Dr Umar Abdullah Farooq

Khawirij and Russains

What’s wrong with being a Wahabi/Selefi?

Someone said this to me a few days ago. It was a peculiar statement to make and at the same time illogical. I would like to write about this here in an effort to explain why anyone who thinks like this should stop and reconsider. Know we are not writing out of hatred rather we are writing out of care that people remain on the right path.

Climate that the confused find themselves in

Being Sunni in this current time is seen as being narrow minded by some. Many are, unfortunately, like that but there are many who are not. But those who are narrow minded are also those who know how to propagate themselves well. This is especially true of the indo pak Sunni’s who, it is very sad to say, some of the most narrow minded individuals that one many hope to meet. Sunni’s of other backgrounds are not like this.

There is an understanding, rightly or wrongly, that there is corruption in the masjids. Added to this is the fact that local masjids cater for the elderly and male members and seemingly disregard the needs of the females in their respective communities.

Knowledge and teaching of Islam is extremely limited and those Sunni’s who do not like the ‘look’ of someone will make sure sufficient slander is being spread about certain teachers. Thus making sure no one studies with them. 

These types of situations make people think that there must be another way and that Islam was made to cater for all people not just the elderly. People must understand that the masjids were set up in absence of anyone knowledgeable about Islam. The elders in their communities set these places up, we are grateful they did, but now the next step must be the spreading of knowledge in the masjids. Which, as a whole, is not happening but there are pockets here and there. 

They meet Sufis who have taken a spiritual path but are unrighteous. It could be because their Sheikh is that way but in most cases it’s because they themselves do not adhere to their paths correctly.

You also have cultural forms or understandings of how Islam should be. 

So given all these factors would you not run from Pakistani Sunni Islam? Well many have. We were lucky because there was an emergence of English speaking Sunni scholars in the 1990’s which helped us see that there was another way. You are familiar with their names or you are if you are reading this blog!

Yet there were those who wandered further and they came across wahabi/selefi version of Islam. Thanks to their good brand placement and image, they managed to make many in-roads in Sunni communities. For a number of reasons which we will go into now.

Inroads

The Wahabis/Selefi’s came across as a purer version of Islam without any cultural dross and without any of the above mentioned points. So they filled in the gaps of what the Sunni’s had neglected, as a whole. Their funding is from Saudi who are only interested in spreading a puritanical type of extremism. How can I say that? Well they consider everyone else as polytheists because they are grave worshippers or so they falsely claim. This is the true nature of a sect and breaking off into sects is unlawful/haram.

Thanks to the huge amount of petrol dollars being poured into Saudi they spread their ill gotten gains across the globe by funding masjids, madrasa’s and preachers of their ilk. Lovely petrol dollars allowed them to bankroll books accusing Muslims of falsehood then the market were flooded with books of this group.

The main accusation that the wahabi’s lanched continuously at everyone else especially the Sunni’s is innovation/Bida’. They claim that the Sunni’s have lost their way because they have become embroiled in innovation. Innovation is a serious accusation and is tantamount to heresy. The wahabi’s/selefis are essentially what the inquisition was to Christianity. They accuse us of polytheism/shirk which means accusing someone of disbelief.

So to an untrained mind their arguments may seem valid but if you examine them with a fresh mind then you see how badly flawed their statements are. One such shocking statement made by one of the wahabi   ‘scholar’ was that he said saying bismillah before entering McDonalds means all of it is halal/lawful. This is rejected by every sound thinking scholar on the planet. As the wahabi has made the consumption of pork halal which means this opinion is disbelief/kufr. The list of absurd opinions goes on and on.  It is not strange that they accuse others of disbelief yet do even worse themselves!

The other slogan is that they follow Quran and Sunnah and nothing else. This is just a flawed argument against one thousand and four hundred years of Islamic scholarship. No one can accuse the majority of Islamic scholars to be all incorrect and this small minority to be right. No one group has the monopoly of truth that had escaped 1400’s years of scholarship had missed and this small group found out. There is a good reason why many scholars have said not to read anything written in the last two hundred years because this is when all the differences occurred.

Even though both groups have different routes their objective is the same. Also they are Arabic-centric in their thought which is a reason why they have been very effective in spreading in the lands of the Arabs. Islam relies on Arabic as a core language but Islam does not rely on a single background of people.

