There is no doubt that tasfiyah and tarbiyah requires an organization. And I do know of anyone who rejects the use of the word ‘organization’, but what is rejected, and I am the first to do so, is an organization which is not built upon these principles – tasfiyah and tarbiyah.

A number of ideologies which are not pure and correct are in circulation amongst the Muslims today, and so there are many sects which spread the ideas of the Mu’tazila, Khawārij, Shee’a, and others. So it is necessary that the scholars establish the obligation of purifying these ideas so as to present the correct form of Islām to the people. An example of the incorrect idea circulating amongst the Muslims today appeared in a book, whose author attributed the statement , “it is not upon the women to make the Adhaan (call to prayer) nor the Iqaamah” to al-Bukhārī, and this is not true, and there are hundreds of such examples which are not part of Islām and which Islām is free of.

And the obligation upon the scholars is to point out these mistakes, and this is what we mean by (the term) tasfiyyah (purifying the Religion from all the spurious elements that have entered it), but merely this is not enough, for with tasfiyyah comes tarbiyyah (educating and cultivating the Muslims upon this purified Islām). Many of those that pay (only) tarbiyyah attention are actually cultivating their groups and members with ways of thinking that are connected to their group, not their Islām. So they colour their individuals with the ideology of the organization which does not represent the whole of Islām, but rather a minute part of it, when it is obligatory upon them to embrace Islām in its totality.

Some of them bring up their groups on a type of worship that includes that which contraḍīcts the Sunnah, such as their gathering on the night of Jumuʿah to perform the night prayer, and this due only to the fact that they have not purified their knowledge and so have not brought together both purification and cultivation – purifying Islām from the (spurious elements) that have entered it, and cultivating the Muslims upon this purified Islām so that the effect that Islām has upon the people be as the effect it had when it was first revealed. As what was the remedy for them (upon whom the Qurʾān was revealed), is a remedy for all places and times – that is understanding the Qurʾān and Sunnah upon the way of the Pious Predecessors.

There is no doubt that tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah require an organization. And I do know of anyone who rejects the use of the word ‘organization’, but what is rejected, and I am the first to do so, is an organization that is not built upon these principles – tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah.

And it is beyond the ability of a single scholar to carry out this tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah, rather it needs tens nay thousands to carry this out. I would hope that no one thinks that such a task can be carried out by a single scholar, and that is because the scope of knowledge is huge, and tasfiyyah needs to be carried out in all aspects of knowledge like fiqh, tafsīr, language and Ḥadīth. Each scholar should work in their field of specialization, as it is not possible for a person to make the whole ummah accept his ideas. So there is a need for scholars to be here and there all upon a unified methodology – upon the Qurʾān and the Sunnah and the understanding of the Pious Predecessors. Those not among them should follow this methodology for the process of tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah to go on. So when it is not possible for a (single) person to establish the obligation of tasfiyyah, then how about when we consider that the obligation of tarbiyyah goes alongside it! For if a scholar, in his village, wished to take it upon himself to purify the knowledge from the strange things that had entered it, he would not then find the time to cultivate the people upon this correct and pure Islām, so it is necessary that he have assistants to receive this knowledge and cultivate the people upon it. And in this way, the obligation of tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah is achieved as it should be.

As for (the option) of cultivating the individuals (by taking them) far from society, then this is a pretty picture, it is similar to what is known as healthy isolation, but is it possible/realistic? And where is this pure, untainted at atmosphere? The problem with these people is that their Islamic calls are far removed from a scholarly one or a down to earth one. The surroundings to which Muḥammad ﷺ was sent to were contaminated/infested (with shirk and kufr) yet he did not call for leaving this surrounding, but after a long time, striving in daʿwah he left to another society in Madīnah, which one cannot say was purified one hundred percent.

Regarding Ahlus Sunnah in Lebanon the Shaykh said:

Generally, we do not help any Islamic Group to arm themselves militarily before arming themselves figuratively, this due to two reasons: scholarly and from experience. As for the scholarly reason it lies in the verse, ‘and prepare for  them as best you can from strength’, so in this verse is a clear meaning, and an included meaning – and that is that the address is directed to the true believers. So it is upon the groups that they understand this figurative arming before anything else, and that is arming themselves with the correct understanding of Islām, and to carry it out as best they can taking into account the places (?). And one of the Callers to Islām in our time has said, ‘establish the Islamic state in your hearts, and it will be established in your land.’ So it is necessary to establish the Islamic State first in ourselves, our sons and daughters, and our daily transactions, so what is most important for the individuals is to realize the correct faith in their lives.