إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْكَلَامِ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ.

Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and the evil of our own actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can mislead; and whoever is misled, none can guide except Allah (ﷻ) alone.

The Prophet (ﷺ) frequently began his gatherings with this Khutbatul Hajjah, and within it lie profound lessons. One vital point of reflection is the supplication: "We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own actions and the evil of our own selves."

The Three Categorizations of the Religion

Abu Yahya states that, to make the religion easier to understand, the scholars categorize it into three foundational levels:

1. Aqeedah (Belief)
2. Ibadah (Worship)
3. Akhlaaq (Manners and Behavior)

While scholars divide these for educational purposes, they are fundamentally inseparable. A Muslim's foundation begins with Aqeedah, followed by the fiqh of Ibadah, and is ultimately reflected in their Akhlaaq.

Shaykh Abu Yahya emphasized:

"That's why I'm saying that even though the scholars put it into three divisions, they are one. We don't separate manners from worship and aqeedah. The Prophet, ﷺ, didn't split them differently. All of them have their importance, even though aqeedah is the first thing, followed by worship, then akhlaaq (mannerisms). The reason I'm saying this is because it's something we're trying to make the brothers aware of through the hadith of the Prophet, ﷺ, so Shaytan doesn't break us up."

Speaking historically from my own accounts in 2015, outwardly, the brotherhood and unity among Salafi graduates and du'at were generally maintained. Beneath the surface, however, disunity and disagreements had started to develop among the graduates of the Islamic University of Madinah from 2009 onwards, largely due to issues regarding personal dealings, looking down on others, and akhlaaq. The general awaam remained somewhat united, although similar issues with akhlaaq were already emerging during that period.

During his 2015 visit, based on his observations of the hospitality and unity among the Salafis, Abu Yahya stated:

"One thing I’ve noticed about the brothers here in Malé, masha'Allah, is that they have a very strong brotherhood, masha'Allah tabarakallah, and it’s a very nice thing to see. And we know, like we covered the other day, that Shaytan will always try to come and split up the brothers."

While he may have been unaware of the intricate details unfolding on the ground, he wanted to keep the Salafis united. Based on his experience in da'wah in the UK, maintaining this unity was clearly a priority for him, which is likely why he focused his talks on this subject.

Abu Yahya stated:

"So yes, in aqeedah they are together. In manhaj—the methodology of worship and how to implement the aqeedah—they are together. And in manners, they are together as well, because they love each other for the sake of Allah. But sometimes what happens is that we let our guard down. We forget, or Shaytan comes in, and we start falling into things we shouldn't. And this is the whole issue of akhlaaq and behavior."

The Messenger (ﷺ) said: "لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ"—meaning, "None of you truly believes until you love for your brother what you love for yourself." Therefore, if you want to be treated nicely, you must treat your brother nicely.

Guarding the Tongue and Developing Character

The Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized the immense weight of our speech and manners. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say what is good or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him be generous to his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him be generous to his guest." (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

While we frequently read these Hadiths, actively developing these traits is a lifelong endeavor. A Salafi is typically well-grounded in Aqeedah and aware of the deviations of Ahlul-Bid'ah (the people of innovation). Shaytan knows he cannot easily corrupt this foundation, so he attacks from the angle of character.

Consider how we joke with one another. Because of our closeness, we often embrace a lightheartedness that, if left unchecked, can inadvertently wound a brother. We must treat our brethren with the exact respect and gentleness we desire for ourselves, acting upon the Prophetic command: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."

Abu Yahya advised:

Generally, they focus on building the Muslim character. Since the Sunni Salafi is strong in his aqeedah and his manhaj, the shaytan cannot easily come and knock him off course. Being aware of hizbiyyah, he knows the paths others fall into. However, the shaytan then comes and attacks him from the aspect of adab and akhlaaq.

Reflecting on this everyday reality, Abu Yahya provided a practical example:

'For example, maybe one of us, we might be joking with each other, like we do because we're brothers. And we have lightheartedness with each other, and we don't mean anything bad. But sometimes that joke can go too far. So we have to be careful. I might say something to Abu Anas, and Abu Anas feels it, and I didn't think, "Oh, he might feel it. Maybe I should have said it in a different way. Maybe I should have said it in a nicer way." I should treat my brother as I want to be treated.'

The Impact of Studying Akhlaaq

Studying the foundational texts of Aqeedah and Manhaj is non-negotiable, but studying books of Hadith centered on character—such as Imam an-Nawawi’s Riyad us-Saliheen—is equally vital.

