Continuation of the discussion on refuting the false accusation leveled against the Salafis, which is strictness in creed.

The Shaykh : It is written on it what you imagined to be a compilation by a group of scholars. No, my brother, this is, unfortunately, the speech of our brother Zuheir al-Shawi, in order to promote the merchandise. But whoever reads the book knows what is intended by it. The author of this book’s text, as is well known, is Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi. The text is a very small treatise, and I had printed it with some simple explanations. You may have seen it or not. It consists of about sixty or seventy pages. You may not have seen it. Sixty or seventy pages, Professor Adnan. Yes, exactly. An explanation and commentary, that is the important part.

The questioner : So, the one who wrote it is al-Tahawi?

The Shaykh : Be patient, I am explaining it to you. We need to remove the doubt regarding the four scholars. The text was authored by Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi, the explanation by Ibn Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, the tracing of its hadiths by al-Albani,The Shaykh : Ibn Baz. I think he has a word at the end of the book. The important thing, my brother, is that no one participated in this book. The book’s text is by Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi al-Hanafi, the explanation is by Abu al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, and the tracing is by al-Albani only. This is the book. But in terms of...
The subject revolves around al-Tahawi and around the commentator Abu al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, and that is all. So, the purpose is that these people authored this book, and they authored it in their style of their time. Now, of course, this style is not only in tawhid and creed; even in books of fiqh and books of hadith, it needs renewal and development, and so on. This is not a point of disagreement. But the whole research is... I was surprised for the first time, and by a person we count among us, that there is strictness on their part. I hope we can see this strictness so that we can address it.

The questioner : ... It needs simplification for some people’s concepts, but there is strictness.

The questioner : My Shaykh... the issue of pointing to the sky...

The Shaykh : It is in the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it is one of the arguments of the Salafis against the Khalafis, who deny pointing, let alone explicit expression. That a person says: Allah is above the heavens, on the Throne, He has established Himself. When the Messenger delivered the sermon, he said: There is nothing wrong with the pointing. But the truth is that this pointing is denied by the deniers whom we call the Mu‘attilah. So I fear, and I fear greatly, that our brother Adnan is influenced by this direction. And therefore I want to hear from him. In fact, we have to admit that his appearance, I mean, had a very intense heat. That what is there is strictness on their part. And he started with a falsehood attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah, which is not correct, of course. Then when he realized, he went back and said, you said just now, what is there? There is nothing wrong. If we truly believe in what came in the Book and the Sunnah, that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is above the heavens. Knowing that this being above is not like our being above, because those who are under us, we in America and elsewhere, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is also above them. So this is among the proofs that the divine being above is not the being above of a king on his throne: .
So the appearance that he makes, and the example by which he did not hit the mark, is what completely attracted my attention, and to this day I am asking him for it. The example expressing this strictness. As for his humming around this issue, we say first: if it is us ourselves, I am speaking on this issue by the way, I had written an introduction, I think, to al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi’s *Mukhtasar al-‘Ulu*. You must have seen it, right?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : If you had looked at this introduction, and raised some questions about it, of course I placed it...

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me, no harm, but my intention is to say that from the Islamic principles: If we are strict, show us. And if others are also strict, show us so that we can take heed of them. And yet, we have not heard until now the type of strictness. As for the issue of humming or the humming, you must feel the reason for it. The reason is that the atmosphere is full; no one speaks about these issues, not in the mosques, not in the lectures, not on the radio, not... So if you find a person in every session raising the creed of faith in the attributes mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah, do not be surprised by that, because no one speaks about these issues at all.

The questioner : Even to the point of disapproval.

The Shaykh : Even the speech about them is disapproved of. And what can you say when, in fact, we sit in long sessions and do not touch this research at all, right or not?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : We ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to guide us to the straight path.

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : What is it?

The questioner:...

