The Ruling on the Book *Manhaj al-Anbiya fi al-Da'wah ila Allah*

The questioner:
This is misguidance, and may Allah protect us from it. It is a sign of the Hour that in the end times there will be those who curse the Salaf of the Ummah. We should not be surprised by this; there is no power or strength except in Allah. A book titled *Manhaj al-Anbiya fi al-Da'wah ila Allah* was published a while ago. Its author, Muhammad Surur al-Zayn al-Abidin, stated in it that he looked into the books of 'aqidah and found that they were written in an era different from ours, and that the issues they address are not issues of our time. He claimed that our era requires new solutions and issues. Consequently, he said that the style in which 'aqidah was written is dry, or as the writer put it, this is why many young people have turned away from it. What is the ruling, O Shaykh, on this matter, or on this statement and this word?

The Shaykh:
I told you a moment ago: Why do we import ideas from abroad? Why do we import these ideas from Muhammad Surur al-Zayn al-Abidin in London or others? Why do we not return to the books in our hands, the books of the righteous Salaf and the books of the scholars of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) that have been published? These are published by scholars, not by a writer or an intellectual whose knowledge is unknown. In truth, he does not know the extent of his own knowledge. Rather, what we know is that this man is ignorant; he is a man of ignorance.

The questioner:
He is ignorant, and even if he has some knowledge, he intends misguidance in this speech. No, he also leads the young astray from the books of 'aqidah. He directs them to new books that carry the ideas of people like him. We must beware of this conspiracy; this is a false plot. They want to divert our youth from the books of our righteous Salaf. Praise be to Allah, we are rich with what our predecessors left us in the form of books of 'aqidah and books of da'wah (calling to Islam). They are not written in a dry style, but in a living style, praise be to Allah. It is a scientific style derived from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). For example, *Sahih al-Bukhari* and *Sahih Muslim* contain these 'aqidah matters. Al-Bukhari and Muslim have a chapter on 'aqidah. Likewise, in *Sahih Muslim* and other collections of hadith, and in the books of Islam, the books of hadith, and the Book of Allah, the Qur'an. The Noble Qur'an contains 'aqidah. And it contains clarification of...

The Shaykh:
...'aqidah, and clarification of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and clarification of doubts and refutation of them in the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. The books of the Imams, such as the book of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) by Ibn Khuzaymah. He is the Imam of the people of the Sunnah and the community, indeed he is the Imam of the Imams. The books of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and his refutation of the Jahmiyyah, those heretics. The book of al-Sunnah by Ibn Rushd. Abu 'Aasim's book *al-Sunnah* by al-Ajhari. The book of al-Sunnah by Abdullah ibn Imam Ahmad. The books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, the books of Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, the books of Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, the books of the verified Imams of this time. They are all... four... good, praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah. These are living books, not dry books as he claims. These matters encompass... peace be to Allah... and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the words of the righteous Salaf. If the Qur'an is dry, and the Sunnah is dry, and the words of the scholars are dry, then this necessitates apostasy from Islam, and may Allah protect us from that.
First, the intent behind this is to divert the youth from the correct books of 'aqidah and direct them to the ideas and books of these people. So let the youth of Muslims beware of this conspiracy. I know that our brother, Shaykh Muhammad Amani al-Janni, has responded to this book in a circulating cassette. So you should look for it and listen to it; in it is good, if Allah wills.

The questioner:
Allah.

The Shaykh:
Yes, yes, yes.

The questioner:
Because these are texts and rulings, meaning these books.

The Shaykh:
Meaning, their defect is that they are texts.

The questioner:
And rulings.

The Shaykh:
I mean, this affliction involves texts and rulings. He wants ideas; he does not want texts and rulings. He wants the ideas of so-and-so and so-and-so; he does not want the texts and rulings. This is evidence of his bad intention, may Allah protect us from that.
The position regarding this book is that it should be written to Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, the General President of the Committee for Research and Ifta, detailing the diseases present in it, and requesting that it be withdrawn from bookstores and banned from entering the Kingdom. Yes. Also, among the causes, O servants of Allah, among the causes of disagreement is the proliferation of groups, the proliferation of groups that they call "da'wah groups."
Da'wah is undoubtedly one of the most important matters of the religion, and it is a required command. This does not mean that every country should have a group that separates from the other group. It is obligatory for the da'iyah (callers) to Allah to unite and to unify their methodology upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They should correct their mistakes; whoever has a mistake, they correct it. They should cooperate in da'wah, consult one another, and negotiate. This is the path of the correct da'wah.
As for the fragmentation of groups, the multiplication of groups, and the acceptance of ideas that arrive from abroad, this is what causes conflict and causes division. Why do we accept ideas from abroad? Why do we not return to the Book of our Lord and the Sunnah of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? And why do we not return to the guidance of the righteous Salaf and to what our scholars in this land were upon?
The land of tawhid (the oneness of Allah). Why should not this be our methodology? Why do we import ideas and principles from groups abroad, about whom Allah knows best? If there were goodness in them, they would have reformed their own lands. If there were goodness and benefit in the groups abroad, they would have benefited their lands and reformed their lands. So why do we divide? This is a vacuous matter.
We neglect this blessing in which we live; we neglect it and import ideas, principles, and methodologies from abroad. Are we in doubt about our reality? Are we in doubt about our 'aqidah (creed)? Are we in doubt about our scholars? Why? Why do we change the course? Why do we not follow the path of our Salaf? Why do we not maintain this unity in our land and this blessing, and become one group that cooperates, consults, and advises one another? And become one group as it was.
It remains so, praise be to Allah, but there are those who want to divide this group. However, we ask Allah to reform the misguided among the Muslims, to guide the misguided among the Muslims, and to unite the word of the Muslims upon the religion. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.