What attracts Somalis to Salafism?

[Khayr]

Salafia is a ( Change Management) movement that found itself policing other revivalist Islamic movements in the turn of the century, who in the course of their Dawa work splintered into feuding factions with different names, in dispute over Aqeedah, Fiqh, controls of the revivalist movements, priorities and even on the level of Sunnah adherence of members of this growing revivalist movements.

I agree with you Nur.

 

Its leaders are mostly Hanbalis from Saudi Arabia or Somali students who have graduated from the Saudi Universities. The major hurdle that Salafayah movement has faced is the seemingly Dhaahiri interpretation of selected traditions, which are in conflict of Imam Shafici's way of Fiqh. Also absent from the Salafiya movement is a clear definition of a seemless transition from the present condition of the Ummah to that envisioned by the revivalists with their differences in approaches. And lastly, there is neither a single authority that represents this name, nor a single definition that spelled out what constitutes Salafiya approach in detail. One vague definition often given is the ( Quraan+ Sunnah+ The understanding of the Salaf generation) ,

however Quraan and Sunnah were covered by scholars of Tafseer and Science of Hadeeth, both of the salaf, but the "understanding of the Salaf" for those two sources present a circular logic

, Like saying " We are closed, because we are not open" as Imaam Al Tabari was a Salaf Mufassir, likewsie Ibn Salaah who laid down the foundation of the science of hadeeth was a Salaf Hadeeth Scientist ( Salaf are those who lived immediately after the companions.

I agree with you Nur but I don't know that you agree with me on this.

 

The Salafiyyah (that name romanticizes them) ignore all 1400 yrs of Islamic Scholariship and say that All the knowledge and ijtihadat where made in that area. So anything after that era, is innovation.

 

However, that discredits the work of other ulema and their understanding of the deen, who didn't necessarily live in that era.

 

Also, the Salafiyyah completely ignore Human pyschology and the ummah at large.

 

With the Salafiyyah, its as if we still live in the Meccan period, wherein the ayats that were revealed were largely about Hell and the punishments of the idolaters.

 

The persona of the rasul (salallahu caliyhe wasilm) is very much downplayed and the wisdom and the flexibility of the rasul (salallahu caliyhe wasilm) is not reflected in some of their leading figures.

 

 

As to labelling people other then muslim, why Allah in the quran uses labels such as Saliheen (righteous), Muhsineen (Good doers), Hezbollah (Party of Allah), Faaezuun (Winners) etc. when describing the Muslims and believers in general.

 

The problem lies in the 'saved sect' mentality which creates antoganism between muslims and pride, within muslims.

 

Allah loves the Believers in whatever form or name they come under whether they are the Mujahiruun, Anasar, Tabaeen, Salaf, Bani Hashim, Ahl al Tasawuf etc....

 

In anycase, the question that I posed for this thread is being side tracked:

 

WHAT ATTRACTS SOMALIS TO THE SALAFIYYAH MOVEMENT?

 

Fi Amanillah

[Nur]

Brother Xiin

 

You write:

 

I am astonished that you are tacitly assigning certain negativism to this term!

 

 

Brother, could you be kind enough to be specific on your claim, I can not find it after self assessing what i wrote. In case my remarks of lack in unanimity of leadershp and purpose of this movement is what you are referring to as the negativity, then rest assured my dear brother like the poet said ( Waxaa faan ugu filan, in ceebahooda la tirin karo):

 

ÙƒÙÙŠ المرء Ùخرا أن تعد معايبه

 

 

Kheyr Bro.

 

I have never heard anywhere that any scholar who professes to be part of the Salafiyah movement claimed that 1400 years of islamic knowledge to be bidca, this kind of unsubstantiated claims was what i feared that new names beg from their adversaries. From my limited knowledge, Salafiya relies on authentic hadeeths, and of late Scholars like Albani and Arna-uut, have painstakingly filtered and organized the Hadeeth science in a much better way thant the original salaf who may not had access of all the new processes of authentication of Hadeeths.

 

For example, if you read (ummahaatul kutub) the classical islamic literature written during the third century, writers used to write from memory, thus they were more prone to make errors, that were weeded out by latent scholars of today using the latest of hadeeth science authentication methods. If you read the book MADAARIJUL SAALIKIIN of Ibn AL QAYIM, you will find that it has a Hadeeth authenticated edition ( TAH-DHEEB), and so on.

