual or movement is flawless but I sincerely feel they are the closest to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) having ‘reverted’ from ignorantly following a distorted sub continent brand of hanafi school (with Deobandi tendencies) who don’t necessarily reflect/practice the proper Hanafi school (not bashing hanafis in anyway) or the traditional Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah approach.

    As a Bangladeshin back in my home country I have seen tremendous work by ‘salafi’ shuyookh help educate the masses understand & avoid the rampant Shirk and Bidah prevalent and the excessively liberal attitude of the population due to the Bollywood culture. They have done this with wisdom and hard work and I am not sure how effective the dawah would have been if it was too liberal, ‘untraditional’, and apologetic if you know what I mean. I am sure an excessively liberal approach would attract large numbers but quality is what we need. Despite a population of approx 1.6 billion (wiki estimate), our condition is dire & there’s only going up from here, Allaahu’l Musta’an!

    Living in Australia, I can relate to your argument that sometimes there may be possibility that the scholars in the Middle East/Asia/ wherever may not be fully aware of the circumstances in the west . However achieving a fine balance is key as some things have fixed rulings regardless of the place and we have to ensure we don’t compromise the key fundamentals whilst doing ijtihad which are specific to living on the West leading to an outcome which is anything but Islamic or which are in the long term interests of the Muslim. Hindsight has revealed serious blunders in issues of Aqeedah and Fiqh when unqualified, modernist shuyookh have misguided many Muslims atleast that’s what I can say living in Australia.

    Rant Over! :)

    Reply

  142. Brother

    April 27, 2014 at 12:35 AM

    Assalamu ‘Alaikum,

    Too many generalizations. In my experience, the brothers that attend the “salafi” masjid are some of the most incredible brothers I have met in terms of knowledge, character, and general practice. Many of them use the term “salafi” to describe themselves and many do not. I personally do not. I agree that some of the individuals that ascribe to this movement have been unfairly harsh in certain respects, but at the same time those who do not ascribe themselves to these movements tend to be liberal on a variety of issues, in my opinion. We need to find the middle path, which is the way of the Messenger, sAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, as you point out.

    Also, it is quite obvious that there no one true Islam in practice, but that does not mean that Islam does not have clear boundaries. Yes there are areas of difference of opinion, but the no “one true Islam” talk has to be balanced with the other extreme of claiming that “everything is true Islam”. Though I think you do not mean it, your writings have subtle insinuations of the latter.

    And just like Salafi movements cannot claim to have a hold on perfect practice, neither can other movements, such as “Al-Maghrib”, claim to be in line with middle-of-the-road practice. I used to personally attend several of these classes and listen to their speakers and did benefit, but I and several brothers have our fair share of issues with this “movement” and have since found other means we find to be more in line with the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Just a reminder to everyone, including myself, a movement or a certain organization is not the goal. The goal is adhering to the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Those are perfect sources, nothing else is.

    And Allah knows best. Again, some valid points. JazakAllahu khair, Keep in mind, though, that if the “non-salafis” completely brush off someone that is salafi, that would be just as bad as salafis completely rejecting someone because they heard that someone has sufi tendencies. I worry, that you have painted a picture of salafis that is unfairly leaning towards this conception of them as harsh and inconsiderate. This would be an unfair generalization that may even prevent you from sitting with them to have an open discourse. Like I said, I believe you have painted a picture of salafis that is inaccurate with regards to most of the ones I know.

    BarakAllahu feek,

    Reply

    • Edward Kefas

      April 27, 2014 at 12:53 PM

      The salafi dawa has had a huge positive effect in the inner cities plagued by poverty , racism, and social ills from drugs-alcohol such as in Newark and Philly. I do not see many of the money Hijra immigrant McMasjids doing dawa in these neighborhoods , God willing the Muslim community in the usa will break out of its ethno-sectarian segregation model.

      Reply

      • Umm Abdullah

        April 28, 2014 at 12:39 PM

        In its heyday, the Nation of Islam also had a huge positive effect in those types of communities – to a much greater extent than the ‘Salafi dawa’ has. So what’s the point?

        Reply

        • Edward Kefas

          April 28, 2014 at 2:59 PM

          I guess the point is that rather than make fine points about aqeedah differences to slam the convert community in the inner cities, the assimilationists in the McMasjids should strive to include the indigenous Muslims , rather than secularize within their own ethnic sectarian bubbles.

          For example, I have been reading accounts of Muslim leaders attending Passover seders, feast celebrations of the alleged murder of first born innocents by the Old Testament god, whereas the prophet commanded fasting on this day, to distinguish the Muslims rom the child murder celebrants.

          But the same leaders strive to condemn and ostracize their fellow traditionalist Muslims, never once breaking bread with them.

          Reply

  143. Hassaan nawaz

    April 27, 2014 at 1:12 AM

    Aslamalikum sheikh, can I translate this article in urdu? I am from pakistan

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 11:25 AM

      See comment on translation above.

      Reply

  144. confuseddesi

    April 27, 2014 at 5:15 PM

    Assalamu alaikum, can you please answer these questions.

    1. What role do you think Arab nationalism and/or Arab culture (as well as the decline of the Ottoman Empire) played in the rise of the Salafi movement? Do you think the lack of a organized empire and Sultan or Khalifah contributed to its rise?

    2. As a desi who spent half of his life in Saudi I always felt like the one of the issues I had with the Salafi movement is that it made me deny and/or question my identity as a desi Muslim and made me question my parent’s culture and propagated a pure Arab/”Saudi” cultural manifestation of Islam. From what I learned Islam does not necessarily equate to Saudi and/or Arab culture. For example I met many salafis (including many Desis and other Nonarab salafis) who look down on non-Arabs or their own culture just because they do not speak Arabic and try to look and act Saudi. Do you think the movement encourages self-loathing and denial of other non-pure Arab cultures and histories such as the Ottoman Empire?

    3. One of the other biggest problems that related to this is the treatment of desi laborers in Saudi Arabia and the gulf. I barely hear any Salafi or even Arab muslim and/or Shaykh discussing this problem and I feel like Salafi Islam may infact encourage it (i.e the Saudi supporting Salafis). For example 1200 workers just died in Qatar for the world cup and I have yet to hear many Arab scholars (i.e Shaykh Al Qaradawi) denounce this (i could be wrong). What are your thoughts on this considering you are also Pakistani/desi?

    jazakallahu khairan

    Reply

    • Edward Kefas

      April 28, 2014 at 3:02 PM

      Indeed salafees face opposition often rooted in race /ethnicity. Ethno-centricity is central to another religion.

      Reply

  145. Dawud Israel

    April 27, 2014 at 5:39 PM

    Every couple of months. Haha.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:40 AM

      Part of your esoteric method of communicating ideas?

      Reply

      • Dawud Israel

        April 29, 2014 at 12:33 PM

        lol. :P

        But good piece. Only thing is it felt like it was written for non-Muslim audience – I could see US foreign policy misusing some of this analysis…

        Reply

  146. Bilal Khan

    April 27, 2014 at 6:24 PM

    As I read your article, I kept nodding and thought how close your experience and thinking is to mine. All the good and bad aspects of the Salafi movement were pointed out in manner same to what I have been telling people for a decade.

    But in conclusion, I think you went bit off course. A bit too much emphasis was put on the what the lay people who call themselves ‘Salafis’ do and marginalize the importance of the leaders and directors of the movement, the learned people who define what the movement is.

    Don’t get me wrong, I have been criticizing my so called ‘Salafi’ friends about such matters as well. Any one could see that their attitude is harming themselves the most. But lets not blow this out of proportions. In the end it is still largely a matter of etiquettes and manners of presenting yourselves to others. As long as they don’t get militant about it.

    You can’t compare such a sect/movement with another one where they have a totally different source of knowledge besides Quran and Hadith, which they consider as divine.

    It reminds me of those Christians who convert to Hinduism or Buddhism because they give them that spirituality that they felt lacking in their religion of birth. In doing so, they totally ignore or marginalize the illogical and in some cases very dark side of these ‘spiritually’ advertised religions.

    The fact of matter is, true ‘Salafism’ is infact Islam. Just like true ‘Sunnism’ is just ‘Islam’. If they are doing anything wrong, then they are going against themselves. I always felt that making these labels is wrong and the excuse to distinguish yourselves from other Muslims doesn’t work, since each sect or movement will eventually divide. Then they will need yet another label to distinguish amongst themselves.

    So while I totally agree that in many cases their harshness is unwarranted and they introduce alot of bitterness into the hearts of young people, the fact of matter is that each individual makes that choice on their own. They have all the authenticated content in front of them on their finger tips They are well educated and rational people who can choose the right thing to do if they want to.

    This isn’t the case at all with most of the other sects. They don’t have the choice to do the right thing cuz they don’t know what the right thing is. More than half of the Muslims still go to graves to ask for things that amount to complete Shirk.

    They simply aren’t comparable. Or they are comparable just as Christianity is to Islam. In case of Judaism, they are most monotheistic than most of the Muslims are today.

    You can easily fix a so called ‘salafi’ by reasoning cuz most of their problems are with their attitude. Frankly speaking, most of their bitterness come from the bitter reactions their families and friends showed towards them when they first started learning and sharing about what is true Islam.

    I remember the first time I heard about Salafism. A said to someone that I felt that going to these graves of saints etc feels wrong. It doesn’t sits with the overall stance of Islam. (I come from very moderate Deobandi background and brought up in liberal atmosphere)

    He said, ‘Are you a Wahabbi’?

    I said, ‘ Whats that?’

    So alot of the bitterness from these young folks is actually a reaction. First they feel frustration that they were taught wrong all their life. Then that frustration turns into bitterness when they are totally rejected and called names each time they share the truth with their peers.

    As for the Saudi scholarship and those who follow them, you have to realize that scholars and people who live in a country with absolute dictatorship can’t speak openly against their rulers. And those who do will be never heard from.

    But when those Saudis who finally do something about it, when they leave all their wealth and comfort behind to help Muslims from around the world, we call them radical militants?

    So what exactly do people want from them? We have problem with those who obey and support their rulers and don’t help Muslims suffering around the globe. cuz frankly speaking, Muslims in Saudia are living very comfortably in largely very Islamic environment. They don’t have any problems at all when you see the conditions in other Muslim countries.

    But when any of them do go against their rulers, we brand them radical extremists etc? Then thats too much for us. Basically we want them to criticize but not do anything about it? You think their won’t be any reaction from the authorities?

    Its a wishful thinking from our part if we believe that Islam can be implemented peacefully, democratically, by arguing with others, attending conferences and socializing. Egypt is just a latest example of that.

    So unless we are doing something to help Muslims getting killed around world around the clock, we are in no position to criticize those who do.

    I admire people from the Arab peninsula for this. If they do something they go all the way or follow their rulers. While people like us in sub-continent and the likes criticize our governments etc all day but thats all we do. Each government is worse than before.

    I live in a society which you are trying to preach. It doesn’t work. It just gives people the feeling for false satisfaction that they have done their part by being vocal. The only thing that does is make chaos and the government weak and ready for foreign manipulation.

    This isn’t meant to say that we shouldn’t criticize at all. Only that it should be in controlled environment. Or we should be ready to make sacrifice as well.

    Even in the famous story of Umar (ra) being criticized publically for wearing too long a cloth, he gave permission to be criticized first. Too much freedom of criticism leads to chaos as in Usman (ra) caliphate.

    Also it never cease to amaze me when people criticize Saudi Arabia for banning women to drive. That is astonishingly one of the prime bullet points criticism on KSA. As if we are living in a perfect world where our problems come down to who can drive cars.

    And these are problems related to their culture. It has nothing to do with Salafism or its preaching. That is something they have said themselves.

    In the end, I would say that while I totally agree with most of your article, some of it, specially in the conclusion, weakens your stance.

    If it was me, I would have concluded that the solution is to get rid of the label, tone down on unnecessary criticism, and just do what you preach. That is Islam.

    My conclusion wouldn’t be to take something from every sect since each of them has something to offer. That sounds more like some kinda new age movement.

    There is only one straight road and one rope, that is following Allah and His messenger (saw) through Quran and hadith (the only source of divine knowledge).. All the spirituality is contained within it. If Musilms just start to act on that, than all other differences are minor and tolerable.

    You are right in realizing that it was because of Salafi movement that brought Muslims back to Quran and Hadith as the only source for authority.

    But…. what else is there? Thats the only thing that Muslims need to be reminded of when the vast majority of them have ignored or gone against throughout the ages.

    No one is forced to be bitter or unnecessary critical of others. Its on their own accord right down to individuals.

    Reply

    • M Ali

      April 30, 2014 at 12:30 PM

      Totally with you brother on these points

      Reply

    • Aalam

      May 1, 2014 at 11:58 AM

      Asa! Can not agree more!

      P.S I meant to click thumbs up but with a small screen of my iPhone mistakenly clicked the other and Dow have an option to change. :/

      Reply

  147. Saqib Helal

    April 27, 2014 at 11:52 PM

    Nice article, although I would have preferred if you have left out the bits of personal judgements resulting from your own personal experience in/with Salafism. It would have been more objective if personal issues were omitted. Also I think two additional sections would have made this quite a complete introduction to Salafism. Firstly, since Salafism is just a modern populist label to the old Athari school of aqeeda, I think a brief ( one page) about historical development and core points of that school prior to Salafism could have been added. Secondly, a list of core texts and references of Salafism (in addition to the obvious Ibn Taimiya) and a list of critical texts on Salafism could have been added (one page).

    I would now like to see similar articles about Sufism and Deobandism, and perhaps about Islamism, preferably by the members/followers of those trends, self critiques. Then we can reflect on whether it is possible to establish some common grounds between all these trends, taking positives from each of these and leaving out the negatives, in order to form a cross-sectarian trend/generation with comprehensive objective points of view, that can be an inclusive middle way.

    It is also time that we start cross-sectarian initiatives in the West. I don’t find it very interesting that Salafis and Sufis run educational courses and institutions so separately and exclusively. (Rarely Sufis would teach an aqeeda course, and rarely Salafis would teach a tazkiya course!) Perhaps someone like you take the initiative for a cross-sectarian educational institute, managed by a committee represented by all major sects/trends, and delivering a comprehensive cross-sectarian syllabus. Starting point for a new cross-sectarian generation.

    Reply

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 10:37 AM

      You should have seen the first version of this article! Far more personal than this one.

      I had to balance between the fact that many, many people had emailed/messaged me asking about my beliefs (after the Salafi interview I did on a national radio station in America), and between presenting a neutral, non-personal article.

      I believe this version of the article was a healthy compromise.

      I also agree that we need other such dissections from people from other movements.

      Reply

  148. Saqib Helal

    April 27, 2014 at 11:56 PM

    I am interested to read your PhD thesis, if you could email a soft copy to saqibhelal@gmail.com I would really appreciate that. Jazakallahu Khair.

    Reply

  149. Yahya

    April 28, 2014 at 12:17 PM

    Dr. Yasir Qadhi,

    You mentioned, “In my own personal library, as I write these lines, I can see around a dozen theological treatises in my bookshelf written before al-Ashʿarī, all of which affirm Allāh’s Attributes completely and unconditionally, and refute kalām.”

    Could you please name those theological treatises and their authors?

    Also, have you studied Ash’ari Aqeedah with scholars of the Ash’ari school of theology (those who actually believe in/hold the Ash’ari postion)?

    Thank you.

    Reply

    • Shahab

      April 28, 2014 at 2:33 PM

      Salam Yahya:

      What you ask at the end is something I have myself asked the erudite Shaykh. Hopefully, we hear from him :)

      May I also quickly add that there are, indeed, very many refutations of ‘ilm al-kalam by early muhadditheen and fuqaha. However, where anti-Kalam folk lose the plot – and I hope Shaykh Yasir himself does further research on the matter – is that these objections were made primarily against the Mu’tazilites who introduced rationality into the space of ‘aqidah. Where the mu’tazilah went wrong was the they started rejecting all the qat’i nusus in relation to ‘aqidah if it contradicted with rationale (or so they thought).

      As such, this is similar to how qiyaas was once looked down upon – again, for its heavy dependence on rationale – by the early muhadditheen. This is what gave rise to the 2 differing schools (who were at each others throats for over a century) on the matter of rationale/analogy in fiqh: The ahl al-hadith v/s the ahl ar-ra’y. However, as time elapsed, both these schools came to a middle ground appreciating each others methodologies after having thoroughly read each others material.

      This is why you can find such condemnation and writings against ‘ilm al-kalam in the early days. It’s because the Sunni orthodoxy at the time (especially those based out of Madinah and Makkah) wanted to keep it as simple as possible that drove this condemnation. However, its need became obvious (just as analogy became accepted in fiqh) when they noticed that lay folk were being swayed by what was being championed as “rationality”. Open any book of ‘aqidah today and you will even find the Salafis (yes, even Al Albani) of our times borrowing from it. For example, everyone knows about the 7 Sifaat Dhaatiyyah of Allah (SWT) – ‘Ilm, Sam’a, Basr, Hayaat, Qadr, Iradah, Kalam. One should ask them if they can find anything from the first 3 generation of Muslims where they broke down the Siffaat in this manner?

      These distinctions were made, and neatly packaged (just like fiqh), for the common folk to understand and decipher between Haqq and Baatil. Sciences such as fiqh, hadith and kalam developed through a natural process. So reading the condemnation of these sciences without its proper context will lead one to where it has led the Salafis of today. Otherwise, one can consult any book of the biographies of the salaf and you will note that (and I exaggerate not) that 90% of them fell into either the Ash’ari or Maturidi schools once these schools were crystallized. It doesn’t take a leap of faith, but a leap of sanity to believe that all those salaf had got it wrong.

      Lastly, latter day condemnation of ‘ilm al-kalam by the likes of Ghazzali, Ibn Taymiyyah, Suyuti et al was against the extremities of certain proponents of kalam. They were not calling for the entire science to be dumped into the ocean, rather they were looking to reform it and remove the reprehensible aspects of it. In fact, anything who has read these 3 shuyookh will see how they have commented much on Kalami subjects (e.g. Ibn Taymiyyah’s take on “Khalf Al-Wa’eed” in Wasitiyyah, which is a PURELY theological matter). One can find such latter-day reformation even in hadith, tasawwuf and fiqh. So why single out Kalam?

      Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 28, 2014 at 4:47 PM

        Kalam is entirely a useless innovation that has nothing to do with Islam, just like the Ashari/Maturidi creeds.

        90%????

        Perhaps more like .9%

        Reply

        • Shahab

          April 28, 2014 at 8:42 PM

          There is nothing better than seeing ignorance coupled with arrogance :)

          You clearly haven’t read the biography books. If you did, I would venture a guess that you’d get an instantaneous heart attack!

          Reply

          • Mahmud

            April 28, 2014 at 10:01 PM

            You are claiming the majority of the Salaf had Kalami beliefs…………

            Perhaps you’ve been reading “biographies” of fanatic Asharis.

    • Yasir Qadhi

      April 28, 2014 at 9:00 PM

      From the appendix of a paper I wrote at Yale:

      This is partial list of works written by scholars from various legal backgrounds (Ahl al-Ḥadīth and the four madhhabs) which represent Atharī theology, pre-Ibn Taymiyya. Only printed works have been listed; numerous other works are mentioned which do not exist or are still in manuscript form.

      Note that some works are subject to authorship dispute (e.g., al-Fiqh al-Akabr). Since many of these works have more than one printed edition, no publication details have been given.

