Assalamu alaykum,
Your questions are important, but they also require big answers.
InshaAllah, I will try to help as best I can.
1.
Manhaj literally means "Methodology", in an Islamic context it means The methodology of implementing the beliefs and laws of Islam.
This Manhaj (Methodology) was taught to us by Allah and his blessed Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad - Peace and Blessings be upon him! - Furthermore, the Manhaj was held up by the Sahaba and the great Scholars and revivers of Islam.
It is the Only way a Muslim should follow Islam. It is the perfect, complete and easiest way, built upon total CLARITY. - The Quran and the Sunnah.
The Salaf, were the Early Muslims. The Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet
(1st Generation)), and the 2 Generations that came after them (the Tabi'een and Atba' Tabieen respectively). These Were the Salaf Salih - Pious Predecessors.
The Prophet
said>
The best of people is my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them [Bukhari and Muslim].
Why were they the best of people? Because they followed Islam in the best way. They were closest to the time of the Prophet Muhammad
, they had the great manners and character that only the best Muslim could ever achieve. They were kind, honest, humble and obedient slaves of Allah. They were the people who gave their lives to defending Islam.
These are the Muslims we aspire to be like as much as possible. These are the ones whose narrations we read, whose stories we read and who give us the correct understanding of Islam.
Any of the Scholars and people who followed Islam according to the CORRECT way, i.e. they learnt Islam from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah with the understanding of the early Muslims, then they are our Salaf. - Predecessor. - We look to their example. THey are our Ulema' (Scholars).
In the Old days, there were many many great Ulema. They had memorised the Quran and many thousands of Hadith (Shaykhs like Imam Ahmad, Imam Bukhari, Imam La'ikaa'ee... they knew more than 100,000 Hadith by memory - let alone having memorised the Quran first
- thats why we have so much respect for these scholars, because they were and still are today mountains of knowledge. THeir books indispensible), they memorised the Isnaads of Hadith (the chains of narration) and were experts in Arabic... and infact, experts in many many fields of Islam. These scholars would dedicate their lives to writing books and helping teach Islam. They travelled great distances just to get one Hadith.
So, as you can see, there is difference in level of knowledge, learning and wisdom. One scholar may have sat with over 100s Shaykhs (Islamic teachers) and been studying/teaching Islam for a long time. Its important they are scholars who follow the correct Islamic way, as was described above.
Many of our Scholars of the past were like this, such as Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi, Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Awza'i, Imam Nisa'ee, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim al Jawzi... THese are famous scholars who had great knowledge.
Today, unfortunately, such great scholars do not exist. It is a sign of the day of judgement. That Muslims be great in number, but weak. That there are many callers to Islam but, no great abdundance of knowledgeable senior scholars. Anyhow, "Kibar Ulema", simply means a very knowledgeable Scholar. A scholar who is well known for his knowledge of Islam. They are Senior Scholars. Kibar Ulema, literally means "Senior Scholars".
In recent times, we had:
Shaykh Muhammad Nasir ud-Deen al Albani (rahimahullah),
- The Biography of Shaykh Albani (rahimahullah)
-
One brothers recollection of meeting with him
-
The will of Imam Al Albani
-
Shaykh Albaanee (rahimahullaah) – teaches ‘Aqeedah from beneath the overturned car!!
Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Baz (Rahimahulah),
Biography of Imaam Ibn Baaz
Shaykh Ibn Uthaimeen (rahimahulllah),
Biography Shaykh Ibn Uthaimeen with Video
Shaykh Badi ud-Deen Shah Sindhi (rahimahullah)..
Biography of Shaykh Badi-udeen Shaah as Sindhi
They were the Kibar Ulema. Muhaditheen, experts of hadith. They gave Fatwa and are the best known scholars of recent times, alhamdulilllah. They stuck to the Quran, the Sunnah with the understanding of the early Muslims. - If you read their biographies you will see how sincere and hard working they were in learning and teaching Islam. MAy Allah give them Jannatul Firdaus.
Every Muslim has to know
how to follow Islam. We can not just pick and choose what we want to do or what we do not want to do. To get clear understanding of Islam, we must always return to the Quran and Sunnah with the methodology of the Salaf. This is our methodology.
See:
Following the right way
Shaykh Muhammad Musa Nasr
The benefits of having the clear methodology of the Salaf are many, here are three important ones.
