The Shaykh's position on what happened with the Salvation Front in Algeria, and whether their disagreement is in the fundamentals or the branches? (Discussion).

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. Now, we must enter into some details so that we do not assume or imagine the reality to be otherwise. We all know the problem of our brothers in Algeria now and the severe punishment they are enduring. Do you not know that the Salafi groups are divided regarding what some Salafis did in Algeria? As we hear every day and every night, the supporters of disbelief are treating the Muslims there worse than the disbelievers treat Muslims in their own homeland. You must be hearing this. But despite that, you see, especially among the Muslims of purification and education, some say: "Evil is what those people did who rebelled against the rule and hastened the matter, thus causing this calamity." Others say: "No, they did well and fought in the path of Allah," and so on. Where is the purification? Where is the education? So, we must remember on this occasion that today, we, especially the Muslims, are divided on purification, let alone its effects in terms of education. Right now, some of us believe that the Palestinian revolution, called today the Intifada, is an obligatory matter, and others say it is, and I am among them, that this is premature. Where is the purification? If the purification is among the callers themselves, they are still divided. Where is this purification? You will say it is in one country, but another will say it is in another country. Is this the purification?

The questioner : Shaykh, a question arises here.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : A question arises for me.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : I mean, do the scholars, or the people of the same school of jurisprudence, which is the correct one, have to agree on all the branches?

The Shaykh: No.
The student : We say, in my opinion, it is not obligatory. This is based on a jurisprudential issue, for example, whether they are obligated to fight or not obligated to fight. Or I think I have strayed.

The Shaykh : I think what?
The student : That I have strayed far from...

The Shaykh : No, you may have strayed or not, it is not important. The course of the conversation will clarify it.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The student : This is a matter among the scholars where they may be differing on an issue of independent legal reasoning, and the disagreement may be acceptable. It is not required that they all be on the same understanding.

The Shaykh : Do not repeat; the answer has already been given. You are just lingering around a specific point. The answer has already been given that it is not a condition of purification that the Muslim scholars agree on one opinion in every issue. This is a settled matter. We state in our books and lectures that if every disagreement were of the blameworthy kind, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have differed. This does not need discussion. But we say, what happened in Algeria—we brought up an example—is this a branch issue?
The student : I mean, in my opinion, how did the events start?

The Shaykh : Yes, how did they start?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Did they start in the manner of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah, and on the basis of the purification that we agree on at least in general, though we may differ in detail? Did the movement start there in the way the Messenger (peace be upon him) started his call?
The student : In Algeria, there are those who agree... in other countries, there are...

The Shaykh : Do not deviate, please. Do not deviate a word. Say your word and its cover. The research now, we are limiting it, and you are loosening it. We are limiting it to Algeria, and you are expanding the circle to other countries. Now, an example is before us to verify whether this issue is one of the branches where disagreement is permissible, and as some say: "We cooperate on what we agree upon and excuse one another in what we differ upon." Did the movement that arose in Algeria, and the tyrannical rulers rebelled against these Muslims, imprisoning those they imprisoned, killing those they killed, and violating those they violated, and so on, and their evil continues and spreads—did the beginning of their movement follow the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him) or go against it?
The student : According to my understanding, Shaykh, the beginning of the movement was, I mean, the original discussion of entering parliament, which ignited the fuse. I mean, this was the beginning...

The Shaykh : Do not deviate, may Allah reward you. The best speech is what is brief and effective. Say yes, say no, then explain whatever you wish.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Say yes, say no.
The student : So that I clarify, Shaykh, the issue of...

The Shaykh : Do not clarify, do not clarify. We agreed on a common word. Say yes, say no, and explain what you said, and explain what you said. Give a lecture.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : But I will not accept a lecture from you before you give me its summary introduction.
The student : I say it is an issue from the issues of the branches.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : An issue from the issues of the branches.

The Shaykh : That was not the answer to the question.
The student : ... .

The Shaykh : Allah is the helper. Yes, yes, who is it?
The student : ... .

The Shaykh : Are you Abd al-Rahman?
The student: No.

The Shaykh : Who are you?
The student : What?

The Shaykh : Who are you?
The student : Who are you?
Another student: He called more than once...

The Shaykh : How?
The student : This is more than one call, and he is not just asking a question; he is talking first about the lack of...

The Shaykh : Okay, the question, may Allah reward you. Did the call there, by those people who were imprisoned and entered the elections, and so on, start on the methodology of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah, or against his Sunnah and his call? Is the question clear?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : I hope the answer is yes or no, then explain whatever you wish. After that, it will become clear in a way, as they say today, automatically, whether it was a branch issue or a fundamental one.
The student : What I know, Shaykh, is that among them, some were on the way of the people of the Sunnah, and some were not, according to...

The Shaykh : How so, among them?
The student : I mean, among the Algerian brothers.

The Shaykh : We are not talking about all the parties.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : We are talking about the Renaissance Party...
The student : The Salvation Front.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : The Salvation Front.

The Shaykh : The Salvation Front. Yes, we are talking about the front that appeared to have an Islamic call first, and then a Salafi call. So you also do not blur the subject by saying some did this and some did that. We are talking about this front.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, what is your answer after the specification?
The student : The same answer, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : The same answer applies.

The Shaykh: And that is...
The student : That among them, some are on the Salafi way and some are not. This is what I know. That the vice president is a Salafi, according to what I know.

The Shaykh : And does he adopt purification and education?
The student : According to my knowledge.

The Shaykh : Okay, and did he do it?
The student : I mean, as we say... but the issue of disagreement starts, as I mentioned, with the process of entering the legislative councils. Is this part of purification?

The Shaykh : According to the Turk's opinion, what, what, slowly, slowly. Does he adopt purification?
The student : We have a good opinion of him. I read an article of his and understood from it that he is on the methodology of the righteous predecessors. And whoever is on that, without doubt, adopts it.

The Shaykh : Okay, is he a scholar?
The student : Without doubt, no.

The Shaykh : Okay, may Allah correct me and you. How does one who is not a scholar perform purification and education? How many Algerians do you think there are?
The student : Twenty-five million.

The Shaykh : Twenty-five million. How many scholars, at least, do they need to perform the duty of purification and education?
The student: Many.

The Shaykh : I mean, put the minimum number. Put it.
The student : One thousand.

The Shaykh : One thousand. Okay, if they do not have a quarter or a tenth, can they perform the duty of purification and education for the twenty-five million? Hmm.
The student : They cannot.

The Shaykh : They cannot. So this person or that, or two, or five, or ten, and this is the most prominent among them, is not a scholar. How do you imagine that he performed the duty of purification and education? May Allah reward you.
The student : A student of knowledge, Shaykh, I mean.