Islam In Bristol

Islam in Bristol is a charity Islamic bookshop and information centre which was constituted as a Charitable Trust by the Charity Commission on 22nd November 2010 under number 1139121. The charity operates as a not-for-profit organisation and all trustees and senior staff working for the Charity currently work on a voluntary basis and receive no monetary benefits. This allows the charity to maximise the profit secured back into the charity to fulfill its Aims and Objectives.

Our Da’wah (Arabic term for ‘what we call to’) is mainly run from our Masjid, known as Masjid Ibn Seereen (M.I.S), where regular daily prayers are performed and Islamic classes, seminars, khutbahs, and a Qur’aan school are taught weekly all in the English language. We cater to everyone in the community, young, old, male, and female. To check what lessons are currently running at the M.I.S centre click here.

Masjid Ibn Seereen (previously known as ‘Markaz Ibn Seereen’ changed in May 2022)

Masjid Ibn Seereen is a masjid with a Da’wah established by the grace of Allāh in 2017 with a call to the Manhaj (methodology) of the Salaf (righteous early generations of Muslims). We call to the Tauheed of Allāh as well as the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ) upon the path and understanding of the companions (may Allāh be pleased with them).

Allāh, the Most High, said (the meaning of which):

Say, “This is my way; I invite to Allāh with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allāh, and I am not of those who associate others with Him.” [Sūrah Yūsuf, 12:108]

And also:

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination.” [Soorat un-Nisaa’, (4:115)]

Allāh also said in praise of the companions (the meaning of which):

“And the first to embrace Islaam of the Muhaajiroon (those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madeenah) and the Ansaar (the citizens of al-Madeenah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajiroon) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allāh is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [Soorat ut-Tawbah, (9:100)]

The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) also said:

“Verily, the Children of Israa’eel split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects; all of them in the Fire except one.” So the Sahaabah asked: “And which one is that O’ Messenger of Allāh?” He replied: “That which I and my Companions are upon today.” [Sunan at-Tirmidhee (no. 2641) and authenticated by al-Albaanee]

Our organisation is therefore keen to promote this call to Islaam in its pure orthodox form and cleanse it from all that which is not from it. We wish to cultivate the Islamic community upon the true and orthodox Islaam as was understood by the Salaf.

This Da’wah is known as the Salafi Da’wah, a term synonymous with other terms that are used such as Ahlul Hadith, Ahlul Athar, Ahlus Sunnah wall Jam’aah. Our Da’wah started due to a need for the call to pure Salafiyyah as well as a need to establish a connection with the scholars of the Muslim world and their students in the west to remain upon this clarity during times of ease and trails.

Our Da’wah

Lastly, the call to which we base our ethos on is listed below:

1. We believe in Allāh and His Names and Attributes, as they were mentioned in the Book of Allāh and in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), without tahreef (distortion), nor ta‘weel (figurative interpretation), nor tamtheel (making a likeness), nor tashbeeh (resemblance), nor ta’teel (denial).
2. We love the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh, and we hate those who speak against them. We believe that to speak ill of them is to speak ill of the Religion, because they are the ones who conveyed it to us. And we love the Family of the Prophet with love that is permitted by the Sharee’ah.
3. We love the People of Hadeeth and all of the Salaf of the Ummah from Ahlus Sunnah.
4. We despise ’ilmul-kalaam (knowledge of theological rhetoric), and we view it to be from amongst the greatest reasons for the division in the Ummah.
5. We do not accept anything from the books of fiqh (jurisprudence), nor from the books of tafseer (explanation of the Qur‘aan), nor from the ancient stories, nor from the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet, except that which has been confirmed from Allāh or from His Messenger. We do not mean that we have rejected them, nor do we claim that we are not in need of them. Rather, we benefit from the discoveries of our Scholars and the jurists and other than them. However, we do not accept a ruling, except with an authentic proof.
6. We do not write in our books, nor do we cover in our lessons, nor do we give sermons with anything except the Qur‘aan, or the authentic and authoritative hadeeth. And we detest what emanates from many books and admonishers in terms of false stories and weak and fabricated ahaadeeth.
7. We do not perform takfeer (expel one from Islaam) upon any Muslim due to any sin, except Shirk (polytheism) with Allāh, or the abandonment of Prayer, or apostasy. We seek refuge in Allāh from that.
8. We believe that the Qur‘aan is the Speech of Allāh, it is not created.
9. We hold that our ‘obligation is to co-operate with the group that traverses the methodology of the Book and the Sunnah, and what the Salaf of the Ummah were upon; in terms of calling to Allāh the Glorified, and being sincere in worship of Him, and warning from Shirk, innovations, and disobedience, and to advise all of the groups that oppose this.’ ‘So, co-operating upon righteousness and piety (Taqwaa) and mutual advising necessitates warning against evil and not co-operating with the wicked.’
10.  We hold that this multiplicity of present-day parties is a reason for the division of the Muslims and their weakness. So therefore, we set about ‘freeing the minds from the fetters of blind-following and the darkness of sectarianism and party spirit.’
11. We restrict our understanding of the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh to the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah from the Scholars of hadeeth, not the blind followers of their individuals. Rather, we take the truth from wherever it comes. And we know that there are those who claim Salafiyyah, yet Salafiyyah is free from them, since they bring to the society what Allāh has prohibited. We believe in ‘cultivating the young generation upon this Islaam, purified from all that we have mentioned, giving to them a correct Islaamic education from the start – without any influence from the disbelieving western education.
12. We believe that politics is a part of the Religion, and those who try to separate the Religion from politics are only attempting to destroy the Religion and to spread chaos.
13. We believe that there will be no honour or victory for the Muslims until they return to the Book of Allāhand to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh.
14. We oppose those who divide the Religion into trivialities and important issues. And we know that this is a destructive da’wah.
15. We oppose those who put down the knowledge of the Sunnah, and say that this is not the time for it. Likewise, we oppose those who put down acting upon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh.
16. Our Da’wah and our ‘Aqeedah is more beloved to us than our own selves, our wealth and our offspring. So we are not prepared to part with it for gold nor silver. We say this so that no one may have hope in buying out our Da’wah, nor should he think that it is possible for him to purchase it from us for Deenaar or Dirham (forms of money).
17. We love the present-day Scholars of the Sunnah and hope to benefit from them and regret the passing away of many of them.
18. We do not accept Fataawaa (Islamic Verdicts) except that which is based upon legislated evidences with their correct usage.

These are glimpses into our ‘Aqeedah and our Da’wah. So, if one has any objections to this, then we are prepared to accept advice if it is truthful, and to refute it if it is erroneous, and to avoid it if it is stubborn rejection. And Allāh knows best.

The majority of this text is a summary of what is found in “Tarjumah Abee ’Abdir-RahmaanMuqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee” (p. 135-142) of Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (d. 1421).