Breaking down their arguments

The first point we would like to make is that no group that was founded on the murder and massacre of the inhabitants of Mekkah and Medinah (twice) could ever be right. More on can be read in our previous post.

Second point no ‘new’ group has monopoly of the truth. Sunni Islam has existed since the time of the companions and up until this day and it did not suddenly appear in Arabia two hundred years ago. Nor any modern group of in the last two hundred years.

Three, the Wahabis/selefi’s were part of the products of colonisation. British foreign policy in the countries that it ruled as to undermine the power and the power was with the religion. So they used and funded (de)formers such as M.Abdhu, Aghani, M. Ibn Wahabi, Rashid Rida and many others. Their role was to actively undermine dominate Sunni presence in their respective regions. It worked on many but there was a core of scholars who rejected their opinions. Wahabis/ Selefis were seeds of British foreign policy which became poisoned fruit with American.

Four, the correct group of Islamic scholarship began in time of the companions and continues to this day which is the majority of scholars are correct and the minority are not. The Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,

لا يزال طائفة الظاهرين على الحق لا يضرهم من خذلهم حتى يأتي أمر الله و هم كذلك

البخاري 10ظ293

“A group will remain manifest on the truth; those who forsake them will not harm them until the command of Allah comes and they are likewise.” Bukhari

This can only be the Sunni’s because all other groups broke away from the Sunni mainstream. When I mean Sunni I mean the Hanafis, Shafi’s, Malikis and Hanbali’s. These are the Sunnis and those who are not part of this group I do not consider as part of mainstream Sunni Islam. They also have to adhere to one of the following groups of Islamic belief which are Maturidi’s or Ashari’s. This is Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Jammah and others that are excluded are Shia, Khawarij, Mutazilities and Wahabis etc. 

Five, you cannot claim to be Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Jammah and not follow the above guidelines! Then actively undermine the groups that they claim to be from!

Six, accusing all Muslims of innovation/bida’ is slander of the highest order.

Seven, you cannot claim to be a period of time like I cannot claim to be Tudor. How can I? When I am not from their time! How can one claim to be part of the rightly guided generation of the Salaf which ended in third century Islam? Although the manners of the salaf did not die out until a few hundred years later. It can now be described as extreme asceticism which in itself is Tasawwaf. So the only way they could be a Salefi was if they were born in that time period. If they werent then they have no right to claim they are a Selefi.

Eight, someone cannot recite the Quran unless they learn all the articulation points and the correct manner of pronunciation. So no average person can recite the Quran without it learning these rules. So if this is just to recite the Quran, without understanding its meaning, how foolish would it be to follow self made scholars who open the Quran and interpret translations? Without any background in the Arabic language! Or those who study Islam in western universities? Or those who go to Medinah University and spend years with their backs to the light? All they do is open a book and they are a scholar! No need for spending years studying! How can you be when you cannot even recite the Quran correctly! Would you trust me to do open heart surgery on you because I’ve just read a book about it? No sane person would so why then would you trust such people with your religion. Something much more precious.

Nine, Muslims do not worship graves. We go and pay our respects to the deceased. Note the Muslim grave of a Wali or scholar is illuminated place of lights. Prostration is two kinds: one of worship and one of respect. The latter is what the angels did to Adam (upon him peace). It is only disbelief if someone prostrates as an act of worship. Prostration of respect is disliked now because of the harm it will cause. So there is no disbelief going on here and this is a baseless accusation.

Ten, the companions did not need madhabs why do I? Well if you are a companion then you had great people such as Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them all) and their ilk to ask questions. You do not have this great blessing as you and me need someone to explain this hence the Sunni schools of thought who were set up in the time of the companions! On whose influence Islam remains to this day.

Eleven, nor can you follow a group without a valid chain of transmission/sanad or isnad. Why? Because you will know the correct position and this religion is passed on from chest to chest not from book to book.Or fabricated on the spot! The Chain of transmission/Ijaza is permission given to a teacher by his teacher and this system reaches back to the companions and the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). No one but the Sunni Islam have this system.

