The audacity of Ignorance:

A Solemn Warning to Abu Khadeejah about the Poisonous Flesh of the Scholars

By Shadeed Muhammad

In the Name of Allah, Al Ali (i.e. The Most High), Al Jabbar (i.e. The Enforcer). All Praise is for
Allah. We praise Him and seek His aid and forgiveness. Whomever Allah guides, then indeed he
is rightly guided, and whomever He leads astray, then there is absolutely no guide for Him. I
openly testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone and that Muhammad is His
last Messenger.

To proceed,

Ibn ul Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned a very profound statement that
highlights the origin of the human being:

The human being was created in his original state ignorant and oppressive and will not remove
himself from such a state unless Allah teaches him what will benefit him and inspires him with
guidance. So if Allah wants good for him, He teaches him what will benefit him and thus he
removes himself by it from his first state of ignorance. And if Allah benefits him with what He has
taught him, then he removes himself, by it, from the second state of oppression. However if Allah
does not want good for him, He leaves him in his original state (i.e. ignorant and oppressive)
(Ighaatha tul Lahfaan)

The human being in his origin is cruelly ignorant and as a result, he is oppressive, not only to
himself, but to others. Knowledge breeds humility while ignorance breeds audacity, hence the
profound idiom of William Shakespeare: Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.
Ignorance causes the human being to shoulder responsibilities that are above his moral capacity,
and blinds him to the accountability that accompanies it. Allah highlights this fact when He offered
the responsibility of free will and all refused to shoulder it except the human being. Allah says:

Indeed We offered the trust (i.e. of free will) to the heavens and the earth and the mountains and
they all refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof, but man assumed it and indeed he was
ignorant and oppressive. (33:72)

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In contemporary times within the Islamic Ummah we are witnessing the infectious and tumultuous
nature of utter ignorance and its impact on the unity and stability of our communities globally. This
ignorance has unfortunately transcended the normal echelon of mere backbiting, slander of one
another and disruption of communal solidity necessary to combat the onslaught of Shaytan and the
obstacles of this life (i.e. Dunya), and has now taken on more contemptible form- disregard for the
honor and status of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah. Al Hafith Abu Qasim Muhammad Ibn Asaakir
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Know! O my brother, may Allah grant success to me and you in following what is pleasing to
Him, and make us from those who have reverence for Him and fear Him as He deserves to be
feared. The flesh of the scholars is poisonous and the custom of Allah in dealing with those who
seek to infringe on the sacredness of their honor is well known. For the one who uses no
discretion when speaking about the scholars disparagingly, Allah will test him with the death of his
heart before his own demise.

Then he recited the statement of Allah:

Let those who oppose his command (i.e. The Messenger of Allah) beware lest a fitnah (i.e.
trial/tribulation- however in this verse it refers to the death of the heart as mentioned by Imam
Ahmad) befall them or they are punished with a painful torment.(24:63) (Found in Seeyar Aalam
An Nubalaa by Imam At Thahabi)

Ibn Deqeeq Al Eid (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Ridiculing the Muslims in general while using no discretion when speaking about their honor is a
pitfall from the many pitfalls leading to the hell-fire, and we ask Allah for safety and security. There
are countless textual evidences in the Quran and the Sunnah that concretely point to the
impermissibility of backbiting and emphasize its gravity. However when backbiting is levied against
someone who clearly benefits the Ummah (i.e. the Scholars), it is magnified. And all of the people
of knowledge concede that the flesh of the scholars is poisonous (Explanation of Kitab ul Ilm by
Abu Khaythamah Vol.1 Pg.24)

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Disparaging, degrading and insulting the scholars, particularly those from Ahlus Sunnah, is not the
behavior Islam promotes evidenced by the tremendous amount of reverence the companions had
for the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) who was the most knowledgeable from amongst them. Rather
one of his closest companions, Amr Ibn Al As (Radiyallahu anhu) said:

There was no individual more beloved to me than the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) and
no one more esteemed in my eyes than him, so much so, that I didnt even have the ability to look
at him out of reverence for him. And if I was asked to describe him I would not even have the
ability to do so because I never filled my eyes with his image completely. (Collected in Saheeh
Muslim)

This is the degree of reverence his companions had for him (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), who, they
considered to be the most knowledgeable of them in regards to Allah. Another example of this is
found in an incident where some of companions said to him one day: O Messenger of Allah, we
are not of your stature! For Allah has forgiven you for your past and future sins. The Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) became extremely angry, which was noticeable by the redness of his face and the
change in his demeanor. It was as if they were founding this assertion on the fact that he did not
work for this lofty station, rather it was just given to him as one of the many perks for being the
Messenger of Allah. And so he responded very emphatically:

Without a shadow of a doubt, I am the most fearful of Allah from amongst you and the most
knowledgeable from amongst you. (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

Another example of this is the reverence the companions had for Abdullah Ibn Abi Quhaffah (i.e.
Abu Bakr As Siddeq), the most knowledgeable of this Ummah after the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa
salam). For when the demise of Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) was near, he stood in front of his
companions and gave a parable about his demise that would change the dynamics of his
community completely from that point on. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said: Perhaps there is a servant
of Allah who will be given a choice between remaining in this dunya (i.e. this life) or being with
Allah, and perhaps that servant will opt to be with Allah. And at that moment Abu Bark began to
cry profusely, and some of the companions turned to one another asking why he was crying, and
Abu Saeed Al Khudri (Radiyallahu anhu) said:

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 So the Messenger of Allah, he was that servant and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable from
amongst us. (e.g., because he knew exactly who and what the Prophet was referring to).
(Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

