The Reality of the Salafi Methodology: A Homecoming

My roots are Carolinian. It is the soil of my father and grandfathers. I spent many summers there as a child, reuniting with those who gave us our names. This was years before accepting Islam, and I do not recall ever seeing a Muslim there in those days. Out in “the country” as a boy feeding the hogs, I never imagined recounting those trips in the mountains of Yemen.

One afternoon in Dammaj, I was late for the Sahih al-Bukhari class after Asr prayer. One of the students informed me that our Shaykh, al-Allamah Muqbil b. Hadi al-Wadi’ – Allah grant him mercy – had called on me. When the opportunity arose, I announced my presence to the Shaykh. “Come forward,” he said, summoning me to his desk at the front the masjid. I was puzzled. Was I in trouble for being late? As I made my way through the rows of students, the Shaykh said, “Where is ‘Abd al-Rahman?” A Shami brother, too, rose and advanced toward the desk. The Shaykh smiled. “Your brother wants to debate you,” he said to me.

“On what subject, O Shaykh?” I said.

“On the nature of pig skin.”

‘Abd al-Rahman began to deliver a litany of quotations about pig skin from several works of fiqh. I waited patiently for him to finish. When he did, I said, “Shaykh, when I was young, I spent many summers on my family’s farm in North Carolina. They had pigs.” I then gave first hand knowledge of the subject. My interlocutor, who had never actually seen the animal, tried to continue, but the Shaykh interjected, “The facts speak for themselves,” he said laughing. 

My last trip “down South” was eight years ago. My grandmother had passed, and we went to commiserate with family. On the trip, my sister and I went to a local supermarket and were surprised when we heard the greetings: “Al-Salam Alaykum,” a woman said. We returned the salutations. Remembering my days there as a boy, those were the last words I expected to hear. It reminded me of Allah’s (ﷻ) statement,

وَ رَأَیۡتَ ٱلنَّاسَ یَدۡخُلُونَ فِی دِینِ ٱللَّهِ أَفۡوَاجا

“And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes” (al-Nasr 110:2)

Now, eight years later, I return to the state, Allah willing, to attend a lecture series on the reality of the Salafi methodology. This weekend is something of a homecoming for me and a chance to witness the efforts of Ahl Sunnah to establish a masjid on previously untrodden ground. May Allah (ﷻ) bless the community there and continue to make them sources of good. Indeed, Allah (ﷻ) is the Hearer of supplication. 

Abu al-Hasan Malik al-Akhdar

19 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1445 AH

Camden, NJ

Now Available: The Life and Call of Shaykh ‘Abd Allah al-Qar’awi

Prior to 1358 AH, the area spanning southern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen was steeped in superstitions, ignorance, acts of polytheism, and innovations. But Allah would decree that the Shaykh, the reformer, ‘Abd Allah al-Qar’awi would settle in the region and establish the call of the Prophets and Messengers: the call to tawhid. He instituted schools, built masajid, delivered sermons, taught lessons in towns and villages, and introduced thousands of men, women, and children to the methodology of the Salaf. He was, as Shaykh Rabi’ b. Hadi al-Madkhali said of him, “knowledgeable, pious, ascetic, earnest, patient, and dependent upon [Allah Alone] in his call. He was Salafi in creed, upon the ‘aqidah of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.” It therefore pleases us to announce the publication of a comprehensive biography on the life and call of this noble reformer.

The work chronicles his family lineage, his birth, his upbringing, his travels, his travails, his triumphs, his teaching and tireless efforts to spread tawhid, and, ultimately, his final illness and death. May Allah grant him Mercy. It is our hope that this biography will help enlighten English-speaking readers on the life and call of this noble scholar.

You can purchase this title directly from our online store or shop for it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0975K5CRV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_2RPYMT6BQHRYBSA3PCK8

Brief Recollections from a Recent Umrah Trip

Brief Recollections from a Recent Umrah Trip
Abu al-Hasan Malik al-Akhdar

Al-Madinah: Friday, the 29th of Rabi’ al-Thani, 1441 AH

This evening, by the Permission of Allah, we were blessed with the opportunity to visit our Shaykh, al-Allamah Ubayd al-Jabiri, may Allah preserve him. As always, it was a tremendous gathering full of benefits, reminders, and advices. From these advices, he reminded us to focus on seeking beneficial knowledge and to avoid politics, about which he mentioned the statement of al-Shinqiti  (رحمه الله),

السياسة بنت كلب

“Politics is nasty game.”

