ANALYSING SH. AT-TAHIRI (1)

His view on Hizbiyyah (partisanship) Host: Let's address some of these issues, weigh them, and present the Salafi perspective—traced through an unbroken chain back to the Prophet ﷺ. The first issue here is Hizbiyyah. There are those who have adopted the Salafi Manhaj and the Salafi Aqeedah on matters such as the Divine Names and Attributes, and they have studied foundational texts in Tawheed and other related fields. However, they endorse Hizbiyyah and organised structures, which has caused them to be excluded from the Salafiyyah. This exclusion is based on what criteria?... Such a person might follow 95% of the theoretical and creedal Salafi teachings. However, when it comes to practical application, they stray significantly from Salafi principles by embracing Hizbiyyah. The question then becomes: how would Salafis view this? Sheikh At-Tahiri: If a student in their final year passed all subjects except mathematics, would he be considered successful? Host: No. Sheikh: In Salafiyyah, we have foundational principles, one of which is the rejection of Hizbiyyah, as Allah says, {وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ (31) مِنَ ٱلَّذِینَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِینَهُمۡ وَكَانُوا۟ شِیَعࣰاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَیۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ} "And do not be polytheists— ˹like˺ those who have divided their faith and split into sects, each rejoicing in what they have.[Surah Ar-Rūm: 31-32] Hizbiyyah is not part of the Salafi creed. What does Hizbiyyah mean? It means having a leader who we pledge allegiance to and whose orders we follow, whether this allegiance is public or secret. Such actions are foreign to Salafiyyah. When did this concept of Hizbiyyah, in the sense of loyalty to anyone other than the ruler, first appear? It began covertly with the Khawarij, and later among Sufi orders. How can one then claim to be Salafi if they hold to such principles? For instance, if someone asked, "Did the early Khawarij reject the Divine Names and Attributes? No. Did they declare Abu Bakr and Umar disbelievers? No. Did they endorse Irjaa? No. So what was their issue? It was solely their refusal to listen and obey any ruler they believed to have acted contrary to their worldly interests. They rebelled against Uthman, then against Ali, whom they eventually killed, and even attempted to kill Mu'awiyah and Amr ibn Al-Aas, though they failed. Now, when someone calls themselves “Jihadi Salafism,” “Scholarly Salafism,” or “Political Salafism,” we ask, “When did Salafiyyah ever include Hizbiyyah (political partisanship)?” Why don't you leave this terms (Salafiyyah) in the sound state that it is, just as it remains sound in its reality from newly invented matters and innovations. Host: They have taken a modern movement or group that appeared within the last hundred years, followed some of the scholars’ advice to focus on Aqeedah, as seen in the writings of Sheikh Ibn Baz, for example, and merged this focus with organised structures that resemble Hizbi systems, which you said such organisations undermine the Salafi framework by introducing innovations... Sheikh: We must distinguish between 'organisation/تنظيم' and Partisanship/حزبية. Organisation, such as when the state organises religious and administrative matters—the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, for instance, regulating the masjids, or the Ministry of Social Affairs overseeing charities—is a necessity. The charity organisations within themselves have organisational structures; they appoint directors for different departments. There is no Salafi who objects to organisational structure. If you find a Salafi objecting, understand that they are opposing the Hizbi aspects present within certain organisational structures, not the structure itself! (1) _ (1) https://t.me/madrasatuna/2754