Thus the former part of this Ummah- the greatest example for the whole of mankind- had a
reverence for knowledge and the people of knowledge that the latter part of this Ummah lacks
today. And it is obvious from their Minhaj (i.e. Methodology) that insulting the scholars was/is an
insolent and contemptible behavior that Islam does not condone, for the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa
salam) clearly stated:

He is not from my Ummah who does not revere our elderly, and does not have mercy on our
young and does not recognize the right and virtue of our scholars. (Collected Musnad Imam
Ahmad and considered hassan by Shaykh Al Bani in Saheeh Al Jaami)

It is appalling to see how criticizing the scholars has become so trendy today, even amongst many
of the laymen who replicate the behavior they witness from many of the self-proclaimed students
of knowledge and Daees(i.e. callers to Islam). It is actually a manifestation of how they value true
knowledge and unfortunately, exposes the very nature of their understanding of Islam in addition
to the shameful level(s) that some are willing to stoop in order to validate their ever fading
relevance under the guise of defending the Salafi Minhaj, especially when it is done in a manner
that is unbefitting to even the most common layman from amongst us.

The danger of this iniquitous behavior for those who pioneered it and then introduced it to the
younger and less informed laymen from amongst us is that they will bear the burden of its sin and
that of those who follow them in it. Even after their demise, while they are in that lonely cold grave,
they will continue to earn sin due to the legacy of backbiting, slander and scandal surrounding the
honors of countless Muslims- including the scholars- they were engaged in and left behind on these
websites. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

Whoever revives a good practice in Islam (i.e. Sunnah), then he will have the reward for reviving
it and the reward of everyone who replicates it and nothing will be diminished from their reward.
And whoever invents an evil practice, then he will earn the sin of initiating it and the sin of
everyone who practices it and nothing will be diminished from their sins. (Collected Saheeh
Muslim)

This behavior has unfortunately opened the door for many of the laymen from the youth of those
who ascribe to the Sunnah/Salafiyah to express publicly- without a hint of discretion- how they feel

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about certain scholars from Ahlus Sunnah based upon what they read being disseminated on
certain websites. These youth have begun to boycott those who dont agree with them and label
those who disagree with these websites to be innovators etc. which leads to loathsome Hizbiyah
(i.e. partisanship) with blameworthy repercussions. Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ar Rajijee (may Allah
preserve him) said:

It was brought to my attention that there are now many different groups and sects amongst the
youth today and that their primary objective is to separate people and categorize them and then
say: you follow the sect of such and such! or you are Ikhwaani! or you are Salafi! or You are
Suroori! or you are such and such and this is what they are completely preoccupied with. They
even declare government officials to be disbelievers as well as some of the scholars and declare one
another to be disbelievers and declare one another to be innovators or sinners and this is what they
are preoccupied with and this is a calamity which is in the best interest of our enemies! It is
incumbent upon these youth to fear Allah and to engage in seeking knowledge and to abandon this
sectarianism and issuing rulings on one another, for this is not your responsibility and you should
leave this to the people of knowledge.

These youth have wasted their time and their religion with this behavior and more importantly,
they have weakened their religion and their faith because of their transgressions against the scholars
and government officials. The flesh of the scholars is poisonous and it is not befitting for an
individual to speak about the scholars without sound knowledge and wisdom (i.e. baseerah). The
people of knowledge and understanding, those who exercise due diligence in arriving at the truth
from amongst them, they will receive two rewards when they are correct, while those who err from
amongst them will receive one reward and thus it is not befitting for the young inexperienced
students of knowledge to speak about them and eat at their flesh and their honor. (Fatawah Abdul
Aziz Ar Rajihee) Vol.1 Pg.84)

There are websites that are held today to be the hub of sound Salafi information, but in reality,
they are some of the most reprehensible and vile Islamic gossip sites whose sole objective is to

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promote a more tailored version of Salafiyah and has added very little, if any, value to the lives of
struggling Muslims in the West. Those who, their only intent and desire is to sincerely practice this
religion without the bombardment of sophisticated ignorance and rhetoric that is circulated on
these websites void of any real substance or food for the soul. These sites are only designed to
preoccupy them from the real objective of getting closer to Allah in a society that is largely
dominated by Shaytan (i.e. Iblees), heavily occupied by the sacrilegious and set up for us to
ultimatel fail religiously.

One of such sites is known as SalafiTalk.net. This particular site has throughout the years played a
crucial role in the poor and dysfunctional condition(s) of many Salafi communities around the
world. I would like to draw the readers attention to the comment of Shaykh Khalid Ar Radaadee
(may Allah preserve him) made years ago about the exploitive contents of this site and the
administrators of it:

I would like to bring attention to the point that I have advised the owners of this site
SalafiTalk.net may Allah guide them, that they stay away from spreading Qeela wa Qaal (i.e. this
one said and that one said) on this site of theirs, and that they remove a lot of the statements and
opinions that contain a lot of Taaddee (i.e. excessiveness) and ignorance. In these statements as
well, there is a lot of injustice, making incorrect judgments/rulings as well as hastily spreading
narrations. I have advised them about this, and they promised that they would remove a lot of
these issues from their website.

