The Elephant in the Room Part One

7/31/2019 The Elephant in the Room Part One

1/31


2/31

1 | P a g e

Addressing the Cycle of Ineffective Leadership Rooted in Salafee Communities and its

Birth of a Culture with no Accountability

Written by Shadeed Muhammad

Part 1


3/31

2 | P a g e

No people can go forward when the majority of those who should know better have chosen to go

backward, but this is exactly what most of our misleaders do. ~ Dr. Carter G. Woodson


4/31

3 | P a g e

All praise is for Allah. We praise Him and seek His forgiveness. Whomever Allah guides there is

none to lead him astray, and whomever He misguides, there is no guide for him. I openly testify

to the fact that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah alone and I testify that

Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is His final Messenger.

Allah says in the Quran:

Is then he who laid the foundation of his building on piety (i.e. Taqwah) to Allah and

seeking his pleasure better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on the brink of an

undetermined precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbles to pieces with him into

the fire of Hell (9:109)

If it takes a broken clock to check the time, then the continuity of dysfunction and complacency,

that has become the hallmark of many Salafee communities in America, is definitely an overdue

wake-up call.

The Elephant in the Room is a metaphorical idiom used to describe an obvious truth that is

ignored or goes unaddressed. It is based upon the idea that an elephant in the room would be

impossible to overlook. Thus people in the room, who pretend the elephant is not there, have

chosen to avoid and/or ignore dealing with the looming big issue. However, facts do not cease to

exist simply because they are ignored.

Salafee communities in the West have seen their share of undereducated and spiritually

malnourished Imams, Daees and pseudo Students of Knowledge who have come and gone like

the wind, leaving behind a legacy of disorder and unfavorable conditions to be inherited by those

innocent individuals who came after them.

Suffice it to say, we have a recognition problem whose assessment has been deferred long

enough. And as the saying goes, Anything that endures over time sacrifices its ability to make

an impression. Unfortunately, as Salafees, we simply cant seem to recognize effective leaders,

whether in the form of Imams, Daees and/or Students of Knowledge, who are actually assets

to the religious/ social development of our communities, from those ineffective Imams who arejust plain liabilities. This especially includes those self-taught and unproven leaders who

certainly come with a high-risk premium. In short, effective leaders produce results while

ineffective leaders are blissfully satisfied with the status quo of merely existing or surviving

instead of advancement and growth. So lets take a look at the ingredients that have created the

atmosphere of dysfunction which define many Salafee communities today.


5/31

4 | P a g e

There has been a peculiar overcast ofunclear objectives that has given birth to the undeniable

complacency, which has become the hallmark of those who assume positions of leadership in

our communities. Clouds ofdistrust are formed by the precipitation of putting people in harms

way without a justifiable cause, which fertilizes the sentiment of being expendable for

individual aspirations.

There is a seed ofinstability that emerges from this tainted soil and sprouts in to a culture of no

accountability and when finally detached from its root, it breeds its own special brand of

culpability that constantly shifts the blame towards the innocent in order to hide the gravity of

their inadequacies fearing that it would be an obvious threat to their competence as

leaders/Imams/Daees and Students of Knowledge.

Since we learn through repetition coupled with the fact that it was the practice of the Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) to repeat his words three times to ensure a complete grasp of the depths of his

words, I will list these ingredients again so that they are easily identifiable:

The First:Unclear objectives, as many Salafee communities dont have any definitive targets or

goals in relation to their religious and/or social direction. There are no short term or long term

goals or even a mission statement to define their course of navigation other than an empty

pharisaic claim of adherence to the minhaj of the Salaf. And the unfortunate thing about this is

that he who does not know where hes goingcant possibly reach his destination.

The Second: Complacency, many Imams feel as though their work is done. They dont strive to

look at their situation objectively or hone their leadership skills to tackle their responsibilities

effectively. Their complacency breeds mediocrity amongst the members of their communities

and makes it difficult for them to transcend the level they have been marginalized to.

The Third:Distrust, primarily due to the fact that many Imams/Daees/Students of Knowledge

give instructions that are enigmatic and injudicious and many community members have a hard

time discerning where the sincerity is in them because they make very little sense and contradict

the initial goal(s) of the communityif there are any goals at all.

The Forth:Individual aspirations, instead of aspiring for the overall good and benefit of the

Salafee community, many of these Imams/Daees/Students of Knowledge abuse their positions

for self-gratification. For example, Abu Muhammad Al Maghrabi, who chose to abandon his

community (i.e. Masjid Rahmah) and his position as the Imam solely because he needed to prove

his loyalty to Shaykh Rabee ( may Allah preserve him) and affirm his allegiance to a brand of

dawah that is more hizbiyah than it is Salafiyah, and to solidify his commitment to a group of

brothers whojust yesterdayregarded him as just a translator or someone who is watering

down the dawah and will never accept him amongst their menacing constituency. And the

ironic thing about this is that Abu Muhammad contacted Abdul Wasee(the former president of

the board) and humbly asked for his job back, just months after this whole incident was put on

the internet for the world to see.


6/31

5 | P a g e

Another example of this is when Dawud Adib decided to move to Egypt in 2009 during the

Month of Ramadandays before the Eid without any forewarningwhile he was the Imam of

Masjid Sunnah An Nabawiyah (Germantown, Philadelphia) to fulfill his own vain ambitions as a

student of knowledge. The ironic thing about thiswithout going into the details about how

much money was collected from community members (the same ones he so callously

abandoned) and how many responsibilities were neglected, he returned to Philadelphia in less

than a year with his funds completely depleted and Germantown Masjid still hired him again (for

the second time) as the Imam of a community that was more in need of solid stable and definitive

leadership rather than a indecisive elder whose presence was no greater than his absence.

Another example of this self-gratifying dilemma is the recent visit of the self proclaimed D aee,

Abu Khadeejah, to America (Sept. 2012) wherein 95 % of his time was spent refuting instead

of actually educating. He was invited by the same two grossly dysfunctional communities

Masjid Rahamah and Germantown Masjidnot for the purpose of addressing any real issues;

rather those are ignored and treated with disregard to give the appearance of normalcy, but to

clarify the Salafee minhaj to the Salafee community, the same redundant speeches that he has

been giving for years.

However, the reality is these communities suffer from high rates of divorcemainly because

there is no religious structure or atmosphere of accountability. They suffer from a vast array of

anti-social behaviors because of the environments they are located in, which attracts elements

such drug use/abuse, incarceration/recidivism and criminality etc. They suffer from a lack of

secular education which breeds its own set of financial and familial problems and the list goes

on.

There are sisters in these communities who, when divorced, are given nothing financially in theform of child support from the fathers of their children and threatened with being off the

minhaj or imitating the Kuffar(i.e. non-Muslims) and treated as dissidents when they go to

family court to get the rights that Allah commanded these men to give them. Or even worse, they

are forced to go and seek government assistance in the form of welfare (i.e. cash assistance/food

stamps and WIC) and are constantly being displaced (along with their children) from home to

home due to the lack of responsibility and the lack of prioritization and the misrepresentation of

Salafiyah that is woven into this pseudo Salafee culture created by constantly refuting people.

There are brothers in these communities who have gainful employment and are good Muslims

trying to do right by their children, while the mothers of these children are taking more than whatis necessary in child support money. It becomes more of a hustle than it is in the best interest of

the child or a means to make the life of the departed father as miserable as possible and some

even deny these fathers their right of equal parenting of their own children.

And while all of this is going on, a phone call or two is made overseas to a particular Shaykh, a

ruling is given on that specific issuemost of the time without any referential evidence


7/31

6 | P a g e

however, there is still no foundational knowledge of these issues being established in the form of

extensive classes, educational seminars or workshops to educate the masses to these very

pertinent matters of the Religion that affect our social atmosphere. Fiqh is an integral science that

is far too rich and significant to be replaced by random Fatawah solicited by individuals who

themselves lack the Islamic knowledge to understand its importance. There are no classes being

taught at these Salafee communities on the fiqh of child custody in Islam or the fiqh of divorce or

the fiqh of raising children or the fiqh of inheritance, coupled with the fact that most of our

problems stem from these issues.

