A brief history of salafiya in the US

[AbuSulaiman]

Part 1

The Beginning…

In the early to mid 90s, we witnessed a period in which lots of people were becoming Muslim after the new interest in Malcolm X brought on mostly by Spike Lee’s X hats and the movie.

This brought on a short period of revived black consciousness in which we saw many black bookstores open that sold books such as “The Isis Papers” and “Stolen Legacy” promoting myths of a black super civilization that used to exist that had 25th century technology buried beneath the Saharan desert to protect their super knowledge from the evil of the white man. There was so much hope that ‘knowledge of self’ would finally bring blacks out of the rut they’d fallen into. This “hope” is what leads African-Americans into different movements. The strong yearning to be a part of something positive. Many of you will not understand this yearning, but it is very strong. I cannot understand it as well as a black person, but I do know what this yearning is like. This point is important because many of these new Muslims from the influx would find that their next “great hope” was in the salafi dawah.

The black consciousness period basically ended with the disappointment in lack of substantive response in aftermath of the “Million Man March”. Lots of people showed up, lots of good feeling, lots of money made for some, but nothing happened in the black communities after that.

After the Malcolm X bio-pic and the new black consciousness movement, this led to a lot of interest amongst black youth (even white youth like me at the time) in “returning to their roots” which eventually led many of them to Islam. I became Muslim myself during this period after reading the ‘Autobiography of Malcolm X’. The same is the case with others I know.

On top of pointing out the influx of Muslims that came in from the short black consciousness period in the early 90’s, it must also be noted that the internet was taking off. This is important to note as the internet would feed much of the growth of the salafi movement and, ironically, eventually contribute to its current decline.

Before this time, in the late 80’s, some of the forbearers of salafi dawah that were already here in the US, used to drive hundred of miles to give lectures in which there would only be like a dozen people who all knew each other. This was a “big gathering”. There were few converts that were salafi at that time. These speakers would form part of the backbone of the salafi speakers circuit along with those that were about to graduate from the University of Madinah (Abu Muslimah and Abu Usamah). It is these individuals, along with Dawood Adib, that really took “the dawah” to the converts where it was originally mostly a Gulf Arab thing.

Next, I will talk about the competition for the new converts and the salafi movement’s rise.

Part Two: The Competition for Converts

Part Three: The Brotherhood

Part Four: E.O. and its satellites

Part Five: Northern Virginia/DC area

Part Six: The Decline

Part Seven: Bayaans

More to come...

[Mohammed Hassan Al-Moayad]

I don't know where I saw the other 'thread' asking Brother Zubair his comments and opinions on OmarLee's blog, and, with that much said, it does seem that Brother Omar may not had been himself a such a religious man to start with (esprcially with reading through some of his other blogs).

But, at any rate, here are some of the comments copied over from omarlee's piece, now that he's opened for comments on it:

- - - - - - - -

http://umarlee.com/2007/01/31/the-ri...n-the-us-final

..
Final Thoughts…

When IANA and other such organizations dissolved after 9/11, the remaining reasonable and moderate American brothers had no place to go and for all purposes – especially with all the fitnah of brothers being arrested – and basically went into hiding and are quietly going on with their lives observing the social anarchy from afar. I have found brothers that were formerly active in the salafi movement - brothers that at the time had big untrimmed beards and exclusively wore thobes - with small trimmed beards, a suit and tie on and wanting nothing to do with the movement. Some were even very anti-Salafi. It also did not help matters when some groups that were opposed to the salafi movement as a whole took the opportunity to scapegoat them after 9/11. As to the TROID side, they continued to shrink in influence, and have become sort of a punch line. They are the ones associated with ‘salafiyah’ when other Muslims think of salafis. Mention the word ‘Salafi’ to a Muslim what often comes to mind is a criminal who marries several times. They thought it to be “unbeneficial” to address social issues and those very issues ate away at them like acid. They thought it better to “leave these issues” but it never left them.

TROID began to lose influence as the tabloid style emails ceased and they ran out of people to character assassinate. Plus people just got tired. They can’t put together any conferences outside of Philadelphia and Newark, where – even in those places - they are also waning in influence. There is no real solid “movement” in place. Even if one visits a lot of the old salafi websites, one will find that they haven’t been updated in months or sometimes, years. This has contributed to the end of the “cut and paste” era. And Salafis are almost nowhere to be found in the post 9/11 intellectual debate. As to the remnants of the IANA side of things, some have retooled, run away from the old salafi movement, and have an entirely different focus. These groups do not concentrate on converts anymore and disown the title ‘Salafi’ for themselves because they do not want to be associated with the legacy of TROID – for good reason. Texas Dawah and the Al Maghrib Institute are two examples of such organizations that are pretty balanced and have run away from the salafi label like the plague. I hear that Texas Dawah puts on a pretty good program, but they – along with Al Maghrib - target the college aged (18-25) middle class, children of immigrants. We converts are largely an afterthought in their programs. Converts are welcome to come, but they are not considered in the programs. Some reverts that have been around this crowd have even gotten the feeling that they are a “pet convert” and shy away.

Texas Dawah – for example - had over 3,000 attendees at their last conference, but I would be surprised if even 1% of that number were converts. Again, this is not to say that they reject converts, but it is clear that they don’t speak to our issues in their conferences. This is in contrast to the old days when you had large numbers of converts at the old salafi conferences. A crowd of 3,000 would have close to 1,000 converts and several speakers that were themselves converts. Gatherings in East Orange could draw 2,000 people in which 95% were converts. That is just not the case now. No one considers us anymore. I attended an Al Maghrib class in New Jersey and immediately felt out of place as a convert, because I knew that this program – though very good for its audience – was not for people like me. The crowd was overwhelmingly first or second generation immigrants and middle to upper class young individuals that were either in college or just graduated. Again, nothing wrong with that, but we are left in the cold. Double weekend classes or a once a year conference does not compare to an everyday movement that was a way of life.

