Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan mentioned:

“Look at yourself, don’t look at the people and that which they are upon, look at yourself

Allah Ta’alaa said

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ

O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves, [do righteous deeds, fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]. If you follow the right guidance and enjoin what is right (Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden) no hurt can come to you from those who are in error.

[5:105]

Don’t say: this is what all the people are upon, look at yourself and save yourself. Leave the people if they don’t accept the truth, but you keep firm upon it, and don’t be misled with that which the people are upon.

[Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan’s explanation of Sharhus Sunnah, 2/71]

Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan mentioned:

“Everyone claims that he is upon the (way of) Book and the Sunnah, what is that which differentiates between us and them?

That which differentiates between us is the way of the Salaf, because the Salaf, they are the ones who understood the book and the Sunnah and tread upon it. Thus we follow the rightly guided predecessors. This is the difference between us and the people of misguidance and deviant groups.

[Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan’s explanation of Sharhus Sunnah, 2/80]

“And now there are those who support/aid the people of explosions and destructions, and they name this “striving in the path of Allah”. They kill amongst the Muslims and those whom the Muslims have a covenant with, they destroy and frighten the Muslims, and then they say or those who support them say “this is striving in the path of Allah”.

They defend them, [and so] they are like them in ruling, and refuge is sought with Allah, because they support them and deem their thought to be correct. Thus, there is great danger in the matter.

Thus you (i.e. the Shaykh is speaking in a general sense) participate with them even if you don’t carry a weapon with them, due to the fact that you aid them and deem their thought to be correct. Rather what is worse than that is that you describe their action as “Striving in the path of Allah!!!”

[Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan’s explanation of Sharhus Sunnah, 2/91]

Translated by

Majid Jawed Al-Afghanee
Abu Layl