But you have individuals like Hassan As Somali (whose presence has contributed nothing of

real value to our communities since his initial arrival from the UK. and whose presence amongst

us at this point should be suspect or, at very least, questionable) teaching the brothers and sisters

classes on minhaj during the Month of Ramadan. And even some of the brothers on the

Administration, frustrated with his bizarre choice of classes at this very special time, contacted

his Shaykh, Ubayd Al Jabiri (may Allah preserve him) to inform him of this, to which the

Shaykh reprimanded him and instructed him to teach classes only on the fiqh of fasting during

the Month of Ramadan, as this is what all of the scholars do during this particular time.

Consider for a moment that most people relocate from state to state, within their homeland, for a

better living or a better quality of life, or for employment/educational purposes orin our case as

Muslimsto find a more religiously conducive environment to raise our children. But no one of

sound mind moves from his/her country of origin, (Note: hes from Cardiff, the capital and

largest city in Wales, the tenth largest city in the United Kingdom!) to another country,

especially to a major city like Philadelphia, USA, where there are so many opportunities related

to employment and education, to rotate between 3-4 Salafee Masajid day after day preaching the

same redundant miscellaneous messages on minhaj for 8 years!!

Hassan As Somali has no official job or business in America, he doesnt attend any of

Philadelphias 17 prestigious universities/colleges, he pays no taxes, owns no property here (or

there), Masjid Rahamah (in Newark, NJ.) is probably one of his biggest donors financially,

despite the poor quality of his lectures, which they compensate him for, ( obviously with money

they collect from the community), and he has been a major contributor to the division of the

Muslims in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey and the deplorable conditions that continue

to define the Salafee communities throughout America. And I askwhy is he here again?

I am not suggesting anything, as this is the problem with the cult-like behavior that has beenpackaged in the cloth of Salafiyah today by these individuals who persuade the masses by way of

suggestive rhetoric and sophisticated ignorance. But what I am doing is laying facts on the table

or as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) instructed,placing the bad fruit on top so that people can

see what they are buying, which allow people to draw their own conclusions. Is Hassan As

Somali here in America to make the Salafee dawah more relevant to the communities he

frequents, to uplift and change the condition of the people for the better? If so, then I would like


8/31

7 | P a g e

those who, all but hail his very presence, the entourage that follows his every footstep, to please

identify to the Salafee communities the fruit of his presence for over the past eight years!

And since we are in a habit of throwing the termprinciples around today, it is imperative that we

view Hassan As Somali (and his constituents) in light of a very important principle in Islam the

Fuqahaa mention in the books of Usool ul Fiqh called:Dhar ul Mafasid Muqadim Ala Jalb ulMasalih (i.e. repelling evil takes presence over the attainment of some good).This is in reference

to a situation where the evil outweighs the good. And I say this to be fair, because there are

exceptions to every rule. Maybe there was some good that came out of his presence here, but in

order to see how valuable and how relevant that good actually was/is we have to view it in light

of the evil that he is responsible for as well, and only then we can decide if he is an asset or a

liability to our communities. And this principle was deducted from many texts, Ill give one here

which is the statement of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) to his wife, Aisha:

If it wasnt for the fact that your people (i.e. Quraysh) were new converts to Islam, I

would have demolished the Kabah and built it back up on the foundations which Prophet

Ibraheem built it initially. (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

There are Muslim children being murdered in the streets of major cities like Philadelphia that are

densely populated with individuals who ascribe to the Salafee minhaj, Muslim children who see

the hypocrisy of their parents and loose any inkling of enthusiasm to adhere to the religion they

were born and raised upon. Muslim children who join and/or affiliate with gangs such as the

Bloods and Crips in cities like Newark, New Jersey (home of Masjid Rahamah) who come to the

Masjid on the Day of Jumuah flagging (i.e. representing with their official gang colors on)!

And with all of this going on, Abu Khadeejah is brought here from the UK. on an all expenses

paid trip (which for him was a vacation because it required no work at all evidenced by the

quality of his lectures) with money that belonged to the community or came out of the personal

pockets of brothers who could have used it for more productive things like purchasing another

building, which has been the projected target of Masjid Rahmah for about seven or eight years

now. They brought Abu Khadeejah here and he did not touch any of these issues that are

plaguing their communities, he added absolutely no value to the incessantly deteriorating

conditions they are living in and then have the audacity to call this the Minhaj of the Salaf?!

This is unsatisfactory and unacceptable and you guys will be accountable in front of Allah on the

Day of Judgment for your abuse of your authority and influence over the people the Muslims in

your communities, for your abuse of money that you collected from the Muslims for their

religious welfare and for your abuse of your own money, which you constantly use to contribute

to your own destruction (e.g. by way of frequent Umrah trips (three of which were made last

year), paying people like Hassan As Somali, Abu Hassan Malik and Abu Khadeejah to come and

talk to the community (without their consultation) about issues that socially or religiously,


9/31

8 | P a g e

Neither nuroish nor satisfy the hunger (88:7)

And Allah warns us about this reckless use of our wealth:

And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and dont let your hands contribute to

your own destruction and do good, for indeed Allah loves the good doers (2:195)

The unfortunate thing about all of this is that they even do this with the scholars they bring here.

In the past four years, scholars like Shaykh Salim At Taweel, Falah Ismaeel and Hassan Al

Banna (may Allah preserve them all) have all come through these communities, not for the

purpose of assessing the spiritually deteriorating conditions and working hand-in- hand with the

students of knowledge and intellectual Salafee think tanks to provide them with amicable

solutions to enhance their conditions, despite the religious/social disparity they are subjected to

due to their location, but for the purpose exposing this one and that one and refute this one and

that one. I Think it is sufficient to say that these brothers have done the communities, our

children , themselves, the scholars and the representation of Islam in our locality a tremendous

injustice that will not be ignored or disregarded on the Day of Judgment.

The Fifth:Religious instability, there are many people who used to be characterized with

Istiqamah (i.e. steadfastness) that are actually engaging in behaviors that are unbefitting the

believer with an inkling of Iman (i.e. true faith). The dysfunction of Salafee communities has

caused people to swing like pendulums from one extreme to the other, until they eventually find

their niche in mediocrity as bare minimum Muslims due to the unexceptional standards of the

communities they attend or they end up leaving Islam altogether feeling that this representation

of the religion has added absolutely no value to their lives spiritually.

The Seventh: The Culture of no Accountability, in many Salafee communities today anyone can

emerge as a self-proclaimed Daee orImam and create incalculable damage to the families,

children and overall well-being of that community and leave without any fear of divine

repercussion from Allah or any hint of accountability from the community, move on to the next

community and create the same havoc and turmoil. Some of the Sahabah like Abdullah Ibn Umar

and Abdullah Ibn Masud would tremble when they had to mention a hadeeth from the Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) out of fear of accountability. Islam is a religion that makes the believer

accountable for his actions before Allah which in-turn heightens his sense of responsibility with

the trusts of the people.

The Eighth:Detachment, you find many Imams completely detached from the core objectives

of the community whether Islamically, based upon the Quran and the Sunnah and the

understanding of the Salaf, or socially, based upon the needs of the general masses of Muslims


10/31

9 | P a g e

who attend the Masjid. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), with all of his duties and responsibilities,

still managed to be in sync with the needs of his community both religiously and socially.

The Ninth:Culpability, many Imams pass the blame on the community instead of taking

responsibility for their own inadequacies and insufficiencies. This takes place in the form of

indicting the administration and/or the members of the community for the depressing state ofaffairs they have succumbed to by following his leadership.

