Is the Salafi da'wah now in the stage of purification or the stage of education? (Discussion)
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The Shaykh : But now the matter requires some delving into the details. Is the Salafi da'wah now in the stage of purification or the stage of education? C J.
The questioner : This is one of the questions, meaning, that I am asking you.
The Shaykh : Now the one in charge has become the questioner andThe questioner : the questioner has become the one in charge, so I hope for an answer.
The questioner : ... Questions, O Shaykh. I told you I have questions I will put to you, and this speech is based on them. I told you, let us be brief and start with you.
The Shaykh : Okay, I repeat my question as well.
The student : No, you told me to start, so you took the words from me.
The Shaykh : Why did you not say this when I asked you, "Can I understand what you understand by the words purification and education?" Why did you not insist that I only asked you, and I want the answer from you? I answer you because you know what is meant by purification and education. But when I asked you, "Are we now in the stage of purification or the stage of education?" you do not know. You should say, "I do not know," and therefore I asked you. But if you do know, then as you know what purification and education are, answer accordingly as well. Is my speech clear?
The student: Very clear.
The Shaykh : So may Allah reward you with good. Therefore, we do not enter into argument or discussion. Do you know? Please, go ahead.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : You do not know. I do not know, and half of knowledge is saying "I do not know."
The student : I tell you, O Shaykh, that the two stages are concomitant.
The Shaykh : Well, and I agree with you that it is not permissible to separate purification from education. Good, agreed. What did you apply? You agreed, so embrace it. Are we now at the beginning of the path, in the middle of it, or at the end of it? Now, when ... and you fall silent, I understand, and everyone understands that you are thinking about the answer, and there is no blame on you for that. But do not say, "The Shaykh is wronging me," even if it is in your heart, do not say it in your heart.
The student : I did not say it. No, I will not say it.
The Shaykh : You may not say it, O my brother, and you may say it. You are not infallible, and I am not infallible.
The student : The language of the situation says so.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : The language of the situation says so.
The Shaykh : The language of the situation is more eloquent than the language of speech. But with that, we do not assert it; it is possible that the matter is so. So now, do I get the answer?
The student : I say, O Shaykh, that this varies from environment to environment and from society to society. It may be that in some societies it is at the beginning of the path, and in others it is ...
The Shaykh : A sound and political answer.
The student : I object to the first part ...
The Shaykh : The best society. What is its current stage regarding purification and education? Is it at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end?
The student : What society?
The Shaykh : Is my question not clear?
The student : ... The best existing society currently, in which stage is it?
The Shaykh : Did you not say it varies?
The student : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, take the best society.
The student : I take from your words, O Shaykh, when you mentioned that the Gulf region is a better region than others, as you mentioned Albania, meaning, it seems this region's society is better than others.
The Shaykh : This is not an answer to the question.
The student : Is it at the beginning of the path, in the middle, or at the end?
The Shaykh : That is it.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not the answer to the question.
The student : If you saw Saudi Arabia as the best place, in what position is it located?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The student : At the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end?
Another student: ... In the middle of the path, in my opinion. I mean, the stage of purifying the creed from what is attached to it has become apparent. The Salafi da'wah has become, I mean, apparent. When you say, but the process of spreading it to people and purifying their creeds, this is, I almost say, in my opinion, in the middle of the path.
The Shaykh : You copied much of your agreed-upon words regarding purification. Do you know how?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It was not in my statement and your statement together that purification is confined to the creed, but rather to Islam as a whole. And I mentioned to you purification that includes the creed, the rulings, transactions, and behavior. So what do you say now that you have taken only one aspect of these aspects from purification and built upon it that purification is in the middle of the path in the best country or society?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Why did you specify this specification? Is this not an error?
The student : I mean, I understand, O Shaykh, that behavior ... perhaps it is a wrong understanding.
