American Giants of ‘Ilm (Knowledge)
YQ: “But the concept of following the Salaf … the concept of considering the Sahabah, the Tabi’un and the Tabi` Tabi’un to be the best generations (of Muslims) … this is something that I firmly believe is a Fundamental Part of our Religion … And the theology that comes from them … of Allah’s Names and Attributes, and of Qadar, and of Eman … I have studied Islamic Theology. This is my expertise. In `Aqeedah, I have a Master’s from the Islamic University of Madinah … I have a PhD in Islamic Theology from Yale. I know my `Aqeedah well, Alhamdulillah, and I am firmly believing in the Theology of the Salaf.” (From one of YQ recorded lectures)
This is a man who knows his Aqeedah! He knows who As-Salaf As-Sali`h are, and knows their status, righteousness, knowledge, and so forth. He believes that the ‘theology’ comes from them, also [true knowledge about] Allah’s names and attributes, and also Eman (Islamic Faith). He has the degrees to prove his knowledge, including a PhD, from the kuffar, in Islamic theology! YQ knows!
Does it please Allah?
Examine the Pledge of Mutual Respect and Cooperation Yasir Qadhi signed with a group of people, who are not Salafis. One would expect that someone who ‘knows’ who As-Salaf As-Sali`h are and who ‘knows’ that the creed comes from them, would make a pact with those who believe in the same creed, not make a pact with the Shi`a who accuse As-Salaf As-Sali`h of being kafir disbelievers! This pact is better described in the words of Ikhwan Muslimun leader, `Hasan Al-Banna, “We cooperate on that which we agree on, and we give each other excuses (do not discuss or criticize) with regards to that which we differ on.”
This means that we smile at each other outwardly but keep the divisions that divide us, in the heart. The divisions can -and will- emerge outwardly later on, since they will remain firmly established in the heart, since they did not go away, since we did not try to resolve them. The divisions will then have severe practical consequences on those who pretended to suppress the issues of division and then pretended to cooperate outwardly with the opposing sects and groups. In other words, this pact is not to seek true unity for Muslims so Muslims may take heed from the very ayat the pact-ers started their pact with, {Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all together, and be not divided (Qur’an, 3:103)}; {Surely, those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah; then He will inform them of what they used to do.} (Qur’an, 6:159)
The Pact-ers Denounce Their Own Pact!
Strange people! The first ayah commands Muslims to unite around ‘the Rope of Allah,’ meaning, what He revealed in the Quran and Sunnah, as explained and practiced by Islam’s Prophet, salla Allahu alaihi wa-sallam. This unity is specific and strictly adheres to the revelation, even if YQ claims that unity does not mean uniformity! Unity cannot be real without uniformity, or else, it will not be unity. Also, division here means what contradicts the Rope of Allah, since the ayah stipulates that Muslims can get out of division by adhering to the Rope of Allah, which is the Quran and Sunnah, not by pretending that the divisions do not exist.
The second ayah preempts the entire pact. Did these people think before quoting ayat that destroy their pact in its entirety? Ayah 6:159 condemns those who divide into factions and sects; commands the Prophet, and then his Ummah (followers), to have nothing to do with them [certainly not to unite with them]; and threatens the sects with Allah’s justice when they meet Him. In contrast, the pact-ers want to respect such divisions and sects; refrain from discussing their deviations or educating Muslims on them; seek to cooperate with the sects without trying to mend their ways; and lash out against those who protest that this is not real unity, but fake unity established around disobedience to the Rope of Allah as mentioned in ayah 3:103, instead of obedience around and to it.
Consequently, what Allah condemns remains in this pact, intact, respected, and undisputed. And while Allah condemns division in the religion, the pact-ers seek to formalize the divisions and absorb them into a fantastic world comprised of sects and groups that have massive differences in the religion yet meet each other with a smile on their face.
Uniting Around What Divides Muslims!
While Allah is displeased with division and sectarianism in the religion, the pact-ers are pleased with not discussing the divisions, but with respecting them and allowing them to continue, flourish, and thrive, so they can deviate more Muslim generations. A strange unity: uniting around what divides us, when what divides us is the reason behind our disunity and division to begin with. We are divided BECAUSE of the divisions, so indeed, uniting while keeping the divisions is a contradiction in terms.
Arrogance
This pact also demonstrates the arrogance of those who signed it, “Detailed discussions in matters of theology are the specific domain of trained specialists, and proceed on the basis of well-defined principles and methodologies, which are beyond the knowledge of the generality of Muslims.”
Encouraging dialogue about what divided the Muslim Ummah into sects will help achieve true unity by discarding sectarian ways and ideas and uniting around the Rope of Allah, according to the ayah the pact-ers quoted. Instead, the pact-ers want to hide this knowledge from ordinary Muslims and establish a monopoly on knowledge, by claiming that these issues are for the ‘scholars’ to discuss. This is a word of truth meant to establish falsehood. By saying the ‘scholars,’ they mean themselves, especially since the pact-ers do not take from the major scholars of the Sunnah.
For instance, Yasir Qadhi says that scholars [of the Sunnah] live in the East and do not know what goes on in the West, so he falsely claims. This way, these self-appointed pact-er-scholars can keep inventing in the religion, making the divisions worse and permanent by being instrumental in keeping the divisions alive and well through ignoring the divisions and pretending they do not exist.
They do this instead of striving to reform the ways of those who brought the Ummah the divisions by dividing into sects and groups to begin with. In other words, what the ayah condemns, dividing into religious sects, remains on earth, and Muslims are called upon to respect those divisions, which Allah condemns.
