The following is a translation of some questions put to the the Shaikh, Al-Allaamah Ahmed bin Yahyaa an-Najmee, may Allaah preserve him, as posted on Sahab.net
[Question 1]: What is Salafiyyah and who is their leader?
[Answer 1]: It is an attribute to the Salaf who are the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) and those who follow them upon goodness from the first three blessed generations and those who came after them. This is Salafiyyah!
Ascription to it means ascription to that which the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) were upon and to the way of Ahlul-Hadeeth who are the followers of the Salafi manhaj and they traverse upon it.
Salafiyyah is to have (correct) belief in the Names and Attributes of Allaah, in Qadr (pre-decree) and with regards to the Companions and so on. Since the Salaf believed in Allaah and in His perfect Names and lofty Attributes which Allaah Has described Himself with and which His Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) has described Him with, believing in them in a way that befits the Majesty of Allaah (Glorified be He from all that they attribute to Him and the Most High), without tahreef, tamtheel, tashbeeh, ta’teel or ta’weel.
And it is to believe in Qadr (pre-decree) its good and bad and the imaan of the slave is not complete until he believes in Qadr which Allaah (Glorified be He from all that they attribute to Him and the Most High) Has decreed for His slaves. Allaah (the Mighty and the Majestic) says:
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadr.” (al-Qamar: 49)
As for the Companions, then the meaning of this is to have imaan that Allaah is pleased with them and to believe that they are upright and the best of nations and generations. And the belief that all of them are trustworthy contrary to the belief of the Shi’ah and the Khawarij, who declare the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) to be disbelievers and do not give them their rights.
Salafiyyah has no leader except the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam), for he (sallallaahualaihi wasallam), is the Imaam of Salafiyyah and an example to be emulated just as his Companions are examples to be followed. And the foundation and root of this is the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam):
“The Jews split up into seventy one sects, the Christians split up into seventy two sects and my nation will split up into seventy three sects all of them in the Hell-Fire except one.” They said, “Who are they O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “They are those who are upon the like of what I and my companions are upon.”
And his (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) saying in the hadeeth of al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah (radiallaahu anhu) which describes the khutbah (sermon) of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam). And he (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) ordered them with taqwa (piety) of Allaah and said:
“I order you to fear Allaah and to hear and obey even if you are commanded by an Abyssinian slave.”
Then he ordered them to follow his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided successors and said:
“Cling onto that with your molar teeth and beware of the newly invented matters for every newly invented matter is an innovation and innovation is misguidance.”
[Question 2]: Is there such a thing as old Salafiyyah and new Salafiyyah or is there just one Salafiyyah?
[Answer 2]: There is only one Salafiyyah, and whoever claims that there such a thing as old Salafiyyah and new Salafiyyah, then he has lied! When we contemplate the aqeedah of the Salaf from the time of the Companions up to today, we find that that it is one aqeedah, and they did not differ in it whatsoever, even though they may have differed in the subsidiary rulings which are not from the foundations and beliefs and for which one of them did not criticise the other. This is the way of the Companions (radiallahu anhum) As for the beliefs then the methodology is one, from the time of the Companions up until now.
Courtesy of Sahab.net
Translated by albaseerah.com
[14] Question: Some of the youth feel hesitant to say “I am Salafee”, so what is your advice with regard to this?
Answer: Why does he feel hesitant?! Does he hold that ascribing oneself to Salafiyyah is degrading?! Is it not an ascription to the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger and those who follow them from among the scholars, the Fuqahaa, the Muhadditheen, the Mufassireen – the upholders of the authentic Creed in every era and in every location, those who follow the truth from the Book of Allaah and from the authentic Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger according to the understanding of the Pious Predecessors? !! Is ascribing oneself to these individuals so degrading that he should feel hesitant about it?! Verily to Allaah do we belong and to Him we will return.
But as for the one who follows the Methodology of the Salaf and agrees with it, saying “I am Salafee”, this person, by Allaah’s Will, we hope good for him. But if he feels hesitant about doing this, then he may be held accountable for this hesitancy.