I recall on one occasion that Abu Hassan Malik visited the United Kingdom and was given

permission to give a few lectures by his commander in chief, Abu Khadeejah. Upon his return to

America, he began to monologue during Masjid Rahmahs annual seminarin front of hundreds

of peopleabout his narrow observations of theirperceivedstudious demeanor in the UK. He

drew subjective parallels between what he witnessed there and the lack of academic inclination

found with many of the brothers and sisters here in America.

The irony of this is that while many of the Daees in the past ( including himself on at least 2occasions that I can recall) have been accused of acts of indecencyincluding infidelityhas

fostered an air of distrust and disconnect with the people they so callously criticize and condemn.

Many of these Daees are hardly educated to the degree that they can actually build communities

and develop effective leaders who would be catalysts ofreal changeevidenced by the lack

thereofinstead of merely keeping them afloat. So how could we possibly expect anything else?

The fact of the matter is that people will only be as good as the leaders who manage them.

Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

Those who are in authority are of two categories: the scholars (i.e. people of knowledge) and

the rulers. If they are upright, the people will be upright and if they are corrupt, the people willbe corrupt.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson stated: however, to mis-educate him and suffer his manners to be

corrupted from infancy unto old age and then blame him for making mistakes which such

guidance necessitates. People who have been restricted and held down naturally condescend to

the lower levels of delinquency. (Mis-Education Pg. 88)

The Tenth:Hiding the gravity of their inadequacies, being a good leader does not mean that you

have the answers to everything. However, being an effective leader means that despite the fact

that you dont have all the answers, you manage to keep yourself surrounded by people who

supplement your inadequacies.

Consequently, the continuity of poor choices in selecting Imams to guide the Salafee

communities has created a rancorous pattern of destructive and unethical behavior that is

counterproductive to the noble objectives Allah proposed when He obligated the establishment

and maintenance of the Islamic community on the believers. The purpose of the Islamic

community is to create an environment conducive to the religious growth and development of the


11/31

10 | P a g e

Muslims wherein they maximize their resources both socially and spiritually in order to reach

their full potential as true servants of Allah. Allah mentions this objective in the Quran:

Allah has promised those from amongst you who believe and perform righteous deeds

that He will grant you establishment in the earth just as He granted it to those who came

before you and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He

has chosen for them and He will surely give them in exchange safety and security after

fear

And after maximizing these resources, the overall objective is:

worship Me and not associate partners with Me (24:55)

There is an appalling trend that was started a few years back and has continued up until today,

where a small group of brothers belonging to particular communitynot known to be Salafee

would break off from that community and establish their own storefront Masjid. This Masjid

then becomes the nemesis to the community they migrated from previously (and in many

instances where they took shahadah) and any other community in the area, and adds absolutely

no value to the multitude of Muslims in that locality, but instead contributes to the desecration of

the quality of life they once knew.

Dr. Carter G Woodson cited the same dilemma decades ago in his monumentalbook The Mis-education which was written in 1933 and is as relevant todayif not morethan it was the

day it was written. He said:

In a similar fashion a minister sometimes goes into a community where the races are moving

along amicably together in their churches and rents a shack or an old empty store to start a

separate church for our people (reminiscent the claim that many make when they embark on a

similar endeavor to establish a SalafeeMasjid that adds absolutely no value to the community

at large), not to supply any practical need but to exploit those who have never learned to

think.(Mis-EducationPg. 74)

Knowledge and education has been a mainstay in the religion of Islam since its advent,

considering the fact that it is the basis for everything we do and the bare necessity for the validity

and effectiveness of our worship. The first verses of revelation given to Prophet Muhammad

(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) were:


12/31

11 | P a g e

Read! in the name of your Lord who has created all that exists. Read! And your Lord is

most generous. The one who taught the writing by the pen, and has taught man that which

he knew not(96:1-5)

Ibn ul Qayyim (May Allah have mercy on him) stated: Since the first thing Allah created was

the pen, it was only appropriate that the last thing He created would be the beneficiary of the pen,(i.e. the human being), who would comprehend and utilize his faculties to recognize the bounty

and favor of Allah upon him. Allah says:

And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing. And

He gave you hearing, sight and comprehension so that perhaps you show gratitude.

(16:78)

And as the saying goes, For unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required. The

origin of the problem(s) we are facing today in Salafee communities which, in actuality, has

provided the groundwork for generational decadence of Muslim communities throughout

America, stems back to the recent trend of going oversees to study. This trend has given birth

to a particular mindset shared amongst many of the youth who embark upon this endeavor

prematurely without the correct intention and/or understanding of why they are doing it in the

first place. Consequently it has created a pattern of maladaptive behavior that has systematically

fragmented the Muslims and their communities over the yearsand now the Salafee

communities in recent times.

This destructive behavior has left behind a trail of fragmented Salafee Masajidwhose presence

adds no more value in the community than its absencebroken homes, compounded confusion

and religious instabilityall of which subjects the brothers and sisters to being picked off, one-

by- one, by the wolf-like predator known as Shaytan, as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

I command you to hold firm to the community (i.e. Jamaah) and stay away of disunity,

for indeed the Shaytan is closer to one individual alone than he is to two individuals

together. Indeed the Shaytan picks off the lone sheep.(Collected in the Musnad of ImamAhmad)

Let us be clear about something here, travelling abroad for the purpose of studying the religion

of Islam is one of the greatest and most admirable acts of worship the Muslim can engage in,

provided it is done with the correct intention, as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:


13/31

12 | P a g e

Whoever seeks knowledge of the religion to debate with the ignorant or to compete with

the scholars or to turn the attention of people towards him, then Allah will place him in the

hell-fire. (Collected in the Sunan of At Tirmithi)

And the correct intention to have is to lift ignorance off of yourself and others, as this was the

reply of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) when he was asked, How does onecorrect his intention when he sets out to seek knowledge? Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al

Uthaymeen said:

(())

The student should make his intention by seeking knowledge to remove ignorance from himself

and others due to the fact that the origin of the human being is ignorance and the proof for this is

the statement of Allah: And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers

knowing nothing (Found in The Book of Knowledge)

In addition to this, seeking knowledge of the religion on this level is categorized legislatively as

Fard ul Kifayah (i.e. communal obligation) meaning; so as long as a group of the believers

shoulder this responsibility, then the rest of them are absolved of the sin associated with not

doing so at all. The evidence for this principle is deducted from the statement of Allah:

And it is not proper that all of the believers all go out and fight together, but if a partyfrom every group of them stay behind and get an understanding of the religion so that they

may warn their people when they return so perhaps they may be aware (9:122)

The clarification of this is imperative due to the argument that many of our youth champion in

their attempt to justifyin many casesblatant irresponsibility and negligence under the guise of

seeking knowledge. Many brothers overcompensate for their religious and/or personal

inadequacies by travelling abroad to seek knowledge. They return to their communities after six

months or a year as a refined student of knowledge, and many Salafee communities welcome

them with open arms hoping to enjoy the accolades of having a student of knowledge in their

midst, but totally oblivious to the potential harm he has the propensity to create.

By default of the two characteristics he embodies, the turmoil he will cause is almost a

guarantee. In order to have a birds eye view of what I am referring to, you would need to take a

closer look at the description the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) gave of the Khawarij when he said:

...


14/31

13 | P a g e

There will emerge towards the end of time a group of people who will be young and

foolish (e.g. in their ideas), they will speak with the eloquence and speech of the best of

mankind (i.e. the Prophet), but they will exit Islam just as an arrow exits its target and they

will be the worst of people (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari and Muslim)

And what made their Fitnah (i.e. trial) even more challenging was the usage of the Quran tojustify their rhetoric and illogicality which was obviously void of any ideal interpretation from

those who knew the Quran best (i.e. the Companions). So upon reflection, there are four matters

of concern here:

The First: The hastiness of many brothers who, due to the audacity of their ignorance, totally

disregard the proper understanding of the detailed Qawaaid (i.e. legislative principles) of the

religion that go hand- in-hand with the legislative rulings (i.e. Ahkam) they so quickly and

callously pass on individuals.How many reputations have been damaged or completely

destroyed due to the gross negligence of these principles that the Fuqahaa of Islam mention such

as: Tanzeel Hukm ul Aam ala Muayin (i.e. placing a general ruling on a specific individual)which is something very common with many of these brothers.

