All praise is due to Allaah, and may the peace and prayers be upon the messenger of Allaah, his companions, family and whomsoever follows his guidance.
To proceed: To the brother, Muhammad ‘Abdul Hadee, the Imaam of Masjid As Sunnah in Marseilles, France. May Allaah grant him success, make his path firm, and increase him in guidance and foresight.
As salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatahu, to you as well as all your brothers in France. And I thank you for your noble and sensible thoughts as in regards to the differences that occurred between the Salaafee youth just because of a difference that occurred between so and so and so and so, which shows an improper understanding of the Manhaj of the Salaf, and how they [the Salaf] hated splitting, rather Allaah and his messenger hate splitting and differing.
The Deen of Allaah and the Manhaj of the Salaf is not on this level that a lot of the youth believe it to be: That there occurs differing, enmity and disruption for the most trivial of reasons. From them [reasons] is that so and so speaks about so and so, and so a group of brothers strongly and stubbornly defend one brother and another group likewise defends the other. Then the conflicts and battles between the two (or more) groups begin. Allaah and his messenger and the Deen of Islaam are free from this type of behavior, as it is from the handiwork of Shaytaan, who wants splitting, differing, enmity and hatred between the Muslims for the most trivial of reasons.
Just as it is from the ways of the people of desires, innovations and Hizbeeyah, those who are far from the Manhaj of the Salaf and their intelligence, their Hikmah (wisdom), their foresight, their firmness and solidarity towards different circumstances, as well as their respect towards brotherhood and love, which are from what Allaah has ordered to be respected and preserved.
And I will give you a few examples of the positions that the Salaf took towards some situations, which showed their Hikmah, insight and their strict adherence to the book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their messenger. Situations that would shake up the people of innovations and push them towards splitting, differing, enmity and conflicts. But these situations do not even shift/sway Ahlus Sunnah, rather, it only increases them in firmness, unification, and in standing firmly against Fitan (trials) and its people.
1) In the Fitnah that occurred between the Sahaabah during the battle of Al Jamal and the battle of As Siffeen. What was the position of people of desires towards it and what was the positon of Ahlus Sunnah?
As far as the people of desires, then this Fitnah exposed their evil intentions and aims. Some of them Tahazzaba (made partisanship) towards one side and disparaged the other side like the Shee’ah, they were stubbornly bias towards ‘Alee, and they disparaged Ahlul Jamal, the people of Shaam, Mu’aaweyah, ‘Amr ibn Al ‘Aas and whoever supported them.
And likewise the Nawaasib; they supported Mu’aaweyah and ‘Amr and their armies, and they disparaged ‘Aleee, his armies and supporters.
Others like the Khwaarij and the Mu’tazilah or some of their leaders; they disparaged ‘Alee and his supporters as well as Mu’aaweyah and his supporters.
As for Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah -رحمهم الله- , and at the head of them; the rest of the Sahaabah, the Tabi’een and the Imaams of guidance such as Sa’eed ibn Musayib, ‘Urwah ibn Az Zubayr, Al Qaasim ibn Muhammad, Saalim ibn ‘Abdillaah and others from the Imaams of the Tabi’een such as Maalik, Al Awzaa’ee, Sufyaan At Thawree, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Hamaad ibn Zayd, Hamaad ibn Salamah, and others from the Imaams of other Islaamic lands; in Madeenah, Makkah, Al Yemen, Al Basrah, Al Koofah, As Shaam, Misr, Al Maghrib, Al Andolus, All of them were upon one Manhaj, and one ‘Aqeedah towards the people of desires and towards those who disparaged the Sahaabah. And from them were those that participated in the battle of Al Jamal, and As Siffeen. They made Walaa’ of all of them, and made excuses for all of them and they considered that the Mujtahid [1] from amongst them who reached the correct opinion received two rewards, and that the one who erred received one reward;
2) There was a very strong disagreement between the two Imaams, Al Bukharee and Muhaammad ibn Yahyaa Al Dhuhalee, -رحمهم الله- , to the point that Ahlus Sunnah wal Hadeeth were about to tear apart. But because of their consciousness/awareness towards Islaam, and their deep conception of the dangers of separation and differing and their evil effects in the Dunyah and Aakhirah, they were able to extinguish this Fitnah and bury it to this day of ours;
3) And during these times of ours, there were differences between Shaykh Al Albaanee and a number of the Mashaayikh of Ahlus Sunnah such as Hamood At Tuwaygree, Shaykh Ismaa’eel Al Ansaaree, Shaykh Naseeb Ar Rifaa’ee. Differences of opinion occurred even between him and Shaykh Ibn Baaz,-رحمهم الله- . But the people, especially the Salafees, did not see any effects of this differing.
