American Giants of `Ilm (Knowledge)
Ramatni bi da-iha wa-n-sallati (She accused me of having the disease she has, then pretended to be free of that disease herself)
YQ: “The term Salafi is not a Quranic or Islamic term. It is not found in the Hadeeth. It is a term that has its good and bad. Because the term is something we are not obliged to use. Because the term has been associated with lots of things that are negative … terrorism, mistreatment, bombings and harshness and what not … the term is not holy. The term is not sacred. The term does not need to be defended, and Allah will not punish you for leaving the term.”
Having proved that the term Salaf is indeed found in the Prophet’s hadeeth, we will later, Allah willing, bring statements from the scholars of Islam to confirm that, As-Salaf As-Sali`h, is an Islamic term that precisely describes the Prophet of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa-sallam (Allah’s mercy and blessings on him), and his Companions, and then the next two generations. If, As-Salaf, is used as an absolute term with regards to Islamic terminology, it refers to the first three generations of Islam, where the description, As-Sali`h, the Righteous, adds clarification to the term, As-Salaf, which means Predecessors.
As-Salaf As-Sali`h had nothing to do with terrorism, mistreatment of anyone, bombings, or harshness. It seems Yasir Qadhi is deliberately confusing the people who listen to his contradictory rants to make them think that, Salaf, as a term, is associated with negative aspects, and so, people should shun the term, and the term cannot be defended, so he says.
As a result, the Prophet of Allah, Allah’s blessings and mercy on him, cannot be described as being the Salaf to his own Ummah (Muslims), since the term is associated with terrorism, bombings, etc. In fact, Muhammad himself, Islam, and jihad, are so often associated with terrorism, bombings and ‘what not,’ using Yasir’s preferred words, so should we shun the words Islam, Muhammad, and jihad too?
Salaf, itself, is generally in reference to something or someone that has passed; it is not necessarily good or bad. For instance, Allah the All-Mighty used it in His Quran, {Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), then what has salaf (their past, what has passed) will be forgiven} (8:38). When one wants to describe a good segment of a community who came before, i.e., a certain Salaf, one adds another word to Salaf to identify them as being good, by saying, Sali`h, for instance. To describe a bad segment of a community who came before, one uses the word, Tali`h, for example, which indicates meanings of wickedness, the opposite of uprightness, to describe the bad Salaf.
For example, Yasir Qadhi is impressed by teachers who are not followers of, As-Salaf As-Sali`h. Instead, they are followers of, As-Salaf At-Tali`h, since they currently propagate the wicked yet old ideas of rebellion against Muslim leaders and, as a consequence, false jihad. They also promote takfeer, that is, accusing Muslims who disagree with them of being disbelievers. In addition, they practice extremism in religion.
Funny that Yasir Qadhi uses the words ‘terrorism, bombings, and what not,’ and tries to stick them to the Salafis who -by definition- reject all this, when the teachers he is impressed with include Ali Tamimi, about whom Yasir Qadhi says, “I personally owe a lot to Sh. al-Tamimi, and I can say (with pride) that fifteen years ago, back in the early 90’s, he played an instrumental role in shaping and directing me to take the path that has led me to where I am today.”
Tamimi is not a Salafi. He broke with the Salafi movement on account of his deviations from the true method of the Salaf and due to his personal attacks on prominent Salafi teachers of today. Ali Tamimi is serving a life sentence for terrorism, even though I think this sentence is very harsh for someone who only ‘talks’ about jihad. Tamimi should not be described as a Salafi, or a scholar. He is neither.
Yasir Qhadi’s Teachers and Khawarij Ideas and Practices vs. the Salafi Movement which Condemns Khawarij Ideas and Practices.
Yasir Qadhi also praises two popular teachers who broke with the Salafi movement on account of their deviations from the methodology of As-Salaf As-Sali`h: “The Ṣaḥwa movement of Saudi Arabia has been involved in peaceful political reform, without calling for overthrowing the rulers. Clerics like Shaykh Salman al-Oadah, and Shaykh Safar al-Ḥawalī before him, are representative of this trend. For the most part, this group has proven to be politically savvy and extremely active on social media; as a result of this, they have garnered some measure of mass appeal amongst the more educated youth. Their concern for Muslims has been manifested in their active involvement in fighting the social problems in their societies.” (Yasir Qadhi, Salafi Islam)
These teachers are not Salafi. They were condemned by Salafi scholars in our time for calling to various types of deviation, including resurrecting a part of the deviant Khawarij movement and encouraging rebellion against Muslims rulers.
