THE HISTORY OF THE ISLAMIC CREED

Shaykh Muḥammad Amān al-Jāmī said:

As for the history of the Islamic creed, then it goes back to the earliest of times and eras, since there was not a Prophet that was sent except that his call began with ʿAqīdah and he made it the essence of his message.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, the last of His Messengers:

"And We have not sent before you any messenger except that We have revealed to him that there is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
— Al-Anbiyāʾ: 25

Also He سبحانه وتعالى says:

"And certainly We have sent to every nation a messenger declaring: Worship Allah alone and avoid anything which is worshipped besides Allah."
— Al-Naḥl: 36

This means that all the Prophets began their call to Allah with the correction of the ʿAqīdah before addressing anything else from the good actions that they called to.

For this reason, we find in Sūrat Hūd the mention of several Messengers who began their call to Allah by appealing to their respective peoples and calling them to the Islamic ʿAqīdah and its rectification — in addition to the meaning of Īmān and Islam, as well as the foundation of the Islamic ʿAqīdah: that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah سبحانه وتعالى. This started from Nūḥ عليه السلام, who was the first Messenger sent to the people of the earth after shirk occurred among his people.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

"And surely We sent Nūḥ to his people, proclaiming: 'Indeed, I am for you a clear warner, so that you would not worship except Allah — surely I fear punishment for you on a day of great pain'."
— Hūd: 25–26

Also in the same context and in the same manner, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says regarding Ṣāliḥ عليه السلام and his people:

"And to Thamūd We sent their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said: 'O my people, worship Allah; there is no deity for you besides Him'."
— Hūd: 61

Then Allah continues in the same noble context to say about Shuʿayb عليه السلام and his people:

"And to Madyan We sent their brother Shuʿayb. He said: 'O my people, worship Allah; there is no deity for you besides Him. And do not decrease from what is weighed and the scale. Truly, I see you upon goodness, but I surely fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day'."
— Hūd: 84

Also Allah says in another context and in another chapter of the Qurʾān regarding Yūsuf's عليه السلام debate with his two companions in prison:

"O my two companions in prison, are separate different lords better or is Allah — the One, the Irresistible? Those whom you worship other than Him are merely names which you and your forefathers have invented, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. The judgment is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none except Him — that is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know."
— Yūsuf: 39–40

This is how the Book of Allah clarifies the history of the Islamic ʿAqīdah throughout the long history of the Prophets and Messengers, and how this ʿAqīdah used to be the key to their call. This means the religion of the Prophets was one, and that it was Islam.

"Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam."
— Āl ʿImrān: 19

It was Islam with its ʿAqīdah and fundamentals, even if their legislations and methodologies may have differed — since Allah سبحانه وتعالى did this out of wisdom. As a result, every Prophet had a legislation and methodology suitable for his people, their situations, circumstances, and times. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

"And do not follow their vain desires away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear methodology."
— Al-Māʾidah: 48

Thus, the issue of Islamic ʿAqīdah has been connected to mankind ever since the father of mankind, Ādam عليه السلام, descended to earth — and therefore it has been linked to mankind throughout its history, as we have just seen.

— al-ʿAqīdah al-Islāmiyyah wa Tārīkhuhā pg. 64-69

THE EFFECTS OF THE SALAFĪ DAʿWAH IN TODAY'S WORLD

Shaykh Muḥammad Amān al-Jāmī رحمه الله said:

Indeed this blessed daʿwah is considered — as some of the orientalists have said — "the initial spark for the modern Islamic awakening for the entire Islamic world." This is what one orientalist has said, and the goodness is such that even enemies can recognize it.

Truly, it is the initial spark for the modern Islamic awakening and a conscientious awareness that follows the manhaj of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ, which consists of every good and noble characteristic. And this type of adherence to the manhaj of the first generation is the secret behind the blessing. This is why you find that its effects are apparent today in almost every continent in the world — especially in the African continent, where the Salafī schools have spread in an eye-opening manner that demands attention and has opened vast horizons there. And those schools that have spread here and there teach the syllabus that is followed in Saudi Arabia, which is the Salafī manhaj that we have previously discussed.

This is also the case in India, since in some of the provinces of India and Pakistan there are schools and private universities that teach the same curriculum in the religious subjects.

And in the modern world, there are many who follow the Salafī manhaj, believing in it and calling to it. In India, they are known as Salafīs and Ahl al-Ḥadīth. And in some of the Arab countries they are known as Anṣār al-Sunnah al-Muḥammadiyyah — literally the supporters of the Sunnah of Muḥammad ﷺ — as in Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, and Thailand. And they are known in al-Shām as the Salafīs. All of them call to a return to Islam in the issues of ʿAqīdah and rulings upon the correct understanding of it, as well as abandoning the knowledge of kalām that has come between the people and understanding the correct ʿAqīdah which the first generation was upon. They remove kalām from their academic curriculum in all stages of their educational system and replace it with the Salafī manhaj, which is founded upon the Book of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — which is the only thing that the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ were known for.

And for the Islamic University of Madīnah and Imām Muḥammad ibn Saʿūd Islamic University in Riyadh, there is a noble role, a righteous act, and a praiseworthy activity on display due to their commitment to spread the Salafī ʿAqīdah in those remote regions of Africa, East Asia, India, and in many of the Arab nations. And this is also represented by the international expatriate students that come to these two universities from those remote places and graduate every year in fluctuating numbers, then return to their countries in order to warn their people and spread among them the sound Salafī ʿAqīdah.

So I ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى to make those who are responsible for these institutions increase in success and sincerity to Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

And finally — indeed the Salafī Islamic ʿAqīdah has steadily and progressively continued forward as we have mentioned, and it continues to make steady progress. And those who have entered into it do not turn away from it out of desire for something else, if they understand its true reality. Its sky rains down without lightning or unpleasant thunder, and it always sends down rain. And this rain that descends in complete tranquility is continuous — yet it never harms the soil nor unearths it. Rather, it irrigates the earth until it becomes fertile and brings forth its vegetation and gives from its good provisions.

And the people of this ʿAqīdah do not carry drums with them while spreading it or when they convey it. Instead, their actions are known for their results and fruits. And the one who made the statement about this ʿAqīdah and its progression was truthful when he said:

"What am I compared to your slow movement — that slowly moves and yet comes first."

— al-ʿAqīdah al-Islāmiyyah wa Tārīkhuhā pg. 192-194