orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah

May 29, 2025

Is the Da‘wah Inflaming Divisions?

Continuing the theme of addressing issues and misunderstandings in the da’wah, and helping to ground callers in ta’sil; or sound knowledge-based ‘principles’, here is another consideration: I While the way in which a few people carry out da‘wah to non-Muslims can seem like childish point scoring, vengeful sneering, or even an exercise in shaming, da‘wah… Continue reading

da’wah & muslim apologetics, knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah

da’wah is disuniting Muslims, false Salafism, reckless callers, splitting the Muslims, the authentic way of the salaf
December 23, 2024

Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter on Muslim Unity

THIS POST LOOKS at how Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah advised some people who were in the grip of an intense and frenzied theological dispute, which was unleashing untold fitnah, had gone beyond bounds, and was inciting mutual hatred, schisms and boycotting. The lessons the Shaykh is hoping to impart, and get us to take to… Continue reading

correctives & clarifications, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, salafism reconsidered

Believers seeing Allah in Paradise, Difference between Essential ‘aqidah and orthodox ‘aqidah, Do non-Muslims see Allah in the Hereafter?, Golden principle for Muslim unity, Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter to Bahrain
December 15, 2022

Rulers, Rebellions, Righteous Anger

THIS PIECE DISCUSSES the issue of whether or not Muslims can publicly criticise their Muslim ruler or government (if so, where, when and how), and if rebelling against state authority would Islamically be allowed? This article is a long read, comprised of seven sections. It’s an unarguable fact that Islam does not abide anarchy on… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, politics & society, salafism reconsidered

al-Husayn and rebellion against Yazid, al-Nawawi on rebellion, Correcting Muslim rulers, Ibn Hajr on rebellion against rulers, is it permissible to criticise Muslim rulers, Is rebellion allowed in Islam?, khuruj in Islam, rebelling againsyt rulers, rebellion in Islam, revolution in Islam
June 3, 2021

On True Salafism, False Salafism & Ijma‘ Theology (2/2)

Keen readers of the blog might realise that the last time I addressed the issue of Salafism and orthodoxy was when this blog first started, back in 2012. I haven’t returned to the subject till now. The reason for that is straightforward. This is a day and age, and it’s probably been like this for… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, salafism reconsidered, theology

al-albani and salafi manhaj, difference between salafi ‘aqidah and manhaj, difference between true and false salafism, signs of false salafism, what is true salafism?, when did the term salafi start?, when didi Hilmi invent the term salafi manhaj?, who invented salafi manhaj?, why salafi manhaj?
May 24, 2021

On True Salafism, False Salafism & Ijma‘ Theology (1/2)

Much has been written about Salafism (salafiyyah) over the past half a century or so, particularly after 9-11. Among Muslims who ascribe to Sunni Islam, the whole concept of Salafism and what it stands for (and what it has done at the ground level) continues to be a source of great contention. While some see… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, salafism reconsidered, short texts for reflection, theology

are most Muslims in hellfire?, are today’s salafis the real saved sect?, is the saved sect a tiny clique of people?, meaning of salafism, place of ijma‘ in Sunni orthodoxy, salafi ‘aqidah v. salafi manhaj, splitting over ijtihadi issues is hallmark of deviants, true salafism v. false salafism, who are the innovators?, who or what is a salafi?
February 22, 2021

Denying the Hadiths About Jesus’ Second Coming

Q. As a Muslim, must we believe in the return of Jesus, peace be upon him, and also in the Dajjal? Why are such matters not mentioned in the Qur’an? And is it true that the ahadith which mention them are all lies and fabrications? ♦ A. Alhamduli’Llah wa’l-salatu wa’l-salamu ‘ala rasulillah. Before launching into a… Continue reading

correctives & clarifications, knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, theology

ahl al-Sunnah on Jesus and the Dajjal, etiquette of refutation culture, Hanbali position on ahad hadiths, Islamic ruling about rejecting the descent of jjesus during the End Days, Islamic ruling on denying a mutawatir hadith, peace be upon him, proofs for the return of Jesus, reality of tadlis in the hadith science, replying to the objection about Jesus’ return and fighting the Dajjal, scholarly consensus about Jesus’ return, status of al-Zuhri in Islam, tadlis and the mudallisun, was Imam al-Zuhri a mudallis?, what islam says about the second coming of Christ
November 26, 2020

Muslim Fitnah-Makers & their Fascist Fiqh!

