If Muslims organize themselves to collect funds and establish charitable associations and the like, is this considered one of the prohibited forms of factionalism?

The questioner : May Allah reward you. In this country specifically, and in neighboring countries, there are those who care for the affairs of Muslims, building schools and mosques for them, and enjoining good and forbidding evil, fulfilling some of the obligations of Islam. But take, for example, our Muslim brothers in India. The government resists Islam and wants to end it on this continent. Muslims are forced to organize themselves to preserve their religion and their dignity. They organize to collect funds to build mosques and schools. If they do not do this, they will be completely lost. The Salafis have a lack of organization; for example, they have almost no organization. These [other groups] are skilled in organization. Every time the Salafis raise a generation, these organizations absorb them. The youth find energy in them; if they do not find something to occupy them, the Salafis have no programs, so these groups and parties take them. They take the first generation, the second, and the third, and then such doubts arise. So what prevents us from organizing? Its fruits are good: building mosques, building hospitals, building schools. If we do not do this work, we will have no standing, and our youth will not be established. So how do we answer them?

The Shaykh : I say, may Allah reward you, the reason for the difference between the two groups is that the group you praised for their cooperation, some of them have nothing to occupy them with that, so that is their work. Their situation is like that of the Christians; they have no concern other than preaching, which suits the desires of people and the desires of those being called. Likewise, these organized people are directed toward this work and have no other work to occupy them with it, and the exact opposite is the case. The Salafis are occupied with a great work, which is their concern with understanding Islam first, correctly, and according to the methodology of the Book, the Sunnah, and the righteous Salaf. Then, each individual among them concerns himself with applying what he learns to himself, to his wife, and to his child. This concern occupies them from performing some of the other obligations. This is because the capacity of human souls is limited, as is not hidden from everyone. To the extent that a person concerns himself with one aspect, he falls short in another. If this falling short in the other aspect is, although obligatory, but less important than the concern for the first matter, then we blame them to that extent. As for those others, the blame on them is greater because they do not concern themselves with this more obligatory matter, but rather they concern themselves with what the disbelieving, polytheist Christians concern themselves with. So their organization in this sense is much more precise than the organizations of the other Islamic groups. It is true that the Salafis should take Islam as a whole, not divided, and this is part of our call as an idea. But is it possible for the Muslim scholar, for example, to work in all aspects of life? He cannot do that. He cannot be a specialist in the science of Tafsir, a specialist in the science of Hadith, a specialist in comparative Fiqh, a specialist in language, and so on. But he must grasp these sciences to a degree, then specialize in one science so that his benefit to people is stronger and more comprehensive in what he specializes in. Therefore, I am not surprised by, for example, the concern of the Tabligh group with this departure that has robbed the minds of some of the elite, let alone the common people, because they have no work. We tell them: sit down, study the knowledge. We remind them of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): They do not do that, and if they did, they would not be able to make this departure. Especially since in this departure there is the fulfillment of hidden desires in the souls, which they consider religion. I almost say that the saying of Allah the Exalted in the Noble Qur'an almost applies to them: They go out in groups, by the tens and hundreds, and most of them have not even known tawhid (the oneness of Allah) yet. Sit down, my brothers, in the mosques and study the Book of Allah and the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). For one of them to become well-versed in the religion of Allah is equal to this departure which they wrongly and ignorantly call departure in the path of Allah. Seeking knowledge in the path of Allah. Why do they not seek knowledge? Because it does not suit the desires in their souls. So it is with the other groups; they concern themselves with things that the Salafis do not actually concern themselves with, because they are not able to do so from this aspect. Therefore, I say a word that some of our brothers may find strange, but I believe it is the truth: I see no obstacle to there being multiple groups, but within one methodology, except that each group has its specific work, such that the single call unites them so that they do not hate one another...

The questioner : ...and the single goal.

The Shaykh : ...and the single goal, and so on. But the specialization of, for example, individuals, we say in groups...

The questioner : ...this is what we want, but it is attributed to us and to you that this is not permissible with us...

The Shaykh : ...this is one of the lies attributed to us. May Allah reward you.

The questioner : I want to record this statement. May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : This is recorded. May Allah reward you. And our brothers testify to that. Yes.

The questioner : We say the goal is one, and there can be hundreds of groups that establish charitable projects in building mosques and schools?

The Shaykh : Let it be. I say the ruling on groups is like the ruling on individuals. If one person does not know of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) except the necessary things, but he is an electrical engineer, a construction engineer, or the like, as long as he is with us in the base, may Allah reward him well, he is fulfilling an obligation. We say this about individuals and apply it to groups as well. But which groups are these? Are they the ones present on the scene today? The ones who hate each other, are distant from each other, and turn away from each other? Differing in the basic methodology? We tell them: Allah said, the Messenger of Allah said. They say: this is not the time for it now. When will be the time for it? When disbelief occupies the minds of Muslims instead of the previous colonial disbeliever? Allah is the Helper. We have been saying this, may Allah reward you, for thirty years in Syria. Yes.

The questioner : By Allah, I have not heard this from you, but praise be to Allah, we have reached this conclusion.

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, "the shoe fits the foot." He agreed with him and embraced him.

Another questioner : These organizations, O Shaykh, which object to the Salafi methodology and accuse it of these accusations, in order to present the projects they claim to present, as you mentioned, the most famous of what they do are missionary projects at the expense of the loss of themselves and their families?

The Shaykh : This is what we say.

Another questioner : A few days ago, in an incident here in the city, a man found his children at the end of the night being chased by some of the wicked.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.

Another questioner : So Allah sent the police and the officials, may Allah reward them well, and they saved the children. We asked the children why? What took you out at this hour?

The Shaykh : Their father is busy with the call (da'wah).

Another questioner : They said: Our father left four months ago and we do not know his fate.

The Shaykh : That is it.

Another questioner : And we do not know if he is alive or dead. He left us, and I went out to take my brother to the clinic, and this wicked man intercepted me and chased me.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.

Another questioner : And yes, this is the truth. It happened a few days ago in Sha'ban.
Abu Layla : Where did his father go?

The questioner : He went with the Tabligh group.

The Shaykh : Currently, we were talking to you about it...

Another questioner : Yes, it is the one you mentioned, and I said it in support of you.

The Shaykh : Yes, no, I say to our companion here, before we came to this town...