The Shaykh : Behavior in the sense of the intellectual, then, I mean, practical behavior, for example, Sufism. Is it not behavior? Is it not a path?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, but this Sufi behavior is, of course, not from Islam, so it is necessary to purify the minds of Muslims from such Sufi behavior.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then comes the issue of what? Education. So it is necessary that purification be in these types: in the creed, in the rulings, in the acts of worship, meaning prayer and fasting, and so on, in transactions, buying and selling, and the like, in behavior. This is the last thing said about it. But in any case, if a problem arises in your mind regarding behavior, leave it aside, for the previous objection will return regarding your confining purification to the creed. O my brother, the matter, as I explained in several tapes, and I wanted, based on your question, to enter into the same detail after I apologized that it is something tedious for me to repeat what I have previously said over and over again, except that I felt that you understand. I mean, what is the meaning of purification? So now, leave behavior. We have purification in the creeds, we have purification in the rulings. Let us stick to these two types only. Rulings include acts of worship, rulings include transactions, correct? And transactions in their two sections, what they call personal status and others. Let us be brief in speech. So purification, purification includes purifying Islam from everything that has entered it, whether it is a creed or a legal ruling. A legal ruling includes, well, everything, even behavior. Let us stick to this detail. So now, is purification in the middle of the path in the best and most ideal country regarding the creed and the legal rulings?
The questioner : You are speaking about the role of the scholars, O Shaykh. Do they perform this?
The Shaykh : Yes, the role of the scholars is so.
The student : Second, we speak about their clarification. This clarification of theirs for the people. I mean, I want to ask a question based on this, so that I clarify. Is purification by investigation? I mean, if we investigate, for example, innovations and superstitions.
The Shaykh : Purification is by writing and speech.
The questioner : Yes, does acceptance fall within it?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Acceptance by the people?
The Shaykh : Acceptance, no.
The questioner : Is it part of purification?
The Shaykh : Acceptance falls within education.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, purification, may Allah bless you, as is apparent, is the obligation of the scholars.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And education is the obligation of the entire ummah. The scholars educate themselves with their knowledge, and the general Muslims educate themselves with the knowledge of their scholars. So when you say in the best and most ideal society they are in the middle of the path, I do not think you have brought to mind this broad, comprehensive meaning of purifying Islam from what has entered it, whether in the creed or in the rulings. These two words, in truth, are Islam as a whole, the purified Islam that Allah revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace be upon him). And therefore, it appears to me, and Allah knows best, that most of today's Islamic callers are absolutely not imagining the magnitude of the responsibility they carry. They think that the mere response of the general Muslims and their enthusiasm for establishing the Islamic rule on earth is the result of purification. But this is never the case. As Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his word, which I believe deserves the word we have inherited from predecessor to successor, that it is a word to be written in gold ink: "Whoever innovates in Islam an innovation that he sees as good has claimed that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) betrayed the message. Read the word of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Al-Ma'idah 5:3] And the end of this ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning. So whatever was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." "Whatever was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." This creed only, this only. Do you believe that we are in the middle of the path in the best country? Is there a people, no matter how you measure them, and some say today their value and their rank and their status have risen, and they have a general awareness that, as Imam Malik said: "The end of this ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning."
The student : I still have the problem. Do we consider this part of education or part of purification?
The Shaykh : It is part of purification, followed by education.
The student : I mean, I understand.
The Shaykh : Purification, may Allah bless you, is something intellectual, intellectual.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Education is something practical, applying what has arisen in the mind.
The student : I understand, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh: All right.
The student : But I say that purification, meaning our scholars purify what is attached to beliefs and rulings. There is no doubt that, as I mentioned, this may be through writing or through oratory or speech; this is the purification. As for the second part, which is the acceptance of people or the general public... on what do we evaluate them? On the extent of their understanding of this, and on the extent of the purification of their beliefs, their acts of worship, and their rulings. So if this is the case, then in my understanding, this is part of the purification. I do not know if we should return to the question: are we in the process of purification? If so, I still say my understanding of this issue is not precise, and I hope you will be patient with me and know...