This is a piece discussing how Muslims can be divided into three categories in terms of religious knowledge, and how the middle category is where much of the ummah’s woes and fitnahs spring from. And as counter-intuitive as it may sound, this middle problematic category are those that are commonly referred to as the more committed… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, fiqh & usul al-fiqh, knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, salafism reconsidered

cannot impose your view on others in matters of ijtihad, differing in furu’ is a mercy for the ummah, imposing your view on others in ijtihad matters is bid‘ah, main source of internal fitnah for the ummah, no rebuking in matters of ijtihad, what is fascist fiqh?
June 9, 2020

Kalam & the Hanbalis: Is It Really Relevant Today?

Often rendered into English as ‘theology’, ‘ilm al-kalam (or kalam, for short) is the science which establishes and elaborates upon matters of doctrine and belief. Because it depends upon reason-based arguments, it is ‘discursive’: hence ‘ilm al-kalam is sometimes referred to as discursive theology. In its more conjectural or philosophical form – a form where it… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, hanbali fiqh, knowledge & learning, modernity & muslimness, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, reason, religion, rationality, theology

Al-Ghazali on kalam, brief history of kalam in Islam, challenges of Muslim theologians today, contemporary issues in Islamic theology, difference between kalam and ‘aqidah, good books to critique modernity from traditional faith perspective, how a Muslim can best learn their ‘aqidah or beliefs?, Ibn Juzayy on kalam, Ibn Taymiyyah on kalam, is kalam relevant today?, Is the science of kalam obsolete today?, Islam and rationality, Islamic critiques of the post-modern secular world, proofs for God’s existence, questioning scientism, verifying the two premises of the kalam cosmological argument, what is the hanbali stance on kalam theology?, what is the kalam cosmological argument?, what relevancy does kalam have in the 21st century?
February 24, 2020

Guardians of Sacred Knowledge & Spiritual Growth

The core of this article centres on Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s discussion about the hadith that describes the three kinds of heart in respect to knowledge and guidance. Ibn Rajab also gives us a window into how revealed knowledge has been safeguarded for us – both its content and its meanings – throughout the ages, by… Continue reading

knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, sufism, suluk & spirituality

authentic knowledge of Islam, how islamic knowledge is preserved and authentically transmitted, how knowledge of Islam is preserved, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali explaining authentic Islam, Islamic orthodoxy is in following the trustworthy ones, status of the Companions in Islam, three types of heart in terms of knowledge and guidance
January 12, 2020

Khawarij Ideology, ISIS Savagery: the Wahhabi Inspiration?

It has now been four years since I started this three part instalment. It’s been over three years since I wrote the rough outlines for this third and final part. One thing or another, however, stopped me from completing it. But given Saudi Arabia’s current socio-religious changes or transition under the Crown Prince Muhammad b.… Continue reading

contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, politics & society, salafism reconsidered, theology

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi’s Wahhabi pedigree, al-Maqdisi’s takfir if Saudi Arabia, brief history of takfir and the three Saudi states, did Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab make tafkir of the all non-Wahhabis?, how the Management of Savagery code influenced ISIS and al-Qaeda, Humud b. ‘Uqala’s role in spreading takfiri ideas, is Saudi Wahhabism behind ISIS?, Is Wahhabism responsible for today’s jihadi violence?, pillars of the jihadi worldview, Salafi stance of judging by man-made laws, Salafi view on wala and bara’ah, Sayyid Qutb’s influence on ISIS, Takfir fatwas of early Wahhabi scholars, understanding today’s jihadi violence, Wahhabi influence on ISIS, Wahhabi takfir of the Ottoman Empire, Wahhabis on wala and bara’ah

About Me

My name is Surkheel Sharif (aka Abu Aaliyah). Born and raised in London, England, I began my more formal, but gradual studies of the Islamic sciences around the late 1980s (just a few years after having quit my degree in Astrophysics). I also gained an MA in Islamic Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 2009.

I’ve translated a few Islamic works from Arabic into English; one of them, a short text on Muslim spirituality, called The Exquisite Pearl (2000). I have also authored a few books, including: More Fish Please & the Earth’s Complaint (2011); Fussing Over the 15th of Sha’ban & the Golden Rule of Differing (2011); A Muslim’s Guide to Modernity (2025); and Salafism Reconsidered (forthcoming)

I am the founder and current Director of the Jawziyyah Institute (est. 1999): a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultivating an Islam true to its time-honoured tradition, relevant to its current context, and of benefit to wider society.