By Aboo Aamir
We grew up as youths in the 1990s practicing the Sunnah to the best of our ability, albeit with a dose of partisanship towards an organization we thought would be our final resting place. Despite its clear traits of bigotry, we assumed they would fade away with time. Alas, we were wrong. The bigotry and partisanship only deepened.
Even though we had identified with Salafiyyah as early as the year 2000 (a whole 25 years ago, walhamdulillaah), that lingering attachment to organizational “ideals” remained a blemish. Nevertheless, we were earnest in our pursuit of knowledge, diligently building upon what we had acquired in the late 90s.
I often speak about Sifatus-Salaatin-Nabiyy by al-Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani (rahimahullaah). It was an eye-opener and a powerful antidote to blind fanaticism towards the madhaahib.
Al-Fataawaa al-Muhimmah by al-Imaam Abdul-Azeez Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) also liberated us from weak and baseless local verdicts on acts of worship. Likewise, Fataawaa Arkaan al-Islaam by al-Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) provided firm guidance.
These works gave us a solid grounding in the Sunnah, complemented by consistent study of books on Aqeedah.
We had read about the various deviant sects and their core beliefs. The establishment of Allah’s Names and Attributes without ta’teel (denial), tahreef (distortion), tamtheel (likening), or takyeef (speculation) was deeply rooted in us.
Our Tawheed studies through Usool ath-Thalaathah, Kitaab at-Tawheed, and other works by the Imaam al-Mujaddid Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) played a pivotal role.
It became clear to us, we could not stand with heretical practices. So, we began to confront them, some of our colleagues still engaged in joint monthly prayers that involved halqah-style Qur’an recitations and other unorthodox practices.
Around 2003, the tide began to shift. We now had to confront the internal bigotry embedded in the very organization that had initially united us at the local level.
Ash-Shaykh Abu Naasir (hafidhahullaah) was among the first to recognize these signs of partisanship and called our attention to them. He advised that for anyone to advance in Islamic learning with a sincere purpose, to benefit both oneself and the society, partisanship had to be abandoned.
Ash-Shaykh Najmudeen Sulayman had been saying similar things as far back as 2000. A brother used to quote him to us, but we found it inconceivable to practice Islam or the Sunnah without loyalty to an organization. How could that be possible? We had thought.
Another quiet groomer on Salafiyyah was Ash-Shaykh Murtada Adedokun who would train the young ones and adults from the first letter to mighty knowledge. Talk of a Rabbani meticulous explainer pick him.
Shaykh Abdul-Ghani Jumu‘ah had also taken a similar path much earlier. He had journeyed, as a Salafi writer, from Deen Digest Magazine (which later became an-Naseehah Magazine) under Deen Communications Ltd, founded by the late Ustaadh Niyi Sanuth (rahimahullaah), to an accomplished teacher of Sunnah in Lagos.
As lovers of truth and learning, we delved deeper into research and came across the works of Ash-Shaykh Rabee‘ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee, who passed away just yesterday (at the time of writing this). His books: Jamaa’atun Waahidah laa Jama’aat, Manhajul Anbiyaa’, and others, were all resourceful.
Alongside his works, we encountered ad-Da’wah ilallaah by Ash-Shaykh ‘Ali Hasan al-Halabi (rahimahullaah). This may surprise some people, but Shaykh ‘Ali Hasan al-Halabi had a long-standing influence on many students of the Sunnah. His joint work with Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee on Sifatus-Sawm an-Nabiyy remains a masterpiece.
We would later discover the works of Ash-Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (rahimahullaah), particularly Hukm al-Intimaa’... His Hilyat Taalib al-‘Ilm is also a highly beneficial read. The section titled Kun Salafiyyan ‘alal Jaaddah (Be A Salafi As It Ought To) in that book still resonates strongly.
We were very serious about uncovering the truth regarding all forms of partisanship, walhamdulillaah.
Indeed, the works of Shaykh Rabee‘ on jamaa’aat stand out significantly. That is why the people of innovation maliciously tagged us with the label Laa Jamaa‘ah.
This false label stemmed from Shaykh Rabee’s book titled Laa Jamaa‘aat (i.e., “No affiliation to sectarian groups”), which some people intentionally misread as Laa Jamaa‘ah (i.e., “No affiliation to any Muslim community”). There is a clear difference.
Shaykh Rabee‘ never opposed Muslims cooperating to establish learning centers, masaajid, or libraries. Rather, he opposed blind loyalty to such institutions, particularly those modeled after the likes of al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimoon and other harmful groups.
In my book Demystifying the Laa Jamaa‘ah Label (written around 2014), I exposed the lies behind this smear campaign, walhamdulillaahi Rabbil-‘aalameen.
Ash-Shaykh Abdur-Raoof Ballo also authored a book in Arabic on the evil of Hizbiyyah during that period.
For years, the Laa Jamaa‘ah smear was wielded against the Salafis, until many scholars of the Sunnah gave clarifications that exposed the hypocrisy of those who kept promoting it.
Shaykh Muhammad Awwal Amubieya made significant efforts in Ibadan (and continues to do so). Dr. Sharaf Gbadebo in Ogbomoso (who returned to Nigeria around 2003 or 2004), Dr. AbdulMajeed Alaro (as he was then known), and Ustaadh Abdulfattah Sarumi in Ilorin, Ustaadh Abdulwaasi Eleyinke in Iseyin, Ustaadh Abu Hanoon in Ẹdẹ, many others across Yoruba land also contributed.
When the Laa Jamaa‘ah label lost its sting, they shifted to calling the Salafis “al-Madaakhilah” or “Salafi-1990”, still in reference to Shaykh Rabee‘ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee.
Shaykh Rabee‘ never established a new sect or ideology called al-Madkhaliyyah.
There is no doubt: Shaykh Rabee‘ was the most vocal and prolific in exposing the people of Hizbiyyah and their platforms, such as al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimoon, Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh, Hizb ut-Tahreer, and Jamaa‘at at-Takfeer wal-Jihaad. This explains the intense hatred many harbored against him.
Ash-Shaykh al-Albaani once referred to him as the flagbearer of al-Jarh wat-Ta‘deel, and Shaykh Aadam al-Ethiopi later described him as the Shu‘bah Ibn al-Hajjaaj of our era.
Ash-Shaykh Rabee‘ al-Madkhalee has passed away at the age of 93, but his legacy lives on. He was truly a leader among the leaders of Ahlus-Sunnah and an exemplary scholar.
Yes, some individuals became overly fanatical about his personality, treating him as though he was beyond mistakes. That, of course, contradicts the very legacy he left behind. Shaykh Rabee‘ fought against all forms of partisanship, whether to groups or individuals. He was very clear in warning against taking scholars as infallible.
May Allaah forgive Shaykh Rabee‘ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee, expand and illuminate his grave, wash him with cold water and ice, and admit him into Jannah.
Aameen.