 

 

Nur

[Mutakalim]

^^ Ùجاءت كثوب ضم سبعين رقعة

مشكلة الالوان مختلÙات

 

Pray you, Nomads, was the Poet of Nile, Hafiz Ibrahim, referring to the arabic language, or was he describing the reformist, pseudo-salafiyyah sect of our time? Alack!

 

Sayyedi Kheyr:- Though your question is a mutli-pronged one, I shall try to answer it with brevity, as time has been less than permitting lately. The following factors, I must own, contributed to the forest fire-like spread of the pseudo-salafiyyah.

 

1. Quran and Sunnah

 

Proponents of the pseudo-salafiyyah make it a habit to scream, that "anything contrary to the the Quran and the pure Sunnah is moot and mute". Thiers is an immediately agreeable mantra; who durst disagree that deference should be made to Holy Quran and the established sunna (per the defintion of Al-Shafi' in his Risalah) but a woeful person prone to guile and wile, or an oreintalist-loving ignoramus devoid of islamic knowledge?

 

A cursory study, however, of the lectures and writings of the leading mentors of this sect reveals that they pay only lip-service to the Quran and Sunnah; this is betrayed by the whimsical rejection of authentic traditions*, to say nothing of the distorted interpretation of the verses of the Quran.

 

* The magisterial refutations of the hadith giants from Morroco: Sayyidi Abdullah Muhammad bin Siddiq Al-Ghumari, and his brother, Ahmad bin Siddiq Al-Ghumari, and their students.

 

2. Petro Dollars

 

It is no secret, Sayyedi Khayr, that the hegemony of pseudo-salafiyyah idealogy hinges on the wholesale promulgation and propagation of thier scanty stock. This is more evident in the west, where clueless converts such as Daw'ud Burbank, Abu Khadijah, Bilal Davis, and other youthful riffraff tirelessly preach and publish leaflets and booklets in accordance with the shallowness of their fiqh and the unmistakable literalism in their aqeedah; some such things which they invariably inherited from their foreparents of knowledge, the doubly sightless Mufti of Arabia and the watch repairman turned "hadith scholar of the era"* from Syria.

 

* a title gratiutously given to Al-Albani by those who feel inspired by him, his hapless symphatizers. I am told Shaykh Shu'ayb Al-Arana'ut, the peerless hadith master, finds it simulteanously aggravating and amusing when he hears the less learned speak of the heavy-tongued watch repairman in that vein.

 

3. The Holy Sanctuaries

 

Equally important, although less conspicious, is the religious, social, and political clout that is beqeauthed to those who are the custodians of the Haramayn. Many people travel to Saudia Arabia in search for knowledge, only to find themselves studying the works of the controvesial heretic from Harran*. Moreover, salafi academic centers have been able to influence publish houses in Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, 'Amman and elsewhere, so much so, that such companies are willing to both distort the books of classical authors, and to publish books which previous scholars, the Jahabitha, have committed to the flames**.

 

* I am merely quoting what the inimitibale Imam of the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad Zahid ibn Hasan Al-Kawthari, said in regards to one controversial character from the seventh/eighth century who unabashedly claimed that Allah was a body, that He had a limit, and opined similiar sacreligious statements. سبحان ربك رب العزة عما يصÙون

 

** A freind recently apprised me of on-going efforts of some pseudo-salafis to publish a "muhadh-dhab" edition of the book of Qadhi Abi Ya'la Al-Hanbali, Ibtal Al-Ta'weelat, a book which Al-Hafidh Ibn Al-Jawzi rightfully called "the manfisteo of the mujassima".

 

4. Nescience of the common people

 

Ignorance is always conducive to deception and misguidance. Somalis are no different in this regard. Their ignorance is of two types: simple and compounded. To those of compounded ignorance, who post on this site, I say:

 

دع عنك الكتابة لست منها

ولو سودت وجهك بالمداد

 

Sayyedi Khayr, everyone claims to be following the salaf these days, but the methodology of the salaf could not have been more antithetical to their claims. Adeer, qof walba wuxuu leeyahay Layla ayaan la haasaawayoo way taqaan, Layla-se hadalkooda ictiraafi mayso.

