Important Points on Salafiyyah – Shaikh Saleh ibn Abdullah al-Fawzan

Question:

Oh noble Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. There are those who say the era of Salafiyah is an era that has come and ended and we are not able to apply…

Shaykh Fawzan interrupts:

It has ended for him; because he does not love the Salaf and he does not want to follow their methodology; but as it relates to Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamah the era of Salafiyah will remain until the hour is established, it will remain until the hour is established. It will not end; and to Allah belongs all the praises.

Question:

Why are all of those who call towards Tawhîd called as “Wahhâbiyyah” ever since Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdil-Wahhâb (rahimahullâh)? This word scares off many people from those who call towards Tawhîd.

Shaykh al-Fawzân:

No, it doesn’t scare off at all. We are proud of the fact that the one who calls towards Tawhîd is called as “Wahhâbî” and all praise is due to Allâh. What is the one who calls towards Shirk (idolatry, polytheism) called then? What is he called? Jâhilî!

We are proud of it. Let them then say “Wahhâbî”. They are thusly themselves witnessing that the call of Wahhâbiyyah is a call towards Tawhîd. The author of “al-Lanjah” (rahimahullâh) said:

“If the one who follows Ahmad is a Wahhâbî, then let the humans and Jinns witness that I am a Wahhâbî.”

Ahmad here is the messenger (sallâ Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam);

“If the one who follows Ahmad is a Wahhâbî, then let the humans and Jinns witness that I am a Wahhâbî.”

Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan

Question: Is Salafiyyah a hizb (party) amongst the parties? And is ascribing to them (the Salafis) a blameworthy thing?

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan: As-Salafiyyah is the Saved Sect and they are Ahl us-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah. It is not a hizb (party) from amongst the various parties, those which are called parties today.

Rather they are the Jamaa’ah, the Jamaa’ah upon the Sunnah and upon the Deen (Religion). They are Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.

The Prophet – Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam – said, “There will not cease to be a group from my Ummah (nation) manifest and upon the truth, not being harmed by those who forsake them neither by those who oppose them.”

And he – Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam – also said, “And this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Hell-Fire except one.” They said, “Which one is this O Messenger of Allaah?” He replied, “They are those who are upon what I and my companions are upon today.”

Hence, Salafiyyah is a group of people (the Salafis) upon the madhab of the Salaf, upon what the Messenger – Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam – and his companions were upon.

And it is not a hizb from amongst the contemporary groups present today.

Rather it is the very old Jamaa’ah, from the time of the Messenger – Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam – which inherits (this way) and continues, and which never ceases to be upon the manifest truth until the establishment of the Hour, as he (Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam) has informed us.

Shaykh Saleh bin Fowzan stated:

Not everyone who claims to be Salafi is truly Salafi. Some individuals have made this claim but they are ignorant and they don’t know the Salafi Minhaj. Some individuals have made this claim but they have actually adopted the methodology of the Khawarij, and this is displayed in their spilling of blood and causing mischief throughout the earth. Others have made this claim but they are self-taught and they have not taken knowledge from the scholars, but rather, they have taken it from books and that which they have read. They depend on their memorization of texts without (true) understanding.