Twelve, we follow Quran and Sunnah. This is also another baseless claim because all the four Sunni schools are based on Quran and Sunnah. The only difference being that we follow trusted scholarship through Abu Hanifa and his students. The Hanifa’s, Shafi’s, Maliki’s and Hanabalis are based on the Quran and Sunnah. In opposition to the selefis who follow their self- fis which means they follow whatever whim comes to them. They take a text in isolation without understanding and speak for hours based on a misunderstanding.

Thirteen, the reject attaining blessings/barakah from relics even though they have a museum of Ibn Saud where all of his items are preserved! They go, visit and pay homage but according to themselves this is shirk! This is the height of hypocrisy.

Fourteen, accusing anyone of innovation is slander. There are two types of innovation blameworthy and praiseworthy. Blameworthy is a new action without previous precedence. Praiseworthy innovation is a new action but has some roots in Islam. Like the compilation of Quran into one book. There were no orders for this to be done but it was done by the companions in order to preserve the written word and allow others to learn it. As well as praying twenty units of Tarawiah prayer which was confirmed by Umar Ibn Al-Khattab and confirmed by the silent consensus of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Silent consensus of the companions is when the ruling was given by Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and no one opposed him. Only a fool would disobey the companions and claim to follow them!

Fifteen, the founders of the four school were all in born in the blessed generation of the real Salaf: 1^st to 3^rd century Islam. We are the true followers of the Salaf not they as they claim. Which trusted mujtahid do they follow? Their salaf were born a few decades ago so how can they be salaf? Also the word salaf that is mentioned in hadith means one who lives after you have passed and it does not mean that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) is a salaf. Yes that was one of the strange things someone sent to me! They claim to follow the salaf but do not follow the four madhabs which were set up the real salaf. Yet they do not follow them but claim to!

Sixteen, the four imams did not have all the hadiths? This is a rather strange claim of the wahabi/selefis because they claim that none of the four imams had all the hadiths. This can be easily refuted by the following points:

1. None of the collections of the following hadiths never claimed to have all the hadiths: Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Muwatta Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad, Muwatta Imam Muhammad, Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim, and so on.

2. The Wahabis/selefis do not know or study most hadith books themselves! So their accusation that the four imams did not have all the hadiths is false seen as they did not even study all the hadiths on these collections. 

How can the Wahabis/selefis accuse others of not having all the hadiths when they do not look up the hadiths except Bukhari and Bukhari is not all of the hadiths!

Most of the collectors of hadiths followed a process or criteria for accepting hadith. They collected hadith over many years and then sifted through them bases on their own principles and then compiled them. Some of these collections took tens of years. 

Imam Bukhari said he knew 100,000 authentic hadiths and 200,000 weak hadiths, but how many of those 100,000 ended up in his collection 7563. Imam Ahmad had 27647 hadiths in his works even though he knew half a million by memory and had written 1 million by hand! (Manual of Islam p.134 Imam Nawawi trans Sheikh Nuh Keller)

Some hadiths were not widely transmitted because they were not acted upon, and so on. Some hadith are repetitions, some hadith have additions in other collections and so on. 

No one has claimed to have all the hadiths, not a single jurist, not a single hadith expert and not a single scholar. The insinuation is that the wahabi/selefis have all the hadiths and this is baseless too because they do not look at the books present in our time!

The way out

Look to trusted names and people who are part of the Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Jammah and avoid some rabid Shia groups who also have lots of suspicious funding. Look at the scholars who do not curse or attack people continuously, this is a good sign. Those who adhere to goodness in their students as well as practicing themselves.

Following wahabi scholarship is like getting a child to build to car engine. Do not expect anything to work but expect a few tantrums! If you follow their arguments it will take a lot to break them down. To the layman these make a lot of sense but to the scholar it’s the same as baby writing a book on Islam. They did not expect anything but scribbles!

So what is wrong with being a wahabi/selefi? Well you putting the most precious thing you have, your religion, into the hands of those untrained individuals. Those who have killed thousands of Muslims and yet claim to be on the right path! Those who are killing innocents are lairs and cheats.

The problem with being a Wahabi is like seeing all types of water as the same but some has other mixed in it and others are purer. Drinking wahabi/selefi water is like drinking water that’s been mixed with petrol, so do not expect to be healthy! The Sunni water is fresher and has no petrol!

Do not be fooled by people who make lots of noise because empty things make lots of noise. A lot of their scholars are empty and make lots of noise!

