بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُ‌ۖ

“They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire”.

The person who lacks sound Iman and creed revealed by Allah, the Creator of the universe, will find themselves in one of two situations: either their knowledge becomes corrupted or their intentions become corrupted. The first situation arises when they rely on assumptions and the second situation arises when they are driven by their desires, or one may combine both. [1]

Hasan Hasan, a researcher, made some comments that revealed his limited understanding when discussing Jihadism, extremism, and militancy. In an article he wrote against Al-Qaida, Jabhat An-Nusrah, and similar groups, he linked these concepts with the terms Sunni and Salafi. He said, “Ahrar al-Sham, a Salafi-jihadist group close to Jabhat al-Nusra”. He also stated, “Sunni jihadism has been characterized by transnational terrorism, suicide bombing, and ex-communication”. “The Isis ideology is generally viewed as identical to al-Qaida’s or the Saudi version of Salafism – adherence to fundamental Islamic tenets – and so there does not seem to be a serious effort to study it more closely”. [End of quote]

Response: To begin with, it is undeniable that Hasan Hasan accurately characterised the trajectory of ISIS and Al-Qaida as identical ideologies because their course of action represents an innovated creed. However, his lack of full understanding in this particular field became evident when he linked them with Salafiyyah. The noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs [Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and Ali] after me. Adhere to it and cling to it firmly, and beware of newly invented matters in the religion, for every newly invented matter in the religion is an innovation in religion and every innovation is a path leading to misguidance”. [2]

Imam Al-Barbahaaree, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: It is not permitted for a man to say, “So and so is a person of the sunnah” until he knows that he combines the characteristics of the Sunnah, so it is not said of him, “A person of the Sunnah” until he combines all the Sunnah”. Al-Allamah Saalih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said: The characteristics of the Sunnah are creed, knowledge, and adherence to the (path of the) As-Salaf As-Salih (the pious predecessors). But if there is nothing in him except a single trait of the (sunnah), he is not regarded to be from Ahlus Sunnah based on a single characteristic or one thing, then what about the one who has nothing from that? [3]

Hasan Hasan stated about the Imams of the mosques that were under ISIS’s control: “These Imams are generally asked to preach about three key concepts that are shared by all Salafi and jihadist groups, but ISIS has its own take on their functionalities, namely tawhid (strict monotheism), bida’a (deviation in religious matters) and wala wal baraa (loyalty to Islam and disloyalty to anything un-Islamic)”. [End of quote]

First: read https://www.abukhadeejah.com/a-response-to-western-academics-who-categorise-salafis-into-quietists-politicos-and-jihadists-and-why-this-is-a-false-categorisation/

Secondly, what is the true meaning behind Hasan Hasan’s concept of “Strict monotheism”? This is simply a misunderstanding uttered by some researchers without much thought, thus, the reader is led into believing that there are different forms of monotheism. However, Tawheed is the cornerstone of Islam and should be comprehended and followed in the same manner as the Prophet and his companions did. Read below

Introduction To The Five Pillars (Islam 2.1)

The Fundamentals of Tawheed (Monotheism) ―Part 1: Foundation of Religion

Tawheed: The Greatest Foundation of Islām – Khutbah by Abu Khadeejah

The Methodology Of The Prophets in Calling to Allah: The Path to Rectification

Thirdly, concerning Bida’a, Muslims are obligated to follow the Sunnah as it was understood and implemented by the Prophet’s companions and to keep a distance from all deviated sects. Read below:

https://www.abukhadeejah.com/this-ummah-will-divide-into-73-sects-shaykh-al-fawzan-explains-what-it-means/
https://www.salafisounds.com/clinging-to-the-sunnah-avoiding-the-sects-of-innovation-and-knowing-the-straight-path-the-excellence-of-islam-fadlul-islam-by-abu-khadeejah/
https://salaficentre.com/2022/06/09/the-jews-divided-into-seventy-one-sects-the-christians-divided-into-seventy-two-sects/

As for Walaa Wal Baraa, Abu Umaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah has perfected the faith.” [Sahih Abu Dawud 4681] Read:

One of the Strangest Contemporary Claims About Salafiyyah We Have Encountered

Alliance with the Kuffār is of two types, misunderstanding this affair leads people astray: At-Tawallī and Al-Mawālāt: Allegiance with Unbelievers due to Love of Unbelief, and Allegiance with Unbelievers due to Desire of Wordly Gain

Are Treaties With The Jews, the State of ‘Israel’ and other Non-Muslims Permitted? Is it Allegiance? Is it Apostasy?

