What I Witnessed In England

Author: Shaikh Abu ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Yahyaa bin ‘Alee Al-Hujooree

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma'eel Alarcon

Published: Thursday 30th July, 2015



The Scholars We Met There

As for the scholars whom we met on this journey of ours, then all praise be to Allaah, they were many. In fact, when we arrived in Birmingham, I went directly to pray in the front of a masjid, where we found Shaikh Fayhaan al-Mateeree, a blind man from Madeenah who teaches Advanced Studies in the Islamic University of Madeenah. And he welcomed us. On that night I found him by himself, but for the ‘Ishaa prayer, he came accompanied with two individuals who were: ‘Ubayd as-Suhaymee, the Dean of the Faculty of Da’wah in Madeenah and Muqbil al-Harbee, the Dean of the Faculty of Hadeeth in Madeenah. And they were people who loved the Sunnah. [1]

Then there occurred a debate between me and them over some issues. They asked me about al-Wa’eel, so I said: “He is a ruined Hizbee (partisan) in Sa’dah.” So they said: “Allaahul-Musta’aan. He was our neighbour there and he would call to the Sunnah.” They then asked about Ahmad al-Mu’alam, so we said: “He too combines between partisanship and Sufism. May Allaah magnify your reward.” And they continued to ask me about individuals until our talk fell on az-Zindaanee and democracy. They said: “Do you consider az-Zindaanee a scholar?” We responded to them: “No, by Allaah, we consider him – as our Shaikh, may Allaah preserve him said – to be a pharmacist.” They said: “We also don’t know him to be a scholar, we don’t acknowledge him to be anything but a geographer. To us, az-Zindaanee is not a scholar.” So may Allaah reward them, they acknowledged and realized much good.

Then the brothers who are from the students of Shaikh Al-Albaanee (رحمه الله) came from Jordan: ‘Alee bin Hasan bin ‘Abdil-Hameed (Al-Halabee), Saleem Al-Hilaalee and Muhammad Musa Nasr. And they requested me to participate in the conference with them, so we stayed there for five days. We took turns in giving lectures. Then this conference, which we gathered together for, came to an end and we separated – one went back to his country and the others went on to America. They all sent their Salaam to the Shaikh (Muqbil) and his students.

Then we stayed for a few days and afterward we had to give a lecture in the Central Mosque of London. People from all types of groups attended this mosque. The brother Mahmood at-Tayyib, who was one of those who loved the Shaikh and this da’wah, and also our brother Hasan, and the brothers there – they didn’t see an innovator except that they would tell me: “Advise him, O brother Yahyaa!” They wanted me to advise all the innovators and to remain there arguing and bickering with the innovators.

They requested me to give a class in that masjid, saying that Ahlus-Sunnah would join us there. This is since this masjid was not known to be upon the Sunnah. So we wanted to start a class on Tawheed, verbally without using any book. Some Algerians attended and one of them would raise his hand and ask questions. In the end, he debated with me over az-Zirwaal, saying: “You don’t say that az-Zirwaal is a disbeliever?” So I said: “O brother, I don’t know az-Zirwaal. How can I declare an individual to be a disbeliever for you when I don’t know him?” He said: “When will you know Az-Zirwaal when you don’t even make takfeer on this person and that person?!” and his face turned red – why didn’t I declare them to be disbelievers? And I would say: “Disbelief (Kufr) is of two types and Nifaaq (Hypocrisy) is of two types.” And he asked why I didn’t say that the one sins commits disbelief, and so on.

Also, a person from ‘Aden came to me and they said to me: “Advise him.” I said: “With what should I advise him?!” They said: “This person declares Muslims to be disbelievers and he goes to Hyde Park and says this person is a Kaafir and that person is a Kaafir...such that he keeps mentioning people until he has gotten his fill, steps down and then leaves.”

This person from ‘Aden said that he stayed with our Shaikh for six months and that he learned Tawheed from our Shaikh. I examined him on (the book) al-Qawl-ul-Mufeed and on the memorization of the Qur’aan. I also examined him on a number of ayaat and he responded, but he was a Takfeeree. He also said that he had spent some time with Muhammad Al-Imaam, and that he learned some innovations with ‘Abdul-Majeed ar-Reemee. Then he went and completed what he was deficient in with Abu Qataadah, the ruined one. I would impose the proofs on him, such as the hadeeth on being excused due to ignorance and so on, until we came to the point where he said: “O brother, this is my belief, which I will die upon.” They don’t have anything but that, O brothers – ignoramuses upon ignorance.

The lecture we gave was announced in the masjid, and as is our custom, we did not go to the auditorium. So we gave the lecture in the masjid and the Salafees attended and listened to the lecture, may Allaah reward them with good.

When we finished, the lecture that took place after mine was to given by Al-Qaradaawee. Behold all of these shaven faces and women wearing pants, exposing themselves came in, from among the Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen and the Suroorees. They came to hear the lecture of Al-Qaradaawee in the auditorium. They came and filled the auditorium, which had the vastness of our masjid here.

All praise be to Allaah, as soon as we finished giving our lecture, we departed. We did not sit to witness the false speech, but he stayed there giving his lecture. And I saw him while he was walking – he was wearing a garment (thawb) that was below his ankles and he had a trimmed beard and an evil face.

And he was giving them false and evil fataawaa (verdicts). An example of this is when a group of questions came to him. One of them complained about his fatwaa in which he said: “Our Christian brothers – we must work with them and love them.” And he mentioned proof for this using Allaah’s saying:

“There is no compulsion in the Religion (Islaam)” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 256]


And His saying:

“For you is your Religion and for me is mine” [Surah Al-Kaafiroon: 6]


And so on. And he was calling to the unification of the religions in England.

Footnote

[1] However, we saw one who came with them from the Doctorate holders wearing pants and a tie, and some of them were lax in performing some of the acts of Sunnah.


 

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