We have not written this with the intention that you attack others, no, this is pointless. Use this as a means of self defence if you are attacked. Most of all whichever group you belong to do not declare another Muslim as a disbeliever. If you adhere to a school then do not force it onto others as this causes tribulation. If you want to learn about the rights of a Muslim then read this 40 hadith about the rights of Muslims click here.

Most of all we ask for guidance for you and for us; as we are all in need of the guidance of Allah (Exalted is He).

Those who want to look deeper into this then find the books Notions that need correcting by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Maliki Al-Makki and Realities of Sufism by Sheikh AbdulQadir Isa. Both of them are published by Sunni pubs.

Peace

How Sunni Islam has been affected by Wahabism and Selefism

This seems to be an insurmountable subject but like the latter group it is not as complex as it seems.

Modernist Roots

Both have separate roots but they have been nurtured by British foreign policy. The Selefi’s come from Egypt by the way of the students of Muhammad Abduh (1905). Abduh was a known freemason and did not deny this when he was accused of it. See Afghani and 'Abduh by Elie Kedourie. Abduh most known student was Rashid Rida (1935) and he wrote spreading much of the ideas of his teachers as well as adding his own.

Basically their premise was the result of foreign occupation was the failure of Islam. So if we reform it then we will attain victory. The passage of history has shown this is not true because political Islam has failed because it is not grounded in traditional roots. The growth of Rashid Rida’s idea was due to the support of British foreign policy to undermine the traditional Islamic scholars. And it worked because look at the mess we are in now as the ideas of opposing Sufism as ripe as there were then.

Eventually his idea’s influenced many in Egypt to remove Sufism from the public realm and forced it into the background. Sayyid Qutb was also indirectly influenced as he wrote forwarding these ideas as well as mutazilite ideas. He was described as the father of fundamentalism and he was instrumental in bring marxist ideas into the modern discourse.

Wahabi roots 

M. Abdul wahab (1792) was born in the Najd where the horn of satan was said to emerge. His father and brother were top Hanbali scholars and would later advise people not to follow him. The latter wrote the book word of advice translated by Abu Jafar Al-Hanbali.

He preached that grave worship had spread in the Ummah thus many were polytheists. Eventually he made a pact with M. Ibn Saud to propagate his ideas by the sword. So in a time where Muslims were killed all over Europe because of the rebellion against the Ottoman Empire as well as other occupations in Muslims lands. The Wahabi's went on a rampage killing the entire inhabitants of Mecca and Medinah.

Eventually the Ottoman Sultan ordered Muhammad Ali Pasha (1849) the present leader of Egypt to fight the Wahabi’s. The re-conquering of the sacred sites was completed in 1853.

The Wahabi’s retreated to Kuwait and laid in wait until the 1920’s when the Wahabi’s come back to Mecca and Medinah and massacred the inhabitants again as well as moving to Taif. (See History of Middle East by Peter Mansfield) One of the most disgusting massacres was the spilling of the blood of four thousand pilgrims. Women were taken as slaves and you can guess how they were treated. The Wahabi’s were the funded to the tune of 26,000 from the troves of the British. (Ibid)

Why? So they undermined the Ottoman state. So here traces the root of Wahabism. King Abdulaziz (1953) was the leader on whose actions made sure that no tribe in Arabia would rebel against him.

He married into every tribe so this affirmed their loyalty to him. Also thanks to petrol dollars they have been propagating their and the ideas of the Selefis since then. If Abdulaziz was concerned with Islam and Muslims why did he support the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and even the founding of Israel?

Islam is about following the sacred law of the Quran and the prophetic legacy and not following ones one opinion!

So the roots of these groups are different but they are mostly the same head of the same problem. They are both groups founded to rebel against the Ottoman state also these two groups are the most opposed to the West. So it seems the result of subverting Islam by the means of the British has affected themselves. They oppose their western masters and get all the press for hating the west! Well most people hate their employers!

Refutations

There have been many refutations of the above groups. Some are better than others the two most recent translations that we found useful are, The Notions that need correcting by Sheikh Muhammad Alawi Al-Makki and the Realities of Sufism by Sheikh Abdulqadir Isa. Both titles are published by Sunni publications.

There are other publications but they are not useful and respond in a rhetoric that is not constructive as you cannot put out a fire by pouring petrol over it. A lot of refutations are written in a defensive and insulting manner.  