There are individuals who have a disease in their hearts, and whose behavior is nothing short of

sinister, that go a particular scholarthe trust of whom theyve won through frequent

disingenuous visits to his home or flocking to his lessonswho is more indulgent in these affairs

than other scholars and say: O Noble Shaykh what do you say about an individual who says

such and such? or O Noble Shaykh what do you say about a brother who does such and such?

Then they take the answer of that Shaykh and apply it to whomever they desiremost of

the time individuals who dont serve and/or agree with their agenda driven causesandthe headlines on the internet for the whole world to see will read something a little like

this: The Noble Shaykh such and such Refutes the Miskeen/Deviant such and such!

When in fact, before they can apply this unsubstantiated ruling which, in reality, is purescholarly advice and not a Fatwah (i.e. legislative ruling), to someone specifically there is

a procedure that has to be followed deducted from another principle known to the

Fuqahaa of Islam called:Intifa ul mawaani wa istifa ush shuroot(i.e. Application of theconditions and disqualification of the matters that would make the ruling binding upon a

specific individual).

And ironically enough, the same Shaykh they hold to be one oftheirmost prominent

scholars( and let me be direct here, by them I mean Abu Khadeejah and his

constituents/followers from America, Abu Hassan Malik and Hassan As Somali)ShaykhMuhammad Ibn Hady (may Allah preserve him), mentioned a long time ago in an article

that he asked the brothers from Madeenah.com to translate in order to make the people

aware of this same ingratiating and slimy methodology called: Phone calls from the

West.

He reprimanded the brothers from the UK and from America for doing this, however, theysuffer from an infectious disease called SHS (Selective Hearing Syndrome). In that they


15/31

14 | P a g e

only listen or adhere to what serves their agendasadly enougheven from the speech of

the same scholars they meticulously promote and claim to follow. And they workdiligently to make sure that information such as this never reaches the public by trying to

censor or discredit websites such as Madeenah.com or preoccupy the masses through their

monopoly of Salafee content on the web with other tidbits of irrelevant sophisticated

nonsense. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Hady said:

However, what we see is, that the questions that are directed to us, whether they arefrom Algeria or other than it, we do not know most of them [i.e. the questioners] if not any

of them. And there is one thing that saddens us, and it is that a question is asked O

Shaykh, what is the ruling on such and such? So you (the Shaykh) answer, then thequestioner runs off and says Shaykh so and so gave a ruling on so and so [from the

people]. And this is from the worst forms of lying and it is not permissible. If you

want to ask me about so and so then ask me about him by name! Either I know him and

answer you, or I do not know him and so I will say I do not know him. Or there may bea benefit that I see and so I may not be able to speak about him, so I am excused.

But the fact of the matter is that you make my answer to your question, in which, you said:What is the ruling of the one who says... When you say: who it becomes a general

question and includes everybody, then you go and say: The Shaykh meant so and so.

This is a lie, and it is not permissible for you to do this. So this is what I find

disappointing, and this is why I say, and I have said it before on more than one occasion,

when I am called by the telephone, I say: I do not answer questions like this. Why?Because I know that they are the questions of Fitnah and they do not want the truth

from these questions (www.Madeenah.com)

Shaykh Salih As Suhaymee (may Allah preserve him) observed the same malevolent

behavior which prompted him to caution the brothers from it in a lecture titled Beware oftraversing this Path. He said:

Beware of twisting the statements of the scholars to mean what they did not intend. One

of them would come to a noble scholar - a dignified Shaykh - and ask a seemingly

knowledge-based question, but then says, O Shaykh, what is your opinion of one who

says such and such?

The Shaykh, may Allah grant him success, then replies with a well-grounded, strong,

appropriate response. This person then goes to some websites, via some of the internet's

garbage, and posts it - unjustly - with a title [like]: The noble Shaykh so and so refutes

so and so. The person who is supposedly being refuted here may be a scholar or a

student of knowledge upon the methodology of the scholars.

This is an extremely dangerous affair, and constitutes [blatant] distortion of the intended

meanings of words. Websites are filled with this type of garbage, so beware of this. Be

extremely cautious of this way! Be extremely cautious of this way(www.Madeenah.com)

The Second: Ignoranceplease refer to the article that I wrote previously in reference to
http://www.madeenah.com/http://www.madeenah.com/http://www.madeenah.com/http://www.madeenah.com/


16/31

15 | P a g e

Abu Khadeejah titled The Audacity of Ignorance for more a more in-depth discussion

about the perilous nature of their ignorance.

The Third: Using textual evidences out of context. In order to understand the parallels between

these brothers and the Khawarij, as it relates to this matter, we have to review the beliefs of the

Khawarij. In short, the Khawarij believed that there was no such thing as a believer with weak

faith (i.e. Iman), rather their contention was that he is either a believer or disbeliever.

As a result of this deviant belief, they place the believer who commits major sins out of the fold

of Islam while they, themselves, are committing a more grave and atrocious sinthat ofTakfeer

(i.e. labeling a Muslim to be a disbeliever). This is similar to the way these individuals view any

Salafee brotherwith the exception of themselves and their constituentswho makes a mistake,

irrespective of its gravity, to be outside the fold of Salafiyah, while they commit a more gravemistake of placing themselves as judges over people, not giving Naseehah (i.e. advice) and

oppressively misinterpreting the statements of individuals when they present them to the scholars

of their choice. Shaykh Salih As Suhaymee commented on this issue very clearly when he said:

Beware of understanding your brothers statements in a manner that is contradictory to what heintends, or in a manner that is according to your own desires. Some people are oppressive when

it comes to understanding others statements, as they twist their speech to make it mean other

than what was intended. In some cases, such a person resembles the Jews, when Allah ordered

them to say Hitah (forgive us), they said Hintah (a grain or seed).So beware, O servant ofAllah, from traversing this path!

Relay [only] what you are certain about and what you have thoroughly understood. As for

something that you are not sure about or did not thoroughly understand, then let those who are

qualified deal with it and beware of trying to walk before you crawl! Beware of being hasty injudging others! Beware of rushing to make a judgment about your brother due to him merely

making a single mistake. Some people hurriedly place a ruling on their brothers while theirmanhaj is one!

They make conclusions that cannot be drawn [from his speech], they apply texts as evidence

where it does not apply, they use texts as evidence for things they are not evidence for, and they

twist the statements of their brothers to mean what they do not really mean. They have pseudo-

scholarship (taaalum), arrogance and harshness in their speech to a degree that cannot even be

imagined. So beware of traversing upon this path!... (www.Madeenah.com)

The Khawarij use verses from the Quranwhich is not actually daleel (i.e. textual legislative

evidence) until it is understood in the proper context and applied appropriately to the situation at

hand and preceded by a prominent Imam from the People of Knowledge from Ahlus Sunnah. As

Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said to his son Abdullah:


17/31

16 | P a g e

I caution you against uttering a statement andyou are not preceded by an Imam.

This is important because most people dont know what daleel is, and it is because of this,

insubstantial claims and arguments are made and supported by flimsy evidences perceived as

daleel, all because no one knows what daleel actually is. The Khawarij used a verse from the

Quran to validate their argument that there is no such thing as a believer with weak faith, whichwas the statement of Allah:

And He is the one who created you and from you are believers and disbelievers (64:2)

(refer to Maarij ul Qabool by Al Hafith Al Hakami)

Their argument is that Allah never mentioned a third category, rather He only stated believer and

disbeliever, and thus they conclude that the Muslim who commits major sins is outside the fold

of Islam. This is reminiscent the way that brothers like Abu Khadeejah and his followers (i.e.