Living With Non-Muslims In The West: With Fine Conduct

Hasan Hasan stated that one of the Khaarijites of ISIS said: “In the videos we produce, you see the sentence ‘deal with them in a way that strikes fear in those behind them’, and that verse speaks for itself. One more thing: the prophet told the people of Quraish, ‘With slaughter, I came to you'”. [End of quote]

Response: Read here: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2025/12/21/a-weaponised-ambiguity-of-some-of-the-khawarij-broken-and-scattered/

After familarising oneself with the details in the above link, an honest researcher would not continue to associate the actions of the Khawaarij (ISIS, etc.) with Salafiyyah or Suniyyah?! Otherwise, anyone who continues to do so has uttered a grave accusation and a vile remark. May Allah guide them or shield us from their defamatory words. Amin.

Regarding Sunniyyah, read here: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2026/03/19/the-middle-path-and-sunniyah-a-brief-note-to-alan-rosenbaum-at-the-jerusalem-post/

 

Narrations Regarding The Khawaarij

The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] informed us about the khawarij in many ahaadith. He said, “A people will come from the east who recite the Qur’an, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will pass through the religion just as an arrow pierces its target and they will not return to it just as the arrow does not return to the bow”. [4]

He said, “During the last days [i.e. end of time], there will be young people with foolish dreams. They will say the best of statements amongst creation, but they will pass through Islam just as an arrow passes through its game. Their Iman will not go beyond their throats”. [5]

He said, “There will be discord and division in my Ummah and a people will come with beautiful statements but evil deeds. They recite the Qur’an, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will exit the religion just as an arrow leaves its target and they will not return until the arrow returns to its notch. They are the worst of the creation”. [6]

He said, “Some people from my Ummah will emerge from the east, who recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats. Every time a group of them appears it will be cut off. The Messenger repeated this and on the tenth time he said, “Every time a group of them emerges, it will be cut off, until Dajjaaj appears from their remnants”. [7]

Ubaydullah Ibn Abee Rafi [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The Khawarij came out against Ali ibn Abee Talib [may Allah be pleased with him] and said, ‘There is no judgement, except the judgement of Allah’, so Ali said them, ‘A statement of truth by way of which falsehood is intended'”. [8]

Imam Wahb Ibn Munabbih [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “I was acquainted with the early period of Islam. By Allah, the Khaawarij have never had a group except that Allah caused it to split because of their evil state of affairs. Never did one of them publicize his opinion except that Allah caused his neck to be struck. Never did the Muslim Ummah unite behind a man from the Khawarij. If Allah allowed the opinion of the Khawarij to be accepted and established, then the earth would have been corrupted, the carriageways would have been cut off, Hajj to the sacred house of Allah would have ceased and the affair of Islam would have reverted to ignorance until the people seek shelter in the mountains as they did in the time of ignorance. If ten or twenty men among them were to rise, there would not be a man among them except that he claims the khilafah for himself- every man among them would have ten thousand other men with him and all of them fighting each other, accusing one another of disbelief until the believer fears for himself, his religion, his life, his family, his wealth, and would not know where to travel or who to be with”. [9]

Imam At-Tabari [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The Khawarij came to a village and captured a man and his daughter. She said to them, ‘O people of Islam! Verily, my father is an old man so do not kill him, and I am only a girl. By Allah, I have never committed immorality and I have never harmed anyone’. They brought her out to murder her whilst she kept on saying, ‘What sin have I committed; what sin have I committed?’ She fainted thereafter and they killed her with their swords”. [10]

Indeed, we have all seen the terrible acts committed by the Khawaarij in our time. The Khawaarij show no mercy, not even towards each other, as Imam Wahb Ibn Munabbih stated, “If ten or twenty men among them were to rise, there would not be a man among them except that he claims the Caliphate for himself; every man among them would have ten thousand other men with him and all of them fighting each other, accusing one another of disbelief”. Indeed, this is exactly what was happening in Syria. Furthermore, it is important to remind the Islamophobes, ideologues, rabble-rousers, and demagogues about the heinous acts carried out by certain leaders within the globalist community. The kharijites distort the teachings of the pure religion and engage in slaughter and transgression, while some globalists initiate hostilities, transgress boundaries, and commit acts of violence in the name of upholding the so-called ideals of the so-called civilised world. May Allah safeguard us from the malevolence of the kharijites and transgressors among the secularists. Amin.