 

With Salaams,

PK

[S.O.S]

^^^I'm afraid none of the above mentioned, either singular or in multiple combinations, is sufficiently determining factor(s) to explain brother Khayr's question ("What attracts Somalis to Salafism?"). Perhaps, your grievance overlaps time and methodology, certainly outside the scope of the phenomenon in question: "Salafi-Jadiid"?

 

w/c

[xiinfaniin]

Nur wrote:

 

Salafiya term, in its present usage was born within Saudi Arabia as an answer to other revivalist movement who have introduced innovations in aqeedah or ibaadaat, but like any other movement it has its positive and negative aspects with respect to its ability to take the ummah from its presnet demise to where it should be, it has rightfully awakened the Ummah about the importance of adherence to the two sources. The scope of this thread however, is the validity of naming the ummah other than Muslim. Anyone who coins a name for the Ummah other than Muslim is indeed helping in dividing the Ummah into splinters.

 

Nur, it’s clear to me, from this passage^^ of yours, that you think the usage of this term to describe its adherents is ‘dividing the Ummah into splinters’. You also think that Salafiya is closely associated with Saudi Arabia. On both accounts you’ve failed to capture the essence of being a follower of the salafu saalix. You’ve missed, in a big way I must say, to point out that Salafism, contrary to the popular perception, is an attitude and approach to stay within the defined parameters of interpreting divine revelation and it transcends borders. To see good Nur not being able to articulate the true meaning of this term was disappointing enough. But what broke the proverbial camel’s back was your assertion that those who use this label help the division of this Ummah! I can understand good Muttakalim, who has fundamental ideological difference with the direction which the Islamic awakening movement went, slandering salafism and the men who propelled it to reach its contemporary success, such as Imaam Albaani. But yours, yaa sheikh Nur, was misplaced remark. How else could one characterize the centripetal force of this dawcah, in terms of its attitude and approach, as its dividing feature? Bal ka tali!

 

 

Muttakalim, it’s quite disingenuous of you to describe the spread of salafism and its widening scope as a result of Saudi petro-dollar influence. Adeer remember that the watch repair man was the son of Albanian immigrant who lived, for the most part of his life, in socialist Syria and under its brutal dictatorial regime! His ascendance in the realm of science of hadith and his influence in the direction of Islamic Sahwah were due to his God-given talents, and not a creation of Saudi petro-dollars as you would like to have us believe! There are far more plausible reasons for this remarkable Islamic renewal than your attribution to a mere Saudi influence! Needles to say none of those reasons have anything to do with money and its perceived power .

 

 

Will comeback with more, IA.

[Salafi_Online]

Bro Nur

 

As you and I both understand, the Qur'an and the Sunnah stand as the ultimate sources of Islam upon which sharia is based. The salafi orientation only ascended in social practice as a reaction to the multiple aqeeda orientations and to its representative sects. Similar to the title “ahlul Sunnah wa jama3aâ€. The main focus of the salafi orientation is textual mandate based on the interpretation of the Salaf. Salafiyah does not substitute “Muslimâ€. Salafiyah is a name that underlines a methodology (manhaj), an aqeeda cast aside by those who are Muslims. a“Muslim†is anyone who believes In Allah without committing Shirk and/or Kufr despite his Aqeeda and Manhaj. The term “Muslim and Salafiyah†both play different yet equally important role.

 

Khair, Truth be told, it is Allah the majestic who guides people, whether they be Somalis or not to Salafiya.

 

Salamu alaykum

[Nur]

Brothers Xiin and Salafi Online

 

Jazakumullahu kheiran for your efforts and good intentions, its clear to me now that we are having a semantics difference, but not a fundemental one.

 

Its my firm belief that " The Proof Is In The Pudding" slogans or names do not deliver people, its their belief and actions that deliver them, if we truly adhere to the Quraan and Sunnah just like the good people of the Saxaabah, then, we are even bettter than them, as the Prophet SAWS said that we ( Present generation) are his ( IKHWAAN) BROTHERS, those who did not see him but followed him.

