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[1] Fighting extremism with extreme negligence! Ed Husain’s Distractive Ruse

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful.

Allah [The Exalted] said:

وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ

And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor you would then be helped. (Hud: 113)

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him] said: Do not incline towards those who oppress the people through murder, bloodshed, theft, and violating their honour; or oppress people in religious affairs through innovated religious practices and other forms of misguidance, as well as through calls that are anti-Islamic and dangerous propaganda. Do not incline towards anyone who fits this description. Don’t support him or help him spread his falsehood. This verse includes all of these types (of oppressors) and all advocates of religious innovation. [An Excerpt from Al-Wasaayaa Al-Manhajiyyah Page 20]

In spite of the fact that Ed Husain claims to be battling extremism and deradicalising extremists in the name of Islam, his words and convictions make it quite evident that he is actually using this fight against extremism as a cover to promote heretical philosophical paths. There is no question that a person who chooses such a course will retain animosity against those who adhere to the sound Salafi Methodology. He jumped from the frying pan and leaped into the fire; he was opposed to Salafiyyah while he was associated with the Khaarijites of Hizb at-Tahreer, and he is now opposed to Salafiyyah while associated with philosophers. In one of his replies to extremists, he said, “There are many such lessons of compassion, kindness, and care in the life of the Prophet that are airbrushed by today’s fanatics. The bigotry of the Salafi jihadis can only be challenged and eventually uprooted by educating them on the Prophet of Islam described in the Qur’an “as a mercy to the worlds”. Many in the world today would be rightly asking “Where is this mercy?” For what we see is beheadings, wars, and suicide bombings in the name of religion. Sadly, we will continue to witness such evil unless we address the motivations of the Salafi jihadist killers. They kill in the name of religion; we cannot respond by citing the virtues of Darwin, secularism, and materialism. The only language these radicals understand is that of religion. It is by mustering the best of religion that we defeat the worst of It”. [End of quote]

By claiming that there is a group that should be classified as “Salafi Jihadists” in the aforementioned statement, he attempts to misrepresent Salafiyyah. Given that the Salafi Methodology is free of the Bidah and destructive methodologies of the Jihadists and all other proponents of Bidah, including Ed Husain and his associates, this is a very serious accusation. Read the article titled “A response to Western academics who categorise Salafis into Quietists, Politicos, and Jihadists – and why this is a false categorisation” by Shaikh Abu Khadeeja- May Allah preserve him. https://abukhadeejah.com/a-response-to-western-academics-who-categorise-salafis-into-quietists-politicos-and-jihadists-and-why-this-is-a-false-categorisation/

Also, see the article titled “Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihad in our times and the guidelines of Jihad according to Islam”:https://abukhadeejah.com/salafi-shaikh-fawzaan-on-jihaad-in-our-times-and-the-guidelines-of-jihaad-according-to-islam/

Ed currently favours philosophy, the appeal for the unity of religions and other false views. InShaaAllaah, future postings will discuss these topics. The knowledge of this man’s previous and present circumstances—from hizb tahreer to philosophy, from one bidah to another—is actually sufficient to understand his misguidance. After previously concentrating on radicalism, he is now considering extreme neglect to be moderation. Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him] said: “Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said that in their quest for knowledge and religion, people have two innovated paths and one that is prescribed by the Shari’ah. The path of the Shariah is to look at what the Messenger conveyed, use it as evidence, and do what it requires; consequently, knowledge based on what he brought and doing what it requires is both necessary and doing just one of these is insufficient. The Messenger clarified the sound intellectual proofs, whose bounds are set by the (infallible) divine texts, and the Messengers clarified the sound rational proofs that the people are in need of, just as Allaah presented every kind of similitude in the Qur’an, so this path is built upon sound intellectual proofs and sound rational proofs that are based on absolute certainty (in accordance with revelation as understood and implemented by the Messenger’s companions). Allah commanded His servants to ask Him to guide them to this straight path”. [end of quote] (1)

Pay special attention to what comes next since it reveals Ed Husain’s current situation, which is as follows: “Regarding the two innovated paths, one of them is that of the proponents of innovated theological speech and viewpoints, for there is undoubtedly much falsehood in this. Many of its adherents neglect the actions that Allah and His Messenger have prescribed, and as a result, their knowledge and conduct continue to be corrupt. These folks veer off into false Judaism (i.e. distorted after the departure of the Prophets)”. [End of quote] (2)

The same thing is happening to Ed Husain, who began endorsing heretical philosophers like Aristotle, Ibn Sina, Al-Faraabi, and others before finally endorsing other views that are tantamount to clear misguidance.

Let’s finish Al-Allaamah Rabee’s quote by adding the following: “The second is the path of those who use techniques for enhancing the soul, including followers of Soofi paths and new forms of worship. They err towards false Christianity because they claim that if a person cleanses his soul in accordance with what they have said, then the sciences of the religion will flow to him abundantly without learning. Many of these people’s forms of worship are innovated; rather, they contradict what the Messenger conveyed, leaving them with corrupt actions and corruption brought on by a lack of knowledge since they are ignorant of what the Messenger conveyed. Despite the fact that each group purports to be following the Messenger, these people frequently speak negatively about one another. The Messenger’s message, however, does not concur with either of their respective points of view. “Ibrahim (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism – to worship none but Allah Alone) and he was not one who associated partners to Allaah in worship”. [Surah Aal Imraan. Aayah 67] Neither Allaah’s Messenger nor his companions followed the path of the people of Bidah among those who advocated for theological rhetoric and views nor did they follow the path of the people of Bidah among those who advocated for innovative worship and Soofiyyah; instead, he followed that which Allaah sent him with based on the Qur’an and Sunnah”. (3)

To be continued…InShaaAllah


[Refs 1, 2 and 3: Al-Mukhtaaraat Al-Bahiyyah Min Kutub Shaikhil Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. 290-291. Slightly paraphrased]