I spoke to Muhammad Al Shareef, and I could tell that he just couldn’t relate with a person like me. This is not a criticism of him, as I enjoyed his class – in an abstract way – but I could tell that there was not only a convert/non-convert divide, but a class and social divide. The problems of people like me are not even conceptualized much less thought about, thus many are still in the streets with no place to go. (Another issue is that you can’t rule out the barrier that the fees for the Al Maghrib.) This is why I feel that these new organizations are too limited in their scope to be anywhere near the old days. They are concentrating on the second generation youth - nothing wrong with that - but there are many others out there.

There is little to no talk of community building, raising children, dealing with non-Muslim family and non-Muslim in-laws, cleaning up and reviving neighborhoods, or things of that sort that are of importance to converts. The converts are left with a choice of being left in the cold to observe from the outside as forgetten about relics from a past era or to assimilate completely into the immigrant world and resolve to leave their American identity behind. If organizations such as Texas Dawah or Almaghrib ever decide that they want to deal with converts, then they will have to take on social problems in order to be affective and not declare them to be “of no benefit” At one time, things were great, and seemed to be on the move. Then things fell apart as the over zealous element was never put into check and ultimately destroyed everything. There are still brothers floating around that seem to think that it is still 1996, but they are isolated. I feel sorry for brothers like this when I see them, because usually they were not around during the good times and do not know that what they are doing is a dead end, especially without the social support that was around in the 90’s.

As it stands, the movement is a shell of what is used to be. The Islamic Center of America in East Orange seems abandoned compared to how it used to be. In the DC area, there is no fervor amongst the handful of Salafis that are remaining. There are some who remember those days, go to the masjid and pray and do good deeds and in their homes still enjoy the knowledge. Jamatul Al Qawee was taken over by the TROID element and is barely functional via a handful of isolated, triumphalist brothers. There are a few remnants at the Dar as Salaam masjid in Maryland, who have also run away from the Salafi movement. Everything else is a faded memory. Across the country, the salafi masjids folded one by one, until they are nothing more than a handful of sad isolated brothers in a few cities that even now do not realize that the world has moved on without them. They are in for a rude awakening.

The brothers and sisters across the country are left alone… left to pick up the devastating pieces and try to carry on their lives… left to try to fill the huge void in their chests …. left try to live instead of simply exist… left to wait to wander with no place to go. Isolationism was such a big mistake and that is why I am opposed to it. Even though I look upon those days with fondness - I am left feeling very cynical, jaded and scarred.
Comments are now open…

(([ another bit of 'omarlee,' example:
http://umarlee.com/2007/02/28/on-bei...america-part-3
... When Arabs came to America and started businesses, the vast majority - and I mean like 90% from those I know - went out and got them a white woman to marry no matter how she looked ( I have a picture in my mind of an obese white woman sitting on the porch drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and smoking a generic cigarette). One would think that with these guys having their stores in black neighborhoods - and even often owning black hair care stores - that many more of them would marry black women, but that is much less common from what I have seen. They will sleep around with the black women, but they rarely marry one of them. In fact, they talk very bad about black people. They often referred to blacks as “abeed” (slaves) and if you ask them where their store is located they will respond “hay al-abeed” (the neighborhood of the slaves) and had racist sayings about black people. However, the women were good enough to screw. (This can be said of Latinas in New York City as well although they tend to get treated better than black women).
This is the underlying reason that the vast majority of white women who become Muslim marry Arab men. They are highly coveted by them. When a white woman takes shahaadah, you have to (try to) protect her from all the Arabs that - unbeknownst to her - are trying to marry her. There is a high premium on white skin and a white woman is the ultimate fantasy. The value that is placed on her by the Arab, or even the Desis, she will not be bale to find amongst her fellow whites, and in this day even African-Americans, and she will be able to get a better looking and more prosperous brother from the Arabs than she could have ever dreamed of ( I am also thinking back to high school and seeing a very unattractive white girl who comes from a family with money dating the black running back who could be a male-model and her previous white boyfriend looking more like Pee-wee Herman with acne). These white women then marry these guys expecting to fully integrate into Arab life. ... ]))

Comments from 'salafi'

Abdullaah // January 31st, 2007
Very well written and accurate account of the destruction of the dawah here in America. It made me very sad when I thought about the times of unity.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Muslimah_Mouse // January 31st, 2007
Subhan’Allah, what an amazing series of articles! I’ve learnt quite a bit from them… and just when I needed them, too! I’d just started wondering about the Salafi movement, its history and how it’s doing today, and masha’Allah right on cue you started writing and posting this…
Even though I haven’t actually experienced what you did, it made me so sad to read about the decline of the movement… especially since the way you described it as during its peak was just amazing! I am sure that there’ll be a lot of people who’ll disagree with you about the state of the movement today, but I understand that you’re writing from your own experiences and personal viewpoint…
But y’know… regarding what is so desperately lacking for the reverts today… d’you think that something *could* be started up, like the conferences and day-to-day programs that you mentioned in your first posts, once more? Perhaps I’m just being naive, but I’m sure that if a group of dedicated members of the community - brothers and sisters - got together and worked really hard, they could start something up (albeit on a smaller scale) that would resemble what used to benefit the community ‘back in the day’. Although, they’d probably have to stay away from the label of ‘Salafi’ if they hope for success in the community… Anyway, just wanted to say jazakAllahu khair for the wonderful writing and ‘history lesson’!
May Allah help us so that the ‘glory days’ can once more be relived, ameen!
Your little sister in Islam,
Mouse
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
abu sara // January 31st, 2007
assalamu ‘alaikum,
Have read your articles. I think many mistakes were made and the content one is he who learns from other people’s mistakes as Ibn Mas’ud radiallaahu ‘anhu said. However, we have been ordered to follow this blessed path upon righteousness and that was the problem. Lack of knowledge and how to carry this blessed da’wah with correct manners and understanding.