The Shaykh : ...
The student : In the Book of Kunya, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: How.
The student : The Book of Kunya.
The Shaykh : ... the Kunya.
The student : Yes, indeed, if they want to...
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : This is one of the questions, meaning, that I am asking you.
The Shaykh : Now the one in charge has become the questioner andThe questioner : the questioner has become the one in charge, so I hope for an answer.
The questioner : ... Questions, O Shaykh. I told you I have questions I will put to you, and this speech is based on them. I told you, let us be brief and start with you.
The Shaykh : Okay, I repeat my question as well.
The student : No, you told me to start, so you took the words from me.
The Shaykh : Why did you not say this when I asked you, "Can I understand what you understand by the words purification and education?" Why did you not insist that I only asked you, and I want the answer from you? I answer you because you know what is meant by purification and education. But when I asked you, "Are we now in the stage of purification or the stage of education?" you do not know. You should say, "I do not know," and therefore I asked you. But if you do know, then as you know what purification and education are, answer accordingly as well. Is my speech clear?
The student: Very clear.
The Shaykh : So may Allah reward you with good. Therefore, we do not enter into argument or discussion. Do you know? Please, go ahead.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : You do not know. I do not know, and half of knowledge is saying "I do not know."
The student : I tell you, O Shaykh, that the two stages are concomitant.
The Shaykh : Well, and I agree with you that it is not permissible to separate purification from education. Good, agreed. What did you apply? You agreed, so embrace it. Are we now at the beginning of the path, in the middle of it, or at the end of it? Now, when ... and you fall silent, I understand, and everyone understands that you are thinking about the answer, and there is no blame on you for that. But do not say, "The Shaykh is wronging me," even if it is in your heart, do not say it in your heart.
The student : I did not say it. No, I will not say it.
The Shaykh : You may not say it, O my brother, and you may say it. You are not infallible, and I am not infallible.
The student : The language of the situation says so.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : The language of the situation says so.
The Shaykh : The language of the situation is more eloquent than the language of speech. But with that, we do not assert it; it is possible that the matter is so. So now, do I get the answer?
The student : I say, O Shaykh, that this varies from environment to environment and from society to society. It may be that in some societies it is at the beginning of the path, and in others it is ...
The Shaykh : A sound and political answer.
The student : I object to the first part ...
The Shaykh : The best society. What is its current stage regarding purification and education? Is it at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end?
The student : What society?
The Shaykh : Is my question not clear?
The student : ... The best existing society currently, in which stage is it?
The Shaykh : Did you not say it varies?
The student : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, take the best society.
The student : I take from your words, O Shaykh, when you mentioned that the Gulf region is a better region than others, as you mentioned Albania, meaning, it seems this region's society is better than others.
The Shaykh : This is not an answer to the question.
The student : Is it at the beginning of the path, in the middle, or at the end?
The Shaykh : That is it.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not the answer to the question.
The student : If you saw Saudi Arabia as the best place, in what position is it located?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The student : At the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end?
Another student: ... In the middle of the path, in my opinion. I mean, the stage of purifying the creed from what is attached to it has become apparent. The Salafi da'wah has become, I mean, apparent. When you say, but the process of spreading it to people and purifying their creeds, this is, I almost say, in my opinion, in the middle of the path.
The Shaykh : You copied much of your agreed-upon words regarding purification. Do you know how?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It was not in my statement and your statement together that purification is confined to the creed, but rather to Islam as a whole. And I mentioned to you purification that includes the creed, the rulings, transactions, and behavior. So what do you say now that you have taken only one aspect of these aspects from purification and built upon it that purification is in the middle of the path in the best country or society?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Why did you specify this specification? Is this not an error?
The student : I mean, I understand, O Shaykh, that behavior ... perhaps it is a wrong understanding.
