Tag Archives: whats wrong with AlMaghrib Institute

An Important Principle of Tafseer Repels Misunderstandings About Quranic Passages

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the All-Merciful…

One of our respected visitors sent in the following question:

Could you give some insight into the origin of the Verse:

فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون
“And ask the people of knowledge when you do not know.” [16:43]

This Verse is often used to refer to Muslim scholars, but Ibn Katheer explains this to mean the people of the books that came before, i.e. the previously revealed scriptures.

The response: While it is true that Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have Mercy on him) did in fact identify that the Verse was revealed about the scholars of the Jews and Christians who had knowledge of previously revealed scriptures, he did not restrict the meaning of the Verse to them alone, in a way that excludes the Muslim scholars. This may sound a little confusing, but by the end of the article the matter should be very clear, in shaa’ Allaah.

What has been mentioned about the Verse being revealed about the people of the earlier scriptures is true. However, reading a book of Tafseer without some basic principles could prove harmful, as you may reach conclusions that were not intended. Al-hamdulillaah for this question, and for what Allaah has opened up for us in understanding of His Book!

When a scholar tries to single out the exact reason for a Verse’s revelation, like in this case, it does not mean that the Verse is restricted to those whom it was revealed about exclusively, or that the scholar was trying to restrict its meaning to that.

There is a principle in Tafseer the scholars work by:

العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب

Meaning: The specific reason for a Verse’s revelation, or the specific event or people it was revealed about, does not restrict its meaning, rather it is to be understood to be as general as the wording allows.

An example of this would be: Verses 5-7 of Soorah al-Layl:

فأما من أعطى واتقى وصدق بالحسنى فسنيسره لليسرى
“As for the one who gives and has piety, whilst he believes in the Recompense, then We shall grant him ease in following after al-Yusraa (the easy path to goodness).”

These three Verses were understood to be revealed about Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) specifically. However, to restrict the meanings of the Verses to him alone would be baseless, since the wording includes him and everyone who behaves as he did. Restricting the Verse to one man would effectively Continue reading →

Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan on Statements of Yasir Qadhi

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful…

Previously, we have highlighted the goal of Yasir Qadhi to replace the role of the scholars of Islaam in the lives of Muslims in the West with a band of entertainers called Almaghrib Institute. [See this.]

This bitter reality hit many of Almaghrib Institute’s supporters and sympathizers quite hard. While many have been turning in their “qabeelah” memberships, others remain loyal to this organization, despite the obvious direction taken by Yasir Qadhi and his associates to cut them off from Islaam’s scholars. After many years of gradual indoctrination, victims of this exclusive brand of hizbiyyah (partisanship) will not find it easy to step away, except for those whom Allaah blesses with guidance and stability.

Recently, the great senior scholar, Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked about the words of Yasir Qadhi:

Virtuous shaykh -may Allaah give you success- there is a questioner from America who asks: There is a person in America who always says that the scholars in this land do not know the situation of the Muslims in America. Accordingly, we do not accept their verdicts. He repeats this often. What is your advice about this and what instructions do you offer?

His profound and insightful reply confirms the correctness of what Ahlus-Sunnah in the West have been saying about Yasir Qadhi for years! He replied:

They (the scholars) possess Continue reading →

Once they replace our scholars, where will they take us?

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Yasir Qadhi, self-proclaimed scholar and Dean of Academic Affairs at Almaghrib Institute, has recently become even more active in requesting the general Muslims to keep away from the scholars of Islaam, and to rely completely on Westernized and apologetic preachers like himself and those connected to his Almaghrib Institute, those currently being set up as replacements for the actual scholars of Islaam.

In a recent speech about “modernity” in December of 2013, Yasir Qadhi tells stories of the “stupidity” of the scholars of Islaam throughout history, and how their rigidity and lack of connection to the people has always kept Islaam and the Muslims from progress.

After laying down the foundations for the scholars to be viewed as a bunch of clowns to be laughed at, he introduces a shining brand of “scholars” who are forward-thinking and actively connected to the people. Who are they? They are the deviant political activists of the Muslim lands, those the scholars of Islaam have warned against time and time again, the likes of Hassan al-Bannaa, founder of the al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimoon Sect, and Saudi activist Salman al-‘Owdah, whom Yasir praises highly as a “forward-thinking realistic scholar”. Also fanatically promoted is Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, in the words of Yasir Qadhi:

  • One of our main reference points
  • A towering intellectual genius [!]
  • Somebody who understands the Sharee’ah and its applicability in modern times
  • An ‘aalim (scholar) with unrivaled Continue reading →

Is Defending and Honoring the Scholars a Call to Blind Following?

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful…

A visitor recently asked about the translation of Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee’s advice to support and defend the honor of the scholars of Islaam (found here), saying:

Since these guys are contemporary men who are human and prone to error and sin like all of us, why would we defend them? Isn’t this a call to blind following? [abridged]

To be clear: We have certainly not promoted the blind following of these scholars, nor have we claimed they are perfect without flaws. Nor are we ever to defend any of them in falsehood.

However, dear questioner, may Allaah give you better than the corrupt manhaj (methodology) of Yasir Qadhi, Almaghrib Institute, and those upon their way, your ideas clearly seem to reflect the opinions they commonly lead people into – a total loss of any meaningful distinction between us and the scholars of Islaam, as it relates to the virtues of the scholars, their special status amongst us, and our need to refer to them to learn our Religion. The goal is to disconnect the people from their scholars, which facilitates the spread of deviation very easily.

May Allaah give you better – If Allaah has commanded us in His Quran (more than once) to ask the people of knowledge when we do not know [16:43, 21:7], don’t we need to know who they are?!

Dear questioner, may Allaah give you better! – Know that Allaah has established a very high status for the scholars of Islaam in his Glorious Book, saying: Continue reading →

AlMaghrib Institute and Kamal el-Mekki Still Using Magic Openly to Sell Tickets to their Events

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 In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

After being exposed last year for using actual magic tricks (like levitation) to promote their expensive seminars and events, AlMaghrib Institute removed their official trailer called “Magic Tricks by Kamal el-Mekki”, not to repent, but to HIDE from criticism until the controversy died down. Their magician, “Shaykh” Kamal el-Mekki was exposed for promoting the magic of Criss Angel and Dynamo as perfectly halaal entertainment in events organized by Green Lane Masjid (Birmingham, UK), where he actually said:

I can show you every one of their tricks, how they do it, and every one of them has an explanation.

This was stated, word-for-word, in an interview conducted by Green Lane Masjid and uploaded on their official YouTube Channel. (Transcript)

Kamal el-Mekki boasts about how he knows all of the magic of some of the world's top illusionists, like Criss Angel and Dynamo.

Kamal el-Mekki claims to know all of the magic of some of the world’s top illusionists, like Criss Angel and Dynamo.

After this blatant promotion of magic reached the world and was exposed, Green Lane Masjid imam, Abu Usamah At-Thahabi, gave an entire Friday sermon against magic, accepting blame on behalf of the masjid’s administration for Continue reading →