Was listening to a Barelvi (extreme Soofis of India) scholar. He was complaining that, ‘From the past 50 years, our people have had huge conferences in which 100% of the attendees were Barelvi, yet we always spent nights after nights refuting Wahhabis, as a result, today our youth don’t know even the basic issues of Fiqh’. Contemplate over this and look at the condition of the Ahle Hadis (Ahlul-Hadith, Salafi) youth, ….
Contemplate over this and look at the condition of the Ahle Hadis youth…except for a handful of select students of knowledge who are a very small number, most of them would know who is a ‘good/bad speaker’, ‘on/off Manhaj’, etc. But most wouldn’t know even intermediate Arabic, basic definition of Shirk/Kufr/Nifaq/Bidah and its types (even in English/Urdu), a lot of the masses may know how many Rakah to pray in Taraveeh, but wouldn’t know how to do Sajda As-Sahw or issues related to the Sutra.
I have experienced this sad phenomenon myself, I’ve seen for example students of knowledge who keep saying ‘Aqeedah, Aqeedah, Manhaj, Manhaj’, and they are yet to start reading The Qur’an, after 5-8 years of being into the true path (of Ahle Hadis, Salafiyyah, the way of the pious predecessors). All this Deobandi-Barelvi-Ikhwani-Manhaj bashing is good to know the right path and enter it, but if you keep doing this for your entire life, you will be the Ahle Hadis version of the Jahil Barelvis the Barelvi Scholar spoke about.
The situation has reached such proportions that most Ahle Hadis if there is a topic related to Ilm, will not attend the class or will not view that lecture. However, if the topic is, ‘Refutation of …’ see the views flying high. This is not a problem only of the ignorant youth, now this problem has reached some young Shaikhs as well. They study for a few years, get these titles, Muhammadi, Rahmani, Makki, Madani, etc., and now they get the licence to throw other older scholars and entire Salafi Madrasas ‘out of the Manhaj’.
Refutations are a part of the Deen, just like Jihad is a part of the Deen. But if you go extreme in Jihad, with the wrong principles, you will end up like ISIS. Similarly if you become extreme in refuting, you will end up in no-man’s land, with no scholars to follow (since all have some ‘issues’), and you will harbour an extreme hatred against fellow Muslims and fellow Salafis as well. Be with those scholars who teach you knowledge, make you sit and study, and ask you, ‘Where did you learn Arabic or Quran?’ instead of, ‘Are you listening to this and that and him…?’
And an advise for our Salafi brothers. When our own scholars fight over petty issues, take it as a fight between your uncles, or your aunt and your mom. Take the side of truth if you wish to, but don’t cut off from one scholar and spread words against each other. Will you speak against your uncle/aunt to the whole family and hide their good deeds and speak of only their mistakes? ‘No’ right! Then don’t do this when Ulama have some issues with each other, they’ve a greater right to our silence and patience. Abandon those Muslims and groups, who claim Salafiyyah (path of the Sahabah and Imams), and spread malicious speech about the infighting between scholars.
Some Salafis, act more like an ‘Intelligence Agent’ than a student of knowledge. Taking news from a scholar here, spreading it there, gathering people against one scholar against the other. They also also speak like they have some, ‘Intelligence reports’, jokers. Abandon all this useless stuff, people need basic Ilm, they need basic Dawah.
Our youth are into Shirk, Kufr and major sins. Seek knowledge, learn a small book with a scholar or a Madrasah graduate near your house, go and sit with 10-15 college youth and teach them that book. In-Sha-Allah You will find yourself in a much better position in the next ten years than busying yourself in this refutation business.
May Allah guide all of us towards the truth and remove hatred and malice from our hearts towards our fellow Muslims. May Allah use us to serve his Deen, and keep us away from unnecessary argumentations and discussions. Aameen.
-Mohammed Manna (21/Oct/2023) [Currently a student in B.A.Islamic Studies (Distances, Preston International College, Chennai, 3rd Yr. And M.A.Islamic Studies (Online), Aspire College of Excellence, Bangalore, 1st Yr.]
Saheehus-Seerah 