Salaf-us-Saalih.com :: The Call of the Salaf is True Islam

The Path to Salafiyyah – Part I
Tips for Remaining Firm Upon the Manhaj[1]
Compiled by Umar Bryant {May Allah have mercy upon him}

Verily, all praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask Him for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our selves and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides, there is no one that can lead him astray. And whomsoever is led astray, there is no guide for him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allaah. He stands alone and without any partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is His slave and Messenger.

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He ought to be feared and do not die except while you are Muslims.“[2]

“O you who believe! Fear your Lord who created you from a single person (Aadam), and from him, He created his wife, and from them He created many men and women. Fear Allaah through whom you demand your mutual rights and (do not cut off the relations of) the wombs. Surely, Allaah is ever an All Watcher over you.“[3]

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah and be truthful and precise in your speech. He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive you of your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, then he has achieved a great success.”[4]

To Proceed:

The following are aids in keeping the Salafee firm upon this noble manhaj.

We ask  Allaah to grant us and you success!

1. Thank and praise Allaah for this great gift of being guided to pure Islaam.  Indeed it is a great blessing in which Allaah grants to whom He wills from his servants, hence, it is befitting that you turn to The Most Merciful with the utmost gratitude and thanks.

2. Constantly ask Allaah for success, guidance, and firmness upon the path for indeed you being guided to it does not guarantee you will remain upon it.

3. Seek assistance with Allaah, humble yourself before Him and call upon Him with sincerity and humility as if you are in need of being guided to the straight path.  Ask Him to make you firm upon it.  From the great  supplications in this regard is one of the opening du’a of the prayer.

“Oh Allaah, Lord of Jibra’eel, Mika’eel, and Israfeel, Creator of the heavens and the earth, knower of the seen and unseen.  You are the arbitrator between your slaves in that which they have disputed.  Guide me to the truth by your leave in that which has been differed upon from the truth for verily You guide whom you will to a straight path”

[ From AbdurRahman.Org : Adding transliteration of above Du'a

Allâhumma, rabba Jibrâ'îla, wa Mîkâ'îla, wa Isrâfîla ! Fâtira s-samâwâti wa-l-ardi, âlima l-ghaybi wa sh-shahâdati, anta tahkumu bayna ibâdika fîmâ kânû fîhi yakhtalifûna. Ihdinî li-mâ khtulifa fîhi mina-l-haqqi bi-idhnika. Innaka tahdî man tashâ'u ilâ sirâtîn mustaqîm. ]

After this, seek out the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).  Guard it, reflect upon it, and stick firm to it.

4. Connect yourself with the ‘Ulamaa known for their upright manhaj and creed.  Those who speak the truth and are just with it.  Those who are known by those far from him and close to him for being firm upon the Salafee manhaj. Stick firm to their books and tapes.  Be adamant about attending their sittings and lectures.  Be adamant about calling them each time a matter arises or you have a question.

5. Leave alone the frauds and self proclaimed “scholars” and “du’aat”, those known for being in opposition to the Salafee manhaj.  The manhaj is free of them and their da’wah.  They are known for creating fitnah, getting the people excited, their strong desire to be seen as people of knowledge, while associating with the people of innovation.

6. Be steadfast in seeking knowledge.  Start by learning the correct creed and becoming well versed in it.  Get a hold of the books of Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyah and his student Ibn Qayyim, likewise the books of the great reviver Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhaab – may Allaah have mercy upon them all.  Be steadfast in reading these books with a known Salafee Shaykh.  Likewise be steadfast in studying the books of the Salaf which clarify their creed and manhaj as it relates to those who oppose the manhaj of the Salaf.  Books such as As-Sunnah by Ibn Abee Aasim, As-Sunnah by Khalaal, As-Sunnah by Abdullaah ibn Ahmed, Sharhus Sunnah by Barbahaaree, Al-‘Itisaam by Imaam Ash-Shaatibee, Al-Ibaanah of Ibn Battah Al-Ukbari, Sharh Usool ‘Itiqaad Ahlis Sunnah wal Jama’ah of Laalikaa’I – may Allaah have mercy upon all of them.[5]

7. Free yourself of everything that is related to Hizbiyyah and the Hizbees, such as their books, their tapes, their nasheeds, and their shows in which no permission from Allaah for them has been granted.

