[30/12/1435 Al-Sudais]

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Landmarks of the Virtuous Salaf

Approach
Khutbah Topic
His Eminence Sheikh Abdurrahman Al-Sudais may Allah protect him delivered
this Friday Khutbah entitled Landmarks of the Virtuous Salaf Approach in which he
talked about a year departing and a new one coming. He insisted on the idea of selfaccountability in the sense of monitoring oneself for any negligence or perpetration of evil
deeds. He also listed a number of traits characterising the approach of the Salaf Slih
(virtuous predecessors), explaining their most salient landmarks and warning against
following approaches that are deviant from Islam.

Part One
Due praise be to Allah! We praise Him, seek His assistance, repent to Him, and
beseech Him for forgiveness. We offer Him (Glory Be to His sublime Existence) unremitting
praise and profuse expressions of gratitude for His abundant blessings bestowed in
succession. Sincere and interminable homage is due to Him Almighty.
(The Sheikh includes one line of poetry paraphrased as follows):
Due praise be to Allah, unmatched by
Any form of praise ever offered by a lauder!
I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, alone with no associate. He
foreordained time, calculated its allotment, and flawlessly designed its alternation. I equally
bear witness that our Prophet and Master, Muhammad, is the Servant and Messenger of
Allah. He is endowed with the best manners and the most perfect look amongst mankind.
May Allah send His profuse Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy) upon him, his family,
Companions, the tabi'n (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet [May Allahs
Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death), and all those who righteously follow in their
footsteps till the Day of Judgement!

Now then, O servants of Allah!

Observe taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah) vis--vis Allah (Glory Be to Him), show
gratitude to Him, obey Him, cease disobeying Him, and thank Him for His hidden and
apparent favours as well as His inexhaustible blessings and bounties. Only then could you
gain the well-being of the herein and the unrivalled comfort of the hereafter.
(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):
Gratitude helps you gain entrance through locked gate,
Where Allah bestows bountiful favours upon His beseechers.
Proceed to show gratitude and yourself from manacles liberate,
And implore Allah to lift whatever causes afflictions to befall His worshippers.
O Muslims!
At this very blessed moment, our Ummah is bidding farewell to a year that has
elapsed and is welcoming another whose pleasant breeze is heralding its advent. It was a year
that elapsed, drifting away in its folds both our positive and negative deed records. It has been
superseded by another year bearing witness to the galloping time on the wane. O Allah! We
ask You in supplication to bestow Your blessing upon what You have decreed for this
Ummah in the new year! O Allah! Make it a year of blessing, growth, glory, victory, and
empowerment for Islam and Muslims!
(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):
A year proffered by Time, serenely approaching us,
Escorted by a procession of jubilant company.
It held events captive in its invisible folds,
Wandering in its dominion in all directions.
O Muslims!
In the succession of elapsing and coming years, and with the advent of each new year
heralding joy and optimism, wise people are systematically inclined to stop by and call
themselves to account in order to carry out an overall assessment of their own record of past
deeds and proceed to certain self-critical review. This is typical of the Muslim who always
engages in severe self-criticism and proceeds to prompt action with the aim of going over his
past deeds. Therefore, with the advent of the new year whose radiant optimistic spirit is
traced along the entire horizon it is incumbent upon any sagacious person to have an
insightful perspective of the future of the Ummah, a sharp-witted mind to remedy previous
pitfalls, and aspiration to face the coming years with determination and truthful conduct.

(The Sheikh recites two lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):

A new year is approaching the entire existence,
Each community on earth is showing festivity.
The hopes of all creatures have hailed its embarkation.
Celebrating its eagerly awaited arrival.
O Ummah of faith!
Our strong sense of historical attachment and our deep-seated spirit of civilisational
belonging confirm that only genuine faith can reconcile disbanded parties, reunite conflicting
views, and reunify discordant voices. Subsequent to such appalling disunity, humiliating
underdevelopment, and loss of orientation in dark channels and suspicious tunnels leading to
lethal temptation, will the Ummah realise that its lifejacket for rescue resides in strictly
adhering to the righteous approach of the Salaf, which is the favourite approach ever devised
by the earlier generations epitomising Islam. It is reported in the two Sahih Books that
Abdullah Ibn Masd may Allah be pleased with him narrated that Prophet Muhammad
(May Allahs (Salat and Peace be upon him) said, The best among (Muslim) people is my
generation, then the generations succeeding them, and then the generations succeeding
them.
It is really heartbreaking to notice that some people from our Muslim community
have recently abandoned the method of the Salaf Slih. They have been inspired with a
myriad of fallacious beliefs and flaws associated with misguided and injudicious people. In
addition, they have acted in opposition to the devout Salaf and accordingly deviated from
their transparent and enlightened approach. In fact, they have hoisted the sails in the direction
of globalisation and westernisation, blaspheming the constant foundations of religion and the
unequivocal principles of Sharia.
Other people are imbibed with the doctrine of extremism, takfri thought, violence,
bombing, homicide, sabotage and destruction, to mention but some examples of disasters
normally disclaimed by the monotheists believers but embraced by the Kharijites1.
(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):
Tell those who spread suspicion and corruption everywhere,
For us, your existence is next to nothing.
None has permitted terrorism except you,
1

