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The Blindest Following is the Taqlid of “Salafis.” 20 Jamad al-Awwal 1421 AH NOTE: Taqlid is the term used in Islamic Law for the following of the Four Imams (Mathabs) a Shaikh, or Wali. It is used by enemies of Ahl-e-Sunnah to attack the Lovers of Allah, The Holy Last Messenger (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) and His Deen; calling it “Blind Following.” People who follow their desires and opinions in conflict with the Shari’ah are described in the Holy Qur’an as the followers of Hawaa (lowly or Nafsani prompting). Such people, while attempting to advertise themselves as intellectuals of independent reasoning, are actually the blindest of followers. They follow their desires, abandoning a superior form of following (Taqlid of the Salaf-as-Saaliheen[1]) for the sake of the Taqlid of their nafs[2]. They suffer from the malady of oblique vision, rendering them worse than the blind. Those who criticize the illustrious Imams of the Four Madhahib of the Sunnah, and renounce the Islamic concept of Taqlid, have placed around their necks the taqlid of their nafs. They labor in self-deception without even understanding their deviation. They pretend to create the impression that they are men of profound knowledge, hence they themselves have no need for following the A’immah-e-Mujtahideen, such as Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik ibn Anas, etc. They dupe ignorant people into believing that they possess the capability of interpreting Holy Qur’an and Hadith and to deduct the problems based on Shari’ah by their self-study. But their following (taqlid) is of the worst kind. They have rejected to follow those authorities that acquired their knowledge from the Sahabah Ikram. Then they feel proud to announce their taqlid of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 782 AH) or Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah[3], both of whom appeared centuries after the illustrious A’immah-e-Mujtahideen. While they claim to be mujtahideen capable of interpreting and understanding the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, they make taqlid of Ibn Taymiyyah, who is the limit of their knowledge. They have no further source of knowledge. Whatever interpretation Ibn Taymiyyah presents, it is blindly and stupidly accepted by the Ghairi muqallideen who dub themselves “Salafis.” But they have no relationship with the noble Salaf-as-Saaliheen. Ibn Taymiyyah was not among the Salaf-as-Saaliheen, therefore this title is a great misnomer for those who have adopted blind following of their nafs. The beginning and ending of the knowledge Salafis ascribe to themselves is Ibn Taymiyyah who appeared on the Islamic Horizon seven centuries after Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) and five centuries after Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih). Many, if not all, Salafis glean their interpretation of Hadith from the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah and send the message across that their views are the product of their study of Holy Qur’an and Hadith. While they denounce the superior Taqlid of the Salaf-e-Saliheen, they readily embrace the taqlid of Ibn Taymiyyah. Worse than this, they have appointed for themselves as Imam Nasiruddeen al-Albani, who holds no rank in the knowledge of the Shar’iah. Al-Albani was a man of this present century who died just some months back (1999 AD). So, while they brazenly reject Taqlid, they have adopted the Taqlid of juniors and nonentities. While they denounce the Taqlid of the students of the Sahabah and the Students of the Salaf-e-Saliheen (Tabi’een & Taba’at-Tabi’een), they embrace the taqlid of those who have absolutely no comparison to the rank and status of the Salaf-e-Saaliheen, radiyallahu ‘anhum ajma’een. All Muslims know that Rasulullah (Sallallahu-‘Alayhi-Wa-Sallam) described three ages as the Khairul Quroon (Noblest Ages). These are the eras attached to the era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam). These were the ages of the A'immati Mujtahideen, Fuqaha, Muhadditheen, Mufassireen, and all the great Souls of al-Islam. These are the ages of the Sahabah, Tabi’een and Taba’at-Tabi’een. The illustrious authorities of these ages are termed the Salaf-us-Saliheen. The degree of spiritual blindness of the so-called Salafis can now be gauged. What Islamic rationale requires a man to reject and denounce the following of the Taqlid of the Salaf-us-Saliheen and substitute it with the miserable taqlid of incompetent nonentities? How can Muslims of intelligence reject the Taqlid of the Awliya and the A’immah of the epoch of Khairul Quroon and adopt the taqlid of men who do not possess the quality and character of a Wali of Allah Ta’ala. Although they claim to be following the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, they blindly follow Ibn Taymiyyah writings and opinions as interpreted by al-Albani. Yes they are quick to lay claim to be obtaining their rules directly from the Hadith; they lack the courage to state that they are following the Sunnah in the way Ibn Taymiyyah has understood it. In fact, few of them have access to the [real] works of Ibn Taymiyyah. They simply blindly follow Al-Albani and others whom they have appointed as their Imams, yet they are vociferous in their denunciation of the Islamic Taqlid of the A’immat-i-Mujtahideen of the era of the true Salaf. The Salafis are quick to cite Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih) and the other competent Muhadditheen as evidence for their opinions which they gleaned from the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah. While they cite Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih), they follow the interpretation of the Hadith offered by Ibn Taymiyyah and expounded by the modernist Al-Albani. Never be deceived by those who denounce Taqlid of the Fuqaha, and Awliya of Allah Ta’ala. They are not in reality rejecting the actual concept of Taqlid. They are in fact denouncing the ILLUSTRIOUS PREDECESSORS, the SALAF-E-SALIHEEN. They possess some deep dislike for these Predecessors, hence their criticism. As far as following is concerned, these Salafis also follow, yet they follow blindly. They offer blind taqlid to Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Albani, and Ben Baz. And they follow the Madhhab-e-Taymiyyah, Baaziyyah, Albaaniyyah and Wahhaabiyyah. Their crude criticism of the A’immah Mujtahideen is in fulfillment of the prediction made by Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) who said that among the signs of the Qiyamah is that people of the age will revile the Pious Predecessors (Salaf-as-Saaliheen) of former times. This is what precisely what these deviants are doing. Intelligent people will not be surprised by the miserable conduct of those who denounce the Imams of the Four Madhahib of the Ahlus Sunnah and the Awliya of Allah. It should be well understood that in every sphere of life, be it mundane or spiritual, taqlid is indispensable, as the Salafis themselves are displaying by their Tariqah of blindly following their Imams. The appropriate designations for the modernist denouncers of Taqlid are “Albanis” or “Baazis,” but not Salafis. There is no relationship between them and the Salaf-us-Saliheen. When in the presence of the Ulama [and educated] of Ahlus Sunnah, the Salafis pretend to honor and respect the A’immah of the four Madhahib. However, when they preach to unwary and ignorant laymen, they pour out their hidden venom for the Saaliheen Imams in general and for Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullahi Ta’ala ‘alaih) in particular. In this despicable two-facedness, they are emulating the Shi’ah who conceal their true ideologies behind a facade of falsehood. The Salafis of our time are guilty of having incorporated the Shi’ah concept of Taqiyah[4] into their ideology. May Allah Ta’ala save the Ummah from the evil of the nafs and the snares of Shaitan. ENDNOTES
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