      1. al-Fiqh al-Akbar of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (d. 150 A.H.) – compiled by Ḥammād
      2. al-Qadr of Abullah b. Wahb al-Miṣrī (d. 197 A.H.)
      3. al-Imān of Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim b. Sallām (d. 224 A.H.)
      4. Kitāb al-Iʿtiṣām bi al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah of Aḥmad b. Naṣr (d. 231 A.H.)
      5. al-Īmān of Ibn Abī Shaybah (d. 235 A.H.)
      6. al-Ḥaydah of ʿAbd al-Azīz al- Kinānī (d. 240 A.H.) – disputed authorship
      7. al-Radd ʿAla al-Zanādiqa wa al-Jahmiyyah of Imam Aḥmad (d. 241 A.H.)
      8. Uṣūl al-Sunnah of Imam Aḥmad (d. 241 A.H.)
      9. Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbad of al-Bukhārī (d. 256 A.H.)
      10. al-Ikhtilāf fī al-Lafdh wa al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah of Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 A.H.)
      11. al-Radd ʿala Bishr al-Mirrīsī of al-Darimī (d. 280 A.H.)
      12. al-Radd ʿala al-Jahmiyyah of al-Darimī (d. 280 A.H.)
      13. Risālah fī anna al-Quran ghayru makhlūq of Imam al-Ḥarbī (d. 285 A.H.)
      14. al-Sunnah of Ibn Abī ʿAṣim (d. 287 A.H.)
      15. al-Sunnah of Abdullah b. Imām Aḥmad (d. 290 A.H.)
      16. al-Sunnah of al-Marwadhī (d. 294 A.H.)
      17. Taʿdhīm Qadr al-Ṣalāt of al-Marwadhī (d. 294 A.H.)
      18. Kitāb al-ʿArsh of Ibn Abī Shaybah (d. 297 A.H.)
      19. al-Qadr of al-Firyābī (d. 301 A.H.)
      20. al-Tabṣīr fī al-Dīn of al-Ṭabarī (d. 310 A.H.)
      21. Ṣarīh al-Sunnah of al-Ṭabarī (d. 310 A.H.)
      22. Kitāb al-Tawḥīd wa Ithbāt Ṣifāt al-Rabb of Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 A.H.)
      23. al-Sunnah of al-Khallāl (d. 311 A.H.)
      24. al-Qaṣīdah al-Ḥaʾiyyah of Abdullah b. Imām Abu Dawūd (d. 316 A.H.)
      25. al-Baʿth of Abdullah b. Imām Abu Dawūd (d. 316 A.H.)
      26. al-ʿAqīdah al-Taḥawiyyah of Abū Jaʿfar al-Taḥāwī (d. 321 A.H.)
      27. al-Ibānah of Abū al-Hassan al-Ashʿarī (d. 324 A.H.) – English
      28. Sharḥ al-Sunnah of al-Barbaharī (d. 329 A.H.) – English
      29. al-Sharīʿah of al-Ājurrī (d. 360 A.H.)
      30. Kitāb al-Ṣifāt of al-Daraquṭnī (d. 385 A.H.)
      31. Kitāb al-Nuzūl of al-Daraquṭnī (d. 385 A.H.)
      32. Kitāb al-Ibānah ʿan Sharīʿat al-Firqah al-Nājiyyah of Ibn Baṭṭah al-ʿUkburī (d. 387 A.H.)
      33. al-Īman of Ibn Mandah (d. 395 A.H.)
      34. al-Tawḥid of Ibn Mandah (d. 395 A.H.)
      35. al-Radd ʿala al-Jahmiyyah of Ibn Mandah (d. 395 A.H.)
      36. al-Ṣifāt of Ibn Mandah (d. 395 A.H.)
      37. Uṣul al-Sunnah of Ibn Abī Zamanīn (d. 399 A.H.)
      38. Sharḥ Usūl Iʿtiqād Ahl al-Sunnah of al-Lālakāʾī (d. 418 A.H.)
      39. Risālah fī Ithbāt al-Istiwā wa al-Fawqiyyah of Abdullah al-Juwaynī (d. 438 A.H.) – disputed
      40. Risālah fi al-Radd ʿalā man Ankar al-Ḥarf wa al-Ṣawt Ibn Ḥātim al-Sijzī (d. 444 A.H.)
      41. Dhamm al-Kalām wa Ahlihī of Abū Ismaʿīl al-Harawī (d. 481 A.H.)
      42. al-Ḥujjah ʿalā Tārik al-Maḥajjah of Abū al-Fatḥ al-Maqdisī (d. 490 A.H.)
      43. al-Iʿtiqād of al-Qāḍi Abū Yaʿlā (d. 526 A.H.)
      44. Masāʾil min Uṣul al-Diyānat of al-Qāḍi Abū Yaʿlā (d. 526 A.H.)
      45. al-Ḥujjah fī Bayān al-Maḥajjah of Abū al-Qāsim al-Taymī (d. 535 A.H.)
      46. al-Risālah al-Wāḍiha fī al-Radd ʿalā al-Ashāʾirah of Ibn al-Ḥanbalī (d. 536 A.H.)
      47. Iʿtiqād Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah of al-Hakkārī (d. 555 A.H.)
      48. al-Intiṣār fī al-Radd ʿalā al-Muʿtazilah al-Qadariyyah al-Ashrār of Ibn Abī al-Khayr al-ʿImrānī (d. 558 A.H.)
      49. al-Iqtiṣād fī al-Iʿtiqad of ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maqdisī (d. 600 A.H.)
      50. Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUluww of Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī (d. 620 A.H.)
      51. Dhamm al-Taʾwīl of Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī (d. 620 A.H.)
      52. Lumʿat al-Iʿtiqād of Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī (d. 620 A.H.)

      Reply

      • Shahab

        April 28, 2014 at 9:59 PM

        Salam Shaykh:

        Starting from books listed from serial number 1-26 – because those are the books that were written before Imam Al-Ash’ari (rah): The few that are seen as books “against kalam” here are books such as 7, 10, 12 etc. Also, these books are specifically written against the early mutakallimeen who were exclusively the Jahmiyyah (and not the Asha’irah). This is the exact point I was making in an earlier post: The reprehensible Kalam that the early ‘ulama opposed was that of the Jahmiyyah, Qadariyyah, Mu’tazilah et al.

        Interestingly, some of the books in your list actually SUPPORT Kalam such as:

        Book 27 viz. of Imam Al-Ash’ari himself, which quite clearly supports kalam within the boundaries of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Other books that have clear supportive literature on Kalam are 26, 30, 31, 39 etc. These books actually support Kalam of the Sunnis. Juwayni (book number 39), for example, was a master proponent of the Ash’ari creed. Similarly, Al-Harawi (book 41) was another Sunni theologian who clearly defined blameworthy kalam versus acceptable kalam. Also, Abu Bakr Al-Khallal (book 23) again supports Sunni kalam. In fact, Al-Khallal was of the view – and he narrates this opinion directly from Imam Ahmad’s son, Abdullah, that Imam Ahmad had himself used reason/kalam to refute the Qadariyyah. As such, Al-Khallal goes on to state that Imam Ahmad’s views that ALL Kalam is blameworthy (which is what some of the Hanabilah held on to) was abrogated as these refutations of his prove.

        The books that were written to directly counter the Asha’irah (as you mentioned in your essay) are those such as 46, 50, 52 etc.

        Was-salam

        Reply

        • Yasir Qadhi

          April 28, 2014 at 11:46 PM

          I have read each and every book on this list, cover to cover, line for line (except for one or two that were not in print when I did my MA, and also for accuracy’s sake a small handful I skimmed through only – otherwise, yes, most of them, word for word and line for line, and some of the, such as # 27 that you quote, I have read at least a dozen times).

          I’m afraid your comments and analysis clearly indicate, and I don’t intend to sound harsh, that you have no idea what you are talking about.

          Reply

          • Mahmud

            April 29, 2014 at 12:54 AM

            Thank you Sheikh Qadhi!!!

          • Shahab

            April 29, 2014 at 2:00 AM

            Sure, Shaykh, if you say so :)

            I find it very ironic, though, that you give a list of books – some of which by their very names are clearly refutations of Jahmiyyah and other non-Ash’ari schools – and provide it as a “refutations of Ash’aris”. That is what I simply pointed out.

            Anyways, would you like to comment on why some of the authors of these books (such as Al-Juwayni) were counted as Ash’aris? So, they are the a’immah of Ash’aism who refuted Ash’ari kalam? Or will you agree that they refuted non-Ash’ari kalam (such as the Mu’tazilah)?

            Please note, Shaykh, I am making a very CLEAR distinction between Sunni Kalam versus that of non-Sunni Kalam.

      • Parvez

        November 21, 2015 at 4:06 PM

        @ shahab

        Ahlul Athar (Athari Creed) is the oldest school of theology of the Muslim Ummah.
        Ibn Abu Haatim Ar-Raazee said:
        “Our Madhhab and that which we choose as a way is following the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), his companions and the Taabi’een; clinging to the Madhhab of Ahlul-Athar such as Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal.”[Sharh Usool I’tiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah 1/179]

        Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Rahimahullaah) said; “I am not a man of argumentation and theological rhetoric, I am only a person of narrations and reports (Ahlul Athar).” [Al-Mihnah by Hanbal ibn Ish’haaq. p.54]

        Abdullaah bin Daawood said, “It is desirable for a man to force his son to listen to hadeeth”. And he also used to say, “The religion is not acquired by philosophical Kalaam, but the deen is through Athaar (the authentic narrations).” [Tahdheeb Sharaf Ashaabul-Hadeeth of al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee (p.80)]

        Muhammad Ibn Seereen (d. 110H) said, “They (i.e., the Companions and the Taabi’een) used to consider themselves upon the path (of truth) so long as they held onto the narrations (athar).” Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in his Sharh Usolil It’iqaad, no. 110

        The scholars of the pious salaf were strongly against the use of kalam in aqeedah.

        Imam Ahmad (d. 241) said, “The person of theological rhetoric will never prosper. And never do you see anyone looking into theological rhetoric except that in his heart is a desire for creating mischief.” [Ibn Qudaamah in his Burhaan Fee Bayaanil-Qur’aan]

        Imam Abdul Malik said:
        “Whoever seeks the religion through Kalâm (speculative philosophy) becomes a heretic (Zindiq)! And whoever seeks money [through alchemy] becomes bankrupt. And whoever seeks the strange narrations becomes a liar!”
        [Source: Abdallah al-Ansari, Damm al-Kalam wa-Ahlih 4:115 no.873]

        Imam al-Shafi’i’s famous statement:
        “My judgment with respect to the partisans of Kalâm is that they be smitten with fresh leafless palm branches, that they be paraded among the communities and tribes, and that it be proclaimed: “This is the punishment of him who has deserted the Book and the Sunna, and taken up Kalâm!”
        [Source: al-Bayhaqi, Manâqib al-Shafi’i 1:462]

        Abdallah b. Dawud said: “I asked [Sufyan] al-Thawri about al-Kalâm, replied with: Leave it, its worthless!”
        [Source: Abdallah al-Ansari, Damm al-Kalâm wa-Ahlih 4:224 no.1032]

        Reply

  150. Umm Abdullah

    April 28, 2014 at 12:35 PM

    I see in some of these comments the idea that either you call yourself a ‘Salafi’ or you’re a grave-worshiping Sufi. In fact, a huge number of Muslims (now and throughout the centuries) are neither. Nevertheless, many are knowledgeable, pious Muslims who are seeking knowledge and trying to follow the right path – which of course means following the Quran and Sunnah. ‘Salafis’ don’t have a monopoly on any of that.

    Reply

    • O H

      April 30, 2014 at 7:32 PM

      One of my favourite scholars is Shaykh Muhammad Salih Ibn al-Uthaymeen, & I am sure Shaykh Yasir Qadhi is also a big fan of him, said the following wise words:

      “Salafiyyah is following the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) and his Sahabah for they are our Salaf (predecessors) who preceded us, so following them is Salafiyyah. As for taking Salafiyyah as a special Manhaj such that everyone who differs with it is considered astray even if he was on the truth; then this is beyond doubt opposite to Salafiyyah.
      All the Salaf called to Islam and to unite upon the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) and they did not declare astray anyone who differs with them (in a certain issue) because of (a different) interpretation (Taweel), except in matters of Aqeedah because they considered him, who differed in Aqeedah as astray.
      But, in our time, some who took the path of Salafiyyah consider astray everyone who differs from them even if the truth were to be on his side. And they took a Hizbi (partisan) Manhaj, just like the other Hizbs (parties), who divide the religion. This (their way) must be rejected and not be approved of.”

      This is a balanced approach in my opinion which has the requisite balance of sticking to the fundamental principles/methodology of our righteous predecessors and not compromising on it with the added caveat that flexibility is normal and acceptable on many issues without undue harshness.

      The thing which I need to learn myself and I am sure this concerns many others, is the key balance and boundaries of when difference of opinion is acceptable and what are the limits/boundaries of it. There are certain things which are passed off as merely a difference of opinion and hence no one is allowed to oppose it or claim it as wrong even though they are clearly against the ijma/consensus of scholars. Certain aqeedah issues definitely come under this category.

      Reply

  151. Yasir Qadhi

    April 28, 2014 at 9:03 PM

    Part of me is extremely eager to write a ‘refutation’ of this – the ‘salafi-trained’ part of me!

    But now, after a decade of ‘on-the-ground’ dawah, I realize that such discussions are better, and more productive, amongst advanced students of knowledge, not amongst the masses. The Asha’ira are the theological cousins of the Atharis, and there should not be so much animosity and hatred between these two groups.

    Sometimes, and for some issues, yes, ignorance is indeed bliss :)

    Reply

    • Mahmud

      April 28, 2014 at 10:06 PM

      You mean of Shahab? In which case, you’ve already beaten me. I was going to wait for you to respond to him.

      He’s made claims that are so extravagant, and so far-fetched, I don’t even hear them from Asharis themselves……..

      Reply

      • Shahab

        April 29, 2014 at 2:04 AM

        You don’t need to hear it from Ash’aris. Just open Tadhkirah Al-Huffaz (or any other book of biography) and MANUALLY count how many “Athari” (don’t blame me for black magic if you don’t even see the word “Athari” there) you find versus how many Ash’ari you find. While you are at it, please count how many of the Huffaz were followers of tasawwuf and everything else that you have been taught to hate :)

        Reply

        • Mahmud

          April 30, 2014 at 1:36 PM

          I believe Yasir Qadhi when he said you have no idea what you are talking about.

          Salam

          Reply

          • Shahab

            May 1, 2014 at 1:21 PM

            Sure, Habibi, whatever floats your boat. Shaykh Yasir is someone that I immensely respect. I might have disagreements, but I can never get myself to stoop to the gutter level that is exhibited in your comments.

            I will take up this matter with Shaykh Yasir on a different forum, in sha Allah. The developments of his own persona mirrors a lot of the changes in myself. I am convinced that he might see the points that I have made very soon, bi idhnillahi Ta’ala.

          • Mahmud

            May 2, 2014 at 5:39 PM

            Gutter level for criticizing Ramadan Booti? I think perhaps you need to learn a thing or two before acting like someone knowledgeable in this matter since you clearly have no idea what you are talking about or defending men who sided with disbelievers against Muslims until they died.

            Salam

          • Shahab

            May 2, 2014 at 10:22 PM

            Bro, your ignorance is so overwhelmingly absurd that one can only wonder in amazement. Think what you want to think because you will be answerable to Allah (SWT) for your own takfiri sword.

            Keep me out of this puerile, ad nauseam attacks on dead Muslims. UNSUBSCRIBE.

          • Mahmud

            May 3, 2014 at 1:43 PM

            Shahab, the irony is your language was far more disgusting than anything I’ve said. The sheer hypocrisy of your behavior is amazing. It’s enough to make one retch. I don’t think I was the one who first resorted to ad-hominem attacs. You are a TOTAL jahil, and Sheikh Yasir explained you have no idea what you are talking about.

            It’s really sad accusing me of being a takfiri extremist-the same man who doesn’t see something wrong in upholding the “honor” of a man who sided with secularists against Muslims until he had the share of over 100k Muslims dead on his hands. Your defense of this man is absolutely grotesque. Please, spare us your posturing. Spare us your nonsense. Spare us your sheer ignorance.

            You add to your patheticness with your little outbursts and psuedo-intellectual bravado.

            Please get a life and learn something.

            I am grateful that psuedo-intellectuals like you get exposed as jahils at best and total frauds at worst. Jahils like you will NEVER be able to harm the Ummah so long as we are committed to guidance.

            يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ ۚ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
            O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is you return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do.

            May Allah aza wa jal protect the Ummah from men like you who would resort to sick language and accuse others of the same. May Allah protect this Ummah from men like you who are entirely ignorant and yet have the bravado to accuse others of being ignorant as well. May Allah aza wa jal continue to expose jahils like you presenting themselves has intellectuals just like he exposed you on this thread-

            as Sheikh Yasir said-you have NO idea what you are talking about.

          • Shahab

            May 4, 2014 at 8:28 PM

            Your submission to your idiosyncrasies is only a testimony to how you can never aspire to be a student of deen. You may adhere to a few words of Shaykh Yasir, but like I said, I will take this up with him in a separate forum. I am fairly convinced that give Shaykh YQ a few years and he will see with me eye-to-eye on this matter. :)

            While you can blame Bouti (rah) for his role in the ongoing massacre in Syria, I am very sure your bias sees no shame in supporting shuyookh from the other camp for being equal partners in the mess in Syria. Speak to any Syrian today and they will tell you who is the bigger devil in this conflict. Bouti is gone. His case is done and dusted. The bloodshed continues in Syria and that has NOTHING to do with Bouti anymore.

            And, yes, UNSUBSCRIBE PLEASE!

  152. abu-Rumaysa

    April 28, 2014 at 11:56 PM

    Warmest Salaams beloved Shk. Yasir;
    I think it takes a lot courage and humility to do what you have done in this article, masha`Allah, like a true academic and scholar.

    It also reminds me of this same issue surfacing in the early-mid 90s when 33 students of knowledge compiled a treatise that laid out some of the criticisms you note and in particular ibn Tayimeyah’s true positions on those issues and the astute western duaat discussed the issue in public as well..do you recall that particular treatise? The same can be said of Shk bin Bayyah’s Mardin Conference.

    may Allah preserve you all with His rahma and continue to you bless and increase you knowledge and taqwa…ameeen
    tamim

    Reply

  153. ZAI

    April 29, 2014 at 12:03 AM

    Thank you Shaykh Yasir for the cliff notes on the Salafi movement.
    Dunno much about it myself, so was an interesting read and very informative.

    I dunno much about these various aqeedah issues, so not gonna say anything about
    that as I wouldn’t have anything of value to contribute. My only hope is that whatever
    differences we all have with aqeedah, kalam or whatever we can stay civil, disagree without
    being disagreeable and step back from things like condemnation or excommunications.
    Many of these things are extremely nuanced and delicate issues that most of us do
    not have the training to comprehend much less make judgements on anyway.
    Some humility would go a long way for the ummah.

    Thanks again!