I think the future looks much better inshaallaah, as now the scholars are referred to much more. Yes, there was more unity in the pat but not always upon a clear correct basis, unity for the sake of unity. We are all encouraged to be sincere to Allaah first and foremost and know that Allaah is more jealous at protecting His deen than anyone else. It will be protected and it is moving forward upon a correct basis but it has gone through difficult periods. Allaah guides whom He wills. Salvation lies in being with the inheritors of the Prophets to take from where they take from the authentic sunnah not spekaers who concoct their own isolated individual opinions not connected to the path of the pious predecessors. Patience, steadfastness, calling upon Allaah for guidance and humility and submission to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

Ali Tameemi lecture to the salafees showed that he split away from the scholars by introducing four categories of tawheed and calling upon mixing with other groups. Hiw political stance were similar and in-line with those inprisoned in Saudi for going against the sunnah and speaking out against the governent OPENLY. This is why they left him, it was not personal, it was about seeking the truth. Abu Muslimah was calling to himself, isolated from the scholars in his time, and establishing the hudood within his own community.

You may dislike something that is good for you. Salafi da’wah in America and across the world is not in decline nor is it about to fall. On the contrary, the correct understanding of it is being strengthened and although due to some speakers has been through some rough times, it is growing and with the brotherhood and correct mannerism bad changes are being made for the better. Purification and education together will improve the situation. Too much of one without the other was one of the problems.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
DA // January 31st, 2007
Umar, this series seriously broke my heart a little bit. It’s really hard for me to think of people so full of hope and faith and just watching it crash and ruin lives. I am not a Salafi and doubt I ever will be; however, I’ve seen the exact same pattern happen in a lot of religious movements and have many friends and acquaintences who have been seriously burned, sometimes to the extent of losing their faith. The funny thing is, a LOT (though not all) of what you describe seems to cut across many movements. I’ve seen it occur with Sufi orders, members of a couple Shia movements, The Hare Krishnas, and Chabad-Lubovitch jews (though on a smaller scale than you’re talking about, especially with the last one). Obviously all these movements are signifigantly different, but this pattern seems to crop up a lot, especially in a western setting. I think it’s the logical end-result of giving too much power to fallible humans and relying too much on arbitrary social distinction and not enough on Allah, common sense, and basic human decency.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mohamed // January 31st

Wow great series, a real eye opener. Much of the info, I did not know. I do not think the problem is with the Salafi crowd you mentioned as they were small but its their influence they had with the other crowd, the Ikhwans that created the problem for muslims and many Sufis. That influence is what led many of them to remain silent about what happened to the salafis. Its the influence salafism had on ISNA, ICNA and CAIR via the Muslim Brotherhood that created the problem for many muslims as the Salafi influence hindered the political and social progress these groups had. That led to it being shunned by many liberal minded Muslims who could not fit in the Ikhwani thought process such as myself. As 911 occurred and people began to investigate, the shadow of the Salafi influence in the Ikhwan began to emerge. Just read what the MSA website has to say about Ghazali and tasawwuf to know what i mean. Listen to the fatwas of former Isna president Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui about tawassul and Sufism to know what i mean. The conflict between Kabbani and people like Maher Hathout and CAIR was about that influence. These came to haunt these Ikhwani groups after 911 as they tried to present themselves as “moderate and mainstream” and found many Jewish and right wing groups exposing these links between these Ikhwani groups and salafi theology hence the phrase the “wahhabi lobby”. This is the reason behind the animosity Umar, i tried to explain in the Stephen Schwartz and Hamza Yusuf issue. Its about the Ikhwani groups and the Salafi influence mainly because the founder of the Ikhwan , Hassan Al Banna, established the Salafi theology as the base for the group and rejected Sufism although not outright. In the 70s with Saudi help, the Ikhwani became more pro Salafi and anti Sufi especially the ISNA crowd. It was much easier for someone like Imam Siraj Wahhaj to make it to the ISNA podium or the CAIR board of directors than a Sufi sheikh.A culture emerged where Salafi theology flourished unchallenged till extremism looks like took over and brought it down. This influence was established mainly in Egypt where Saudi Arabia was in conflict with Gamal Abdul Nasser and Arab nationalism. Saudi then pumped a lot of money on its biggest enemy the Muslim Brotherhood and the relationship continued even stronger in the USA via the Muslim World League where the Muslims Student Association(MSA) was formed. This is what i was trying to explain, Umar, about religion and politics in the Arab world. They go hand in hand. Then ISNA was formed and then ICNA and etc. CAIR was an offshoot of Hamas which itself is branch of The Muslim Brotherhood. All this led to one thing, the cutting off of the Sufis and liberal muslims whose political and theological outlook disagreed with the Muslim Brotherhood. Hense the animosity the Sufis feel and the distance that now these groups(Ikhwanis) want to keep from the Salafi persuasion because after 911 they see that this influence is haunting them.