The late Shaykh Abu Talha Dawood Burbank (رحمه الله), who was instrumental in spreading the Salafi Da'wah in the UK, spent significant time teaching Riyad us-Saliheen. When advised to focus on manners because critics often labeled Salafis as harsh, he dedicated weekly lessons to the book. Over time, the fruits of this study became evident: the character and brotherhood within the community visibly softened and strengthened. Our character is what anchors us completely to the Sunnah—not only in belief and worship but in our day-to-day interactions.

Shaykh Abu Yahya shared this story:

"I remember a brother from England, who is probably well known to you, as he was one of the brothers who brought the manhaj Salafi to England. His name was Dawood Burbank. He studied at the Islamic University of Madinah, returned to England, and was truly one of the first brothers to bring us the manhaj as-Salafi by connecting us to the ulama.

I remember another brother speaking to him and saying, 'You know, akhi, I think we need to cover this area of akhlaaq. When people attack us, they say, "Oh, you people are too harsh. You don't smile at us, you don't do anything."'

While we do not behave this way with the hizbis or with ahlul-bid'ah, we want to pull the general Muslims closer, so we are soft and gentle with them. And amongst ourselves, we should be even more so. If you ever feel you might have said something wrong to a brother, you apologize: 'Ya akhi, I didn't mean it. Please forgive me.' Preserving the brotherhood and overlooking our shortcomings is what is most important. We are not talking about aqeedah and manhaj here; we are talking about adab and akhlaaq.

Consequently, brother Dawood Burbank spent a long time teaching Riyad us-Saliheen, doing one lesson a week. I remember hearing that he later went to that brother and said, 'Jazakallah khayr.' When the brother asked why, he replied, 'Because after you gave that advice, we started teaching Riyad us-Saliheen, and now the brothers' akhlaaq and brotherhood are much better.'

Their character is developing, and this is exactly what we need. As Salafis, we need this to build a strong character, because good character is what makes us stick to the sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ)—not just in aqeedah and ibadah, but also in akhlaaq."

As Salafis, we need this to build a strong character, because good character is what makes us stick to the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Concise Prophetic Advice

From Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī رضي الله عنهم who said man once approached the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked for brief, concise advice. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied with three profound principles:

1. إِذَا قُمْتَ فِي صَلَاتِكَ فَصَلِّ صَلَاةَ مُوَدِّعٍ "When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell prayer."
2. وَلَا تَكَلَّمْ بِكَلَامٍ تَعْتَذِرُ مِنْهُ "Do not say anything for which you will have to apologize."
3. وَأَجْمِعِ الْيَأْسَ عَمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ "And give up hope for what other people have."

Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 4171

This instills absolute focus, Khushu', and certainty. The second point is a direct warning to think before speaking. When giving Da'wah, or even in casual conversation with a brother, words carry weight. We must never judge a book by its cover, nor should we utter words that repel people from the truth or cause silent resentment among friends.

Abu Yahya stated:

Look at the advice: Do not say something for which you have to apologize tomorrow. So, think before you speak to your Muslim brother, your Salafi brother. Be careful, because it might hurt him. Some of us, or most of us, are very gentle, very soft. That is the other thing we have to take into consideration as Salafis. When we give da'wah to people, not everybody is on the same level. Some people are higher, some people are lower. And never judge a book by its cover; they always say this, never judge a book by its cover.

So, when we say something, we don't want to hurt that person, intentionally or unintentionally. We want to guide that person. So amongst the Salafis, it should be even more. 'Ya akhi, how are you? How are things? Come to my house,' increasing your brotherhood. 'Is everything okay? Can I help you with something?' Strengthen the brotherhood. Don't allow shaytan to tear us apart by what we say.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri (رحمه الله) perfectly summarized the difference between a wise man and a fool:

"The tongue of a wise person is behind his heart. If he intends to speak, he consults his heart first. If the speech is favorable, he speaks; if it is harmful, he withholds. As for the ignorant person, his heart is on the tip of his tongue. Whatever comes to his tongue, he simply says it."

Abu Yahya stated:

"Most of us just talk. No matter what we say, we do not stop to think. But our character has to become very strong."

Emulating the Mercy of the Prophet (ﷺ) in Making Each One Valued: Young or Old

Abu Yahya stated:

For example, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the best of creation. He would make everybody feel special. He would never let anybody feel not special.

The Prophet (ﷺ) possessed the greatest character; he made every individual feel valued.