Shaikh Ahmad bin Yahyaa An-Najmee[Al-Fataawaa Al-Jaliyyah: pg. 14]
[Question 1]: What is Salafiyyah and who is their leader?
[Answer 1]: It is an attribute to the Salaf who are the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) and those who follow them upon goodness from the first three blessed generations and those who came after them. This is Salafiyyah!
Ascription to it means ascription to that which the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) were upon and to the way of Ahlul-Hadeeth who are the followers of the Salafi manhaj and they traverse upon it.
Salafiyyah is to have (correct) belief in the Names and Attributes of Allaah, in Qadr (pre-decree) and with regards to the Companions and so on. Since the Salaf believed in Allaah and in His perfect Names and lofty Attributes which Allaah Has described Himself with and which His Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) has described Him with, believing in them in a way that befits the Majesty of Allaah (Glorified be He from all that they attribute to Him and the Most High), without tahreef, tamtheel, tashbeeh, ta’teel or ta’weel.
And it is to believe in Qadr (pre-decree) its good and bad and the imaan of the slave is not complete until he believes in Qadr which Allaah (Glorified be He from all that they attribute to Him and the Most High) Has decreed for His slaves. Allaah (the Mighty and the Majestic) says:
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadr.” (al-Qamar: 49)
As for the Companions, then the meaning of this is to have imaan that Allaah is pleased with them and to believe that they are upright and the best of nations and generations. And the belief that all of them are trustworthy contrary to the belief of the Shi’ah and the Khawarij, who declare the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) to be disbelievers and do not give them their rights.
Salafiyyah has no leader except the Messenger (sallallaahualaihi wasallam), for he (sallallaahualaihi wasallam), is the Imaam of Salafiyyah and an example to be emulated just as his Companions are examples to be followed. And the foundation and root of this is the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam):
“The Jews split up into seventy one sects, the Christians split up into seventy two sects and my nation will split up into seventy three sects all of them in the Hell-Fire except one.” They said, “Who are they O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “They are those who are upon the like of what I and my companions are upon.”
And his (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) saying in the hadeeth of al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah (radiallaahu anhu) which describes the khutbah (sermon) of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam). And he (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) ordered them with taqwa (piety) of Allaah and said:
“I order you to fear Allaah and to hear and obey even if you are commanded by an Abyssinian slave.”
Then he ordered them to follow his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided successors and said:
“Cling onto that with your molar teeth and beware of the newly invented matters for every newly invented matter is an innovation and innovation is misguidance.”
[Question 2]: Is there such a thing as old Salafiyyah and new Salafiyyah or is there just one Salafiyyah?
[Answer 2]: There is only one Salafiyyah, and whoever claims that there such a thing as old Salafiyyah and new Salafiyyah, then he has lied! When we contemplate the aqeedah of the Salaf from the time of the Companions up to today, we find that that it is one aqeedah, and they did not differ in it whatsoever, even though they may have differed in the subsidiary rulings which are not from the foundations and beliefs and for which one of them did not criticise the other. This is the way of the Companions (radiallahu anhum) As for the beliefs then the methodology is one, from the time of the Companions up until now.
Courtesy of Sahab.net
Translated by albaseerah.com
[14] Question: Some of the youth feel hesitant to say “I am Salafee”, so what is your advice with regard to this?
Answer: Why does he feel hesitant?! Does he hold that ascribing oneself to Salafiyyah is degrading?! Is it not an ascription to the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger and those who follow them from among the scholars, the Fuqahaa, the Muhadditheen, the Mufassireen – the upholders of the authentic Creed in every era and in every location, those who follow the truth from the Book of Allaah and from the authentic Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger according to the understanding of the Pious Predecessors? !! Is ascribing oneself to these individuals so degrading that he should feel hesitant about it?! Verily to Allaah do we belong and to Him we will return.
But as for the one who follows the Methodology of the Salaf and agrees with it, saying “I am Salafee”, this person, by Allaah’s Will, we hope good for him. But if he feels hesitant about doing this, then he may be held accountable for this hesitancy.
Shaikh Ahmad bin Yahyaa An-Najmee[Al-Fataawaa Al-Jaliyyah: pg. 14]
