The accusation that the Salafis are concerned only with the issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and particularly tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes), more than anything else.

The questioner : It is rumored, or some people accuse the Salafis, that they are interested only in the issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and particularly tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes), more than other matters. Why is that?

The Shaykh : I actually observe that this question contains a degree of balance, and I hope thatThe questioner : that was what was intended, and that it was not a shot in the dark, as they say, because the end of the question implies more than that. So we say, you are right. Is it a mistake for the Salafi callers to call Muslims to the foundation of Islam, which is tawhid (the oneness of Allah), more than other matters that are far less important? Does this mean the question implies that this is a mistake? If that is the case, thenThe questioner : the one making the accusation is the one who is wrong. Why? If we asked any one of those who complain about the Salafis’ concern with tawhid, and what branches from it, such as fighting shirk (associating partners with Allah), idolatry, superstitions, and false beliefs, and we asked these objectors, “What should we be more concerned with?” I challenge them to say that there is something more important than this. Yes, there are important matters, and many very important ones, and one person may not be able to call to them or understand them, nor even a group of people, but rather multiple groups. As it is said:
"Knowledge, if you seek it, is abundant, *** and life is short for acquiring it.
“So prioritize the more important of them, then the more important.”
If the Salafi caller cannot, for example, research politics, economics, or whatever else is called by modern terms and terminology, he cannot, because man has not been given the capacity or the memory to encompass everything that the Muslim community must know, and for one individual to cover it all. This is impossible. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: .
So every Muslim must perform his share of the obligations, especially if they are individual obligations (fard 'ayn). Once he has finished those, he performs the collective obligations (fard kifayah). As for why so-and-so works in this area and not that, that is a mistake. Who among people, no matter how well you think of them, can do everything that a Muslim must do? This is impossible, especially in the area of collective obligations. For example, those we see working in what they claim is Islamic politics, why do they not concern themselves with rectifying the beliefs of Muslims? An individual among them lives in their party or group for a few years or more, and then leaves without understanding the creed, without understanding the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no deity but Allah) as the Arabs understood it in the early days of Islam. They were still in their disbelief and misguidance, but after they understood it, they disbelieved in it. As Allah (Mighty and Majestic) related about them that they said: .
Many Muslims today do not understand this phrase at all. So why do those who claim to work in politics and those who claim to work in education not concern themselves with rectifying the creed? Why do they not concern themselves with purifying Islam from what has entered it of weak and fabricated hadiths and deviant beliefs? Why? Why? These are questions that never end. We are content that if people like these perform their duty, we thank them for it, because it is one of the collective obligations. But on the condition that they do not fight those people who say that they have spent their lives in what? Calling to tawhid (the oneness of Allah). This is a degree of fairness. Otherwise, we have often heard, and even seen it printed in a message in Jordan, that they say: “What do the Salafis have besides saying that moving the finger is a sunnah (recommended practice) and hanging a clock in the mosque is a bid'ah (religious innovation)?” And the one who writes this knows that these Salafis are addressing the most important issue the Muslim world needs today: first, knowing the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in His worship, and in His names and attributes; and second, singling out the Messenger (peace be upon him) in following him, without following anyone else. This is the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah" (There is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
The Salafis, by the grace of Allah, have been blessed that they call to this sincerity to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in His tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and to singling out the Messenger (peace be upon him) in following him, without following anyone else, even the prophets and messengers, let alone those below them among scholars and righteous people.
Perhaps you remember, and one thing brings another to mind, the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with them both), which Imam Ahmad narrated in "Al-Musnad" and others, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a sheet of paper in 'Umar’s hand one day, and he was reading from it. He said, “What is this?” He said, “This is a sheet from the Torah that a man from the Jews wrote for me.” Then he (peace and blessings be upon him), while angry, said: . If Musa (Moses) were alive, he would not have been able to follow anyone but the Messenger (peace be upon him). Who do the masses of Muslims follow today? Do they follow the Messenger (peace be upon him)? It is regrettable that I say this with complete frankness: take any shaykh (scholar) you believe has knowledge, and tell him, “Describe to me how the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray, so that I can pray his prayer.” If he is fair, he will preempt you by saying, “My madhhab (school of jurisprudence) is Shafi'i.” If he is Hanafi, he will say, “My madhhab is Hanafi.” If you ask him about the pillars of wudu' (the ablution for prayer) and its conditions, he will say, “I am Hanafi, they are four.” If he is Shafi'i, he will say, “They are six.” My brother, show me how the Messenger (peace be upon him) performed wudu'. They do not know the Messenger (peace be upon him), and the connection, unfortunately, has been cut off between them and the Messenger. So they follow others besides the Messenger in reality, while their duty was to single out the Messenger (peace be upon him) in following him, just as they single out Allah in worship. Because this is the right of Allah, which is His worship alone, with no partner, and this is the right of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which is following him alone, with no partner in this following. We do not find today that the scholars of Muslims are sincere to the Messenger (peace be upon him) in following him; rather, they take many, and very many, followers alongside him.
So we call for making Muslims understand the reality of this testimony, "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah" (There is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). So those who work in matters of Islam other than this should not fight this call, because their call is not worth, as they say in our region of Sham, “the skin of an onion.” If they do not believe in this tawhid (the oneness of Allah) that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) clarified in His Book, and our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained in his Sunnah (the Prophet's way), our Lord says: , . Today, hundreds of thousands of Muslims pray—not only the five daily prayers, but they pray while people are sleeping. They perform Hajj (the major pilgrimage) to the House of Allah the Sacred—not only the Hajj of Islam, but they may perform Hajj every year. And yet, in the House of Allah the Sacred, we hear shirk (associating partners with Allah) doing its work. What is the benefit of these acts of worship if our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) explicitly states in His Book, as you heard: , and He (Mighty and Majestic) said regarding the disbelievers: ?
So if it is permissible for us to be proud that in most of our matters, and our call, we call to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes), if it is permissible for us to be proud of that, then we are very proud, because we are implementing a text in the Qur'an: . So others should not fight this call, but rather submit to it, so that they may benefit from their other efforts, which are far, and very far, below that call.