Islamonline

**Omar HH** · 18-07-2004, 11:08 AM

I don't get this website, I mean I like it and all, it has good news and alot of good articles, but look:

Ask about Islam session with Shaykh Hanooti:

"Question I read your response to a brother not to read a book by Nuh Keller... Can you give some feedback as to why? What about books and tapes by Hamza Yusuf?
Answer I advice a Muslim instead of reading a Shafi’i, Hanafi or any madhhab book to replace that with books like, Fiqh Sunnah, or Sifat Salat Al Naby by al Albany, because I think that the trend of publicizing Islam in non-muslim countries should keep us away from the cultural trend of publicizing books based on madhhab."

On evolution in Islam:

"The above quotation is an excerpt of Nuh Ha Mim Keller’s article on “Islam and Evolution”. The article is excerpted with slight modifications from: http://w ww.masud.co.uk"

On Allah (SWT) knowing what is in the womb vs. modern technology it states:

"In this context, the prominent Muslim scholar, Mufti Ebrahim Desai, states:"

Shaykh Hanooti on another session of Ask about Islam:

"Question Is it alright to call oneself a salafi?
Answer These are names and titles innovated by man, but Allah or His Messenger have nothing to do with it."

On video games:

"Dealing with this issue, Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states the following:"

On al-Albani:

"While bidding farewell to Sheikh Al-Albani, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, said:

“Sheikh Al-Albani is one of the great erudite scholars of the 20th century."

On "the Salafi sect"

"Although it is clear that there are different inclinations for different Salafis, the term Salafi is usually ascribed to those who gave priority to the apparent meaning of the text in deducing rulings from their original sources. They went to the extent in saying that the literal meaning of a religious text should be given priority over qiyas (analogical deduction), personal judgement and other rational mechanisms, which are used in deducing legal rulings...

Moderation, which is a main characteristic of Islamic thought, should be the course to follow. It is inconvenient, as far as Islam is concerned, to stick to the literal interpretation of religious texts and turn a blind eye to rationality and reason. The same applies to adhering to rational justifications and personal judgements, which are, in most cases, susceptible to change let alone error."

On "Wahhabis" in a live "ask about Islam" session with Shaykh Hanooti

"Name
Mohamed Farhan -
Profession
Question there are people who made lies about Wahhabi, such as saying it is deviant, just like they say that Ibn Taimiyyah was deviant. What is sheikh's view regarding this matter? With that, As-Salaamu 'alaikum.
Answer Ibn Abdul Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyyah are great scholars who wanted to wake people so that they would go back to the Quran and Sunnah. They were very reliable in their knowledge, devotion and methodology. I think anyone who puts them down he is either ignorant or prejudice.

On "Wahhabism" from "Ask about Islam" Q&A:
"Some people mean by Wahhabism/Salafism, extremism and roughness in dealing with people. But this is not necessarily true. Many Salafis are very pious and kind, while other Salafis are extreme and rough."

On the Naqshabandi tarqia:
"Like most Sufi Orders, the Naqshabandi one is abundant with good and right facets. Unfortunately, there are some sorts of innovations and deviations from the right and straight path of Islam. Here, we should state that all Muslims must stick to worshipping Allah alone without ascribing others to Him as partners. One should also set the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a guide and exemplary model in all aspects of life."

When they speak of the Deobandis, they quote Islam-QA and Munajjid but totally delete the part that is critical of them.

I don't get Islamonline.

Jazakallah wa Khayrun

**AbuZayd** · 18-07-2004, 11:12 AM

I read their news section and avoid what is essentially a salafi fatwa section.

**Omar HH** · 18-07-2004, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by AbuZayd

I read their news section and avoid what is essentially a salafi fatwa section.

Not really AbuZayd,

I mean its confusing. I think they try to respect all of the scholars is what it is. I mean look at their fatwa section it is alot different from Islam-QA's.

And they just have alot of different contradicting people giving fatwas is what it is. Thats why Shaykh Abu Qanit Hassani's Guiding Helper website says you'll get confused by looking at those websites and instead just follow a madhab.

I mean look at Sheikh Qaradawi, he calls himself a "Salafi" in "Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase" but he explains it. He is not Salafi in making taqlid on Ibn Taymia, and I mean ESPECIALLY not in fiqh, but he explains it as:

"Among the characteristics of this ideology is that it is a traditionalist ideology.
By traditionalist here we mean that it should be an intellectual methodology based on an application of the understanding of the provisions of the Quran and the guidelines of Sunna by the best generations of the Umma; the Prophet's Companions and those who followed correctly on their path."

They translate Salafi as traditionalist.
The Wronging of "Traditionalism" by Both Proponents and Opponents:
The term salafiyya (traditionalism) has been wronged by its proponents and opponents alike.
Its proponents * those who are claimed by people and by themselves to be its proponents, or many of them, to be precise * have confined this methodology to a framework of formalities and polemics on issues of scholastic theology, jurisprudece or Sufism. They spend their days and stay awake all night in a relentless attack against anyone who goes against their opinion on any of these issues or refutes their judgment on any particular detail.
Their attitude has become so absurd that some people now think of traditionalism as the methodology of polemics, not construction and work, or that it focusses on details at the expense of generalities; on disputed concepts at the expense of approved concepts; on form and letter at the expense of content and spirit.
The oppoments of traditionalism, on the other hand, describe it as being "backward" * always looking back but never going ahead, and never caring for the present or the future. They also describe it as being fanatic, never listening or even paying attention to the other opinion, as they regard it to be against renewal, innovation and ijtihad and also far from moderation. In fact, this is an injustice to real traditionalism and to its true advocates.
Perhaps the most prominent advocates of traditionalism in old times were Sheikh Al*Islam Ibn Taymia and his disciple Ibn Al*Qayyam.
They were truly the most worthy of being representatives of the Islamic revivalist movement in their time, for theirs was an all*encompassing renewal of the sciences of Islam.
They stood in the face of blind imitation and the ideological, theological and jurisprudential fanaticism that had been dominating Islamic thought for several centuries.
However, although they had stood against the fanatic methodology of imitation, they did give the imams of the schools of jurisprudence their due share of respect and esteem, as manifested in Ibn Taymia's treatise, "Lifting The Blame Off Prominent Imams".
Moreover, in their campaign against the ideological and doctrinal aberrations, especially by the proponents of hulul and ittihad and behavioral deviations that had infiltrated into Sufism, at the hands of the ignorant, the imposters and the mercenary people, Ibn Taymia and Ibn Al*Qayyem did do justice to true Sufism, and paid tribute to its faithful advocates. They produced much literature in this field, including two volumes containing the fatwas (Islamic legal opinions) of Ibn Taymia and a number of books by Ibn*AI*Qayyem, the most famous of which are "Madarij al*Salikin", Sharh "Manazil al*Sa'irin" ("The Pathway of The Travellers", a commentary on "The Stations of The Walkers") in three volumes.