    Reply

  154. abdelah

    April 29, 2014 at 3:49 AM

    إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعين به ونستغفره ؛ ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا وسيئات أعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له . وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم. أمَّا بعد:
    Dr yasir qadhi, you has posted a five page text on the internet about salafism on 22th April. I found the text partially good and partially distorted. Here are some of the points of distortion or worthy of justification that I found as to my very little knowledge. I prepared this text on the view that distortions have to be corrected and a learned people like you should not lead others to a distorted view of salafism.
    1. Let me begin from your outlook of the term salaf.
    You said“The label (salaf) has no intrinsic religious value and was in fact popularized only very recently in Islamic history.”I did not share this idea because the prophet (pbuh) said to his daughter “I am a best salaf for you” (aw kemaqale resululahi, saw). This indicates that the term is not new. It is also found in the writings of former renowned scholars.
    2. About Your position
    “I no longer view myself as being a part of any of these Salafī trends discussed in the earlier section.”(you fill disloyal to the people of truth)
    “I feel more of an affinity and brotherhood with a moderate Deobandi Tablighi Maturidi” (you fill loyalty to the sects of bid’a)
    3. Your view that salafia is fallible
    I believe that each and every movement of Islam is a human one, with positives and negatives, and while some movements are closer than others to the Prophet’s Sunnah in some areas, no one movement with its human scholars can ever claim to be the representative of our Prophet, and officially represent the religion of Allāh, on earth. There is the prophetic tradition stating that,
    (There will never cease to exist in my ummah a group that is on truth) ,aw kemaqale resululah (Saw)

    4. Your inclusion of the sahwa under the salafi group
    The term Ṣaḥwa comes from a word that denotes ‘activism’, and is used to describe a more politically active strand of Saudi Salafism that emerged after the contentious political events of the early 1990s and the first Gulf War. the sahwa, led by Safar al-Ḥawalī and muhammed kutb are ihwans, Are they salafis first of all? Why not you indicate some among thousands of the defects of the muslim brotherhood which they are inclined to?.
    5. Your speech about the stance of Albany
    Is it real that Albany has said that amel/action is not from faith/iman? Give me your evidence. In fact this might be because of shortage of my knowledge and I never assume Albany as infallible.
    6. Your blame of the salafi as aggressive
    You said that “the salafi are known for using aggressively harsh language to correct people.” But, you too filled the whole article with your own derogating and divisive words (medkhali,hard liners,salafi burnouts, pro-governments, militarists…) . Surprisingly, you expressed some groups (I should not use your term) as “most divisive”. You said that Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), legitimise the practice of ‘guilt by association’by considering it an extension of the science of al-Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl.”
    The sheikh does not legitimize guilty by association. If you say so, bring your evidence. What he is doing is exposing the bid’a and warning against the people of bid’a like such as the adherents to muslim brotherhood. I think you better know that jarh wote’dil is not an innovation of sheikh rabi’e. It is the path of the salaf, like imam ahmed and his contemporaries who exposed bid’a . Here I have to be fair, so let me speak one truth. In fact, few students of sheikh rebi ibnu hadi al medkheli (may Allah preserve him) have such features but they neither represent the sheik him self nor all of his students.
    7. Your saying on contemporary salafi position
    You have said that there cannot be a reliable selefi position on emerging issues of modernity such as democracy, voting, demonstration, citizenship, women right… because the salaf have never experienced them and they did not take a position on that. So, as a salafi we have no strict verdict to adopt from early predecessors on such matters. Are we (as a salafi) mere followers? Here I want to say that scholars of suna are following the quran and hadith so as to explain such matters because quran is a guide forever till day of resurrection. They are also making qias (analogy) and giving sensible veridicts. Those who refuse their methodology are known for their bid’a because they are created after the west, though they confess that they are against the west. They want to alter sharia by modern constitutional law. Their long term academic education deceives them to the extent that they assume themselves as appropriate persons to give fatwas on such emerging events while really they are devoid of Islamic knowledge or having very little portion of it. In doing so they try to convince some philosophically enthusiastic, down-of-the-line ulemas/scholars and propagate their failed philosophy in the mouth of such scholars.
    8. Your statement of topical issues/problems of Muslims of the modern time
    You have said , Tawḥīd of Allāh’s Names and Attributes should not primarily be about debating whether Allāh has a yad or what the nature of the Throne is – it is about increasing in our remembrance of Allāh, glorifying Him more, worshiping Him correctly and sincerely, and focusing on the actions these beautiful Names and Attributes should inspire in us. If we do not teach that Allah has yed in this contesting world where there are some so- called muslims who deny this fact, we are hiding the truth from the mass of people. To worship Allah correctly, knowledge and affirmation of His sifat in a way that is expressed to us is a primary issues.
    Look this statement of yours, “the challenges facing the Ummah are no longer about the misinterpretation of Allāh’s Names and Attributes or the validity of celebrating the mawlid.[18] No doubt, some people, at some level, do need to discuss the reality of the mawlid, and the Attributes of Allāh and other aspects of faith. But these are not the problems of our time, nor do they present major challenges to the faith of our young men and women.”
    The problems of modern time are materialism, hedonism, pornography, and sexual exploitation, radical-feminism. Infact, these are current social evils facing our youth. But,I think the solution for this is to connect youths with their creator by teaching tewhid and Islamic manners so that they may be God-conscious. Preaching them not to worship dunia (this worldly pleasure) . A person who does not know Allah’s attributes cannot be conscious of Him. We are living in conditions where the innovated practice of mawlid is being considered as part and parcel of Islamic religious teaching. This also has to be banned through continuous awareness creation.

    9. Your indication of salafi heisitation on spiritual purification
    You have mentioned salafi heisitation on spiritual purification . I confirm that this qualification is being lost among every group of muslims not only among one or two of salafi branches (according to your cassfication). But,this expression of yours is giving tazkiya for the foolish sufis who have quoted your text and presented as if you are glorifying them. I get your text through this foolish sufi who invited me to your article while we were discussing each other about salafism. , dissociation from salafism and expression of loyalty to the sufi has a far greater consequence in the future. So you better, say something on that.
    10. Your expression of the salafi as advocating “we-only” principle
    “You have said that salafis consider themselves alone as correctly espousing the teachings and beliefs of the salaf al-ṣāliḥ or they assume salvific exclusivity.”
    First of all , there cannot be multiple truth, but this does not mean that salafi are devoid of tolerance and accommodation of differences on certain points( especially on matters that have no direct link with aqida). A good example of this is the existing respect among the groups you have mentioned so far except the radicalists like takfir. However, the salafi should not tolerate chronic deviants. They also have to expose their faults for saving the public from their tricks. You shall never restrict jarh-wo-tadil to some group of salafis, it is a vital workable principle that is being applied by every salafi group. There is no relationship between jarh-wa-ta’edil and an act of obsessive investigating the errors of others.
    11. Your blame of salafi on blanket takfir
    “Salafīs have a reputation of dividing many communities, making blanket takfīr on specific sects, and dissociating from any who disagree with them.”
    As for takfir ,the salafi do not make blanket takfir .this is the strategy of non-salafi qutbists (seid qutb and his likes). But the salafi make takfir of what Allah and His messenger has made takfir and no more than that. They never make takfir of the ahlul qibla.
    12. About women’s right
    You have said, “By and large, the modern Salafī movement relegates women to a level that might justly be considered inhumane. A simple manifestation of this is the fact that the mere mention of the name of your wife or your best friend’s wife is censurable.” Is it the salafi creed that legitimizes it? I think it is not. It is personal issue.
    Your, expression of the prohibition of women driving in relation to the violation of their rights does not appear appealing to me. Had you brought your justification for the non-appropriatness of forbidding women driving, it would be better than such radical feministic kind of criticism.
    13. About senior scholars (kibar-al-ulema)
    You have said that the salafi are showing Unquestioning allegiance to a group of ‘senior scholars’. This is not water holding. Because salafis are not worshipers of people, they follow scholars as far as they have concrete evidence from quran and hadith and not merely for their seniority. It is rather surprising to see such a biased view of yours against them. Look how politicized your expression of the kibar ;
    “the fact that the ‘Kibar’ are all typically of one particular nationality, and government appointed, is rarely brought up in polite conversation.”
    You have falsely accused them of pro-government .This clearly manifests your bias against them. You added that “ the mainstream position of most Saudi Salafīs is that any criticism of the current rulers is tantamount to a theological deviation.” How false you are propagating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Can you bring a fatwa of a scholar who said like that? Should they make takfir of the government or should they involve in coup against it?. Whenever is possible, they are enjoining good and forbidding bad. What is important for every muslim is to isolate the scholars from the government, otherwise equating the two will create a confusion. For whatever the Saudi government do, scholars should not be blamed.
    14. About the action of saudi government
    You have written like this “specific policies enacted by the ruling family of that region towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, and the silence of the scholars in the face of this blatant injustice, is deafening.” This is another manifestation of the political orientation of your article. It is because, the Saudi government looks the group (muslim brotherhood) as a challenge to salafism in general and Saudi government in particular that it label it as “terriorist”. Actually, as a salafi , I see less value of applying the term to this muslim but deviant group. However, the group is deviant to the extent that some of its members are hesitating the government’s faith. Most of them are propagating word of fitnah/trial that “it is not an Islamic government, so no need to obey”. They speak this not because they are ready to come up with a better alternative rule and ruler, but just to advance their political will which they partially share from the damned west in the name of democracy. We can see Egypt under mursi and turkey under irdugan.
    إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعين به ونستغفره ؛ ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا وسيئات أعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له . وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم. أمَّا بعد:
    Dr yasir qadhi, you has posted a five page text on the internet about salafism on 22th April. I found the text partially good and partially distorted. Here are some of the points of distortion or worthy of justification that I found as to my very little knowledge. I prepared this text on the view that distortions have to be corrected and a learned people like you should not lead others to a distorted view of salafism.
    1. Let me begin from your outlook of the term salaf.
    You said“The label (salaf) has no intrinsic religious value and was in fact popularized only very recently in Islamic history.”I did not share this idea because the prophet (pbuh) said to his daughter “I am a best salaf for you” (aw kemaqale resululahi, saw). This indicates that the term is not new. It is also found in the writings of former renowned scholars.
    2. About Your position
    “I no longer view myself as being a part of any of these Salafī trends discussed in the earlier section.”(you fill disloyal to the people of truth)
    “I feel more of an affinity and brotherhood with a moderate Deobandi Tablighi Maturidi” (you fill loyalty to the sects of bid’a)
    3. Your view that salafia is fallible
    I believe that each and every movement of Islam is a human one, with positives and negatives, and while some movements are closer than others to the Prophet’s Sunnah in some areas, no one movement with its human scholars can ever claim to be the representative of our Prophet, and officially represent the religion of Allāh, on earth. There is the prophetic tradition stating that,
    (There will never cease to exist in my ummah a group that is on truth) ,aw kemaqale resululah (Saw)

    4. Your inclusion of the sahwa under the salafi group
    The term Ṣaḥwa comes from a word that denotes ‘activism’, and is used to describe a more politically active strand of Saudi Salafism that emerged after the contentious political events of the early 1990s and the first Gulf War. the sahwa, led by Safar al-Ḥawalī and muhammed kutb are ihwans, Are they salafis first of all? Why not you indicate some among thousands of the defects of the muslim brotherhood which they are inclined to?.
    5. Your speech about the stance of Albany
    Is it real that Albany has said that amel/action is not from faith/iman? Give me your evidence. In fact this might be because of shortage of my knowledge and I never assume Albany as infallible.
    6. Your blame of the salafi as aggressive
    You said that “the salafi are known for using aggressively harsh language to correct people.” But, you too filled the whole article with your own derogating and divisive words (medkhali,hard liners,salafi burnouts, pro-governments, militarists…) . Surprisingly, you expressed some groups (I should not use your term) as “most divisive”. You said that Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), legitimise the practice of ‘guilt by association’by considering it an extension of the science of al-Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl.”
    The sheikh does not legitimize guilty by association. If you say so, bring your evidence. What he is doing is exposing the bid’a and warning against the people of bid’a like such as the adherents to muslim brotherhood. I think you better know that jarh wote’dil is not an innovation of sheikh rabi’e. It is the path of the salaf, like imam ahmed and his contemporaries who exposed bid’a . Here I have to be fair, so let me speak one truth. In fact, few students of sheikh rebi ibnu hadi al medkheli (may Allah preserve him) have such features but they neither represent the sheik him self nor all of his students.
    7. Your saying on contemporary salafi position
    You have said that there cannot be a reliable selefi position on emerging issues of modernity such as democracy, voting, demonstration, citizenship, women right… because the salaf have never experienced them and they did not take a position on that. So, as a salafi we have no strict verdict to adopt from early predecessors on such matters. Are we (as a salafi) mere followers? Here I want to say that scholars of suna are following the quran and hadith so as to explain such matters because quran is a guide forever till day of resurrection. They are also making qias (analogy) and giving sensible veridicts. Those who refuse their methodology are known for their bid’a because they are created after the west, though they confess that they are against the west. They want to alter sharia by modern constitutional law. Their long term academic education deceives them to the extent that they assume themselves as appropriate persons to give fatwas on such emerging events while really they are devoid of Islamic knowledge or having very little portion of it. In doing so they try to convince some philosophically enthusiastic, down-of-the-line ulemas/scholars and propagate their failed philosophy in the mouth of such scholars.
    8. Your statement of topical issues/problems of Muslims of the modern time
    You have said , Tawḥīd of Allāh’s Names and Attributes should not primarily be about debating whether Allāh has a yad or what the nature of the Throne is – it is about increasing in our remembrance of Allāh, glorifying Him more, worshiping Him correctly and sincerely, and focusing on the actions these beautiful Names and Attributes should inspire in us. If we do not teach that Allah has yed in this contesting world where there are some so- called muslims who deny this fact, we are hiding the truth from the mass of people. To worship Allah correctly, knowledge and affirmation of His sifat in a way that is expressed to us is a primary issues.
    Look this statement of yours, “the challenges facing the Ummah are no longer about the misinterpretation of Allāh’s Names and Attributes or the validity of celebrating the mawlid.[18] No doubt, some people, at some level, do need to discuss the reality of the mawlid, and the Attributes of Allāh and other aspects of faith. But these are not the problems of our time, nor do they present major challenges to the faith of our young men and women.”
    The problems of modern time are materialism, hedonism, pornography, and sexual exploitation, radical-feminism. Infact, these are current social evils facing our youth. But,I think the solution for this is to connect youths with their creator by teaching tewhid and Islamic manners so that they may be God-conscious. Preaching them not to worship dunia (this worldly pleasure) . A person who does not know Allah’s attributes cannot be conscious of Him. We are living in conditions where the innovated practice of mawlid is being considered as part and parcel of Islamic religious teaching. This also has to be banned through continuous awareness creation.

    9. Your indication of salafi heisitation on spiritual purification
    You have mentioned salafi heisitation on spiritual purification . I confirm that this qualification is being lost among every group of muslims not only among one or two of salafi branches (according to your cassfication). But,this expression of yours is giving tazkiya for the foolish sufis who have quoted your text and presented as if you are glorifying them. I get your text through this foolish sufi who invited me to your article while we were discussing each other about salafism. , dissociation from salafism and expression of loyalty to the sufi has a far greater consequence in the future. So you better, say something on that.
    10. Your expression of the salafi as advocating “we-only” principle
    “You have said that salafis consider themselves alone as correctly espousing the teachings and beliefs of the salaf al-ṣāliḥ or they assume salvific exclusivity.”
    First of all , there cannot be multiple truth, but this does not mean that salafi are devoid of tolerance and accommodation of differences on certain points( especially on matters that have no direct link with aqida). A good example of this is the existing respect among the groups you have mentioned so far except the radicalists like takfir. However, the salafi should not tolerate chronic deviants. They also have to expose their faults for saving the public from their tricks. You shall never restrict jarh-wo-tadil to some group of salafis, it is a vital workable principle that is being applied by every salafi group. There is no relationship between jarh-wa-ta’edil and an act of obsessive investigating the errors of others.
    11. Your blame of salafi on blanket takfir
    “Salafīs have a reputation of dividing many communities, making blanket takfīr on specific sects, and dissociating from any who disagree with them.”
    As for takfir ,the salafi do not make blanket takfir .this is the strategy of non-salafi qutbists (seid qutb and his likes). But the salafi make takfir of what Allah and His messenger has made takfir and no more than that. They never make takfir of the ahlul qibla.
    12. About women’s right
    You have said, “By and large, the modern Salafī movement relegates women to a level that might justly be considered inhumane. A simple manifestation of this is the fact that the mere mention of the name of your wife or your best friend’s wife is censurable.” Is it the salafi creed that legitimizes it? I think it is not. It is personal issue.
    Your, expression of the prohibition of women driving in relation to the violation of their rights does not appear appealing to me. Had you brought your justification for the non-appropriatness of forbidding women driving, it would be better than such radical feministic kind of criticism.
    13. About senior scholars (kibar-al-ulema)
    You have said that the salafi are showing Unquestioning allegiance to a group of ‘senior scholars’. This is not water holding. Because salafis are not worshipers of people, they follow scholars as far as they have concrete evidence from quran and hadith and not merely for their seniority. It is rather surprising to see such a biased view of yours against them. Look how politicized your expression of the kibar ;
    “the fact that the ‘Kibar’ are all typically of one particular nationality, and government appointed, is rarely brought up in polite conversation.”
    You have falsely accused them of pro-government .This clearly manifests your bias against them. You added that “ the mainstream position of most Saudi Salafīs is that any criticism of the current rulers is tantamount to a theological deviation.” How false you are propagating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Can you bring a fatwa of a scholar who said like that? Should they make takfir of the government or should they involve in coup against it?. Whenever is possible, they are enjoining good and forbidding bad. What is important for every muslim is to isolate the scholars from the government, otherwise equating the two will create a confusion. For whatever the Saudi government do, scholars should not be blamed.
    14. About the action of saudi government
    You have written like this “specific policies enacted by the ruling family of that region towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, and the silence of the scholars in the face of this blatant injustice, is deafening.” This is another manifestation of the political orientation of your article. It is because, the Saudi government looks the group (muslim brotherhood) as a challenge to salafism in general and Saudi government in particular that it label it as “terriorist”. Actually, as a salafi , I see less value of applying the term to this muslim but deviant group. However, the group is deviant to the extent that some of its members are hesitating the government’s faith. Most of them are propagating word of fitnah/trial that “it is not an Islamic government, so no need to obey”. They speak this not because they are ready to come up with a better alternative rule and ruler, but just to advance their political will which they partially share from the damned west in the name of democracy. We can see Egypt under mursi and turkey under irdugan.

    إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعين به ونستغفره ؛ ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا وسيئات أعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له . وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم. أمَّا بعد:
    Dr yasir qadhi, you has posted a five page text on the internet about salafism on 22th April. I found the text partially good and partially distorted. Here are some of the points of distortion or worthy of justification that I found as to my very little knowledge. I prepared this text on the view that distortions have to be corrected and a learned people like you should not lead others to a distorted view of salafism.
    1. Let me begin from your outlook of the term salaf.
    You said“The label (salaf) has no intrinsic religious value and was in fact popularized only very recently in Islamic history.”I did not share this idea because the prophet (pbuh) said to his daughter “I am a best salaf for you” (aw kemaqale resululahi, saw). This indicates that the term is not new. It is also found in the writings of former renowned scholars.
    2. About Your position
    “I no longer view myself as being a part of any of these Salafī trends discussed in the earlier section.”(you fill disloyal to the people of truth)
    “I feel more of an affinity and brotherhood with a moderate Deobandi Tablighi Maturidi” (you fill loyalty to the sects of bid’a)
    3. Your view that salafia is fallible
    I believe that each and every movement of Islam is a human one, with positives and negatives, and while some movements are closer than others to the Prophet’s Sunnah in some areas, no one movement with its human scholars can ever claim to be the representative of our Prophet, and officially represent the religion of Allāh, on earth. There is the prophetic tradition stating that,
    (There will never cease to exist in my ummah a group that is on truth) ,aw kemaqale resululah (Saw)

    4. Your inclusion of the sahwa under the salafi group
    The term Ṣaḥwa comes from a word that denotes ‘activism’, and is used to describe a more politically active strand of Saudi Salafism that emerged after the contentious political events of the early 1990s and the first Gulf War. the sahwa, led by Safar al-Ḥawalī and muhammed kutb are ihwans, Are they salafis first of all? Why not you indicate some among thousands of the defects of the muslim brotherhood which they are inclined to?.
    5. Your speech about the stance of Albany
    Is it real that Albany has said that amel/action is not from faith/iman? Give me your evidence. In fact this might be because of shortage of my knowledge and I never assume Albany as infallible.
    6. Your blame of the salafi as aggressive
    You said that “the salafi are known for using aggressively harsh language to correct people.” But, you too filled the whole article with your own derogating and divisive words (medkhali,hard liners,salafi burnouts, pro-governments, militarists…) . Surprisingly, you expressed some groups (I should not use your term) as “most divisive”. You said that Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), legitimise the practice of ‘guilt by association’by considering it an extension of the science of al-Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl.”
    The sheikh does not legitimize guilty by association. If you say so, bring your evidence. What he is doing is exposing the bid’a and warning against the people of bid’a like such as the adherents to muslim brotherhood. I think you better know that jarh wote’dil is not an innovation of sheikh rabi’e. It is the path of the salaf, like imam ahmed and his contemporaries who exposed bid’a . Here I have to be fair, so let me speak one truth. In fact, few students of sheikh rebi ibnu hadi al medkheli (may Allah preserve him) have such features but they neither represent the sheik him self nor all of his students.
    7. Your saying on contemporary salafi position
    You have said that there cannot be a reliable selefi position on emerging issues of modernity such as democracy, voting, demonstration, citizenship, women right… because the salaf have never experienced them and they did not take a position on that. So, as a salafi we have no strict verdict to adopt from early predecessors on such matters. Are we (as a salafi) mere followers? Here I want to say that scholars of suna are following the quran and hadith so as to explain such matters because quran is a guide forever till day of resurrection. They are also making qias (analogy) and giving sensible veridicts. Those who refuse their methodology are known for their bid’a because they are created after the west, though they confess that they are against the west. They want to alter sharia by modern constitutional law. Their long term academic education deceives them to the extent that they assume themselves as appropriate persons to give fatwas on such emerging events while really they are devoid of Islamic knowledge or having very little portion of it. In doing so they try to convince some philosophically enthusiastic, down-of-the-line ulemas/scholars and propagate their failed philosophy in the mouth of such scholars.
    8. Your statement of topical issues/problems of Muslims of the modern time
    You have said , Tawḥīd of Allāh’s Names and Attributes should not primarily be about debating whether Allāh has a yad or what the nature of the Throne is – it is about increasing in our remembrance of Allāh, glorifying Him more, worshiping Him correctly and sincerely, and focusing on the actions these beautiful Names and Attributes should inspire in us. If we do not teach that Allah has yed in this contesting world where there are some so- called muslims who deny this fact, we are hiding the truth from the mass of people. To worship Allah correctly, knowledge and affirmation of His sifat in a way that is expressed to us is a primary issues.
    Look this statement of yours, “the challenges facing the Ummah are no longer about the misinterpretation of Allāh’s Names and Attributes or the validity of celebrating the mawlid.[18] No doubt, some people, at some level, do need to discuss the reality of the mawlid, and the Attributes of Allāh and other aspects of faith. But these are not the problems of our time, nor do they present major challenges to the faith of our young men and women.”
    The problems of modern time are materialism, hedonism, pornography, and sexual exploitation, radical-feminism. Infact, these are current social evils facing our youth. But,I think the solution for this is to connect youths with their creator by teaching tewhid and Islamic manners so that they may be God-conscious. Preaching them not to worship dunia (this worldly pleasure) . A person who does not know Allah’s attributes cannot be conscious of Him. We are living in conditions where the innovated practice of mawlid is being considered as part and parcel of Islamic religious teaching. This also has to be banned through continuous awareness creation.

    9. Your indication of salafi heisitation on spiritual purification
    You have mentioned salafi heisitation on spiritual purification . I confirm that this qualification is being lost among every group of muslims not only among one or two of salafi branches (according to your cassfication). But,this expression of yours is giving tazkiya for the foolish sufis who have quoted your text and presented as if you are glorifying them. I get your text through this foolish sufi who invited me to your article while we were discussing each other about salafism. , dissociation from salafism and expression of loyalty to the sufi has a far greater consequence in the future. So you better, say something on that.
    10. Your expression of the salafi as advocating “we-only” principle
    “You have said that salafis consider themselves alone as correctly espousing the teachings and beliefs of the salaf al-ṣāliḥ or they assume salvific exclusivity.”
    First of all , there cannot be multiple truth, but this does not mean that salafi are devoid of tolerance and accommodation of differences on certain points( especially on matters that have no direct link with aqida). A good example of this is the existing respect among the groups you have mentioned so far except the radicalists like takfir. However, the salafi should not tolerate chronic deviants. They also have to expose their faults for saving the public from their tricks. You shall never restrict jarh-wo-tadil to some group of salafis, it is a vital workable principle that is being applied by every salafi group. There is no relationship between jarh-wa-ta’edil and an act of obsessive investigating the errors of others.
    11. Your blame of salafi on blanket takfir
    “Salafīs have a reputation of dividing many communities, making blanket takfīr on specific sects, and dissociating from any who disagree with them.”
    As for takfir ,the salafi do not make blanket takfir .this is the strategy of non-salafi qutbists (seid qutb and his likes). But the salafi make takfir of what Allah and His messenger has made takfir and no more than that. They never make takfir of the ahlul qibla.
    12. About women’s right
    You have said, “By and large, the modern Salafī movement relegates women to a level that might justly be considered inhumane. A simple manifestation of this is the fact that the mere mention of the name of your wife or your best friend’s wife is censurable.” Is it the salafi creed that legitimizes it? I think it is not. It is personal issue.
    Your, expression of the prohibition of women driving in relation to the violation of their rights does not appear appealing to me. Had you brought your justification for the non-appropriatness of forbidding women driving, it would be better than such radical feministic kind of criticism.
    13. About senior scholars (kibar-al-ulema)
    You have said that the salafi are showing Unquestioning allegiance to a group of ‘senior scholars’. This is not water holding. Because salafis are not worshipers of people, they follow scholars as far as they have concrete evidence from quran and hadith and not merely for their seniority. It is rather surprising to see such a biased view of yours against them. Look how politicized your expression of the kibar ;
    “the fact that the ‘Kibar’ are all typically of one particular nationality, and government appointed, is rarely brought up in polite conversation.”
    You have falsely accused them of pro-government .This clearly manifests your bias against them. You added that “ the mainstream position of most Saudi Salafīs is that any criticism of the current rulers is tantamount to a theological deviation.” How false you are propagating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Can you bring a fatwa of a scholar who said like that? Should they make takfir of the government or should they involve in coup against it?. Whenever is possible, they are enjoining good and forbidding bad. What is important for every muslim is to isolate the scholars from the government, otherwise equating the two will create a confusion. For whatever the Saudi government do, scholars should not be blamed.
    14. About the action of saudi government
    You have written like this “specific policies enacted by the ruling family of that region towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, and the silence of the scholars in the face of this blatant injustice, is deafening.” This is another manifestation of the political orientation of your article. It is because, the Saudi government looks the group (muslim brotherhood) as a challenge to salafism in general and Saudi government in particular that it label it as “terriorist”. Actually, as a salafi , I see less value of applying the term to this muslim but deviant group. However, the group is deviant to the extent that some of its members are hesitating the government’s faith. Most of them are propagating word of fitnah/trial that “it is not an Islamic government, so no need to obey”. They speak this not because they are ready to come up with a better alternative rule and ruler, but just to advance their political will which they partially share from the damned west in the name of democracy. We can see Egypt under mursi and turkey under irdugan.

    إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعين به ونستغفره ؛ ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا وسيئات أعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له . وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم. أمَّا بعد:
    Dr yasir qadhi, you has posted a five page text on the internet about salafism on 22th April. I found the text partially good and partially distorted. Here are some of the points of distortion or worthy of justification that I found as to my very little knowledge. I prepared this text on the view that distortions have to be corrected and a learned people like you should not lead others to a distorted view of salafism.
    1. Let me begin from your outlook of the term salaf.
    You said“The label (salaf) has no intrinsic religious value and was in fact popularized only very recently in Islamic history.”I did not share this idea because the prophet (pbuh) said to his daughter “I am a best salaf for you” (aw kemaqale resululahi, saw). This indicates that the term is not new. It is also found in the writings of former renowned scholars.
    2. About Your position
    “I no longer view myself as being a part of any of these Salafī trends discussed in the earlier section.”(you fill disloyal to the people of truth)
    “I feel more of an affinity and brotherhood with a moderate Deobandi Tablighi Maturidi” (you fill loyalty to the sects of bid’a)
    3. Your view that salafia is fallible
    I believe that each and every movement of Islam is a human one, with positives and negatives, and while some movements are closer than others to the Prophet’s Sunnah in some areas, no one movement with its human scholars can ever claim to be the representative of our Prophet, and officially represent the religion of Allāh, on earth. There is the prophetic tradition stating that,
    (There will never cease to exist in my ummah a group that is on truth) ,aw kemaqale resululah (Saw)

    4. Your inclusion of the sahwa under the salafi group
    The term Ṣaḥwa comes from a word that denotes ‘activism’, and is used to describe a more politically active strand of Saudi Salafism that emerged after the contentious political events of the early 1990s and the first Gulf War. the sahwa, led by Safar al-Ḥawalī and muhammed kutb are ihwans, Are they salafis first of all? Why not you indicate some among thousands of the defects of the muslim brotherhood which they are inclined to?.
    5. Your speech about the stance of Albany
    Is it real that Albany has said that amel/action is not from faith/iman? Give me your evidence. In fact this might be because of shortage of my knowledge and I never assume Albany as infallible.
    6. Your blame of the salafi as aggressive
    You said that “the salafi are known for using aggressively harsh language to correct people.” But, you too filled the whole article with your own derogating and divisive words (medkhali,hard liners,salafi burnouts, pro-governments, militarists…) . Surprisingly, you expressed some groups (I should not use your term) as “most divisive”. You said that Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), legitimise the practice of ‘guilt by association’by considering it an extension of the science of al-Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl.”
    The sheikh does not legitimize guilty by association. If you say so, bring your evidence. What he is doing is exposing the bid’a and warning against the people of bid’a like such as the adherents to muslim brotherhood. I think you better know that jarh wote’dil is not an innovation of sheikh rabi’e. It is the path of the salaf, like imam ahmed and his contemporaries who exposed bid’a . Here I have to be fair, so let me speak one truth. In fact, few students of sheikh rebi ibnu hadi al medkheli (may Allah preserve him) have such features but they neither represent the sheik him self nor all of his students.
    7. Your saying on contemporary salafi position
    You have said that there cannot be a reliable selefi position on emerging issues of modernity such as democracy, voting, demonstration, citizenship, women right… because the salaf have never experienced them and they did not take a position on that. So, as a salafi we have no strict verdict to adopt from early predecessors on such matters. Are we (as a salafi) mere followers? Here I want to say that scholars of suna are following the quran and hadith so as to explain such matters because quran is a guide forever till day of resurrection. They are also making qias (analogy) and giving sensible veridicts. Those who refuse their methodology are known for their bid’a because they are created after the west, though they confess that they are against the west. They want to alter sharia by modern constitutional law. Their long term academic education deceives them to the extent that they assume themselves as appropriate persons to give fatwas on such emerging events while really they are devoid of Islamic knowledge or having very little portion of it. In doing so they try to convince some philosophically enthusiastic, down-of-the-line ulemas/scholars and propagate their failed philosophy in the mouth of such scholars.
    8. Your statement of topical issues/problems of Muslims of the modern time
    You have said , Tawḥīd of Allāh’s Names and Attributes should not primarily be about debating whether Allāh has a yad or what the nature of the Throne is – it is about increasing in our remembrance of Allāh, glorifying Him more, worshiping Him correctly and sincerely, and focusing on the actions these beautiful Names and Attributes should inspire in us. If we do not teach that Allah has yed in this contesting world where there are some so- called muslims who deny this fact, we are hiding the truth from the mass of people. To worship Allah correctly, knowledge and affirmation of His sifat in a way that is expressed to us is a primary issues.
    Look this statement of yours, “the challenges facing the Ummah are no longer about the misinterpretation of Allāh’s Names and Attributes or the validity of celebrating the mawlid.[18] No doubt, some people, at some level, do need to discuss the reality of the mawlid, and the Attributes of Allāh and other aspects of faith. But these are not the problems of our time, nor do they present major challenges to the faith of our young men and women.”
    The problems of modern time are materialism, hedonism, pornography, and sexual exploitation, radical-feminism. Infact, these are current social evils facing our youth. But,I think the solution for this is to connect youths with their creator by teaching tewhid and Islamic manners so that they may be God-conscious. Preaching them not to worship dunia (this worldly pleasure) . A person who does not know Allah’s attributes cannot be conscious of Him. We are living in conditions where the innovated practice of mawlid is being considered as part and parcel of Islamic religious teaching. This also has to be banned through continuous awareness creation.

    9. Your indication of salafi heisitation on spiritual purification
    You have mentioned salafi heisitation on spiritual purification . I confirm that this qualification is being lost among every group of muslims not only among one or two of salafi branches (according to your cassfication). But,this expression of yours is giving tazkiya for the foolish sufis who have quoted your text and presented as if you are glorifying them. I get your text through this foolish sufi who invited me to your article while we were discussing each other about salafism. , dissociation from salafism and expression of loyalty to the sufi has a far greater consequence in the future. So you better, say something on that.
    10. Your expression of the salafi as advocating “we-only” principle
    “You have said that salafis consider themselves alone as correctly espousing the teachings and beliefs of the salaf al-ṣāliḥ or they assume salvific exclusivity.”
    First of all , there cannot be multiple truth, but this does not mean that salafi are devoid of tolerance and accommodation of differences on certain points( especially on matters that have no direct link with aqida). A good example of this is the existing respect among the groups you have mentioned so far except the radicalists like takfir. However, the salafi should not tolerate chronic deviants. They also have to expose their faults for saving the public from their tricks. You shall never restrict jarh-wo-tadil to some group of salafis, it is a vital workable principle that is being applied by every salafi group. There is no relationship between jarh-wa-ta’edil and an act of obsessive investigating the errors of others.
    11. Your blame of salafi on blanket takfir
    “Salafīs have a reputation of dividing many communities, making blanket takfīr on specific sects, and dissociating from any who disagree with them.”
    As for takfir ,the salafi do not make blanket takfir .this is the strategy of non-salafi qutbists (seid qutb and his likes). But the salafi make takfir of what Allah and His messenger has made takfir and no more than that. They never make takfir of the ahlul qibla.
    12. About women’s right
    You have said, “By and large, the modern Salafī movement relegates women to a level that might justly be considered inhumane. A simple manifestation of this is the fact that the mere mention of the name of your wife or your best friend’s wife is censurable.” Is it the salafi creed that legitimizes it? I think it is not. It is personal issue.
    Your, expression of the prohibition of women driving in relation to the violation of their rights does not appear appealing to me. Had you brought your justification for the non-appropriatness of forbidding women driving, it would be better than such radical feministic kind of criticism.
    13. About senior scholars (kibar-al-ulema)
    You have said that the salafi are showing Unquestioning allegiance to a group of ‘senior scholars’. This is not water holding. Because salafis are not worshipers of people, they follow scholars as far as they have concrete evidence from quran and hadith and not merely for their seniority. It is rather surprising to see such a biased view of yours against them. Look how politicized your expression of the kibar ;
    “the fact that the ‘Kibar’ are all typically of one particular nationality, and government appointed, is rarely brought up in polite conversation.”
    You have falsely accused them of pro-government .This clearly manifests your bias against them. You added that “ the mainstream position of most Saudi Salafīs is that any criticism of the current rulers is tantamount to a theological deviation.” How false you are propagating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Can you bring a fatwa of a scholar who said like that? Should they make takfir of the government or should they involve in coup against it?. Whenever is possible, they are enjoining good and forbidding bad. What is important for every muslim is to isolate the scholars from the government, otherwise equating the two will create a confusion. For whatever the Saudi government do, scholars should not be blamed.
    14. About the action of saudi government
    You have written like this “specific policies enacted by the ruling family of that region towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, and the silence of the scholars in the face of this blatant injustice, is deafening.” This is another manifestation of the political orientation of your article. It is because, the Saudi government looks the group (muslim brotherhood) as a challenge to salafism in general and Saudi government in particular that it label it as “terriorist”. Actually, as a salafi , I see less value of applying the term to this muslim but deviant group. However, the group is deviant to the extent that some of its members are hesitating the government’s faith. Most of them are propagating word of fitnah/trial that “it is not an Islamic government, so no need to obey”. They speak this not because they are ready to come up with a better alternative rule and ruler, but just to advance their political will which they partially share from the damned west in the name of democracy. We can see Egypt under mursi and turkey under irdugan.

    Reply

    • Mohammad Idrees Ul Islam

      May 4, 2014 at 12:34 PM

      Well as i said in my comment objective criticism is always good.

      Reply

    • p4rv3zkh4n

      November 13, 2014 at 6:28 PM

      regarding the sufis,

      Shayk Yasir Qadhi (may Allah keep him firm in Islam) refuted some sufis’ misinterpretations of the Quran in his book Introduction to the sciences of the Quran.

      Reply

  155. Raufoon S. Bhuiyan

    April 29, 2014 at 3:55 AM

    Assalamu ‘Alaykum Dr. Yasir Qadhi.

    Two things:
    1. Shaykh! I love you for the sake of Allah! I have no regrets. JazakAllahu khayr for writing this article. I have a small request though, please visit our country Bangladesh one day. Share your experience and thoughts with us. Please keep this invitation to your thoughts!

    2. Alhamdulillah. I’ve made it one of goals to form a knowledge resource which will be immune to all atheist/secularist logic (not dreaming, I’ve properly evaluated what I might be capable of). Well I’ve just started taking my baby steps. So, I’d like you to give me some very basic advice or more, may be share some experience on what problems I need to prepare for in this journey? What should be my primary targets? Or may be a step-by-step guideline. Or just share some tricks you picked up from your study & research life. JazakAllah again!

    Reply

    • Shahab

      April 29, 2014 at 9:39 PM

      Salam Brother Rauf:

      You entertain very noble ideas, ma sha Allah! As a Muslim watching Bangladeshi politics unfold with the secularists/nationalists on the one side versus the religiously-inclined on the other – and how this is hurting the unity of Bangladesh – I can understand where you are going with this. I can wish you luck and pray that Allah (SWT) helps you in this cause.

      Where you will find the challenge, though, is that the secularist crowd (the relatively more serious/sincere ones) will base their objection on well-rounded political ideology (I have been personally talking to a few of them myself). Some of this political ideology brings into question the underlying ‘irrationality’ of the Islamic faith (as the secularists view it). This is where, those who reject kalam from the get-go, find it hard to stem the growing tide of secularism among the younger generation in Muslim countries. They are just not equipped to answer the teething questions that the secularists raise! The secularists will ask you questions where simply quoting ahadith or Qur’anic verses won’t suffice; as such they will be speaking a different ‘language’ to yours and vice versa. The net result of all this is that the sincere religious folk are mocked and often find themselves in a tight corner. Their only release then becomes either anathematizing their fellow countrymen (which is what is happening in BD and is further adding fuel to the fire) or get frustrated themselves, which often leads to extremist/militant tendencies.

      You will soon realize that the ONLY way to challenge this secularist/atheist ideology is by confronting the rather crude, hurtful, but valid questions that these people raise. You give them these answers and I can assure you that you will win them over. As someone who is actively working in this field in a neighboring country where we face a similar problem I am convinced from my own experiences that you will find this route (understanding Islamic theology) rather fruitful, Bi Idhnillahi Ta’ala.

      Reply

      • Mahmud

        April 30, 2014 at 2:13 PM

        They have power because of the atrocities committed by Pakistan and collaborators. It’s an easy thing to use.

        Reply

      • O H

        May 1, 2014 at 12:18 AM

        May Allaah protect the Muslims in Bangladesh and all over the world, Ameen. As a Bangladeshi living overseas it’s really tragic to hear all the negative stuff going on in BD.

