THE PROBLEM WITH MANY SALAFIS
By
Ustadh AbdulGaniy Jum'ah
Most of the differences among the salafis in the world today ( West and East , Arab and non -Arab) are born out of excessive love for their preferred sheikhs to the extent that any refutation on their sheikhs is considered ill-manner, envy and an attempt to bring him down . For this reason they stand to defend their sheikh, attack the one who refutes the errors of their sheikh and call him all sorts of names all in an attempt to defend him regardless of whether he is right or wrong. This , by Allah, is not so much different from the way of the sufis whom the salafis call blind followers.
Refuting your sheikh where he goes wrong is not tantamount to refuting the truth the opponent of which is blameworthy and deserves to be attacked with silencing refutations.
Hence, a salafi shouldn't expect the people to be silent on the errors of his beloved sheikh; rather he should critically and sincerely look at the refutations of those who have refuted his sheikh, admit what is correct and rejoin what is incorrect with evidences. This is how to benefit from one another.
Ibn Taimiyyah ( may Allah have mercy on him) said:
《...ﻓﺈﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﻟﻠﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﻛﺎﻟﻴﺪﻳﻦ ﺗﻐﺴﻞ ﺇﺣﺪﺍﻫﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﺄﺧﺮﻯ. ﻭﻗﺪ ﻟﺎ ﻳﻨﻘﻠﻊ ﺍﻟﻮﺳﺦ ﺇﻟﺎ ﺑﻨﻮﻉ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﺸﻮﻧﺔ; ﻟﻜﻦ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻳﻮﺟﺐ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﻈﺎﻓﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻌﻮﻣﺔ ﻣﺎ ﻧﺤﻤﺪ ﻣﻌﻪ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺍﻟﺘﺨﺸﻴﻦ 》
( مجموع الفتاوى، ٢٨/ ٥٣-٥٤)
( This is because a believer to another believer is like the two hands each of which washes the other; the stain and dirt may not be removed except by applying some roughness. This,however,would bring about a kind of cleaness and smoothness for which that roughness would be appreciated )
Majmoo al-Fataawa ( 28/ 53-54)
Scholars from time immemorial- regardless of who was right or wrong, whether it was born out of envy or concern for the deen -have not seized to refute one another.
The statement of ash-Sha'bi on Ibrahim an-Nakha'ii is recorded and vise versa; that of Maalik against Muhammad bn Ishaaq and vise versa were also on record; likewise that of Ibn Abi Dhi,b against Maalik was not hidden from us; the refutation of Ibn Labbad against as-Shaafi was published; that of Ibn Abi Shaybah on Abi Haneefah was also in his Musannaf ( a whole chapter); the statement of al-Bukhari on Abu Haneefah in his at-Tareekh al-kabeer and some other books of his; that of adh-Dhuhli supported by Abu Haatim and Abu Zur'ah on Al-Bukhari; that of Ahmad on al-Karaabiisi, Ali bn al-Ja'd, Ya'qub bn Shaybah, Shababah bn Sawwar and many others; the refutation of Ibn Hazm on al-Baakilani, Ibn Furak and others to point of takfeer is also in his book " al-Milal wa an-Nihal " ; the position of Ibn Salah on al- Aamidi was also on record where he opposed vehemently al-Aamidi being made the head of a madrasah because of the latter having engaged in philosophy; what transpired between Ibn Hajar and al-'Ayni was also on record; there are many other examples.
By and large, over centuries scholars who share same aqeedah ( not to talk of those who belong to different aqeedah from theirs ) have not seized to refute one another in defence of the deen or sometimes out of envy.
However, with the advent of the internet and social media, it is very easy for mashaayikh and the students of knowledge to see and here the mistakes of one another. Or do you think otherwise ? I think you should stop kidding. Automatically there will refutations and counter refutations.
These refutations are necessary as silence on those errors means accomodating them indirectly and which is wrong islamically.
However, they should be done with sincerity and the intention that the generality of the people do not fall in those errors committed by the refuted and not with the intention of settling an old score with him.
On the other hand the refuted should be ready to admit their clear errors and make amend and their lovers should also not widen the gab and worsen the situation by blindly defending them.
Let us avoid being like those Israelites that were cursed during the time of Prophet Daud and Prophet 'Isa ( alayhima as-salaat was-salaam) for not admonishing one another as contained in Surat Maa,dah. Rather we should be like the believers that Allah talked about in Surat al-Asr.
Finally, I pray Allaah rectify ours affairs and save us from shirk, bid'ah and all forms of hizbiyyah and other sins.
No comments