Then it is not correct that we make a
blanket statement that the Salafees are harsh. What is correct is that we
say, ‘Some of them have harshness.’ Is it clear so far?..
So, we say that some of the Salafees have a
manner that is harsh, but is it seen that this characteristic is specific
only to the Salafees?
(No)
Thus we arrive at the following outcome: it
is not permissible...to describe an entire group of people with a general
description, applying it to all of them.
Secondly, it is not permissible to generalize
this characteristic upon any individual from the Muslims, whether he is
Salafee (a person who follows the Quran and Sunnah upon the understanding of
the early Muslims - Salaf us-Saalih (pious predecessors)) or khalafee (a
person who chooses to follow the later generations of Muslims in
understanding the Quran and Sunnah instead of the early generations), except
in certain circumstances, as long as we agree that leniency is not legislated
at all times.
So we see that the Messenger of Allaah used the
type of harshness that if a Salafee today used it the people would strongly
reject this from him.
For example: Perhaps you know the story of
Abis-Sanaabil, do you remember this story. The Prophet said, “Abus- Sanaabil
has lied.” Is this considered harshness or not?(1)
(This was harshness) from whom? This was
from the most merciful of the people.
(Allah says,) “If you had been hard-hearted
and harsh they would have dispersed from around you.” [Soorah Aali-’Imraan
3:159]
Therefore using leniency as a starting point
is not a general rule, as we previously agreed upon.
Rather, it is upon the Muslim to use
leniency at the proper time and harshness at the proper time.
Also, for example, there is what appears in
the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (d.241H) when the Prophet gave an exhortation, one
of the companions stood up and said, ‘What Allah wills and you will, O
messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, “Are you making me an equal
to Allah?! Say whatever Allah wills alone.”(2) Is this harshness or not?
Allahu Akbar! This is from the harshest of
censures.
(Yet there) is another instance (of
harshness from the prophet Mohammed).
The narration. Whoever obeys Allah and His
Messenger is guided and whoever disobeys them is misguided, he said, “How
miserable a preacher you are.”(3)
Is this harshness or leniency?
What is important...is that there are times
to use leniency and there are times to use harshness, because of this
concern, which is greater than others, others consider (simply) enjoining the
good and forbidding the evil even if it is coupled with leniency - as
harshness.
Rather, some of them say these are not the
times for it (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil); rather some of
them go to the extreme and say that studying tawheed divides the ranks of the
Muslims.
Thus what I hope to arrive at is that this
matter is relative, meaning that a person is not fanatical and especially
when entering into the subsidiary matters, which some of them call
trivialities, so they consider a discussion that is coupled with good
mannerisms as harshness...
(However) some of them (Salafis) are harsh
and even the companions were not free from this. From them were those who
were lenient and from them were those who were harsh.
Perhaps you know the story of the Bedouin who
began to urinate in the mosque, what did the companions intend to do to him?
They intended to beat him, is this leniency or harshness?
(This is) harshness, but what did the
messenger say to them? “Leave him.”
So there are very few people who are able to
avoid using harshness. But the truth of the matter is that the fundamental
principle is that da’wah is based upon wisdom and good exhortation, and
wisdom is to use leniency at its proper time and harshness at its proper
time.
Therefore, it is not possible for the
people, except few, to avoid using harshness, but the truth is that the
fundamental principle of dawah is that it be called to with wisdom and good
exhortation, and from wisdom is using leniency in its proper place and using
harshness in its proper place.
Additionally if we describe the best of the
Islaamic groups, which has superiority over the other groups in diligently
following the Book and the Sunnah and what the pious predecessors were upon,
with harshness unrestrictedly, I do not believe this is from justice
whatsoever, but as for it being said that there are those from amongst them
(who have harshness) then who can deny this?
As long as the companions had those from
amongst them who used harshness out of its place, then those khalafees who
came after them from the likes of us, khalafee in the linguistic sense (in
this sense meaning those who came after the companions), would have this
harshness for all the more reason.