Abu Hassan Malik and Hassan As Somali) use as daleel The Shaykh said or Im following

the advice of the Noble Scholars or The Shaykh warned against him!or The Shaykh dealt

with/clarified his affair! etc. cut and dry despite what other scholars may have said. Like Abu

Muhammad Al Mughrabi said to me: I dont know if Shaykh Ubayd is right or wrong, but all I

know is that Im going to follow the Shaykh and you should too!

Or as Abu Khadeejah so blatantly put it but they say Shaykh Waseeallah praises him, we dont

care! We dont care ya ikhwan! It doesnt bother us, it is the haqq (i.e. truth) that is important.

(As if to so that what Shaykh Waseelallah said is completely batil (i.e. false) and has absolutely

no truth (i.e. haqq) to it!!!) This is not what concerns us, it is the haqq. It doesnt now mean that I

have to go around belittling Shaykh Waseeallah. No. I dont have to do that and the liars can say

what they want to say. I dont have to go around belittling him, but I can say I disagree with him

just as if I say I differ with Abu Haneefah in an issue or I disagree with Malik in an issue. I can

say it and no one should take it as now Im dishonoring Abu Haneefah or Imam Malik, but we

disagree. In this issue we say that Shaykh Rabeeknows, Muhammad Ibn Hady knows

(Courtesy of www. Youtube.com: The Criticism of Tahir Wyatts Madeenah.com and Flip-

Flopper Shadeed Muhammad)

I swear by Allah besides whom there is none worthy of worship! Ask them about any individual

they consider off the Minhaj and the first thing that will come out of their mouths is The

Shaykh said as if that will suffice as daleel, failing to realize that no mans statement is a

substitute for sound knowledge or proof (i.e.Hujjah) over another man for that matter, except the

statement of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), as Imam Malik so eloquently put it:


18/31

17 | P a g e

Anyones statement can either be accepted or rejected with the exception of the individual in

that grave.Then he pointed to the grave of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa slam).

Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:

Whoever establishes principles or statements according to his understanding andinterpretation, it is not obligatory upon the Ummah to follow them nor refer back to them for

judgment until they are measured in light of what the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam)

came with. If it is consistent with what he came with and its accuracy affirmed, then in this case

it should be accepted. However, if it opposes it, then is obligatory that they be rejected and

abandoned... (Zaad ul Ma'aad Vol.1 Pg.38)

It is interesting that Abu Khadeejah (of little knowledge) has the autonomy to choose whether to

accept or reject Shaykh Waseeallahs statement or that of Abu Haneefah or Imam Malik (may

Allah have mercy on them) but no one is allowed to reject or disagree with the statement of

Shaykh Rabee. The Minhaj (i.e. methodology) of double standards.

The Forth: Detaching themselves from the Tarbiyah of the People of Knowledge (i.e.

Rabaaniyoon). And their description is as Abdullah Ibn Abbas said:

The Rabaaniyoon are those who cultivate the people with the fundamental matters of the

religion before the more complex matters.

I know that they will argue that they are following the advice of the major scholars and by

that they mean one scholar Shaykh Rabee (may Allah preserve him). However, let me sharesomething with you, the reader, if you pay close attention to everyone they have managed to

refute in their estimationor remove from the fold of Salafiyahagain, in their estimation

has always had some connection to Abu Hassan Al Marabi.

I finally realized the game that was being played when I went to make Umrah in 2011 with the

brothers from Masjid Rahmah. While I was there I had a chance to visit Shaykh Rabee and the

first question he asked me when we sat down was: What is your position on Abul Hassan Al

Marabi?! Then he asked me: What is your position on Zahid Rashid and Tahir Wyatt? I said,

They are Salafi Students of knowledge as far as I know. He said to me: No! They are

followers of Abu Hassan Al Marabi and you have to warn against them

Now I would like to think that I know brother Tahir, who was my neighbor in Medinah for 6

years, and brother Zahid who Ive known for about the same amount of time both of whom

have been very instrumental in keeping the brothers and sisters in America connected with the

major Scholars of the Salafee Minhaj.


19/31

18 | P a g e

Can anyone ever say that brother Tahir connected them with Abul Hassan Al Marabi? Every

year the brothers make Umrahthe same brothers who put their brains to the side and accepted

this unjustified and unsubstantiated claim after knowing Tahir for over a decadehe has done

nothing but connect them to the Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah. When Masjid Rahmah was a new

Salafee Masjid and had no connections to the scholars, brother Tahir was instrumental in

introducing them to the People of Knowledge, something that Abdul Karim Muhammad (the

former president of the board of Masjid Rahmah) mentioned to me personally.

Similarly, brother Zahid, who has taken many groups to perform Umrah throughout the years,

and every time, has managed to bring the major Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah to visit the brothers

and sisters while on Umrah and give lessons and answer questions, including the Mufti of Saudi

Arabia himself, Abdul Aziz Al Shaykh (May Allah preserve him).

So can anyone of sound mind and sincerity testify to the assertion of Shaykh Rabee? So why

then, did almost everyone who knew these brothersmany of whom were from their own

communitiesfor all ofthe years that theyve known them to be upon steadfastness (i.e.Istiqaamah) in the religion and adhering to the methodology of the Salaf, follow this baseless

assertion without so much as asking where and what the evidence was? Are we living in an era

where we are afraid of asking where the daleel is? Allah said to the disbelievers:

Inform me with true knowledge if you are truthful. (6:143)

Allah also instructs us to ask the People of Knowledge ifwe dont know, but there is a part that

is coincidentally omitted when this verse is cited:

Ask the people of knowledge if you dont know, with proofs and evidences (16:43-44)

One of the main reasons that we describe ourselves as Salafee is due to our strict adherence to

this principle of evidence (i.e. daleel). And this does not change because of the individual that is

in front of us, as the truth is known by the truth and not personalities. However, as President

Barak Obama coined so eloquently a phrase that sums up our dilemma: Our pragmatism makes

us cowards. (See The Audacity of Hope). My point here is that Shaykh Rabee (may Allah

preserve him)with all due respectis not above being asked for concrete evidence, so whydidnt anyone ask for the daleel to support the absurd and ridiculous claim that Tahir and Zahid

were followers of Abul Hassan AlMarabi or on the Minhaj (i.e. methodology) of Abul

Hassan Al Marabi before they took the unwarranted positions they took against them?

The ironic thing about all of this is that Abdul Karim Muhammad (former president of the board

for Masjid Rahmah and currently a silent partner) and Abu Rumaysah Mujahid Shakir (CEO of


20/31

19 | P a g e

Authentic Statements) knew long before making Umrah in 2012 that the reason Tahir did not

write a bayyan (i.e. clarification) concerning Abul Hassan Al Marabi is because other scholars

such as Shaykh Salih As Suhaymee told him not to despitewhat Shaykh Rabee said.

To take it a step further, how did Shaykh Rabee even arrive at his conclusionwith so much

convictionthat they were followers of Abul Hassan Al Marabi? Was it through his ownindividual observation and research? Did Shaykh Rabee observe Tahir and Zahid with Abul

Hassan Al Marabi? Were there any translations that Tahir and Zahid made of his material and

disseminated amongst the masses of Muslims in the West? Were there any writings of Tahir and

Zahid by which we could clearly see that they were treading the same minhaj of Abul Hassan Al

Marabi? Were Tahir and Zahid sitting in any of Abul Hassan Al Marabis lessons, or

connecting the brothers and sisters in America to him via telelinks? No. But Ill tell you how

Shaykh Rabee did arrive at this conclusionwhich is further from reality than the sun is from

the earth.