        Horrendous groups like Mukto mona and other anti-Islamic groups in BD as you said, deal on an intellectual level with a so-called liberal and logical way of reasoning although they are probably the most jaahil/ignorant people out there. I know it’s very simplistic and easy for me to say but ignorance among the masses is the biggest obstacle and issue whether it be among the secularists or Muslims.

        There are certain mini movements in Bangladesh who have been suppressed and hindered by the corrupt government officials who themselves are so against the Islamic groups limiting their dawah work. I am sure there are a lot of sincere, concerned Muslims in Bangladesh who want to effect positive changes but the current political turmoil and government crackdown against “Islamists” doesn’t help

        I really hope:

        1) more local organisations teach authentic Islamic material based on a strong curriculum and to be an upgrade on the nationwide madrasa curriculum which is filled with errors in Aqeedah, Fiqh etc as its heavily influenced by the Deobandi School. This could be st school, college/uni level or just weekly evening lessons on various topics. There are existing schools and madrasas. albeit very few, which teach authentic, reliable material & we have to find them and fund /help them in any way possible and raise awareness regarding them. Organisations like ICD (http://www.icdbd.org/blog/) are doing a very good job and support for such organisations is essential.

        Pamphlets, magazines. and other reading works if published can also raise awareness along with translation of books from Arabic to Bangla.

        Hopefully International organisations like AlKauthar (Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury’s organisation) etc increase their scope of operations to other cities outside Dhaka in addition to the number of lectures they offer annually as the demand is quite significant.

        2) Restoration and increase of proper Islamic TV shows/channels having Q&A sessions or lectures conducted by knowledgable shuyookh (like Shaykh Motiur Rahman, Kazi Ebrahim etc) or other media like radio. I am not sure if one or some of the Islamic channels remain banned/closed by the government but pressure should be maintained on them to put a stop on their opposition to anything Islamic!

        3) More active groups on Facebook. Youtube other social media platforms already co-operating Islamic activities and awareness campaigns in Bangladesh trying to help the masses overcome common misconceptions and errors in belief, action etc. The youth are significantly impacted through this approach.

        Last but not least awareness campaigns of the evils relating to bollywood, hollywood can help immensely considering these are major sources if misguidance which are not merely entertainment but have gone as far as splitting families and corrupting morals, etc. I am sure we all have seen the impact of this among ourselves, among our family, relatives, etc

        May Allaah grant myself and others the ability to contribute positively to the dawah work in Bangladesh, Ameen.

        Reply

  156. Ibrahim

    April 29, 2014 at 12:48 PM

    Dear Sh. Yasir:

    You have said in your article: “… in the latter part of the 90s when Sh. al-Albānī stated that he did not consider actions to be a necessary part of īmān.[4] The standard Salafī position prior to this, and the explicit position of Ibn Taymiyya and the scholars affirming Atharī theology, was that certain actions are a necessary requirement of faith and the absence of such actions contradicted the presence of īmān.”

    My question is: where and when did Sheikh Albani (rahimahu Allah) said that he did not consider actions to be a necessary part of iman? Clarify please and bring your proofs!

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Mohammad Idrees Ul Islam

      May 4, 2014 at 12:17 PM

      I have read many books by Sheikh Albani never came across anything like. I may have missed this one, if u have proof share it. O the credibility of this whole article goes below zero.

      Reply

  157. abdelah

    April 30, 2014 at 1:56 AM

    you distorted salafism

    Reply

  158. Yusuf

    April 30, 2014 at 2:21 AM

    Asalamu Alaikum Sheikh,

    Thank you for your article, I found it very informative.
    One quick question. Do the Salafi’s totally reject the idea of a Bi’dah Hasanah or are there exceptions?

    Reply

  159. Ibn Abu Musa

    April 30, 2014 at 7:37 AM

    Asalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu. Your Salafi brother is in need of American scholars I assume there will be lots lining up to help seeing as they are so plentyful and active.

    Barikallah fikum.

    Ibn Abu Musa

    April 20 2014
    بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
    والحمد لله رب العالمين

    From Abu Taubah to the Muslimeen
    As salaamu ‘alaykum wa raHmatullah,
    The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in a lengthy Hadeeth (what could mean):
    Know that if the ummah gathered together to benefit you in something that Allah had not
    written for you they could benefit you, and if they all gathered together to harm you in some way
    that Allah has not written against you they could never harm you. The pens have been lifted and
    papers have dried.
    I say with the knowledge of this hadeeth that I still need you all’s help. Even though I was found
    guilty for a federal tax charge, I still have another hearing to determine if I am a terrorist. The court
    has denied my motion to have the government pay for the experts needed to defend me. Therefore,
    I am asking you all to help me bring various Muslim and experts to Orlando to testify on my behalf.
    And also to pay for the government records that they refuse to release to me for free.
    I am still in isolation in solitary confinement. I have not had human contact besides the guards since
    they temporarily transferred me last RamaDaan. It has been a year and a half. And I am not saying this as a complaint
    walHamdulillah, but I feel the need to let you all know what is happening. The government’s argument is that teaching
    aan is the first step on the road to becoming a terrorist. So I have no choice but to face these allegations in court.
    They are only going to give me one day to disprove this. Sadly, I have not been able to find an “American Islamic Scholar”
    or teacher willing to face the court. The main excuse that I have received is that they are afraid of getting negative attention
    from the government. While this is a valid excuse, what I think you all need to understand is that the American court system
    is based on precedence. Once the make enough precedence to say that teaching the Qur-aan is a part of terrorism,
    anyone teaching the Qur-aan becomes a terrorist. Now this may sound insane, however look at my case. I have been convicted
    of a Federal tax charge. Taxes that were neither my responsibility, nor did I file them. And after getting this conviction,
    now they are saying that I am a terrorist. Wallahu musta’aan. Wa jazaakumAllahu khayran.
    This, walhamdulillahir rabbil ‘aalameen
    Abu taubah

    Reply

  160. Pingback: On Salafi Islam | Nafsul-Mutma'innah

  161. Ibn khayr

    April 30, 2014 at 9:19 PM

    If the methodology you are critiquing is not the correct way to understand Islamic sources what is?

    are you trying to say they all correct?

    lets forget labels and names what is the correct way to understand Islamic sources of knowledge?

    It’s always easy to critique and down play but your article gives no answers or alternative solutions?

    you seem to be troubled by how the people have implemented the methodology in practice and therefore are criticizing the methodology on peoples implementation?

    if that’s correct surely people can do the same of Islam and therefore doubt its correctness as well – we seek refuge in Allah from such doubts!

    Reply

  162. Abu Shakiyla

    May 1, 2014 at 6:40 AM

    As Salaam Alaykum,

    Dear shaykh, Yasir Qadhi, I too would like a copy of your dissertation PHD thesis. knowonegod@gmail.com Jazakullah Khairan..

    Reply

  163. Sal Khan

    May 1, 2014 at 8:47 PM

    Dear Dr. Yasir Qadhi,

    I am still waiting for you to answer the bulk of the questions below which you stated you would try to return to. Many readers want to know your answers. I’ve modified the questions a bit in response to your partial response and added a few new ones so you understand the meanings better.

    1) Do you think the Islam you currently follow, which you have labelled ‘orthodox Islam’ in a comment on Ni’matullah’s page, is the truth and the Islam you were taught in Madeenah was an inferior version of true Islam as revealed by Allah? Is the Islam taught in Madeenah unorthodox?
    2) Do you feel that your faith in Allah is stronger in orthodox Islam? By embracing non-Muslims and praising their priests and their scholars as luminaries do you feel your faith in Islam is at a higher level?
    3) Do you feel you are closer to Allah now that you have abandoned the salafi interpretation of Islam and loosened rules of fiqh? Or do you have a fear that you might be taking a risk with regards to your Hereafter and that the conservative path of najdi scholars is safer? If you say you have wisened up fiqh do you feel you are qualified to do so even though your Islamic training in Madeenah did not make you a faqih?
    4) Do you still advocate the aqeedah in Kitabut tawheed by Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab? Or do you now consider that he had taken aqeedah too far? You have written several books related to Imam ibn Abdul Wahhab. Do you still advocate his views or do you think he misinterpreted the Qur’an and Sunnah?
    5) Many times you are found to say “this is not the time or place” and it never is. Why do you dodge important questions that come up in relation to topics that you discuss?
    6) You say you did not learn Islam at Yale but very clearly your understanding of Islam has changed at Yale so it is disingenuous to claim you did not learn Islam at Yale. If given a choice would you recommend a Muslim study at Madeenah or at a western university under non-Muslims? You say Sh Adhami suggested you study in a western uni but Sh Adhami is of a much higher caliber of intellect than you and he spent his entire life defending the Qur’an and Sunnah and he did not “wisen” up anything.
    7) Why is it that you sometimes conveniently meddle into the affairs of Muslim countries while if Muslim scholars in Muslim countries talk about western Muslims’ issues then they are not knowledgeable enough? Can you not extend that same courtesy to yourself when commenting on Egypt and Syria and other places which the local scholars are more aware about? Your methodology in dealing with Muslims’ issues in various countries is highly inconsistent in this regard. You step in and make declarations about Egypt and Syria when local scholars know more than you and you denigrate the understanding and scholarship of Arab scholars who comment about Muslim affairs in the west. How do you hate something which you yourself do?
    8) Do you have any hesitancy in declaring the Saudi scholars servile and obsequious when the same charge has been laid on you because of which you are constrained in discussing Islam fully? Don’t you have an introspective epiphany that you may be as servile and obsequious as the Saudi scholars or much more? It is common knowledge in the western Islamic circuit that you are known for being arrogant and steeped in self-praise. Do you take a moment at night to reflect on how you can call other scholars servile while you yourself don’t speak freely?
    9) (This question is in relation to your facebook page and your Muslim Matters general blog, not just this article). Do you think it is fair that your editors edit comments out which require deep thinking while they keep comments which are in praise of you? Don’t you think that leads to group think?
    10) In pushing for a more open forum for Muslim women are you comfortable in extending that to your own family? Are you comfortable with men shaking hands with your wife or daughter while you shake hands with females using a certain fiqhi opinion? In other words are you applying the rules evenly and objectively? How would you react if a Muslim or non-Muslim man shook your wife’s hands in a conference given your own practices and opinions in this matter?
    11) Don’t you feel like you are trivializing creed by attacking the defenders of proper creed? They certainly think they are doing a service to Islam. This has nothing to do with attacking men or madkhalism. Protecting the creed is more important than you have made it out to be.
    12) Don’t you think the focus on sociological issues and political issues should be best left to sociologists, psychologists, and the Muslim governments while theologians should protect and defend the creed and the Prophet as a primary duty? Why do you want to cross over into the domain of others? Isn’t there enough to keep you busy? This is important because one of your main criticisms of salafism is that it is not relevant. But you’re a theologian and you have enough in that sphere to keep you busy the rest of your life without your having to delve into topics that sociologists, psychologists, and political scientists should delve into.
    13) Can you clear up the debate (in a separate article) regarding faith and action being intertwined? With some clear hadeeth from the Prophet (pbuh) stating that people would go to Jannah for just saying La ilaha illallAh even if they did nothing else don’t you think Albaani’s creed has some weight? Why do you think Albaani’s creed was weak and that Khalid Anbari’s book was banned with good reason?
    14) Why don’t you spend any time any more criticizing the deobandis, barelvis, Sufis, etc. Why have you as of late only been criticizing salafis? Are they the most deviant of them all?
    15) For some controversial audio of yours where you were quoted as calling the Christians filthy (and you cannot deny that the audio is out there), how has your opinion evolved? Do you think the Qur’anic verses tied to your former understanding are abrogated? Or have you had to water down the verses in order to fit into western society? If the audio itself is fake and it is someone else’s voice please make that clear as well. If you claim it was out of context then please explain the specific context in which Christians and Jews are considered filthy in your religious opinion.
    16) You and your colleagues take a salary from the waqf funds which you publicized as promoting scholarship and sponsoring students but during the fund raising drive you did not explicitly state that some of the funds would be used to pay the salaries of instructors. Since the funds are public will you make it public what percentage of the waqf funds go to paying instructor salaries?
    17) Occasionally you promote your videos on your facebook page as “controversial” even before there is a controversy. Do you do this to garner more youtube hits? Some people state that you revel in the controversy because it gets you attention. Can you debunk that and explain why you label videos controversial even though there may be minimal controversy involved?
    18) Were you successful in giving daw’ah to Bowering/Griffel and the orientalists with whom you studied? Do you think their intellect and understanding of Islam is superior to that of the Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian, Malaysian etc Muslim scholars?
    19) You have in recent years been known to profusely praise the Christian and Jewish scholars but harsh with Muslim scholars. Don’t you think it should be the other way around?
    20) Do you consider yourself qualified to be a mufti, scholar of Islam, or faqih even though you don’t have advanced training in that field (given your own admission that you did not study Islam at Yale)?
    21) Do you approve of watching movies like Sixth Sense, X-Men, 300, and a few others you’ve made reference to in your lectures? Does orthodox Islam count these movies and similar ones where a woman is not in hijab to be halal to watch?

    Reply

    • Fauzi

      May 2, 2014 at 5:41 AM

      Assalamualaikum,

      I’m not any wiser than you in religion, but your statement regards to salafi is deemed to me a bit harsh, Ypu are not putting the Salafi in the right perspective in positioning them in the eyes of Islam. Their contribution to the muslim world is the biggest than others, What is the use of correcting the social defect of the muslim communities, If all the practice of the muslim are syirk to Allah in the first place. I do think the salafi coming into the modern world of Islam do really give muslim a reality check on their aqidah, which is the most important part of becoming Muslim in the first place. U want the Muslim to perform syirk but are very good at administering the social defects. They will next be the second Christianity in this world.
      Now as the the Muslim world understand the importance of following strictly to Allah book and its Messenger saw. we could really move on to correcting the social evil of the Muslim communities.

      Reply

    • Anon

      May 2, 2014 at 5:11 PM

      Salam Shaykh Yasir,

      Where would you put people like Sh.Abdullah Azzam? Khattab in Chechnya? Though perhaps they were Salafi, they certainly weren’t takfiri, but they did help revive Jihad in the 21st century.

      For others, here are a couple of videos you might find interesting. They are from the EntertheTruth series on youtube. They are well made (not perfect), but I found them to be extremely beneficial.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmNc0uXu2Ic

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4POPT_ZK2eI

      Reply

  164. Mohammad

    May 2, 2014 at 8:50 PM

    Why do the moderator delete the comments not favoring Dr. Qadhi?

    Reply

  165. Haji Sayed Abudhahir

    May 3, 2014 at 1:25 AM

    I am a lay muslim and so are 99%, I believe. I need either of the four great Imams to guide me. To those who do not need them I wish them well.

    Reply

  166. Mohammad Idrees Ul Islam

    May 4, 2014 at 11:14 AM

    Wow! And I thought that the article was long. Couldn’t finish the comments. They can be turned into a book. I liked the article. Criticism is always good because it lets u know of the errors be in a person or a movement. In a way it improves your understanding of matters.

    I think that salafism concerning itself with historical problems like milad and other belief related problems is needed as these problems exist today and can deviate masses from the correct creed. Scholars need to address these issues to bring people back on the right path. That said focus on the current is also needed from scholars, but correct belief in Allah and other grave issues ( leading to kufr) will take precedence over domestic issues (which will make one a sinner and not kafr).

    Allah knows best.

    Reply

  167. Abd'Allah

    May 4, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    Salam alaykum Dr. Yasir Qadhi, This a good article, although I don’t agree with everything you wrote. But please I have a question for you and I will be very happy if you reply.
    You mentioned something about your trouser length in your conclusion and I was kind of curious on why your trouser fall below your ankle, I mean is there any proof or reason for this? because I know for sure that the act is against the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). I will really appreciate if you reply with your proof and reason. JazakAllaahu Khairan.

    Reply

    • 0300166aAnon

      May 5, 2014 at 12:28 PM

      Wearing one’s lower garment below the ankles (for men) is known as isbāl (from sa-ba-la which means to lower). There are dozens of authentic ahadith from the Prophet (saws) prohibiting isbal. For example, here are two well-known ones:

      Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (saws) said “Whatever is below the ankles of the izār is in the fire.”

      Narrated Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, the Prophet (saws) said “Whoever trails his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Judgment.”
      Both of these ahadith are in Sahih al-Bukhari.

      Before getting to the scholarly opinions on this issue, a little bit of history to get some context to better understand this will help. In the society of the Prophet (saws) most people were poor. Clothing was one way the arrogant and rich among them would flaunt their wealth. They would lower their lower garments so that the bottom would get soiled, as if to say “Oh I don’t care if this garment is dirtied, I have dozens more like it at home.” For the Arabs of that time, their status symbol was wearing garments below the heels and letting it drag behind them in the dirt.

      However, within two generations this custom was gone. Arab society grew prosperous and this practice lost its place as a status symbol. Now this is interesting because this was the time of the great imams and fuqaha. The position among the scholars at the time and since then was that pride was prohibited but not the garment itself (one that goes below the ankles).

      Today there are two major opinions on the issue of isbal. There is unanimous consensus that isbal when done out of pride or arrogance is haram and in fact it is a major sin due to the explicit punishment prescribed in the Hereafter in the hadith. When it is not done due to pride, the opinions of the scholars are as follows:

      Minority opinion: Practising isbāl out of habit or custom is harām. This is the opinion of Imam ibn Hajr, Imam ibn al-’Arabi and a minority position among the other madhhabs. Two of their proofs are the hadiths of ibn ‘Umar (ra) and Abu Huraira (ra):

      Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet (saws) said : “Whoever trails his garment out of pride Allah will not look at him on the Day of Judgment.” Abu Bakr said “One of the sides of my garment drags below [the other] unless I protect myself against that.” The Prophet (saws) said “You don’t do that out of arrogance.” [Bukhari]
      Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (saws) said “Whatever is below the ankles of the izār is in the Fire” [Bukhari]
      Majority opinion: Practising isbāl out of habit or custom is makruh (disliked and not recommended). This the standard position of all four madhhabs as well as that of Imam ibn Taymiyya and Imam an-Nawawi. They have 3 major proofs:

      From a fiqhi standpoint, they consider the unconditional hadith (e.g. Abu Huraira’s hadith above) as being conditional to ‘arrogance’ due to the other hadith. So it’s important to put all the related hadith together and view them that way.
      Some of the salaf understood that if isbāl was done for a valid reason it would be permissible.
      Considering the historical context above, isbāl no longer holds the cultural significance it once did.
      The reason why the second group of scholars still categorizes this as makruh is due to the quantity of hadith on this matter. It cannot be mubāh (permissible).

      Reference:

      Precious Provisions taught by Yasir Qadhi, AlMaghrib Institute, 2009.

      Reply

      • Ibn khayr

        May 7, 2014 at 4:50 AM

        Jzk khy for this piece but i find it slightly lacking as no references are made on the majority opinion easy to quote ibn Taymiyya and Imam an-Nawawi without referencing.

        Reply

  168. Abolore

    May 6, 2014 at 4:26 AM

    Please, how many Scholars of ours hold this stand you stand upon. Or, you are just trying to bring your own new fashion of Islam. If Sheikh albani doesn’t know the knowledge of Deen, is you that will tell us in this Ummah. Please, is better for you to go back and learn more about Islam.

    We are expecting your reply to those questions people asked you above, the so called Sheikh Yasir Qadhi. Is better for you to keep shout if you don’t have real knowledge of the Deen. Most of you Western Scholars are just disgrace to the Muslims Ummah.

    Reply

  169. Abu Layla Saeed

    May 6, 2014 at 11:24 AM

    Salamu Alaykum,

    I think that’s quite a balanced article, though I do disagree on some points. The term ‘Salafi Burnout’ is a term that we’re seeing more and more of, and I think that most Salafis who were ‘active and over zealous’ youth at the beginning are starting to understand the meaning of ‘working for the greater good’, and are actively trying to be a positive force in their respective communities.