The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt today is paralyzed because of this. While other Islamist(Hassan Turabi, Rached Ghanouchi)have moved on, they remain paralyzed. Even the Islamist in Algeria and Iraq moved on from the Salafi understanding of Islam. Accepted Democracy and women rights grudgingly and moved on. There is nothing wrong with Salafi style you are talking because it was not political but socio religious. The groups you refer to payed the price but they were not involved in politics. Its its ties (Salafism)with the political Islam that is deadly. This is what you are seeing with Bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri appearing together, the Muslim Brotherhood Salafi link.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dawud // January 31st
... ... I met the TROID people in Toronto - and talked with them, visited their mosque, and found some young kids who while sincere and dedicated to practicing the deen as best they knew, refused to consider the basis of what they were saying, and the crude manner in which they were assaulting others - their self-righteousness had absorbed them.

I remember one Algerian brother in particular, who though some brothers I knew (Jamaat-ul-Fuqra, incidentally) had helped him out when he first entered Canada as a refugee, had moved over to the ’salafi jihadist’ side, and spent his time “purifying the deen” and assaulting (physically, in my case, saying I was “a Christian missionary! Asha’ri deviant! Sufi!”) brothers who disagreed with him. While other Salafi brothers disagreed with him, he was left in his ‘teaching’ position in the daw’ah center. I also lived in Saudi Arabia for a year and half, and saw what indulgence goes on there, while the population starves, and most of the ’salafi jihadists’ rant in private homes or khutbas, the Sau’di State is far more craven to the US administration than even pro- neo-con ’sufis’ like Kabbani.

In summation, I think I’d agree with bin Gregory in the other post - while Sunni muslims would agree in theory with all of your ‘if “Wahabis” believe this’ post questions, your attitude and demeanor is not going to lead towards the reconciliation you call for (which ignores that Salafis, including ‘Let’s unite’ Yasser Qadhi, who has certainly slandered Sufi scholars such as Imam Mohammed al-Alawi al-Maliki - calling someone ‘kufr and mushrik’ is serious, bro - you what happens to one who’s takfir returns to him) In brief, I would hope for reconciliation between muslims, but that has to be sincere amongst Salafis - along with a recognition that the rhetoric of blaming “Sufis, jews, Americans” for their own problems is just not a workable strategy.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Not a TROIDian // January 31st
Abu Sara:
You are spouting off AT LEAST one LIE that has been repeated, and that is about Abu Muslimah. He has NEVER called for the hudood to be implemented in his community. I know him PERSONALLY and have known him for some time, and he is not as you or TROID represent him.

As for your representation of the current state of the dawah, then I don’t know which America you are living in, but in the one I live in, there are hardly any brothers remaining. Yes, we should respect the scholars and scholarship, but they are not ONLY in Saudi Arabia. You all’s vision of Islam is for every masjid in America to be lifeless, dour and listening to tele-links all the time with no other activity at all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aboo Sumiyyah // January 31st
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu,
This was a very interesting read..I actually read these posts before even checking my e-mail in the morning. I have a ton of questions though. I have been with those brothers who openly attribute themselves to the Salafee Da’wah for almost two years now; they are linked to TROID, Spubs and such organizations although most of them are not as harsh/hardline at least as the stereotypical Salafees. I also take AlMaghrib classes, and frequent other conferences if I feel they may be beneficial (whether it’s a Zaytuna function, or RIS) as sometimes those seminars address issues of purifying the heart that are lacking amongst the Salafiyyoon, yet it is part of the manhaj of the Salaf to cleanse the hearts. However, I’ve got some questions for you. You mentioned that there appeared some ulemaa that no one had heard of after the passings of Ibn Baaz, Al-Albaanee, and Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahumullah). Where were the likes of Shaykhs Ahmad An-Najmee, Rabee, Ubayd, Muhammad Al-Anjaaree, Zayd Al-Madkhalee, Muhammad Al-Madkhalee, Saalih As-Suhaymee, Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhab Al-Banna and Falaah Ismaeel (hafidhahumullah) during the lifetimes of Ibn Baaz, Al-Albaanee, and Ibn Uthaymeen. I ask because it is usually the scholars I just mentioned who are known for bringing the refutations on individuals or speaking in defense of the TROID/Spubs crew. On top of that, some of the famous du’aat who have spent years studying in the Jamiyyahtul Madeenah have told me that no one really refers to “Ahmad An-Najmee and the two Madkhalees” except the TROID/Spubs crew. However, it seemed that reading what the three A’immaa of the generation said about Shaykh Rabee and Shaykh An-Najmee’s scholarship on paper(from fatwa-online) seems to me that they are legitimate kibaar ul ulemaa. I would agree that sometimes they are fed information that is not correct and give rulings based upon that, and of course Shaykh An-Najmee is in the middle of nowhere, in Jeezan so he could be out of touch as to what the Muslims really need in America. So I would appreciate if you could answer these, you can e-mail me if you do not want to post it on the comments.