Shaykh Rabee arrived at his assertion that Tahir Wyatt, Zahid Rashid, and anyone else theywanted to throw under that bus while they had the home court advantage to do so, were followers

of Abul Hassan Al Marabi was by way of Abu Khadeejah, Abul Hassan Malik, Hassan As

Somali and Abdul Ilah (the English teacher/Fitnah monger from the UK.) If you let someone talk

long enough they will eventually expose their hand. The last claim that Shaykh Rabee levied

against Tahir, which was a clear indication that that Abu Khadeejah, Hassan As Somali, Abul

Hassan Malik and Abdul Ilah were directly involved in the whole process of Shaykh Rabee

formulating his opinion about them was: And Tahir wages waragainst the Salafee brothers

from the UK. (i.e. Salafi Publications).

Masha Allah! How convenient that out of all the charges levied against this brother, this onealways seems to come up. If you remember this was the same claim that Abul Hassan Malik

presented to Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Hady regarding me. He said,So when we noticed hisspeech regarding our brothers (i.e. Abu Khadeejah/ Salafi Publications) we took a position that

we will not cooperate with him in lessons and lectures until he holds back from his speech

And even stranger than this, why is this claim even valid enough for a person notto be

considered Salafee, especially since many of the scholars themselves have waged war (i.e.

criticized) against the brothers from Salafi Publications?! So are we now to scrutinize the

Salafiyah of the scholars as well? Here again, the methodology of double standards that has

become the norm amongst individuals who have the faintest idea of what true religious standards

are to begin with.

Let me draw the readers attention to something very important here, which is the deceitful use

of terminology these brothers resort to with those who criticize them. These brothers play on

words in a way that elicits the sympathy of their constituents as well as those who are too blind

to see their harm due to a severe case of illogicalHusnul Thun (i.e. good perception). This is

similar to the way the media plays on words to influence the same type of sentiment from those


21/31

20 | P a g e

who just want genuine media coverage and not to be persuaded into believing something that

only serves their agenda.

They use ofterms like he attacks the Salafees! which is nothing short of political jargon that

suggests 1. they (i.e. Salafi Publications and their constituents) represent and symbolize the

global body of Salafees around the world. 2. It also suggests a sense of entitlement that placesthem well above the level of reproach. They systematically substitute what would normally be

considered constructive criticism, which anyone is subject to, with the term attack, which

justifies them in their rebuttal or refutation using some of the most malicious tacticsregardless

of how oppositional they are to the Quran, the Sunnah and the minhaj of the Salafin order to

defend theirreputation and not that of Salafees world-wide, as their initial cry suggests.

Brothers and sisters it is imperative that you wake up, the future of your religion, the future of

your children and the future of your communitieswhat is left of themall depends on it. These

brothers deceive the scholars. They dont care about the scholars, and their history of using the

speech and rulings of the scholars is a testament to the fact that the scholars are a means to anend for them. They are like scavengers on a hunt for a point of entry with the scholars, in order to

procure a weighty and favorable position that would give them the security and advantage they

need to attack anyone without fear of repercussion.

For example they probe and search trying to find out who the Shaykh has a problem with, and

then use that to their advantage in order to solicit any ruling they want from him. They knew

all too wellthe sentiment of Shaykh Rabeetowards Abul Hassan Al Marabi and they knew

that the quickest way to get him to refute someone is to make the Shaykh believe that this person

shares the beliefs of Abul Hassan Al Marabi or anyone else the Shaykh has a problem with.

So the question now is: where is the concrete evidence that these two brothers (Tahir and Zahid)

follow Abul Hassan Al Marabi? Simply because the Shaykh said it. Nothingand I reiterate

nothing in this religion is validated or substantiated without the seal of legislative evidence (i.e.

daleel), especially when it comes to the honor and reputation of a Muslim. And it was exactly for

this reason the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

Were people to be given everything they claimed, they would unjustly claim the wealth

and lives of others. But the onus of proof is upon the one who makes the claim

(Collected in the Sunan of Baihaqi)

The core concept deducted from this narration establishes order in the Islamic community

because it implies that judgment is not simply passed or given credence by the claim of an

individual. This principle creates solid religious boundaries that makes the honor of a Muslim

sacred territory and far too reserved for the hilarity and grossly unfounded assertions of those

who are so conveniently blind to them while in pursuit of their own personal agenda(s).


22/31

21 | P a g e

The religious rights given to every Muslim by the legislation of Islam to protect and preserve his

honor are far too precious and consecrated to allow anyoneno matter how high they are in the

hierarchy of knowledge or religiosityto take delight in without justifiable evidence by which

they will be free of blame before Allah on the Day of Judgment. Otherwise they subject

themselves to a painful torment in this life as well as in the hereafter.

Indeed those who harm the believing men and believing women undeservedly incur upon

themselves slander and plain sin(33:58)

And the danger of this behavior is that we begin to resemble the Sufis in their Taqdees (i.e.

sanctification) of their elite scholars based upon their degree of knowledge and understanding,

which eventually leads to very subtle forms of shirk (i.e. polytheism) such as:

One:Considering them to be above adherence to the tenets of the Quran and the Sunnah. To

consider any scholar exempt from operating within the boundaries of the Quran and the Sunnah,

by adhering to every statement he makes emphatically without question, could lead one to fall

into the same issue that Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab (may Allah have mercy on him)

highlighted in his epic bookThe Nullifications of Islam. Refer to point number ten the title of

which is: To believe that some people are exempt to operate outside the margins of the

shareeah (i.e. Law) of Muhammad And this is why one of the great scholars of the Salaf,

Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The Messenger of Allah is the ultimate standard (i.e. Mizan ul Akbar) by which all things are

measured. So whatever is consistent with his Sunnah then it is the truth, and whatever opposes

his Sunnah then it is Batil (i.e. false).

And despite the degree and multitude of titles Shaykh Rabee is given, whether Al Allammah

(i.e. The Eminent Scholar), or Our Father, or The Flag Bearer of Jarh wat Tadeel,or The

Major Scholar,or The Destroyer of Bidah (i.e. innovation) or any other titledoes not give

any more credence or authority to his word, nor does it mean that he is exempt from producing

sound legislative evidence when he speaks about the honor and integrity of another Muslim. And

not questioning this puts us at odds with the legislation of Allah and His Messenger and is a clearindication that we are distancing ourselves from this core principle of our creed that was once the

hallmark of Salafiyah, and thus we fall victim to the aforementioned prohibition.

Two: Obeying them in what Allah has made Haram or vice versa, which is called Shirk ut Taah

(i.e. polytheism in our obedience). And Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab (may Allah have

mercy on him) highlights this in his monumental book Kitab ut Tawheed. Refer to Chapter Five


23/31

22 | P a g e

titled Explanation of Tawheed and the Testimony (i.e. Shahadah) of La ilaha illalah. He

mentions the statement of Allah:

They took their monks and high priests as gods besides Allah (9:31)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this

point with his statement:The point of reference from this verse and how it explains Tawheed

and the testimony of La ilaha illalah (i.e. nothing worthy of worship except Allah) is deducted

from the fact that Allah criticized them (i.e. Jews and Christians) for taking their monks and high

priests as gods besides Allah.They made their scholars partners with Allah in their obedience to

them. Every time their scholars ordered them with something they would adhere to it absolutely,

regardless of whether it was in conformity with the commandment of Allah or not

(Explanation of Kitab ut Tawheed Vol. Pg. 152)

Three: And this particular one is actually more evident to those who can see with the lens of true

Iman (i.e. faith)considering that it is not the eyes that go blind but the hearts that are in the

chest:

Indeed it is not the eyes that go blind but indeed it is the hearts that are in the

chests.(22:46)

Showing allegiance to them by demonizing and condemning anyone who opposes/disagrees with

themregardless of whether they are right or wrongor loving those who agree with themabsolutely, whether they are accurate or in error. Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have

mercy on him) said:It is not permissible for anyone to raise an individual for this Ummah,

calling to his path while showing allegiance to anyone who agrees with him or enmity towards

those who oppose him other than the Prophet(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam). Nor it is permissible to raise

someones speech showing allegiance to anyone who agrees with it and enmity towards anyone

who opposes it, other than the speech of Allah and His Messenger and that which this Ummah

has unanimously agreed upon.