1. The Person believes in Allah and worships Allah properly.
This is matter of Tawheed and Aqeedah. Some Muslims, unfortunately, do not worship Allah properly. They are influenced by their culture or by Imams and scholars who are not practising Islam according to the original authentic Islamic teachings. - THerefore, they teach and allow people to pray to the dead and ask them for help, claiming that they are "Awliya" or friends of Allah. They venerate graves and do various Shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Importance Of Tawheed And The Evil Result Of Neglecting It
The Aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah
Research on bid’ah and shirk in Detailed
2. The Person sticks to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
A lot of people, unforunately do not know about the Sunnah, or even know what the word "Sunnah" means!! Nor have they much knowledge of Hadith. Instead, they blind follow various Imams, scholars, their family or their culture. It is imporant to know that everything we do Islamically, is represented by authentic Hadith of the Prophet
and not a Scholar or group of scholars. We abandon all for the truth.
Take Your Creed from The Book (Qur'aan) and The Authenticated Sunnah
Introduction to what is (Bidah) Innovation
The Importance of the Sunnah, by Shaykh Albani (rahimahullah)
3.
The Muslim is away from Extremism and is in the Path of Moderation, Ease and Simplicity!
Islam is easy and simple. If we have the right methodology then we will not fall into extremism of any kind. Those who call for unlawful killing of men, women and children (whether they be Muslim or Non-Muslim) are going against the correct manhaj. Likewise, for anyone who goes into any extreme, whether the person is too harsh and bad mannered with people or they are spending too much time in the Mosque whilst forsaking their families. This is all Ghuloo' (exaggeration) and extremism in their belief. Something that Allah and the Prophet
forbade.
"Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" [2:185];
This way, we get clear understanding of Islam. If Muslim learn Islam in this way, they will be in the MIDDLE. Not extreme in anything and not lacking in any of the obligatory Islamic actions.
Islam the Religion of Ease and Moderation.
This person who will learn not just how to believe and worship Allah properly, but also to have very good character and manners. This is all from our Methodology
The Prophet
said>
"Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
So, we must give da'wah in nice way and call people to Islam. We should remain
Humble because being Muslims and following Islam in the right way is a gift from Allah, Subhana Wa Ta'ala. Guidance is the best gift any Muslim can have. Therefore, we should want others to also have part of this gift inshaAllah at the same time remembering to Thank Allah for what we have and to help us stick to the right way and to guide us at all times.
We need to call people to the pure Islam. The Islam that the Sahaba and the Tabi'een and Atba' Tabieen followed. (Tabieen are the generation of Muslims after Sahaba, and Atba' Tabieen are the generation after them). These were the best Muslims. How do we know we meant follow them?
The Prophet
said>
"Hold on to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. Hold on to it firmly. And beware of heretical innovations (Bid'ah) because each heretical innovation (Bid'ah) is a falsehood and each false- hood is a deviation from the right path." (Reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi who said it is a good and sound hadith, and Ibn Majah)
What did the great Scholars of Islam in the Past say??
One of the Salaf, the famous Imam al-Awzai rahimahullah who died in the year 157 AH (around 1250 years ago) - - said:
“Patiently restrict yourself to the Sunnah and pause where the people paused, say what they said and avoid what they avoided. Take to the path of your Salafus-Salih, for indeed, what was sufficient for them, is sufficient for you.” related by Imam al-Ajurri in ash-Shariah (p.58) and also al-Bayhaqî in Madhkal ilas-Sunan (no.233)
Islam is Complete, Perfect and Beautiful!! --- The only way to attain the best understanding in all our Islamic deeds and even all our worldly actions and how we behave and interact with our families, with our neighbours, with Society, with the non-Muslims even with our enemies is by going back to the original teachings of Islam.
Today, I cant say we have "3 best scholars", but we have some senior scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al Abaad (he is a muhadith and been teaching Hadith in Masjid al Nabawi in Madinah for decades, he is in his 80s, Allah bless him), Shaykh Abdul Azeez Aal Shaykh (Mufti of Saudi ARabia), we have Shaykh Mashoor Hassan (Palestinian Shaykh), Shaykh Salih fawzaan.. . There are also many other Shaykhs spread across Arabia, Yemen, the Gulf states, Syria, Palestine and Jordan.
InshaAllah, we will have many articles and lectures on this site which are from the correct manhaj and from the proper scholars of Islam, past and present.
There is a lot of reading and studying that is needed to get good understanding of these issues. Here is some further reading that I recommend that you do:
Why Manhaj (methodology) by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al Fawzaan??
Introduction to the Salafi Da'wah
Who are the True Scholars from Whom Knowledge is Taken?
By Shaykh Muhammed ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen (Rahimahullah).
Following the right way
Shaykh Muhammad Musa Nasr
The Aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah
There is a lot of research and reading that should be done, I recommend you read the article listed above and also in the Articles Section:
Islamic Articles Library
Fundamental Beliefs in Islam Tawheed and Aqeedah
Dear Sisters and Brothers!