Also, concerning calling one’s non-Muslim parents to Islam, Shaykh Ubayd advised with “reading Surah Maryam to them.” Before leaving, he asked me how long we’ve known one another. “Twenty years,” I said. To this, he smiled, nodded, and simply replied, “Mashallah.” I am ever grateful to our Shaykh for welcoming us and for imparting such fatherly advice. May Allah bless him for his direction these many years.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

مَنْ لاَ يَشْكُرِ النَّاسَ لاَ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ

“Whoever has not thanked the people has not thanked Allah.”[1]

Accordingly, we would like to thank our brothers Uways al-Tawil and Adil b. Arif for taking from their time to aid us and for making us feel at home while on our travels. Indeed, Allah is Most Generous, Most Beneficent to His worshippers.

Makkah: Monday, the 3rd of Jumada al-Ula, 1441 AH

Tonight, we were blessed to attend the lesson of al-Muhaddith Muhammad b. Ali b. Adam al-Ithyubi, may Allah preserve him. He taught from Alfiyah al-Suyuti in mustalah (hadith terminology). In the lesson, the Shaykh covered the chapter “The Etiquettes of the Student of Hadith,” touching on several important topics, including: purifying one’s intentions, seeking knowledge from the scholars in one’s land before traveling abroad, putting your learning into practice, having noble character, etc. During the reading, we came across one narration that beautifully summed up the importance of this chapter and class: “Whoever seeks hadith has sought the loftiest affair of this life, so he must be from the best of the people.” It was a knowledge-based lesson from start to finish. May Allah reward the Shaykh abundantly.

[1] Collected by Abu Dawud in his Sunan (no. 4198) and authenticated by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah (no. 416).

The Islamic Ruling on al-Wilayah in Non-Muslim Lands

The Islamic Ruling on al-Wilayah in Non-Muslim Lands
Abu al-Hasan Malik al-Akhdar

OVER THE YEARS, many of our sisters have inquired about the issue of al-wilayah (guardianship for marriage), specifically those who have no paternal Muslim male relatives. In these instances, they have either sought guardians from their local masajid or Islamic centers or have chosen awliya from family members or family friends. Some, however, did not choose a wakil for themselves. Instead, their intended husbands chose one for them (often one of his companions). This has ofttimes resulted in disorder and confusion, leaving sisters vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment. Then, when one of them seeks assistance from her wakil,” he is either nowhere to be found or is unwilling to help. “I don’t want to get involved,” he says, more concerned about offending his companion than making sure his “ward” receives her rights. This brings her to the masjid for support. Yet, when asked “Who is your wali or wakil?” she is embarrassed to say, “My husband’s friend” or, even worse, “I am not sure. My husband appointed someone.” How self-serving. Both husband and “wakil” will be asked about this before their Lord.

All praise is for Allah; the Islamic Legislation has clarified the rules of wilaya (guardianship). A woman’s awliya come from her paternal Muslim male relatives. If she has no such relatives, the sultan (ruler) or an Islamic judge assumes the responsibility. In the absence of either an Islamic ruler or a judge, the wilayah is handed over to those in charge of the Islamic center in the woman’s locale. This is the ruling of several preeminent scholars of the Religion, based upon evidence found in the Divine Revelation.

The noble Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz b. Baz (رحمه الله) was asked about those who contract marriages without a wali, particularly those living in non-Muslim countries. After clarifying the invalidity of such marriages, he stated,

If a woman does not have a wali—no father, no brother, no paternal cousin—then the hakim (ruler) serves as the wali, based upon the Prophet’s (ﷺ) statement,

السُّلْطَانُ وَلِيُّ مَنْ لَا وَلِيَّ لَهُ

“The sultan is the wali of one who has none.”[1]

So, the ruler marries her off or appoints someone to marry her off.

If she lives in a land that does not have a [Muslim] ruler or a judge, as in the case of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries, then the director of the Islamic center marries her off, if there is an Islamic center present, because [the head of the Islamic center] functions as a leader for them. So, the person in charge of the Islamic center looks into her affair and marries her off, if she does not have a wali and there is no [Islamic] judge present.[2]

The Permanent Committee of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was asked a similar question and clarified that if a woman does not have a Muslim guardian, “the head of her local Islamic center is responsible for the marriage contract,” as he is considered a leader in his locale. They, too, base this upon the Prophet’s (ﷺ) statement, “The sultan is the wali of one who has none.”[3]

Further, on the 6th of Safr, 1440 AH, our brother Ihsan b. Dawud, a student in the Islamic University of Madinah, asked the noble Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad (حفظه الله) the following:

In our land, in America, women enter Islam and may not have a paternal [Muslim] male relative. Perhaps they have a brother on their mother’s side who is Muslim or a maternal uncle who may be a Muslim. Is he allowed to be her wali?

