Ex Salafi Questions

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

Bismillaah wal-Hamdulillaah was-Salaatu was-Salaamu 'alaa Rasoolillaah

Important: In no way is the following meant to offend anyone in any way, shape, fashion, or form but rather . I wrote this not to start a debate but for you my dear brother and sister to sit back and reflect deeply; to "wake" you up from your slumber and realize that the Islaam we practice today is NOT the Islaam of what our illustrious Sunni Imaams were upon. After you read these questions, ask yourself, what is going on and shouldn't we be adhering to the understanding of the majority of the scholars of the past? What happend to following the Jamaa'ah? Isn't the Jamaa'ah what the majority of our scholars agreed upon? Please read and reflect on the following:

Questions to our brothers and sisters of the Salafiyyah methodology from an X-Salafi:

1. Why is it that when a Muslim studies the history of Islaam that he/she finds a version of Islaam that is quite different from the Islaam preached and practised by todays Salafiyyah?

2. Why is it that a vast chunk of the Sunni Imaams throughout the history of the Ummah were madhhab-following Soofis and were of the Ash’aree, Maatureedee, and Atharee creeds?

3. One finds that if the Imaams were not of the Ash’ariyyah, they were of the Maatureediyyah, and vice-versa. If they were neither, they were of the Athariyyah; and if they were none of these three creeds they would be considered outside of the Sunni sect unless if their creeds coincided with any of the three creeds mentioned. How do the Salafiyyah reconcile this historical fact with their understanding of history?

4. Why is that the Salafiyyah praise Imaam an-Nawawee (Rahimullaah) and at the same time make Tadleel of the Ash’ariyyah and Soofiyyah when Imaam an-Nawawee (Rahimullaah) himself was of the Ashaa’irah and Soofiyyah?

5. Why is that the Salafiyyah praise Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (Rahimullaah) when it was known that he was of the Athariyyah and a Hanbalee Soofi?

6. Why is it that the Salafiyyah praise Imaams such as Hasan al-Basree (Rahimullaah) and other giants of the Sunnah and interestingly enough - after some investigation and research - one finds that they (the Imaams) were of the Soofiyyah after studying their biographies?

7. Why is it that the Salafiyyah praise Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimullaah) - whom they frequently love to quote - but himself was a Soofi, is known to have praised Shaykh 'Abdul Qaadir al-Jeelaani (Rahimullaah) in his books, and quite possibly of the Qaadiriyyah tareeqah?

8. If the Ash’ariyyah, Maatureediyyah, and Soofiyyah are deviant - as the Salafiyyah claim - then how do they reconcile this with the historical fact that the Ottoman Empire was a Sunni, Hanafee, Soofi caliphate and were proponents of the Ash’aree/Maatureedee creeds? Do we consider the Ottomans deviants and put them outside the fold of Islaam?

9. How do the Salafiyyah reconcile their anti-Soofi stance with the historical fact that Tasawwuf was incorporated into the educational curriculum of all the major Sunni institutions within the Muslim world such as the Qarawayn in Morocco, the Zaytoona in Tunisia, the al-Azhar in Egypt, the Deoband in Islamic India, etc? How do the Salafiyyah explain the rapid spread and acceptance of Tasawwuf and its many turuq within the Muslim world, from the times of the Umayyads, to the Abbaasids, to the Ayyoobis, to the Ottomans, etc? Did it take the Muslim Ummah over 1400 years to figure out that Tasawwuf was a reprehensible innovation (bid'ah)? Were all the Sunni Imaams tricked and deluded into accepting and propagating Tasawwuf, or do we treat Tasawwuf as the H1N1 virus of the Muslim world?

10. Is it conceivable to conclude that the Ummah went astray for over 1000 years in terms of scholarship and methodology and just in recent history the Sunni Muslims have been guided back to the so called "Salafi Manhaj"!? Are the Salafiyyah saying that the thousands of Imaams that have lived during the period of the Khalaf went astray and that Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhaab (Rahimullaah), after several centuries, brought us back to the correct understanding of our Deen!?