Meanwhile, with the Ummah of Muhammad as large as it is, with the Quran and Sunnah still alive and well in the hearts of the faithful, and with the sects continuing unabated with their divisions and sectarianism, who is going to listen to a couple of dozen unknown people, those being the pact-ers who seek to institutionalize division in the Ummah and keep the divisions alive? At best, these pact-er people are followed by thousands of young people in the West, who lack knowledge, who are confused, who seek those who ‘respect’ what they are doing, even sin, instead of reforming their ways.
The pact-ers, none of whom is a scholar, cannot change the Ummah or make a difference with regards to the divisions that plague it, simply because the Ummah is too large and the divisions are so widespread. The sects are killing Sunnis in Iraq and Syria; they did not abandon their false creeds; they care less about the pact-ers and their pact. The Sufis are still dancing and keeping to their faith: some of them think that everything and everyone is Allah, the Creator, Himself. They did not stop their public defiance of Allah, His Messenger, or As-Salaf As-Sali`h’s way. It is only the pact-ers that compromised their religion. They did not stop and ask themselves, “Does it please Allah?”
Jalal Abualrub (islamlife.com)
Pledge of Mutual Respect and Cooperation Between Sunni Muslim Scholars, Organizations, and Students of Sacred Knowledge: Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all together, and be not divided. (Qur’an, 3:103) Surely, those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah; then He will inform them of what they used to do. (Qur’an, 6:159) In light of the Divine Word, we recognize that the historical nature of Sunni Islam is a broad one that proceeds from a shared respect for the Qur’an and Sunnah, a shared dependence on the interpretations and derivations of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and a shared respect for the writings of a vast array of scholars who have been identified by their support for and affiliation with the Sunni Muslims and have been accepted as the luminaries of Sunni Islam – as broadly defined. Likewise, detailed discussions in matters of theology are the specific domain of trained specialists, and proceed on the basis of well-defined principles and methodologies, which are beyond the knowledge of the generality of Muslims. Our forebears in faith, with all the dedication, brilliance and sincerity clearly manifested in their works, have debated and discussed abstruse and complex issues of c – Urge Muslim scholars and students of sacred knowledge to take the lead in working to end ad hominem attacks on other scholars and students; to cease unproductive, overly polemical writings and oral discourse; and to work to stimulate greater understanding and cooperation between Muslims, at both the level of the leadership and the general community; -Urge Muslims in the West, especially our youth, to leave off unproductive and divisive discussions of involved theological issues that are the proper domain of trained specialists, and we especially discourage participation in those internet chat rooms, campus discussion groups, and other forums that only serve to create ill-will among many Muslims, while fostering a divisive, sectarian spirit; -Urge all teachers to instruct their students, especially those attending intensive programs, to respect the diverse nature of our communities and to refrain from aggressive challenges to local scholars, especially those known for their learning and piety; – Urge our brothers and sisters in faith to concentrate on enriching their lives by deepening their practice of Islam through properly learning the basics of the faith, adopting a consistent regimen of Qur’anic recitation, endeavoring to remember and invoke Allah in the morning and evening, learning the basics of jurisprudence, attempting to engage in voluntary fasting as much as possible, studying the Prophetic biography on a consistent basis, studying the etiquettes that guide our interactions with our fellow Muslims, and the performance of other beneficial religious acts, to the extent practical for their circumstances; – Finally, we urge the Believers to attempt to undertake individual and collective actions that will help to counter the growing campaign of anti-Islamic misinformation and propaganda that attempts to portray our religion as a violence-prone relic of the past unsuitable for modern society, and by so doing justify indiscriminate wars against Muslim peoples, occupation of Muslim lands, and usurpation of their resources. Saying this, we do not deny the reality of legitimate differences and approaches, nor the passionate advocacy of specific positions based on those differences. Such issues should be rightfully discussed observing established rules of debate. However, we urge the above measures to help prevent those differences from destroying the historical unity and integrity of the Muslim community, and creating irreparable divisions between our hearts. Further, we do not deny the urgency, especially in light of the situation in Iraq, of efforts to foster greater cooperation between diverse Muslim communities. Hence, this document should not be seen as negating any statements, or declarations designed to foster greater peace and harmony between diverse Muslim communities. However, we feel, as Sunni Muslims, a pressing need to first set our own affairs in order. In conclusion, having called our brothers and sisters to act on these points, we, the undersigned, pledge to be the first to actively implement them in response to the Divine Word: Do you enjoin righteousness on the people and refuse to follow it yourselves and all along you are reciting the scripture!? Will you not reflect? (Qur’an (2:44) We ask Allah for the ability to do that which He loves. And Allah alone is the Grantor of Success.
Signed,
Abdelrahman Helbawi
Abdul Karim Khalil
Abdullah Adhami
Abdurraheem Green
Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
Abu Aaliyah Surkheel Sharif
Abu Eesa Niamatullah
Aisha Faleh AlThani
Asma Mirza
Cheikhna B. Bayyah
Dawood Yasin
Ebadur Rahman
Faraz Rabbani
Fuad Nahdi
Gul Mohammad
Haitham al-Haddad
Hamza Yusuf
Hasan al-Banna
Ibrahim Osi-Efa
Jihad Hashim Brown
M. Abdul Latif Finch
M. Afifi al-Akiti
Mehdi Kader
Mokhtar Maghroui
Muhammad Alshareef
Muhammad Ash-Shaybani
Muhammad ibn Adam
Omar Qureshi
S. Abdal-Hakim Jackson
Shamira Chothia Ahmed
Siddique Abdullah
Suhaib Webb
Tahir Anwar
Talal Al-Azem
Tanveer Hussain
Tawfique Chowdhury
Usama Canon
Usama Hasan
Walead Mosaad
Yahya Rhodus
Yasir Qadhi Zaid Shakir