Our Brother said: "I agree with the fact that we study what the ulema say and

then differentiate between them, thats exactly what we do!!!!! the only difference is that salafi brs reject everything from who the believe deviant and we take the good and reject the bad." This statement, akhi, is built upon the baatil principle of "Taking the Good and Leaving the Evil". This principle has become widespread and recommended in our times, whereby brothers read the books and listen to the tapes of individuals who have many mistakes, and claim to be "taking the good" and "leaving the evil". Firstly, if it is the case that it is permissible to read a book (that is known to have mistakes in it), and take the good and leave the evil, then the Prophet (alayhi salaam) and the Scholars after him wouldn't warn against reading the Bible or the Torah, for they now have many mistakes and alterations in them even though there may be parts which are correct and unchanged! So if it were correct to "take the good and leave the bad", then we would take the good from the bible, and leave the bad! But this is not the case, as Shaykh Al-'Allaamah ibn Baaz said: "Muslims should not use these books as they have been distorted and altered, and they should not own copies of them, or read in them. They pose a danger in that they may lead Muslims to deny a truth or believe in a falsehood, because they have been distorted, altered, and falsified by the Jews, the Christians and others; whereas Allah has made us stand in no need of them, by the great Book He revealed: the Noble Quran." [END QUOTE] There are two benefits that I would like to take from the answer of the noble Shaykh, may Allaah ta'aalaa increase him in reward and mercy. 1) The Shaykh mentioned that the reason why we shouldn't read those books is because "They pose a danger in that they may lead Muslims to deny a truth or believe in a falsehood..." I say, brother, these books and lessons and lectures that you are talking about, they contain in them something from good and something from bad. You yourself have admitted this, since you say you "reject the bad" that is in them, so this is an AFFIRMATION that there is BAD in these works. Is it not the case, that this "bad" which is found in the works of some individuals poses a danger in that it may lead YOU to either affirm that BAD (and believe it and act upon it) or deny something from the truth due to that BAD? Is this not the case, my brother? The answer is ofcourse! Then, these works need to be abandoned, just as the current Torah or Bible are abandoned, and just as the doubtful issues are abandoned! 2) The Shaykh states that "Allah has made us stand in no need of them (i.e. the Torah and Bible), by the great book He revealed: the Noble Quran." The Shaykh is saying that there is no need for us to read the Bible and Torah, as we have something better than them, tenfold, the Holy Quran. I say likewise, my Brother, with regards to these works. Whether they be in the field of 'Aqeedah, Fiqh, 'Ilm ul-Hadeeth or any other branch from the many branches of Islamic knowledge, Allaah 'azza wa jal has made us in no need of

them! We have the works of many Scholars in all these fields, Scholars from Ahlus-Sunnah who we trust their knowledge, intellect and 'Aqeedah, and in their works are no such mistakes (as those found in some of the works of Hassan AlBanna and other than him). There is no book on a certain legitimate topic, written by these individuals who are well known for their mistakes, except that their exists a better book, free from their mistakes, written by Scholars of AhlusSunnah, whether they be from the past or the present. Thus, why would you subject yourself to read the books with the "bad" in them, when you have (within easy reach) books on the same topics that are free from these mistakes? Akhi, if you had to stay at a hospital for example, and you had the choice of two hospitals. One hospital is full of patients that have diseases that cannot spread to you, and the other hospital has some patients with diseases that can't spread, and some patients with serious diseases that can spread to you, would it ever be the case that you would go to the second hospital and claim "I'll take the good (sit with the healthy) and reject the bad (stay away from the unhealthy)"?? No, never! You would run with your health, for fear that you may be affected by those who have the serious spreadable disease! If this is how you would look after your health, then what is the right of your RELIGION! Your religion is more deserving that you look after it, and run away with it from situations where it may be affected. This is not a small matter brother, the books that you are reading to gain knowledge is nothing but your RELIGION, as Muhammad ibn Sireen (one of the Salaf) said: "Know that this knowledge is your DEEN (RELIGION), so see who you take it from!" [END QUOTE] In a similar way to how you would go to the best hospital, or buy products from the best sellers, then take your knowledge from the best sources! Not those tainted with bad while having in them some good! And this is the reply of Shaykh ibn 'Uthaymeen, when asked about listening to the tapes of some indivduals: "The good that is in their cassettes is also found in other than their cassettes, and their cassettes have some observations against them, some of their cassettes, not all of them. And I am not able to distinguish between them for you - I (am not able) - between this and that!! " [END QUOTE] The Shaykh affirms that there is some good in their cassettes, but also affirms that there is some bad. But the Shaykh points towards other than their cassettes which are known to be good and free from their mistakes, as the Shaykh says (when asked "should we listen to these cassettes?") "No (do not listen to them). I advise you to listen to the cassettes of Shaikh ibn baaz, the cassettes of Shaikh al-albaani, the cassettes of the scholars who are known for uprightness and integrity (i'tidaal),.." [END QUOTE] The Shaykh also says "And I am not able to distinguish between them for you - I (am not able) - between this and that!!", So what makes us, as individuals with VERY little knowledge, think that we are capable of going through a book and picking out ALL of the mistakes and rejecting them?! This is not reality brother,

due to our lack of knowledge we will be easily affected by the shubuhaat (doubts) in these books, and something false may seem correct to us such that we take it, and something correct may seem false to us such that we reject it! Wa 'iyaadhan billaah! So, there is no need for one with sound intellect, to call people or himself to read books mixed with good and evil and at the same time leave books that are upon only good! Just as it is not for someone with sound intellect to call people and himself to drink from a spring which is mixed with mud and water, while abandoning a spring with only pure water!

So, the Salafi brothers do "reject everything" when we come across something that has within it good and bad, in the sense that we boycott it and leave it for something better, since it poses a danger to our religion. And we, instead, take from a source which is free from these observations and mistakes. This principle of "Taking the Good and Leaving the Bad" was not one that was upheld by the Salaf of the Ummah, nor is it something that our Scholars call to. Brother, you will find a beneficial compilation with regards to this principle here: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/uploads/takinggoodleavingbad.pdf InshaAllaah this serves as something beneficial for both my brother, and I. And I remind us both, that in Islaam, we should always strive to seek the truth. And if someone comes to you with something built upon sound evidence and intellect, then you must take this and abandon what you were upon previously if it was contrary to this. We must not stick to our views simply because those around us stick to these views, even when it is made clear to us that these views are incorrect. And Allaah knows best, Abu Abdullaah Zubair