...(Look at) the narration of ’Aa‘ishah when
the Jew sent salutations to the Prophet twisting his tongue saying, ‘Death be
upon you,’ so when she heard this twisted salutation she shuddered behind the
hijaab (curtain) until she almost tore it in two, as has come in the
narration where she responded in anger, “And upon you be death, and the curse
of Allaah and His anger. O brothers of the apes and pigs!” As for the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), he did not exceed beyond
his response to him, “And unto you the same.” So when the Jew departed the
Prophet censured her saying, “O ’Aa‘ishah, indeed gentleness is not placed
into something except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from
something except that it disfigures it.” She replied, “O Messenger of Allah,
did you not hear what he said?” He responded, ‘Did you not hear what I
said?”(4)
Thus, Aa‘ishah, who was reared from
childhood in the house Prophecy and Revelation still was not able to avoid
using harshness in place of gentleness.
Thus what can we say about other than them from the Salafees (of this era) - as they were not raised in the house of Prophecy and Revelation.
(Moreover) What is your (or others) opinion
of this (When a person said to the companion Umar, ‘Seek Allah’s forgiveness
for your brother.’ And he responded, “May Allah not forgive him.”)
No doubt if you heard me (or an other
shaykh) use these words you would be the first person to say, ‘The shaykh is
too harsh.’
...Also, from what is apparent to me from
the reasons of the spread of this accusation against the Salafees (is they)
those who speak about the Islamic legislation are the Salafees, so inevitably
they will make mistakes in proportion to their speech, while if this
harshness was compared to what they have brought from advice with justice,
fairness, and leniency, we would find similar to what we have mentioned about
some of the Salaf, even in the presence of the messenger of Allaah, but this
(use of) harshness does not permit us to attribute those companions who used
sternness in certain instances with being harsh people, rather we can only
say that perhaps you, or I, or others will sometimes fall into something of
harshness."
Ref: A series of recordings entitled,
Silsilatul-Hudaa wan-Noor of al- Albaanee (cassette no. 595)
Footnotes
1. Shaykh Albaani said, "A woman’s
husband died while she was pregnant.
So when she gave birth it reached her that
the Prophet said that when a pregnant woman’s husband dies, her waiting
period is until she delivers her baby, and this is found in the Saheeh of Imaam
al- Bukhaaree (d.256H).
So after she gave birth, she anticipated
becoming engaged for marriage, so she beautified herself and put on kuhl
(antimony).
So when Abus-Sanaabil saw her, he proposed
marriage, but she refused, so he said to her, “It is not permissible for you
to marry until you have finished the waiting period for mourning - which is
four months and ten days.” And from what is apparent, she was a woman who had
concern for her Religion, so she dressed in her over-garment and rushed to
the Prophet. She mentioned what Abus-Sanaabil said to her, and the Prophet
said, “Abus- Sanaabil has lied.”" Ref: A series of recordings entitled,
Silsilatul-Hudaa wan-Noor of al- Albaanee (cassette no. 595)
The foundation of this narration is found in
the Saheeh (no. 3770) of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 56). As
for the narration containing the wording, ‘Abus-Sanaabil has lied,’ it is
collected by al- Albaanee in Silsilatus-Saheehah (no. 3274) upon the
authority of ’Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood (radiyallaahu ’anhu).
2. Related by Ahmad in his Musnad (1/214,
224, 283, and 347) upon the authority of Ibn ’Abbaas. It was authenticated by
al-Albaanee in Silsilatus-Saheehah (no. 139).
3. Related by Muslim in his Saheeh (no.
2007) upon the authority of ’Adiyy Ibn Haatim (radiyallaahu ’anhu) who
related that a man gave an exhortation in the presence of the Messenger of
Allaah and said, “Whoever obeys Allaah and his Messenger has been guided, and
whoever disobeys them has deviated.” The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) said, “How miserable a preacher you are. Say, whoever
disobeys Allaah and His Messenger.”
4. Related by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh
(no. 5570) from the hadeeth of ’Aa‘ishah (radiyallaahu ’anhaa).
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Sunday 24 May 2015
Salafis are Harsh ? Albani رحمه الله
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