Using The Term Salafi - Shaykh Muhammad Nassir-Ud-Deen Al-Albaanee Rahimahullah

[Shehzad Sattar]

Using The Term Salafi - Shaykh Muhammad Nassir-Ud-Deen Al-Albaanee Rahimahullah

Question: Some of our brothers who call to Islaam say: “I refuse to say that I am Salafee due to fear of the people looking at me as a “hizbee” – is this statement correct or is it upon me to clarify Salafiyyah to the people?

Shaykh Al-Albaanee: A discussion occurred between me and one of the Islamic writers who is with us upon the Qur’aan and Sunnah; I request from our brothers – the students of knowledge – to memorise this discussion because its benefits are very important.

I said to him: “If someone asked you ‘what is your madhab?’ What would you say to him?”

He said: “I would say Muslim.”

So I said to him: “This response is incorrect.”

He asked: “Why?” so I said: “if someone asked you what is your religion (then what would you say)?”

He said: “Muslim.”

So I said: “I didn’t ask you the first time what is your religion, I asked what is your madhab? And you know that there are very many different madhaahib in the earth and you are with us in ruling upon some of them that don’t have anything to do with Islaam at all like the Druzes for example, or the Ismaa’eeliyyah, or the ‘Uluwiyyah and their likes. Despite that they still say ‘we are Muslims’. And there are other groups who although we don’t say they have left the fold of Islaam but without doubt they are from the misguided groups and they have opposed the Qur’aan and the Sunnah in many issues such as the Mu’tazilah, the Khawaarij, the Murji’ah, the Jabariyyah and the likes of them. What is your opinion, is this present to you these days or not?”

He said: “Yes.”

I said: “So if we ask someone from these (misguided) people ‘what is you madhab?’ he will say instinctively ‘Muslim’, so we need you to be clear in your response about your madhab after your Islaam and your religion.”

He then said: “Ok in that case my madhab is the Qur’aan and the Sunnah.”

I said: “This answer too isn’t sufficient.”

He said: “Why?” I said: “Because those whom we mentioned, they say about themselves that they are Muslims and there isn’t anyone from them who will say ‘I am not upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah’, for example – would a Shee’ah say ‘we oppose the book and the sunnah?’, rather they say ‘we are upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and you lot are astray’, in that case it isn’t sufficient O ustadh, to say ‘I am a Muslim upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah’, rather it is essential to add an addition. So what is your opinion, is it permissible to understand the Qur’aan and the Sunnah with a new understanding or is it essential in understanding the Qur’aan and the Sunnah to be upon what the Salafus-Saalih (righteous predecessors) were upon?”

He said: “That is essential (i.e. being what they were upon).”

I said: “Do you believe they would say about me and you ‘we are upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, upon the methodology of the Salafus-Saalih?’”

He said: “No. They don’t participate with us.”

I said: “So it is not sufficient for you to say ‘I am upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah’, it is essential to add an addition.” He said: “Yes.”

I said: “So you will say: ‘…upon the methodology of the Salafus-Saalih’.”

And now we come to the core, I said to him and he was an author: “Is there one word in the Arabic language that combines what these words mention: ‘Muslim upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and the manhaj of the salafus-saalih’, for example ‘I am Salafee’?”

He said: “That is so.”

So this response fell into his hands, so if anyone disapproves of you (for saying ‘I am Salafee’) then say this speech to them that we mentioned: “and you are what?” he will say: “Muslim…” then finish the rest of the discussion with him.

Glory and praise be to You, O Allah! I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except you, I seek your forgiveness and I repent to you.

Source: Duroos wal-Muhaadiraat mutafarrigah min tasjeelaat ash-shibkah al-Islaamiyyah.

Translated by: Aboo Eeman Zakariyya Naadirah Brown