In summary, what I see of the Salafees is that they are strict in their principles and they say about Ali At-Timimi, Abu Muslimah, Abu Usamaah that they went against the manhaj(and they bring the proofs) and they say “Although these brothers were loved by us, we are about preserving the manhaj and not the people, our walaa and baraa is based upon the Haqq”. They said that they have ulemaa who have preceded them in this (Shaykh Rabee for Abu Muslimah and Shaykh Najmee/Zayd Al-Madkhalee for Abu Usamah); I’m not sure what radd they have for Ali. Some brothers do get carried away and throw whoever they feel makes a mistake off the manhaj; for instance, I talked to the Imaam of the local Salafee masjid about Yasir Qadhi being refuted on a 45 page PDF on Troid and he disagreed with it, along with alot of the stuff on Salafitalk based upon there were no ulemaa making such statements. However, there is still that attitude the anyone who goes to conferences that are not openly Salafee, whether it is Texas Da’wah, ISNA, RIS, JIMAS should be looked at with suspicion if not labelled a hizbee. JazakAllaahu Khair for the posts.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Abu Ilyas // January 31st

As Salamaualikum,
I can just about to remember the good old days in the UK. But the fitnah knocked me sideways for a while.
It is sad to see Salafis still sprouting the same old late 90’s Salafi polemics and distortions with regards to Ali Timimi for example, I cannot beleive that people still think he was calling to 4 types of Tawheed, and even if he was that that means he was splitting awat from the scholars! Whatever that implies. Seriously, a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing. This typifies what went on with the Salafi problems in the 90’s. If the zealous ones had listened to the advice of people like Shaykh Ali Timimi who warned of this cancer which had started in '96 we would have been better off. As it happened it was mainly the talks and courses of Shaykh Ali Timimi from '97 onwards which he conducted in London which had a tremendous impact on the Salafi movemement in the UK. For example:
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/audi...mimi_index.htm
Hence you still find many strong brothers and sisters in London even after 9/11 who are active, in high eman insha’allah whereas the Salafis in the US or the SP style Salafis in UK are dead. Unfortunately by that time most Salafis had sected themselves and avoided good brothers like Ali as a religous obligation, thus depriving them of much needed knowledge and Eman boosting when the times got tough. I think this was an example of group control which was effectively practiced by many zealous Salafis in those days.
We have to move on. Islam is not in need of us we are in need of Islam.We need to strive for the rest of our lives to establish the religon, the good old days will actually be the days of the future insha’allah….but it was good to reminicise..for a while.
Jazakhallah Khair, Umar. I enjoyed reading that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Amad // January 31st
salam…
I’ll need more time to digest all the info. here, but the collection did touch on many of our experiences, as a group of MSA students in Houston. Mostly immigrants, so we were the few (dare I say the proud) who were not converts in the QSS crowds. Yasir Q. was our friend and main influence, and he affected many of us, and continues to affect us and many more now. And Mashallah he modified his approach early on (re: TROID, etc.), and continues to do temper his message and re prioritize his efforts. In any case, I think the title did seem a little out of the place…and it is already being used pejoratively by some (Eteraz referred to this series, so you know they weren’t using it in context of the content)..I feel that it wasn’t the demise of the dawah, but more a sub-group within the dawah that “crashed” or “shrunk”. Or alternatively, the organizational aspects (QSS/IANA) disappeared… but the dawah is healthy, though it is going through a ‘return to roots’ kind of affects, i.e. to remove the marginal elements, and those who would like to bring those marginal opinions into the dawah as being the only “salafi” opinions.

Br. Umar, on Texas Dawah, I can speak to you from a very intimate point of view. I took Texas Dawah (TDC) to the national level in 2003 with the help of Allah of course (Sh. Waleed and myself were the main organizers)… And I continue to stay involved with it, though my move to NE has tempered my ability to organize too many things for TDC. So, I can speak for TDC, and I can tell you that we did and do recognize the lack of “native” Muslims. As far as their numbers… I would suspect that we have about a 5%, so it is more than 1% but still a long way to go… Do understand that Houston TX doesn’t have that many reverts (especially African Americans who are upon the “Sunnah”… most of them are influenced by WD Muhammad)… Most of our target audience reside up in the NE. So, travel costs is a natural impediment, esp. for those who do not have significant means. And as you know, the TROID/SPUBS’sh influence is very strong up here in Philadelphia, etc… and they consider TDC/Maghrib as not being on the “haqq.”

However, we would like to improve/enhance the “convert” participation… If you would like to be part of the solution, then that can be done! TDC has and is always open to change, and constructive criticism. We pride ourselves in being flexible, and “fresh”. So, feel free to email me, and I can get you involved, if you wish and if you have the time. TDC is very special to me and a lot of people. It is the only Conference of its kind left in America, and it is different from all others in methodology, and in the type of programming. It has the potential to become a lot more… if the people on the Dawah of Ahl-Sunnah want it to be.
JazakAllah khair for the excellent rendition.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Abu Noor al-Irlandee // January 31st
As salaamu ‘alaykum,
I know you think I always argue with you and am unfair to you in my comments ya Umar but I never saw the point of writing I agree with this I agree with this I agree with this in a comment. Forgive me if I come across bad. So, I do want to clarify as a White convert who deals mostly with African American and other inner city converts and has also attended more than 10 Al-Maghrib classes in cities all over the country that you are right that in general I feel when I’m at AlMaghrib classes that I am in a different world that really does not understand or relate to the issues I deal with in my masjid. Still, I love all of the Shayookh and many of the students in those classes and always come away from the classes inspired by the beauty of the deen and having learned a lot that can benefit any community. We cannot expect people from different backgrounds to teach us how to deal with issues that we know and they do not know. We learn the deen of Islaam and the responsibility is upon us to create communities where the deen responds to the issues that we are faced with. And I don’t think anyone will disagree with that, so let’s get to work inshAllaah. MANA (Muslim Alliance in North America) is another group seeking to do this which inshAllaah will be becoming more active in the near future if people are looking for efforts to support.

