Shaikh Fawzaan Responds To The Claim That The Salafi Methodology is Inappropriate For This Era

 

Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah) was asked:

 

Some people claim that the manhaj (methodology) of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah is inappropriate for this era. They utilise their proof that the principles of the Sharee’ah as deemed by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah cannot be actualised today.

The Shaikh replied:

“The one who cites that the manhaj of the righteous Salaf is inappropriate for this time is considered astray and one who leads others astray. This is because the manhaj of the righteous Salaf is the very manhaj which Allaah commanded us to follow until the coming of The Hour.

He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

((For indeed; those of you who live long after me will see a great deal of differences. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs after me. Hold onto it; and bite onto it with your molar teeth))[1]

This is an address to the Ummah until the coming of The Hour; and this proves that it is a must to traverse the manhaj of the Salaf – and that the manhaj of the righteous Salaf is (relevant) for every time and place.

Allaah The One free of all imperfections and The Most High says:

{وَالسَّابِقُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ}

((And the earliest and foremost [to accept Islaam] from the Muhaajireen [those who migrated to Al-Madeenah] and the Ansaar [those who lived in Al-Madeenah and aided them after migration] and those who follow them in goodness, Allaah is Pleased with them and they are pleased with Him))[2]

((…follow them in goodness…)): incorporates the Ummah until the coming of The Hour. Therefore it is obligatory upon it (the Ummah) that it follows out the manhaj of the Saabiqeen Al-Awwaleen (earliest and foremost from amongst the companions) from the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar. Imaam Maalik bin Anas stated:

‘The latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except with that which rectified its first part.’

Therefore the one who seeks to isolate the Ummah from that which is in it; and seeks to isolate the Ummah from the righteous Salaf – then he intends evil for the Muslims and desires an alteration to this Islaam and intends to introduce innovations and divergences. It is obligatory to reject this individual as it is obligatory to sever his point of evidence and to warn against his evil. Since it is a must to hold onto the manhaj of the Salaf and to emulate the Salaf just as it is a must to traverse the manhaj of the Salaf – and that is found in The Book of Allaah The Mighty and Majestic as well as in the Sunnah of His Messenger (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as we have cited.

So the one who intends to sever the latter part of the Ummah from its Salaf is a perpetrator of corruption in the land, it is obligatory to reject his statements and to refute his statements and to warn against him. Those from whom this despicable statement is known to eminate from are the Shee’ah and those that agree with them from those who are astray; and so they have no consequence.”

 

(Taken from: Al-Muntaqaa min Fatawaa Fadheelah Ash-Shaikh Saalih bin Fawzaan vol 1 p.356-357)