What is obligatory for the general public in their belief and school of thought, and what is obligatory for the specialists?
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The Shaykh : My brother.
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : For a person to revive the Sunnah, there are two aspects: a general aspect and a detailed aspect. We are now, in this time filled with various trials, content with the general Muslims being from the people of the Sunnah, or as we express it more precisely: being from the Salafis. We are content with them being so in the general sense, in the general sense.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : As for them being Salafis or from the people of the Sunnah in detail, this differs entirely. First, as a general division: the matter differs between the specialists and the general public. The general public, if they are truly Salafis in the general sense, remain Salafis in the general sense, and they are lenient to a degree, according to the circumstances they live in, and according to the scholarly environment surrounding them, or the lack of a scholarly environment surrounding them. The specialists: they themselves differ entirely in this area, according to the extent of one’s knowledge, first: of the Book, second: of the Sunnah, third and finally: of what the righteous Salaf were upon. One of these specialists, as we said, may be a Salafi, but he may not have knowledge of what the righteous Salaf were upon in a specific issue. So he exerts his own opinion and acts stubbornly, and he must find someone who preceded him in adopting such a view from among those who claim knowledge, but he does not know that they were upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So if you know this reality, then be content with a general matter, and then with the detail which we have mentioned and are now summarizing: be content with this person being a Salafi in the general sense, and then be content with the fact that if the position of the Salaf in the issue he is contradicting becomes clear to him, he retracts his opinion and does not become stubborn about it, because in reality he is a Salafi. As for every person being a Salafi to the utmost degree, this means a difficult goal to attain, and peace be upon you.
The questioner : A final question regarding possibility, or whatever there is.
The Shaykh : ..
The questioner : The Shaykh is the one who asked you.
Another questioner : Go back, go back a little.
The questioner : Wait, wait, wait, go up.
The Shaykh : There is no room!
The questioner : There is no room. Another questioner: Go like that, yes. A little, a little, a little, a little, go back, yes, go, go back, go back...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Take it easy, keep your hand on the brake, just.
The Shaykh : You have tormented us, my brother.
The questioner : No, no, we want your comfort, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If I had known this was the price of my coming, I would not have come.
The questioner : By Allah, we are comfortable, Shaykh, we want to make you comfortable.
The Shaykh : Oh God.
The questioner : Abu Abd al-Rahman: Marwan, are you leaving?
Another questioner : If Allah wills, we will sit for a while with Shaykh Abu Malik...
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : For a person to revive the Sunnah, there are two aspects: a general aspect and a detailed aspect. We are now, in this time filled with various trials, content with the general Muslims being from the people of the Sunnah, or as we express it more precisely: being from the Salafis. We are content with them being so in the general sense, in the general sense.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : As for them being Salafis or from the people of the Sunnah in detail, this differs entirely. First, as a general division: the matter differs between the specialists and the general public. The general public, if they are truly Salafis in the general sense, remain Salafis in the general sense, and they are lenient to a degree, according to the circumstances they live in, and according to the scholarly environment surrounding them, or the lack of a scholarly environment surrounding them. The specialists: they themselves differ entirely in this area, according to the extent of one’s knowledge, first: of the Book, second: of the Sunnah, third and finally: of what the righteous Salaf were upon. One of these specialists, as we said, may be a Salafi, but he may not have knowledge of what the righteous Salaf were upon in a specific issue. So he exerts his own opinion and acts stubbornly, and he must find someone who preceded him in adopting such a view from among those who claim knowledge, but he does not know that they were upon the methodology of the righteous Salaf.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So if you know this reality, then be content with a general matter, and then with the detail which we have mentioned and are now summarizing: be content with this person being a Salafi in the general sense, and then be content with the fact that if the position of the Salaf in the issue he is contradicting becomes clear to him, he retracts his opinion and does not become stubborn about it, because in reality he is a Salafi. As for every person being a Salafi to the utmost degree, this means a difficult goal to attain, and peace be upon you.
The questioner : A final question regarding possibility, or whatever there is.
The Shaykh : ..
The questioner : The Shaykh is the one who asked you.
Another questioner : Go back, go back a little.
The questioner : Wait, wait, wait, go up.
The Shaykh : There is no room!
The questioner : There is no room. Another questioner: Go like that, yes. A little, a little, a little, a little, go back, yes, go, go back, go back...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Take it easy, keep your hand on the brake, just.
The Shaykh : You have tormented us, my brother.
The questioner : No, no, we want your comfort, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If I had known this was the price of my coming, I would not have come.
The questioner : By Allah, we are comfortable, Shaykh, we want to make you comfortable.
The Shaykh : Oh God.
The questioner : Abu Abd al-Rahman: Marwan, are you leaving?
Another questioner : If Allah wills, we will sit for a while with Shaykh Abu Malik...
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.