A question regarding a letter to Shaykh Ali.

The questioner : O our Shaykh, may Allah bless you. I mean, general methodological words that present the true methodology clearly and provide evidence for it, and then refute the arguments of the opponents in this matter. This is for a general presentation. But now the campaign is new, characterized by organized and intellectual means, and it cites specific issues and different secondary evidence. So these evidences, I mean, now it is no longer sufficient to have general words; rather, detailed responses are necessary. We met with the brotherThe Shaykh : Ali, may Allah bless you, and he informed us about the book that, I mean,The Shaykh : he completed, in which he responded in detail to a number of the doubts presented. But we also say frankly,The Shaykh : Ali, perhaps like me, because I know him and know his letters and so on, I accept his words and am convinced by what he says. But there are thousands, especially O our Shaykh, and I told you before
in the first of Ramadan when I came to you with the other brother, have the ideas started to spread in an organized manner, not only in the area of Kuwait, but also to Yemen, to Saudi Arabia, and even I met with some of the brothers in Oman, where the Salafis are counted on the fingers and differ in these issues, and there are connections reaching them to divide their ranks.

Another questioner : For example, in the interpretation of the hadith of Hudhayfah, for instance, in al-Furqan, in the fifteenth issue, it saysThe Shaykh : May Allah preserve him and guide him to all good. Regarding the interpretation of the hadith of Hudhayfah: "And there is no doubt that this time to which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) refers, in which he orders isolation from all people—and the hadith of Hudhayfah is famous—is not our time. And whoever applies this hadith to the differences among the groups of da'wah has made a great error, rather, he has strayed far astray." This is a model I selected, and I have models here that I wanted to send to you, but the time, on one hand, we do not want you to waste your time on such matters. So I had read these letters and extracted the main points and the evidence upon which they are based, and then I copied them in a formulation so that it would be in the shortest time. And then when I foundThe Shaykh : Ali, I placed it in the issue with your knowledge, so I said there is no need for us to detail it, andThe Shaykh : May Allah reward him with good, he has relieved us of the burden. And there is no doubt that, if Allah wills, Blessed and Exalted is He, it is better. But the issue I raised first remains, which is the matter thatThe Shaykh : Ali, as I mentioned, I mean, frankly,

The Shaykh : There is blessing in him, but he is not well-known.

The questioner : But it is not only the matter that he is not well-known, but his word may be a subject of debate. But whenThe Shaykh : Nasser speaks in detail about these issues, or at least writes a review of the Shaykh's book in three lines and says, "I have looked into this book," I mean, I am not dictating to you, but O Shaykh, I am explaining to you the problem as it is in reality, frankly. Just a review, or just an indication that you agreed with the content of the responses that he includedThe Shaykh : Ali in his book.
Because some of these doubts have a place of confusion, I mean, there is a great deal of confusion, and broad general expressions. If you wish, we can produce models for you.

The Shaykh : No, there is no need. You should produce them for him, cooperate with him, and help him. Perhaps you did that?

The questioner : In detail, it did not happen regarding following up on the points, but the general speech and broad outlines did happen.

The Shaykh : We tell you that you must cooperate with him in detail. And the thing you are asking of me has passed its time for me. First, as long as you have interest in the issue, and this is a collective obligation for many students of knowledge. And what I see is that you should cooperate with the brother Ali in the issue, and that you gather all the doubts and points that they are going around and arguing with, or that are arguments against them which they reject with a type of interpretation like this interpretation that I just heard from you. And then what I proposed to Ali, knowing that my circumstances now do not allow me to devote myself to such research at all. And if I read the book in its entirety so that I get a complete idea from it, but on the basis that what cannot be fully grasped should not be mostly left behind, and without my ability to give a definite promise, I say thatThe Shaykh : the old man who has reached extreme old age can no longer perform, I do not say all these obligations, because no person, however strong and knowledgeable, can perform all these obligations. I hope all our brothers note something that may be hidden from them due to their passionate Islamic emotions, which is that they should realize that the ageThe Shaykh : and experience cannot be imagined in it, and what was requested of the age before it should not be requested from it. Just now, perhaps you heard Professor Ali say, "What is the matter, your eye is red." I almost said yes, but it is not on you. The point is that what does not need explanation is the effort and fatigue and the age, and so on. And so now the turn of the youth has come, your turn has come. But this does not mean that we do not cooperate in righteousness and piety. But you must bear your responsibility in the portion that we bore before in some aspects, and you will bear it better, and better. This is all I have as an answer to your question.

The questioner : There is blessing in you, if Allah wills, O Shaykh. May Allah bless you in your time.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner : But the intended matter I mentioned remains, which is, I mean, is there, for example, from what we know, that you review the book of Shaykh Ali?

The Shaykh : There is no time, I have no time. The problem is I have no time.

The questioner : One or two lines.

The Shaykh : You are saying one or two lines, do you know how much that costs?

The questioner : It is necessary to review the letter.

The Shaykh : Well, reviewing this letter, this matter is not easy, my brother. What does a person say? I went to Saudi Arabia and we lived there for the first time for two months. I came with dozens of responses and observations, some with good intentions, some with bad intentions, some where a person’s matter was difficult for me, and so on. And I am keen to know my shortcomings and faults, and so on. And I want to read, so what do I read before this or that, and so on. Also, what do I read of these magazines that are published today, this or that, I mean, the new books.

The questioner : There is an idea we discussed before. When we see in the basket your responses to books that are not worth wasting your time on, and you respond to them, we used to say, how nice it would be if it were aroundThe Shaykh : he mobilizes from the students in whom he trusts, who look into such letters if there is merit.

The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah bless you. The proverb says, the one who is after the sticks is not like the one who eats them. You are now organizing things mentally, but live with us here and then speak.