 

To say that I am disturbed hearing these names is an understatement, hebel is Salafi , islaaxi, yet hebel is ikhwaani etc. has labeled people and grouped them into adversaries ( Kullu Xizbin bimaa ladeyhim farixuun)

 

The unity of the ummah is a must, it supersedes all other considerations, we should all adhere to the Quraan and Sunnah without pride.

 

When we see a bidca being performed, its with wisdom that we should approach and change it, not by rallying behind a new name that gives us a new identity different than the rest of Muslims, if we don't, we should not be alarmed when we have a subset of Salafiya Jadiida, then, Salafiya Siysaasiya, then Salafiya Iqtisadiya and so on. My point is let us not forget that Allah SWT ordered ( Wa laa tatafarraquu) Do not DIVERGE AWAY into different groups.

 

There is no a single group out there with a silver bullet to solve all of Islams problems, solutions are available across these groups, unless we become mature enough to respect opposing views, the DIVISION will be maintained, labels add to the DIVISION, show your adherence of the Manhaj of the Salaf al Saalix in your actions and akhlaaq, its more effective that way as you have helped the right label, MUSLIM to be perceived as it deserves.

 

An Imam and a scholar of Islam that I had a discussion with, was confused too, he didn't know where I was coming from in our discussion, he tried to put me in one of the ready made boxes that Islamists are placed, after he gave up, he said to me something to the effect : " I think you are, Salafi in your Aqeeda, Ikhwani in your political approach, Tablighi in your zeal to reach and teach others, Taxriri, in your yearning to bring back the Khilafah, Sufi in your love of Dhiker and Softwaano Raqaaiq "

 

 

Nur

[S.O.S]

^^^I agree 100% with brother Nur, and don't think there's a more fitting way to conclude this thread.

[Viking]

Salafi_Online,

Islam is inclusive bro, not exclsive!

 

Nur,

Well said bro!

[xiinfaniin]

Salafi-Online; I hope your elaboration serves as a great clarifier and clears this fog of confusion about this term.

 

Nuurow, if I read your posts right, your argument is very simple and effortlessly put: let us all wrap ourselves with our Islamic gown and shun from divisive labels and names! It’s good that way, I hear you say. That’s all dandy and good with me. I hardly take issues with such a constructive message of unity. Whether it’s tabliiq, ikhwaan, or our Islamic Courts I welcome them all. Get that point yaa Nur.

 

What I don’t hear you say, or, worst yet, seem to be taking it lightly, however, is the weight of the salafi term. It’s very significant, my good brother, to judge each and every term by its merit. Despite this discussion’s audience’s tacit disapproval of continuing this tread, I would like you to either invalidate or affirm my understanding of your stance about labels and names (other than Muslim of course): do you deem them all divisive and unnecessary? Remember my good brother what I am taking issue with is your depiction of Salafism as a label that helps in dividing the Ummah in to sects. That’s very gross charge, mind you, against what I consider the attitude and approach of our Islamic forefathers, so to speak! I await your answer!

 

 

Kheyr wrote:

 

The Salafiyyah (that name romanticizes them) ignore all 1400 yrs of Islamic Scholariship and say that All the knowledge and ijtihadat where made in that area. So anything after that era, is innovation.

 

However, that discredits the work of other ulema and their understanding of the deen, who didn't necessarily live in that era.

 

Also, the Salafiyyah completely ignore Human pyschology and the ummah at large.

 

With the Salafiyyah, its as if we still live in the Meccan period, wherein the ayats that were revealed were largely about Hell and the punishments of the idolaters.

 

The persona of the rasul (salallahu caliyhe wasilm) is very much downplayed and the wisdom and the flexibility of the rasul (salallahu caliyhe wasilm) is not reflected in some of their leading figures .

 

Assuming of course that you understand that unity mottos and catchphrases are no substitute of discussion, care to tell us, my good brother, where in the manhaj of salafu saalix our beloved prophet’s persona is downplayed? And while you’re at it, and as an act of charity, point to us who are those leading figures whose deeds do not reflect the wisdom and flexibility of Muhhamad?