What is even stranger is that they are selective. They select from the sayings of the Mashayish (i.e.
scholars) and students of knowledge that which is in agreement to their way and their Minhaj (i.e.
methodology). If they find a saying of a shaykh (i.e. scholar)that is in agreement with their desires
they run with it, put it on their site as well as advertise and propagate it (courtesy of
www.Madeenah.com)

Abu Khadeejah Abdul Wahid Alam, who resides in the United Kingdom, is the chief
administrator of this site, which is a catalyst for the repressive and destructive behavior that many
other sites affiliated with it exemplify, that many may not be aware of. These sites include, but are
not restricted to: SalafiPublications.com, Troid.ca/troidpublications.com, Mpubs.org
(Muwahideen Publications), barelwis.com, bidah.com, Aqidah.com, Tawheedfirtst.com,
Sunnah.tv, Takfiris.com, Asharis.com, Islamagainstextemeism.com, Salafyink.com etc. in addition
to countless Yahoo groups, Facebook pages and miscellaneous blogs. And it is through these sites
that Abu Khadeejah and his constituents have managed to monopolize and dominate the Salafi
content disseminated on the internet. This is how many of his positions against other callers (i.e.
daees), scholars, Masajid, websites etc. are spread rapidly throughout the world and are able to
create massive turmoil and cause colossal damage to many communities abroad as well as the
reputations of those poor individuals who oppose or disagree with him.

The iniquity of Abu Khadeejah has no limits, for he accused Shaykh Waseeallah Abbas (may
Allah preserve him and produce many more scholars like him) of oppressing him and even went

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as far as to call the Shaykh a liar publicly without any discretion. This amid other verbal atrocities
and abuses levied towards the Shaykh is a direct result of his profane ignorance and lack of
reverence for all of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah.

Abu Khadeejah suffers from a disease called SRS (i.e. Selective Respect Syndrome) wherein he
chooses very carefully who he is going to respect from the scholars based upon his allegiance to
them and their opinions. His history of disrespect of the scholars will attest to this; he criticized
Shaykh Abdul Muhsin Al Abbad for writing the book Rifqan Ahlus Sunnah Be Gentle with one
another O Ahlus Sunnah so much so that Shaykh Saalih As Suhaymee (may Allah preserve him)
had to defend this book because of the controversy that was being created- to serve a particular
agenda of course- and circulated on various websites. Shaykh Saalih As Suhaymee said:

This treatise is specifically important for the students of knowledge. Do not pay attention to what
the owners of certain meager websites will say regarding it; they only criticize this type of treatise
out of arrogance in themselves and ignorance as to what they say; and [despite this] they have given
themselves particular titles. This treatise is a great treatise...

Consider the fact that a scholar of Shaykh Abdul Muhsins caliber being criticized for a book he
wrote by individuals who, at very least, dont possess enough knowledge to be an authority in any
field of knowledge, whether in the religion of Islam or outside the religion, let alone critique one of
the few remaining major scholars of our time. Then to add injury to insult, the criticisms reached
such a degree that another scholar had to come along and defend the book against the onslaught of
audacious individuals who are remotely driven by their astute ignorance. Abu Khadeejah criticized
Shaykh Ibraheem Ar Ruhaylee for writing the book Naseehah li Shabaab Ahlus Sunnah Advice
to the Youth from Ahlus Sunnah, which Shaykh Saalih As Suhaymee (may Allah preserve him)
also said in defense of:

"read the book by Ibraheem ar-Ruhaylee, it's called An-Naseehah. Read it. This is a great book
regarding the Dawabit (i.e. guidelines) of al-Hajr; when you can and when you can not apply
Hajr..."

Abu Khadeejah criticized Shaykh Khalid Ar Raddadee and Shaykh Abdullah Al Bukhari of
oppressing him when he was instructed to write a clarification (i.e. Bayyan) for some of the errors
that were on his website (i.e. SalafiTalk.net), and after agreeing with those scholars to do so, he
clandestinely (because he never told those scholars that this is what he intended to do) went to
Makkah and told Sheikh Rabia (may Allah preserve him) that the aforementioned scholars were
harsh with him and forced him to write a clarification to which Sheikh Rabia reportedly told him
he did not have to do so. This is something that can be verified by many of the students of
knowledge from America and Britain. Rather Shaykh Khalid Ar Radaadi said himself:

rather it was advice directed to Salafi Publications and those who are in charge of it, which
consisted of some of the issues that they fell into from Ghuloo (i.e. extremism), being hasty in

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some issues, and also what relates to putting oneself forward to teach and giving Fatwaa by those
who are neither qualified to do so nor have the ability to engage in this affair (i.e. giving Fataawa
and teaching). And so we had given them advice, and they promised us that they would write
something to show that they have retracted from a lot of these issues, and we are still waiting for
them to proclaim publicly their retraction as well as their Taubah (i.e. repentance) from some
issues and errors that they fell into. (Courtesy of www.Madeenah.com)

The clarification of these errors we are still awaiting in 2012 while this took place in 2005!
However instead of clarifying these grave mistakes- as innocent errors become deliberate mistakes
when the individual refuses to correct them- we find that today Abu Khadeejah accuses another
scholar of oppressing him- Shaykh Waseeallah Abbas (may Allah preserve him). He even called
the Shaykh a liar. And I know that living in the West today, many of us have adopted the concept
of freedom of speech and we believe, as a result of this, that we are entitled to say about people
what we choose to without any discretion or fear of any repercussion. However Islam has directed
the Muslim to be religiously conscious about what he utters, who he utters it about as well as the
ramifications of what he utters when he does so. For the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) was asked by
Muath Ibn Jabal (Radiyallahu anhu) about being held accountable for the things we utter, and his
response was:

May your mother be bereaved of you O Muath! Arent people toppled on their faces in the hell-
fire for any reason other than the harvest of their tongues? (Collected in the Sunnan of At
Tirmithi)

In addition to this, every word that he utters is recorded by angels who make no mistake in what
they document. Allah says:

And remember the two Angles on your right and on your left. Not a word does he utter except
there is an observer ready to record it (50:17-18)

For the consequences of such an utterance could lead to a remote place in the hell-fire, the
distance of which is equivalent to-or greater than- what is between the east and the west, as the
Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

