The authenticity of attributing the saying “The methodology of the Salaf is the safest” to al-Nawawi
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Question:
The questioner asks: What is the authenticity of what is attributed to Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said, “The methodology of the Salaf is the safest, and the methodology of the Khalaf is the most precise and the most knowledgeable”?
Answer:
I have not seen this statement from al-Nawawi; I have not seen it. In any case, many people have said this, but it is not correct. The methodology of the Salaf is the safest, the most knowledgeable, and the most precise. How can it be the safest if it is not the most precise and not the most knowledgeable? Safety does not exist except with knowledge. So the methodology of the Salaf is the safest, the most knowledgeable, and the most precise. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
The questioner asks: What is the authenticity of what is attributed to Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said, “The methodology of the Salaf is the safest, and the methodology of the Khalaf is the most precise and the most knowledgeable”?
Answer:
I have not seen this statement from al-Nawawi; I have not seen it. In any case, many people have said this, but it is not correct. The methodology of the Salaf is the safest, the most knowledgeable, and the most precise. How can it be the safest if it is not the most precise and not the most knowledgeable? Safety does not exist except with knowledge. So the methodology of the Salaf is the safest, the most knowledgeable, and the most precise. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-050-حاجة الأمة للمنهج السلفي|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (47:26)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.