Actually and he also says:

this is how I stand from Imam Ibn Taymia and Imam Ibn Al*Qayyem: I do respect and appreciate their overall methodology, but that does not make me accept all that they say.
If I accepted all that they say, I would be imitating them in everything, and thus violating the very methodology which they advocated and for which they had to contend with so much trouble and opposition, for their methodology called for contemplation, judging by proof and weighing by the judgment itself, not by its author.
How can one be right in criticizing those who imitate Abu*Hanifa and Malik in one is himself imitating Ibn*Taymia or Ibn Al*Qayy

**Shaykhs-Pir Sahib** · 18-07-2004, 04:19 PM

as salamu alaykum

i believe islam-online to be a site consisting of opinions typical of the ikhwani stance - accepting of tasawwuf (in the sense of Imam al-Ghazali and NO-ONE else) while accepting the salafiyya stance at the same time. So you will find articles on the site and fatawa 'critical' of Ash'ari's, VERY lax on matters such as following maddhahib.

personally i don't find the site generally reliable, although there are some excellent articles by Shaykh Qaradawi and 'like-minded' scholars. Others are just toned down salafi's...

Allahu a'lam

**Omar HH** · 18-07-2004, 04:52 PM

Yeah I have immense respect for Yusuf al-Qaradawi even though he does not make taqleed nor belong to a madhab. I also have immense respect for Hasan al-Banna and Sayyed Qutb and other Ikhwan al-Muslimeen. Even though they are not "traditionalist Sunnis" they are very worthy of respect by the entire Ummah.

**Shaykhs-Pir Sahib** · 18-07-2004, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Ohossino

Yeah I have immense respect for Yusuf al-Qaradawi even though he does not make taqleed nor belong to a madhab. I also have immense respect for Hasan al-Banna and Sayyed Qutb and other Ikhwan al-Muslimeen. Even though they are not "traditionalist Sunnis" they are very worthy of respect by the entire Ummah.

As-salamu alaykum

although i don't like Shaykh Qaradawi's 'methodology', he is a scholar of Islam and deserves the respect that comes with that status. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf said regarding him that he knows the fiqh of all four madhhahib and is possibly able to follow his own ijtihad - Allahu a'lam. My only reservation is that he tends to take the 'easy' opinions from all four maddhahib, and through this methodology may have earned the love and respect of Muslims in the Middle-East and elsewhere.

Hasan al-Banna (May Allah preserve him) was a great man - and of course was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. I believe that the ikhwan he founded and the ikhwan today are radically different.

Sayyed Qutb - (May Allah bless him) - well, i have my qualms about him. He went against the traditional methodology of ahl al-sunna... and there are works of his which have been addressed quite critically by the traditional sunni ulama. In any case, i don't believe he is an authority of scholarship in Islam, and i don't believe his tafsir of the Qur'an is at all the near the quality of the classical mufassirun.... It is his work that has influenced the modern-day 'jihadi' groups and people like Usama b. Laden and Dhawahiri. May Allah reward him in his efforts and for his sincere intentions.

Allah knows best

**Omar HH** · 18-07-2004, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Shaykhs-Pir Sahib

Sayyed Qutb - (May Allah bless him) - well, i have my qualms about him. He went against the traditional methodology of ahl al-sunna... and there are works of his which have been addressed quite critically by the traditional sunni ulama. In any case, i don't believe he is an authority of scholarship in Islam, and i don't believe his tafsir of the Qur'an is at all the near the quality of the classical mufassirun.... It is his work that has influenced the modern-day 'jihadi' groups and people like Usama b. Laden and Dhawahiri. May Allah reward him in his efforts and for his sincere intentions.

Allah knows best

Well I mean obviously we reject what was wrong and accept what is good.

**Omar HH** · 18-07-2004, 08:29 PM

Also one more GREAT thing Islamonline has that other sites don't is their live dialouges. I mean they have so many activist Muslims who are doing so much on there to talk to. They've had everyone from the head of the American Sufi Muslim Association to Yusuf Islam to Sheikh Yassin to Islamic Psychiatry!

Jazakallah wa Khayrun

**Abu Usama** · 18-07-2004, 09:07 PM

Salam,

in regards to Sayyed Qutb, i personally think that it is extremely dangerous to speak negatively of him, since he is amongst the shuhadaa and the shuhadaa are amongst those whom Allah has blessed and are the awliyah of Allah. And then there's the hadith in which it says that whoever shows emnity to a friend of Allah's shou;d accept the decleration of war from Allah and his messenger (saw).

As for his opinions, i am told (by his followers) that he was a mujtahid. Allahu A'lam!

Wasalam