Indeed the servant will utter a comment without knowing the ramifications of it and it will land
him in the hell fire the distance of which is greater than the distance between the east and the
west. (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari and Muslim)

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Consequently when an individual lacks the fear of Allah necessary to maintain the boundaries He
has set in order to secure the rights of His creation, they fail miserably at weighing the benefits and
detriments (i.e. Masaalih and Mafaasid) of every situation they find themselves in. So when people
like Abu Khadeejah, who has a degree of influence over people, expresses his ill sentiment about
one of the most reputable scholars of Ahlus Sunnah of our time, it creates a number of issues for
himself as well as the rest of the Ummah:

Firstly: It exposes his lack of tact and respect when dealing with the honor as delicate as that of the
scholars. Generally if you feel a particular way about someone, it is not wise to express it to them
or to others, because it will be seen as blatantly insulting to them, in addition to its rude and
insolent nature, which is far more emphasized when dealing with the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah.
When a man came to the house of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) and Aisha(Radiyallahu anha)
informed him of who it was, the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

How unfortunate is it for his family to have him as a brother! And how unfortunate is it for his
family to have him as a son!

Then the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) told Aisha to let him in. And when he entered, the Prophet
entertained him as a noble guest. He smiled at him and was cordial with him, and when he left,
Aisha said: O Messenger of Allah, how is it that you said what you said about him beforehand,
but when he entered you dealt with him so cordially? And the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) replied
with what is considered to be the astute etiquette of diplomacy (i.e. Siyaasah) in Islam, which the
Muslim should employ when dealing with everyone, more specifically the scholars of Ahlus
Sunnah:

O Aisha, when have you ever known me to be imprudent and disrespectful?! Indeed the people
with the worst station on the Day of Judgment with Allah are those who the people distance
themselves from them fearing their insolent behavior. (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

Secondly: His claim that Shaykh Waseeallah oppressed him which is clearly beneath contempt
and above idiotic- is insubstantial and about as fragile as the house of a spider. The indignant attack
of Abu Khadeejah on the honor of this noble scholar is a direct result of Shaykh Waseeallahs
refusal to entertain or endorse Abu Khadeejahs global campaign as a self proclaimed daee.
Shaykh Waseeallah is one of the very few scholars who went to Britain himself and visited Abu
Khadeejah and was well aware of his ambition to spread Salafi books and his enthusiasm to give
dawah but he was also aware of his lack of legislative knowledge which disqualifies him from giving
dawah effectively, especially on such a massive scale as the one he has been embarking upon,
evidenced by the advice of the Shaykh to Abu Khadeejah personally:

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But I emphasize it and have never ceased saying it, even up to right now I say it with complete
certainty in addition to other things related to this issue. Without a doubt these individuals (i.e.
Abu Khadeejah and Salafi Publications) used to publish Salafi Books. They used to translate the
works of the scholars such as Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymeen and others. I advised them during that
time and told them that this was a noble deed they were doing and that they should stick to
publishing books only and not to look to the left or the right. But to no avail, they have never
ceased, since they began to give dawah, to spread their evil, even in countries other than Britain
(Courtesy of www.rawdah.org)

In addition to this, while in Britain, the Shaykh came across some major mistakes of Abu
Khadeejah such as; his issuing fatawah (i.e. Islamic verdicts) regarding women, marriage and in
more specific the khula (i.e. annulment of the marriage requested by the woman). It seems that all
of his problems stem from not following the advice of Shaykh Waseeallah in sticking to translating
and publishing books. Stepping out in the realm of giving dawah unprepared and unequipped with
sound legislative knowledge has grave consequences. And this is what Shaykh Waseeallah was
trying to warn Abu Khadeejah about. This is the same advice Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) gave to the youth
of the companions when he said:

Gain an understanding of the religion before you are placed in the position of leadership.

And Imam Al Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) added, to further emphasize:

And even after you are in leadership!(Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

Even Shaykh Yahyah Al Hajooree (may Allah preserve him and protect him and the rest of the
students in Yemen from the harms of Rawaafidh) said about Abu Khadeejah and Salafi
Publications:

Al Maktabah As Salafiyyah (i.e. Salafi Publications) is not founded upon knowledge, not from
before and not now, except that before they used to invite people sometimes from Yemen, and
sometimes from Al-Hijaaz (i.e. Makkah and Medina) or Kuwait, places similar to these, and we
never heard from them, at that time, any evilHowever these people are not upon seeking
knowledge, they are not students of knowledgeTherefore a people like this are not deserving that
they be the heads of the dawah, not in Britain nor in other than it (courtesy of YouTube
Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajooree on Salafi Publications)

However leadership and control is a fitnah for some people and therefore not something that an
individual should desire or go after obsessively. And this is why the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam)
strongly advised Abdur Rahman Ibn Samurah:

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 O Abdur Rahman Ibn Samurah do not ask for Imaarah (i.e. leadership), for if you are given it
without request, you will be assisted by Allah, however, if given the position because you asked for
it, you will be left to fend for yourself without any help from Allah... (Collected in Bukhari and
Muslim)
Abu Khadeejah swore by Allah to Shaykh Waseeallah that he did not issue a fatawah of any sort
regarding the khula, and stated emphatically that he only translates the fatawah of the scholars in
such issues. However shortly thereafter a document was produced by one of the brothers bearing
the signature of Abu Khadeejah Abdul Wahid that he had in fact issued a fatwah regarding the
khula that resulted in the separation of a man from his wife! Below is a transcript of the
conversation between Shaykh Waseeallah Abbas and Abu Khadeejah Abdul Wahid:

1. Shaykh Waseeallah: That which is known about him is that he (Abu Khadeejah) sits with women for
Fataawa. Is this correct?

