What is the concept of tarbiyah (upbringing) and tasfiyah (purification) among the Salaf?
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The questioner : The Salafi da'wah (calling) is based on two things: tasfiyah (purification) and tarbiyah (upbringing). As for tasfiyah, it is well known to many students of knowledge. As for tarbiyah, what is its true practical concept among the general Muslims first, and their callers second?
The Shaykh : It was mentioned earlier that action must be preceded by knowledge, so this is a repetition of the previous answer. Tarbiyah means that we raise ourselves first of all. Start with yourself, then with those you are responsible for. We raise ourselves, our relatives, our kin, and everyone over whom we have authority, whether near or far. For example, students, if we have dominance and authority over them, we teach them the correct knowledge and raise them upon it. Otherwise, as we said earlier, knowledge is an argument against us. This is what is meant by tarbiyah: that we do not learn knowledge as they say, "knowledge for the sake of knowledge," but rather knowledge to act upon it. Otherwise, I am in the state mentioned in the athar (report) from Abu al-Darda: "Woe to the ignorant person once, and woe to the scholar seven times." So tarbiyah is acting upon knowledge.[At-Tawbah 9:105] Therefore, action is necessary. This action must be based on knowledge so that we are those who act. We must raise ourselves upon this correct knowledge, and also raise our relatives and those for whom we are responsible. So the word tarbiyah is clear, and it has a lot of noise from many people of da'wah and groups. Excuse me, but the truth is that if the question were reversed, the questioner would have hit the mark.
But I found the questioner saying that tasfiyah is a concept known to students of knowledge. In my opinion, it is this tasfiyah that we should ask about, not tarbiyah. Tarbiyah has become a global term today, and although it is sometimes diverted from its correct meaning, it is this tasfiyah that many students of knowledge need to clarify. But in reality, the previous speech is a clarification of this word. Tasfiyah is that the Muslim be upon what the righteous Salaf were upon. But this generalization has been detailed by us repeatedly in some of the words.
The Shaykh : It was mentioned earlier that action must be preceded by knowledge, so this is a repetition of the previous answer. Tarbiyah means that we raise ourselves first of all. Start with yourself, then with those you are responsible for. We raise ourselves, our relatives, our kin, and everyone over whom we have authority, whether near or far. For example, students, if we have dominance and authority over them, we teach them the correct knowledge and raise them upon it. Otherwise, as we said earlier, knowledge is an argument against us. This is what is meant by tarbiyah: that we do not learn knowledge as they say, "knowledge for the sake of knowledge," but rather knowledge to act upon it. Otherwise, I am in the state mentioned in the athar (report) from Abu al-Darda: "Woe to the ignorant person once, and woe to the scholar seven times." So tarbiyah is acting upon knowledge.
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger
وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُBut I found the questioner saying that tasfiyah is a concept known to students of knowledge. In my opinion, it is this tasfiyah that we should ask about, not tarbiyah. Tarbiyah has become a global term today, and although it is sometimes diverted from its correct meaning, it is this tasfiyah that many students of knowledge need to clarify. But in reality, the previous speech is a clarification of this word. Tasfiyah is that the Muslim be upon what the righteous Salaf were upon. But this generalization has been detailed by us repeatedly in some of the words.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، المجلس 1346 — d3watuna.com (7:16)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.