Calling to Salafiyyah

Calling to Salafiyyah

In his last five minutes of a very beneficial lecture Shaykh Saalih Aal-is-Shaykh (Head of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, KSA) said:

“…Whenever we say ad-da’wa-tul-islaamiyyah (the call to Islaam), ad-da’wa-tul-islaamiyyah is the pure da’wah that is derived from the Book of Allaah and the sunnah of the Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and the guidance of the salafus-saalih.

To the extent of a person’s closeness and the observance to this prophetic manhaj, then this will be the extent of a person’s closeness and the observance to this ad-da’wa-tul-islaamiyyah. What is obligatory upon the du’aat (callers) to as-salafiyyah in these days and times is that they do not constrict the scope of ad-da’wa-tul-islaamiyyah to the point that it is restricted to such and such, and one particular group. ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah is the da’wah of Islaam, within its encompassing capacity as understood by its scholars.

This is why one finds the a’immah (Imaams) of ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah such as Imaam Ahmad, Imaam of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaah, the remainder of the four a’immah, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn-ul-Qayyim, Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhaab, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraheem, Shaykh ibn Baaz, and the likes of them, they had a very good grasp of the affairs when it came to addressing the Muslims, and they were farsighted in their vision when weighing the pros and cons of the harms and benefits. They were ever enthusiastic to increase goodness, and they would never approve of at-tahazzub (hizbiyyah or partisanship).

And this is why ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) specifically stated that whoever calls the people to rigidly adhere to one of the madhaahib from the four madh'hab, he should be disciplined. Whoever says, ‘Oh people stick to the Hanbalee madh'hab because it is the haqq, and everything outside of it is not…,’ then he should be disciplined. Likewise, the one who calls the people to adhere to tareeqah from amongst the various turuq, then he should be made to repent as ibn Taymiyyah said.

Ad-da’wah to as-Salafiyyah, we must understand that is the da’wah to Islaam. So whenever we restrict ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah to be a da’wah that is limited to a particular country, or a particular person, or it is a specific manhaj, or a particular understanding etc. ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah is large, and the manhaj of the salaf is the haqq, clear and unambiguous. And the people will get closer or more distant in accordance with their learning and understanding of this manhaj.

We do not have the right to make definitive judgments that this person who calls others – provided that he is not from amongst the well known callers to innovations and misguidance – that he is salafee or he is not, the matter is not like this. Or that this da’wah is the salafee da’wah or it is not the salafee da’wah.

The minhaaj is the minhaaj of Islaam which as wide, wide enough to encompass the da’wah along with its’ detailed matters. This is why one should not judge one specific way as being the only correct manhaj and everything besides it is not, as some groups in certain countries are inclined to do! It is obligatory on us that we expand our understanding as it relates to time and place in order to increase in number those who answer to our da’wah to Islaam, those who also answer to the da’wah to as-salafiyyah.

It is not permissible to constrict what is understood to be ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah, to the point that it is constricted as it relates to time or place. We call to Islaam upon the manhaj of the salaf and as a result we will see one day that even those who are opposed to as-salafiyyah, by calling them with true sincerity, they will be closer to as-salafiyyah.

If we look at the manner in which the noble Shaykh ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) dealt with those who opposed the manhaj, many of them became pleased with the details of ad-da’wa-tus-salafiyyah through this approach. There used to be groups who were very far off, but because of his wisdom, the ampleness of his da’wah, and his sincere adherence to the da’wah, he was able to influence many of them to be closer to this minhaaj. Today we see that in the Muslim countries, those who call to as-salafiyyah are the one who the people accept. The du’aat from this country, those whom they refer to as ‘Wahabis,’ they are the ones who the people accept. Those who have the widest acceptance are those du’aat from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Others have acceptance also, but the du’aat from this country have a special status – their scholars, their du’aat, and their students of knowledge.

This is why we must expand the understanding in order to enable us to make ad-da’wa-tul-islaamiyyah – as-salafiyyah – to have that great effect throughout the world. And may peace and salutations be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and our final da’wah is all praises due to Allaah Rabbul-‘Alameen.”

This lecture was delivered in Riyadh 11/5/1428 (11/15/2007) at Masjid al-Ameer Turkee ibn ‘Abdillaah.