Salafi Research Institute SRI
Compiled, Translated and Annotated
Abu Khuzaimah Ansari
Farik Zolkepli authored an article on the Special Branch of Indonesia detaining 7 foreign students for Salafi jihadi links as per his article dated the 6th October 2018, as one can read from the link.
Farik Zolkepli goes onto quote Mohamad Fuzi Harun who said: ‘Initial investigations based on intelligence shared by foreign intelligence agencies showed that the suspects had connections with a madrasah in Dammaj, Yemen, set up by Sheikh Muqbil Hadi Al Wadi, a Salafi Jihadi scholar’
In fact, the whole piece can be read at the link cited above. I don’t really want to discuss and or even second guess the intricacies of the case and the allegations, as inshaAllah the truth will prevail, and the Salafis do not get involved in the affairs of the governance of countries.
However, my issue and serious concern is with the outright wicked lie and I quote again: ‘Sheikh Muqbil Hadi Al Wadi, a Salafi Jihadi scholar.’
Seriously, what kind of shoddy journalism is this and what kind of intelligence is this that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun uttered such ghastly lies and disgraced fabrications against the great Salafi scholar, Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hadī al-Wadi.
This is like saying the sun has no light or you saying you were born without human intervention. Seriously, how could anyone in their right mind, who even bothered to use the slightest element or the very little of the brain cells they have to even think of such a horrendous and evil lie. Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hadi a Salafi Jihadi? What!
Well first, there is no such thing as a salafi jihadi, this is something the modern day writers and partisans of the neo-con agenda have fallaciously fabricated, as there is only one type of Salafi, the one who follows the methodology of the Salaf us-Saleh. Just because this term is used too often and irresponsibly in modern media, it does not justify its reality. It is simply wrong and unacceptable to make these terms up just because it suits your narrative.
The next point is, do we really need to even answer this hideous point? At first, I thought, are you being serious, really, are you for real, no way, this has to be a mistake etc etc.
The fact of the matter is, we can cite statement after statement of Shaykh Muqbil reprimanding, refuting and rebutting the ideology of the Khawarij, the people of innovation and deviation and those who wage destruction, rebel, bombings, suicide bombings, killing innocent people, men women and children, Muslim and non Muslims alike all under the false pretense of Jihad.
However, the overwhelming level of statements of Shaykh Muqbil will never convince the ignorant and arrogant individuals, who have already made up their minds, without evidence or proof. Shaykh Muqbil and his teachings are known and are manifestly clear like the sun, that he never ever portrayed this understanding of Jihad, as the article claims. If you ask me, the author of the article and the one who uttered this misleading lie are the laughing stock of the century, and they will be indeed remembered for this catastrophic blunder, for many years to come.
I thought, since the amazing journalism of the online news outlet, the star Online, and the intelligence of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun are ‘exceptional’ and ‘ground breaking,’ I thought it would be perhaps better to bring the statements of academic writers and their take on Shaykh Muqbil, as for sure, they are not interested in taking the clear and open view of Shaykh Muqbil from his own statements!
Ondrej Beranek and Pavel Tupek, two Czech researchers and professors, offer a basic insight into the life of Shaykh Muqbil while asserting that Shaykh Muqbil’s da’wah was influential in Bahrain, Indonesia, Somalia as well as in Birmingham. (Ondrej Beranek and Pavel Tupek, The Temptation of Graves in Salafi Islam, (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2018) p.148.
Ondrej Beranek is the director of the Oriental Institute at the Czech Academy of Sciences and Pavel Tupek is a researcher and Assistant Professor in the Department of Near Eastern and African Studies at Charles University, Prague.
They further assert when Shaykh Muqbil set up his Dar al-Hadith in Dammaj, many students were attracted from abroad especially from those regions that were traditionally in close contact with Yemen, such as Indonesia. (Ondrej Beranek and Pavel Tupek, The Temptation of Graves in Salafi Islam, p.150)
Everyone in this day and age knows the ideology and political thought the Muslim Brotherhood, what this entails of way of political dissent, revolutions, rebellion against the legitimate rulers, violence, threat, destruction and chaos. Every single modern day writer always mentions this as a fact in their respective books. It is precisely this methodology of the Ikhwan al-Muslimin that Shaykh Muqbil warned from, starting circa 1980’s until his last days in 2001, i.e. warnings and refutations of these ideas for over two decades.