Abu Khadeejah: This is not correct. This is a lie Yaa Shaykh.

Shaykh Waseeallah: Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar!

Abu Khadeejah: This is a lie Yaa Shaykh. A big lie. That I give Fatwa Yaa Shaykh in rulings concerning
women and marriage? NO NEVER! This is because Yaa Shaykh we always contact the scholars when
there are differences.

Shaykh Waseeallah: Does anyone ask you questions or not? Does Abu Khadeejah give Fatwa in peoples
affairs? You say you do not give fatwa. Never?

Abu Khadeejah: No, Never!

Shaykh Waseeallah: Not in the affairs of men or in the affairs of women?

Abu Khadeejah: No. Giving Fatwa. No. But Yaa Shaykh we quote Fataawa from the likes of Shaykh Ibn
Baaz regarding the Rawaafid and dealing with the Rawaafid.

Shaykh Waseeallah: But Fataawa? Do you give it?

Abu Khadeejah: Never Yaa Shaykh. This is Wallaahi (by Allah) Yaa Shaykh, Billaahi (By Allah) wa Aqsom
Billaahi (and I swear by Allah) and I am ready to do Mubaahala with anyone. I do not give Fataawa in the
affairs of marriage, divorce, khula and in anything. And we Yaa Shaykh ASLAN (initially) did NOT enter
into the affair of this Abdur-Rahmaan and his wife. This is what is present Yaa Shaykh.

End of Transcript.

Below is the written fatwa of Abu Abdillah Abdul Wahid Ar-Ray where he gives his Fatwa and

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dissolves the marriage between this brother and his wife:

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Something noteworthy here is that he signed the certificate: Abu Abdillah Abdul Wahid Ar-Ray.
Because during this time he used to refer to himself as Ar-Ray believing that he was a descendant
of the Salaf from Khurasaan (i.e. Iraq). He later dropped this ascription when it was clarified that
he is actually from Ar-Rain and not Ar-Ray. Ar-Rain is a caste in Mirpur, Pakistan that grows
vegetables on farm land according to the book Punjaab Ki Zatain.

Nonetheless it is imperative for Abu Khadeejah to understand the consequences of his false oath
and that this lie- amid the other atrocities and misleading corrupt principles that has been the root
cause of the calamitous devastation of our communities throughout the years- renders him as a self
proclaimed daee someone that we should avoid taking knowledge from. For the Salaf were very
stern against taking knowledge from someone of this caliber.

Imam Muhammad Ibn Ismail, mostly known to the Islamic world as Imam Al Bukhari was a man
committed to travelling for knowledge, as many of the Salaf were. He would travel in order to hear
the narrations directly from the scholars themselves to eliminate the third party, which would in
turn give him what the scholars call Isnaad ul Ali (i.e. High chain of narration), which is a chain of
transmission that involves as few people as possible. The fewer the people between Al Bukhari
and the companion of the Prophet who narrated it from the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam),
the higher in grade the chain of transmission.

So on one occasion Imam Al Bukhari travelled for a long time by donkey and came across the
scholar who had the narration he was searching for, however Imam Al Bukhari watched him try to
get his camel to come to him in order to tie it down by motioning to it deceivingly like he had
some feed in his garment. When Imam Al Bukhari saw this, he turned around and went back to
his place of origin empty handed, because he refused to take a narration from this individual and
he said: If he would deceive this animal then what is the guarantee that he will not deceive me?!
(collected in Seeyar Aalam An Nubalaa by Imam Ath Thahabi). Muhammad Ibn Sireen (may
Allah have mercy on him) said:

Indeed this knowledge is the religion so look at whom you take your religion from. (Collected in
Saheeh Muslim)

Thirdly: The comments of Abu Khadeejah about Shaykh Waseeallah (may Allah preserve him)
persuades those who, his influence over them is imperial, to refrain from benefitting from him.
People have literally taken the comments of Abu Khadeejah over the historic reputation of
knowledge, integrity and steadfastness the scholars have testified to of Shaykh Waseeallah Abbas
and have refused to benefit from him. The relevance of the scholars is such, that in their absence
we are as misguided as cattle and the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) informed us that there will come a
time wherein the scholars presence would be scarce and the people would begin to take the
ignorant as their leaders:

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 Indeed Allah will not remove knowledge simply by removing it from the people, but He will
remove knowledge by the dying of the scholars. So when there are no scholars left, the people will
begin to take the ignorant as their leaders and they will ask them (i.e. for religious verdicts) and
they will give rulings without knowledge and thus they will go astray and lead others astray.
(Collected in Saheeh Muslim)

And the fact that many of the youth have made Abu Khadeejah a reference point for such delicate
affairs, coupled with his lack of legislative knowledge is an indication of the closeness of the hour,
as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

When the affairs are placed in the hands of people who are not qualified then know that the hour
is near (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

There was a situation during the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) wherein he was criticized
by an individual, reminiscent the way that Abu Khadeejah criticized Shaykh Waseeallah. Abdullah
Ibn Masud (Radiyallahu anhu) said:

On the Day of Hunain, the Messenger of Allah gave some more than others in his distribution of
the war booty. He gave Aqra Ibn Haabis one hundred camels, and he gave Uyaynah Ibn Badr the
same thing and he gave others from the Arabs more than he gave others. So a man stood up and
said: I swear by Allah! This distribution is not fair and it is not done desiring the face of Allah...
(Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari and Muslim)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen mentioned in his commentary of this hadeeth,
highlighting the danger of the one who expresses his ill sentiment about the people of knowledge
and the impact that it has on the Islamic community at large. It was as if he was speaking about
Abu Khadeejahs situation specifically:

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The point of reference from this hadeeth is this vile comment, and the fact of the matter is that all
of the prophets (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) were harmed in their
pursuit of giving dawah, even our Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), but they were patient. This vile
comment was made about him eight years after he made the migration from Makkah to Medina,
and not something that occurred at the onset of his dawah (i.e. call). Rather this comment was
made well after Allah established him in the earth and well after the people were familiar with his
truthfulness and integrity, even after Allah showed them the signs in the horizon that he was in fact
a Prophet (i.e. splitting of the moon) and even the signs within themselves. However, even after all
of this, it was still said: this distribution is not fair and nor is it done desiring the face of Allah!

