Advice to a New Brother: Do Not Start From the Ceiling
My dear brother,
You are new to the path.
You do not know Arabic yet.
You are still learning your prayers.
Still learning the meanings of words you repeat every day in ṣalāh.
Yet somehow, you are being pulled into the heaviest subjects in Islām.
Takfīr.
Rulers. Rebellion. Judging entire governments.
These are not beginner topics.
These are among the most dangerous matters in the religion.
And there is something very wrong when a new Muslim, or a new Salafi, is thrown into these subjects before he has even built his foundation.
Not wrong because you are bad.
Wrong because the order has been reversed.
You cannot start from the ceiling.
Be careful of those who make the ceiling look closer than it really is.
You Cannot Count Yet… But You Are Being Given Quadratic Equations
Let me put it plainly.
What you are being asked to do is the same as: A student who cannot count yet…being handed quadratic equations.
Not addition, not subtraction…quadratic equations.
Those weird symbols, variables, layers of steps, hidden conditions.
Even if he memorizes the formula…he does not understand the numbers.
Even if he repeats answers…he cannot see errors.
And if he gets it wrong (and he will), he can't realize that.
That is exactly what happens when someone who has not studied the foundations begins listening to debates about takfīr and rulers.
Takfīr is so not beginner knowledge.
Judging rulers is not beginner knowledge.
Speaking about governance and disbelief is not beginner knowledge.
These are advanced matters, built on years of learning, discipline, and restraint.
Without foundations, a mind becomes confident with nothing to back that up…and that is a dangerous state.
Takfīr Is Not a Casual Topic
The scholars spoke clearly about this.
Ash-Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān was asked about youth making takfīr of rulers.
He said:
"Takfīr is not an easy matter. Takfīr — and we seek refuge in Allāh — is ruling that a Muslim is a kāfir. This is a serious matter."
And he warned:
"Whoever says to his brother 'O disbeliever' while he is not such, that speech returns upon him."
Think about that carefully.
This is not internet talk.
This is a matter that can return upon the one who speaks. It is about al-ākhirah (afterlife).
Words here are not light.
If You Do Not Understand Arabic, You Are Already Dependent
This is another reality that must be faced honestly.
You do not yet understand Arabic.
That means:
* You cannot verify quotations.
* You cannot detect mistranslations.
* You cannot recognize missing context.
* You cannot compare explanations between scholars.
* You cannot hear tone or nuance.
* You are depending completely on whoever translated the clip.
That means your certainty is borrowed, not built.
Is that something to rely upon when Allāh asks us on the Day of Reckoning?
Why These Topics Target Beginners
There is something you must be aware of: These groups often speak in very detailed ways.
They mention many conditions, many terms, many arguments. To the beginner, this sounds like deep knowledge.
But in reality, it relies on something very simple: Your inability to verify what they are saying.
The more details they mention…the less able you are to check them.
And the more confident they sound…the more hesitant you feel to question them.
This is not learning. This is dependency disguised as knowledge.
General Takfīr of Rulers Is the Speech of Ignorance
When ash-shaykh al-Fawzān was asked about people who declare all Arab rulers to be disbelievers, he answered clearly:
"Generalizing — making takfīr of all rulers — this comes from an ignorant person who does not know what he is saying."
Not just mistaken, ignorant. Ignorant to the point we don't even respond to him.
Because knowledge does not produce reckless generalizations. Knowledge produces restraint.
Look at What Happened in Algeria
Ash-Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn mentioned what happened in Algeria and said:
"Fifty thousand people were killed unjustly in three years — whether by the government killing these people, or by them killing those whose blood is protected. All of this is evil and calamity."
Fifty thousand, and that's not numbers on a page.
These are Muslims, families, children, homes.
Entire communities torn apart.
And what was the benefit? None.
Chaos does not build Muslim land. It destroys it.
Stick to the Scholars the Ummah Trusted
When you are new, you do not yet know who to trust.
So you hold onto those whom the scholars themselves trusted.
People with weight you can feel, not random speakers, not loud voices, and definitely not trending channels in an era where everyone can go viral.
You hold onto the major scholars whose knowledge and reliability were accepted widely across the Ummah.
Scholars like: al-Albānī, Ibn Bāz, Ibn ʿUthaymīn, al-Wādiʿī.
When confusion increases, return to those anchors, not to the best edited clip.
To the safe shore Allāh gave us, and promised to never deprive the Ummāh of such people.
You are new to the path.
You do not know Arabic yet.
You are still learning your prayers.
Still learning the meanings of words you repeat every day in ṣalāh.
Yet somehow, you are being pulled into the heaviest subjects in Islām.
Takfīr.
Rulers. Rebellion. Judging entire governments.
These are not beginner topics.
These are among the most dangerous matters in the religion.
And there is something very wrong when a new Muslim, or a new Salafi, is thrown into these subjects before he has even built his foundation.
Not wrong because you are bad.
Wrong because the order has been reversed.
You cannot start from the ceiling.