Kharijites (rebellious dissidents) is a general term describing various Muslims who, while initially supporting the authority of
the final Rashidun Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Tlib (May Allah be pleased with him), then later rejected his leadership and claimed that
he and Muwiyah as well as others were unbelievers, and should be killed. They were responsible for the assassination of the
fourth righteous Caliph, Ali (May Allah be pleased with him).

Nay, you are even worse in nature than its advocates!

In a world afflicted by turmoil and unrest where denominations, affiliations, sects,
groups, and parties emerge like mushrooms to intercept the precepts of Islam and disfigure its
bright image, and where each person claims to be right and alleges his exclusive possession
of truth one really needs to grope for a rescue exit, which is only accessible through
revisiting the method adopted by the venerable and virtuous Salaf Slih.
An investigative look at the method of our Salaf Slih may Allah have mercy on
their souls reveals that their outstandingly prestigious approach is characterised by certain
features not shared by any other approach. The first feature is its special care for tawheed
(Islamic monotheism). In pure tawheed, Allah is absolutely worshipped as One, without
peers, associates, similar entities, or counterparts. Allah (Glory Be to His sublime Existence)
says:
And they were commanded not, but that they should worship
Allh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing
partners to Him)... [Al-Bayyinah: 5]
...There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the AllSeer. [Al-Shr: 11]
Given the fact that the notion of tawheed occupies a central position in the Islamic
creed, it is essential to safeguard it, satisfy its requirements, and realise its implications,
particularly in the field of real-life practice and the sphere of principled position-taking.
Tawheed is considered as the ultimate purpose of life per se, for the major goal of noble
Sharia is to preserve religion that is to say, both to protect its existence and to prevent its
extinction in addition to safeguarding faith against all types of violation, polytheism, bidah
(fabrications in religion), and invented rituals.
Brothers in faith!
Another eminent feature typifying the approach of Salaf Slih is lucid and wellgrounded recourse to the Holy Qurn and the Sunnah in all matters, whether trivial or
substantial:
... (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to
Allh and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allh and in the
Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.
[Al-Nis: 59]
In addition, ostensibly ambiguous verses are interpreted with reference to the
straightforward ones, and generic religious data are construed in the light of detailed and

explicated content. They (i.e. Salaf Slih) always try to reconcile the literal meaning of the
text with its hidden or intended meaning, in an attempt to bring together the interpretation by
reasoning and that transmitted by Islamic tradition (the Holy Qurn and the Noble Sunnah).
This is indeed a prominent feature of the approach and mode of life adopted and bequeathed
by Salaf Slih. Therefore, they confirm everything that coincides with the Holy Qurn and
the Noble Sunnah but invalidate whatever is in discord with it. Thus, they never reject an
authentic text or engage in a counterargument to defeat it relying on their own opinion or any
other rational postulate. They never subjugate revealed texts to the dictates of reason. They
seem to say:
(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):
Hold fast to the bond of Allah and follow guidance to succeed,
Never side with the advocates of fabrications in faith.
Believe in the Book of Allah and the teachings bequeathed
By the Messenger of Allah; then, salvation and success will be yours.
Still another significant feature of the approach adopted by our Salaf Slih may
Allah have mercy on their souls is strict adherence to the Muslim jamah (Muslim
congregation) along with its corollary precepts: acquiescence and obedience. It is one of their
innermost traits or even the most salient trait characterising their outstanding approach:
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allh (i.e. this
Qur'n), and be not divided among yourselves... [l Imrn: 103]
Imam Ibn Masd may Allah be pleased with him said, The rope of Allah is the
jamah. Abdullah Ibn Omar may Allah be pleased with him and his father narrated that
Prophet Muhammad (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him) said, My Ummah will
never reach consensus on matters of misguidance; so, adhere to jamah, for the hand of
Allah is with jamah, [Reported by Al-Tirmithi]. In the Islamic tradition, Ibn Masd may
Allah be pleased with him delivered a speech where he said, What you resent within the
context of jamah is better than what you like in disunity. In the same vein, Imam Alahw may Allah have mercy on his soul said, We see jamah as right and appropriate
and disunity as deviation and torment. Sheikh Al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah may Allah have
mercy on his soul says, In addition, adherence to jamah and consensual unity is one of
the fundamentals of religion.
Thus, the Salaf Slih may Allah be pleased with them along with those who have
followed in their footsteps and adhered to their guidance are in total harmony as regards their
common adherence to jamah, defence of truth, and acquiescence and obedience to their
rulers. This is in total compliance with the intent of the religious legislator, who aims at
fulfilling collective interests, preventing or minimising evils, protecting and sanctifying
innocent blood, and proscribing all types of bloodshed.