11. How do the Salafiyyah reconcile with the historical fact that many Mujahideen throughout the history of Islaam were of the Soofiyyah? What do the Salafiyyah say of the following Sunni Soofi Mujahideen:

a. Muhammad al-Faatih (Rahimullaah) : The Ottoman Sultan whom conquered Constantinople and is known to be a Hanafee, Maatureedee, Soofi (our Beloved Messenger, Sallallaahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam, prophesied about him in a well known hadeeth).

b. Salaah ad-Deen al-Ayyoobee : The Warrior of Islaam that liberated the Holy Land of Palestine from the Crusaders and is known to be a Shafi'ee, Ash'aree, Soofi.

c. Imaam Shameel : The Naqshbandi Imaam whom fought the Russians in the Caucasus (Chechnya and Dagestan) and is known to be a Hanafee, Maatureedee, Soofi.

d. Abdul Qaadir Al-Jazaa`iree : The Algerian scholar whom fought the French invasion of Algeria and is known to be a Malakee, Ash'aree, Soofi.

e. 'Umar al-Mukhtaar : The Lion of the Desert whom fought the Italian invasion of Libya and is known to be a Malakee, Ash'aree, Soofi.

f. Izz ad-Deen al-Qassaam : Perhaps the first Muslim to fight the Zionist invasion of Palestine and is known to be a Shafi'ee, Ash'aree, Soofi of the Qaadiriyyah tareeqah.

Are all of the Sunni heroes of Islaam mentioned above deviants?

12. Why is it that the Salafiyyah tamper with classical Sunni texts of the Imaams of the past, for example erasing any mention of Ash’ariyyah or Soofiyyah, etc. when revising or translating classical works into other languages?

13. Why is it that the Salafiyyah claim to be following the Sunnah but many of them are known to sport the Saudi red chequered Kufiyyah when it is well known that the Prophet, Sallallaahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam, wore a turban? Isn’t this contrary to the Sunnah?

14. Why have the Salafiyyah of Arabia forced the Najdi culture upon the people of Hijaaz when the Hijaazis have a distinct culture from the rest of Arabia?

15. Why are the Salafiyyah of Arabia systematically destroying historical Mecca and Medina? Why are the Salafiyyah of Arabia destroying the tombs, relics, and homes of the Companions and Ahl al-Bayt? Why aren't the Salafiyyah of Arabia investing in the preservation of the historical sites of Hijaaz for future generations? Is it in order to make way for luxuriant five star hotels or for fear of what they view as "shirk"? Accurate reports show that over 90% of historical Mecca and Medina have been wiped out of existence and to this day the destruction of the heritage of Hijaaz continues.

16. If the Salafiyyah of Arabia are going to destroy the graves and historical sights of Hijaaz for fear of Sunni Muslims committing "shirk" then why don't they destroy the ka'bah and the mosque of the Prophet, Sallallaahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam, in order to prevent what they think is "shirk"? May Allaah SWT forbid that from ever happening!

17. Why do the Salafiyyah condemn Sunni Muslims for celebrating the birth (Mawlid) of the Prophet, Sallallaahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam, when history shows us that it had been celebrated and accepted by the vast majority of the Imaams of the Sunnah for almost 900 years? Today it is celebrated in many of the Muslim lands from Morocco in the west to Indonesia and Malaysia in the east. Are the Salafiyyah saying that it took our bright and illustrious Imaams 900 years to figure out that the Mawlid was a reprehensible innovation (bid'ah)!?

A Final Note:

Due to the many inconsistencies amongst the Salafiyyah I have come to the conclusion that there is a sinister agenda in wanting to re-write or even erase our history in order to reform our Deen underneath the slogan “Qur`aan wa Sunnah” when true historical facts clearly show that the methodology of our scholars and Imaams, from amongst the Salaf and Khalaf, were significantly different then what the Salafiyyah are upon today, unless if someone can prove otherwise.

Abdullah Rayan

SOURCE: Deenport
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