Question:
Can we take knowledge from the likes of Abu Khadeejah (the one in Birmingham, UK) and Co.?
Answer:
‘Salafi Publications’ are Hizbees (Fanatics/ single-minded Partisans). They are fanatical towards Sheikh Rabee’ and (a few) other individuals. So if this Abu Khadeejah in question is one of those fanatics; who Sheikh Yahya – may Allah preserve him- visited in that Da’wah trip which resulted in much good. (If this is who is meant,) then I don’t advise anyone to take knowledge from him or his likes, who stirs up trouble in the Salafi Da’wah and serve the Hizbees; they serve the opponents of the Da’wah and spread doubts concerning this good. For this reason, I don’t advise anyone to take knowledge from them.
Alhamdu-lillaah, there isn’t a country except that one is able to find a Salafi brother who has some good with him, willing to teach him. For indeed, the firm students of Dammaj are spread out everywhere. And through them, Allah has revived some of the Sunnah; whether in this country (Yemen) or in other countries. Some aspects of the Sunnah have become manifest; aspects of the Sunnah have become manifest in those lands. Even in the lands of disbelief, our brothers have been able to manifest aspects of the Sunnah, especially those with Masaajid – although it’s a partial manifestation (as one cannot fully manifest the Sunnah in the lands of disbelief).
Furthermore, ‘Salafi publications’ are a bunch of ignoramuses (as Sheikh Yahya described them). Correct. He (Sheikh Yahya) visited them, so he knows them better. Masaakeen (pathetic)! Masaakeen (pathetic)!
O brothers! As soon as one of them is acquainted with Salafiyyah, he thinks Salafiyyah is just bickering and wrangling, and that Salafiyyah is (all about) Sheikh Rabee’. This is salafiyyah (according to them); anyone who doesn’t know Sheikh Rabee’ is not a Salafi. Anyone who doesn’t know who Sheikh Rabee’ is and anyone who Sheikh Rabee’ speaks against, then he is not a Salafi. He is worthless (sifr ‘ala Ash-shimaal). The point is that from the get-go they are cultivated with this intolerable fanaticism towards Sheikh Rabee’ as well as those who chirp (after him); i.e. Ubaid Al-Jaabiri, Muhammad Ibn Haadi, Bukhari, and other than them…Arafaat Al-Mahmadi, etc. (Cultivation upon Fanaticism) right from the get-go. This is how they operate; with a political agenda. They call people towards themselves, and they have agents acting on their behalf – who advertise and promote them so people become affiliated to them.
But Alhamdu lillaah, Allah caused them to become disunited. They are at odds with one another, scattered about haphazardly, all heading in a different direction. (They have become) disjointed. Now, if one of them wants to start practicing over there in Britain, he doesn’t know whose side to take; that of Sheikh Rabee’, or Muhammad Ibn Haadi, or Bukhari, or ‘Ubayd Al-Jaabiri. Even Bukhari nowadays speaks against ‘Ubaid Al-Jaabiri, I don’t know if you have heard about this? Yes, Bukhari speaks ill of ‘Ubaid Al-Jaabiri. Laa ilaa illa llaah. They became disjointed due to their oppression, Wallaah (by Allah)!
Hence, he (the newly practicing) doesn’t know who to side with; Sheikh Rabee’ or Muhammad ibn Haadi, although they were taught that these individuals were the leaders and figureheads of the Salafi Da’wah, and that one mustn’t take knowledge from anyone but them. But now that they themselves are at odd with another, who do we take knowledge from? Laa ilaaha illa llaah. We ask Allah for pardon and safety.
Their case resembles that of the blind followers of the Madhaahib; who when one seeks to embrace Islam in their midst, they tell him to embrace Islam according to (a specific madh-hab); (the Shafi’ees say, be a) Shafi’ee, but their opponents say, no, no, Shafi’iyyah is the madh-hab of Muhammad ibn Idrees – and this individual is more harmful to this Ummah than Iblees, so you should become a Hanafi instead – because there’s a Hadeeth regarding Muhammad Ibn Idrees, that the prophet ﷺ said: ‘A man will appear towards the end of time, his name is Muhammad ibn Idrees, he is more harmful to the Ummah than Iblees.’
