[معز النيجيري]

Chapter 1

[1] Introduction to the Salafi Da’wah

Q: What is Salafiyyah?


Ans: asSalafiyyah is the understanding of the book (of Allaah) and the Sunnah, an authentic understanding upon the Manhaj of the Salaf asSaalih . [2]

Q: Who is it ascribed to?


Ans: asSalafiyyah: is an ascription to the Salaf asSaalih . [3]


Q: Who are the Salaf asSaalih?


Ans: the Salaf: are the people of the (first) three generations; those whom the messenger of Allaah –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam- bore witness to their nobility in the authentic Hadeeth which is Mutawaatir reported by both alBukhaari and Muslim and other than both of them, from a large group of companions, from the Prophet –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam- that he said: ((thebest of mankind is my generation, then those that follow them, then those thatfollow them))[4].

So Salafiyyah ascribes to this Salaf and theSalafiyoon ascribe themselves to these Salaf[5].


Q: Is the ascription tothe Salaf counted as an ascription to a person or to a group of people?


Ans: this isnot an ascription to a person or group of people, like the ascription of othergroups present today in the Islaamic lands, this is not an ascription to aperson, neither is it to tens of people, rather this ascription is anascription to infallibility; that is because it is impossible for the SalafasSaalih to gather together upon misguidance, and in contrast to that are theKhalaf!


For nothing is available in the Shar’i as a praisefor the Khalaf, rather there is dispraise of their lot, and that is at the endof the previous hadeeth; where he –‘Alaihi Salam- said: ((then there will come after them a people bearing witness,and their witness was not sought))[6],to the end of the hadeeth.


As he –‘Alaihi Salam- pointed to that in anotherhadeeth where there is a praise for a group of Muslims, and disparagement fortheir lot, by the understanding of the hadeeth, where he –‘Alaihi Salam- said: ((there will not cease to be a group from my Ummah,apparent upon the truth; they will not be harmed by whomsoever opposes them,until Allaah’s command comes))[7],or ((until the hour is established)).


So this hadeeth specifies the praise for a group inthe end of time, and the group: is a small group; and indeed linguistically; itis applied to the singular and what is above (that)[8].


Q: Is it correct foranyone to claim the establishment of the Salafi Da’wah?


Ans: the callis nothing but: the call of Islaam in truth, as Allaah –Subhanahu wa ta’aala-revealed it upon the seal of his messengers and prophets, Muhammad –Salallaahu‘alaihi wasSalam-, so Allaah –subhaanahu wa ta’aala- alone is its founder andestablisher, and it is not for anyone whoever it may be to claim its foundingand establishment, even the most noble Prophet Muhammad –Salallaahu ‘alaihiwasSalam- for his in it was only an accurate and trustworthy reception, and(then) a precise and accurate transmission, and it was not permissible for himto modify anything from Allaah’s –Subhaanahu wa ta’aala- legislation andrevelation.


Hence, the claim of any man –no matter how loftyand high he is- to the establishment of this godly and blessed da’wah isnothing but in reality a grave error, and a serious injury! This is if it isnot major shirk –and Allaah’s refuge is sought-[9].


Q: What are thefoundations of the Salafi Da’wah?


Ans: thisquestion is of course very important, and we shall answer it according to whattime and place permits.





We say: the foundations of the SalafiDa’wah –as everyone knows- is established upon three pillars:


The first Pillar: is the nobleQur’aan.


The second pillar: is the Sunnah ..and (I mean) the authentic Sunnah.


And the Salafis in all lands of the Dunya arefocused upon this angle (the authentic Sunnah); that is because the Sunnah –bythe consensus of people of knowledge- has surely been adulterated with what isnot from it since more than ten centuries, this is an issue in which there isno disagreement about; hence it is from what is agreed upon –also- that theSunnah must be purified from that which has entered into it from what is notpart of it.


And because of that the Salafis accept that thissecond foundation (the Sunnah), it is not behoving to be taken upon its current(state); because it contains the weak and the fabricated from that which is notpermissible to adopt; even in (simply) virtuous deeds.


This is the second foundation, and this is close tobeing agreed upon by the Muslims, both the Salaf and the Khalaf.


The third Pillar: and it is from whatdifferentiates the Salafi Da’wah from all other calls established today uponthe surface of the earth; (and) whatever is from it (other calls) which isfrom Islaam (and is) accepted, and whatever is from it which is not from Islaamexcept a name (an Islamic name), so the Salafi Da’wah is distinguished by thisthird pillar (and) behold for it is:


That it is compulsory to understandthe Qur’aan and Sunnah in accordance to the Manhaj of the Salaf asSaalih fromthe Sahaabah, the Tabi’een and their followers, that is: the three generationswhom witness was bore to of their nobility through texts of many well knownahaadeeth.


