Salafism Revisited: Some of You Lot Still Don’t Get It

[Update: Found a number of typos and missing symbols I missed the first few times going through the article. I’ve corrected them and uploaded an updated PDF. Because of the way WordPress’s media library works, the URL for the PDF has changed. If you have a direct link to it bookmarked, you’re going to have to update it. Apologies.]

Well, it’s taken me a while to get this done—just a little over two years, to be exact. This one’s a bit of a doozy too at 31 pages (32 if you include the cover), over double the length of its predecessor, Salafism, Do You Really Get It? An Actual Methodology or Merely Empty Slogans? As was the case when I first published Salafism, Do You Really Get It? in 2009, I’m not quite sure how this article (or book as my wife and daughter jokingly call it) will be received. About a decade and a half has gone by since the first installment, a heck of a lot has gone on since then. Sadly, however, a lot of things still remain the same, albeit with a different cast of actors and strangely, on a much larger stage (a lot of what was witnessed and experienced mainly among Salafis in the late 1990s and early 2000s is now being seen throughout Western culture, both Muslim and non-Muslim, e.g., extreme partisanship and division, outrage culture, cancel culture, etc.). As the old adage goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

New SPubs Diss Track Dropped!

New diss track from the jokers at SPubs.

Abū Taymiyyah: Ex grave-worshipper, actor, clown, ignoramus, self-promoter, deviant, student and supporter of innovators..

Full video: https://t.co/wIZU2IYrBY#salafi #ThePiousOnes #AbuTaymiyyah #AndrewTate pic.twitter.com/IBwnPwMqyg

— thepiousones (@thepiousones1) September 24, 2023

If You’re a Layman, Stay in Your Lane

Just a quote from the article I’ve been working on.

So … yeah … .

Not sure how many people who visit here are still waiting on the new article I said I’ve been working on, but looks like it’s going to be a little while longer before I’m done. I guess I got ahead of myself in thinking I’d be done after finishing the section I was working on the last time I posted. The more I thought about it, though, the more I felt I should touch on a couple other things that I had made mention of earlier in the paper. So, looks like it’ll be a bit while longer before I’m done. Apologies for those who were anticipating it. Please, forgive me.

I’m currently going through this stack of books, fishing for the quotes I have in mind that I might need. After I collect them and have them translated, hopefully, with Allah’s permission, this should be the last bit of the paper, but who knows? In any case, that’s the update. Still plugging away. Hopefully, it’ll be done and posted soon, insha’allah.

Rifqan Ahl as-Sunnah Published in Hardcopy

Back in December I was contacted by one of the brothers from Dar al-Arqam Publishing in the UK about participating in a couple of translation projects they had in mind. After some thought and consultation with a few dear friends, I agreed to take part. The main project eventually ended up falling apart due to news of another publisher already working on the intended book they wanted me working on. The other smaller project, however, was still a go.

While the book is pretty old now, they had asked me for the necessary permissions to have my translation of Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad’s second edition of Rifqan Ahl as-Sunnah bi Ahl as-Sunnah printed. They felt that it was still very relevant in our current times considering all the controversies the Salafi community is still embroiled with and that it might help with some of those affected and influenced by the exaggertionist mentality. Despite the small intended audience for the book (even though it generally applies to all of the People of the Sunnah and not just those involved in the controversies), they felt that the benefit of having it printed and distributed warranted it being done. So, after speaking with the brothers at QSSC, permission was granted and some necessary corrections and editions were made to the existing published version  (i.e., the one I posted here on my blog). It was also decided that al-Abbad’s short essay Marratan Ukhra Rifqan Ahl as-Sunnah bi Ahl as-Sunnah would be translated (again–as it was already translated by the brothers at Madeenah.com) and added as an appendix.

The book is now printed and is available at al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution’s online shop (link) for whoever wants to pick up a copy.

It’s A Goat, Even If It Flies!!!

Well, that didn’t take too long. At the beginning of Abu Usamah’s piece commenting on Rabi’ al-Madkhali’s recent statement about merely being a critic and not an imam in the science of disparagement and accreditation, he asked the question,

I await to see what the response is going to be from those who have taken him as the undisputed authority in every aspect of the Deen?

Will they apply their normal spin to his words and take them as merely an example of his humility that shows and indicates he is in fact THE IMAM of this science that the scholars of yesterday said ONLY A SELECT FEW WERE CONSIDERED TO BE COMPETENT AND CAPABLE ENOUGH OF DELVING INTO THIS FIELD?

As expected, the exaggerationists obliged in kind and promptly scrambled to carry out some sort of “damage control”, easily living up to the moniker I’ve given them. Take this image of a message that had made its rounds shortly after the audio recording of Rabi’ al-Madkhali’s statement and its translation by Madeenah.com was released:

 Oh no! Quick, cover your eyes, plug your ears!

Then there’s also this audio recording of a rather emotional statement made by Abul-Hasan Maalik the Green that was promptly sent out by the brothers at TROID.

In response to this, Abu Usamah Atthahabi has written another piece–which can be read after the jump–specifically commenting on the exaggerationism displayed by Maalik in this recording. Enjoy!