S/Arabia, Turkey urge Muslim unity on Palestine
Call me a Muslim, not a Salafi
Turkey’s prime minister and Saudi Arabia’s king have called on the Islamic world to “act with unity” against a US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Binali Yildirim and Salman bin Abdulaziz “emphasised the importance of Jerusalem’s status” during a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, saying the Muslim world should remain united to protect “...It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Quran)...” (Suratul-Hajj: 78)
Recently, some mates called me a ‘jemage’ which translates to a bat in English. Their reason? I had told them I didn’t want to be called a Salafi and I was also no Sufi.
To some people, being called a bat might not really be offensive. But to those that understand Hausa, it really is. It means a waverer. In the context they used it, it meant I had no particular creed. But I had and still have a strong, authentic creed by the will of Allah. And their calling me a bat has not changed my not wanting to be called a Salafi.
Yes, I don’t want to be called a Salafi. I am still no Sufi and I am no bat. I am Muslim. And there is no name that can compare to it in beauty and completeness, for it is the name given to us by Allah (SWT), the Most-High. For this reason, I want to be called by it.
Please call me by it. And please don’t get me wrong. By saying I don’t want to be called a Salafi, I the rights of Palestinian “brothers”, according to a statement from the Turkish prime minister’s office.
Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia have strongly criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision.
A resounding majority of the UN General Assembly last week defied unprecedented threats from the US and voted to declare Trump’s decision “null and void”. do not mean I don’t like the great men of the past or I don’t want to follow in their footsteps. Far from that. I said I’m a Muslim, remember?
True Muslims follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah. These are their sources of guidance. In the Qur’an, Allah says:
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the oath he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!” [an-Nisa’ 4:115]
Based on this verse and many others, it’s obvious that we have to follow the ways of the Prophet and the believers.
It goes without saying that even among the believers, there are ranks and the ones that should be emulated and respected most are those of the highest rank. The Prophet (SAW) told us about those that have the highest rank in a Hadith that says: “The best of the people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Yildirim and Salman agreed that the December 22 resolution was a “strong message by the international community”, according to the Turkish statement.
Saudi state-owned SPA agency said Salman and Yildirim “reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries, means of enhancing them, and latest developments in the region”. (Aljazeera)
These are the words of the greatest of mankind, Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, about the greatest people also known as the Salafus-Saalih. Who then am I to say I don’t like them? No, no, no. I love them and want to be together with them in the next life. I want to follow in their footsteps and that reason alone can make me not want to be called a Salafi since the Salafus-Saalih did not call themselves that name nor did the Prophet (SAW) call them.
This is as far as I know. But if anyone that calls--and wants others to call--themselves Salafi has any evidence that the Salafus-Saalih used that name on themselves, then I’m willing to change my stand. If they can’t bring any evidence, then they should let people like me be.
By telling them to let us be, I do not necessarily mean they should stop using that name especially if they would use it humbly. But I do stress that they should stop making efforts to force us to use that name. They should also stop regarding anybody that doesn’t use it a waverer.
(Galadanci wrote from Kano) this piece