    Articles such as these I believe are beneficial as it encourages dialogue between people and allows the community to self-reflect.

    Was salam

    Reply

  170. Ismail Raghib

    May 6, 2014 at 12:32 PM

    One small point: I read somewhere that it’s good etiquette, especially in publicized academic material such as this, to mention “May Allah have mercy on him” when mentioning the names of the great scholars of Islam :)

    Reply

    • Ridwan Mahmud

      January 31, 2016 at 12:42 AM

      Alhamdulillah. Very thoughtful article. Want to know about some positive and negetive aspects of deobandi movement. Does deobandi movement have more positive impact than that of salafi movement?

      Reply

  171. owais

    May 8, 2014 at 12:17 PM

    I don’t agree with this article at all… i think yasir qadhi needs to learn the definition of salafi first… i read many comments… yasir qadhi is confusing and deviating the people from the path of salaf… what is modern salafi? why r u adding modern? what is the meaning of this? i fell u have extreme hate for salafis? May Allah guide you Ameen..

    Reply

  172. Niyas

    May 9, 2014 at 1:01 AM

    Salam Alaykum Sh. Yasir Qadhi,

    I m not sure if you have stopped reading the comments anymore. Nevertheless, i request you to benefit us with something on how one can work on Tazkiyya An-Nafs . Jazakumullah Khair.

    Reply

  173. Meraj Shaikh

    May 9, 2014 at 11:48 AM

    Assalaamu Alaikum Shaykh,

    Question Regarding Following Section III-4

    Choice of words when applied to american muslim communities, sound like most Mubtadia’ Groups are okay. a phrase like “blanket takfir” may be easily misunderstood by someone as no warning against individuals who initiate and spread weird beliefs in our communities in the US.

    From the Conclusion Section (page 5 on MM)

    “I do not believe any one sect, group or theology has a monopoly of the truth”

    does this mean all the sects in Islam have some part of the truth, and if this is the case, it think right next to the above statement should be another statement that only the moderate versions of those deviant sects have some aspects of truth otherwise even the extremities among them look somewhat okay or this statement is about the groups among the Salafis.

    “Amongst all the movements, the Salafīs do have some great contributions in the area of creed, but that does not make them the champions of truth in each and every area of Islam.”

    If someone’s aqeedah is messed up, then what is the effect on their deeds? Shouldn’t the common people be informed that following this belief could lead to hellfire.

    Though I think I understand the reason to leave Salafism that is to be more productive with the problems we are facing in the west and to shed off the unnecessary burden forced by others due to titles and labels held by the activists, dua’t and MashaIkh, who would want to reach out and conveying the message of Islam to everyone, I think this article could bring some harm to the idea of searching for truth with respect to beliefs and may make common people feel that being modern, liberal, sufi, barelwi, tablighi, asha’ira is acceptable and perfectly fine and may be you can question fine details in your own sects.

    I have recently started studying Islam, I know I don’t know many of the groups and issues discussed above and I learnt a lot from this article, I also apologize if any of my words hurt you. But please understand, I am asking questions or questioning for understanding. I would greatly appreciate a response, JazakAllahu Khayr.

    Reply

  174. Meraj Shaikh

    May 9, 2014 at 12:41 PM

    Also Shaykh is it possible to post some comments and question privately please.

    Reply

  175. Soaga Ibrahim Abiodun

    May 9, 2014 at 3:04 PM

    Yasir Qadhi, your article sounds very strange, least expected but not totally surprising because the heart of a man is between the two fingers of Allah and He twists it as His Majesty desires. May Allah preserve us on the true path all through our lives and safe guard us from the hands of the philosophers philosophizing in the Deen

    Reply

  176. Alyasa Abdullah

    May 13, 2014 at 8:41 PM

    As Salaamu  alaikum Shaikh Yasir Qadhi,

    You may not remember, but I’m the brother (with a cool Trini accent by the way) who asked you quite a few hard questions when you were in Trinidad in January of this year.

    I must congratulate you on a job well-done and a clinical piece of analysis on the Salafi da’wah.

    I must say also that the article reflects some of my own sentiments on the subject. Actually, at one time, I thought that the Salalafi movement was a plot to destablise the entire  Muslim Ummah. And with no hardcore evidence at my disposal, it remained a mere thought. And Allah knows best.

    One of my greatest concerns has been scholars delinking tawhid from the issues of the day. All of the Prophets called people to Allah first, then addressed the prevailing issues present at that time, showing that once, we, as a people submit to our Lord, that He would bring not only prosperity to our lands but relief from the many ills that are in existence ,or were en vogue at any period of time. Thus, in my humble opinion, this is what we should all be doing; namely relating Islam to current-day issues thereby bringing light and guidance to the entire world, Muslim and non-Muslim.

    Yes, I do understand, that at one time in our history, Islam and Muslims were under seige by a huge plethora of heretical beliefs, thus necessitating a response from our gallant ulema who did yeoman service for the cause of Allah. May Allah bless them all with Jannatul Firdaus. However, in these times, these minute and miniscule details about ‘aqeedah and its countless debates are insignificant when considerating the weight of the bread and butter issues that affect every single human being, all 7 billion plus of us on the planet. We are in dire need of ulema of the calibre of old who would offer light and guidance from the Quran and the Sunnah to all the problems facing the world today. Who would stand up and be counted? This is the crying need of the hour. Where is the modern Ibn Taimiyyah? Or an Imam Shaafie of our times? Or a modern Al Ghazali? Or a modern Ahmad ibn Hanbal or Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Hazm?

    In addition, what relevance would the details of how Allah sits on His throne; how He descends to the lower heavens; about the nature of His hands and fingers, His shin and feet etc make when 11.5 million children, under the age of 5 years, die every year from malnutrition and hunger in the developing and underdeveloped world. Would it make their dying any easier?

    Would all these minute details about ‘aqeedah, as espoused by the Salafis and others remove Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco and others from being among the top 10 countries in pornographic online usage?

    Did Bilal ibn Rabah, Yasir, his wife and son Ammar, knew all these minute details about ‘aqeedah that helped them withstand the persecution in Makkah?

    Generally, those who possess the gift of the knowledge of the Deen, should put aside their differences for the moment and make every effort to save the planet from extinction, not from a nuclear explosion, but from social implosion resulting from the many varied problems that threaten to overwhelm the world.Please bear in mind also, that 7 billion people are waiting and watching … and so too is our Lord.

    Let’s make a concerted effort to prepare and train our youth with the correct basic ‘aqeedah and tarbiyah,that would not only catapult them as role models for the young men and women of the world,but would ensure that the work of Allah and problem-solving continue unabated.

    May Allah guide us all.

    Alyasa Abdullah

    Reply

  177. Ishaq

    May 14, 2014 at 11:24 AM

    Dear Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadi,

    For Point #6 in your article – you mentioned about takfiri salafis,

    I like to add something to it. A new brand of takfiris has emerged led by Ismail Ibrahim Patel alias Harris Hammam of extremist Islamic Awakening website. This new group abandoned salafism, but shares much with the Madkhalīs in terms of manners and harshness but remains staunchly opposed to them and salafis because of their difference of opinion on takfir of rulers. This group takes Sayyid Qutb and Abul Alaa Mawdudi as their role models. Are you aware of this sect/group and how would you classify them.

    Please note: They have written many unjust posts against you and I am not sure if you are aware of it.

    Reply

  178. confused khan

    May 21, 2014 at 3:34 PM

    what do you consider shias as ? do you consider them as muslims ? or do you consider them as kafirs?

    Reply

  179. Abu Abdur Rahman

    May 25, 2014 at 9:16 AM

    not to debate on this – but here is an explanation for those who want to seek – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdXCH7F7lk&feature=youtu.be

    Reply

  180. abu Yunus

    May 25, 2014 at 4:19 PM

    A simple question to Yasir Qadhi: Are you upon the Salafi manhaj (methodology)?

    Reply

  181. Khaled Montes

    June 4, 2014 at 1:42 AM

    Salam alaykum! Sorry for the delay, I already have the translation to spanish of this article ‘On Salafi Islam’. But unfortunately I do not have the means to upload it to a web page. Please give me a e-mail so I can send it to you! P.D. Thanks Shaykh Yasir Qadhi! Never stop making videos!

    Reply

  182. মুসলিম

    June 8, 2014 at 3:40 AM

    Ustad, Assalamu Alikum,
    I have one Question but not in this tropics its another tropics.

    Can i see World cup football match? are it permissible for a Muslim?

    Please Ustad answer my question its very important in this moment.
    please please cause i like one football team if its not Permissible, i should have to dislike for the love of ALLAH and his Rasul (s).

    i am waiting for your valuable answer.

    Brother from
    Bangladesh

    Reply

  183. Yusuf Abdulle

    June 17, 2014 at 12:54 PM

    Dr. Yasir Qadi’s self proposal about Salafis.

    I have read the article of Dr. Yasir Qadi thoroughly and carefully, and I found out that it was very much articulate, scholarly, and many times accurate in his analysis. However, like all humans he erred in some important conclusions.

    The distinction of some level of salifs was not accurate. For instance, departing between what he called the main stream Saudi scholars and Sahwa scholars is not accurate at all; as the so Sahwa scholars ( The word Sahwa means awakening which the Dr. Yasir misinterpreted into a non corresponding word) like sheikh Safar Ibn Abdurrahman Alhawali, Salman bin Fahad Alawda, Aid Alqarni, and others are not different from what author called the mainstream scholars like Sheikh Ibn Baz and Sheikh Uthaimeen.
    In fact these latter scholars are teachers and mentors of the Sahwa scholars and they publicly embrace each other. For example, sheikh Uthaimeen advised students of knowledge to read the book of sheikh Safar Alhawali about Asharia he particularly called his book the best to be written so far about this sect. And vise versa and even more on the side of the Sahwa scholars embracing their mentors and teachers in numerous occasions and events. Yes there was few political differences between the two but not to a level that they were to be categorized as differing Salifs.

    The same goes with sheikh Albani and what author called Jordanian group. Sheikh Albani was not deferent from the said sheikhs accept of few Fiqh issues like ruling regarding if the veil of women is obligatory or not but never in matters that are serious and related to Aqeedah.

    The other point is that which says One would have chosen Dubandis over a person whose creed is according to the Quran and Sunnah although that person may have some other shortcomings or misunderstanding of Fiqh, Usulul Fiqh or Fiqh of Dawa, is sort of mixing the priorities.

    Dubandis have the believes of Maturidiya and Asha’riya as their creed in the matters of Iman and it’s names and fundamentals of Deen. Also, some of them do have the believe of Ghulat Assufiya (the extreme Sufis ) like Hallaj and Ibn Arabi. So, indicating such group is closer than the New Salifs is an extreme understanding.

    It is definitive that everyone’s words and actions are either rejected or accepted based on their deviation from aQuran and Sunnah or their adherence to both. The only one whose all words and actions are right is Rasuulullah may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him.

    However, to follow the consensus of the Salaf Assalih is an obligatory and no one has the right to deviate from it, because their consensus was clearly manifested in the Quran and the Hadith.

    Finally, after I wrote this response I saw Sheikh Waleed Basyouni’s article which deserves to be written with pure gold water. He laid out the foundations of this matter and cleared the air from any misunderstanding and misperception. Salafia is not group but rather the faith of Islam in its original cover, pure and uninterrupted.
    Wassalamu Alaikum ww
    Yusuf Abdulle,

    Reply

  184. abu abdurrahman

    June 19, 2014 at 7:15 AM

    !!! imam ibn sireen said (33-110 AH) : indeed this knowledge is Deen, so look to the one you take your religion from. But unfortunately check who are the scholars of yasir qadhi at yale university.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCjxA9s5ZMY

    May make us firm on the salafi methodology and guide yasir qadhi to it.

    Reply

    • mohammad shahin islam khan salafi

      July 5, 2014 at 6:32 AM

      assalamu alykum oa rahmot ullahee obarakat hoon i all time belived shoee hadit and kuranul karim i do not like withought kuran and sohee hadit soliution if u tell me its a hadis i tell u thats u proved have u no proved thats this time i do not accepet its

      Reply

  185. Nuruddeen Abubakar

    July 10, 2014 at 8:38 PM

    sheirk yasir, what is the islamic view points on the paticipation of muslim woman in public services? help is my project topic. i need more

    Reply

  186. Binyamin Moore

    July 20, 2014 at 6:30 PM

    Shaykh Yasir, I think this is a brilliant article! Exactly how ive felt through my journey into Islaam. Very un biased and from some one who has been into the sect and seen where it has gone wrong but also seen its goodness its great to see some one else agrees :)

    Reply

  187. ahmed

    July 21, 2014 at 2:36 AM

    Wow truly amazing,
    I used to follow you,!
    When I first came to the religion 10 years back, this so called salafi i.e wahabi teachings were the only available teachings on the internet and Tv.
    And just like you mentioned, the idea of practicing and experiencing the religion with out intemidiaries was very attractive.
    I watched your lessons for many years,
    Until 4 years back I was fortunate to be introduced to the Ashari/ maturidi aqida.
    I had learnt about the real side of the wahabis, how albani was the first to implement the salafi name, while the true salafs were those early Muslims, whom the prophet praised. And many more truths.
    In fact, wahabism is more of a political movement and idea, spread using the petro dollars.
    Wahabism falling out would mean that the al saud dynasty would end.
    And that’s why we see the movement trying to influence many, even though its foundation is baseless.
    Now exactly one month ago, I was at someone’s and the peace TV channel that i hadn’t watched for quite some time was on, and you were on it.
    Then I was thinking, now yassir qadhi, which I had the highest respect for.
    What could have gone wrong, you didn’t seem when I knew you to be like most wahabi leaders influenced by the wealth of the al saud. I knew you had made ur decision in religion, and giving up ur degree studies and job I think.
    What is his deal? you seem to be smart enough to see the flaws of the wahabi aqida!
    And just today a friend sent me the radio interview you gave.
    Very happy to see your bald move, detailed but needs to be more clear cut.
    Using caution I understand.
    Pls look more into the Ashari Maturidi aqida,

    Reply

    • Yusuf

      July 11, 2018 at 4:12 AM

      ONE: “Salafiyyah”, by definition, is the pure, authentic, unadulterated Islaam which solves the problems of mankind, and comprises aql (reason) and hikmah (wisdom) – since there is nothing in the deen of Islam (Salafiyyah) which clashes with sound, uncorrupted reason.

      TWO: The statement of Ibn Taymiyyah is a refutation of Yasir Qadhi who claims (with arrogance) that “Salafiyyah” is not “intellectually stimulating” enough for him (see this and related articles for a refutation of his statements). Yasir Qadhi stated in a recent interview with Inter-Faith Radio:

      Well I guess 20 years ago when I was a teenager, I definitely would have self-identified as a Salafi Muslim but over the course of the last decade or so I have kind of sort of grown out of the movement now… I found the movement is not as intellectually stimulating as I would like it to be. I think that its not really capable of addressing modern issues, its very intransigent in the way that it views certain ideas, its also very hostile to anyone who disagree with its interpretation so I find myself disagreeing with quite a lot of the methodological issues associated with the salafi movement.

      THREE: The angle of refutation is that Yasir Qadhi knows full well that by by definition, “Salafiyyah” is the pure authentic Islam. A ten year stretch in the Islamic University of Madinah does not allow a person to claim ignorance of this, that by definition, “Salafiyyah” is the pure authentic Islam. Because sound reason never necessitates opposition to the way of Salafiyyah, Yasir Qadhi does not have sound reason – a judgement he essentially passes upon himself by his speech above. Thus, in his attempt to revile and arrogantly belittle the way of Salafiyyah (as being not intellectually stimulating enough and not able to solve modern problems) he has in fact reviled his own intellect.

      FOUR: Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah is a towering giant with intellect that far surpasses a thousand of the likes of Yasir Qadhi and in fact, it may be an insult to even make such a comparison in the first place. So when Ibn Taymiyyah, an intellectual giant, states, “Know that there is nothing from sound reason and nor from authentic text what necessitates opposition to the Salafi way, fundamentally” the true realities of people like Yasir Qadhi (pretending to be intellectually advanced and superior) are made readily apparent. Qadhi is calling to his own fikr (thought) and ra’i (opinion) which clashes with wahy (revealed text) – and this will be illustrated in other articles where he attempts to challenge Prophetic texts through false ta’weelaat (interpretations and explanations).

      FIVE: The implication of Yasir Qadhi’s saying is that the texts of revelation are not intellectually stimulating enough for him and his likes, and this is because Salafiyyah is nothing but the Sahaabah’s fahm (understanding) and tatbeeq (application) of the texts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah – this is what is Salafiyyah, it is the authentic, sound understanding of the revealed texts and their application. Yasir Qadhi essentially believes (by his admission above) that there is nothing in such fahm and tatbeeq that is able to address modern problems and that he is intellectually superior to Imaam Malik from whom it is related that he said, “The latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except what rectified its ealier part.” Yasir Qadhi and his likes think modern problems cannot be addressed by pure Islam (Salafiyyah), that modern problems are too complex and intricate and require sophisticated, smart, intelligent thinkers like himself and that ‘scholars living in desert lands” don’t really know or understand the realities of these modern problems and are not intellectually advanced enough to address them.

      The Salafi people are not perfect, but these lies against them are completely unacceptable. What do you know about Salafis – If you really were a Salafi before, you wouldn’t have said such lies?!

      All the scholars of Islaam [except FAKE ONES] agree that Salafiyyah is the truth and an arrogant fool is claiming things which are not true. The Salafis don’t know the names of the Sahabas but know the deviants!? WHAT GARBAGE!

      Check your own Islaam before you keep acting as if you know everything. The supporters of this man are blinded by his evil! Misguidance can come in many forms. Do not fall for it, whether it is a person who “looks” like a Shaykh or not!

      Reply

  188. Iqbalian

    July 25, 2014 at 12:29 AM

    The modern day Salafis are the very same people Hazrat Isa (as) was fighting when he began preaching. He of course was engaging with the Pharisees (Jewish equivalent of Salafis). These are people that follow Islam ”in letter” but not ”in spirit”. Their concern for Islam goes no further than the size of a Muslim man’s beard and what the ”best hijab” is for a Muslim woman. These people make religion difficult for people, and Allah (swt) will question them on the day of judgement. There’s a hadith of Ibn Abbas (as), it goes, I recall from memory, ”We first learnt Iman, then we learnt the Quran”. Indeed, that is precisely what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught first -IMAN. Sharia didn’t descend upon the Hejaz in one day, it came in steps. And all other facets of Islam complemented the Sharia. When most of us in the Ummah have weak Iman can we really expect to force Sharia down everyone’s throat as the Salafis would like? And a lot of these people just hope to bash the non-muslim-western world for having colonized the Islamic world. Their mission is one of hate. They hope to gain power solely for the purposes of annihilating the non-Islamic world. Is this the Prophetic method?

    Reply

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  191. Taimur

    August 3, 2014 at 2:11 PM

    ya sheikh , As a Salafi and someone who respects you deeply and loves you for the sake of Allah (SWT) , are you ever going to write an article on the Sufis and about the bidah and shirk some of their groups have introduced into Islam or it just Salafi Islam that is the whipping boy here ?????

    Reply

  192. Abdul Rashid Dulloo

    August 4, 2014 at 5:42 AM

    I do agree with some of the observations expressed in the article. however, there is very little what can be done to let Islam address the issues concerning humanity right now. The more you interpret Islam as a conceptual framework as against a set of practices and rituals, the more is the chance of Islam getting flexible and consequently sheltering un Islamic practices leading to a chaos and drifting away from the original Islam. And that is what must be worrying salafis.So long as we claim that Islam is eternal and not subject to amendment, there is no scope for eradication of friction between salafis and liberal and emancipated muslims. The impact of time and space on the edifice of Islam is a reality and must be acknowledged.