How can these two teachers be Salafi, when the Imams of Salafiyyah in our time condemned their deviant ways, for which they were jailed by fatwas (decrees) from Salafi scholars? Safar Al-`Hawali is a mentor of Osamah Bin Laden, who resurrected Khawarij sects in our time. Osama Bin Laden often quoted Safar in his own Khawarij rants. Need we say more? Imam Al-Albani rightfully described Safar Al-`Hawali as being a minor student of knowledge.
Salman Al-`Audah is worse off than Safar, because Safar -at least- has some knowledge. Salman was also jailed for inciting violence and rebellion. He recently wrote a book about the `Arab Spring,’ calling for the same in other Muslim countries so the blessings of Khawarij and rebellion that devastated many Muslim countries are spread to other areas. No Salafi in his right mind would consider Salman a Salafi. Just like Yasir Qadhi, Salman attacks the Salafis while calling for unity with the Shi`a, who accuse the Prophet’s Companions of being wicked disbelievers.
We cannot possibly discuss the deviations of Tamimi, `Audah, or `Hawali here; maybe later Allah willing. But we can state this: Yasir Qadhi is impressed by so-called ‘scholars,’ who are not Salafi, and who are connected to Khawarij movements, Bin Laden, armed rebellion, revolutions, and, in effect, Christian occupation of Muslim lands, since wherever Khawarij operate, Christian armies invade.
The Khawarij are those who are connected to the manhaj (way) of terrorism and bombings, not the true Salafis who reject these methods as being un-Islamic. I have collected the statements of the major Salafi scholars of our time: Ibn Baz, Ibn Uthaimeen, and Al-Albani, against bombings and targeting civilians in war, in my book, Holy Wars; Crusades; Jihad.
Tell me who your teacher is, and I can tell you who you are!
A sign of deviant behavior is for one to follow minor teachers with shady past and vague manhaj (methodology), and abandon the major scholars of Sunnah in their time. This is why some people ‘suddenly’ discover books and authors who contradict the established methodology of As-Salaf As-Sali`h, as if Muslims never understood these aspects, that is, until these deviant teachers and authors came.
Yasir Qadhi is a strange fellow. He wasn’t a Salafi. He is not a Salafi. The people he is impressed with are not Salafi, but a part of modern-day Khawarij movements opposed by the Salafis. The Khawarij are the ones who do the bombings, suicide missions, killing of civilians, armed rebellion against Muslim leaders, and the rest of the package that comes with this deviant sect.
This is wicked!
Yasir Qadhi was confused from the beginning. He was impressed by opponents of the true Salafi Manhaj, yet called these people Salafis. But these teachers contradict the way of the Salaf, and the Salafis reject them. He accused the Salafis who contradict the teachers he is impressed with, who are the ones connected to terrorism, of being associated with terrorism. This is wicked. Yasir Qadhi seeks to employ kafir governments to oppress the only group who truly contradict today’s Khawarij. However, it is the Khawarij who brought back takfeer, killing of civilians, and armed rebellion against Muslim rulers and nations, with an added flavor of suicide and suicide missions. The Salafis are the only group that have and still oppose the Khawarij and their teachers, ideas, and practices.
In summary, the teachers Yasir Qadhi is impressed with, are the ones who are connected to Khawarij ways of terrorism, suicide, targeting civilians, takfeer, and armed rebellion against Muslim leaders and nations. Their writings, practices, past, and present constitute clear and unequivocal evidence. This is Yasir’s sickness. He then accused the Salafis who oppose all of this, of what in reality is the way of the teachers he is impressed with. He then wants the Salafis to abandon ascribing to As-Salaf As-Sali`h, whom he slandered by connecting their way to terrorism, bombings, and ‘what not.’ It is not going to happen. Jalal Abualrub