And this is from what we have spoken about onvarious occasions, and we have brought sufficing proofs which has made us toassert that anyone that intends to understand Islaam from the book and the Sunnahwithout this third pillar will come up with a new Islaam! And the greatestproof for that are the Islaamic sects that continue to increase everyday; andthe reason for that is: their inconformity to thisManhaj which is: “the book, the Sunnah and the Understanding of the SalafasSaalih”.


Thus; we find now in the Islaamic world a groupwhich has reappeared, rising upon us from Egypt, and then spreading its ideasand its poison in a large (part) of the Islaamic world, claiming that they areupon the book and the Sunnah, and how close is their claims to the claims ofthe Khawaarij; for they –also- used toclaim to cling to the book and the Sunnah, however they used to explain thebook and the Sunnah according to their desires, and they pay no heed at all tothe understanding of the Salaf asSaalih; and especially the Sahaabah.


And I have met a lot of personalities from thesepeople, and not too long ago in Jordan for the second time I debated one oftheir leaders, and he proclaimed that he does not consider the exegesis of the(Qur’aanic) verses, even if it has come from tens of the Sahaabah! Meaningthat: if the exegesis had come from tens of the Sahaabah, he does not acceptthis exegesis since he does not consider it!!


And this (one) that is saying this statement isincapable of reading a verse without incorrect pronunciations, mistakes anderrors in it!


This is the reason for the deviation of theKhawaarij of old times, those who were pure Arabs, so what do we say about thecurrent Khawaarij of today, those whom if are not considered to be truly non-Arabs,then they are Arabs that have been un-Arabized, and they are not non-Arabs thathave been Arabized?!


This is their reality, so these (people) proclaimthat they do not accept the exegesis of the text at all, except if the Salafare agreed upon it, this is what one of them says deceitfully and inmisguidance.


So I said to him: do you believe the possibility ofthe consensus of the Salaf on an exegesis for a text from the Qur’aan?
He said: this is impossible!
(Then) I said: so you want the impossible, orsurely you are concealing (or hiding)? So he skulked and kept quiet.


The point is: that the reason for themisguidance of all the sects, old and new, is: not holding on to this thirdpillar: that we understand the book and the Sunnah in accordance to themethodology of the pious predecessors.



The Mu’tazillah, the Murji’ah, the Qadariyyah, the Ash’ariyyah,the Matooridiyyah; and what is contained all these sects, all of it is fromdeviations, its reason: is that they do not hold on to what the Salaf asSaalihwere upon, hence the Muhaqiqoon from the Scholars said:

And all good is in following who has preceded (theancestors)
And all evil is in innovations of the successors

This is not a poem, rather this is a statementtaken from the book and the Sunnah:

﴿وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُالْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىوَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا﴾


And whoevercontradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has beenshown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shallkeep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evildestination. Q4: 115

Why did he say:
﴾and follows other than thebelievers' way﴿? Our lord was capable of saying: (Andwhoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right pathhas been shown clearly to him, we shall keep him in the path he has chosen, andburn him in Hell -what an evil destination), so why as he said:
﴾andfollows other than the believers' way﴿?

So that no one will be deceived, and will not say:I understood the Qur’aan like that, and I understood the Sunnah like that, soit is said to him: it is compulsory that you understand the Qur’aan and theSunnah according to the way of the Salaf, the first and foremost believers.


And indeed this text from the Qur’aan is supportedby texts from the messenger’s ahaadeeth –‘Alaihi Salam-, like the hadeeth ofthe sects, he said –‘Alaihi Salam-: ((all of it isin the fire except one)), they (the Sahaabah) said: who is it Omessenger of Allaah? He said in a narration: ((theJamaa’ah))[10],and in another: ((what I and my companions are upon))[11].


Why did he describe the saved sect to be upon whatthe Jamaa’ah was upon, and it is the Jamaa’ah of the messenger –Salallaahu‘alaihi wasSalam-? So that the road will be obstructed for the twisters andthose that play with the texts[12].




Q: From the foundationsof the Salafi Da’wah: (is to follow the Manhaj of the Salaf asSaalih), (so) howare we able to identify the Manhaj of the Salaf asSaalih?


Ans: we arenot able to except through (the following):


Firstly: the Book (of Allaah)


Secondly: the Sunnah

Thirdly: narrations of the Salaf, and this is demandedthat the Salafi preachers pay attention to knowing the narrations of the Salafas they pay attention to knowing the prophetic ahaadeeth; because knowing thesenarrations is that which will help them ensure an application of the Manhaj ina practical and correct (way of) application; and these narrations –just as isthe case with the ahaadeeth- contains the authentic and the weak[13].

