'Super Salafis' vs the Ummah'

Allah Ta'ala granted the status of being "the noblest of His creations" only to the human beings amongst all His creations, as He states {We honored the children of Adam}. He created all His creations from the word "Kun", but created Adam with His Own Hands, {the one whom I created with my very own Hands}. Then He created all that exists in the earth for the benefit of mankind {He created for you all that is in the earth}. What could be more honorable than this!!. The Lord of the worlds made the image of Adam in His own image.

(Bukhari and Muslim) SubhanAllah!!

Furthermore, the importance of every soul is highlighted with the words 'there is a reward for serving any animate' i.e. living being, animals, birds, beasts, etc. An adulteress who believes in the Creator, on account of just providing water to a dog 'entered Paradise'. On the other hand, a well-mannered woman tied up a cat and left it to die, and hence 'entered Hellfire'. In this way, Islam ordered us to respect the sanctity of animals and also made it necessary to treat the animals well.

Once some companions took a baby chick. Its mother, out of her motherly love, was flying over their heads, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ became sad, and said, "who has pained her, give her young one back to her". The Prophet ﷺ ordered Asma r.a to be kind to polytheists, by asking her to "be kind to her mother" and Allah ordered the Muslims to show kindness even to the staunchest of their enemies, who do not involve in fighting, as He said, {Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought you nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves whose who are fair.}

To this extent, perhaps no one disagrees, but if I dare to extend this Islamic magnanimity and kindness towards the non-salafi Muslims, as the Salaf used to do, then the 'super-salafis' and amateur students accuse me of being deficient in Aqeedah, and expel me from Salafiyyah.

The important principles of Aqeedah like rulings based on outward appearance, taking things at its face value, and having good thoughts about people, all go in vain. Who is to be blamed for their exclusionary views??

The difference between Kharijites and Salafiyyah is that the Kharijites sever the ties of brotherhood simply because of the mistakes and sins of fellow muslims, and develop animosity towards them. And if they possess power, they turn this animosity into physical fighting, and in absence of power, this animosity continues in the form of verbal abuse. Today, even ordinary men are engaged in 'verbal warfare' in the name of 'Kitab-o-Sunnah' or Salafiyyah, resulting in hatred and destruction of brotherhood. It is high time that Salafi Scholars pay attention to this immediately before it gets out of control.

Islamic brotherhood is a rule, a principle, and a foundation. This brotherhood cannot come to end except with outright disbelief. The honor, life and wealth of a Muslim or peaceful humans are as sacred as the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah and the sacred city of Makkah.

All the ahadiths like "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe", "A believer is like a brick for another believer, one supporting the other", "The rights of one Muslim over another are six: If you meet him, greet him with salam; if he invites you, accept the invitation; if he asks for advice, give him sincere advice; if he sneezes and praises Allah, say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you); if he falls sick, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral." These are the rights of every Muslim. This is the hallmark of the Ummah, their identity, their civilization, and their culture. This is what makes the Muslim society different from other societies. A society where brotherhood is prevalent, everyone has sympathy and share their grief with one another and support on another. All realize and believe that "Allah helps the servant as long as he helps his brother".

My salafi brothers, these rights are also for the "seventy-three sects" who are not out of the fold of Islam!.
My Salafi brother, may I ask you, do you visit a Ikhwani brother who is sick, just out of love for Islamic brotherhood? Or do you consider the one who visits them as "mature Salafi" or "immature salafi? Does someone's Bidah - which does not take a person out of the fold of Islam - justify us to stop from following the Sunnah pertaining to mutual brotherhood?!

This bond of brotherhood with the Ikhwanis, with Jamaat-e-Islami, with the Tablighis, with the Deobandis, with the Maturidis with the Ash'aris, Barelvis; despite all their errors and Bid'ah, cannot cease to exist. And till today, no authentic Scholar has eliminated it, because they are not out of Islam or out of the Ummah. That is why our Ahlul-Hadith scholars have been maintaining a brotherly relationship with them by participating in their community and welfare organizations, besides warning them about their Bid'ah and criticizing their mistakes.

Syed Ahmad Shaheed Hanafi and Shah Ismail Shaheed Salafi both together were successful in bringing a revolution of Tawheed and Sunnah. Then their movement of "Tehreek-e-Shahidain" was accomplished progressively by the efforts of both Ahl-e-Hadith and non-Ahl-e-Hadith alike for a long time, although later they diverged.