There is a beautiful narration wherein the Prophet (ﷺ) was discussing vital matters of the Ummah with senior companions like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (رضي الله عنهم). During this, a young boy named Anas entered. The Prophet (ﷺ) noticed him and immediately asked about his younger brother. Anas replied that his brother was devastated because his pet sparrow had died.

Instead of dismissing this as a trivial matter, the Prophet (ﷺ) paused his gathering, stood up, and went to visit the grieving child. He comforted the boy with a warm, rhyming phrase: "Ya Aba Umayr, ma fa'alan-nughayr?" (O Abu Umayr, what happened to the little bird?). Scholars like Ibn Hajar have extracted dozens of benefits from this single interaction. The overarching lesson is profound: the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) took the time to heal a child's broken heart.

Abu Yahya stated:

But the shahid here, the point is, that the Prophet (ﷺ) made everybody feel special. Everybody feels special. So the advice here is that we don't want shaytan to come in—come in and break up our brotherhood. Because our brotherhood is based upon Tawheed. It is based upon aqeedah, the correct manhaj, the Salafi manhaj. It involves adhering and sticking to the ulama, and dealing well with each other. Behaving well with each other, not saying something that will hurt each other.

Allah Belittles Those Who Belittle Others: How Looking Down on People Breaks Brotherhood

Yahya ibn Jabir said:

"A person never belittles someone due to a deficiency, except that Allah trials him with the exact same deficiency."

This is the reality of the principle: What goes around, comes around. When people engage in qeel wal qaal (gossip) and look down on others, they inevitably face the consequences of their own actions.

Abu Yahya stated commenting on that:

"A person might say, 'Oh, look at you. Oh, shorty. You're very short.' He doesn't mean anything bad, but he said this thing about that person, and that person didn't like it. He thinks, 'Why is he always calling me short? Why am I shorty? Allah made me like this. Why is he calling me this?' The speaker doesn't mean anything, but it can actually cause harm and hurt somebody if he keeps calling him 'shorty' or some other name.

If the brother is happy with it, that's different. He might say, 'OK, no problem. I don't mind.' But you have got to check first. Be careful. That is the whole point here: be careful.

So, if you belittle somebody because of a deficiency he has, then know that you will be trialed by that deficiency. Ya'ni, in English we say, 'What goes around, comes around.' This is for those people who do backbiting, gossiping, and bad things. Alhamdulillah, we don't have this, because we, insha'Allah, follow the Sunnah. We try to keep away, and we fight ourselves against these things. Ya'ni, regarding this backbiting and gossiping, we, the people of the Sunnah, stick to the hadith and try to be careful.

But sometimes, when joking, we let our guard down. We think, 'Oh, he's a brother. It doesn't matter. He won't mind if I call him something.' Maybe he will! How do you know? And maybe Allah will trial you with the exact same thing.

So, the point here is that we have to be careful of what we do and what we say. We must just be aware of what we say, because this is very, very important."

A Personal Account of a Salafi: Those Who Belittle People Out of Arrogance and Authority, Allah Will Belittle Them

This was clearly witnessed during an incident in 2018. Certain individuals began speaking against another brother based on assumptions and without sufficient proof. Seeing this, some brothers simply advised them that if we are going to speak about a person, we must speak with proofs. He offered a short naseeha (advice) regarding verification before speech, warning them of the consequences:

"Every person will be rewarded based on his deeds (Al-Jazā’ Min Jins Al-‘Amal). If we say things about people without rightful evidence—based on mere Qeel wal Qaal ('he said, she said')—then a day will come when people will speak about us in the same way. If that day comes, the person will remember that he also spoke in such a manner about others. On the Day of Judgment, the consequences of such speech will be evident. Allah’s help is sought."

He explained that behaving harshly towards new Salafis—who may not yet know much about the Manhaj or understand the reality of the people they sit with—will only push them away. He warned them about the consequences of their actions and how Allah holds such people accountable. However, a haqid (spiteful) individual twisted his words to make it appear as though He was defending an opposer of the Sharee'ah.

Shaykh Rabee’ bin Hādi al-Madkhali (may Allah have mercy on him) identified the act of "persisting upon false accusations" as a hallmark of the Haddādī methodology and a core manifestation of their injustice. He stated:

"“The Haddādīs have with them a vile foundational principle: And it is that when they attach a statement to a person (of Sunnah and Salafiyyah)—something from which he is innocent and has openly declared his innocence—they persist in continuing to accuse that oppressed individual with what they have falsely attributed to him. By this vile principle, they surpass even the Khawārij.”