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad: No, absolutely not. He cannot be her wali.

Questioner: So, Shaykh, she must return to the Islamic center?

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad: Yes, she must return to the Islamic center.

Questioner: What about a woman who entered Islam and perhaps has a family friend or someone who is close to her who is Muslim, can she choose him to be her wali?

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad: No, absolutely not.

So, it is clear from the verdicts of Shaykh Ibn Baz, the Permanent Committee, and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad, in accordance with the Prophet’s (ﷺ) hadith, that the Muslim woman who does not have a wali from her family, the sultan or Islamic judge is her wali. If, however, she lives in a non-Muslim land that has no Islamic ruler or judge, the head of her local Islamic center assumes the responsibility.

In conclusion, we must fear Allah concerning al-wilayah (guardianship) and properly fulfil the conditions of marriage, as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

إِنَّ أَحَقَّ اَلشُّرُوطِ أَنْ يُوَفَّى بِهِ , مَا اِسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ بِهِ اَلْفُرُوجَ

“The worthiest of conditions to be fulfilled are those that make the private parts lawful for you.”[4]

We ask Allah to grant us good understanding and right conduct. Indeed, He is Oft Forgiving, Hearer of Supplication.

[1] Collected by Ibn Majah in his Sunan (no. 1524). It is authenticated by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah.
[2] See https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/11074/
[3] Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah (no. 5377)
[4] Collected by Bukhari (no. 2572) and Muslim (no. 1418).

Eat from the Good Things

Abu al-Hasan Malik al-Akhdar
3 Ramadan 1440 AH

Allah states in His Noble Book,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

“O you who have believed, eat from the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.” [al-Baqarah 2:172]

As we begin another blessed month of Ramadan, we are mindful of Allah’s Mercy and Beneficence. And as we strive to fast—forsaking food, drink, and intimate relations during the day—for His Sake, we are grateful for the food and drink He provides us nightly. Yet one should be careful not to overindulge, as there are numerous warnings in the authentic Sunnah against overeating. The Messenger of Allah—sallallahu alayhi wa sallam—states, “The child of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for him to eat enough to straighten his back. If he cannot do that, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.”[1] So, just as we should not overeat outside of Ramadan, we should not use fasting as an excuse to do so. Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi mentions that the one who overindulges at the time of iftar will not benefit that night. Likewise, he mentions, the one who overindulges at the time of suhur will not benefit that morning.[2]

[1] Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (no. 2380). It has been authenticated by al-Albani in al-Sahihah (no. 2265).
[2] Ahmad b. Qudamah, Mukhtasir Minhaj al-Qasidin. (Dar al-Bayan, 1389 AH), 44

“We Already Understand Tawhid”

“We Already Understand Tawhid
Abu al-Hasan Malik al-Akhdar

IN HIS EXPLANATION OF Kashf al-Shubuhāt, Shaykh Salih Āli al-Shaykh – may Allah preserve him – relates what transpired between Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb – may Allah have Mercy upon him – and some of his students.  When the Shaykh finished teaching them Kitāb al-Tawhīd, he wanted to teach the book a second time. The students said, “O Shaykh, we prefer to study another text, in fiqh or hadīth.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

“Because,” they replied, “we already understand Tawhīd.”

The Shaykh told them that he would consider the matter. A few days later, the students came to his lesson and saw that something was bothering him.

“Some disturbing news has reached me,” he said.

“What is it?” they replied.

“It reached me that some people from Dirʿiyah sacrificed a rooster at the threshold of their new house before occupying it, letting the blood run down the door.  So, I sent someone to verify this and deal with it accordingly.”

The following day, the students asked the Shaykh if his emissary had sent word. He then informed them that something entirely different had taken place.

“What happened?” they asked.

“They did not sacrifice a rooster,” the Shaykh said. “Rather, a man committed an incestuous act with his mother.”

The students began to exclaim, “Refuge is sought with Allah! With his mother!”

The Shaykh then clarified that the ignorant person’s statement “I have understood Tawhīd” is from the greatest tricks of Shaytān. This is because, as Shaykh Salih Āli al-Shaykh explains, the students were more horrified at the news of an incestuous act, which is no doubt from the gravest of sins, than they were at an act of major Shirk, which is the worst of all sins. So, while they claimed to understand al-Tawhīd, they were unaware that those who sacrificed animals in this manner did so to draw closer to the Jinn and to repel their harm.  This is major Shirk, and had those students truly understood this, they would have been more appalled at the sacrifice of an animal for other than Allah.*

 

* See http://sunnahpublishing.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Salihalshaikhweunderstandtawheed.mp3