regarding how to deal with some pretenders to knowledge who were deluded by their little knowledge and began to respond to Shaykh Al-Albani and others

The questioner : O Shaykh, in these days we are living through a great calamity, especially from some of the youth who claim to belong to the Salafi da'wah. They say of themselves that they are Salafis. Recently, many young men have appeared who claim to be Salafis in a strange manner, far removed from the Salafi da'wah that we learned. After they gathered some books in their homes and claimed, and asserted, that they were students of knowledge, they began to respond toThe Shaykh : Al-Albani, or speak aboutThe Shaykh : Al-Albani behind his back, and speak about the shaykhs who were the cause of bringing these people out of misguidance onto the path of light, by the permission of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Then they did not stop at that; rather, they gathered themselves into other groups from which we disavow ourselves... Then, after that, these people began to deal with, or cause, fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among the youth. I believe that such actions can only come from disbelievers who fight Islam and Muslims. So I say, hoping that you will first advise these people, and then advise us: what do we do with these people? For example, if one of these people becomes apparent among us, what do we do with him? Especially since he lies and says, "So-and-so, a scholar, is a liar," and "So-and-so stole," and so on. Of course, these are fabrications, and he causes strange fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). We ask for your advice for us and for them. May Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : As for our advice to our brothers, it is that they should be gentle with the misguided among us; they should be gentle with them. For we are truly going around the existing problem in the Islamic world today in general, and among Muslim youth in particular, and Salafi youth in the most specific sense. We go around and say that we are in need of purification and the upbringing of some of those whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has blessed with some correct knowledge derived from the Book and the Sunnah, and upon the methodology of the Salaf al-Salih (the earliest generations). They have performed a little of the obligation of calling Muslims to this straight path, which is the Book and the Sunnah, and what the Salaf al-Salih (the earliest generations) were upon. There is, without doubt, an awakening that is not bad, but it is... in the water, so wake up, for it is the first... Let them wake up properly and follow up their work properly; it needs time. Now there is an intellectual awakening, there is a scholarly awakening, but unfortunately, what we always go around with in a brief word is that purification and upbringing are necessary. Purification has now begun to show its first signs in this awakening that many writers, preachers, and guides and others speak of. But upbringing does not exist. Therefore, today you find, as I said, young men who have understood something of the Salafi da'wah, and perhaps it has been possible for them to correct their 'aqidah (creed) according to the Book and the Sunnah, and their branches according to the Book and the Sunnah. But in their morals, they are like others. Why? Because there is no Salafi atmosphere, a Salafi city or village, where a child grows up small, matures, and learns knowledge on one hand, and is raised on Islamic morals on the other hand, far from selfishness, and from hatred, envy, malice, and treachery, and the like. Therefore, while we regret and observe this in some individuals, we know for certain that these people do not pay attention to the word with which I opened the previous session: that knowledge and action are necessary, along with sincerity to Allah, Lord of the worlds. We know that many of some of the youth exploit the da'wah for the sake of material interests, or for the sake of appearing in the small society in which they live. And they may pave the way to appear in a larger society than theirs. And they did not know that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said in His Book: So righteous action is not possible except in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah, and it is not acceptable to Allah except that it be pure for the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Therefore, if there are some individuals who attack some of the shaykhs who were the cause of their guidance and their salvation from the deviant 'aqidah (creed) to the correct 'aqidah (creed), that is ingratitude for the blessing. But the problem is that we are truly lacking correct Islamic upbringing. And I do not hide from you that some selfishness may appear in a gathering like this gathering, and the whole reason is that we were not raised on Islam and Islamic morals.