Is it possible to establish a group of divine scholars who work with one effort and one spirit in the lands of the Muslims, striving to transition them to the desired abode of Islam?

The questioner : The last question, my master, may Allah reward you with good for it.

The Shaykh : Please, my brother.

The questioner : Before the 'Isha' adhan, it is a valid question. I do not intend the political aspect or what might be understood as a reference to a political side; rather, it is as an experience in change. It should be, if possible, that we, the people of the Sunnah, benefit from the change that occurred in Iran, from the Shah's regime to the Shi'ite ruling regime, despite the corruption of their belief and what they are upon. We found a pyramid of scholars, with Khomeini at their head, the scholars of their madhhab, of course, taking into consideration the difference between us and them. They were able, through mobilizing the Shi'ite people in Iran, to link them to their scholars and take the step of change, transforming this Iranian society from a society ruled by the Shah and the Shah's soldiers to a society ruled by the Shari'ah of the Shi'ah and the rulings of the Ja'fari Shi'ite madhhab, after an effort lasting about a quarter of a century that this pyramid of scholars in their madhhab exerted. If we could establish a group of divine scholars, from the circle of upbringing, in whom patience and certainty are found, as the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, working with one effort and one spirit in the lands of the Arabs and Muslims, striving to transition them to the desired abode of Islam, would there be benefit from that experience, taking into consideration the difference between us and them? Is this something of the truth, or is there a difference that prevents benefiting from their experience?

The Shaykh : I believe that the answer to this question has passed through the folds of the previous answers. In some of my speech, I said that the problem we live with, we the people of the Sunnah, is more important than thinking about such political knowledge now. I am telling you something: if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) guided some of those who are called "ayat," if Allah guided some of them to recognize the true Sunnah and to be aware of the shirk and idolatry that the Shi'ah live, all of them except very few individuals, very few, from their "ayat" who claimed—I say: if Allah guided some of these people to discover the fatal and terrible disease that controls the hearts of the Shi'ah until they fell into major shirk, do you think they would be occupied with this work that I hinted at?

The questioner : ... they would be occupied with changing that.

The Shaykh : This is our reality now, Professor. Many people who do not know the truth of the da'wah we uphold, and that it is based on these two words, but it includes Islam, correct understanding and practical application, each within the limits of his ability. Many people who do not understand the truth of this da'wah imagine that we took a side of Islam and left other sides. We, as a da'wah, are not like that, but as an individual, the individual may be, and I give an example: if a man lives with us on this straight path or in this wide Islamic circle, but he has no knowledge except the amount that small children know, meaning he is a "Shaykh Kitab" as they say, this fulfills his obligation. If he does this work, he has not gone out of what we call for. Then, ascend, ascend as much as you can in height and ranks. Every person must work within the limits of his specialty, but within what? The wide Islamic circle. Therefore, we say our da'wah is broad for all groups and parties, and not the reverse, because every group and every party that does not belong to acting upon the Book and the Sunnah and upon the methodology of the Salaf al-Salih does not accept the others with it at all. And even if it accepts them in name, it does not accept them in cooperation and action. So I say: I was in Damascus, this was my da'wah, just as I am here, completely: understanding Islam, correct understanding from all its sides, and acting upon this Islam, each within the limits of his ability. And we used to encounter hostility and strong opposition from the two authorities: the ruling authority, which is the authority of the Ba'ath and the Alawites and their like, and the authority of the shaykhs who do not know the correct knowledge. And we were, from time to time, called to the intelligence. The intelligence are deaf, dumb, and blind; they do not see. They do not know what Islam is as a general term, let alone know what our da'wah is, the Salafi da'wah of upbringing and purification. But the shaykhs put poison in the cream; they whisper to them that these people are calling for Wahhabism. And if they soften the word a little, they claim that we want to support a fifth madhhab and the like. So they send us [this]. This happened often. The point is that when this interrogator interrogated me, I mentioned to him the summary of what was stated earlier, and I mentioned to him during the speech that they fear the political work that results from the revolution against their rule. So I said to him during the speech: We are now working in the path of reform, especially regarding tawhid, and we do not have the time to work on politics. And I say this not because politics is not from the religion, no, rather politics is from the religion, and it is sufficient for us that some of the great scholars wrote a treatise titled "The Shari'ah Politics." But here is the point: but we now, because of what we see of the spread of shirk and misguidance among the Muslims, let alone others, I saw that it is politics to leave politics. So I said to him this. I said this from myself. I said, after he heard and found that the news conveyed to them contains nothing that frightens them, because our da'wah is Islamic, he said: "Then go and give your lessons, but do not approach politics." I said to him: "I told you earlier that our da'wah now is to leave politics, but we are now establishing and building Islam as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) began." So may Allah bless you.

The questioner : I mean, if Allah honors us with something like your age, if Allah wills, the upbringing has borne fruit, and not just the purification. So how do we transition to the final step? Do we utilize the Iranian experience in transferring... to...?

The Shaykh : My brother, this will be a very natural result, meaning like a telephone: you lift the receiver and it rings there, whether you want it or not. What is the meaning of His saying (Mighty and Majestic): ? My brother, do not think that by your efforts you deserve victory. No, rather by your obedience to the rulings of Allah and our following of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the result will be victory. But victory is in the hand of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And the strange thing is that we always hear such words in some lectures and writings and so on, but nevertheless, we do not pay attention to this reality. We want to plan for establishing the Muslim state as the disbelievers do regarding their plans for material things. They are not equal. For example, my brother, this speech is clear. I believe they are not equal. Those who set, for example, five years to remove the disease from the diseases spreading in a land, or to remove poverty, or for anything else, this is possible because it is tangible material. But victory, which is in the hand of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we do not have this in our power. We only, as I say, regarding striving for provision, we are commanded to strive for provision only. But the hour that may come to us, or the scarcity that we may be afflicted with, this is not from our striving. We must act in accordance with His saying (Mighty and Majestic): . As for toiling night and day in the path of Allah expanding our provision, this is not Islam at all.