    Reply

  193. Naveed

    August 4, 2014 at 4:08 PM

    Mr yasir qazi is trying to rescue a wounded and dying movement.
    Having studied in the states he now realises that it is on its last legs and cannot withstand the intellectual attacks waged on it by both the secularists who have economically funded it for decades and the madhabis who have centuries of scholarship against its one or two shaykh al islams….

    I think a much braver thing to do would be to recognise that the salafi movement isn’t a positive movement with one or two priority and wisdom issues but that it is a movement that at its core is antithetical to islam and presents a God who is a viscous and mean figure who would wish destruction on all outside of its fold – and this rabid dawah that has appealed to psychologically imbalanced youths in Birmingham and Brixton and the likes deserves to die .

    Some years ago a famous Alim said May the best dawah win.
    It seems salafi dawah is losing – as the cream of madhabi
    Sufi Islam rises to cure the maladies of the human minds and souls with the true essence of an Islam that nurtures the humanity from the merciful lord who made us all

    Peace

    Reply

  194. Naveed

    August 5, 2014 at 4:29 PM

    I do think we should applaud yasir qadhi on taking this brave step.
    I hope and pray that this is a takbir that marks the end of decades of violence and misery and that this is a takbir that signifies the beginning of the janazah Salah as we bid farewell to this ugly and vivacious movement that has destroyed the lives of many and admittedly has led some to find islam in a similar manner that heresies such as noi did .

    Salafi Islam.we bid you adieu.

    We ask Allah for a ni3mal badal from this mubdal Minhu.

    Reply

    • p4rv3zkh4n

      January 10, 2015 at 9:41 PM

      Salaf lexically means predecessor.

      The Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa salaam) said to Fatimah; “I am the best Salaf for you” (Sahih Muslim and Bukhari).

      The Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
      “Indeed Jibreel used to listen to my recitation of the Quran once a year, and he has now (i.e. this year) done so twice, and I do not see except that my appointed time is close, so fear Allah and be patient for indeed I am a blessed ‘salaf’ (Predecessor) for you.” [Collected by Bukhaari (5928) and Muslim (2450)]

      Abdullah Ibn Abi Zayd al Qairawani (d. 386 H.) said, “Salvation lies in seeking protection in the Book of Allah Almighty and the Sunnah of His Prophet and following the path of the believers and that of the best of generations of the best community produced for mankind. Reliance on that is protection. Salvation lies in following the righteous Salaf.” [Introduction to his book al-Risalah]

      Imam al-Asbahaanee (d.535H) – rahimahullaah – said: “The sign of Ahlus-Sunnah is that they follow the Salafus-Saalih and abandon all that is innovated and newly introduced into the Deen.” [Al-Hujjah fee Bayaanil Mahajjah 1/364]

      Muhammad ibn Seereen said: “If a man is upon (following) the narrations (i.e. of the Salaf) then he is upon the path”
      [Collected by Ad Daarimi (140, 141) and Al Khalaal in ‘As Sunnah’ (1102)]

      Many moderns sufis are seriously misguided. Some sufis are coomiting shirk by seeking help from the dead saints. Some sufi groups are practising bid’a (innovation in deen) by saying incomplete dhikr such as “Huwa.”

      The word Sufi is most likely to be derived from the Arabic word “soof”, meaning wool. This is because of the Sufi habit of wearing woolen coats, a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat as an imitation of Isa bin Maryam (Jesus). In reply to this, Ibn Taymiyyah said: “There are a people who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woolen clothes, claiming that they want to resemble al-Maseeh ibn Maryam. But the way of our Prophet is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.s) used to wear cotton and other garments.” [Al Fataawa]

      Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala is completely distinct from His Creation. He neither resembles His Creation, nor is He enclosed by it. Sufis however, with their deviant doctrine of Wahdat ul Wujood, believe contrary to this. Ibn Arabi, the Sufi heretic with whom which the concept of Wahdat ul Wujood is attributed, asserted that since Allah’s Attributes were manifested in His creation, to worship His creation is similar to worshipping Him: “So the person with complete understanding is he who sees every object of worship to be a manifestation of the truth contained therein, for which it is worshipped. Therefore they call it a god, along with its particular name, whether it is a rock, or a tree, or an animal, or a person, or a star, or an angel.” [Hadhihi Hiyas-Soofiyah, p.38]

      This is how far the Sufis deviated because of their reliance on Greek and Eastern philosophy, rather than the Qur’an and Sunnah. To them God is not Allah Alone with whom no one else shares in His Dominion, but rather everything we see around us, and ultimately our own selves! Glory to Allah, who Stated “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer” [Quran 42: 11].

      Ibn Jawzi stated; Nothings harms the Muslims’ thinking more than Mutakallimin (practitioners of greek philosophy) and the sufis (mystics). The former group (such as Mu’tazila, Jahmiyyahs and Murjiyyas) ruins people’s creed, and the latter group ruins people’s deeds and religious laws.
      [Talbis Iblis page 504]

      Ibn Abu Haatim Ar-Raazee said:
      “Our Madhhab and that which we choose as a way is following the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), his companions and the Taabi’een; clinging to the Madhhab of Ahlul-Athar such as Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal.”[ Sharh Usool I’tiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah 1/179]

      The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said,
      “I left upon you two things of which you will never go astray after them: The Book of Allah and my Sunnah. They will never be separated until they return to me at the Haud (the Pond).”
      [Reported by Al-Hakim and Tirmidhi’]

      Reply

  195. Fahim (Ben)

    August 12, 2014 at 11:16 AM

    Dear Dr.Yasir Qadhi, ,

    I sincerely appreciate your article , a well detailed summing of a human movement that has today plagued the entire Muslim UMMAH , When religious movements taken on to enforce their ideology of Islam ,Islam comes out to the whole world as a Cult of Tyranny .

    May Allah swt bless you and reward you for educating me about this new movement that has caused so much of misunderstanding and hate against Islam and Muslims all over the world ,like never before .

    I sincerely hope all Muslims will concentrate more on the pressing emergency of the Social problems The UMMAH is struggling today with,,like Poverty , shelter , health needs ,education ,people struggling with debts ,unemployment , while they also encourage and foster spirituality .

    Wasalam

    Reply

  196. Abdulaziz Al-Quai

    August 16, 2014 at 2:27 AM

    Asalam Alekoum

    Shaikh Yaseer, hope you are in good health and may Allah reward you for your good deeds, jazak Allah Khair for what you are doing.
    I read you article and agree with some things but I would like to point out some other things you had them wrong :) please have an open mind to at least consider.

    many points but it will take many pages to mention each one, so in general, your understanding of Salafizem is very influenced by the Madkhalī-Salafīs, and it shows all over your article and specially in the “Criticisms of the Movement”. it could be because you studied in Madeenah which they have a big influence there, also living in Saudi for an non-Saudi can make you think what people are doing (some of the cultural things) is part of the salafi teaching and some of them will even say it is, but it is in fact individual and cultural things not to be blamed on the salafi movement. (example, women driving, or saying her name, political involvement, jihad …etc. the things you mentioned)

    as well you can NOT hold a movement on the doings of ignorant, non-educated and non-knowledgeable individuals as they are a problem where ever you have them.

    and on another note, it sadden me when I heard you on the radio saying that you grown out of the Salafi movement, really hope for you the best, and may Allah guide us all and hope you have a chance to sit down with the big scholars from different countries even from saudi and discuss these topics.

    Reply

    • Adem

      August 18, 2014 at 7:31 AM

      Aww (for yassir and you) you should act brotherly and understand islam separatly from what our enemy is saying about islam on thier media.you wash you brain from the corrupted idia of the jewish. You shuold have the right understandig of islam as a religion ……

      Reply

  197. Ashhar Raza

    August 21, 2014 at 1:29 AM

    Assalamu alaikum Sheikh Dr Yasir Qadhi,

    May Allah reward you for your intention. After reading this article today, or thinking back on this article, do you think that you wrote some things that perhaps you should have avoided,and which did not bring much benefit?

    Reply

  198. Ummu 'Abdurrahman

    August 28, 2014 at 10:40 PM

    Assalaamu’alaykum syaikhunaa hafidhakallah

    i just want to know about your opinion of using the term of ‘salafi’. ive ever found that it is permitted to use the term of salafi due to syaikhul islam ibn taimiyya’s premise in Majmu al-Fatawa 4/149 that i red in “kun salafiyyan ‘alal jaadda” that’s written by asy-syaikh ‘Abdussalam ibn Salim as-Suhaimy.

    jazaakumullaahu ahsan al jazaa’

    Reply

  199. Ummu 'Abdurrahman

    August 28, 2014 at 11:40 PM

    assalamu’alaykum syaikhunaa rahimakallah, i need your opinion regarding to this

    Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiya said: “There is no blame on the one that manifest madhhab as salaf, to attribute and affiliate oneself with it, rather acceptance of that from him is obligatory unanimously. Thus madhhab as salaf is nothing but the truth.” [majmoo fataawa 4/149]

    that i found in the book of asy syaikh ‘abdussalam ibn salim ibn raja’ as suhaymi ‘kun salafiyyan ‘alal jaadda’

    jazaakumullaahukhoiiir

    Reply

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  201. Sheriffdeen

    September 22, 2014 at 7:16 AM

    Ha! sheikh this is true, the statement i quoted below was the same arguement a brother used to debate with me to discredit scholars of Islam who assoiciate with sufi’s.

    “This methodology is the defining group of the ‘Madkhalīs’ (students of the Saudi Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī), who legitimise this practice by considering it an extension of the science of al-Jarh wa’l-taʿdīl (the science of ‘ḥadīth criticism’ whereby Ḥadīth specialists deem narrators to be reliable or not). While in recent years the popularity of the Madkhalī strand has waned considerably, many non-Madkhalī Salafīs continue to adopt a hardline attitude on this point, refusing even to invite persons of different viewpoints to their conferences and gatherings.

    However, some Salafī scholars and groups adopt a more lenient stance in this regard, and are willing to allow co-operation with some non-Salafī communities (for example, allowing cooperation with Deobandis, but not Shīʿīs)”.

    Reply

  202. Abu Adam

    October 6, 2014 at 6:26 AM

    Dr. Yasir,

    I have utmost respect for you and attended several of your lectures in the late nineties in Houston.
    Those were very interesting and inspirational and I was completely intrigued and absorbed in your teachings
    at the time. However, after growing up I realized that many of the Salafi beliefs were exclusionary
    and not compatible with life in modern society. This realization actually led me to become quite disillusioned
    with Islam. The main reason for the disillusionment was because I considered Salafism to be the true Islam, and if that was proven to be a falsehood then essentially Islam itself had faults.

    Rather than focus on Islam I turned towards my studies and completed law school. Now several years later I
    find myself reconsidering my position and I am so glad to see mainstream American Islam move away from Salafism
    and towards a more rational, moderate and practical form Islam. I am glad to see you shift away from the movement.

    I have started reading more of your recent work and watching your lectures online. One of the lectures which I found
    quite surprising and interesting was the one on the The Tribe of Banu Quraytha here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZE1N56fswY

    In this lecture you make the point that somewhere between 400 to 800 men of the Banu Quraytha were killed. You go on to provide the context of the executions and then explain the justification behind them.

    To put things in context you emphasize that the Quraytha were warned multiple times and that their punishment was decided in accordance with their own law and by a judge of their own choosing. However, you do concede that the Prophet Muhammed had the final decision on whether to enforce this punishment or to have mercy and he indeed chose to enforce this punishment and declared that it was from Allah.

    You go on to state that the people of the Banu Quraytha were not killed because of who they were. Rather, they were
    killed because of what they did. This may make sense in relation to the leaders of the tribe who made the decisions to betray the Muslims. However, how do you justify the killing of men and boys who were not involved in the decisions of their leaders? How can women and children be condemned to slavery for the actions of their husbands and fathers? Does Islam not prohibit the punishment of one person for the crimes of another? How can the acts of a few be attributed to the many and then all of them handed a blanket sentence without consideration of individual guilt?

    As as lawyer this is unfathomable and goes against natural law. I am having great difficulty trying to reconcile how this position could be considered even remotely acceptable by Muslims in today’s day and age.

    The reason why this is such an important issue is that Islam claims the actions of prophet Muhammed to be perfect
    and that his teachings and guidance to be eternal and applicable to all future generations of Muslims. If we concede
    that what the prophet did in this circumstance was a mistake or was not perfect, then the very foundation upon which Islam exists is put in jeopardy. Thus, this is a very serious issue and should be considered very carefully.

    To clarify the issue and critical question once again: Does islam not condemn the killing of one person for the crimes of another? How can the acts of the leaders of Quraytha be proscribed to all adult males and justify the execution and enslavement of an entire tribe?

    Reply

    • Aly Balagamwala

      October 27, 2014 at 1:07 AM

      Following is a response I got from someone who has studied the Seerah, as I requested him for an explanation for my own knowledge. Unfortunately, the brother will not be available for follow up discussion on this. I hope it helps to answer your query.

      QUOTE
      I took some time to reply because I am bogged down with work. I also wanted to make sure I understood what Dr. Yasir had said in the lecture before I responded. Frankly the lecture answered most of the questions this person asked in a far better way than I would. That leaves 2 possibilities: (1) That the questioner is not as familiar with the social & historical context of these events. (2) That there are some underlying issues with their faith.

      Hopefully it is the first possibility. A couple of points to note for those who have never lived for extended periods in societies other than the West:

      1. Tribes, (then and now) are communal entities. Members of a tribe are expected to support the right and wrong decisions of their leaders. This is as true for tribes in the Amazonian forest as it is in Yemen. Islam sought to change that and has been reasonably successful, sometimes. This is very different from the norms of a western society, where the rights and responsibilities are both individual in nature.

      2. Tribal societies recognized 3 roles for a member of the tribe: Relative (related by blood), protected (through an oath) or a slave (ownership).

      3. Any man (definition: male, has hit puberty) defends the honor of the tribe with force and is considered a fighting companion. The child soldiers of Africa and the Kalash carriers of Waziristan are a brutal wonder for us today. However, they were the norm in the medieval age.

      4. Slaves, though bonded, were fed and protected as members of the tribes. Although they desired freedom from bondage, they frequently identified with the tribes that owned them. For instance slaves from heathen tribes fought against the Muslims in Uhud. Slaves could also buy their freedom by working and paying their masters off over time.

      Let deal with the issue of the men and the women/children separately. Firstly, the men:

      As citizens of the state (signatories to the covenant of the Madinan state in 1 A.H), the banu Qureidza held responsibility for the defense of the state. When they reneged and supported the enemy in attacking the state, they were guilty of treason. A small number of them did object to their chiefs’ decision to rebel (e.g. Amr). They were spared by the Muslims afterwards. The punishment for treason (then and now) is death. So they got what they deserved.

      Lets now talk about the women and children.

      In a tribal society, where would women and children go after their husbands were executed or fell in war? In most cases the women were raped on the battlefield, while the children were killed to prevent the enemy’s line from continuing. Even if a noble warlord spared their lives, they were hunted down by neighboring tribes and meted out the same treatment. Medieval societies came up with an alternative that was used by some warlords: Slavery. These women and children would become part of another tribe, where would be fed and protected until their children had grown. Now, I don’t mean to make slavery sound desirable, but under the circumstances it allowed them to survive.

      The families of the traitors of banu Qureidza were enslaved. Many of those children grew up in Muslim households, became Muslims and rose to the level of the sahaba (e.g. AbdurRahman ibn Zubair ibn Bata).

      Now, for the second possibility, indeed I hope I am mistaken in my perception. One day you and I and everyone around us will be dead. We will face our Lord with the only 2 things we are allowed to carry forth: Our belief and our deeds. A critical part of that belief is that the Prophet’s (SAW) actions were divinely guided. If your belief hangs on these arcane twists in history, it is time to reconsider your position. Frankly, the fate of the traitors of banu Qureidza should not have a higher priority than your own fate.

      I am NOT sorry if I sound harsh. A man should have the guts to stare his choice of a destiny in the face.

      UNQUOTE

      Best Regards
      Aly
      *Comment above is posted in a personal capacity and may not reflect the official views of MuslimMatters or its staff*

      Reply

    • Aly Balagamwala

      October 27, 2014 at 1:14 AM

      Dear Abu Adam

      Shaykh Yasir Qadhi acknowledged that your question is one that needs to be answered but it would require a full detailed article which at this point in time he is not available to write.

      Best Regards
      Aly Balagamwala

      Comments Team Lead

      Reply

      • Omer

        November 12, 2014 at 3:10 AM

        Dear Shaikh Qadhi, Brother Aly, and Brother Abu Adam,

        Regarding the Banu Qurayza incident which is misunderstood by most Muslim scholars, I appeal to you all to see two academic sources

        1. Please see http://www.haqq.com.au/~salam/misc/qurayza.html

        (I do not know about this parent website….I simply did search for the article above I heard of…I did not have the time to read nor do I necessarily endorse any other articles in the website that added this article and they are not germane to the above stand alone article written decades ago).

        2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgS5l4lv_4

        Shakih Atabek Shukurov An-Nasafi is a Hanafi Scholar. He pursued knowledge with some of the most highly respected scholars Shaikhs in multiple places around the world including Shaikh Uthaymeen in Saudi Arabia (not that I am endorsing the views of Shaikh Uthaymeen but just to highlight that this Shaikh has been exposed to many different views and is very well read).

        Shaikh Atabek analyzed all hadiths about the incident and says they all spoke about muqatiloon being killed and that the idea that all these men and older boys were killed is false and against the hadith.

        But most important of all I want to say what is most important is what is unquestionably authentic, the words of Allah and Allah says regarding the event that some were slain and some were ransomed….the Qur’an thus flatly contradicts the story in Ibn Hisham that all were killed.

        God knows best.

        Best Regards,

        Omer

        Reply

  203. Kamran Khan

    October 19, 2014 at 3:59 AM

    Wow! That’s a lot to digest. Finished reading once. Will need to read many times again :) Jazak-Allaah Sheikh for taking the initiative to document your views on the subject. May Allaah make us benefit from all the good in this, and protect us from the evil of what we might otherwise lead ourselves to.

    Reply

  204. Ton Cek

    November 6, 2014 at 5:20 AM

    What is the Salafi attitude to Islam’s violent history in the past 1400 or so years when this predatory religion was on the march and hundreds of millions of victims were killed or enslaved? If they don’t denounce Islam’s violent history how can they claim any moral high ground?

    Reply

  205. Ahmed

    December 1, 2014 at 12:11 PM

    No need to disassociate isil with Wahabism, it is evident in the books of Wahhabi Founders that it is permissible to kill, and loot the properties and women of those who are not on the path of the Wahabi doctrine.
    This is how we’ve seen isil behaving lately and that’s exactly how early wahabis behaved when they raided Taif and several villages.
    we can find authors like mufti Dahlan, who has witnessed the first account attrocities, and authored the book “fitnatul wahabiya”
    I suggest you also read the pinpoint article byAlastair cook has sumerized it in his recent article about Isis & wahabism, pls read .. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5717157

    Reply

    • Syed Muhammed

      December 2, 2014 at 9:09 AM

      Prophet Muhammed SAW has emphasized more on QURAN AND SUNNAH and that after next come khilaf ur rasheedon i.e Hazrat Abu Bakr , Umar ,Uthman and Ali,(Raziallahu anhum) and all four of them had reformed in many areas of Islam, The so called modern salafism failed because they do not take anything from these four khalifah rather everybody intrepret his own view and give own opinion just seeing the text of QURAN and HADITH.
      Uthman and Ali (RA) were Powerful in all areas of Deen. Ali is the gateway of Knowledge and all sufi(mystism) comes from the teaching of ALI(may be it looks weird to many of us) but truth cannot be deny.

