The Shaykh Al-Albani's response to those who accuse the Salafis of extremism in creed.
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The questioner : ... regarding all the doubts that are raised ... the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the Salaf ...
The Shaykh : I see that there is no meeting of the minds on this specific point, and I am compelled to speak frankly. I have not heard him raise a doubt to which a response could be given, nor am I prepared to write a book on this subject. So what does he want? And what do you want? That is one thing.
The second thing: he entered into the subject, the subject of accusing the methodology of the Salaf of having extremism. When a person wants to claim a specific calling that touches on the creed of some people, whether past or present, he must bring evidence. So he spoke and spoke at length that this does not necessitate such and such. We tell him that this is one of the fundamentals of our Salafi calling. If he were asking about a doubt, about forms he heard from the people of superstition, these innovators and atheists and so on, then I swear by Allah I am thinking about this question. If I have an answer that will convince him, then fine; if not, then no. But that was not his subject, so you cannot say, "We need such and such, and we need such and such, and I need such and such."
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : My brother, what did he say about the thing he read? What did he say? What is the doubt? What is the doubt he presented?
The questioner : For example, these... meaning, regarding the ones who interpret [the attributes], they say you say about some of the attributes ... and this is not befitting.
The Shaykh : Okay, what do you want now? What do you want from us? The thing you are saying about these people, do you think we do not know about them? No, allow me. If so, what do you mean by this story? If your intention is something that helps us understand the reality, do you acknowledge with us that we know the reality? If your intention is something scholarly, please, ask about it.
The questioner : What I said and understood ...
The Shaykh : Glory to Allah, may Allah forgive you. And you forgot? Say you forgot. May Allah forgive you. Perhaps this is our merchandise returned to us. Please, what did you forget?
The questioner : ... for example, the book of al-Tahawi's Creed ...
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Do you want us to explain al-Tahawi's Creed with a new explanation? That is not within my capability. So what do you mean by this speech, my brother? This is not your speech; this is the speech of the opponents. First: you say they should focus on such and such. This is incorrect. Look at my works; what do they focus on, if you mean me? And if you mean others among those who came before, or those present, every soul is a pledge for what it has earned. A person works within the limits of his ability and capacity. So I am telling you, and Abu Yahya who supported you, that I have not heard a doubt from our brother 'Adnan to which we could respond. On the contrary, I heard an attack on the Salafis, that they have extremism. Where is this extremism? We have not heard it. You did not bring a single example.
The Shaykh : I see that there is no meeting of the minds on this specific point, and I am compelled to speak frankly. I have not heard him raise a doubt to which a response could be given, nor am I prepared to write a book on this subject. So what does he want? And what do you want? That is one thing.
The second thing: he entered into the subject, the subject of accusing the methodology of the Salaf of having extremism. When a person wants to claim a specific calling that touches on the creed of some people, whether past or present, he must bring evidence. So he spoke and spoke at length that this does not necessitate such and such. We tell him that this is one of the fundamentals of our Salafi calling. If he were asking about a doubt, about forms he heard from the people of superstition, these innovators and atheists and so on, then I swear by Allah I am thinking about this question. If I have an answer that will convince him, then fine; if not, then no. But that was not his subject, so you cannot say, "We need such and such, and we need such and such, and I need such and such."
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : My brother, what did he say about the thing he read? What did he say? What is the doubt? What is the doubt he presented?
The questioner : For example, these... meaning, regarding the ones who interpret [the attributes], they say you say about some of the attributes ... and this is not befitting.
The Shaykh : Okay, what do you want now? What do you want from us? The thing you are saying about these people, do you think we do not know about them? No, allow me. If so, what do you mean by this story? If your intention is something that helps us understand the reality, do you acknowledge with us that we know the reality? If your intention is something scholarly, please, ask about it.
The questioner : What I said and understood ...
The Shaykh : Glory to Allah, may Allah forgive you. And you forgot? Say you forgot. May Allah forgive you. Perhaps this is our merchandise returned to us. Please, what did you forget?
The questioner : ... for example, the book of al-Tahawi's Creed ...
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Do you want us to explain al-Tahawi's Creed with a new explanation? That is not within my capability. So what do you mean by this speech, my brother? This is not your speech; this is the speech of the opponents. First: you say they should focus on such and such. This is incorrect. Look at my works; what do they focus on, if you mean me? And if you mean others among those who came before, or those present, every soul is a pledge for what it has earned. A person works within the limits of his ability and capacity. So I am telling you, and Abu Yahya who supported you, that I have not heard a doubt from our brother 'Adnan to which we could respond. On the contrary, I heard an attack on the Salafis, that they have extremism. Where is this extremism? We have not heard it. You did not bring a single example.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.