Be careful of those who make the ceiling look closer than it really is.
You Cannot Count Yet… But You Are Being Given Quadratic Equations
Let me put it plainly.
What you are being asked to do is the same as: A student who cannot count yet…being handed quadratic equations.
Not addition, not subtraction…quadratic equations.
Those weird symbols, variables, layers of steps, hidden conditions.
Even if he memorizes the formula…he does not understand the numbers.
Even if he repeats answers…he cannot see errors.
And if he gets it wrong (and he will), he can't realize that.
That is exactly what happens when someone who has not studied the foundations begins listening to debates about takfīr and rulers.
Takfīr is so not beginner knowledge.
Judging rulers is not beginner knowledge.
Speaking about governance and disbelief is not beginner knowledge.
These are advanced matters, built on years of learning, discipline, and restraint.
Without foundations, a mind becomes confident with nothing to back that up…and that is a dangerous state.
Takfīr Is Not a Casual Topic
The scholars spoke clearly about this.
Ash-Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān was asked about youth making takfīr of rulers.
He said:
"Takfīr is not an easy matter. Takfīr — and we seek refuge in Allāh — is ruling that a Muslim is a kāfir. This is a serious matter."
And he warned:
"Whoever says to his brother 'O disbeliever' while he is not such, that speech returns upon him."
Think about that carefully.
This is not internet talk.
This is a matter that can return upon the one who speaks. It is about al-ākhirah (afterlife).
Words here are not light.
If You Do Not Understand Arabic, You Are Already Dependent
This is another reality that must be faced honestly.
You do not yet understand Arabic.
That means:
* You cannot verify quotations.
* You cannot detect mistranslations.
* You cannot recognize missing context.
* You cannot compare explanations between scholars.
* You cannot hear tone or nuance.
* You are depending completely on whoever translated the clip.
That means your certainty is borrowed, not built.
Is that something to rely upon when Allāh asks us on the Day of Reckoning?
Why These Topics Target Beginners
There is something you must be aware of: These groups often speak in very detailed ways.
They mention many conditions, many terms, many arguments. To the beginner, this sounds like deep knowledge.
But in reality, it relies on something very simple: Your inability to verify what they are saying.
The more details they mention…the less able you are to check them.
And the more confident they sound…the more hesitant you feel to question them.
This is not learning. This is dependency disguised as knowledge.
General Takfīr of Rulers Is the Speech of Ignorance
When ash-shaykh al-Fawzān was asked about people who declare all Arab rulers to be disbelievers, he answered clearly:
"Generalizing — making takfīr of all rulers — this comes from an ignorant person who does not know what he is saying."
Not just mistaken, ignorant. Ignorant to the point we don't even respond to him.
Because knowledge does not produce reckless generalizations. Knowledge produces restraint.
Look at What Happened in Algeria
Ash-Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn mentioned what happened in Algeria and said:
"Fifty thousand people were killed unjustly in three years — whether by the government killing these people, or by them killing those whose blood is protected. All of this is evil and calamity."
Fifty thousand, and that's not numbers on a page.
These are Muslims, families, children, homes.
Entire communities torn apart.
And what was the benefit? None.
Chaos does not build Muslim land. It destroys it.
Stick to the Scholars the Ummah Trusted
When you are new, you do not yet know who to trust.
So you hold onto those whom the scholars themselves trusted.
People with weight you can feel, not random speakers, not loud voices, and definitely not trending channels in an era where everyone can go viral.
You hold onto the major scholars whose knowledge and reliability were accepted widely across the Ummah.
Scholars like: al-Albānī, Ibn Bāz, Ibn ʿUthaymīn, al-Wādiʿī.
When confusion increases, return to those anchors, not to the best edited clip.
To the safe shore Allāh gave us, and promised to never deprive the Ummāh of such people.
قال عز وجل: { إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ }
"It is Us who revealed The Remembrance (i.e, the Qurʾān), and it is Us who will preserve it" [Al-Ḥijr: 9].
Preserve it how? Through scholars.
You Have Not Yet Built the Foundations
Let us speak honestly.
Have you studied:
ʿAqīdah properly?
The conditions of ṣalāh?
The rulings of purification?
Daily worship?
Piety?
Zuhd?
Fear of Allāh?
Have you mastered your prayer?
Not just performing it — understanding it?
Do you know the meanings of what you recite?
Or are you being pulled into arguments about rulers while still learning how to stand before Allāh correctly?
How many wordings of tashahhud are there and which one is the most authentic?
Ibn Masʿūd, may Allāh be pleased with him, taught tashahhud the same way he taught al-Fatiḥah, he learned that from the Prophet.
There is a deep imbalance here.
Talking about rulers…while not yet mastering prayer…is like discussing advanced medicine while not knowing how to wash your hands.
The order matters…always.
The Companions Learned Īmān First
Look at the path of the Companions.
They did not begin with politics.
They did not begin with rebellion.
They did not begin with accusing rulers.
They learned īmān first.
For years.
