What is the Salafi methodology in responding to those who disagree?
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The questioner : The Salafi methodology in responding to those who disagree? We want the Salafi methodology in responding to those who disagree?
The Shaykh : What I believe is that the one who wants to respond to those who disagree must be shown that Islamic brotherhood unites him with them, and that he is a Muslim who believes in Allah and His Messenger, just as the other also believes in Allah and His Messenger. This is so that the one being called to the methodology of the Book and the Sunnah, and to what the righteous Salaf were upon, feels that he is loved for good, that no evil is intended for him, and that he is a sincere and trustworthy advisor. This is the first point.
Second: He should be presented with verses and hadiths that make their understanding easy for him, and which show him that he is in error. One should not be content with that alone, but if there are actions he performs that contradict the Book and the Sunnah, texts should be brought that fall under the category of encouraging good and warning against evil.
Because the truth is that Islamic jurisprudence has evolved with time and has become, as it is said, rigid, with no spirit or life in it, like any other science. For example, the conditions of prayer, the pillars of prayer, the obligations of prayer, and the recommended practices of prayer; in these details that must be clarified, there is nothing that encourages the Muslim to believe in them and to be concerned with implementing them, such as a verse or a hadith containing encouragement or warning.
Therefore, it is necessary to also bring some of these encouragements and warnings to open the heart of the one being called to respond to the caller.
Finally, it is necessary to cite, not merely argue from, the sayings of the imams and scholars whom he is convinced of the virtue of, and of the knowledge of, and that they were upon the guidance of their Lord. Because the problem in the present age is that we face—peace be upon you—these scholars who do not understand as you say? This is said out of ignorance. So it must be mentioned that what we are calling them to is what the scholars were upon, whom everyone holds in high regard according to his status. If, for example, he is a follower of one of the schools of jurisprudence, the Hanafi, Shafi'i, or Maliki, the sayings of these imams regarding this matter are brought to him.The student : For the scholar or caller who is in the process of alerting him to an error he is upon.
Likewise, if he claims, for example, to be a Sufi, we bring people from the great Companions who were known for asceticism and turning away from the world and its greed. We command him to follow these people, not the like of the known Sufis who deviate from the correct creed in the name of Sufism, such as Ibn Arabi, Ibn Sab'in, and their like. This is what comes to my mind regarding the necessity of the caller following this path to bring the Salafi call closer to the minds of people who are far from this call.
Is there anything else?
The Shaykh : What I believe is that the one who wants to respond to those who disagree must be shown that Islamic brotherhood unites him with them, and that he is a Muslim who believes in Allah and His Messenger, just as the other also believes in Allah and His Messenger. This is so that the one being called to the methodology of the Book and the Sunnah, and to what the righteous Salaf were upon, feels that he is loved for good, that no evil is intended for him, and that he is a sincere and trustworthy advisor. This is the first point.
Second: He should be presented with verses and hadiths that make their understanding easy for him, and which show him that he is in error. One should not be content with that alone, but if there are actions he performs that contradict the Book and the Sunnah, texts should be brought that fall under the category of encouraging good and warning against evil.
Because the truth is that Islamic jurisprudence has evolved with time and has become, as it is said, rigid, with no spirit or life in it, like any other science. For example, the conditions of prayer, the pillars of prayer, the obligations of prayer, and the recommended practices of prayer; in these details that must be clarified, there is nothing that encourages the Muslim to believe in them and to be concerned with implementing them, such as a verse or a hadith containing encouragement or warning.
Therefore, it is necessary to also bring some of these encouragements and warnings to open the heart of the one being called to respond to the caller.
Finally, it is necessary to cite, not merely argue from, the sayings of the imams and scholars whom he is convinced of the virtue of, and of the knowledge of, and that they were upon the guidance of their Lord. Because the problem in the present age is that we face—peace be upon you—these scholars who do not understand as you say? This is said out of ignorance. So it must be mentioned that what we are calling them to is what the scholars were upon, whom everyone holds in high regard according to his status. If, for example, he is a follower of one of the schools of jurisprudence, the Hanafi, Shafi'i, or Maliki, the sayings of these imams regarding this matter are brought to him.The student : For the scholar or caller who is in the process of alerting him to an error he is upon.
Likewise, if he claims, for example, to be a Sufi, we bring people from the great Companions who were known for asceticism and turning away from the world and its greed. We command him to follow these people, not the like of the known Sufis who deviate from the correct creed in the name of Sufism, such as Ibn Arabi, Ibn Sab'in, and their like. This is what comes to my mind regarding the necessity of the caller following this path to bring the Salafi call closer to the minds of people who are far from this call.
Is there anything else?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.