His Eminence, Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, commented on what was published by Okaz regarding the hosting of the preacher, Sheikh Muhammad al-Arifi.

Dr. Al-Fawzan’s commentary was directed at the first installment, which was titled “Salafi, Tablighi, and Ikhwani: Labels That Are Not from Islam.” Following is his Eminence’s response:

I read a terrible headline in the Okaz newspaper on Sunday, 28/4/1426 AH (Issue No. 14162), covering an interview conducted with some of our honorable scholars. The headline read: “Salafi and Tablighi: Labels That Are Not from Islam.”

I was astonished at how the headline writer could claim that Salafiyyah is not part of Islam, when it simply means following the methodology of the Salaf as-Salih (Righteous Predecessors) from among the Companions, the Successors, and the favored generations. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Emigrants and the Helpers and those who followed them with good conduct—Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him…“ [At-Tawbah: 100].

Furthermore, He, Exalted be He, says regarding the Companions: “Indeed, those who have believed and emigrated and fought with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah and those who gave shelter and aided—they are allies of one another…“ until He, the Glorified, states: “And those who believed after [them] and emigrated and fought with you—they are of you.” [Al-Anfal: 72-75].

He, Exalted be He, also states in Surah al-Hashr: “For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting Allah and His Messenger, those are the truthful. And [also for] those who were settled in the Home and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them…“ up to His statement: “And those who came after them, saying, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith…’“ [Al-Hashr: 8-10].

And the Prophet ﷺ said: “And this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Fire except one.” They asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Those who are upon what I and my companions are upon today.”

And he (ﷺ) said: “Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided, directed Caliphs after me.”

Therefore, Salafiyyah is the true methodology that we are obligated to follow, while abandoning any methodologies that oppose it. Its adherents are the Saved Sect, Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah, and they are the Victorious Group until the Day of Resurrection—may Allah make us among them.

[Sheikh] Al-Fawzan pointed out that affiliating with this methodology requires a deep understanding of its foundational principles so that a Muslim can properly commit to it. Likewise, one must understand the methodologies that oppose it in order to avoid them. Thus, holding fast to the path of the Salaf must be done with knowledge and clear insight. Mere affiliation is not enough if it is accompanied by ignorance of it or actions contrary to it.

For this reason, Allah, Exalted be He, stated: “…and those who followed them with good conduct (ihsan).” This means doing so with correctness—correctness in knowing the path and correctness in following it, without falling into extremes or negligence, and without excess or shortcoming. This is unlike those who claim affiliation to the schools of the four Imams—Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi’i, and Ahmad—yet walk a path completely different from theirs in creed and worship.

Similarly, one who claims to follow the path of the Salaf while declaring Muslims to be disbelievers, rebelling against the Muslim rulers, or leaning toward any form of extremism is not a Salafi. Rather, such a person is termed a Kharijite or a Mu’tazilite. This also applies to one who claims the methodology of the Salaf while holding the views of the Murji’ah regarding matters of faith and disbelief. This is not Salafiyyah.

Therefore, it is obligatory to be mindful of this issue and not to confuse the methodology of the Salaf with other opposing methodologies. To claim that all of these methodologies are collectively “not from Islam” is a reckless statement, an unjust judgment, and a deception of the people.