The Statement on the Tabligh Group: Between Exaggeration and Negligence
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His Eminence the Shaykh: The group of da'wah who go out for three days, they are the Tabligh and Da'wah group. The important thing, O Shaykh, is that I recently started being committed, and I am confused about this matter.Some of the young brothers say: Do not follow this group, and some scholars in Madinah advised me to go out with them, so what is your opinion?
Generally, in all matters, people are divided into two extremes and a middle: Some people praise these people greatly and advise going out with them, while others criticize them severely and warn against them as one would warn against a lion. And there are those who take a middle path. I see that there is good in this group, and there is da'wah among them, and they have an influence that no other da'is have attained. Their influence is clear. How many open sinners have Allah guided! And how many disbelievers have believed! Furthermore, it is among their nature to be humble, have good character, and prefer others over themselves, which is not found in many people.And some say: Do they not have knowledge of hadith, or knowledge of the Salaf, or something similar? They are people of good, without doubt, but I see that those who are in the Kingdom should not go to Pakistan or other countries; because we do not know about the beliefs of those people, nor do we know about their methodologies. But the methodology of our people here in the Kingdom is a methodology free from blemish, and there is nothing wrong with it. As for restricting da'wah to three days, or four days, or two months, or four months, or six months, or two years, this has no basis. But they see that this is a matter of organization, and that if one goes out for three days and knows that he is restricted to these three days, he will be upright and turn away from the worldly life. So this is an organizational matter, not a matter of Shari'ah, nor is it an act of worship. So I see, may Allah bless you, if your direction is toward seeking knowledge, then seeking knowledge is better for you; because there is good in seeking knowledge, and people now need scholars of the Sunnah who are firmly grounded in knowledge. And if you do not have the ability to receive the seeking of knowledge, and you go out with them in order to purify your soul, then there is nothing wrong with that. And there are many people whom Allah the Exalted and Majestic guided through their hands.
Generally, in all matters, people are divided into two extremes and a middle: Some people praise these people greatly and advise going out with them, while others criticize them severely and warn against them as one would warn against a lion. And there are those who take a middle path. I see that there is good in this group, and there is da'wah among them, and they have an influence that no other da'is have attained. Their influence is clear. How many open sinners have Allah guided! And how many disbelievers have believed! Furthermore, it is among their nature to be humble, have good character, and prefer others over themselves, which is not found in many people.And some say: Do they not have knowledge of hadith, or knowledge of the Salaf, or something similar? They are people of good, without doubt, but I see that those who are in the Kingdom should not go to Pakistan or other countries; because we do not know about the beliefs of those people, nor do we know about their methodologies. But the methodology of our people here in the Kingdom is a methodology free from blemish, and there is nothing wrong with it. As for restricting da'wah to three days, or four days, or two months, or four months, or six months, or two years, this has no basis. But they see that this is a matter of organization, and that if one goes out for three days and knows that he is restricted to these three days, he will be upright and turn away from the worldly life. So this is an organizational matter, not a matter of Shari'ah, nor is it an act of worship. So I see, may Allah bless you, if your direction is toward seeking knowledge, then seeking knowledge is better for you; because there is good in seeking knowledge, and people now need scholars of the Sunnah who are firmly grounded in knowledge. And if you do not have the ability to receive the seeking of knowledge, and you go out with them in order to purify your soul, then there is nothing wrong with that. And there are many people whom Allah the Exalted and Majestic guided through their hands.