The Shaykh's remarks on claiming affiliation with the methodology of the Salaf and speaking out about it

The Shaykh : The summary is that I stood with him at this word for a long time. Sometimes he would deviate from the answer, sometimes he would say, "This is my opinion, and I do not mean what you think." I kept circling around my previous question and said to him three times, "Why do you deviate from the answer, Professor Sirur? I am not asking you what you mean; I am asking you what this word means to people." When I saw that you were referring to Egypt, I said, "In any case, I was previously a questioner, but now I am your advisor. I see that you should not use this word as long as you are a Salafi, because we are commanded to speak to people according to the capacity of their minds. For centuries, this word has meant nothing but the Maturidiyyah and the Asha'irah. No one who has studied the later theological schools thinks that the people of hadith are included in this word; on the contrary, it is the Maturidiyyah and the Asha'irah. Therefore, I advise you, and you may accept or reject, that you not use this word." I was pleased with him in the end, but if it is correct for me to say that after he tired me out, I took it from him because he would remove this word from his language or his writing. This reminds me that he said, "I have my own style of writing." I said, "Yes, every writer has his style, but the style must be clear and understood by the audience. Your style is not my style; that is very well known. But we must meet at a point, at a common word, which is that our writing be clear to people." I said, "From this, it might be said of you that you are a man of politics, for you use these words in the manner of the Muslim Brotherhood: Islam and gathering the Muslims on what is between them." I hinted to him what I always circle around: the Book and the Sunnah, my brother. The Rafidah do not deny the Book and the Sunnah, let alone those below them in misguidance. All Muslims say "Book and Sunnah," but no one from these many sects says "Book and Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous predecessors." So we are distinguished by this great and very great distinction. I reminded him of what the later generations say: "Yes, the knowledge of the Salaf is safer, but the knowledge of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and more judicious." This is the saying of the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah. These are the people of the Sunnah and the community, Professor. Therefore, I am your honest advisor. He promised me well and promised that he would send the magazine sequentially. He hinted that anything that comes out of me, he wants to see it. He said his phone number is in the magazine. We must now think about providing him with some writings or publications. Yes.

The questioner : I remembered something regarding the Salafi methodology in Saudi Arabia, my Shaykh. As you know, generally... they say the religion of the state is Islam, and... my Shaykh, it is surprising that they mention the word Salafi. They say the religion of the state is Islam on the Salafi creed.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : ...available in an official state document.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner : I said, "Subhan Allah, this is perhaps, my Shaykh, one of the effects from the chapter of... the Shaykhs."

The Shaykh : Amen. Nevertheless, this narrows our circle, because it should have been "methodology" instead of "creed," because the creed is a part.

The questioner : Yes, the methodology is broader.

The Shaykh : Ah, and we always say that our Najdi brothers are with us in tawhid (the oneness of Allah).

The questioner : On the Salafi creed.

The Shaykh : Ah, but they are not with us on the methodology, and Allah is the helper.