The Shaykh : Behavior in the sense of the intellectual, then, I mean, practical behavior, for example, Sufism. Is it not behavior? Is it not a path?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, but this Sufi behavior is, of course, not from Islam, so it is necessary to purify the minds of Muslims from such Sufi behavior.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then comes the issue of what? Education. So it is necessary that purification be in these types: in the creed, in the rulings, in the acts of worship, meaning prayer and fasting, and so on, in transactions, buying and selling, and the like, in behavior. This is the last thing said about it. But in any case, if a problem arises in your mind regarding behavior, leave it aside, for the previous objection will return regarding your confining purification to the creed. O my brother, the matter, as I explained in several tapes, and I wanted, based on your question, to enter into the same detail after I apologized that it is something tedious for me to repeat what I have previously said over and over again, except that I felt that you understand. I mean, what is the meaning of purification? So now, leave behavior. We have purification in the creeds, we have purification in the rulings. Let us stick to these two types only. Rulings include acts of worship, rulings include transactions, correct? And transactions in their two sections, what they call personal status and others. Let us be brief in speech. So purification, purification includes purifying Islam from everything that has entered it, whether it is a creed or a legal ruling. A legal ruling includes, well, everything, even behavior. Let us stick to this detail. So now, is purification in the middle of the path in the best and most ideal country regarding the creed and the legal rulings?
The questioner : You are speaking about the role of the scholars, O Shaykh. Do they perform this?
The Shaykh : Yes, the role of the scholars is so.
The student : Second, we speak about their clarification. This clarification of theirs for the people. I mean, I want to ask a question based on this, so that I clarify. Is purification by investigation? I mean, if we investigate, for example, innovations and superstitions.
The Shaykh : Purification is by writing and speech.
The questioner : Yes, does acceptance fall within it?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Acceptance by the people?
The Shaykh : Acceptance, no.
The questioner : Is it part of purification?
The Shaykh : Acceptance falls within education.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, purification, may Allah bless you, as is apparent, is the obligation of the scholars.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And education is the obligation of the entire ummah. The scholars educate themselves with their knowledge, and the general Muslims educate themselves with the knowledge of their scholars. So when you say in the best and most ideal society they are in the middle of the path, I do not think you have brought to mind this broad, comprehensive meaning of purifying Islam from what has entered it, whether in the creed or in the rulings. These two words, in truth, are Islam as a whole, the purified Islam that Allah revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace be upon him). And therefore, it appears to me, and Allah knows best, that most of today's Islamic callers are absolutely not imagining the magnitude of the responsibility they carry. They think that the mere response of the general Muslims and their enthusiasm for establishing the Islamic rule on earth is the result of purification. But this is never the case. As Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his word, which I believe deserves the word we have inherited from predecessor to successor, that it is a word to be written in gold ink: "Whoever innovates in Islam an innovation that he sees as good has claimed that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) betrayed the message. Read the word of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًاThe student : I still have the problem. Do we consider this part of education or part of purification?
The Shaykh : It is part of purification, followed by education.
The student : I mean, I understand.
The Shaykh : Purification, may Allah bless you, is something intellectual, intellectual.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Education is something practical, applying what has arisen in the mind.
The student : I understand, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh: All right.
The student : But I say that purification, meaning our scholars purify what is attached to beliefs and rulings. There is no doubt that, as I mentioned, this may be through writing or through oratory or speech; this is the purification. As for the second part, which is the acceptance of people or the general public... on what do we evaluate them? On the extent of their understanding of this, and on the extent of the purification of their beliefs, their acts of worship, and their rulings. So if this is the case, then in my understanding, this is part of the purification. I do not know if we should return to the question: are we in the process of purification? If so, I still say my understanding of this issue is not precise, and I hope you will be patient with me and know...
The Shaykh : ...
The student : In the Book of Kunya, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: How.
The student : The Book of Kunya.
The Shaykh : ... the Kunya.
The student : Yes, indeed, if they want to...
The Shaykh: No.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.