Salafi Daʿwah in Manchester: A Brief Reflection from 1995

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness, and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. [Al-Ma’idah. 2]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This verse encompasses all the Masaalih (welfare and wellbeing) for the servants of Allah in their worldly matters and the Hereafter – whether it be in their interactions with one another or in their relationship with their Lord. This is because every servant of Allah is faced with two responsibilities and duties – either fulfilling the rights owed to Allah or fulfilling the rights owed to Allah’s creation. Regarding the responsibilities towards creation, they encompass righteous companionship, mutual assistance in what Allah loves, and obedience to Allah which are the ultimate purpose for seeking happiness and success in the hereafter. To achieve happiness in the afterlife, Bir (righteousness) and Taqwa (piety) are essential, as they form the foundation of all religious matters. A deed can only be considered an act of obedience to Allah and a means of drawing closer to Him if it is rooted in Iman. Thus, any action that leads to the performance of such a deed should be solely motivated by Iman, without being influenced by un-Islamic customs, personal desires, the pursuit of praise or status, or any other worldly factors. The sole intention behind these actions should be to attain Allah’s reward and seek His Pleasure. [1]

Dawah

When it comes to Dawah Salafiyyah in Manchester, I can only share what other people have told me about the time before I was guided to this blessed path in the summer at the end of 1995. This article is not meant to belittle anyone’s efforts in Dawah, but to present the truth, especially as new teachers and learners have come forward. Sometimes, it seems to some newcomers to Salafiyyah, particularly some of the youth, that a certain individual – because of his efforts in teaching, vocal voice behind a computer, his presence in front of a camera or at a podcast- was the one who started this or that. May Allah protect us as we sometimes encountered those whose fame was accelerated, thus, they became opinionated and disruptive, then when challenged, they sought – and endevour to this day – to rewrite history and belittle elders who are known to senior scholars as well as preceded them in teaching. Rather, some of these people who are obsessed with attacking some elder teachers had not even finished secondary school 30 years ago when the likes of Shaikh Abu Iyaad and others, may Allah preserve them, were engaged in ilm and Dawah. Therefore, what is befitting a younger person is that he honours those who preceded him and did their best – by Allah’s Tawfiq- to establish the foundations of this Dawah in the UK with the guidance of the well-known senior scholars. May Allah forgive all of us and protect our hearts from every blameworthy trait Amin.

We must always remind ourselves that Dawah is not about competing for a bigger legacy; it is a blessing from Allah through which teachers, learners, and those who run centers, mosques, and schools should seek only the Pleasure of Allah. Shaikh Abu Talhah, Shaikh Abu Uwais and Shaikh Abu Umar Faruq have passed away – may Allah have mercy upon them, but the benefits they left behind are still being mentioned. They never sought fame or claimed what was not theirs, nor were they known for being aggressive, stubborn, or opinionated. They did not want people to focus on them; instead, they taught and guided others to the best of their ability. Therefore, the emphasis should not be on who has more lessons or attendees, but rather on competing in goodness and piety, from which all good deeds, including the pursuit of knowledge, come, as well as working together in righteousness.

The Salafi Dawah in Manchester started in Rusholme (Manchester). At that time, Shaikh Abu Iyaad, who was pursuing his PhD at Essex University, would visit the first Salafis in Manchester. One of the elder brothers from that period – had he permitted me to mention his name and others – established the Quran and Sunnah society because the Islamic ISOC was under the control of the Ikhwanis. They established regular lessons at Ambrose (the prayer hall at Manchester Uni, which is a converted church), as well as at Salford Uni and UMIST. There were many confrontations on campus with Fosis, HT, Ikhwanis, takfīris, and others. Then during late 1995 and early 1996, Jimas was abandoned, and shortly after, Salafipublications was established. Dawah expanded through the website, Yahoo email groups, book publications, translations, audio, and the “Blazing Meteor” series, among others. This was the time of Imam Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz, Imam Al-Albani, Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin, Al-Allamah Muqbil, Al-Allamah Rabee, Al-Allamah Ahmad Bin Yahyah An-Najmi, Al-Allamah Ubayd, and others — including visits from Shaikh Abdus-Salam Burjis, may Allah have mercy upon all of them and prolong the lives – upon Khayr – of those who are still alive. The foundational years were from 1993 to 2001, during which brothers who remained steadfast are still present by the Tawfiq of Allah, although some have passed away since; may Allah protect the living and grant mercy to the deceased. Following the departure of these early Salafis in Manchester to their various hometowns, including Birmingham in particular, another teacher took charge, but later became associated with Al-Hajuri when the fitna started.