 

As I await sheikh Nur’s and brother Kheyr’s response let me say that I found this tread to be revealing and helpful to gauge how misleading propagandas and false literature about this term made tangible progress in creating negative perception about it! What’s next? Perhaps Jihadists---a reference to those who affirm this religious tool in resisting and defending their faith and values? If our pious leaders of yesteryears were fine with it, why would we hesitate to use this term (Salafism refers to the salafu saalix), I ask?

 

As for brother Khery’s Q, I think you are asking the wrong question! If you meant to ask why the sahwah movements in Somalia tends to align itself with the strict interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah then the answer is ridiculously simple: fidrah. In other words by strictly following the Qur’an and Sunnah, sahwah in Somalia naturally satisfied deliverables of the awakening movement in the Islamic world; to go back to the original interpretation of the scripture, do away with the excesses of religious innovations, and reflect teachings and values of the Qur’an! Simple! Is it not yaa Kheyr? Given the fact that you wrote the passage I quoted above I am not surprised however that your understanding about Salafism and what it entails remain crude! The true answer of your question lies not in soliciting views of online nomads to perhaps solidify your initial, and clearly hostile, thoughts about Salafism! Rather I would advice you to do some basic research beyond Google tool to understand and absorb what this term means!

[Nur]

Xiin bro writes:

 

About Movement Names such as Salafiyah: do you deem them all divisive and unnecessary? Remember my good brother what I am taking issue with is your depiction of Salafism as a label that helps in dividing the Ummah in to sects. That’s very gross charge, mind you, against what I consider the attitude and approach of our Islamic forefathers, so to speak! I await your answer!

 

 

This great faith of ours, ISLAM went through cycles throughout history, it started as a strange faith, it was soon accepted and reached the farthest corners of the world in the shortest time any faith has reached, it was carried by men and women of deep faith, when these men and women's iman was degraded or lost, the decline of Muslims as a human champions of change began, decay starting to eat up its way to the highest ranks of the leadership. The splendour of our faith was then gone, and today a headless body is trying once more to grow a new head to coordinate its efforts so Islam can claim back its rightfull place, while its enemies are clubbing this disoriented nascent body like a baby seals in a bloody confrontation.

 

As we find ourselves in these crucial times, we pick up the pieces and lost treasures of a great faith, but as we do that, each of us finds a piece of the lost treasure, "hey. this Islam", says one group, " No, this is the way" contgradicts another" but in reality, the complete picture is a collection of all the pieces like a torn picture, unless we come together and share what we have, the total picture of this great faith will not be seen.

 

This faith will not be brought back in a way different than the way it started, through suffering and sacrifice, helping each other like the Ansar and Muhajirin, making the unity of our ranks as the most important and for its sake being midnful of sensitivities thaty can only divide and create hatred and mistrust.

 

The idea of Salafiya is indeed a noble one, it is a ( Back-To-The_ Basics) movement without which the Islamic Dawa work would not have gotten this far in terms of the authentication of the traditions and the sources of our faith, which are crucial for the sucess of any movement today, likewise, each and every other movement has adopted an important aspect of our cause that is crucial for the reviving of our faith, thus the complete solution is ingrained in all of the movements, while errors and mistakes are likewise shared by all to different degrees.

 

In Conclusion, we should never copy-and-paste our Somali clannish mentality to Islam. As warring clans, we never trusted the " Others" no matter how well they argue, a famous Rer Qansax man once said " If a Re Qurac man tells you Allah is one, don't agree with him, tell Him we know Allah better than You"

 

 

Nur

[Uthman1]

Brother Nur dont you think that for people choose from what is wrong or not, we need to all know the different sects.

 

It is a fact that the ummah will be divided into 73 sects and 1 out of a 1000 will be guarenteed heaven. Unity is brought about by enjoining that which is good and abstaining from that which is wrong with clear knowledge that it is wrong. It is not possible to say for example that Shia, Sufis and those on the path of the salafs should unite and put their differences aside because there is fundemental disagreements amongst these sects.

 

As well it is untrue to say that each sect have their strong points and weaknesses and that a combination of them will bring about a complete set of rules. I would be suprised to know the strong points of the sufis and shia that the people who follow the salafs and use Quran and Sunnah as their source dont have.