So the poor one says, I don’t want to be a Shafi’ee. So how is told to follow the Hanbali madh-hab. But their opponents say, these people are Mujassimah (one’s who ascribe a body and form to Allah), so don’t follow their madh-hab, these people are Mujassimah, they are Mushabbihah (one’s who resemble Allah to his creation), they are like this and they are like that. And if he wants to become a Hanafi, he is told about their shortcomings and defects.
So (instead of helping them embrace Islam,) they leave them confused, to a point where they say, ‘we’d rather remain in our state of kufr, if this is what all of these people are saying; one telling us to follow Shafi’ee and the rest warning against him, and this one calling us to the Hanbali madh-hab and the rest warning against him.’
Allah ˹alone˺ is sufficient ˹as an aid˺ for us and ˹He˺ is the best Protector.
Hence why Az-Zamakhshari concluded those (famous) lines of poetry, saying:
تعجبتُ من هذا الزمان وأهله *** فما أحدٌ من ألسُن الناس يسلمُ
I am surprised by this era and its people – No one is safe from criticism
He said this after mentioning those lines of poetry, that go:
فإن حنفياً قلتُ قالوا بأنني * أُبيحُ الطلا وهو الشرابُ المحرمُ
If I say I am a Hanafi, they say – I permit wine, while it is a forbidden drink
وإن مالكياً قلتُ قالوا بأنني * أبيح لهم أكل الكلاب وهم هُمُ
and if I say, I am Maaliki, they say – I permit dog meat, and they are this and they are that
وإن شافعياً قلتُ قالوا بأنني * أُبيح نكاح البنت والبنتُ تحرُمُ
and if I say I am Shafi’ee, they say – I permit marrying one’s own daughter, even though marrying one’s daughter is Haram
وإن حنبلياً قلتُ قالوا بأنني * ثقيلٌ حُلُولي بغيضٌ مُجسمُ
and if I say I am Hanbali, they say – he is a thick, despised, Hulooli (one’s who say Allah settles in his creation), Mujassim
وإن قلتُ من أهل الحديث وحزبه *** يقولون تيسٌ ليس يدري ويفهمُ
and if I say I just follow the Hadith (I am neither Hanafi, Maaliki, Shaafi’ee, nor Hanbali) – they say, He is a goat, who doesn’t know or understand anything”
Ta’ajjabto min …
This is the reality. If you say you are from Ahlul Hadeeth, they say, they (Ahlul Hadeeth) have no knowledge, they don’t understand, they accompany Hadeeth without understanding it, they have no understanding, they just chant Hadeeth without any understanding whatsoever.
And if I say I am Hanbali, they say Hanbalees are despised Mujassima, they don’t understand, they take everything literally. A Hand is a hand to them…etc. Mujassimah.
As for these Shaafi’ees, then be careful of them! Because they permit marrying one’s own daughter, even though marrying one’s daughter is Haraam. i.e. one’s daughter from Zinaa. This Shaafi’ee says her own father can get married to her, i.e. The man who fornicated with her mother.
So what about the Maalikees?
Oh, be careful of the Maalikees! Those guys say dog meat is Halaal. You don’t want to be eating dogs, do you?
Then who should I follow…The Hanafees?
No! hear me out, the Hanafees say Nabeedh [a type of wine whose intoxicating effects depends on the level of fermentation] is permissible. You’ll end up a drunkard if you follow them…
So he said:
ta’ajjabtu min….
So stick to this path that you are on and remain steadfast upon it. Don’t be hesitant, because you are upon Khayr (good). As for allowing sceptics to give you doubts, wallahi you’ll just wear yourself out and become depressed, and Allah knows best the Valley (of despair) you’ll end up in; it’s only He Who knows what Valley (of despair) you’ll stray towards and end up being ruined. We ask Allah for pardon and safety. Learn from the mistakes of others, for indeed fortunate is he who learns from the mistakes of others.
Answered by: Sheikh Abu Bilaal Al-Hadhrami – may Allah preserve him
Source: https://t.me/abubilalhami/2827
Answered on: 3 Rabbi Al-Awal 1441 (31th October 2019)
Translated by: Abu Ishaq Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ba Alawi