So what is it that has convinced the Salafee youth in these crucial days in which the enemies, with their different sects and methodologies, have outwardly proclaimed their enmity towards the salafee da’wah and its Imaams.
The Jews and the Christians from one angle, the Shee’ah, Rawaafid, Sufeeyah ‘Ilmaaneyoon and the Ikhwaan [from another angle] have built up fronts to wage war against the Salafee Da’wah, and have slung evil accusations on them, especially because of what is going on these days in regards to terrorism, bombings and destruction.
Don’t you think that this differing between the Salafee youth strengthens the enemies of the Salafee Da’wah, and gives them the incisive weaponry that they use to slaughter Salafeeyah and its people?
Doesn’t this differing distort the Salafee Da’wah and take away its beauty and grace as well as stop its spread and propagation? My brother and my sons, those whom Allaah has been gracious to and has guided to this magnificent Manhaj, some of the youth are ignorant of its status, and are ignorant of the bounty of Allaah upon them, and His Grace, and the fact that He guided them to this magnificent Manhaj.
I, as well as other than me, have realized that there are two waves that have struck the core of the Salafee Da’wah; a wave of harshness and extremism and a wave of excessive lenience that goes beyond the legislated bounds, and negligence/laxity. And both of these waves have been exaggerated to the point that they almost engulfed all the people of Salafeeyah.
Indeed Allaah has forbidden both extremism and negligence/laxity because of the harms and evils that they generate. And He has legislated for this ‘Umah At Tawasut (middle path) and to be just; this is the straight path of Allaah which He has ordered us to follow. In it is all that is good, happiness, and salvation from destruction.
So when I saw the dangers of these two waves, I directed advice to the Salafee youth everywhere a number of times. So I hope that this advice is welcomed and accepted by our brothers and sons and beloved ones from amongst the Salafees.
And I included in the advice, a strong encouragement to the Salafee youths to leave all kinds of separation and differing, and to have brotherhood for the pleasure of Allaah, and to love one another for His pleasure, as well as to be soft and gentle with one another, and to have Hikmah (wisdom) and to remind/advise the one who falls into error in a way that is best.
And now I strongly reaffirm this advice and I encourage you to seriously and truthfully leave off differing and its causes, and to replace it with accord and brotherhood and so on.
And I as well as all the Salafees in the Kingdom, and Yemen and other than them hope that we listen to all that has been addressed and to recognize it, in order to end this abominable differing and burry it, and proclaim affection and brotherhood, and to turn to gaining beneficial knowledge, as well as practicing pious deeds, and to co operate upon righteousness and piety, and to be serious about spreading this Da’wah, and to show its beauty in its ‘Aqeedah, Manhaj as well as its manners.
My Brother, Muhammad ‘Abdul Haadee, I hope that you seriously rush to quench this Fitnah, and that you call the intelligent ones in Paris, Leon and other cities, especially Abu Zeyaan, call them to a gathering in which you will present to them this letter of mine which I hope will be an aid to you all to end this Fitnah, remove its causes, and instill what Islaam has made obligatory upon you as in regards to brotherhood, and to exchange affection/love between you, and to co operate upon righteousness and piety in the place of separation in all fields especially in the field of Da’wah to Allaah.
My brother, it appears to me that these differences between them is not in ‘Aqeedah or in the principals of Da’wah or Manhaj, and it is only he say she say, enmity and arguing about people whom they have exceeded in elevating/glorifying, while they do not surpass the level of being a student of knowledge.
I ask Allaah that He fulfills all what they are striving to achieve in regards to unifying the ranks of the Salafees, and bringing together their hearts and souls upon truth and guidance.
And may the peace and prayers be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.
One who loves you for the sake of Allaah;
Shaykh Rabee’ bin Haadee ‘Umayr Al Madkhalee.
28/2/1425