Read the following articles titled: Takfiris on Steroids: The Alleged ‘Jihad’ of ‘The Dogs of Hellfire’ – ISIS and al-Nusrah in Iraq and Syria: By Shaikh Abu Iyaadh [may Allaah preserve him]:

http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/xpxlk-takfiri-chaos-isis-make-takfir-and-kills-leader-of-al-nusrah.cfm
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/sewep-takfiris-on-steroids-the-alleged-jihad-of-the-dogs-of-hellfire—isis-and-al-nusrah-in-iraq-and-syria.cfm
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/pqdbf-takfiris-on-steroids-3-saudi-member-of-jabhah-al-nusrah-executes-two-saudis-from-isis-daish.cfm
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/

Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihaad in our times and the guidelines of Jihaad according to Islam
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/salafi-shaikh-fawzaan-on-jihaad-in-our-times-and-the-guidelines-of-jihaad-according-to-islam/
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/what-is-salafism-and-salafiyyah/

A response to Western academics who categorise Salafis into Quietists, Politicos and Jihadists – and why this is a false categorisation.
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/a-response-to-western-academics-who-categorise-salafis-into-quietists-politicos-and-jihadists-and-why-this-is-a-false-categorisation/

Distinction Between Terrorism of The Jihadists and The Sound Understanding of Jihaad In The Salafi Methodology
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Jihad_ISIS_2014_Final_1_With_Bleed_No_Border.pdf

True Sunniyyah’s Stance Towards Suicide Bombing?
http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=MNJ&subsecID=MNJ14&loadpage=displaysubsection.cfm

Distinction Between The False Excommunication Employed by the Terrorists And The Stance of True Sunniyyah and Salafiyyah?
http://www.kharijites.com/kj/authors/Abu.Iyaad.cfm

Distinction Between Extremism and Negligence?
http://www.islamagainstextremism.com/

Jabhat al-Nusra has nothing to do with Salafiyyah: Read Takfiris on Steroids (1): ISIS Declares Regional Leader of Rival Faction (al-Nusrah) an Apostate and Kills Him
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/xpxlk-takfiri-chaos-isis-make-takfir-and-kills-leader-of-al-nusrah.cfm
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/sewep-takfiris-on-steroids-the-alleged-jihad-of-the-dogs-of-hellfire—isis-and-al-nusrah-in-iraq-and-syria.cfm
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/pqdbf-takfiris-on-steroids-3-saudi-member-of-jabhah-al-nusrah-executes-two-saudis-from-isis-daish.cfm

Al Qaida:
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/articles/avcwd-shaykh-abdul-muhsin-those-who-have-given-bayah-to-al-baghdadi-isis.cfm
Visit salafis.com
http://www.salafis.com/index.cfm
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/categories/what-is-salafism-our-call-dawah/
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/what-is-our-dawah-the-call-to-salafiyyah-the-defining-features/
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Jihad_ISIS_2014_Final_1_With_Bleed_No_Border.pdf
http://www.kharijites.com/kj/
http://www.takfiris.com/takfir/index.cfm
http://www.shariah.ws/authors/Abu.Iyaad.cfm

[1] An Excerpt from Sharh Kitaab At-Tawheed. Audio Lesson 4 By Shaikh Abdur Razzaaq Al-Badr, may Allah preserve him.
[2] Saheeh Abu Dawud. Number 4607
[3]It’haaf Al-Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imam Al-Barbahaaree. 2/275-276
[4] Al-Bukhari 7123
[5] Al-Bukhari 4770
[6] Abu Dawud 4765
[7] Musnad Aḥmad 27767
[8] Ṣaḥeeh Muslim 1066
[9] Taareekh Dimashq 69290
[10] Taareekh at-Tabari 6/124