      Reply

  206. Mubashir Nazir

    December 1, 2014 at 10:28 PM

    Assalamualakum
    Sir It is quite shocking that a scholar like you pointing out few errors of the people following the movement..The movement doesnot spread these rather it spreads true Islam on the other hand you are supporting a movement whose aqeedah is false..I request you to have a look back on both movements…
    Being a non practising muslim with gud aqeedah can be considered better than a practising false aqeedah muslim..

    Reply

  207. sheikh osman

    December 14, 2014 at 5:43 PM

    Asaalaamu Alaykum dear brother.
    I appreciate you efforts for trying to understand salafis.. while you wrote in your article that there is no fully authentic movement but on the other hand you wrote Deobandi is the good one. What i feel that you don’t know the reality of Deobandis. I am not the follower of any movement or madhab, i consider myself as a simple muslim and a student of Islam. Its not good that you point out more negatives and a few positives rather its best to try presenting the real picture of Islam. Today we are in the competition of knowledge but lack competition of Prophetic Character.

    Reply

  208. Khaled

    December 22, 2014 at 7:24 PM

    What does Shaykh Yasir think of this post?

    http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f15/what-is-ibadah-70187/index47.html#post778316

    Reply

  209. Adnan Mukhtar

    January 2, 2015 at 12:18 AM

    Shaykh. جزاك ﷲ خيراً‎ for this is a wonderfully detailed article that shows the depth of your research. At the end, the only labels that should matter to us all are:
    (1) we remain Muslims — testify that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ‎ is the messenger of Allah ;
    (2) we remain constant Mu’mins — believe in what Allah has revealed to us in the Quran, practice the commandments in His Noble book of Guidance, and stay steadfast in the example and practice of Rasool Allah ﷺ‎.
    (3) become Muhsins — constantly strive to reach the ultimate level of excellence in our Iman as if we are seeing Allah ;

    And all the while, we ask Allah to make us one among two of the three groups during the day of judgement (Quran 56:3):
    (1) Al-Saabiqoon — the forerunners to enter the highest levels of Jannah ;
    (2) or at least, Ashaab al-Maimanah — People of the Right eligible of Jannah in the company of our Salaf;
    and not of the (3) Ashaab al-Mash’amah — People of the Left.
    آمين.

    Reply

  210. Sadiq

    January 15, 2015 at 3:59 PM

    I recommend that someone make an Arabic translation of this article so that the people here in the Gulf would understand. It would really be beneficial.

    Reply

  211. Imtiyaz Yusuf

    April 14, 2015 at 7:13 PM

    Please add me to your new post alerts list. Thank you.

    Reply

  212. sami

    May 5, 2015 at 7:19 AM

    salaam alaikom

    jazakallah gair by this good article bur one question
    is sheikh al albani good because he classified many hadith books (tirmidi etc.)

    salaam
    sami

    Reply

  213. sami

    May 5, 2015 at 7:19 AM

    salaam alaikom

    jazakallah gair by this good article bur one question
    is sheikh al albani good because he classified many hadith books (tirmidi etc.)

    Reply

  214. Said

    June 26, 2015 at 5:10 PM

    Amazing thought provoking article. May Allah bless you.
    I would love to see similar articles about other sects such as the Sufis or Deobandis.

    What I love about the Salafi movement is their Aqeedah and trying their best to avoid shirk and innovation (alhough some take it out of proportion). I’m not fond of their attitude in thinking they are the saved group and everything about them is correct.

    My take home message from this article is not to stick to a group but try your best to hold to the rope of Islam and follow the Quran and Sunna as best as we can.

    And which sect is the best? This verse has the best answer…..

    “And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.” [Quran 41:33]

    Reply

    • Tadar Jihad Wazir

      June 28, 2015 at 7:20 AM

      As-Salaam-u alaikum, and Ramadhan Mubarak!!! “And which sect is the best? This verse has the best answer…..

      “And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.” [Quran 41:33]

      Whose word can be more truthful than Allah’s? An-Nisaa’, 4:87/122

      We are to look at the “salaf” to get the operating principles and apply their meanings to man’s evolving knowledge and understanding of creation, Allah, man – aka Adam, and man’s role within creation. Allah speaks of man flying into the heavens based on man’s attaining great knowledge and power. And He makes other statements that let us know, that as His representative agents, that we are to READ IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD WHO CREATED….; then we are to apply that knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in ways that are pleasing to Him.

      Reply

  215. Muizzuddin Yaqeen

    July 19, 2015 at 1:19 PM

    Assalaam o Alaikum dear brother Qadi,
    A warm greeting from Afghanistan. I truly enjoyed reading your article and the way you presented facts. To me its very unbiased and reflects realities. According to a saying ” the best of our friends are those points out our mistakes in constructive way, the Salafi brothers must appreciate you for this efforts, and i do wish to read more of your works on different sects so that truth can be unveiled.
    I can’t say more than Jazakallah!!!

    By the way, i am studying in IOU under doctor Bilal, do give me some advise if you feel so:)

    Reply

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  217. Arshad

    August 20, 2015 at 3:46 AM

    Assalaamu Alaykum Dr Yasir,

    Thank you for this great article. I am studying a degree at the Islamic Online University. No doubt, this article will help me and others to understand better the movement (s).

    May Allah bless you. Ameen.

    Reply

  218. H. Ali

    August 22, 2015 at 8:15 PM

    Salam : Mr Yasir, thank for making an attempt to direct people to the present day needs . talking the good and bad about Salafism and Sufism. I think if only the followers imbibe The good of Salafism and the good of Sufism , then we will not see the rivers of blood that is being spilled among the so called only correct followers of Islam: the Salafis.
    Sufism is the Love of God and Love of Mankind for the love of God. You serve God by serving humanity ( God does not needs food shelter money clothing , human beings need it) , Muslims and Non Muslims. We Muslims aught to be the problem solvers and healers of whatever ails the humans at our times or any time in future..
    Our Beloved Prophet Mohammed did exactly that , solved all the existing ailments of the society within the short duration of 23 yrs. Removed dishonest behavior, stopped intoxicating behavior , which damages self and society tremendously , stopped the Usury ( which is oppressive to a man we saw recently over here how the man ‘s house the shirt on his back was taken away by those who gave predatory loans , a parasitic behavior was removed , stopped the oppression of women ( girls being buried alive : were stopped with in his own lifetime) , nowadays girls are detected in the mothers womb and are getting aborted ( it will make much more sense for Salafi and Sufi and Shia and Ahmadi to work together to make this a better world : rather than each one claim that they are the only right ones on how to wash your face and do the salat which scholar to follow. ) and many other behavioral changes in individuals and societies are needed to improve .
    Our Beloved Prophet like the past ones did all this with the help of worship of One God , whom he ardently loved and gave his entire life in service to Him with the concept of One God and One Humanity. We all need to focus on behavioral psychology which the Qur’an is filled with it. Allah loveth those who are truthful ( that means we need to be truthful etc), Allah loveth those who are Patient ( persistant)and thankful, Allah loveth those who are just ,and establish justice in land, Allah loveth who give a goodly loan to Him , and there shall be recompense in the hereafter better and bigger. ( He does not needs loan of money . It is our good deeds towards a fellow human being, a family member or a wayfarer in need.)
    At one place it says Woo to those who pray to show off and fail to do small kindnesses to each other .. ( So much for the Volumes of writing of the scholars on prayers and methodology, that those prayers are in fact detested by Allah.)
    I do not think we pray for Allah or Allah is in need of my/our Prayers, I am in need to pray to Him to get help and right guidance on how to live happily , how to solve my own problems as well as those of others, if I can rise above my own needs. I need to recharge myself 5 times a day / and at night time as the night time is the time of good concentration and less distractions. , just like a recharging is needed for battery of anything Ipad or iphone. Only thing is the phone is only physical , but I do have a soul that need to be recharged. I need to Love Allah and have fear of Him and have hope of His mercy to be showered upon me and on the believers , in here and in the hereafter.
    I want to emphasize : Just like Salafism has many colors there are good and bad ones in them, similarly among the Sufism there are many colors , there are good and bad ones in them. I went to attend a medical conderance in Riyadh and this physician tells off Sufi’s are not Muslims !!. It was so hurtful but at the same time I had to shed pity on him, who thinks a Judge himself when he is only a servant , has been sent to serve. Unprovoked tells gives this statement.
    My Mother was a Sufi : she did her not only five times prayers but I saw her never miss her tahajjud prayers. She never used any sufi Saint as a mediator of dua. In fact I shall say , she carried such an awe with her due to her love of offering salaat , anywhere the time came, that I remember in India in a district called Warangal, the public transportation bus ,one day came by at the bus stop where me and my mother were waiting for the bus. It so happened she started to pray at the side as it was time for Asr and the Bus arrives when she is still praying, so the driver stops and waits till she finishes her prayers and starts only after she and me had boarded. Alhamdulillah. ( A bus load of passengers waiting for her to complete her prayers without complaint , mind you this is India where majority are Hindus)The only reason I have pointed it out is, not that I am a Sufi ( I try to take the best of Sufi and Salafi and Shia and Ahmedi, for I hate Muslims calling other Muslims : You are not a Muslims taking up the Judge ship when it belongs to Allah and Him alone.) But because , Certain Ulama that come to our Masjid stand at the podium and start saying that Sufi do this this this ad nauseum ( they use the dead saint as a guide , etc). When no such things happens with most Sufi’s. When if Sufism is followed right it is most beautiful. It is not easy to follow it , The concept that I know , which I do not know much . : is to live in a state of fanafillah . That means total service to God . I mean like the Innas salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamti lillahi rabbilalameen. You know it is kill with a bomb tied toself , but harder is living and living with total service and total sacrifice of self. Deny yourself the luxuries of excess good food , eat only upto to the healthy BMI of 18 -25 , deny yourself of anger revenge,at your fellow human being , feed the poor, in short tend to the needs and not the greed of self and of even our family members of friends .It is not easy.One of the ayats in S. Mudassir is the reason we are in hell fire is because we urged not the feeding of poor. working to remove the injustices within the family and society. Not easy. But when we dedicate to do , Allah himself assigns men and others to help achieve . Many eg: Gandhi , Malcolm x and Martin Luther who lived with complete sacrifice and service : The power of One man was equivalent to million and more. We have many eg within us too . Syedna Omar Farooq and Khalid bin Walid and Abu Baker.
    So be it Sufi or Salafi we have to work very hard , with all we have. The fact is lazyness catches us all, we start running towards religiousness , use it as a blanket to feel cozy and get lazy, and then get greedy also , and do all sorts of wrong things.
    As you said in your article : Lucky are those who correct themselves. . I am glad you made this attempt of self correction. Some One with your stature of knowing so much about religion needed to do this.
    A more concise form of this will be helpful too.Short and sweet reminders are needed for the youth.
    Please believe me I pray for this blood shed to stop that is occuring in the Salafi Lands, I sincerely believe if they had Sufi love in their hearts , Sufi Concepts they would not indulge in this bloodshed. However One needs to remember this bloodshed is more than Salafism, it is the Jostling of the Land and its Resources: However : As Quran says : Whoever is protected from its own hearts greed , they are the winners. No one can make them fight like this , if they refuse to get greedy about gains.
    May the most merciful help establish peace and stop the bloodshed and the displacement of millions of humans , Men women and children my heart aches, but I do have hope from Allah to make us all Humanity one to live in Peace.
    Thank You again . May Allah bless you and your family with His mercy.
    . However when trouble times comes one has to be patient and persistent trying to find solutions. Trying to find what works to dispel this dark cloud. Only the light of education and action,working together with Muslims and Non Muslims , will dispel the dark cloud within us and in others. Thank you , Thank you. Praise to God and Peace to all Prophets.

    Reply

  219. Ali ibn Abdullah

    August 24, 2015 at 10:20 AM

    بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
    As salamu alaykum,
    I feel that it is rarely progressive to generalise about different schools of Islam; even the scholars within a school rarely agree on everything. We all have the same Holy Quran and the same Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa alih) and each individual has their own unique perception of Islam. One can hold different perceptions while still being kind and supportive of one’s brothers and sisters in faith – God-forbid we become lost in the details and forget the essential basics of Islam; kindness and compassion.

    The Sunnah of our beloved (saawa) is to gently and respectfully impart knowledge to those who are willing to discuss. Blanket hatred of individuals who subscribe to certain schools of Islam is horribly destructive – this can ostracise and further deepen divides. Using terms such as ‘deviant’ will only limit progression and is not the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa alih).

    The solution to ignorance is knowledge and if this ‘parcel’ is wrapped in understanding and love it will be more likely to be entertained by the recipient. Islam spreads because of the attractive nature of our role models and those who emulate them. If you offer me hostility then I will reject you and your ‘religion’.

    I welcome genuine academic debate and am equally respectful when discussing with Shia, Sunni, Salafi and any other beliefs; exploring aspects of Islam with others is lovely when it is well-mannered. Truth prevails over falsehood (ref 2:256 & 17:81) and there are plenty of subjects that most Muslims have not considered that can enhance their faith if they only hear of them. The fact that the Earth is not a globe for example is something that one will only explore if one becomes aware that there is now a hugely entertaining scientific debate over this – and yet in more than a dozen verses, the Holy Quran has described our realm as stationary, spread out and with a moving sun and moon. Even a cursory look at the observable clear proofs of this will literally open up your world! It can be proven for yourself in hundreds of ways that NASA are deceivers and that our world is not ball-shaped. This can only happen if we talk to one another. Many atheists are waking up to the globe-hoax and reassessing religion because the false theories that pseudo-science offered them to explain Creation no longer work, alhamdulillah.

    The enemies of Allah (Azza wa Jall) would love that we are ignorant and divided and they are working hard at this so please be discerning and remain calm and well-mannered; remember that we are all representatives of our faith and Islam has never been more in the spotlight. We have the attention of billions of souls; all we have to do now is gently correct the lies and love one another.

    Reply

  220. Rafiqul Hoque

    October 28, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    Assalamu Alaikum. Thanks a lot to Brother Yasir Qadi for this realistic and informative article. What if we say, these salafi brothers are good from theological point of view and very weak from functional point of view? in preaching Aqidah they are Masha Allah doing well, I have no question about their Akhlaq too, but regarding application of Aquidah in our everyday life in every walk of our life and every where we are in the world, they have a little bit Idea I see. They are not practical according to global world exectly.

    Reply

  221. Abu Muusa Muhammad Ibn Jonathan al amreeki

    November 28, 2015 at 3:05 AM

    You need a new name for the article. Here’s a suggestion : “The swooping justice pen of most honorable and Nobel Shaykh Yaasir Al Qaadhi righteously obliterates the the deviant methodology of false claimants to the most pure creed of al Salafiyyah”. Read the article on ex- salafeee publications.com.

    Reply

  222. hasan

    December 22, 2015 at 8:14 AM

    CLASSIFICATION OF SALAFIS BASED ON WHAT MERE SUPERFICIAL CLAIMS / EVEN THOSE NOT CAIMING THEMSELVES OPENLY TO BE SALAFI ARE MENTIONED / EVEN DEOBANDIS AND BARELWIS MAY CLAIM THEMSELVES TO BE SALAFIS.. I THINK THE CLASSIFICATION IS BASED ON REPORTS OF WESTERN MEDIA..
    WHAT ABOUT LOVING DEOBANDI MATURUDI AND SUFI ?? YES YOU SHOULD LOVE UNLESS AND UNTIL U GIVE DAWAH TO THEM BUT IF THEY DONT ACCEPT THEN RELATION DEPENDS UPON HIS LITERACY LEVEL (AS FAR AS MY KNOWLEDGE),,, THERE IS CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOLARS AND SAUDI GOVERNMENT AND ATLEAST THAT SHOULD B MAINTAINED] BCOZ THEY R PROTECTING SHARIAH TO BETTER EXTENT THAN THE PAST (HISTORY) ..ALSO WISDOM OF PROPHETIC HADEES LEST BLOODSHED OCCURS///.. DIFFERENTIATIATION BETWEEN SAUDI AND ALBANI SALAFISM LOOKS LIKE DISTUINGISHING BETWEEN ABUBAKR AND UMARS ISLAM ( I MEAN LITTLE DIFFERENCES {AND THAT IS NATURAL} SHOULD B IGNORED ATLEAST )… PLZ CORRECT ME IF I M WRONG???

    Reply

    • hasan

      December 22, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      AND yes human makes errors and salafis arent free from that,, that doesnt mean to criticise these noble dawah of tawheed and sunnah.. and we can prove these article to be devoid of legal backings if spoken in that context..

      Reply

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  226. Rameez Shaikh

    February 23, 2016 at 7:06 AM

    Asalamu Alaikum Dear Shaykh.

    While your article makes sense, is it correct from your part to claim that the salafi movement is a man made movement. Obviously is in a sense, but are they not the true torch bearers of the Manhaj and Aqeeadh of the Noble Sahabas? Differences among the Salafis are not on the topic of Tawheed but rather matters retaled to fiqh.

    Even you would argree that the Salafis are the only group Pure on Tawheed.

    Tableegis and Sufis you mentioned have Shirk in their beliefs. How does one justify writing an article on the Movement closest to True Islam in todays time.

    Attached link for your ref.

    https://islamqa.info/en/125476

    Reply

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  228. Mahamoud Haji

    March 21, 2016 at 4:39 PM

    Assalaamu Aleykum to Brothers and Sisters. This article was first posted in April 2014, and 2 years down the line still eliciting responses, Subhanallah. It is an indication of how hungry Muslims are for the truth in a poisoned environment. I read the post thrice and attempted the comments which were were quite as illuminating as the original article. Ultimately the message is summarized in the Hadeeth: whoever Allah wishes goodness, he makes him understand the Deen. |Lets continue striving and May Allah (SWT) have Mercy on the Sheikh

    Reply

  229. Muhammad West

    May 17, 2016 at 3:09 AM

    Salaams may this article be published in other publications?

    Reply

  230. Habib

    July 28, 2016 at 8:58 AM

    Assalamu alaikum, great article sheikh. One point I am very glad you mentioned, is the issue of tazkiyah. Now, for the people that don’t want to delve into the Sufi practicises, how do we proceed with tazkiyah? Wth aqida and fiqh we have many manahij. But what about tazkiyah? I am confused regarding this matter. Like you said, many people who dug into salafism realised the ‘missing link’ so to speak, and when they do research about tazkiyah, they always reach the Sufi point of view because it’s very systematic and clear with them.

    So I guess to put it simply, how do we get closer to Allah regarding tazkiyatun nafs?

    Jazak Allah Khair

    Reply

  231. Pingback: Quran – a New American translation. – World Muslim Congress

  232. Ahmad

    August 18, 2016 at 2:16 AM

    Many good points in the article, clearly well thought out. It tries to remain unbiased, I don’t think it succeeds.
    Like you’ve mentioned, men are fallible but what is a ranking system that is accurate? Manners are important, spirituality is important but what is any of that with shirk?

    A real Muslim takes the good from anything and leaves the rest. Last I heard from sheikh AlAlbaane was: say AhluSunnah wal jama’a on the minhaj of the salafuSalih. It’s not a title, but a summary of a Muslim’s true creed. And Allaah assists people to attain whatever level of that He has willed for them.

    Reply

  233. Asif kazi

    August 20, 2016 at 4:22 AM

    Do you mean salafis have no concentration in their ibaadah ..

    The amount of ihsaan is only known by Allah and not by humans,

    Do we require sufism for ihsaan.
    Were sahaba sufees,

    Article bunch of lies

    Reply

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  237. Zeeshan Pathan

    January 11, 2017 at 2:14 AM

    Where is the next part of this article. I’m unable to click the next button

    Reply

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