The discussion regarding the establishment of a center for Salafi methodological studies.

Al-Halali: Regarding this, Professor, from what we see in the Islamic world today, there are several issues. The first issue is that all sects, all groups, and all people of desires have pounced upon this blessed call. Everyone says whatever they want and whatever pleases them about it. This is met with a pouncing by the people of innovation and misguidance, who have sown division among our brothers who claim to follow the Salafi methodology. In fact, recently, they have started working against one another, directing their words, arrows, and responses at each other in newspaper pages, magazine pages, on tapes, and in sermons. Thus, this call has become divided, which we thought and called upon Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, to keep standing upon the guidance of the righteous Salaf, with one hand, cooperating in righteousness and piety. We saw that one of the causes of what happened among our brothers is that there is no communication among the scholars, and that the people of desires exploit the scholars. Each one asks according to what he wants and desires. They direct the question to Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz in the form they want, in the manner they want, and in the way they want, and they come out with a fatwa. Then they come to our Shaykh and direct the question to him, but in another way, and they take a fatwa from him. They go to Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, and so on. Thus, contradictory and conflicting fatwas emerge. The principle is that the answer is according to the fatwa, and our scholars are excused in this. The people of desires exploit this situation. So, a suggestion was made by some of the brothers that if we established what is called a Center for Salafi Methodological Studies. This center would first be under the supervision of the Salafi scholars, by them being in communication with one another. And this center would establish the issues of the Salafi methodology and display the evidence for this methodology, which we believe, without doubt, is the true methodology, which is the methodology of the Victorious Group and the Saved Sect. And this center, under the supervision of the scholars, would expose the deviant da'wah methodologies that are currently presented on the Islamic scene in the name of Salafism or in the name of the people of the Sunnah and the community. And it would also offer advice to our differing Salafi brothers to resolve their problems through the work of a comprehensive opinion from the scholars. That the fatwa be presented as it is toThe Shaykh : our Shaykh Nasser, and he offers his contribution, and the same fatwa be presented toThe Shaykh : Ibn Uthaymeen andThe Shaykh : Ibn Baz. This way, different questions and varied forms are not given, and the fatwas do not emerge contradictory, so that people are not in a maze. Also, they suggested that this center should have an effort to introduce people to the efforts of the Salafi scholars who served the Book and the Sunnah and served the Muslims. Because these people of innovation deny the efforts of these scholars and say they are in their libraries and corners and do not know anything of reality. And that ... that they are now, refuge in Allah, and this word we heard from their leaders, that the elders among them have reached the stage of senility, refuge in Allah. So some of the brothers suggested this suggestion, and I found it good and blessed. They said we must correspond with the scholars before starting this matter to know, meaning, their viewpoint and their readiness for this matter. So among the letters that were sent was to our fatherThe Shaykh : Al-Banna, may Allah preserve him, and this is what happened with this idea.

The Shaykh: The idea, my brother, as they say, no two people differ on it, and no two goats butt heads over it. But as we say in the Levant, or in Syria, it needs strong shoulders, it needs men. First, second, you need political circumstances that help in bringing these scholars together and visiting each other and freeing them to realize such a suggestion. And in my opinion, if you consider the reality of these countries where it is hoped that some of those who are qualified to be an active member to realize this necessary and important suggestion, the political circumstances do not help for such a meeting and this gathering. I think you know, if I am not mistaken, that you know something else, which is that our magazine Al-Asalah, when it was published, and I do not know if anything changed, it was published without the approval of the state, and it is printed outside the Kingdom and then brought in.
Al-Halali: It is brought in with the approval of the state.

The Shaykh: Yes, but it has not yet been authorized as an Islamic religious magazine. It is a magazine run by some of our brothers, students of knowledge. How do we imagine that a headquarters will be opened here, and this headquarters, without doubt, they know what its positive results will be, at least for uniting the word of these Salafi Muslims, at least. And you know that every sect and every group that works against the benefit of the Islamic da'wah in general, and works against the benefit of the Salafi da'wah in particular, finds support from all sides. And from here, we have been afflicted recently by those known as the Ahbash, 'Abd Allah al-Habashi. These people have power and state in Lebanon to the extent that it is like a state within a state. They arm themselves, use cars, kill and beat, and they have taken over dozens of mosques there in Lebanon. And finally, they leaked here and found support, and they started preaching in the mosques and declaring Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh Al-Albani, while he is still alive, to be disbelievers openly. So when you study this reality, I do not think you believe that if the first condition I hinted at is found, which is if the man is found and the causes that facilitate their connection are found, but the political situation does not help. Therefore, we say if you cannot do something, leave it and move on to what you can do. And I say, meaning, now we are living in a time with types of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) to the extent that what I fear most is that we reach a time in which the hadiths came that encourage the Muslim to live on the top of a mountain with his goats, living on their milk, and being safe from the people and they from him. I, this is what I fear most. But if we do not reach it, and we hope that we do not reach it, then sufficient for us is the saying of our Lord, Mighty and Majestic: We, if we are able in some of our private gatherings and some of our public gatherings, on one hand, and we publish some letters or some publications that carry our ideas and our creed, then this will be a great blessing for us, given the severity of the corruption we live in in this time. Then I will not hide from you that I always and forever repeat that now, without doubt, we are living an awakening of knowledge, but we do not have an awakening of education, absolutely, moral. We do not have it. And therefore, the best of us fears that he may have been afflicted with a stain from the moral and educational side, because the issue of education needs people, as is not hidden from everyone, from the people of knowledge, thought, sincerity, righteousness, and piety, a group that directs themselves to educating the rising generation with an Islamic education based on correct knowledge. We are now at the beginning of the path in realizing the awakening of knowledge, but I do not see any effect at all of Islamic education except for some loose individuals in the East and in the West, who do not form a nucleus for the Victorious Group gathered in one place. And Allah is the Helper.
Al-Halali: May Allah reward you for what you presented and favored us with and explained. But there are matters that we should mention to complete the benefit, if Allah wills. You have accustomed us, and we have heard from you repeatedly and over and over, and we have accompanied you for many years, and you used to embody a verse of poetry by Imru' al-Qays of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and at the end of it he says, "We try for a kingdom or we die and are excused." This idea, meaning, we want, the brothers suggested that we try. If we do not implement all of it, perhaps we can implement half of it or a quarter of it. What we implement from it will be good. For example, it is possible that we cannot do all the items of this idea, but it is possible that there are books and studies about the Salafi methodology and the Salafi da'wah, and they are sent to the students of knowledge and the people of knowledge, and they say in them and add to them, meaning, they change and alter. This is one idea from these matters. The second matter, it may not be possible for us to gather, but it may be possible for us to connect, as they say now, knowledge is a small village. If the bodies do not gather, they can gather by correspondence and by connection. This, if it does not realize what we aspire to, will reduce what we are in. What is your opinion?