So if this statement managed to emanate from an individual amongst his companions about him
(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), then do not be surprised when an individual utters about a scholar from the
people of knowledge: This scholar is such and such! and describe him with all types of
inadequacies- (in Abu Khadeejahs case: Shaykh Waseeallah is a liar! Shaykh Waseeallah is
oppressive!, Shaykh Waseeallah needs to recent his statement! etc.).

For it is the Shaytan who encourages individuals such as this to insult the scholars, because when
they insult the scholars, their statements loose validity in the eyes of the people, and there is none
left to direct them with the Book of Allah. Who is there to direct them with the Book of Allah if
they lose trust in the statements of the scholars? The Shayateen and their constituents will direct
them, and because of this, backbiting the scholars is, by far, more detrimental than backbiting
other than them. Because backbiting other than the scholars, is the backbiting of an individual, and
if it is harmful, then it only harms the one who it was done to and the proprietor of it. On the other
hand, backbiting the scholars harms the whole religion of Islam, because the scholars are the flag
bearers of the religion, and the moment people lose trust in their statements the flag of Islam is
lost, and the harm goes back to the Ummah as a whole.

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So if backbiting the average Muslim is like eating his dead flesh, then the flesh of the scholars is not
only deadly but also poisonous due to the immense harm that results from backbiting them. So do
not be surprised if you hear someone insult the scholars, for the Messenger of Allah was insulted
with the comment that was made about him. Be patient and desire your reward from Allah, and
know that the end is always in favor of those who are righteous (i.e. taqwah). And so as long as the
individual is upon taqwah and knowledge from Allah, the end will always be in his favor.
(Explanation of Riyadh us Saliheen Vol. 1 Pg. 47)

Fourthly: This type of behavior has lead to loathsome Hizbiyah (i.e. partisanship) amongst many of
the youth. Many of those who bought into the absurd notion that Shaykh Waseeallah oppressed
him have not only refused to acknowledge his right as a scholar and benefit from him, but have
also expressed their hatred towards anyone who does.

Abu Khadeejah campaigns for sympathy from scholars who are totally oblivious to the shameful,
iniquitous and contemptible tactics he employs to earn their trust and eventually their
endorsement, which he in turn uses to defend himself against any criticisms launched against him.
He paints himself to be the victim, in many cases after he attacks the honor and reputation of
others, in order to win a favorable position with scholars who vaguely have a good opinion of him
strong enough to withstand the least bit of criticism from people who know him best. There is a
very notable idiom the scholars use to describe this type of dynamic:

And perhaps the people of Makkah are more knowledgeable about their citizens and above every
person who has knowledge is one more knowledgeable.

Subsequently the general praises of the scholars, no matter how noble they are-which is a term
coined by them to bedazzle and intimidate the reader as well as give additional credence to the
impervious praise(s) they manage to squeeze out if them- amid the hierarchy of scholars will not
defend him against the specific criticisms of Muslims globally and it definitely wont protect him
against wrath of Allah, who:

Knows all the tricks that deceive with the eyes and what the hearts conceal(40:19)

Abu Khadeejah also mentioned that Shaykh Waseeallah has a blind emotional attachment void of
any guidelines from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) based upon
the understanding of the Salaf (i.e. Taassub) to Jamiyah Ahlul Hadeeth in the UK. (i.e. Green lane
Masjid). He also asserted that the Shaykh was in a state of worry regarding his comments about the
Jamiyah and it is binding upon him to correct his statements!

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This comment is so vile, so absurd and so downright degrading to the honor and integrity of
Shaykh Waseeallah whose scholarly responsibility of educating this Ummah far extends beyond a
mere emotional attachment to any group or organization, and Im sure that if Shaykh Rabia(may
Allah preserve him), whose reverence and love for Shaykh Waseeallah Abbas is not a secret to
anyone who knows him, knew that this was, in fact, circulating on the internet, he would not
condone it or be pleased with it and would most certainly reprimand him for it.

Abu Khadeejah went to Shaykh Falah Ismaeel while he was New Jersey to have him rebut the
comment Shaykh Waseeallah made about him, in another meager attempt to prolong his reign as
a self-proclaimed daee. The comment Shaykh Waseeallah made about Abu Khadeejah was in
response to a question that was posed to him about a conference (i.e. In Defense of the Salafi
Minhaj) wherein Abu Khadeejah was listed as one of the speakers and he said:

I do not advise the brothers to attend this seminar, especially if Abu Khadeejah and Bilal Davis
and others are going to be from amongst the speakers there. However, if there are others who are
recognized {for their knowledge and good character} that will be speaking, they should attend. You
will see that if they {Abu Khadeejah, Bilal Davis and others} are given the opportunity to address
the people, they will divert them from the understanding of Salafiyah. Dont listen to them and this
is something that I have always advised against.

