Is Mufti Ismail Menk a salafi?

Question: Assalamu Alaykum,

1. In the light of rumours circulating on the Internet regarding Mufti Ismail Menk being a Salafi, is it permissible to listen to his bayans?

2. Is he a Salafi or a Hanafi?

3. If it is permissible or not advisable to listen to his talks?

Answer: 

1. If you have never heard or read of Deoband in the Qur’aan and Hadeeth, we are positively sure that you did not read or hear of Mufti Menk in the Qur’aan and Hadeeth as well. If not hearing or reading of the Ulama of Deoband in the Qur’aan and Hadeeth warrants rejection of their teachings then by your own yardstick you should discard Mufti Menk’s speeches.

2. The Salafi sect is a deviated sect propagating its own creed and baatil culture. They are astray. Their guru, Ibn Taimiyyah espoused the doctrine of autogenesis and anthropomorphism, which are plain kufr and shir’k concepts. Most certainly Allah Ta’ala shall apprehend those who took such vile beliefs regardless of them styling themselves as ‘salafis’.

3. Mufti Menk is not above the Shariah. If he propagates baatil then most assuredly the Defenders of Allah Ta’ala’s Deen shall respond and rebut his baatil. We do not take our Ulama as ‘gods’ like the Bani Israeel masses took their muftis and buzrugs as gods besides Allah Ta’ala. Castigating the Bani Israeel severely Allah Ta’ala declares:

“They took their ulama and mashaaikh as ‘gods’ besides Allah.”

4. Every statement and every act of the mufti and any mufti shall be subjected to the Qur’aan and Hadeeth and either approved of or refuted. The mufti’s TV appearances are in clear contravention of the Qur’aan and Hadeeth. The sin of all those who watch his ‘stupidtube’ shows are borne by the mufti.

5. We advise strongly that Muslims should not listen to the oratories of Ismail Menk in view of his Salafi leanings.

6. Due to their policy of taqiyyah or covering up their true beliefs Salafis propagate their cult with stealth and cunning. Some are superb in the art of conning their audience. We can safely say that Ismail Menk is averse to the Teachings of the Ulama of Deoband and is enamoured by the modernist Saudi/Salafi sheikhs. That the Jamiat of Zimbabwe is financed by the brutal and faasiq Saudi regime is no secret.

Whilst you cast aspersions at the Ulama of Deoband, Mufti Menk is at pains to convince the Ulama who are investigating his association with salafism and level of salafi-conversion that he is an adherent of the Deoband-creed and faithful to the Ulama of Deoband.