The Shaykh : How do you mean?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : This was your intention, but your wording was not this. No, you want to ask yourself. We do not want to witness the brothers. Did you not speak with the word "strictness"?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : I did not mention strictness.

The questioner:...

The Shaykh : Well, now when you summarized your opinion, you did not mention strictness. Glory be to Allah, and there is disagreement in it too! Good, if Allah wills?

The questioner : The strictness intended is the style, not the thought.

The Shaykh : I did not speak of style and thought. The word "strictness" and I brought the previous example. Suppose the previous example is a reality. What does it indicate? The example you cited about Ibn Taymiyyah, or you started citing it, this does not support the speech that it is organizing the style, and it is not the style.

The questioner : What confirms my intention in this, if this is established or weak, is that... in the method of interpreting it with certain words and the style...

The Shaykh : This is Allah guide you? This is not the style, Allah guide you. This story, if it is correct, has no relation to the style. This is strictness in creed. Please.

The questioner : ...... It is said that the issue of strictness is present...

The Shaykh : But the word "it is said," attribute it to its people. Who says it? The Salafis?

The questioner : The enemies of the Salafis and some of the Salafis.

The Shaykh : What is the value of this?

The questioner : And some of the Salafis.

The Shaykh : And some of the Salafis do not say this about the Salafis. It is not the Salafis who say this. One person says it in his heart, there is a disease in his heart, a delusion. Allah knows. The important thing is that our research in the da'wah as a da'wah, and we are not speaking about an individual. So I cannot speak with you as you represent the Salafi da'wah. That is it. You may be strict, you may be tolerant, you may be lenient. So this does not attach to the da'wah.

The questioner : The ruling in dealing with the Salafis is based on what happens from the Salafis in this time.

The Shaykh : No, not based on what happens from the Salafis, but based on what happens from some of them. Yes.

The questioner : Strictness in creed, if strictness means boasting and victory...

The Shaykh : Of course, there is no disagreement in this.

The questioner : ... meaning strictness as a lack of tolerance...

Another questioner : ... people meet it with turning away from the truth... When he hears this speech, it is difficult for him because whoever is ignorant of something opposes it.

The Shaykh : If he does not bear the research, what do you want from him? He was able to present his opinion.

The questioner : Meaning, the reality of the Salafis is that they adopt their opinion, of course, and the rest of the opinions that are mentioned. So the sayings are many in the issues. They attribute ignorance and misguidance to them, like this, openly, in public, and in the daytime.

The Shaykh : For example, this one? And this one?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : For example, this one and this one. If this one is accused, if even we see, you accuse him with an easy accusation, but the important thing is that you prove it.

The questioner : But what I know from the Salafis, I do not feel strictness in their opinions and the opinions of their Shaykh, such that the other opinions are described as misguidance and so on.

The Shaykh : For example, give an example of what you say.

The questioner : For example, the prayer of tarawih, the sunnah of Jumu'ah, they say in it... it specifies its dislike. But the sunnah of tarawih, the prayer of tarawih, we found great imams that there is a number of rak'ahs more than eleven rak'ahs, and it reaches twenty-three rak'ahs, and it reaches forty and more. So, for example, the one who takes from the madhhab of Imam Malik or al-Shafi'i, and he has an excuse because he has an imam who is a huffaz, trustworthy, and knowledgeable, and he said this saying.

The Shaykh : By Allah, if you were not a Salafi, you would not know how to speak this speech.

The questioner : This is correct, this is correct.

The Shaykh : Well, so Allah guide you, you are blaming people for the actions of people. Meaning, now, the Companions strayed from the line, you blame the other Companions.

The questioner : No, of course not.

The Shaykh : Allah guide you and those behind you, you and those behind you.

The questioner : In the incident, by Allah, the reality of many of them, and I am one of them.

The Shaykh : I see with my own eyes. There is no power nor strength except by Allah.

The questioner : ......... What is your opinion of the Mother of the Believers, A'isha...