(These were a series of WhatsApp statuses I wrote on the issue.)
Status 1 โ Bismillah ๐ธ
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)
A sincere reminder to my brothers and sisters in Islam ๐คฒ
Recently, I have been observing something deeply troubling โ many people are writing odes ๐ and pouring out praises for Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadwi (rahimahullah ‘ala ma yastahiq โ may Allah have mercy on him to the extent that he deserves), who has recently passed away (29th June 2026). What is saddening is not merely the sorrow at a death โ for that is natural โ but the manner in which people are casually declaring, “We forgive him for all his mistakes,” as though his “mistakes” were something small and trivial.
Status 2 โ The Nature of His “Mistakes” โ ๏ธ
Let us be clear about what these “mistakes” actually were. They were not simple slips of the tongue or minor scholarly errors. They were related to the most sensitive matter in our deen (religion) โ the honour of the Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum) and the differences that occurred between them.
He began his path by abusing Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiAllahu anhu), and one of his final acts was authenticating a Shiite narration claiming that Mu’awiyah (radiAllahu anhu) was “the Fir’aun of this Ummah.” Na’oodhu billah (we seek refuge in Allah)
Status 3 โ A Pattern, Not an Isolated Slip ๐
Even before that, he had criticised Sayyiduna Amr ibn al-‘As and Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh (radiAllahu anhuma), and had indirectly abused Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (radiAllahu anhuma) along with the companions of Saqifah Bani Sa’idah โ claiming they “usurped” the Khilafah (caliphate / leadership of the Muslims) from Sayyiduna Ali (radiAllahu anhu).
This is not a “mistake.” This is a pattern. This is a methodology. ๐ซ
Status 4 โ The Uncomfortable Question
And yet, after all of this, people are praising him for his good deeds, saying: “For everything he did after 2016 โ when he began openly abusing the Sahaba โ we ask Allah’s forgiveness on his behalf.”
But I ask sincerely: Is abusing the Sahaba such a small thing that a person can be forgiven so easily on our tongues? ๐
The one who has used his tongue against the companions of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) โ are we truly among those who simply overlook it? Ayna al-ghirah ‘ala as-Sahaba? (Where is the protective honour for the Sahaba?) Where is the ghirah (protective sense of honour and jealousy for the sacred) of Ahlus-Sunnah?
Status 5 โ Alhamdulillah for the Upright Scholars ๐
Alhamdulillah (all praise is due to Allah), the scholars from the Ahlul-Hadith background have refuted him thoroughly. Alhamdulillah, the scholars of Darul Uloom Deoband have refuted him. And Mufti Abdur Raheem (hafidhahullah โ may Allah preserve him) of Jamia-tur-Rasheed in Pakistan has issued a proper refutation of Salman Nadwi.
May Allah reward them for standing firm where standing firm was needed. ๐ฟ
Status 6 โ A Word to Our Beloved Brothers in India ๐ฎ๐ณ
Yet it is still heard that many from India are acting naively โ praising him, glorifying his “good deeds,” and softening his crimes against the Sahaba.
No matter what good deeds a person has done, if his ending was abusing the Sahaba, then rather than praising him, we should be asking Allah for salamah (safety and well-being in our faith) for ourselves. ๐คฒ
Allahumma sallim sallim. (O Allah, grant us safety, grant us safety.)
Status 7 โ Why Public Du’a Is a Problem ๐
We should not publicly make du’a (supplication / prayer) for him, because doing so reduces the value of the Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum) in the eyes of the ummah (the global Muslim community). It sends a dangerous message:
“Anyone can come, speak rubbish about the Sahaba, and still get du’as raised for him โ as long as he did some good work earlier in his life.”
Subhanallah! (Glory be to Allah!) Are the Sahaba so cheap in our eyes? Are the companions of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) so low-level with us that their honour can be traded for a few books and lectures? ๐
Status 8 โ The Ripple Effect ๐
And if you look at the comments of those praising him โ even among those who claim to be from Ahlus-Sunnah (the People of the Sunnah โ those who follow the way of the Prophet Salallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam and his Companions) โ many have now begun openly supporting his deviant opinions: abusing Mu’awiyah (radiAllahu anhu), or claiming the preference of Ali (radiAllahu anhu) over Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) in Khilafah.
This is exactly the fitnah (trial / tribulation / discord) that silence and false praise breeds. ๐ฅ
Status 9 โ The Duty Upon Ahlus-Sunnah โ๏ธ
It is therefore upon Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (the People of the Sunnah and the united mainstream Muslim community):
๐น To criticise this individual openly
๐น Not to raise him above his station
๐น Not to promote his books or legacy where it touches this fitnah
If he is forgotten, Islam loses nothing. If his books were burnt tomorrow, the deen loses nothing. In fact, burning the books of any scholar does not damage Islam in the least โ but attacking the Sahaba damages the very chain through which this deen has reached us. They are the carriers of the Qur’an and Sunnah; casting doubt upon them opens a door of harm that no book-burning ever could. ๐โ๏ธ
Status 10 โ The Qur’anic Standard ๐
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) teaches us in the Qur’an the du’a of the believers:
“Rabbanaghfir lana wa li ikhwaninalladheena sabaqoona bil-imaan, wa la taj’al fee quloobina ghillan lilladheena aamanoo, Rabbana innaka Ra’oofur Raheem.”
Translation: “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:10)
And who is more worthy of this du’a than the Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum)? ๐น
Status 11 โ A Sincere Advice to Students of Knowledge ๐
So this is my sincere advice to every student of knowledge, and to every brother who reads this:
Do not raise this man above his position.
Perhaps he was a scholar. Perhaps he did some good. But once a person speaks against the Sahaba, we should keep him at the tip of our shoes. ๐
I do not like saying this about any individual โ wallahi (by Allah) it is heavy on the tongue โ but it is deeply saddening that a man can speak against the companions of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and simply “get to go away” like that, wrapped in praises and eulogies. ๐
Status 12 โ Closing ๐คฒ
May Allah protect our hearts, protect our tongues, and protect the honour of the Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum) in our lives and in our gatherings.
Allahumma ardha ‘anis-Sahabati ajma’een, wahshurna fee zumratihim yawmad-deen.
Translation: “O Allah, be pleased with all the Sahaba, and gather us among their group on the Day of Judgement.”
Barakallahu feekum (may Allah bless you all) ๐ธ
(Penned by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna)
