Shaykh Sa’ood ash-Shuraim’s Praise for The Salafee Manhaj [Methodology]

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Question posed to Shaykh Sa’ood ibn Ibraaheem ash-Shuraym [May Allaah preserve him]
After Salaat al-Fajr in Masjid al-Haram, 2006
Sharh Nathm al-Habeer fi Usool at-Tafseer, tape 9, 58-63mins

Question: Please clarify, who are the saved sect? There are people who claiming it for various groups, some say they the Salafis and others says it’s the Tableeghis, could you please clarify this?

Answer: This question appears constantly but I don’t mind explaining it again because there is a serious need for it to be understood. This is that in this time, the reality of the situation is that most people are away from the Quraan and the Sunnah. This is clearly apparent and because of this there has been a cause for splitting and disagreement between the Muslims. It is narrated on the authority of Misbaaq that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him] said in hadeeth that is Saheeh, “Verily Shaytaan knows he won’t be able to make people worship him in the land of the Arabs but he tries to create disunity within them instead.” From this disunity is for the Muslim brother to be disunity away from the truth and to split their ranks and to create enmity and disagreement between them. Disunited and not believing or wanting to unite with the other. Despite this, in their hands, the hands of the Muslim, is the Quraan and the Sunnah, if they ruled and judged their affairs by this then Allaah would be sufficient for them, as He would make them united upon it and dispel this evil and disunity.

I say: it don’t matter what you call yourself, specific names, rather what matters is your attitude and your approach. Everybody who acts upon the Quraan and the Sunnah then he is a Salafi and from the saved sect, knowing that the name Salafi may be attributed to this person or not. Whoever opposes the Quraan and the Sunnah or goes against it in any other way then he is not Salafi, even if he calls himself such. What the poet said is very true:

Some people say it is night time  

But the night is not dictated by what they claim

There is no doubt, if you attribute with a name then it will have an effect but what is more important is the reality and the approach of the person. Connected to this is the saying of the Prophet [Peace and Blessing of Allaah be upon him] where he said about Jihaad, he didn’t use any particular name for a group rather he said, “Whoever if fighting to make the statement and words of Allaah the highest and uppermost, then he is fighting in the sake of Allaah.” And this is the reality and you can call them what you like but their approach and gaol is to make the statement and words of Allaah the uppermost. The saved group here is not to attribute yourself to a name. There are people who fight in Jihad under this banner to make Allaah’s name the highest but within their ranks are those who fight for reputation or to show off etc but the praiseworthy fighting is to make Allaah’s name the highest, so it’s not connected to names of being a member of a group but rather your attitude and approach.

So if one was to ask, who are the Salafis? Who are the saved sect? Then the answer is, those who stick to following the Quraan and the Sunnah, in their beliefs and having Tawheed in Allaah in his Lordship, Worshipping Him alone and affirming his names and attributes, as well as other matters connected to spirituality. The conclusion to who the Salafis are was given by the prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him], “They are the ones who follow me and my companions”. So those who follow the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him] and the understanding of the Sunnah in accordance to the Companions [May Allah be Pleased with them all] then he is from those who belong to the saved sect and those who call themselves the Salafis.