I and a few others did not witness events prior to 1995, nor were we directly involved in any Markaz activities between 1995-2003; instead, we only attended study circles and kept close companionship with the teacher who took over from the first Salafis in the city. Here I must mention our elder brother and predecessor in Salafiyyah from Bolton, Ismail (Bashir) As-Seneghali, may Allah preserve him and his family, who gave me Dawah.

Also in late 90s came and moved into the early 2000s, more younger brothers from South Manchester, London, and Nelson joined the study circles of the teacher who took over from the first Salafis of Manchester. We continued attending the only Salafi study circles available until Al-Markazus Salafi opened in 2003. During that period, there was only one main Salafi teacher in Manchester.

In late 2004, after the Masjid opened in 2003, some disagreements occurred among the brothers, leading the main teacher to stop teaching. We then contacted Salafipublications for assistance in restarting the study circles. They began visiting us every two weeks, and our beloved first Arabic teacher, Ustadh Abu Harun, may Allah preserve him and his family, joined them. Additionally, Shaikh Abu Iyaad provided us with a Telelink every weekend, and the books we studied included Al-Arba’een An-Nawawiyyah and Sitta Mawaadi Min As-Seerah. These lessons, especially those from Shaikh Abu Iyadh, continued for a long time until when Abu Mu’adh returned from Jami’ah Islamiyyah and started teaching.

Let’s take a moment to remember so we don’t make claims about things we haven’t done! From 1995 to 2003, I wasn’t involved in any Dawah activities or given any responsibilities until the Masjid opened in 2003, except during the late 90s when I would sometimes be asked to help with Khutab at Keele University where Naeem Bashir (Stoke On Trent) was given permission to give Dawah or sometimes at UMIST for Khutbah. The younger brothers from London and Nelson, including Abu Mu’adh, in particular was not involved in any Dawah in Manchester from 1995 until he graduated. We mention this to stress that none of us should testify to things we haven’t personally witnessed, and we should be careful about claiming anything for ourselves, even when discussing the history of Dawah and the Masjid in Manchester. None among us – between 1995 and 2003, or between 1995 and 2006 onwards – were involved in any Dawah activities or the admin of a Masjid. But with regards to the initiators of Dawah Salafiyyah in Manchester, they are those mentioned earlier (the first Salafis of the early and mid 90s) and the teacher who succeeded them but later joined Al-Hajuri during his Fitna. Nonetheless, the only individual – among those who came before us in Salafiyyah, essential to the timeline and unavoidable to mention – is our dear friend and companion, Naeem Bashir- (Stoke On Trent) – may Allah bless him and his family, Amin. He also witnessed Jimas Days alongside the beloved Abu Turab Jamal Maiden, may Allah bless him and his family.

Indeed, during this time – by the Tawfiq of Allah – the Dawah has remained consistent to this day – upon the Manhaj of the Salaf and the clarifications of the senior Scholars – Al Allamah Rabee, Al-Allamah Ubaid, and others, may Allah have mercy upon them. The Salafi Marakiz, including Salafipublications, stand on clarity which has been confirmed just recently by some students of the senior scholars, like Shaikh Nizaar, Shaikh Fawwaz, Shaikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi, Shaikh Bilal As-Salimi, Shaikh Abdul Khaliq Maadi, and others, may Allah preserve them and all other Salafi carriers of sound knowledge – young and old. If any of these brothers – whether Shaikh Abu Iyaad or others – had deviated and were promoting anything contrary to the methodology of the Salaf in any matter, it would have been made known. Therefore, brothers and sisters, the issue at hand goes beyond the length of a person’s presence, the level of their efforts, or how quickly they surpass others in learning. What truly counts is the ongoing supplication to Allah for Tawfeeq to carry out one’s acts of worship, striving to gain knowledge to the best of one’s ability, and constantly asking Allah for Husnul Khatima.