8. Do not allow your heart to be a sponge sucking up shubuhaat (doubts) and accepting them.

9. It is sufficient for you in this life to stick with the Salafee ‘Ulamaa, keep the ties between your parents, and aid your family.  It is also sufficient for you to be around good Salafee companions.  If you want to call to Allaah then sufficient for you are the books and tapes of the known Salafee scholars.  Beware of proceeding before your maturity.  Prepare for yourself a Salafee library consisting of the books of Salafee tafseer, books of hadeeth, and books of aqeedah.  Stay far away from the books of “intellectual” thinkers such as the books of Sayyid Qutb his brother Muhammad and other then them from the known people who have deviated in their manhaj.

10. Stay away from suspect individuals.  Those known to speak against leaders of the Muslims, those who claim to dispel evil and those who claim to be aiding “the jihad”.  The majority of these individuals and their allegation of enjoining good, is nothing more than hizbiyyah and not upon the Sharee’ah.  Their Jihaad is that of the Haroorees[6] and not that of the Sunnee.

So for example, you will see some of them making takfeer upon the Raafidhah and saying “The ruler should stand up and remove these people from the land or he should annihilate them”  We shall say to him “What is your opinion of the one who insults the companions such as Sayyid Qutb?  If you see him pause, hesitate, or stammer in his speech then know his statement about the Raafidhah was only a political hizbee one.

If you see one say “The muslims are being slaughtered while the muslim governments do nothing”  We shall ask him, “What have you done to aid the muslims by way of correcting his aqeedah and manhaj?  If he frowns and continues upon such speech then know his statement was a political and hizbee one.

11. Do not enter into debates with the Hizbees.  Ask Allaah to guide them.  Beware of visiting and sitting in the gatherings of the Hizbees as you know what they are upon from misguidance.

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informs us in a hadeeth narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (radi Allaahu ‘anhu);

“There shall be people in the latter part of my Ummah who will speak to you concerning things you nor your fathers have heard so beware of them”[7]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also informed us that when one hears of the Dajjaal then we are to stay far away from him.

Ibn Abbass said:

“Do no sit with the people of desires for verily in their sitting is a sickness for the heart”

12. There are many important books, publications, and tapes in which the Hizbees hide because in them their figureheads are exposed.  Try to attain them from the known Salafee brothers or from known Salafee organizations[8].

13. Stay away from politics[9] and busy yourself with seeking knowledge[10]

14. Be open in your affiliation to the blessed Salafee manhaj.  Do not be ashamed to call yourself SALAFEE.  And if one says your are praising yourself.  Tell him this is from informing the people of your affiliation and not from praising oneself and furthermore if this were the case, then everyone who refers to himself as Muslim or Sunnee is also praising himself.Memorize the statement of Shaykhul Islaam Ibnu Taymiyyah:

“There is no criticism for the one who proclaims the way (madhdhab) of the Salaf, who attaches himself to it and refers to it. Rather, it is obligatory to accept that from him by unanimous agreement (Ittifaaq) because the way (madhdhab) of the Salaf is nothing but the Truth (Haqq).“[11]

15. Beware of falling into tamyee’ [12] and associating with its people!   Beware of the many tricks and hidden attacks of those who have been afflicted with this sickness.  From their tricky statements are:

“Those brothers are harsh”
“Their focus is only refuting the people”
“They blindly follow “their” scholars (Shaykh Rabee)”

16. Beware! Beware of looking into the books of the people of innovation and those who defend and protect the people of innovation and listening to their tapes for verily within them is a deadly poison.

Ibnu Quddamah (rahimahullaah) said:

“And from the Sunnah is to boycott the people of innovation, exposing them, leaving off arguing and debating with them in the religion, leaving off looking into the books of the innovators, and lending ones ear to their speech.   And every newly invented matter in the religion is an innovation”

And if you want to study with anyone then be sure of his methodology.  Return his affair to the scholars of Jarh and Ta’deel from our Salafee Mashaayikh.  If they caution you from him then flee from this leper as if you were fleeing from a lion.

When you are cautioned from an individual by the scholars and those known for their firmness in this area then do not fall into a common misconception amongst many and that is the statement “I will wait until I see this matter with my own eyes” or “I have not seen what they say about him” and other similar statements signifying ones ignorance of this manhaj.  Do not be bold and arrogant.

17. Call the common people (from the Muslims) to the methodology of the Salaf with insight and good exhortations.  You must use kindness and wisdom with them as the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Verily kindness is not added to an affair except that it beautifies it and it is not taken from an affair except that it disgraces it”[13]

18. Be humble in the face of sincere advice.  Take the advice of our blessed elders in knowledge and virtue when they advise you.

19. Be abundantly aware of those who oppose the manhaj of the Salaf and know that they have characteristics that you must know.

And all praise is due to Allaah and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.