Q: Is it compulsory uponevery Muslim to be a Salafi?


Ans: every Muslimwill know at that time (what) this ascription (means), and what it ascribes tofrom infallibility; so it is impossible for him after this knowledge andclarification that –I do not say: that- he rejects, (for) this is a clearissue, but I say: it is impossible for him exceptthat he becomes a Salafi; because we have understood that the ascription to Salafiyyah,means: the ascription to infallibility[14].


Q: Where have we takenthis infallibility from?


Ans: we havetaken it from an hadeeth that some of the Khalaf use to infer other than thetruth, seeking to establish proofs according to the majority –according to whatthe majority of the Khalaf are upon-; whenever they approach his statement –‘AlaihiSalam-: ((my Ummah will not gather upon misguidance))[15],((my Ummah will not gather upon misguidance)),it is not correct to apply this hadeeth to the Khalaf today considering what isbetween them from extreme differences, ((my Ummahwill not gather upon misguidance)), it is not possible to apply it tothe situation of the Muslims today, and this issues are known to anyone whostudies this unfortunate situation.


In addition to that: are the authentic ahaadeethwhich has come to clarify what has happened as regards those before us from theJews and the Christians, and what will happen to the Muslims after (the passingaway of) the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam- from splitting; so he said –Salallaahu‘alaihi wasSalam-: ((the Jews split intoseventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummahwill split into seventy-three sects, all of it in the fire except one)),they (the Sahaabah) said: who are they O Messenger of Allaah? He said: ((it is: the Jamaa’ah))[16].


This Jamaa’ah is: the Jamaa’ahof the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam-, it is that which it is possible to affirm theapplication of the previous hadeeth: ((my Ummahwill not gather upon misguidance)) that (those) intended by this hadeethare: the Sahaabah; those whom the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam- judged that they:are the saved sect, and whoever treads their path, and moves in theirdirection.


And these Salaf asSaalih, theyare those whom our Lord –‘Azza wa Jal- warned us in the noble Qur’aan fromopposing them, and from taking a path other than their path in His –Azza wa Jal-statement:

﴿وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُالْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىوَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا﴾

And whoevercontradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has beenshown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shallkeep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evildestination. Q4: 115

I have drawn our brothers’ attention in a lot ofinstances to our Lord’s –Azza wa Jal- appending in this verse his statement:
﴾andfollows other than the believers' way﴿ to the contradiction of the Messenger, what is the wisdombehind that? Despite that if the verse had been without this statement, if it had been asfollows: (And whoever contradicts and opposesthe Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, weshall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evildestination) it would have been sufficient in warning and reprovingwhoever contradicts the Messenger –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam-, and (in)judging upon it with its evil destination!

The verse was not like that, but only attached tothat his statement –Azza wa Jal- : ﴾andfollows other than the believers' way﴿, is this in vain?! –How far from such is the speech of Allaah–‘Azza wa Jal- that is: whoever treads the path of the companions whom areinfallible –according to our previous illustration-, and they are the groupwhom the Prophet –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam- bore witness to it being the savedsect, and (also) those who tread their path, these are the ones whom it is notpermissible for whoever wants to be save from Allaah’s punishment on the Day ofJudgement that he deviates their path, hence He –Subhaanahu wa ta’aala- said:

﴿وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُالْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىوَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا﴾


And whoevercontradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has beenshown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shallkeep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evildestination. Q4: 115

Thus; it is upon the Muslims today,in the end of time, to be aware of two matters:


Firstly: who are the Muslims that arementioned in this verse?


Then what is the wisdom in thatAllaah –‘Azza wa Jal- intended with it the Sahaabah whom are the Salaf asSaalihand those that tread their path..?


The clarification for this answer or this wisdomhas preceded, and the summary of that is: that the Sahaabah were the close onesto the era by reception of the revelation has it was revealed from the mouth ofthe Prophet –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam- firstly, then they witnessed theirProphet –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalam- who had lived in their midst applying therulings established by text in the Qur’aan; and which a lot of it has been mentionedin his statements –‘Alaihi Salam-, while the successors do not have this kindof virtue from hearing the Qur’aan and ahaadeeth of the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam-directly from him, also they do not have the virtue of witnessing the Messenger’s–‘Alaihi Salam- application of the texts from the Book and the Sunnah in apractical way of implementation.


