No Terrorist is a Salafee!

Where do the Muslim terrorists get their guidance from?

In an article in Financial Times (4 June 2007), there is an article on page 5 regarding the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon. I quote from the article:

"The radical ideology of puritan Salafi Islam, the rhetoric, the fierce resolve and the objectives of Fatah al-Islam are all inspired by the global network of Al-Qaeda."

As a student of knowledge upon the Salafee manhaj, here is my reply:

This is an absolute lie! No terrorist is a Salafee. A Muslim who is truly upon the Salafee manhaj would never be a terrorist.

This is because a Salafee is always seeking knowledge and guidance from the scholars. And he would always refer to the scholars with regards to religious matters. In fact, even with regards to worldly matters in which he has doubts.

There is not a single Salafee scholar who has ever called for jihaad, unlike the terrorist groups the likes of Al-Qaeda and Fatah al-Islam.

In a debate with a Jihadee (which can be found in www.salafipublications.com), the Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad Nasirud-Deen al-Albaanee (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it is upon the Muslims to seek knowledge, to undergo Tarbeeyah and Tasfeeyah.

Because the ummah now is weak in the aspect of knowledge. The ummah is weak because we do not have the strong understanding of the religion.

Who can call for jihaad? A Khaleefah (caliph). Who is our Khaleefah? No one. So how can we wage a Jihaad?

Let me emphasize again, only a Khaleefah can call for Jihaad because it is in his authority to do so.

So these terrorists groups, the likes of Al-Qaeda and Fatah al-Islam, where did they get the call for Jihaad? Osama bin Laden? Is he a Khaleefah? He is not even a scholar!

Back to the issue of Fatah al-Islam, if it is indeed Salafee, its members would be busying themselves seeking knowledge under the scholars instead of busying themselves with calls for jihaad. The same goes to the supposedly "Salafee" group in Algeria called The Salafee Group for Da'wah and Jihaad.

This is because there is not a single Salafee scholars who called for Jihaad! Rather, they oppose all the terrorist groups that call for Jihaad, especially Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, as can be seen in www.thewahhabimyth.com.

Let me ask, these terrorist groups that call for jihaad, what is their main strategy of attack? Suicide bombing. What do the mashayikh say of suicide bombing? They say that it is HARAM (prohibited)!

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that suicide bombing is still suicide, it is HARAM and the one who commits it is doomed in Hellfire (for killing himself). There is no benefit in suicide bombing.

And as I have mentioned earlier, a Salafee always seeks knowledge and guidance from the scholars. So where did the terrorists get their guidance from?

Be it Osama bin Laden or Sayyid Qutb, the terrorists definitely did not get their guidance from the knowledgeable scholars, especially scholars upon the manhaj of adhering to the Qur'aan and Sunnah as understood by the Salaf as-Saalih, the Salafee manhaj.

Wallaahu a'lam.