O brothers in Islam!
O, you, who hold true faith and adopt the smooth unambiguous approach! Do
appreciate the majestic sense of harmony and jamah:
And obey Allh and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one
another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, ... [AlAnfl: 46]
(The Sheikh cites one line of poetry paraphrased as follows):
The best option is a path trodden by well-guided predecessors,
And the worst of all matters are fabricated rituals in religion.
Brothers in faith!
The advocacy of imitating the interpretation of our Salaf Slih may Allah be pleased
with them and following in their footsteps is not a call to retreat into underdevelopment or
reactionary attitudes; it is rather a plea for the most prestigious method and the most
enlightened path. It is the path of adhering to truth and showing clemency to all creatures,
which is definitely the most well-grounded, wisest, and safest approach.
The true salafi approach is neither partisan nor fanatical, neither sectarian nor
denominational. It is rather a self-renewed and self-regulated approach and a faith based on
whatever is in compliance with the rules and higher-order precepts of Islam. In addition, the
salafi approach is not exclusive to any individual, group, or country. It is far from the
practices of exclusion, categorisation, segregation, discrimination, violence, and reductionist
concepts.
The salafi approach is a universal plea for following the guidance of the Select
Prophet (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him) overtly and covertly as well as the
guidance of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), abandoning bidah and
invented rituals, and behaving differently from those guided by temptations and forbidden
pleasures:
And the first to embrace Islm of the Muhjirn (those who
migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansr (the citizens of
Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhjirn) and also
those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allh is well-pleased
with them as they are well-pleased with Him... [Al-Tawbah: 100]
In the gracious verse above, there is clear evidence on the idea of following in the
footsteps of the Salaf from among the virtuous Companions, both the Muhjireen (emigrants
from Makkah settling at Madinah) and the Ansr (the Prophets supporters in Madinah),
because they are the most trustworthy, virtuous, and well-versed in the religion of Allah. Ibn

Masd may Allah be pleased with him says, If any of you wants to adhere to the sunnah,
let him follow in the footsteps of those who had died, as no living creature is immune from
fitnah (ordeals and predicaments afflicting believers).
Such are the Companions of Muhammad (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him);
they are the most benevolent, knowledgeable and authentic of this Ummah. These are people
whom Allah had chosen to accompany His Prophet and to help establish His religion.
Therefore, you are called upon to give them the respect they deserve as they were always on
the right path of guidance.
Amr al-Mu'minn (the Commander of the Faithful) Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz May Allah
have mercy on his soul said: "The Messenger of Allah (May Allahs Salat and Peace be
upon him) and the leaders (of this Ummah) after him, had laid down sunan2 the abidance
thereby is considered an act of adherence to the book of Allah, an attempt to accomplish
perfection of His worship, and an enhancement of His religion; none of His creatures is
authorized to change or alter them or to consider anything else that is in conflict with them.
Those who take them on for guidance are the ones that are rightly guided, and those who
seek victory through them are the ones to carry the day. Conversely, those who disregard
them are the ones to follow a path other than that of the believers; these are to be burdened
with whatever Almighty Allah wills and are to be dumped in Hellfire as there is no worse
destiny.
O Ummah of Islam!
Viewed as a deeply-rooted concept, the Salafi approach encompasses faith, values and
a way of life without which time and place would amount to absurdity.
Sheikh Al-Islam3 Ibn Taymiyyah May Allah have mercy on his soul said: "The
approach adopted by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah4 rests on the premises of following the
Prophet May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him both explicitly and implicitly, the path
of the first and forerunners among the Muhajirin and Ansar, as well as the commandment of
the Messenger of Allah May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him where he said: You
must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided Caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast
to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation [Narrated by Abu Dawood]
Certainly, this does not contradict with following the advantage of the renovation in
the means and tools used in this age, benefitting from its data in an attempt to keep up with its
2