And from the wisdom which is established by textfrom the Sunnah: is his –‘Alaihi Salam- statement: ((theinformation is not like the description))[17],and it is from it that the poet took his statement:

“And the one that witnessed is not like the onethat heard”

And so; those who did not witness the Messenger –‘AlaihiSalam- are not like his Sahaabah who witnessed and heard from his speechdirectly, and they saw it as he implemented it practically.


Today you will find a modern speech which has beenused to excel by some of the Islamic preachers and it is a very beautifulspeech, but what is more beautiful: is to make it a reality, they say in theirlectures, sermons and counselling that it is obligatory that we make Islaam towalk in reality, to walk upon the earth ..


Beautiful speech! But if we do not understandIslaam according to the understanding of the Salaf asSaalih –as we say- it isnot possible for us to achieve this beautiful and poetic speech; to make Islaama reality walking upon the earth!

Those who are capable of that:are the Companions of the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam-, for two reasons that have been mentionedpreviously; they heard the speech from him directly, so they apprehended itbetter than our apprehension, then in (some) issues there is (that which is) in need of demonstration, so theysaw the Messenger –‘Alaihi Salam- clarifying that for them practically.

And I will present to you a very clear example:there are verses in the noble Qur’aan that the Muslim is not capable ofunderstanding it except he is knowledgeable about the Sunnah which explains thenoble Qur’aan, as He –‘Azza wa Jal- said:

﴿وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَانُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ﴾

And We have alsosent down unto you (O Muhammad) the reminder (the Qur'aan), that you mayexplain clearly to men what is sent down to them Q16:44

For example: His saying- Subhaanahu wa ta’aala-:

﴿وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُواْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا﴾


Cut off (from thewrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female Q5:38

Now here comes the Seebawayh[18]of this era in Arabic language, so he explains to us this noble verse:


﴾The thief﴿,whois he?


Linguistically he is not able to specify the thief.


And the hand, what is it?


Seebawayh of the end of time (our era) is not capable;he is not capable to give an answer about these two questions, who is the thiefthat is deserving of cutting of the hand?


And what is the hand which isrequired to be cut as regards this thief?


Linguistically: the thief even if he stole and eggis a thief, and the hand in this (case) if it is cut from here or there or inany place, it is (still) a hand!


But the answer is: when we remember the previous Aayah:

﴿وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَانُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ﴾

And We have alsosent down unto you (O Muhammad) the reminder (the Qur'an), that you may explainclearly to men what is sent down to them Q16: 44

The answer is in the clarification; so there is aclarification from the Prophet –Salallaahu ‘alaihi wasSalaam- for the Qur’aan,this clarification was applied by him –‘Alaihi Salam- practically in particularto this Aayah as an example, and in particular to other verses, and they aremany, because whoever has read Ilm alUsool will read that there is (the generaland the specific), (absolute and particular) and (abrogator and abrogated),summarized statements that encompass tens of texts, if we do not say hundredsof texts, general texts made particular (or narrowed down) by the Sunnah[19].

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[1][TN]: See also:An Introduction to the Salafi Da’wah: http://www.qss.org/articles/salafi/text.html and here: http://www.salafipublications.com/sp...articlePages=1 both accessed 26Feb. 2014


[2]Tape: ((Laa‘izu illaa bi’awdati ilaa adDeen)) meaning ((there is no honour except byreturning to the religion))


[3]((Silsilatu-l-hudawa-n-Nur)) Tape no. 1


[4] alBukhaary (2652) and Muslim (2533)



[5] ((Silsilatu-l-huda wa-n-Nur)) Tape no. 1



[6] atTirmidhi (2221 and 2222)



[7] alBukhaari (71), and Muslim (1924) and it is according to Muslim’s version


[8] ((Silsilatu-l-huda wa-n-Nur)) Tape no. 1



[9] ((atTawasul)) (Pp 89-90)


[10] Reported by Ahmad (16,937) and Ibn Maajah (3993)

[11] Reported by atTirmidhee (2641)




[12] Tape ((the Salafi Da’wah))


[13] ((Silsilatu-l-huda wa-n-Nur)) Tape (620)



[14] ((Silsilatu-l-huda wa-n-Nur)) Tape (1)



[15] Reported by adDawlaabi in ((alKinaa))(937) with this wording, and it was reported by atTirmidhee (2167) with the wording: ((surely, Allaah will not gather my Ummah upon misguidance))


[16] Reported by Ibn Maajah (3993)


[17] Reported by Ahmad (1842)


[18] [TN]: Expert in Arabic language who died in the year 796AD. (used by the Shaykh metaphorically) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibawayh accessed 26 Feb. 2014


[19] ((Silsilatu-l-huda wa-n-Nur)) Tape no. (1)