Animosity

Both groups undermined the role of traditional Sunni scholars from everywhere. Why? They can undermine hundreds of years of Sunni scholarship. They attack scholars and they influence the common man by giving him ideas that he cannot refute easily. He (the average person) needs to know something so confuse them with things that they are not able to disagree like preaching that Muslims are grave worshiping but this was never the case. People who visit graves of the Awilyah do so to make a supplication to Allah (The Exalted). There is no grave worshiping going on at all!

They also wrongly portrayed the understanding of tawheed/the oneness of Allah. As well as innovation/bida’ is rampant in the Muslim Ummah. So they seek to reform using their ideas but it’s all futile as the only reason that we are talking about the Wahabi’s is petrol money. If they did not have this then they would have disappeared to where they came from, the desert! The strange thing is that they destroy religious sites yet build a wretched clock tower that overshadows the kaaba and claim they are its servants! This is not innovation? Its the greatest innovation of this group.

Here are two important points. Many are self appointed scholars who can give fatwa without having the need to study. If I would tell you that I could perform heart surgery because I have read a book would you trust me? No way so is religion more important than surgery or less? It’s more important so take your religion from those who are qualified. The second point is that they rebel against scholars, this a relevant point that you should all note.

Arguing and confusing people is their dhikr and it’s to put off Sunni’s from making Dhikr! They are Muslims who have extremely large beards that resemble the size of a beard that a Jew grows. If you think I am joking then take a peek at an unkempt beard of Jew and there are almost the same. I am not mocking I am just pointing it out because it’s very scary.

Their version of Islam is understood as two colours black and white. Yet they ignore the colours of Islam because they claim there are no colours of the rainbow.

Orientalist’s dream

The Orientalist’s dreamed up a figure of a Muslim a man who had insatiable appetite for murdering infidels and for women. The example of this could never be found until these groups came to the fore. It was also as if they were making a predication.

Anti-Madhabs

As we all know the four Madhabs of Sunni Islam are something that defines a Muslim and the above group rejects these outright. To reject these schools is nothing short of a disaster because they will never reach the standards of understanding the Arabic language. Nevermind trying to implement it a ruling from a language they do not understand!

You are not men like them because they were in the golden three generations and their teachers were companions. So if your teachers were taught by the companions maybe you are the same but following unqualified position that you have made up because you have your translation is nothing sort of misguidance. You are misguided and you will misguide anyone who asks you. Forget being taught all they need to give a ruling is the Quran and Sahih Bukhari – they do not even know Arabic language!

If someone says that the companions did not have Madhabs that’s true but if you are companions then I can accept the argument but if you are not then you do need a Madhabs. Follow the scholarship that the majority of Ummah has followed for around 1400 years. The companions did not look into Bukharis collection of hadith and make up a ruling! It was written over hundred years and fifty years later! Instead they studied with teachers unlike the Wahabis who do not study.

Rebellion

Sunni’s historically would not rebel against their leaders mostly because the leaders of yesterday are not like the leaders of today. Most, if not all, are puppet governments who take their begging bowls to wealth countries asking for money which goes into secret bank accounts.

The worst type of rebellion is the rebellion against scholars. This comes in form of questioning them to their face or posting in chat rooms and internet forums about how they made a mistake.

This is a normal for the Wahabi’s and Selefi’s as they think they are scholars. Yet they cannot recite the Quran properly but think they can give a ruling from it? How can you understand a book that you cannot even recite properly?                     

Treatment of scholars and respect

The Sunni's now treat many scholars with distain and frequently undermine them even their own spiritual masters. They chase up their ‘mistakes’ which is often a valid difference of opinion. But because one side knows only one side they do not back down.

Those with the least amount of knowledge are the worst trouble makers thinking that they know better than scholars. And this is nothing but a direct result of the effect of Wahabism and Selefism.

The respect for anyone goes out of the window as soon as they disagree with you. You attack them which the same vigor as you would an enemy.

Respect of the common Muslim has gone never mind any protracted respect for Ahl Al-Bayt which is non-existent now.

Intellectual

Intellectually the Wahabi’s and the Selefis lost their wheels because it was destroyed by English speaking scholars in late 90’s. It was then we saw a return to Sunni Islam for a lot of followers of these groups as well as the Ikhwani’s/ Muslim brotherhood. Even though their influence remains, it is in a much diminished state.