This narrative goes beyond what I have mentioned in this article; there are many other brothers with details of events and circumstances I did not witness nor can remember. Therefore, speak to elders in the UK, Shaikh Abu Iyaad and others, or the likes of Abu Turab (Jamal Maiden) who preceded many of us in Salafiyyah, or Shaikh Abu Khalid (Dawud Stonehouse). Then from 2006 to date, the likes of Shaikh Kamal, Faisal Kara, Amjad Khan, Aasim and others are fully aware of the Masjid’s connection with the various Marakiz and teachers. However, this does not mean that other Salafiyyun – outside of the Masjid – have not engaged in promoting Salafiyyah in their communities to the best of their ability, whether in the north or south. May Allah bless all efforts Amin.

Here in Al-Markaz As-Salafi, we do not engage with those who utter false Tabdee against any of our teachers, whether they are young or old, residing in the Uk or abroad. We do not tolerate anyone who supports people who utter false Tabdee because it is against the Manhaj of the Salaf. Since 1995, Allah has protected us from various trials during which the likes of Shaikh Abu Iyaad and others played a major role – by the Tawfiq of Allah – in rebutting misguidance under the guidance of the senior scholars. To this day, everyone witnesses the efforts of Shaikh Abu Iyaad and others upon clarity- may Allah protect them. So, we ask Allah to keep us firm, always show us wholesome truth and helps us to follow it, as well as shows us falsehood for what it is and guides us to steer clear of it.

We ask Allah:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَتَرْكَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي وَتَرْحَمَنِي وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ فِتْنَةَ قَوْمٍ فَتَوَفَّنِي غَيْرَ مَفْتُونٍ أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى حُبِّكَ

O Allah! I ask of you the doing of the good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, loving the Masakin, and that You forgive me, and have mercy upon me. And when You have willed trial among the people, then cause me to die without being put to trial. And I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the love of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love.’” Allah’s Messenger said: “Indeed it is true, so study it and learn it.” [Sahih at-Tirmidhi 3235] [2]

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي

وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي

وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي

وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ

وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ

O Allah! Rectify my religion for me, which is the safeguard of my affairs; rectify my worldly [affairs], wherein is my livelihood; and rectify my Afterlife to which is my return; and make life for me [as a means of] increase in every good and make death for me as a rest from every evil. [Saheeh Muslim Number: 2720] [3]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَتَرْكَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي وَتَرْحَمَنِي وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ فِتْنَةَ قَوْمٍ فَتَوَفَّنِي غَيْرَ مَفْتُونٍ أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى حُبِّكَ

O Allah! I ask of you the doing of the good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, loving the Masakin, and that You forgive me, and have mercy upon me. And when You have willed trial among the people, then cause me to die without being put to trial. And I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the love of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love.’” Allah’s Messenger said: “Indeed it is true, so study it and learn it.” [Sahih at-Tirmidhi 3235] [4]

اللهم أرني الحق حقاً وارزقني إتباعه ، وأرني الباطل باطلاً وارزقني اجتنابه

O Allah! Show me the truth as truth and bless me with (the ability) to follow it, and show me falsehood as falsehood and bless me with (the ability) to avoid it. [Sharh Madhahib Ahl As-Sunnah 40] [5]

May Allah reward all our teachers with abundant good, both young and old, who dedicate their time to give lectures and teach books, including the likes of Ustadh Abdul Hakim Mitchel and Ustadh Hilal who are familiar faces at Salaficentre. May Allah unite the hearts upon everything that is pleasing to Him and shield us from trials, both hidden and visible. May Allah bless all the admins and trustees of the various Salafi Marakiz in the UK and abroad, and make them places where believers sincerely strive to draw closer to their Lord, seeking nothing but the eternal home of the hereafter.

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[1] An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah. 1/307-311. Publisher: Daar Ibn Al-Jawziyyah 2nd Ed, 1431AH

[2]https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2021/01/01/o-allaah-let-me-live-if-life-is-good-for-me-and-let-me-die-if-death-is-good-for-me/

[3]https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2020/12/29/o-allaah-rectify-my-religion-for-me-which-the-safeguard-of-my-affairs-a-tremendous-supplication/

[4]https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2026/02/14/three-safeguards-against-performative-alliance-culture/

[5]https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2026/01/27/the-measure-of-truth-is-not-the-one-who-utters-it/