And this doubt has been answered by our Mashaayikh: Allaamah, ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Ibn Baz – the [former] mufti of Saudi Arabia was asked: What do you say about the one who calls himself ‘Salafi’ or ‘Athari’? Is this is a tazkiyah (purification) of his own self? So he replied – may Allaah have mercy upon him – "When he is being truthful [in his claim] that he is Salafi or Athari then there is not harm in that, [this is] similar to what the Salaf used to say, ‘So and so is a Salafi’, ‘So and so is Athari’. This is a tazkiyah (commendation) which is necessary, a tazkiyah that is obligatory." (Cassette: Haqq ul-Muslim 16/1/1413 Ta’if)
Shaikh Salih al-Fawzan was asked "Is the one who gives himself the title of ‘as-Salafi’ considered to have set up a ‘hizb’?". To which he replied, "There is no harm in labelling oneself with Salafiyyah when it is in truth. However, if it is merely a claim then it is not permissible to label oneself with Salafiyyah, whilst one is upon a manhaj other than that of the Salaf." (Al-Ajwibah al-Mufidah p.16)
As for those who wish to discourage others from ascribing themselves to the Salaf and claim that it is a tazkiyah (self-praise) then their machinations are not hidden from us. Rather, Shaikh ul-Islaam refuted this false claim centuries ago and made it obligatory to accept the ascription of a person to the Salaf – and held it to be by unanimous agreement – since the aqidah and manhaj of the Salaf is nothing but the truth. But when it is the case that the manhaj of these people (the false claimants) is adulterated, then it should come as no surprise that they wish for the people to detach themselves from the Salaf – since that is the only way that their falsehood can remain undetected.
Taken From SLF010004 @ SalafiPublications.Com (A Reply to the Doubts of the Qutubiyyah On Ascription to Sunnah and Salafiyyah).
8 comments:
As Salaamu`alaykum, Akhi..
Jazaak Allaahu khayr for this entry. Looking forward to more beneficial entries/articles.
Salaam. One question to ponder. maybe beneficial to post it as one of your entry. Is it permissible to read the quran for the deceased ones?(parents/family members)? I approached one who claimed it is allowed, however it's strongly encouraged to do so. I searched the web, It says it's not allowed because it is considered as a bid'ah. what are your opinions and findings?
Wa 'alaykum as-Salamu wa rahmatullah.
I've posted an entry on it before. Click on the following links:
http://fikrahibnshamsuddeen.blogspot.com/2007/03/ruling-on-ataaqah-or-reading-quraan-for.html
http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=70317&ln=eng
Those Muslims whose intentions are to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet saaws and the salaf, know better than to divide themselves into a sect (a dissenting or schismatic religious body; especially one regarded as extreme or heretical) that parts from following clear proof in Quran and Sunnah.
"And this Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects all of which except one will go to Hell and they (i.e. the Saved Sect) are those who are upon what I and My Companions are upon (i.e. those who follow My Way and the Way of my Companions.)"
[Reported by at-Tirmidhee - Hasan]
"Verily those before you from among the People of the Book split into seventy-two sects and verily this religion . . . ", and in another narration, " . . . this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: seventy-two will be in the Fire and one in Paradise and that is the Jamaa'ah." [Reported by Abu Daawood - Sahih]
When questioned by his Companions about those who will be saved from the Fire, the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) replied: "They are those who are upon what I and my companions are upon."
[Reported by at-Tirmidhee from Amr ibn al-Aas - classified as Hasan.]
A muslim may announce his intentions to adhere to the Dawat-us-Salafiyyah, which is identical to saying the dawah of Islam with mere emphasis on rejecting innovation in implementing and understanding the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad saaws and accepting the guidance of the Salaf-as-Saalih (as instructed by Muhammad saaws to do so).
Because not one ounce of arrogance will make it into the gates of Paradise, no muslim would want to be so bold as to declare himself as a member of Firqatun-Naajiyyah (the saved group of Muslims), for only Allah swt knows who that truly is, but instead would speak of his intentions to be of the saved group, by his intentions to adhere to the dawat-us-salafiyyah.
Sheikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
"It is self-delusion to say 'I am saved' and not pessimistic, for example being too secure saying 'I have the attributes of the salaf, I am saved', We still have to humble ourselves and not to say that we have the attributes of the Salaf. So I say to these people, not everybody who opposes me a thing from this path will become one of those who will perish, for verily the disputer may be a mujtahid who was wrong, and Allaah will forgive him his mistakes. Or maybe the proof did not reach him, enough to satisfy his needs (i.e. to understand it). Or maybe he has enough good deeds in which Allaah will wipe away his bad deeds."
"O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allâh and His Messenger (SAW), and fear Allâh. Verily! Allâh is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."
[Surah al-Hujuraat 49:1].
"And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur'ân), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allâh's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allâh makes His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided."
[Surah Al-Imrân 3:103].
Muslim - Whereas a person of a sect may improperly refer to himself as a Shia, Sufi, etc., those who adhere to dawat-us-salafiyyah describe themself as a "Muslim" whose minhaj (methodology/system) is Qur'an and Sunnah and madhdhab (way) is that of the salaf. There is ample proof to say it is more than sufficient to call oneself simply a Muslim.
