American Giants of `Ilm (Knowledge)
Yasir Qadhi says, “Well I guess 20 years ago when I was a teenager I definitely would have self-identified as a Salafi Muslim, but over the course of the last decade or so I’ve kind of sort of grown out of the movement now.” http://www.lamppostproductions.com/shaykh-yasir-qadhi-is-no-longer-a-salafi/
Jalal Abualrub agrees with Yasir Qadhi: Yasir Qadhi is not a salafi. What Yasir Qadhi and his followers need to know, though, is that he wasn’t a salafi before, either. It is not possible that a person with a pure heart would taste the delight of following the way of As-Salaf As-Sali`h, the early generations of Islam who established Islam for all Muslims in creed, statement, and practice, and then turn back on their heels to shun the righteous methodology and knowledgeable wayof As-Salaf As-Sali`h.
As-Salaf As-Sali`h are the best, most righteous, most successful Muslim generations of all time. They established the religion of Islam in creed, action, and statement, and, a complete way of life, a political state, a community of believers. They transferred Islam to the world. They earned Allah’s pleasure and are pleased with His favors on them. They established the largest, most prosperous, most powerful state of all time. They understood Islam inwardly and outwardly, and applied all of Islam’s laws and creeds on Allah’s earth to a level never seen before or after. They did good in the Sight of Allah and in the sight of the believers among humankind. They did not do Yasir Qadhi or his likes any wrong.
Currently, there are multitudes of ‘Muslims’ who criticize the Salaf’s way, who are not impressed by the Salaf’s achievements, who effectively call people away from the Salaf’s manhaj, meaning methodology, who unite with those who call the best members of the Ummah (followers) of Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and mercy on him, as being kafir disbelievers who changed and corrupted Islam’s holy book, the Quran. What did these people, who adopt a way other than the way of the Salaf, do for Islam in comparison to the Salaf? Just empty talk and overwhelming, severe deficiencies they suffer from in almost all aspects of life and religion. They also pay thousands of dollars for one-hour lectures from deviant teachers, so they are deviated for pay when they can do that on their own, for free. Grandiose claims; little achievement.
What category of Islam did these people excel in above the As-Salaf As-Sali`h? What lost land did they return to Muslims? What real unity did they bring to Muslims? What advancement and what achievement they achieved for Islam and Muslims that stands in contrast to what the Salaf achieved? How many non-Muslims became true Muslims at their hands? How many hearts ill with deviation and shirk did they cure with tau’heed and true Islamic knowledge? Sad isn’t it? These few articles on Yasir Qadhi and his ideas and practices are only the beginning. Those who love Allah, His Messenger, and His Messenger’s Companions more than they love Yasir Qadhi, will be pleased that –at long last- someone is standing up to this man’s invented concept of Islam. Those who follow Yasir Qadhi no matter what, let them show their anger and rage at me if they wish. Better yet, they should feel anger and rage for the sake of Allah at Yasir Qadhi for dismantling Islam while they are cheering him, and paying him handsomely, so he can deviate them from Allah’s religion at their expense. Those who don’t feel anger for Allah, I pity them; they will meet Allah one day and will have to answer for this life, minus Yasir Qadhi to defend them.
Jalal Abualrub (islamlife.com)