Plural of Sunnah; the ways of life prescribed as normative for Muslims on the basis of the teachings and
practices of Prophet Muhammad (May Allahs peace and salat be upon him) and interpretations of the holy
Quran.
3
A title of superior authority in the issues of Islam. The title was given to those followers of Islam and
scholars of the Qur'an who acquired deep knowledge of its principles.
4
Adherents to the Sunnah and the community (Islamic congregation)

developments and breakthroughs, and reconciling between what is normative and what is
liable to change.
O Ummah of Islam!
This dawah (call), which is as bright as the sun in the zenith shall pass unscathed by
the imperfections and mistakes marring human action. What we (humans) say may or may
not be valid, except for the Messenger of Guidance, the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad (May
Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him).
Likewise, such dawah may never be dented by the actions of those who are too
radical or too lenient from among its affiliates, for Allahs religion embraces the principle of
compromise and moderation. Such actions should constitute no justification at all to go after
its leaders or to try to slander its (religious) scholars, dispraise those priceless writings by
some of its best thinkers, truncate its texts or set them off their original context and obvious
meaning by introducing false concepts in substantiation of ill intentions.
Furthermore, the various approaches, precepts, and norms must not take the blame for
the mistakes and infractions committed by some individuals at the level of understanding and
applying certain legal terms. Therefore, the righteous and the fair-minded among us are
called upon to turn a deaf ear to tendentious rumours, and provocative slogans.
Now then, O Muslims,
As we are on the threshold of a new Hijri year, we launch this hearty appeal to
observe pure devotion to Allah, empowerment of His religion, the upholding of His sharia,
adherence to the Sunnah of His Prophet (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him) and his
Companions (May Allah be pleased with them), understanding the Ummahs salaf, and
gathering around this righteous approach with cordiality and brotherly love. In fact, nothing
shall be able to set right the ending of this Ummah except that which was able to set right its
earlier generations.
(The Sheikh quotes one line of poetry to this effect which translates as follows):
My Sharia is no other but the Sharia of Truth,
And my School is no other but the School of Truth.
The words of our Lord (May He be extolled) in this regard come out, yet, stronger and
more expressive:
And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not
(other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This
He has ordained for you that you may become Al-Muttaqun. [Al
Anm: 153]

May Almighty Allah bless you and me through the two Revelations, and benefit us
with the guidance of the Master of the thaqalain (mankind and Jinn)! Having said this, I ask
Almighty Allah to forgive me, you and all Muslims for all our wrongdoings; so ask Him for
forgiveness and repentance; indeed my Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful!

Part Two
Praise be to Allah Who has blessed us with His incessant Graces and Who has warned
against sedition among Muslims and threatened discrete retribution thereon. May Allahs
Salat be upon His Messenger and Chosen one, Prophet Muhammad, on his family and his
Companions who have achieved a model of unity, and on the tabiin (the contemporaries of
the Companions of the Prophet [May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death)
and those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of Judgement!
Now then,
Observe taqwa of Allah O servants of Allah and bear in mind that life is too short.
Therefore, do take provision of taqwa so that you may achieve righteousness, integrity, and
acceptance (by your Lord).
O brothers and sisters in Islam!
Thanks to Almighty Allah and His Grace, this righteous Salafi approach has endured
and thrived whereas ample slogans and calls have faltered and perished.
Throughout its shining Islamic history, our blessed country, the home of the Two
Holy Mosques, has taken upon itself to embrace a Salafi creed and adopt a reformative and
restorative dawah. This has resulted in considerable empowerment for this robust religion
after much struggle with hordes of aberration and falsehood which thank Allah have been
defeated and humiliated.
Such a blessed and righteous dawah was that of the restorative Imam, Sheikh
Muhammad Ibn Abdelwahab May Allah rest him in peace!
(The Sheikh quotes two lines of poetry in praise of the Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdelwahab
which translate as follows):
He was but an agent of guidance in this life,
Calling for tawheed and belief.
He imparted a light that is still shining
And still guiding (people) to the path of Allah every now and then.
On the one hand, Muhammad Ibn Abdelwahab May Allah bless his soul adopted a
restorative type of dawah, insofar as the landmarks of the Islamic community and religion
are concerned, and, on the other, a corrective one seeking to rectify misconceptions within
the faith of some Muslims. This dawah fought innovations, superstitions, anomalous views
and aberrations. It was not by any means a dawah which purports to embrace a new religion
or a fifth school of Islamic law. Rather, it was one that relied on the guidance of the Master of