"And strive hard in Allâh's Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islâmic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islâm), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islâmic Monotheism). It is He (Allâh) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur'ân), that the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform AsSalât (Iqamat-as-Salât), give Zakât and hold fast to Allâh [i.e. have confidence in Allâh, and depend upon Him in all your affairs] He is your Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.) and what an Excellent Helper!
[Surah Al-Imrân 3:78]
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah reported that one of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) said,
"I do not mind which out of the two blessings was greater. that Allaah guided me to Islaam, or that he kept me away from these innovated sects. By Allaah , the Most High, in the Qur'aan He called us the Muslims, the Believers and the Worshippers of Allaah, so we will not leave the manes which Allaah has names us with in favour of names innovated by the people which they call themselves by and also their forefathers for which Allaah has send down no proof". (In al-Wasiyyatul-Kubraa.
Taken from the Book Forty Hadeeth On: The Call to Islam and the Caller By Shaikh 'Alee Hasan 'Alee 'Abdul Hameed)
Abu-I Aas, r.a., a companion of the Prophet (saaws) said:
"Since I have now handed over to you what is rightfully yours, I now declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. By God, the only thing that prevented me from declaring my acceptance of Islam while I was with Muhammad in Madinah was my fear that you would think that I did so only to appropriate your wealth. Now that I have discharged my trust in this matter, I now declare that I am a Muslim."
Ikrimah, r.a., a companion of the Prophet (saaws) said:
"I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger." The Prophet (saaws) then instructed him to say, "I call on God and those present here to witness that I am a Muslim who is a Mujahid and a Muhajir".
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded to kill him: he was a spy of AbuSufyan and an ally of a man of the Ansar. He passed a circle of the Ansar and said:
I am a Muslim. A man from the Ansar said, Apostle of Allah, he is saying that he is a Muslim. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: There are people among you in whose faith we trust. Furat ibn Hayyan is one of them.
[Abu Dawood #2646, Narrated Furat ibn Hayyan]
"Then when 'Iesa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allâh's Cause?" Al-Hawâriûn (the disciples) said: "We are the helpers of Allâh; we believe in Allâh, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allâh)." [Surah Al-Imrân 3:52]
The belief that "times have changed" and that we should now do differently than what Allah swt commanded us, is an innovated madthab (way). There were sects during the time of the Prophet (saaws) and immediately following, just as there are today. The companions of 'Iesa (Jesus) and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both, all referred to themselves simply as Muslims.
However, as Muslims, we must not dispute over simple titles, as the correct way of living is of upmost importance, not the labels we claim upon ourselves. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid has said, "The one who is seeking salvation has to work hard to gain beneficial knowledge and do righteous deeds, and he should avoid vain arguments and futile discussions in which there is no benefit." What is important is that we implement the way of the salaf as-saalih in our daily lives, insomuch as it is consistent with Quran and Sunnah.
Names - you can name yourself, your masjid, your computer files, your associations, etc. - anything halal. For instance if a baby is named "Yasmin" meaning jasmine, the mother who chose the name is not stating that she IS a jasmine stone or even that she has the attributes of a jasmine; such a name is a permissible name because the item itself, the jasmine, is not haram. So if a name includes the word "salaf" anywhere in it, this is halal. However for a person of today to identify oneself AS a salaf is incorrect.
One can refer to himself as "muttaqi" (male) or "muttaqiyyah" (female) meaning of the muttaqun, but should not make a sunnah of calling himself a "muslim muttaqi". A person alive today can be muttaqi but cannot be salafi because s/he is not of the past.
Those who adhere to the sunnah of the Prophet, saaws, are sadly known as "strange", "odd", etc., to those who have abandoned such adherence. They (muslims on a misguided path) even get to the point that they find it odd that someone would just call themselves a MUSLIM and attach no special group name to the word muslim. Surely the people who deviate are the people who must find a new label for their group. The label "muslim" is the purest word and all we need, insha'Allah, i.e. it is the only identifying label that we should have as a tradition or sunnah for calling ourselves when refering to our faith.
The Prophet, saaws, has mentioned in his saying:
"Islam began as a stranger and shall return as a stranger as it began. So give glad tidings to the strangers."
[Reported by Muslim - Sahih].
"And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allâh (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allâh's (Islâmic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."
[The Noble Qur'an 41:33]
This has been answered by Shaykh al-Albaanee. I'll post the article insha-Allah.
Actually, the reply by Shaykh al-Albaanee was in the previous entry. I hope you've read it.
I'd like to remind myself and you ya ukhti, that we're still students of knowledge. We're not in a position to refute a scholar without evidences.
And even with evidences, the hujjah must come from a scholar.
Quote:
"One can refer to himself as "muttaqi" (male) or "muttaqiyyah" (female) meaning of the muttaqun, but should not make a sunnah of calling himself a "muslim muttaqi". A person alive today can be muttaqi but cannot be salafi because s/he is not of the past."
Linguistically, "salafi" means a follower of the Salaf, ie. upon the manhaj/madhhab of the Salaf.
The mashayikh said there is nothing wrong with calling oneself "salafi", esp when he is true in that.
Furthermore, Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned the importance of ascribing to the way and manhaj of the Salaf.
Wallahu a'lam.
Correction: the importance and obligation of ascribing to the way and manhaj of the Salaf.
Wallahu a'lam.
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