I just wanted to say I don’t know why I wrote the term ‘white convert’ in my post….although I understand that some other people may see me as white and I have to deal with the legacy of white supremacy in this country from that vantage point I do not consider myself as ‘white’ and hate to use that term for myself. I am in no way ashamed of my heritage, to the contrary as my kunya indicates I am very proud of it but I consider myself as Irish, a background with a language, with a history of struggle against oppression, identification with the oppressed and a belief in God, not some nonsensical background of ‘white’ which means nothing positive to me.
Sorry for the digression but I had to say that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hanifah bint Will // January 31st
Abu Noor al-Irlandee, I am a so called African American. I am not from the inner city so I cannot relate to the struggles of those who grew up in such conditions. Why do you assume all blacks come from the inner city? Would it be fair to say all European American converts come from rural America and trailer parks? NO! I grew up on Long Island, surrounded by European Americans, I often attend functions at Dar Us Salaam community in College Park, MD, still I do not feel like I fit in because we the sisters do not like to stand near becaue of my brown skin. Neither PGMA nor Dar Us Salaam addresses the needs of converts (this is my issue with ummah and what causes me to feel disconnected).

A few of these issues include the shock of dealing with racist Muslims; sisters not having walis, or being given a wali who will attempt to marry her to anything (a brother he certainly wouldn’t allow his sister to deal with); step parenting (my exhusband is Christian, so naturally I had to make one of the toughest decisions in my life and leave him, but I found some difficulty in finding a spouse because brothers ASSUMED I was looking for a father for my children, some sisters even told me to give them to their nonMuslim father so I could find a husband easier - fortunately I’ve never been in the game of shortchanging myself and my parents would have kicked my behind) - point is many men do not want to assume the role of stepfather, yet the sons of convert women need to have excellent examples of Muslim men in the home (same of the girls); adapting (not pretending ot be Arab, Pakistani or African, wherever the husband is from. I’m probably the only sister who’s husband was forced to eat mostly American food because I refused to give evolve into something I wasn’t (a non-American).

Should I go to a masjid in the inner city, perhaps, but I’m sure I will still feel the disconnect since I am not a product of the inner city. Whatever they are dealing with may not relate to me, such as the sisters in Philly saying it’s okay to be on welfare (because it’s an act of piety). You should never be ashamed of who you are. I am Black, not African American. My father is Native American, my mother is Native American and Black American. I am not ashamed of either legacy. The Black folks who make the news because of whatever they are doing wrong do not reflect me and neither do the Muslims who are doing wrongs reflect me - I never apologize for either group, and have no intentions on doing so. It does get annoying at tiems because ignorant people tend to lump everyone in the same category, like one Arab guy asked me at work, what’s with all the black on black violence. I asked him the same - the oppressed and disenfranchised Arabs are acting the same way as the blacks in the Middle East (killing their own people)… aaah,… you should have seen his face.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contemplation // January 31st
Assalaamu ‘Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakatuh.
I believe the decline of the “salafi” movement and the subsequent feeling of “confusion”, “loneliness”, “emptyness”, “defeatism”, and “pacifism” that is found amongst many of its adherents today is really due to the “manifestation” of the manhaj that has been planted in the chests - it was only a matter of time for the “burnout” shall I say. Therefore one needs to look at the source in order to truely start the “rectification” process. Why is it after so much supposedly “tarbiyyah & tasfiyah” in the form of lectures, conferences, books, etc reminding of the ahadeeth of the ghurabah, the promise of victory, instilling “tawheed”, “aqeedah”, “sunnah” & “salafiyah,” etc., that one finds oneself in this predicament? – this feeling of defeatism: – an internalized feeling of defeat, mournfulness and melancholia which eventually imprisons one in a dark everlasting corridor. It is like a labyrinth or a path that splits without end. Once one is trapped in that space, it is hard to get out of there. Defeatism drains the energy needed in order to revive. From this defeatism a collective frustration comes into being and one result of this frustration is to “blame others” without any desire for critical self-introspection. And all this to me is simply the fruit of the aqeedah & manhaj of irjaa and the straying away from the issues of al-Walaa wal Baraa. Personally 9/11 was a wake up call. A blessing and an opportunity to rectify oneself in line with the aqeedah and manhaj of “At Taifa Al Mansoorah” were true happiness really lies.

Imraan bin Husayn quoted Allah’s Messenger (SAW) saying: “There will continue to remain a group from my nation fighting for the truth, dominant over those who oppose them untill the last of them fight Dajjal, the anti-Christ.” (Sunan Abu Dawood: vol 2, pp 686-7, no. 2478 and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawood vol 2, pg 471, no. 2170)

On the authority of Abdullah bin Omar(RA). Once the Sahabah were seated with the Prophet (saw) and he (saw) began to relate to them some of the fitan (trials and tribulations) the Ummah will face. Then he (saw) said, “Then will come to you the fitna of the Duhayma, it will not leave any one of you from this Ummah except that it will reach them all, and when they say that the fitna has ended, it will increase, at that time a man will awake as a Muslim but will go to sleep as a Kaafir until all the people will become divided into two (clear) camps; the camp of Imaan, wherein there is no hypocrisy and the camp of hypocrisy, wherein there is no Imaan (belief). When this occurs, await the Dajaal on that day or shortly afterwards.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 2 Pg. 496, Hadith no. 4242)

“Do people think that they will be left alone just because they say - “We believe” and will not be tested? And we indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make it known those who are true and will certainly make it known those who are the liars” (29:2-3)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mujahideen Ryder // January 31st
I can’t relate to much of what you wrote about Umar Lee, but I feel very sadenned especially the brotherhood that was lost due to the salafi divisions. I have also learned a great deal about the inner salafi movements in the US that the non-salafis or the Muslims outside of the Salafi dawah don’t know about.