This comment was made desiring nothing but good for Abu Khadeejah, the pleasure of Allah and
genuine advice for the Muslims in a land wherein true legislative knowledge is scarce and the one-
eyed is king amid the blind. The ironic thing about all of this is that had any of the aforementioned
verbal iniquities uttered by Abu Khadeejah about Shaykh Waseeallah or any other scholar from
Ahlus Sunnah been even hinted at by anyone else, they would have come under much scrutiny
and bombarded with a mountain of criticism and ridicule ranging from being an innovator in total
opposition to the Minhaj of the Salaf or a Miskeen who has no respect for the scholars, all
launched from the various websites that are a part of his constituency that perpetuates his
monopoly of Islamic content on the internet.

After all, isnt this one of the very same reasons that our brother Abu Usamah Ath Thahabi (may
Allah preserve him) was deemed a deviant by Abu Khadeejah and his constituents. Abu Usamah
reportedly said he couldnt take everything that Shaykh Rabia says-which in fact is less in degree
than what Abu Khadeejah said about Shaykh Waseeallah- in a private conversation between him
and Musa Richardson, a recent graduate of Umm ul Qura University in Makkah, and then made
public on the internet by Musa?!

So why are the rules different when it comes to Abu Khadeejah? Why are the rules different when
it comes to Shaykh Waseeallah? This double standard has no place in Islam, for the Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) admonished his community about the perilous nature of having double
standards wherein the rules apply to the underprivileged and not to the elite. A woman from the
prestigious tribe of Makhzoom stole and the companions, knowing the closeness of Usamah Ibn

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Zayd to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), sent him to intercede on her behalf and he (Sallallahu alaihi wa
salam) stated very profoundly:

Indeed the nations that came before you were destroyed because if a noble stole they would leave
him without any retribution, however, if a weak and underprivileged individual stole they would
establish the punishment on him. I swear by Allah! If Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad stole I
would cut her hand off! (Collected in Saheeh Al Bukhari)

It appears from this pattern of behavior that once a scholar levies any type criticism towards Abu
Khadeejah/Salafi Publications- and every criticism is considered an Attack- even if it is valid, or
he doesnt seem to agree with their pathetic methodology (i.e. Minhaj), or he doesnt engage in the
disingenuous praise of them-for no one who knows them definitively can praise them genuinely-
and/or endorse them, they refuse to acknowledge his status as a reputable Salafi scholar worthy of
respect and reverence, as commanded by Allah and His Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam), even if they
did beforehand, like in the case of Shaykh Yahya Al Hujoori (may Allah preserve him).

In the early part of 2000 Shaykh Yahya Al Hujoori was held as a vanguard of the Sunnah in the
eyes of Abu Khadeejah, SalafiTalk.net and the rest of his constituents. However in recent times
that lofty status has somehow strangely dissolved and he is now regarded less than an intermediate
level student of knowledge whose honor is expendable, even to the laymen who know absolutely
no boundaries when speaking about these mountains of knowledge who, by the permission of
Allah, have managed to uphold and maintain the Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) to the
best of their ability in these most obscure and decadent times wherein deviance (i.e. Inhiraaf) and
ignorance (i.e. Jahl)is visibly prevalent.

It is remotely ironic how Abu Khadeejah turns a blind eye to all of the virtues of the scholars
mentioned in the texts of the Quran, the Sunnah and the authentic narrations of the Salaf,
although he quotes them expediently when polishing his image as a self-appointed leading Salafi
Caller in the West or when it pertains to scholars whom he is fond of. However these same texts
are conveniently neglected when it pertains to scholars who criticize him or his Salafi
organization which is nothing short of a dynasty, instead they are ridiculed, disrespected and
demeaned in a manner that reflects their deep rooted ignorance and lack of reverence for the
scholars of Ahlus Sunnah, which is apparent to anyone who has an inkling of intellect. Shaykh
Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen clarified the correct perception of the scholars of Ahlus
Sunnah and the proper method of dealing with those who disrespect them:

There are some scholars who are reputable and recognized for their steadfastness upon the
correct Aqeedah (i.e. Islamic Creed) and the methodology of the righteous predecessors (i.e. Salaf

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us Salih) may Allah have mercy on them all, and they exert due diligence in teaching beneficial
knowledge which is not a secret to anyone.

They call to the religion of Allah and we view them as such and Allah knows them better, as we
dont praise anyone over Allah in addition to our belief that they are not infallible. Rather it is
possible that they could fall into error like the rest of mankind- and we implore Allah for success
and accuracy- however to accompany those who disrespect the scholars is not permissible unless
there is some benefit in doing so, like the fact that the one accompanying them is firmly grounded
in knowledge which he utilizes to advise them and argues with them in the best possible manner in
order that they return to the truth.

However, to accompany an individual who disrespects the scholars out of respect for them while
acknowledging that what they are upon is completely absurd, then this is not permissible and there
is nothing wrong with boycotting the one who does this if the objective of boycotting is more likely
to be achieved, which is that he will benefit from the reprimand and refrain from this behavior
(Fatawah Ash Shabakah Al Islamiyah Vol. 2 Pg. 417)

Lets be clear about something here, this critique is not about Shaykh Waseeallah specifically,
rather it is about the honor of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah generally and correcting a loathsome
trend that has become popular with the youth of Ahlus Sunnah today who are merely following
behind Abu Khadeejah who is obviously a victim of his own ignorance. A victim of his own claim
to be the vanguard of the Sunnah and leader of the Salafi Dawah in the West, who has failed
miserably at seeing the responsibility that comes with this most dangerous territory filled with false
unsubstantiated and ingenuous praises, vanity, jealousy, arrogance and a heap of insecurities
stemming from a lack of knowledge and understanding of the religion, supplemented by a ardent
desire to be in the forefront. Allah says in the Quran:

And We will test you until we make it know those of you who strive hard (in the cause of Allah)
and are steadfast and We will test what people say about you. (47:31)

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Ibrahim Ibn Ashath (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that when Fudhayl Ibn Iyyadh
(may Allah have mercy on him) used to recite this verse he would supplicate:

O Allah dont test me, for if you test me you will expose me and remove your veil from me!