The Shaykh : I ask you to be realistic, not theoretical. I am the first to tell you that I have no free time, and you may be the second to say so. That is why I said earlier: if you cannot do something, leave it and move on to what you can do. The important thing is that the Muslim, in every age and especially in this age, should be in a state of revolution, fulfilling his obligations, because the obligations are many, and very many. Some are fulfilled by individuals, and no one can intervene in the private affairs of an individual. Others relate to his brothers and the community in which he lives. Then the circle expands until it reaches the rule of the ruler. As we have followed and felt the blessing of what we have followed, we say that in this age, regarding politics, we leave politics. Not because politics is not part of the religion—no, that is a known matter—but because, as is not hidden from those present, I think we are most like the Muslims who were in the Meccan period. It was not said to people like them at that time, "Come, let us group together, let us arm ourselves, and..." against these disbelieving polytheists who oppressed us, and so on. It was not said. Why? Obviously, because the circumstances at that time were not favorable and did not support them. This does not mean that they were lazy, may Allah forbid, or that they did not fulfill what Allah obligated upon them, such as honoring the religion and conveying it to others, and so on. But the circumstances were not favorable. We are now, at least in this respect, exactly as they were before. Therefore, when we make this request, the truth is, as we said, why do we not strive? Jihad in the path of Allah is something many parties have declared as a slogan for about a century. What have they done? Nothing. We do not blame them for doing nothing, because in reality they cannot do anything. In fact, they can do things they have not done. They have occupied the Muslim world with matters they have no capacity for, and occupied themselves with them, neglecting what they are able to do. Therefore, I say that such a proposal requires us to look at our reality and disappoint those who claim that the Salafis do not know the understanding of reality. I, with that small message you know well, made it clear to them that the scholars of knowledge do not know jurisprudence and the understanding of reality perfectly. Therefore, they give each case its due. So when I said what I said earlier, it is because I see that people today are surrounded by many, very many problems. Some are responsible for them, and some are not. Those who are responsible for them are those whose work in the path of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is sincere for His face alone, seeking no reward or gratitude in return. But others have no power to repel them and cannot escape from them. So here it is appropriate to quote the common saying: "Wisdom is to stretch your legs according to the length of your blanket," or "Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear." I fear, and I fear most, that if we enter this door which we cannot enter, we will be afflicted with what afflicted others who did not adopt our call, and those who did adopt our call but then became occupied with grouping, gathering, and organizing, and so on. That diverted them from the purpose for which people were created and from the purpose for which they were commanded to strive, as in the saying of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He: I say, I fear most that we will be afflicted with what afflicted others. Therefore, we say: "So take heed, O you who have vision." I say that an individual among us, in these critical and dark circumstances, should engage in calling to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, each within the limits of his ability. A person may not be able to do much; he may only be able to educate himself, so he educates himself. Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. This is his obligation. He may be able to educate his wife, and if he does, he has fulfilled what is obligatory. The forms multiply to include children, grandchildren, and neighbors, the near neighbor and the far one, and so on. The matter is like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, forming a first circle, then a second, then a third. But these circles form quickly. However, our circles need ages and long years for the first circle to catch up with the second and the third, until the great circle comes, after which there is no circle. This is what our Lord, Mighty is He, indicated in His saying: As for today, there is no manifestation of the religion, the religion of Islam, over all religions. Rather, it is possible for the Salafi creed to appear, at least in individuals whom the Messenger (peace be upon him) called the strangers. They are a few righteous people among many people, of whom more disobey them than obey them. They are those who will repair what people have corrupted of my Sunnah after me. The truth I heard earlier is that it seeks to expand the circle of reform. This is what we praised. But this is not possible now except within the limits I illustrated earlier: a first, smaller circle that is necessary. Then whatever other circles come after that will be from the grace of Allah upon us and upon people, but most people do not know.
Al-Halali: May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware, my brother.