 

So unity is brought about by assessing the sects and choosing the sect that reflect the teachings of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and adheres to the principles in the Quran.

[Nur]

Uthman bro.

 

To make the prophecy that the Ummah will be dividing into 73 factions as a pretext to sustain division is not right. Why not also look up for prophecies that Islam will be united again under a single leadership, according to the Hadeeth that the Prophet Muhammad SAWS said, after the (Al Mulkul Caduud), there will be (khilaaafa Callaa nahjil Nubuwa)? because that is where we are in historical time frame?

 

Brother, to claim that Salafiyaah is the Prophesied Al Firqah Al Naajiyah in the Hadeeth and that all other groups are hell bound applying the hadeeth on them is indeed jumping the gun on the wrong targets at the wrong time, with the wrong analogy. These groups are far closer to Islam than nations that Islam have conquered, and honored who later gave us scholars like Imaam Bukhaari, are you sure that you are not wasting valuable allies when you are in dire need for help to establish Allah's deen on Allah's earth?

 

The unity that i am championing is not based on any compromise on caqiida issues ( please read eNuri caqeeda posts and my piece on Shia), its rather based on wisdom on how to contain all the energies and good intentions of these groups to be molded into the form of original islam without any (holier than thou) proprietrary trademarked names that can potentially create rifts before even building good grounds for reproach along the solid lines of Quraan and Sunnah.

 

People convert to Islam because of tangible deeds and benefits, not names and banners, we should be the change we want to see in the world, in deeds of which kindness, tolerance and bridging gaps are the method of our Prophet SAWS when he was reaching out for potential converts. Its hard to believe that a single group on the scene today with its present curruculum alone can realize the dream all Muslims yearn for, we need all the ingenuity and resources of this imbattled ummah to bring about a lasting change, and hence lies the challenge and neccessary patience until its realized.

 

The first step is to share a single name MUSLIM, proper definition of what Islam stands for will follow when trust is built.

 

 

Nur

[Uthman1]

Nur its true that unity cannot be brought about by having rift on minor issues.

 

But the main reason for division within the Ummah is not to do with people creating groups for themselves but because of lack of knowledge of the teachings of Messenger peace be upon him. The Messenger made clear for instance that innovation is in the fire. So why does particular sects continue to innovate and bring newly invented matters, its because of their lack of knowledge and weak desires. Another group for instance make it their objective to assisinate muslim leaders but they dont know that the Prophet(pbuh) stated that we should help the oppressor by talking to them about islam. We can continue and go and on about other groups and their mistakes.

 

I'm not jumping the gun since I take the principles from the Quran and Sunnah and hold on to them firmly as the way of the salaf. Didnt the Prophet(pbuh) say that those on His sunnah and the sunnah of this companions are on the right path. Why then do you find groups celebrating for instance the birthday of the Prophet(pbuh) or calling some companions by filthy names. It is not consistent with the teachings of the Prophet(pbuh) and we need to call these sects back to the Quran and Sunnah and this is what brings about unity because once they here the truth then naturally the falsehood will perish.

 

In conclusion the division is brought about ignorance of the teachings of the Messenger(pbuh) and the desires of people to bring about innovation into the religion. And unity will only be brought about once we adhere to the Quran and Sunnah and interpret it like the way of the salafs, whether you name this order Salafism or not is irrelevant because this is the true teachings of islam.

[Salafi_Online]

Bro NUr

 

Islamic unity is absolutely crucial and obligatory, but is it feasible? Reading that “every sect rejoices with what they have.†(sura Rum) highlights the inevitability of disunity. Every group emphasizes on certain aspect of islam, whether it is politics, dikr, dawah, khalifah, Jihad. This is not bad, after all, it is part of Islam and welcomed. However trouble lies with the points of difference. Difference is a human quality; some are acceptable while others are not. Differing in aqeeda damages the Islamic cause. The usual rant on “Islamic unity “is superficial and simplistic at best. There is no consensus on what we should agree or unite upon. The notion of uniting on “ISLAM†lacks depth since the Islamic umbrella covers much falsehood mixed with truth. You and I both know that unity based on false aqeeda only brings destruction and the wrath of Allah. There is a “firqatul najiyah, I am sure you have your own thoughts on who they are.