Kashf al-Fitan

Question: “O Shaykh Ahmad we have with us in America a man called Abu Usaamah who is considered to be from the Du’aat, he aids and supports Abul-Hasan and he calls some noble Salafi brothers ghulaat (extremists), muqallidah (blind followers),and muhqiboon (the people whose religion is the religion of the one they blindly follow), so what is the legislated position from this man and how should we deal with him?

The noble Scholar (rahimahullaah) answered:

“Your position with him is the same as your position with the People of Innovation. Turn away from him and abandon him.

Abu Usamah is a caller to misguidance. He has corrupted the principles of the Sunnah and ascribed them to to the Salaf. He praises ahlul-Bid’ah and calls for others to tolerate the innovators – he utilises the well-known arguments of Ikhwaanees and the hizbees and utilises them against the Salafis. He claims that the likes of Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee would knowingly praise clear innovators, and other scholars would not criticise him (see Part 4 for exoneration of Imaam al-Shaafi’ee from this evil insinuation). He reaches a crescendo in his talk whereby he starts praising several deviants including Shadeed Muhammad and Bilal Philips. By this, he tries to convince his youthful audience that this is the Manhaj of ash-Shaafi’ee, and Shaikh al-Albaanee (rahimahumallaah) and the Manhaj of the Salaf.

By now the ‘aaqil (intelligent) and sincere reader will have realised that Abu Usamah belongs to a band of callers who“have disparaging remarks with respect to the Sunnah and the foundations of the Deen – not distinguishing between the speech of Ahlus-Sunnah and that of Ahlul-Bid’ah wal-Furqah – Or they accept the different madhhabs of bid’ah just as the Scholars excuse each other in the issues of ijtihaad in which there is [genuine] difference. And this is the condition of many of the murji’ah, and some of the Thinkers, the Soofees and the Philosophers” (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, vol. 12). Anyone who analyses the speech of Abu Usamah can clearly see that this individual clearly falls into this trait mentioned by Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah).

So this is the Manhaj of Abu Usamah (the bid’ah is different, but the mindset is the same) – he sees the deviations of Abdur-Rahmaan Abdul-Khaaliq and al-Ma’rabee as matters of mere tolerated ijtihaad, so we should not “import the problems for an example of shaikh fulaan against shaikh fulaan” (to quote Abu Usamah directly) and we should not “love and hate” based upon these differences as he states. Why? Because he sees these differences in ‘aqeedah and manhaj issues as affairs that should not harm unity – and in essence, just like al-Ma’rabee and Abdur-Rahmaan Abdul-Khaaliq he is upon the principle of Hasan al-Bannah: “Let us unite upon that which we agree and excuse each other in that which we disagree.” – except of course when it come to his venomous attacks upon the Salafis “in Iraaq, in Palestine, in Europe, in the UK, in the USA and Canada” because he certainly gives them no excuse and no honour, he reserves that for the innovators! At an academic level criticises the beliefs of the extreme Shi’ah and the extreme Soofees etc (to remain in favour with masses), yet he praises his political masters and ideologues and the innovators his group associates with and continually invites (with sprinklings of a Salafi Shaikh here and there just to keep the facade of Salafiyyah apparent, in order to deceive the youth).

Abul-Hasan belittles the Sahaabah, calls them “scum” and having “evil suspicions”, then denies it and makes excuses for his evil. Abu Usaamah does the same: he accused the Companion Waleed bin ‘Uqbah of being a Faasiq (rebellious sinner), and then claimed he didn’t know Waleed to be a Sahaabee – until one listens to the audio in which Abu Usamah affirms that he is a Companion just before calling him a “Faasiq” (click here for the proof and sound clips). He belittled and demeaned Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (radhi Allaah ‘anhu) and then asks the youth sitting in front of him to believe his sincerity.

Abu Usamah Khalifah ascribes bid'ah to many of the Companions - being ignorant of the fact that whatever the Companions did was during the time of legislation, as in legislation was still being revealed. So the Messenger either corroborated some of what was done by some of the Companions (and these affairs became from the religion) and he corrected others in some matters (and these affairs did not become from the religion). Within this context it is not permissible to ascribe "bid'ah" to the Sahaabah for their ijtihaads during the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) (or after it for that matter). Further, who from the Scholars have spoken with the saying of Abu Usamah? Refer to his statements in this audio and Abu Hakeem Bilal's defence of those Companions and refutation of Abu Usamah.

Abu Usamah, and those upon his path, are more severe and more dangerous upon the Salafi da’wah than the innovators: Ibn ‘Awn (rahimahullaah) said: “Those who sit with the People of Innovation are more severe upon us than the People of Innovation themselves.” Al-Ibaanah (2/273). Meaning, those who sit with them, aid them, call others to benefit from them, praise them, or translate praises for them, recommend them, accommodate them – and support them against the Salafis. By Allaah, they are enemies of our da’wah, and the da’wah of the Salaf, even if they claim that they are upon the haqq and Salafiyyah! Their claim is a lie and rejected.

Whilst all this was taking place, organisations who professed Salafiyyah for themselves started to openly defend Abul-Hasan. Indeed they made walaa and baraa (allegiance and enmity) over this innovator. Leading this assault upon Salafiyyah in the United Kingdom was the Call to Islam Centre (Masjid Ghuraba) in Luton, under the leadership of Abdul-Qadir Baksh, who was subsequently refuted by the Scholars such as Shaikh Rabee’, Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmee, Shaikh Muhammad b. Haadee, and others. Abu Usaamah Khalifah ath-Thahabee (Green Lane Mosque) was full support of the stance of Abdul-Qadir and Luton CTI.

They want to sit with them because this is the way to gain status and to gain some sort of standing within the community, and to gain money. So now you find them sitting upon all types of platforms, you find Abu Usamah ath-Thahabi in the United Kingdom sitting with and praising the Suroorees, Qutubis and Ikhwaanis.