all the prophets and the pure Companions and loyal followers with the view to abiding by the
Book and the Sunnah. It is utterly clear from expiatory allegations and the all too precarious
ideology of the Kharijites.
Nonetheless, this reformative dawah was met with ample allegations, fabrications,
distortions and rumours. Despite the fact that we live in an age where there is hardly room for
misinformation and where truth and righteousness are viable alternatives, the labelling and
stigmatization of such dawah with Wahabism still echoes in the ears of its people. However,
this would only bolster their trust in truth and adherence to it.
The land of the Two Holy Mosques May Allah safeguard it is keen on taking on the
moderate Salafi approach that is based on the enlightening revelations of Allahs Book, His
Prophets Sunnah, and the approach of the Ummahs righteous salaf. In this land, truth is
welcome regardless of the protagonist, his background, lineage, shape or form. The land of
the Two Holy Mosques reaches out for all in order to establish congregation, coalition and
cooperation among Muslims towards achieving Islamic fraternity, adherence (to Allahs
religion), harmony, and rejection of division and discord. It was the two Imams who laid
down the foundation for the land of the Two Holy Mosques. Its flag is set to wipe out
aberration and its sword to obliterate sedition.
May Almighty Allah protect the land of the Two Holy Mosques and make it an
elegant and spacious venue teeming with faith, safety, peace and stability, and a garden full
of harmony and security! May Almighty Allah keep flowing into it and into the rest of
Muslim countries compassion, pride, mutual interlock, solidarity, for my Lord is All-Giving,
All-Generous!
I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:
It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His
Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option
in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he
has indeed strayed in a plain error. [Al Azb: 36]
This being said, I advise you May Allah have mercy on you to send your salat and
peace on the best of mankind, your Prophet Muhammad (May Allahs Salat and Peace be
upon him), as Your Lord commanded you to do in His wise Book where He so truthfully and
graciously said:
Allh sends His Salt (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the
Prophet (Muhammad ) , and also His angels (ask Allh to
bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salt on (ask
Allh to bless) him (Muhammad ) , and (you should)

greet (salute) him with the Islmic way of greeting (salutation

i.e. As-Salmu Alaikum. [Al-Azb: 56]
(The Sheikh continues to cite lines of poetry paraphrased as follows):
May the purest of salats coupled with peace
Be sent on a chosen Prophet of noble origin,
Muhammad, the best Messenger ever, and on his family
And Companions, the best of companions and supporters.
O Allah! Be pleased with the rightly-guided Caliphs and Imams: Abu Bakr, Omar,
Othman and Ali, with all the Companions, the tabi'in, with those who followed them in
righteousness and with us until the Day of Judgement, O You, the Most Merciful, the Most
Generous!
O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims and let down infidelity and infidels!
Destroy the enemies of your religion and make safe and secure this country and all the
Muslim countries!
O Allah! Grant us safety in our homelands and make righteous our Imams and leaders
and protect them! O Allah! Support our leader and our Imam with the Truth! O Allah! Guide
him, his Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince, his brothers and his aides to do what leads
to the glory of Islam and the welfare of Muslims and to the good of the country and the
people! O You, Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Help all Muslim leaders to abide by your Book and the sunnah of Your
Prophet (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him). O Allah! Make them a mercy on Your
believing servants!
O Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Bounty, the Living, the Everlasting ... the Living,
the Everlasting ... the Living, the Everlasting! Its Your mercy we seek! Do not entrust us to
ourselves or to our actions, not even for one moment, and set right all of our matters!
O Allah! Grant victory to our brothers and sisters who are oppressed in their religion
wherever they may be! O Allah! Grant them victory in Palestine! O Allah! Grant them
victory in Palestine and Al-Aqsa! O Allah! Save Al-Aqsa Mosque from the aggressors among
the Jews and the Zionist usurpers, O You, the Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Be with our brothers and sisters in Sham, Iraq, Yemen and everywhere! O
You, the Lord of Majesty and Generosity! O Allah! Set right their conditions and spare their
blood! O Allah! Spare their blood! O You, the Lord of Majesty and Generosity!

Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the
Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the
Fire! [Al- Baqarah: 201]
"Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and
bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the
losers." [Al-Arf: 23]
Glorified be Your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! You are free from what they
attribute unto You! May peace be upon the Messengers! And all praise be to Allah, the Lord
of the Worlds!