Even while they were tortured.
The Companions learned belief, worship, fear of Allāh, patience, obedience.
They built hearts before arguments.
Strength before disputes.
That is the path. Not the shortcuts you are being pulled into through random strangers waving at you from dark alleys.
Have You Studied the Salaf — Or Only Debates?
Ask yourself honestly: Have you studied the lives of the Companions?
Their worship?
Their humility?
Their patience?
Their nights in prayer?
Their fear of Allāh?
Can you sit with someone and narrate to them the stories of the Prophet and his Companions?
Or have you mostly listened to debates?
Arguments.
Clips.
Controversies.
There is a difference between: Learning Islām…and…watching arguments about Islām.
A very big difference.
Not Every Topic Is Beginner Knowledge
This must be understood clearly.
Not every topic is for beginners, just as not every tool is for children.
You do not give sharp blades to young fragile hands.
Knowledge works the same way.
But sadly we have so many toddlers holding knives and pointing them at people.
Advanced subjects belong to those who built foundations first.
What Should You Do Instead?
Do not chase political debates. Yes, they are political, because those stirring these subjects want the chairs, they want to rule, but they have no armies, so they want to use you as fuel for their desires. Just like a football fan only talk about football, these talk about rulers and ruling, somehow people miss this obvious sign of their true intentions.
Do not chase takfīr discussions.
Do not make rulers your daily concern.
Instead: Build your foundation.
Start with:
Learning basic ʿaqīdah
Learning ṣalāh properly
Learning purification
Learning daily worship
Learning manners
Learning fear of Allāh
Learning patience.
Study the lives of the Salaf.
Learn Arabic gradually.
Sit with reliable scholars.
Learn before judging.
Understand before speaking.
Understand some more until you realize you are still far from actually understanding. Let the weight of humility make you regret delving into this.
May Allāh guide us to knowledge that protects us, not knowledge that destroys us.
Because once words are spoken…they do not return empty.
They return with weight, a crushing weight, in this life, and the hereafter.
Preserve it how? Through scholars.
You Have Not Yet Built the Foundations
Let us speak honestly.
Have you studied:
ʿAqīdah properly?
The conditions of ṣalāh?
The rulings of purification?
Daily worship?
Piety?
Zuhd?
Fear of Allāh?
Have you mastered your prayer?
Not just performing it — understanding it?
Do you know the meanings of what you recite?
Or are you being pulled into arguments about rulers while still learning how to stand before Allāh correctly?
How many wordings of tashahhud are there and which one is the most authentic?
Ibn Masʿūd, may Allāh be pleased with him, taught tashahhud the same way he taught al-Fatiḥah, he learned that from the Prophet.
There is a deep imbalance here.
Talking about rulers…while not yet mastering prayer…is like discussing advanced medicine while not knowing how to wash your hands.
The order matters…always.
The Companions Learned Īmān First
Look at the path of the Companions.
They did not begin with politics.
They did not begin with rebellion.
They did not begin with accusing rulers.
They learned īmān first.
For years.
Even while they were tortured.
The Companions learned belief, worship, fear of Allāh, patience, obedience.
They built hearts before arguments.
Strength before disputes.
That is the path. Not the shortcuts you are being pulled into through random strangers waving at you from dark alleys.
Have You Studied the Salaf — Or Only Debates?
Ask yourself honestly: Have you studied the lives of the Companions?
Their worship?
Their humility?
Their patience?
Their nights in prayer?
Their fear of Allāh?
Can you sit with someone and narrate to them the stories of the Prophet and his Companions?
Or have you mostly listened to debates?
Arguments.
Clips.
Controversies.
There is a difference between: Learning Islām…and…watching arguments about Islām.
A very big difference.
Not Every Topic Is Beginner Knowledge
This must be understood clearly.
Not every topic is for beginners, just as not every tool is for children.
You do not give sharp blades to young fragile hands.
Knowledge works the same way.
But sadly we have so many toddlers holding knives and pointing them at people.
Advanced subjects belong to those who built foundations first.
What Should You Do Instead?
Do not chase political debates. Yes, they are political, because those stirring these subjects want the chairs, they want to rule, but they have no armies, so they want to use you as fuel for their desires. Just like a football fan only talk about football, these talk about rulers and ruling, somehow people miss this obvious sign of their true intentions.
Do not chase takfīr discussions.
Do not make rulers your daily concern.
Instead: Build your foundation.
Start with:
Learning basic ʿaqīdah
Learning ṣalāh properly
Learning purification
Learning daily worship
Learning manners
Learning fear of Allāh
Learning patience.
Study the lives of the Salaf.
Learn Arabic gradually.
Sit with reliable scholars.
Learn before judging.
Understand before speaking.
Understand some more until you realize you are still far from actually understanding. Let the weight of humility make you regret delving into this.
May Allāh guide us to knowledge that protects us, not knowledge that destroys us.
Because once words are spoken…they do not return empty.
They return with weight, a crushing weight, in this life, and the hereafter.