A Gentle Discussion on Establishing the Term Salafi
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The questioner : Some of our brother da'is say, "I refuse to say that I am a Salafi, for fear that people will look at me with a partisan gaze." Is this statement correct, or should he clarify to people what Salafiyyah is?
The Shaykh : It is the latter. I am now relating to you a discussion that took place between me and one of the Islamic writers who are with us upon the Book and the Sunnah, praise be to Allah. The thirst is quenched, the veins are parched, and the reward is established, if Allah wills. The discussion went as follows, and I hope our brothers, the students of knowledge, will memorize this discussion, because its fruit is very important. I said to him, "If a questioner asks you, 'What is your madhhab (school of thought)?' what is your answer?" He said, "Muslim." I said, "This answer is incorrect." He said, "Why?" I said to him, "If a questioner asked you, 'What is your religion?' you would say, 'Muslim.' But I did not ask you what your religion is; I asked you what your madhhab is." This is the first point. Second, you know that in the Islamic land today there are many, many madhhabs. You are with us in judging some of them as having absolutely nothing to do with Islam, such as the Druze, the Ismailis, the Alawites, and the like, yet they say, "We are Muslims." There are other sects that we may not say have exited Islam like those first sects, but there is no doubt that they are among the misguided sects that deviated greatly from the Book and the Sunnah, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Khawarij, the Murji'ah, the Jabriyyah, and the like. What is your opinion? Do you find this existing today or not? He said, "Yes." I said, "If we ask one of these people, 'What is your madhhab?' he will say, with reservation, 'Muslim.' So you are a Muslim and he is a Muslim. Therefore, we want you to clarify in your answer about your madhhab, after your Islam and your religion." He said, "Then I will say in my answer: My madhhab is the Book and the Sunnah." I said, "This answer is also insufficient." He said, "Why?" I said, "Because those we mentioned say about themselves that they are Muslims, and none of them says, 'I am not upon the Book and the Sunnah.' Everyone says so. Do all the Shi'ah now say, 'We are against the Book and the Sunnah'? No, they say, 'We are upon the Book and the Sunnah.' So it is not sufficient, Professor, I say to my companion. There must be an additional element. What do you think: Is it permissible for us today, who rely on the Book and the Sunnah, to understand the Book and the Sunnah in a new way, or must we adhere to the understanding of the righteous Salaf?" He said, "It is necessary." I said, "Do you believe that the people of the other madhhabs, those who are outside Islam but claim Islam, and those who are still within the circle of Islam but have strayed from some of its rulings, do you believe they say with you and me, 'We are upon the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf'?" He said, "No, they do not share that with us." I said, "Then it is not sufficient for you to say, 'I am upon the Book and the Sunnah.' There must be an additional element." He said, "Yes." I said, "Then you will say, 'Upon the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf.' Now we come to the crux of the matter. He is a man of refinement and a free-spirited writer. Is there not one word in the Arabic language that gathers for us a reference to all these words: Muslim, upon the Book and the Sunnah, and the methodology of the righteous Salaf? Is there not a word that saves us from all these words, such as, 'I am a Salafi'?" He said, "It is so." And he was struck dumb. And this is the answer. If someone denies it to you, do not say, "Salafi." Rather, say to him, before the statement we mentioned: "And what are you?" He will say to you, "Muslim." And then proceed with the matter. Are you praying now? Do not hasten in the prayer.
The questioner : The brother mu'adhdhin has appeared.
The Shaykh : Ah, he has not called the adhan.
The questioner : He says, "I am a Salafi, but I have not actually reached the level of the Salaf to say about my state that I am a Salafi." He says this.
The Shaykh : Every question has an answer. Did he reach the level of a Salafi Muslim?
The questioner : He did not reach it.
The Shaykh : Then he does not say "Muslim." Subhan Allah! What does ignorance do to a person? It throws him on his head. Please.
The Shaykh : It is the latter. I am now relating to you a discussion that took place between me and one of the Islamic writers who are with us upon the Book and the Sunnah, praise be to Allah. The thirst is quenched, the veins are parched, and the reward is established, if Allah wills. The discussion went as follows, and I hope our brothers, the students of knowledge, will memorize this discussion, because its fruit is very important. I said to him, "If a questioner asks you, 'What is your madhhab (school of thought)?' what is your answer?" He said, "Muslim." I said, "This answer is incorrect." He said, "Why?" I said to him, "If a questioner asked you, 'What is your religion?' you would say, 'Muslim.' But I did not ask you what your religion is; I asked you what your madhhab is." This is the first point. Second, you know that in the Islamic land today there are many, many madhhabs. You are with us in judging some of them as having absolutely nothing to do with Islam, such as the Druze, the Ismailis, the Alawites, and the like, yet they say, "We are Muslims." There are other sects that we may not say have exited Islam like those first sects, but there is no doubt that they are among the misguided sects that deviated greatly from the Book and the Sunnah, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Khawarij, the Murji'ah, the Jabriyyah, and the like. What is your opinion? Do you find this existing today or not? He said, "Yes." I said, "If we ask one of these people, 'What is your madhhab?' he will say, with reservation, 'Muslim.' So you are a Muslim and he is a Muslim. Therefore, we want you to clarify in your answer about your madhhab, after your Islam and your religion." He said, "Then I will say in my answer: My madhhab is the Book and the Sunnah." I said, "This answer is also insufficient." He said, "Why?" I said, "Because those we mentioned say about themselves that they are Muslims, and none of them says, 'I am not upon the Book and the Sunnah.' Everyone says so. Do all the Shi'ah now say, 'We are against the Book and the Sunnah'? No, they say, 'We are upon the Book and the Sunnah.' So it is not sufficient, Professor, I say to my companion. There must be an additional element. What do you think: Is it permissible for us today, who rely on the Book and the Sunnah, to understand the Book and the Sunnah in a new way, or must we adhere to the understanding of the righteous Salaf?" He said, "It is necessary." I said, "Do you believe that the people of the other madhhabs, those who are outside Islam but claim Islam, and those who are still within the circle of Islam but have strayed from some of its rulings, do you believe they say with you and me, 'We are upon the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf'?" He said, "No, they do not share that with us." I said, "Then it is not sufficient for you to say, 'I am upon the Book and the Sunnah.' There must be an additional element." He said, "Yes." I said, "Then you will say, 'Upon the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf.' Now we come to the crux of the matter. He is a man of refinement and a free-spirited writer. Is there not one word in the Arabic language that gathers for us a reference to all these words: Muslim, upon the Book and the Sunnah, and the methodology of the righteous Salaf? Is there not a word that saves us from all these words, such as, 'I am a Salafi'?" He said, "It is so." And he was struck dumb. And this is the answer. If someone denies it to you, do not say, "Salafi." Rather, say to him, before the statement we mentioned: "And what are you?" He will say to you, "Muslim." And then proceed with the matter. Are you praying now? Do not hasten in the prayer.
The questioner : The brother mu'adhdhin has appeared.
The Shaykh : Ah, he has not called the adhan.
The questioner : He says, "I am a Salafi, but I have not actually reached the level of the Salaf to say about my state that I am a Salafi." He says this.
The Shaykh : Every question has an answer. Did he reach the level of a Salafi Muslim?
The questioner : He did not reach it.
The Shaykh : Then he does not say "Muslim." Subhan Allah! What does ignorance do to a person? It throws him on his head. Please.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.