O Abu Khadeejah! Allah will test you with the things people say about you in order to expose
them to your reality and this is why you should always err on the side of humility. Imam Ahmad
said: Safety is in loving not to be known! It appears that you, Abu Khadeeah, have fallen into
what Ibn Battah mentioned in Ibaanah Al Sughraa regarding the Muattilah (i.e. those who
attribute no meaning to the attributes of Allah) when he said:

So they fled, in their estimation, from At Tashbeeh (i.e. likening Allah to His creation) by
denying the attribute altogether- and they ended up falling into anyway and thus they became!

Meaning, the Muattilah tried to avoid falling into likening Allah to His creation (i.e. At Tashbeeh),
so whenever an attribute of Allah was mentioned they would either deny the attribute altogether or
give a vain interpretation of it which, in essence, connotes the absence of Allah. Thus they ran
from one thing (i.e. At Tashbeeh) and they fell into something equally dangerous and
contemptible- At Tateel (i.e. denying the attributes of Allah altogether).

This is the similitude of Abu Khadeejah and many others whose fear of falling into innovation or
some of the vile and repugnant descriptions they so callously describe others with, has caused them
to fall into an equally extreme course of behavior on the other end of the spectrum, namely
destroying the honor of countless brothers and sisters in Islam. This is an obvious injustice, the
rectification of which is binding upon us as an integral part of our faith (i.e. Iman), as the Prophet
commanded us:

Whoever from amongst you sees an evil then let him change it with his hands, and if he doesnt
have the ability, then let him change it with his tongue, and if he doesnt have the ability then let
him at least hate it in his heart and that is the weakest of faith. (Collected in Saheeh Muslim)

The honor of every Muslim is sacred, as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam) said:

The whole of a Muslim to another Muslim is sacred (i.e. Haram); his wealth, his honor and his
blood. (Collected in Saheeh Muslim)

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And the honor of the scholars is even more sacred, and it is imperative for the youth who
continuously visit these repressive websites wherein the honor and dignity of the scholars are
completely exploited for the purpose of popularity and validation, to grasp the significance of their
role in our religious development and cultivation. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (may Allah have
mercy on him) gave a very epic khutbah (i.e. sermon) wherein he highlighted the beautiful impact
of the scholars on the people and the cruel and malicious impact of the people on them:

"All praise is for Allah who, in every age and interval between the Prophets, raises up a group from
the People of Knowledge, who call the misguided to guidance and patiently bear the ill-treatment
and harm of the people. With the Book of Allah they give life to the dead, and by Allah's light they
give sight to the blind. How many a person killed by Iblees have they revived. How many people
astray and wandering have they guided. How beautiful has their effect been upon the people and
how cruel have the people been towards them (mentioned by Ibn ul Qayyim in Ilam Al
Muwaqieen)

It is an obligation upon the youth who ascribe to this illustrious Minhaj (i.e. methodology) to busy
themselves with their own reformation first before concentrating on anyone else. Shaykh Ibraheem
Ar Ruhaylee (may Allah preserve him) mentioned in his monumental book, Advice to the Youth
of Ahlus Sunnah:

One of the most widely recognized principles in the religion of Islam is that the Muslim should
sincerely emphasize the reformation of his own self first. He should work diligently towards
securing the success of his own soul first and distance himself from those things that will bring
about his own destruction before he concerns himself with others, as Allah says in the Quran:

By Al Asr (the time). Verily man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous actions
and exhort one another to the truth and exhort one another to patience (Surah 103)

Allah is informing us here of those who safeguard themselves from loss and ruin. They are the
ones who actualize and adorn themselves with the characteristics mentioned herein, which are:

Firstly: Developing true Imaan (i.e. faith)

Secondly: Performing righteous actions themselves first and foremost

Thirdly: Calling and exhorting one another to the truth after exemplifying the same

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Fourthly: Exhorting one another to tolerance and patience

Allah criticized Bani Israel (i.e. the Jews) for opposing this principle, as He said:

Do you enjoin al Birr (i.e. piety and righteousness) on the people and you forget to practice it
yourselves, while you recite the Book (i.e. the Taurat), have you then no sense?(2:44)

Thus it is important for the youth of Ahlus Sunnah to emphasize and concern themselves with
their own reformation before they try to reform others. And when they become upright
themselves, and combine the exemplification of the religion of Allah in themselves with calling
others to it, then they will truly be upon the methodology and guidance of the Salaf (i.e. pious
predecessors), Allah will bring about much benefit for the people by their hands and they will be
considered true callers to the Sunnah in statement and action. By Allah, this is the highest level
that one can attain and if given Tawfeeq (i.e. success) to follow it, they will be from the most
honorable servants of Allah in status on the Day of Judgment, as Allah says:

And who is better in speech than he who says: "My Lord is Allah and then stands firm on this
and invites to the people to Allahs (monotheism), does righteous deeds and says: I am one of the
Muslims. (41:33)

We implore Allah for His forgiveness which has no boundaries, and for His mercy that
encompasses everything and for His pardon which He loves to do for His servants.

O Allah rectify for me (us) our deen which is the core of success in all of our affairs, and rectify
for me (us) our worldly affairs in which we derive our livelihood, and rectify for me (us) our
hereafter which is our final resting place. And make life for me (us) an increase in every type of
good, and make death for me (us) rest from any type of evil. (Collected in Saheeh Muslim)

Written by Shadeed Muhammad on February 15, 2012 corresponding to the 23rd of Rabi Al
Awwal 1433H. in the City of Philadelphia.

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