Rather this is the methodology (i.e. minhaj) of the People of Innovation, those whose plight is to

raise a particular individual or particular speech and spread it amongst the Ummah showingallegiance to it and to the ascription that manifests from it and showing enmity towards anyone

who opposes it.(Found in Majmoo Fatawah)

Remember that Shaytan waited generations before he finally got the people to commit shirk (i.e.

polytheism), after the latter generationsso preoccupied with their present conditionhad

forgotten what the idols/images symbolized initially. And while we pride ourselves on


24/31

23 | P a g e

following the scholars today, lets not forget that while the scholars help us understand the

daleel, they are not, in and of themselves, daleel .

But the question that continues to loom is when did ignorance (i.e. jahl) become a mainstay in

the Salafee community? When did ignorance become the norm of Salafee communities that

should have been, from the beginning, founded upon sound knowledge, sincerity and earnestworship? And since hindsight is 20/20 vision, I dont need to say that the following questions are

obviously rhetorical and need no reply as much as they are in need contemplation and reflection.

Our foremost quality is our receptiveness and strict adherence to sound knowledge coupled with

our communal aptitude to discern what is beneficial for us from what is detrimental. Our ability

to discern who and what is an asset to us and our communities from whom and what is a liability.

And the moment we fail to recognize this, the moment we paint ourselves as socially inept, (e.g.

frequent calls and visits to the scholars with trivial issues that makes us appear socially awkward

and incompetent) we position ourselves for otherswho undoubtedly have good intentions but

lack an accurate perception of the elements that constitute the complexity of our communitiestomake decisions for us, and at that point, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

When some of the companions came to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) to ask him how they

should plant their crops, he instructed them to do so in a certain manner. But when the crops

failed to yield any produce, they went back and complained about their loss and the Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said to them:

You all are more knowledgeable about your worldly affairs (than I am)(Collected in

Saheeh Muslim)

Thus the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) placed a degree social responsibility in their hands, and

although they came to him seeking advice about a matter that they themselves were more

socially apt to retort, ultimately it was their responsibility to apply the advice where they deemed

it appropriate and applicableif they deemed it as such at all.

As it relates to our situation here in America, it is our responsibility to take the advice that we

receive from the scholars and apply it where it is most appropriate. Instead of applying it in the

most illogical and absurd manner without any consideration for the contemptible situation it will

create, then use the fact that the Shaykh said to do it as an excuse to absolve ourselves of anyaccountability before Allah and before our communities. No! We are accountable and the

inestimable grievances of our communities need to be satisfied immediately.

I recall the very bitter but true statement of Shaykh Tarheeb Ad Dowsiri (may Allah preserve

him) to the brothers who came from Masjid Rahmah in 2006 to perform Umrah. He said: Its a

shame that you all come from one of the most advanced countries in the world but it seems as if


25/31

24 | P a g e

you embrace Islam and lose your intellectual aptitude! And this was in reference to the lack of

organization, resources, schools, Islamic Centers, Islamic think-tanks and all of the other

components that would make Salafee communities in the West more socially apt and lift the

cloud of embarrassment that even the Shaykh (and many others) have observed from the brief

interactions with them during the frequent trips to perform Umrah.

The ability to secure and maintain healthy functional Salafee communities is acquired through

sound knowledge, the antithesis of which is ignorance. And truth be told, the degree of our

ignorance will determine our place in society. Therefore we need to reorient our position on

education both religiously and secularly, as well as our outlook on the religious prosperity that

we aspire to achieve and set standards that transcend the mediocrity that we have been

accustomed to due to the nondescript individuals that we continue to let govern our communities.

Carter G Woodson said: When education has been entirely neglected or improperly managed

we see the worst passions ruling with uncontrolled and incessant sway. Good sense degenerates

into craft, anger wrangles into malignity, and restraint which is thought most solitary comes toolate and the most judicial admonitions are urged in vain. (Mis-Education Pg. 88)

Let me crack the door open just a little so that you can get a glimpse of what is on the other side

of the image you see when some of these students of knowledge present themselves to you. Or as

the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) commanded Put the spoiled fruit on top so that everyone can see

what they are purchasing. Some of these brothers were fortunate enough to be accepted into the

Islamic University of Medinah or Umm ul Qura University in Makkah with a full scholarship,

only to drop out before completing the two year Arabic Language course. Then there are those

who managed to slip through the cracks and move on to the University but never completed it

either.

Individuals who state publicly that the reason he didnt graduate from the University was

becauseand I quoteThe forces of Hizbiyah. Masha Allah! Amazing! Besides the fact that

this sounds like a script out of a bad sci-fi movie, the evasiveness of his statement is clearly

indicative of his embarrassment and the irony of it is, if this is the way he feels about his

academic debacle, then how in the world does he thinkwe feel about it?! Unfortunately our

Salafee communities have to accommodate such failurebecause people like him cant go

anywhere else, and as a result, we are subjected to his inevitably poor perception of prosperity

on all levels and all of the drama that comes with the territory of his unparalleled ignorance.

This is the same individual who instead of exuding the superb decorum of a dedicated student of

knowledge determined to take advantage of the opportunity afforded himobviously by no

virtue of his own, but by the absolute mercy and grace of Allahwas travelling back and forth

from Medinah to Jeddah to Riyadh, as well as other places, teaching the Salafees minhaj,

which is actually what really contributed to his unfortunate expulsion from the Islamic

University.


26/31

25 | P a g e

I swear by the One whom there is nothing worthy of worship, many of the American and British

students would abandon the circles of knowledge with those who inherited their knowledge from

the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) and flock to his lessons similar to the wayor with a greater

sense of zealthe Sahabah flocked to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) when he first entered

Medinah, in order to hear his infamous classes on minhaj.

These classes were nothing short of lessons on how to be a complete failure academically and

how to take shortcuts in your quest to be famous by creating and mastering your own bizarre

brand of rhetoric deducted from miscellaneous information that youve managed to squeeze out

of the limited time spent in the Islamic University. And since brevity is the soul of wit, I will

restrict myself to the core issues that are actually relevant, for if I highlighted every form of this

academic fiasco, I would unnecessarily fill these pages with issues and people that are not

deserving of such a privilege.

Unfortunately these are the same individuals whoper the Islamic Universitydont even meet

the basic requisites of teaching Arabic, return to America to assume positions of Imams, Daeesand Students of Knowledge at the expense of our families, children and communities. My goal

here is not to expose the inadequacy of the studentbut to highlight the low standards and

expectations of the Salafee communities who welcome someone of their caliber with open arms

to lead them in the direction of oblivion, and perpetuates the contemptible cycle of stagnation

and in some cases complete regression. Carter G. Woodson stated:

no people can go forward when the majority of those who should know better have chosen to

go backward. (Mis-Education Pg. 87)

Let me be clear that I am not referring to individuals who, due to unfavorable circumstances,could not complete the course at the University, but I am referring those who lacked the

academic ambition and enthusiasm to complete a two year course of a highly important subject

matter that majority of the indigenous Muslim/Salafee communities in America are in dire need

ofthe Arabic language.

The unfortunate thing about all of this is that many of these brothers failed to recognize the

depressing and deplorable condition(s) of the Salafee communities they emerged from and the

grave responsibility that lay on their shoulders before they even boarded the plane to Saudi

Arabia en route to the Islamic University. Shaykh Salih al Fowzan (may Allah preserve him)

said:

It is imperative that the ignorant individual remain silent andto fear Allah and not speak about

the matters of the religion without knowledge. Allah says:


27/31

26 | P a g e

Say (O Muhammad) indeed my Lord has forbidden indecency whether open or secret and

sin and transgression without due right and to associate partners with Allah for which He

has sent down no authority and to say about Allah that which you have no knowledge.