I disagree that the Salafi dawah has declined, but maybe to a convert’s eyes it is. Many converts are turning away from the salafi dawah, but many Muslims who were born Muslims are increasingly turning to AlMaghrib Institute and events like the Texas Dawah Convention. Al-Maghrib is probably the biggest and largest salafi organization in North America. There is no doubt that all the AlMaghrib scholars are salafi, whether or not they follow a madhab in fiqh, they still are. There is nothing wrong in that, but for them to “run” away from the salafi label is like hiding from what they are really.

I like to say that Al-Maghrib are the moderate and cool salafis. MashaAllah! I have love for them, but disagree with them.
JazakAllah khair for your very insightful posts.
Ma’salama
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Umm Reem // January 31st
Salam alaikum:
SubhanAllah!! My husband asked me to read these posts. The title was a ‘turn off’. I thought it would be another salafi-bashing post. So I told him, ‘not interested’. But he insisted that I do, so I did. And I must say, it really was sad but I also must admit, that I kept thanking Allah az-Zawjal for keeping me (us) in a place safe from the ‘fitnah’ yet in a ’salafee’ envoirenment…houston!

I too was introduced to this salafee dawah by my MSA…mainly br Sh. Yasir Qadhi. We used to invite speakers like Dawud Adeed, Jamal Zarabozo, Ali Timimi (may Allah free him and protect him) etc. And at that time I used to wish that I was also living in NJ! I found out about QSS and IANA split in 96 or 97 (I think). I still remember the day when I read the letter online of/from (I can’t even remember now) of br. bassam, and I cried and spent the whole week extremely depressed. I couldn’t understnad what was happening. How can salafees be not united!! But that was the time when our community was blessed with Sh. Waleed Basyouni (although we didn’t value him as much in the begining–to be honest *I* didn’t value him until I moved from Houston recently and found out about all these problems that happen else where but not Houston walhamdullialh). So Sh. Waleed, and Allah has blessed him with wisdom, distracted us from all these fitnahs and concentrated on teaching us deen, which was more important.

’Salafee movement;’ I disagree with the term. However, I understand that it maybe ‘introduced’ to other differently. I never conceived of it as a ‘movement’ rather a methodology…methodology of salaf. So anyways, where I come from ’salafee da’wah’ has not declined a bit walhamdullialh, rather prospered. The term ’sunnah’ is not alien to people anymore in Houston. Although, the ‘major’ Islamic center is still non-Salafee.

I have a lot to say. InshaAllah I will post it in a later post. I do have 3 children to take care of/homeschool (Salafee way of raising kids, huh!! ) so I do have limited access to net!
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Umar Lee // January 31st
Umm Reem:
All of that sounds wonderful, but - as I discussed above and as Amad admitted - how many of those salafees in Houston are American converts? Futher, Houston is just one city in the US. I must admit that it upsets me when it keeps being mentioned that so much is being done in Houston, but converts are being left out. Amad mentioned that most of them are with WD Muhammad’s movement. Has anyone ever bothered to ask WHY that is ???
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Um Abdullah // January 31st
Umar, there are a lot of American Converts Salafis in Houston, particularly Latino . Actually when I went to TDC last year I saw alot of converts. They do tend to be more middle class and fit in more with the second generation immigrants. Although I do think there is a need to address the converts that are coming from a more disadvantaged background.

The ones who are stuck out in Houston are those who don’t follow the Salafi Dawah. It is tough to try and find a class or a teacher to go to that is not in Urdu, which is why the first time I saw your post I was like, the Salafi dawah has declined cause it doesn’t look like that around here. OK, I should have made this 0ne comment. The one issue where you are correct which is so annoying is that Houston masjids almost never puts an indigenous Muslim in a Leadership position. Now it could be that there are not many scholars here but I think the masjids should make an effort to bring scholars from other cities, because Masha Allah there are many knowledgeable AA Muslims in the US. I know that people complain that they never see an American giving the Khutbah or in leadership, but also that is on us (well I’m not a convert but Indigenous Muslims) who need be more proactive in building their own masjids or being active in Masjids and studying the deen basically creating the change they want to see.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
AbandonedSalafee // January 31st
Allahu Akbaar!
“Yet if they just want to rule over and control the servants of Allaah or want to run the affairs of the issues of the people, then akhee why don’t you just get yourself a flock of goats or sheep and then you can direct these sheep to wherever you want to direct them to! But as for the people they don’t have to check with you if they have another opinion! Some people just desire to control the affairs of people!” This has its place in the end.

Well brother Umar, may Allah have mercy upon us all. This is my first and most likely last time writing into a blog. Allah knows best. At any rate I am one of those old-school brothers from the Dawah. Unlike some, I was blessed by Allah to be around since 1990. And as such, I have endured attacks from not only “new-type Salafees” but even the old and by one of our well known American born duats due to my connection to another American born duat, and his supposed stance as it relates to a persoanlity named “Abul Hassan.” Yep, Daud Adib told brothers in KC that I was Khawaariji due to my being in the same community with Abu Usamah. And this was connected “only” to the Abul-Hassan testing among the “Salafees” after the Abu Bakr as-Sadiqq educational seminar 2002. What is funny, is I considered Daud to be a friend and brother. We even tried to do some business in the 90s’ when he was selling vitamin sprays and I was involved in halal certification. I even called him prior to my moving to the community with Abu Usamah to ask his opinion. Abu Usamah was with me when I made the call (they talked) and all was good at that time. He advised me to go and help Abu Usamah and then months later talked about Abu Usamah and myself like we were Kufaar. This was 2001-2003. Now lets be clear that when I made this call I was known to be salafee, and had been since 1990. Eleven years later (after I had taught many classes and given many many Khutbahs (across the US) from what I had learned from Shaikh Ali Sulaiman Ali, Abdul-Hakeem Quick, Bilal Phillips, Abdul-Hafeeth, Umar Abdur-Rahman, Abdullah Choudry, Muhammad Nur and others (all early graduates from Madeenah in the 70’s and 80’s), the fitnah arises its ugly head and the salafiyyah of myself and others gets called into question based on a man I/we have never met.

