[padlabtard]

This might be reaching the level of "ranting", but here goes:

Even though these brothers say that they are united on the path of salaf etc. etc., in reality, I have found them to be the most partisan of people. E.g. After salaams, the first question you will usually get asked is "Which scholar do you follow or listen to?". The intention behind these questions is to place you in a certain category. They hate all other groups of salafiyya - they even have different labels for them - jihadi, qutbi, hizbi, ikhwani. And if I am honest, there are even splits at the masjid level e.g. the Brixton masjid are at odds with the Birmingham masjid etc. Very soon this will descend into into the "shaykh" level i.e. one madkhali shaykh and his students vs. another.

As for the Ash'aris and Maturudis - they are all jahmis. Some of their so-called ulama even went as far to say that it is obligatory to burn books of Imam ibn Hajr and Imam Nawawi - until they were of course gunned down by the senior Ulama in Saudi (may Allah protect them). May Allah protect us from such a fitna.

Anyway - rant over - main point being - stay away from partisanship!