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Prayer
Straightening the rows before prayer is obligatory. The Prophet ﷺ would not commence the prayer until he observed the rows and ensured that shoulders and ankles were aligned. Once the rows were correctly straightened, he would begin the prayer, emphasising its importance in congregational worship.
Innovation and Innovators
When a scholar repeatedly visits mosques of the People of Innovation, one must first determine whether he is ignorant of their reality or part of them. If he is unaware, he should be advised and guided. If he persists, students of knowledge should avoid him and seek benefit elsewhere to protect themselves from harm.
Funerals and Burial
If a person dies and the hospital has removed parts of the body, the deceased should still be buried promptly, as the Sunnah emphasises hastening burial. If the removed limbs are later returned, they should also be buried. Delaying burial for this reason is not correct.
Innovation and Innovators
Khawārij and Extremism
Principles of the Salafī Methodology
The Prophet ﷺ promised that a group following the truth will always exist until the Hour. Therefore, the claim that no saved sect exists today is false. The Qurʾān and Sunnah confirm the continuous presence of the true community, and those who deny this are following personal desires rather than guidance.
Khawārij and Extremism
Criticising ISIS is not equivalent to criticising Muslim rulers. ISIS rose through rebellion against established systems and is unanimously rejected by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Their actions align with the Khawārij, and therefore they must be condemned according to the Qurʾān, Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf.
Daʿwah and Invitation to Islam
The primary focus of dawah should be Tawhīd and exclusive devotion to Allah ﷻ, as taught by the Messengers ﷺ and the Salaf. Once Tawhīd is established, addressing sectarian deviations becomes easier. Salafism is not a slogan but a way of life based on the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ and the Pious Predecessors.
Muslim Countries and World Affairs
It is not permissible to insult or speak ill of Muslim rulers merely because they are not one’s own. Such behaviour leads to division and encourages reciprocal abuse. One may critique errors in general, but naming and shaming a ruler is forbidden. Praise and respect should be maintained for leaders who uphold Islamic law.
Advice and Reminders
Obsessions can be psychological or spiritual. Compulsive obsessions require medical treatment, while evil suggestions from Shayṭān should be met with seeking refuge in Allah ﷻ, good deeds, and prayer for others. Intrusive blasphemous thoughts should be rejected, followed by remembrance and supplication, as the Shayṭān’s plots are ultimately powerless.
Christianity
For debating Christians, Ibn Taymiyyah’s al-Jawāb al-Ṣaḥīḥ and its abridged version are essential. Other recommended works include Ibn Qayyim’s Hidāyat al-Ḥayārā and rebuttals by al-Qarāfī and al-Juwaynī. The Qurʾān itself remains the most powerful source for refuting false Christian claims.
Foundations of Faith
Mocking Islam, the Qurʾān, the Prophet ﷺ, or any aspect of the religion is clear unbelief. The Qurʾān explicitly condemns those who mock Allah ﷻ and His Messenger.ﷺ If done knowingly and without coercion, it constitutes major disbelief, though the formal ruling is the responsibility of the ruler, not the ordinary Muslim.