It should also be noted those speaking Urdu did not destroy the intellectual power of these groups; rather it was English speaking scholars. Do you understand the need for English speaking scholars?

Scholars such as Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Abdul Hakim Murad, Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller and Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi as well as others. Whether you like it or not.

Reactionary

As we stand, some groups main purpose is to fight the Wahabi’s and Selefi’s and they have no other purpose.

This is not a good purpose because these groups are trying to do something practical by giving women access to the masjid and learning etc. This is something that women do not get in many traditional communities. Also they tackle real issues like the importance of prayer, hijab and drugs. Things that are not generally discussed by someone speaking Urdu because he does not know the environment that he has been implanted.

When we debate each other we swear, curse and disrespect each other. So do you think that someone will see your point when you insult them? Do you have the right to debate? It was permissible for scholars long ago but not now. Many scholarly debate is meant to win a debate with slander, insult, harshness and argumentation. There is no desire for the truth as it was before.

So what about now when you are an average person? You have no right to debate from which ever camp you come from. Causing hatred and animosity is prohibited. Neither should it be something that you involve yourself in.

When many fight what they perceive as evil their reaction is evil. So which of you are any better then? Because you are both doing evil! You cannot put a fire out with petrol!

He said it

This is when someone says something that you do not like or you wish you said it or you want to refute but cannot. So you curse or attack them in an unfair manner which leads to animosity.

Just because someone has said something that you do not like does not mean that you have to argue or disagree just let it pass and stop being so sensitive!

Disrespect

This happens on both sides of the fence. The Wahabi’s dislike that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings be upon him) is praised so try to counteract this even to the extent of not showing the correct manners when his name is mentioned. By purposely leaving salutations out.

On the Sunni side you see people attack others for showing ‘disrespect’ to religious figures when no disrespect occurred! Many of the Sunni's consider those who do not do as they do as incorrect. This is partly due to the fact that we believe that we are only ones who can talk about him and no one else can.

This occurs because of bad opinion of our brothers and our own bad interpretation. So there may be several interpretations to someone’s speech but we use the single one that has a negative connotation.When a Muslim should be the opposite! He should make an excuse for his brother never mind someone known as a scholar.

This is just total fallacy and it sickens me every time I see and hear such repugnant behavior. There is not just one interpretation of Islam and whatever you say might be wrong or right as well as mine. But that does not give you the right to accuse your fellow brother of disrespect that he is innocent of.

Moving forward

If you are friends from opposite camps; what you agree about is more important than what you disagree about. So do not bring up points that cause dissension. We also need to note that Sunni Islam is being destroyed because people are not involving themselves in Knowledge or interested in attending lectures of sacred knowledge.

We must involve ourselves in trying to better our communities and come to an agreement to be in involved in projects that we affect our areas. In a positive manner and not in a destructive manner, like now.

We must give people the benefit of the doubt and not attack or curse people.

Sunni Islam must not focus all its energies trying to refute some groups as they must re-focus on setting up institutes of learning. The Sunni’s must co-operate with each other rather than undermine each other’s efforts.

We cannot remove each others groups so we must learn to live with each other because we will need each other in the future.

We must have a focus on seeking knowledge in our communities, without it we are merely a paper tiger. That can be blown over by another paper tiger but if we are a building then it cannot be blown over by a paper tiger.

Learning books about argumentation is like a naked man putting on a coat. It might keep him warm but he needs actual clothes and that is sacred knowledge. This is how you can stay strong.

The problem is that most Sunni’s are not bothered about knowledge and even if there is knowledge open for them then they do not access it. So many people are praying without valid wudu and if that’s invalid then you can forget about everything else. Going to general lectures is like being pumped with air! Its effect is gone by the time you put your shoes on, to go home.

Until we learn that knowledge is our way out we shall be stuck in this problem. As it’s from the Sunni’s that the most defections to other groups occur.

We wrote this out of genuine concern about the state of Muslims because need to wake up to the work we need to do.

If knowledge is not important then read this. Only a balanced Sunni revival can rescue the situation that we face. As no other groups will be given success unless the Sunni's are not doing what they should be. Then another group will be given support. This is something we see so clearly now.