Instead of reflecting on the naseeha to fear Allah, the response He received from an arrogant individual was harsh and deeply belittling:

"Who are you even to become a judge (Gāzee)? You don’t even know what is happening. Don’t forget your size! I am speaking to you, [Name]. Abu Anas is speaking only because of the things you went and said to him, just to raise your own status!."

(Original Dhivehi: "Kaley gaazee akah vegen kaaku hejjey.kale akah nuves eheyne.. kaleyakah neygeyney mivaa ehchcheh..size olhigen noolheyshey..xxx ey mikyanee. Abu Anas gos vaahaka dhakkanee kaley gos kaleyge digu aruvan kiyaa echchakunney.")

This attack was not only arrogant but based entirely on false assumptions, evil thoughts—such as the accusation of "Trying to raise your own status!" —and lies, such as the claim about "things you went and said to him"—all of which never actually happened. It is important to note that people suffering from the sickness of arrogance and the desire for authority often project their own internal obsession with status and their own qeel wal qaal onto others. They assume that because they would manipulate a situation for their own gain, everyone else must be doing the same. They speak without knowledge, fueled by their own assumptions.

Abu Anas himself knew that the brother had never shared anything with him about the brother in question. This behavior was a clear manifestation of rejecting the truth, arrogance, looking down on people, and evil conduct—resembling the street 'gangster' behavior acquired from their worldly associates—combined with a desperate need to display their own 'size' and authority to others, as if they felt their status was somehow demeaned by a simple reminder to verify before speaking, to speak with evidence rather than hearsay, and to fear Allah.

It is worth noting that on that very same day, when Abu Anas called the brother in question, he explicitly told him that these individuals were behaving in the exact same manner as those they themselves claim to oppose. They were mirroring the actions of the Haddadiyyah (in their vile principle of persisting upon false accusations) and the fitna associated with Sh. Muhammad bin Hadi; just as they claimed he was speaking without sufficient evidence—putting some of Ahlus-Sunnah alongside people of desire and categorizing anyone who opposed him as among the Sa'āfiqah —they themselves appeared to be doing the exact same thing. Ultimately, because of their evil methodology, the Da’wah was destroyed and the people were left disunited.

The Outcome in 2024: The Recompense

Years passed, but the scales of justice are never unbalanced. What happened later—the cycle of disunity, qeel wal qaal, speaking against others, and bearing false witness—in 2024 was a profound manifestation of the very advice they had rejected. Allah dealt with those exact same people in the exact same manner, striking them with severe issues that fractured their own brotherhood. Allah tested that same haqid individual with a taste of his own medicine; brothers began to speak against him, and eventually, even Abu Anas himself turned against them.

Yet, despite all of this, this group did not realize their mistakes. Instead, they returned to their arrogance. Allah’s aid is sought. May Allah save the Salafi Da’wah from such arrogance (kibr) and injustices.

Hope we remember, Then, a day will come when people will speak about us in the same way. If that day comes, the person will remember that he also spoke in such a manner about others.

(Read the 7th Benefit at Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's speech regarding the verse "you will not find in the way of Allah any change." "Learning History is for Avoiding the Wicked Predecessors and Emulating the Righteous Predecessors")

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِي الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا "[This is] the established way of Allah with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the way of Allah any change." (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:62)

Those who belittle people will eventually be belittled by Allah. We saw this reality unfold clearly:

• Abu Anas and those with him started belittling the du'at (callers to Islam), the mashayikh, and the brothers. Eventually, Allah belittled them and brought them low.
• Arafat started belittling Ahlus-Sunnah, the du'at, and the shaykhs. Consequently, Allah belittled him and put him down in the sight of Ahlus-Sunnah.

When people arrogantly dismiss the command to verify (tathabbut) and choose instead to mock the one giving advice, Allah’s decree eventually catches up to them.

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

"There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding." (Surah Yusuf, 12:111)

Rectification and Forgiveness

There is still a chance to rectify, make tawbah, and ask forgiveness. If a hurtful word slips from our tongues, we must swallow our pride and apologize immediately.

As Shaykh Abu Yahya concluded:

"It is about how we behave with each other. And if we ever do fall short, we turn to each other and ask, 'Please, brother, forgive me.'"

In light of this reminder, if I have lied about anyone, hurt anyone, or wronged any of the awaam or the people of Sunnah, I openly ask for your forgiveness.

I wanted to personally ask you to forgive me for anything I may have done knowingly or unknowingly by which I oppressed you, harmed you, spoke about you unjustly, or entered into your personal right. I do not want to meet Allah while carrying any injustice against anyone.

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