(7:33)

Therefore it is not permissible for the ignorant individual to speak about the matters of religiousknowledge especially those matters of serious importance like takfeer (i.e. labeling someone a

disbeliever) also backbiting and tale carrying and infringing on the honor of the leaders and

scholarsThe ignorant individual, in his attempt to apply the rulings associated with these

matters could err in his application of these rulings on people either by judging them to be

astray, or disbelievers while in fact the judgment of such falls back on him. For if an individual

says to his Muslim brother, you are a disbeliever. or You are a major sinner(i.e. Faasiq)

and he is not as he says he is, then the ruling of such falls on him and refuge in sought with

Allah.

This matter is very dangerous and therefore it is imperative for the one who fears Allah torestrain his tongue except he who the affair of such has been placed in his hands, while he is an

authority on the matter or from the leaders of the Muslims or the scholars. Even in their case, it

is incumbent upon them that they research the issue and look into the matter with detail.

However if he is a layman from the Muslims or from the younger and more inexperienced

students of knowledge, then he has no right to issue rulings or pass judgments on people

(Courtesy of www.Sahab.net)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his

commentary of the verse:

Say (O Muhammad) this is my path, I call to it upon baseerah(i.e. knowledge)(12:108)

The meaning of the word baseerah here is sound knowledge. This dawah comprises of Ikhlas

(i.e. sincerity) to Allah and sound knowledge, and most of what harms the dawah is a lack of

sincerity or the lack of knowledge. And the objective of knowledge here is to emulate the

methodology (i.e. minhaj) of the Salaf (i.e. Pious Predecessors) both in knowledge and action

and holding this to be the standard of evidence (i.e. daleel) necessary for our success and

religious prosperity.

This verse is not referring simply to the knowledge of the legislation of Islam (i.e. Shareeah),

rather the word knowledge (i.e. baseerah) in the verse includes understanding the legislation of

Islam as well as the social condition(s) of the one you are calling, in addition to having

knowledge of the supplementary method(s) that complement your endeavor and assist you in

achieving your objective such as; wisdom (i.e. hikmah). And it was because of this, the Prophet


28/31

27 | P a g e

(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam)said to Muath Ibn Jabal (Radiyallahu anhu): Indeed you are going to the People

of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians)

Likewise, having knowledge of the methods and techniques that will allow you to win the heart of

the one you are calling like targheeb (i.e. encouragement) and taleef (i.e. softening the heart).

For the Prophet(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) gave those who were new Muslims on the Day of Hunainone hundred camelsout of wisdom. So for this reason the ignorant individual is not a suitable

candidate for giving dawah nor is it admirable for him to do so, nor is he, in his quest to give

dawah without knowledge, following the path of the Messenger(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam). And the

reality of the matter is that the ignorant individual causes more harm than he does good.

(Found in his explanation of Kitab ut Tawheed Vol. 1 Pg. 130)

Some of these same students of knowledge, while in the University, used to fail on purpose

with the intention of remaining in the City of Medinah for an additional year. Shaykh Abdul

Muhsin Al Abbad (may Allah preserve him) was asked about the studentsmost of whom were

from America and Britainwho resorted to such appalling and unethical behavior, and his replywas: This is not permissible. Rather this is deception (i.e. ghish) which is haram in the religion

of Islam and it is imperative for those students who resort to such behavior to desist.

And to show you the gravity of this type of deceptionwhich is more of a religious deception as

opposed to what is normally employed for financial or political gainthe Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa

salam) passed by a man who was selling fruit, so he stuck his hand in the bottom of the barrel and

felt that the fruit had been spoiled. So he said to the individual:

Why dont you put the spoiled fruit on top so that everyone can see what they are buying?

Whoever deceives us is not of us. (Collected in Saheeh Muslim)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his

commentary of this hadeeth: If this is the case with someone who deceives us regarding our

social affairs, then what about the one who deceives us in our religious affairs (i.e. our deen)

(Found in Explanation of Riyadh us Saliheen)

And these are the same individuals who are in haste to return to America to enjoy the accolades

and perks of being a student of knowledge, and Allah says about this type of behavior:

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what

they have not done. Think you not that they have been rescued from the torment, and for

them is a painful torment. (3:188)


29/31

28 | P a g e

Some of these students do actually make it to the University level only to graduate and crawl

under the tutelage of a more ill seasoned daee in America whoin their estimationpreceded

him in giving dawah, and he is known in their particular circle as a self-proclaimed elder.

The absurdity of this title is that you are crowned with itnot because of a superb legacy of

prosperous Salafee communities that you were responsible for building, or functioning Salafeeinstitutions such as; schools, Islamic Centers, Dawah centers etc. that you helped establish, or

academic writings that are incorporated in curricula throughout the Salafee school system, or the

standardization of sound Salafee materialafter a complete assessment of the special needs of our

children who are residing in environments that are counterproductive to their religious

developmentsuitable and conducive to their academic/religious advancement.

No. Instead you are crowned with this title ofelder by default of simply opening your mouth

about Islam before someone else did. This of course is primarily due to the audacity of your

ignorance and not the degree of your religious competence or the mark of excellence rooted in

your accomplishments or the value that you bring to the lives of Muslims in general. And the factof the matter is that you should be an elderifyou consider yourself suchbecause you

preceded everyone else who came after you in sin and disobedience to Allah. This title alone

amongst other thingssuggests a false sense of entitlement and lacks the humility found in the

speech of the Salaf. Bakr Ibn Abdullah Al Muzani said:

: : ...

If you see someone who is older than you, then say, He preceded me in accepting Islam

and righteous deeds, and so he is better than me. And if you see someone who is youngerthan you, then say, I preceded him in sin and disobedience, and so he is better than me

In another narration he added:

::...

If you see the people honoring you then say, This is from the bounty of Allah which I am

not deserving of. And if they disparage you, then say: This is because ofthe sins that I

have committed

In addition to this, you have individuals well into their 60swell above the pinnacle of maturity,

which in Islam is the age of fortythe age where prophets and messengers normally received

revelationreferring to someone who is in his late thirties, with the maturity level of an

individual in the pubertal stages of his adolescent development as our elder.

The same individual who prides himself on being Shaykh Muqbils (may Allah have mercy on

him and make his grave spacious) top student from America but fails miserably at reflecting

the character, the knowledge, the love for the Muslims and the epic legacy that Shaykh Muqbils


30/31

29 | P a g e

entire life was dedicated to. Make no mistake about it, there were absolutely no parallels between

the lives of these two, and as the old Arab metaphor goes:

....

Everyone claims to have a relationship with Layla, but Layla doesnt acknowledge their

claims.

Meaning everyone has a claim to fame but the reality of the situation proves otherwise. Reality is

to see things the way they are not who we are, and through the irony of it all, his situation is

reminds us of a very interesting Danish story written in 1837 by Han Christian Anderson titled

TheEmperors (i.e. Malik) New Clothes. In this story there was an Emperor who was so

obsessed with his clothes and the way people viewed him that he neglected his other duties and

responsibilities to maintain a status quo he created for himself.

So two crooks set out to exploit his narcissism and idiocy and while his prime minister and therest of his constituents were too afraid to tell him that he had no clothes on, because that would

mean that they were fools undeserving of their positions in his cabinet, they cheered him on

while he marched through the streets naked to his underpants. Until one innocent child pointed

out that he had no clothes on, and although red with embarrassment, he still marched with his

head up until he reached his castle and there he put on clothes.

The core concept of this story is so in sync with the title of this book which is, some people

know they are not qualified to give dawah or assume any position of leadership in the Salafee

communities but they continue to do so because the people are too afraid to tell them truth about

themselves. And while many of these individuals preoccupy themselves day and night withmaintaining their status quo reputations as pseudo Students of Knowledge/Daeees/ Imams,

their narcissism and buffoonery is constantly being exploited by none other than Iblees himself.

Imam Malik Ibn Anas (may Allah have mercy on him) gave us the remedy to this ailment that

continues to plague our communities when he said:

The latter part of this Ummah will notbe reformed except by whatreformed its former part.

To Be Continued


31/31

The Elephant in the Room Part One

Documents