Ondrej Beranek and Pavel Tupek say:
‘As he (Shaykh Muqbil) became disgruntled by the proliferation of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemeni Schools, he decided in the early 1980s to open his own religious school…’ (Ondrej Beranek and Pavel Tupek, The Temptation of Graves in Salafi Islam, p.150)
Dear readers, you see, Shaykh Muqbil opened his school as a result of the proliferation of the schools of Ikhwan al-Muslimin and their ideology. The history of Salafiyyah in Indonesia is rich and vast, it is most certainly not a new phenomenon, such that the idea of Salafiyyah in Indonesia is attributed to Shaykh Muqbil, the details of this are way beyond the scope of this small article.
Laurent Bonnefoy, a French who holds a Ph.D and his area of interest is in Salafi Islam in Yemen, he says:
‘The contemporary Salafi movement emerged in Yemen in the beginning of the 1980s around the figure of Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi (d.2001), throughout its short History, it has been closely associated with the issue of Saudi expansion in the world. The Salafi doctrine’s central specificity when compared to other local political and religious groups has been an insistence on complete loyalty to the ruler (wali al-amr- President, King or imam) even when he is deemed corrupt and unjust….. unlike the Zaydis and Muslim Brothers[hood]…..The Salafi doctrine aims to preserve all Muslims from disorder by not engaging in any kind of politics or participating in elections, revolutions or demonstrations…’
(Laurent Bonnefoy, Salafism in Yemen, in Kingdom Without borders, (London: Hurst Publishers, 2008) p.245.
Laurent Bonnefoy goes onto expand the view and understanding of Shaykh Muqbil on the independence of south Yemen and toppling of King Faruq of Egypt etc. and he then quotes from Shaykh Muqbil that power should be respected, even if it is corrupt, Muslims should be patient and InshaAllah wait for better times. In that context only ulama can intervene in the political field through reverential advice to the ruler. (Laurent Bonnefoy, Salafism in Yemen, in Kingdom Without borders, (London: Hurst Publishers, 2008) p.246.
Then Luarent Bonnefoy mentions the most crucial part that renders the allegations on Shaykh Muqbil totally futile and baseless, he says:
(and I quote VERBATIM) In contemporary Yemeni society, the development of the Salafi movement (which cannot be bluntly labelled as violent and should be clearly distinguished from the SO CALLED JIHADI GROUPS)…. (Laurent Bonnefoy, Salafism in Yemen, in Kingdom Without borders, (London: Hurst Publishers, 2008) p.245.
Dear readers, there you have it, clear as the sun. These writers are the very same researchers these people look up to hold in authority, well there you go then!
Noorhaidi Hasan, a researcher of political Islam in Indonesia, he holds a Ph.D and is an associate professor, offers good insight into Salafiyyah and its impact on Indonesia. In his chapter, ‘Saudi Expansion, The Salafi Campaign and Arabised Islam in Indonesia’, he mentions numerous points that show how other ideologies were responsible for the common narratives while the Salafi’s, as he mentions: ‘adopted a stance of apolitical quietism…’ and ‘a faithful Muslim who consistently follows the pious ancestors (salaf us-Saleh) would refrain from any involvement in partisan politics…’ and that Muslim society should be Islamised gradually through Islamic education (tarbiyyah) and purification (tasfiyyah) before implementation of shari’ah. (Noorhaidi Hasan, Saudi Expansion, The Salafi Campaign and Arabised Islam in Indonesia, in Kingdom Without borders, (London: Hurst Publishers, 2008) p.263-264.
These were just some basic points, to show to the reader of the gross and reckless lie against Shaykh Muqbil and the Salafi’s in general. Do not think that we won’t respond to your deliberate lies. Lying brings great harm to the matrix of society and is responsible for much evil in this world, this is why it has been censured in many ahadith. I pray that next time anyone decides to attack the honour of a bonafide Shaykh, they will think twice, even if they lie. Enough said!
May Allah accept the deeds of Shaykh Muqbil and grant him a lofty place in Jannah Amin.