I never did nor will I today (to please any ‘Amr, Bakr or Zaid) make the Tabdee of Abul-Hassan or my beloved brother Abu Muslimah, or any other brother due to those Mis-applied bogus principles that were being taught and spread amongst the Salafees by the Salafees. Ask a general question… Shaikh, what do you say and what is the condition of a man who says or does x-y-z…… The Shaikh answers this general question then the “evil” brothers write and say…. Shaikh So-and-So said Abu Usamah is …….! blah blah blah. That is so evil and wrong, but it happened on a continual basis. That my brother is a pure CIA move. If any one knows that it is me. Bait and Switch. Did Abu Muslimah and Abu Usamah or Bilal also have (WMD’s) weapons of mass destruction? They said,”So and So” can smell a Hizbee a thousand miles away…..etc. Well, I must tell you that that ability did not take affect until we (the Salafees) were harmed and divided by the likes of Shaikh Falih who (according to Troid and their blind following crew of “internet (lazy to read a real book) hizbeeyoon” ) was from the Major Scholars. Now that is/was a joke. But this drama destroyed families, communities etc. As an ex-Army intelligence officer I saw the 'blue/red' political spin that was used by the Translators at TROID and Salafee Publications etc to confuse and cloud the minds of the people with their garbage and lies.

Write about Abu Usamah or Abu Muslimah with a title that suggest that Ibn Taimiyyah as well as other Scholars from the past spoke about them in a bad way, knowing full well that the majority of the people did not have the slightest idea who these people where nor when they lived. It was all a scam. Now since these groups are getting smashed out by the REAL Major Scholars about the harm they caused, know that your clarification is needed.

Know that you need to be as vocal as you were, when you were eating our Flesh. Where are the emails with the apologies from Daud Adib, Musa Richardson,MAAZ QURAISHI/Troid (old crew and new), Abu Khadeejah(Salafee Publications (old crew and new), oh yes Abdul- Munim and QSS, after you drug Muhammad al-Jibaly down into your abyss then you were killed by your own games. After you ate the flesh of IANA, you were eaten also.

All of you. Write, type and show the people that you were wrong and Hizbee so that the healing can began. Give back to Abu Muslimah, Abu Usamah at-Thahabee, Abu Aminah Bilal Phillips, Jamaal Zarobozo, Muhammad Jibaly etc their rights. See, that back door stuff that some of them have done admitting in private that they were wrong or played (into being ghuloo) in one email to this one or to that one is without making it known that you have caused many people harm. Some harm is irrepairable. Families destroyed, jobs lost, Masjids and other Islamic organizations destroyed.
Why just as Waseullah Abbass said in the lecture he gave in the Sept. 2006 E-book by:
http://salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiMa...booUsaamah.pdf

“There are also some issues which do not necessitate splitting and division between themselves and the Jamee’yah. They describe the Jamee’yah with ‘Hizbiyyah’ yet they are the ones who left them and became hizbee and indeed they are (real) Hizbees! I debated the man who is called ‘Aboo Khadeejah’ regarding his opposition to the Jamee’yah in every small and big thing whether it was right or false, and he did not come with anything convincing, so I advise him and all of the brothers to leave off blocking off the way of their brothers and to take what they have been advised about if they truly want the Countenance of Allaah. Yet if they just want to rule over and control the servants of Allaah or want to run the affairs of the issues of the people, then akhee why don’t you just get yourself a flock of goats or sheep and then you can direct these sheep to wherever you want to direct them to! But as for the people they don’t have to check with you if they have another opinion! Some people just desire to control the affairs of people! Finally, I say to not enter into the likes of these issues which is poison to the Jama’ah, the Jama’ah of the Salafees. We do not see a Qadiyani talking about another Qadiyani, or one who has the ‘aqeedah of the ‘Asharees or the likes speaking against an ‘Ash’aree, we never see this! For this reason, take the lectures of the scholars and benefit from them. I give salaam to you and bid farewell to you and I hope that you spread my speech here fully without omitting anything via the (well-known) means of distribution.
Wa salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaah wa Barakatuhu!
There is more I could say but this is enough.
Was-Salaamu alaykum
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
...
Salafee Dude // February 1st
"I even asked one Sheikh what we can do (as the new generation) to bring the people back together (after the split), he didn’t really answer me, saying that it’s an issue that needs a lot of time to explain blah blah"
Travelling Stranger, that is because the damage was so extensive and the hurt was so great. Some are so hurt that they want to be in a room alone with some of the people who caused the fitnah in order to beat them down!!

Here are some things that can be done in order to BEGIN to heal the wounds:
(a) TROID/Spubs and the inquisitors need to apologize to everyone they slandered and start to endlessly make amends for the pain they caused. They need to walk ON FOOT across the country and visit every home of every person and PERSONALLY beg forgiveness for the massive fitnah they’ve caused. They divorced women from their husbands (giving them a so-called “khulaa”) in order to marry these sisters themselves or one of their boys can
(b) Certain “duaat” need to do the same thing as TROID, then stop speaking and giving classes and quietly get themselves out of the public light and not be recommended for marriage again.
(c) TROID/SP and others like them need to disband and take down their websites and never put them back up

[AbuAhmad]

That blog serves no purpose but to spread fitnah and disunity amongst Muslims. Please don't cut and paste the garbage from there.

WSalaam