Instead of prolonging the article by giving more examples, I humbly request every "Super Salafi" to take a quick look at the "Tehreek e Khatm e Nubuwwat" of 1953. In this campaign, no matter what their differences are, Ahl al-Hadith, Deobandi, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Barelvi, all stood firm in front of the tanks and guns of Qadiani soldiers, backed by the United States and Britain. For months together, they were afflicted with this tragedy. An 80-year-old grandfather would go out with his six or seven-year-old grandson to protect the 'Finality of Prophethood' (khatm-e-nubuwwat) and sacrifice their life for this cause.

When there was a harm approaching the Finality of Prophethood, the world witnessed the magnanimity of Islamic Brotherhood to such a degree that the powers of the whole world were ashamed. Maulana Maududi, Abdul Sattar Niazi, Syed Khalil Ahmad Qadri, Shurish Kashmiri etc. were sentenced to death and locked up in the cramped cells of execution. If it were not for the strong protest of the entire Muslim world, they would have been hanged. Salafis and non-Salafis alike took part to eradicate this affliction.

On one side, there were Qadiani cannons and guns, and on the other side, the unarmed protectors of the 'Finality of Prophethood' who continued taking bullets on their chests for months together. Thousands offered their lives. After all these struggles and sufferings, it became a Sunni land; otherwise it would have become "Israel of Non-Arabs". (Ref. Tehreek Khatm-e-Nubuwwat- Surish Kashmiri)

The purpose of this elaboration is the fact that along with criticizing their Bidah, our relationship of Islamic brotherhood with them is still there, a very strong relationship that cannot be invalidated. Were not the Hanafis, Shafi'is, Ash'aris, and Maturidis, who fought the crusades, Islamic brothers? Did not the Salafis or Ahl al-Hadith scholars stand in solidarity with them? They did not leave them to the non-Muslims to be burnt to death because of their bid'ah(that does not amount to kufr). While remaining on the salafiyyah and ahle-hadisiyyah, for the sake of Islamic brotherhood, they proved their sustained fraternity.

In the 3rd and 4th centuries, because of the powerful Rafidi and esoteric Fatimid caliphate, Rafidism and esotericism had spread everywhere. Even Ibn Kathir wrote this with pain that, "Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Maghrib, Khorasan, and even Hijaz all have been filled with Rafidism and abuse of Sahabah. The major credit for eradicating their influence goes to Nizam-ul-Mulk Ash'ari (may Allah have mercy on him) and Salahuddin Ayyubi's contemporary scholars, al-Faqeeh Isa al-Hakkari, Al-Qazi Al-Fazil, and Al-Qazi Ziauddin Al-Shaharzor, etc., all of them were Shafi'i Ash'ari. The role of Seljuq and Ayyubi dynasties in the two hundred years of the Crusaders' religious fanaticism is unforgettable. During this period, these scholars stood firm with them. Nizam ul-Mulk showed such talents during his thirty-year premiership that civilization, culture, science and arts flourished in leaps and bounds. He laid such a network of Madrasas in all corners of the country that within a short period of time the dominance of Rafidites and esotericism ended. His religious services are imprinted in history.

Can we say that Ash'ari, Maturidi, Hanafi Shafi'i, Tehreeki, Tablighi are unforgivable? If they are forgivable, cannot their massive good deeds be expiation for their bida'hs that do not amount to Kufr)? Are the ten causes of forgiveness that Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullah), enumerated, such as repentance, asking for forgiveness, good deeds, above all Allah's mercy and forgiveness, etc. meant only for the Salafis, no matter how lacking they are in terms of knowledge, good characters, righteousness, and social service?? {The collection of fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 7, pp. 487-50}

"Super Salafi" scholars, in the name of 'hajr ul Mubtadi' i.e. boycotting the innovators in the religion of Islam, put so much emphasis on rejecting the bida'hs(that do not overstep the bound of Islam), to the extent that Islamic brotherhood, which is a core pillar of the Shari'ah, has become null and void; rather it turned into enmity and hatred, and the poor new generation began to feel Islam as a burden.

Because of such things and my articles on similar burning issues, I became tired of bearing the burden of unjustified cruel accusations of being "lenient in methodology". Salafiyyah is my faith, not a business.

Sheikh Abdus Salaam Umari Madani
Founder
Aspire College of Excellence (Chennai and Bangalore)