Identification: The first and most telling manifestation of decline is a decay in belief. Signs include Muslims engaging in grave-worship, calling upon saints or the dead for help, wearing charms for protection, or holding superstitious practices. Additionally, confusion regarding fundamental tenets of faith (such as Allāh’s names and attributes, belief in Qadr (Divine Decree), etc.) indicates a shaky foundation. When people mix Islam with folk religion, embrace groups and sects, or belittle the importance of correct creed, the entire structure of their religious life becomes unstable.
Understanding: Why does a faulty creed lead to the Ummah’s decline? Because in Islam everything starts with ʿAqīdah – it is the bedrock of all deeds and the source of unity. The Salafī methodology emphatically teaches that no revival is possible without returning to pure Tawhid. Whenever Muslims fell into shirk (associating partners with Allāh) or adopted distorted theological doctrines, they lost Allāh’s support and became divided. Correcting creed was the first mission of every prophet, and it was the starting point of renewal led by scholars like Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah and Imam Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb during times of rampant deviation. A sound ʿaqīdah unifies Muslims on the truth, whereas divergent or corrupt beliefs splinter the Ummah. Thus, the decline of the Ummah begins at the level of creed, and so must its cure.
Redirection: How do we cure a broken creed and redirect toward Tawhid? The solution is to re-educate ourselves and our communities on authentic creed. This means studying the Qur’ān and Ṣaḥīḥ Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf regarding Allāh’s oneness, His names and attributes, and the correct beliefs about angels, prophets, scripture, the Day of Judgment, etc. Practical steps include holding classes on fundamental texts of Sunnī creed, correcting common folk beliefs with gentle evidence-based advice, and warning against shirk and bidʿah (innovations in religion) in all forms. A Muslim should begin by purifying his own faith: worship Allāh alone with full sincerity while renouncing and nullifying any form of association to Allah, renew the Shahadah in both understanding and application.
The Call: Tawhid-first in their daʿwah – just as the Prophet ﷺ instructed Muʿādh ibn Jabal that the first call should be to “worship Allāh alone” before anything else. By realigning our creed with the Prophetic model, we lay the indispensable foundation for all subsequent reform. No amount of social or political effort will succeed if Tawḥīd is not firmly established in hearts; conversely, even a small group of people upon pure creed can, by Allāh’s permission, grow to transform the world (as did the first generation of Islam). Thus, revival starts at the root: “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Correct the heart’s belief, and the path to upliftment begins.
Identification: The decline of the Ummah is glaringly evident in how many Muslims practice their faith. On the personal level, one observes abandonment of foundational pillars like prayer, poor attendance at mosques, negligence in paying zakāh or fasting Ramadan, and widespread indulgence in haram (forbidden) matters. Where practice exists with little knowledge, it is often tainted by bidʿah (innovations) – people celebrating un-Islamic “religious” festivals, using unsupported rituals, or following cultural customs in worship instead of the Prophet’s example ﷺ. Additionally, extremes have appeared: on one hand, literal abandonment of Shariʿah, and on the other hand, fanaticism or adding strictures without proof. In jurisprudence (fiqh) matters, many communities either blindly follow madhhab traditions without understanding, or conversely, make up rulings on whims and ideas. These symptoms – whether laxity/negligence, extremism, ignorance, or innovation in worship – indicate a serious drift from the pure Sunnah and the balanced practice of the Salaf.
Understanding: Why has ignorance, corrupted practice, and faulty legal understanding led to decline? In Islam, knowledge precedes action, and sound practice is inseparable from correct belief; together they strengthen iman and produce a healthy Ummah. When actions are incorrect or corrupted, the Ummah loses divine aid, support, blessings and can fall into chaos. The Salafī scholars remind us that the Prophet ﷺ said “the best guidance is the guidance of Muḥammad, and the worst affairs are the newly invented matters”. Thus, every generation that drifted into "new rites" or neglected the Prophet’s Sunnah ﷺ experienced weakness and decline. Improper fiqh also leads to division – for example, partisanship to schools of thought can cause Muslims to quarrel and fragment. Salafi methodology offers a cure in the form of Tasfiyah (correction and purification): Purifying fiqh from erroneous judgments contrary to Qur’ān and Sunnah, freeing minds from blind-following and the darkness of sectarianism. In other words, we diagnose that many rulings and practices that crept in (due to cultural influence, or fabricated ahadith) have harmed the Ummah’s body and health. By identifying these and clearing them out, we return the luster to Islamic practice. Moreover, knowledge of fiqh has often declined; many do not know the proper way to pray, purify, or conduct transactions – a direct result of sidelining scholarship. Without grounding in authentic knowledge, people oscillate (move or swing back and forth) between extremism and negligence improperly, causing either hardship or moral decay. The Sunnah attracts divine support and unifies hearts. Thus, reviving the Ummah requires reviving authentic knowledge, correct worship and justice in the perfect Shari'ah (law), as exemplified by the Prophet ﷺ and understood by the early Imams.
Redirection: How do we redirect ourselves to knowledge, correct worship and legal understanding? There are two essential components: education and elimination. First, educate Muslims about the proper way to worship and conduct life according to evidences. This involves returning to the Qur’ān and authentic ahadith to derive rulings – ideally under the guidance of reliable scholars. Practical steps include establishing study circles for fiqh of ʿibādāt (worship rulings) so that every Muslim learns how to purify (wuḍū’, ghusl), pray correctly, give zakāh, fast, and perform ḥajj in line with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Furthermore, lessons in fiqh of muʿāmalāt (business, family law, etc.) and aḥkām (legal rulings) should be held to guide daily interactions. Second, eliminate innovations and errors: community leaders must gently but firmly phase out un-Islamic practices – for instance, local traditions that conflict with Sunnah or popular but weak hadith that people act on. This purging process should be done with wisdom (hikmah) and good admonition, showing people the superior beauty of the Sunnah as a replacement for their inherited innovations and lowly desires. Importantly, the roadmap to revival in fiqh also means promoting unity on valid differences: Muslims should be taught not to splinter over minor jurisprudential differences when there is legitimate scholarly variance. The focus should be on following evidence (dalīl) and having an open heart to revise one’s practice upon clear proof. The Salaf’s principle was that of the known Imams of fiqh “if a hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab” – emphasizing truth over blind loyalty to family tradition. By returning to this ethos, we cultivate a humble, learning Ummah that practices Islam in its pure form. When our prayers, charity, transactions, and personal laws align with Allāh’s guidance, meaning The Qur'an and Sunnah as the Sahabah implemented them we will see barakah return to our lives, families and communities. In short, we revive the Sunnah and eradicate bidʿah at the level of individual and family practice. This purified practice, coupled with sound belief, prepares the ground for Allah’s aid – as He has promised to support those who establish prayer and give zakāh and enjoin right and forbid wrong. Through Taṣfiyah, our acts of worship regain their power, and through Tarbiyah (nurturing and cultivating) we raise a generation that lives Islam authentically, moving the Ummah from decline to strength.
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