Yesterday afternoon (Thursday 12th November 2015) in Birmingham City Centre, the Salafi brothers as usual had set up our stall to invite non-Muslims to Islam and to invite weaker Muslims to take seriously their religion and learn about Tawheed and worship.

At some stage during that afternoon the misguided innovator (declared as such by Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmee) Abu Usamah Ath-Thahabi of Green Lane Mosque walked past the Salafi da’wah stall. We carried on as normal without looking towards him or acknowledging him and he did the same.

An hour or so later, one of the younger brothers helping distribute leaflets, informed me that Abu Usamah has been stood in a doorway staring up towards the stall for a long time. Approximately 10 minutes later, I being the eldest of the Salafi brothers there and the one that was in charge of the stall, was standing 10-15 meters away from the stall advising one of the younger brothers. Abu Usamah walked towards the two of us saying foul obscenities, that were clearly audible. He slowed down in front of us and was saying “m****** f*******” “F****** c****”

We did not to react to his insults but merely asked him;

“Brother are you speaking to us ?”

There was no one else present and he was not on the phone, we then advised him to control his tongue and fear Allaah.

He responded by saying;
“You wasn’t supposed to hear that but I’m having a f****** bad day and a f****** bad time and you guys need to leave me the f*** alone”

I said to him;
“Even if we wasn’t supposed to hear you the first time, you’re still swearing now fear Allaah”

However, Abu Usamah, not known for his moderation or fear of Allaah only became more vocal by raising his voice in the middle of the city centre with further insults and threats of violence.

We moved slightly away from him, as he was stood directly in front of us and gave him sallaam and advised him to move on but he continued with his foul speech and came back in front of us.

The younger Salafi brother that I was advising prior to him approaching us asked him
“Why are you talking to us like this, would you speak like this on the minbar ?” and then recited from the Qur’aan

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with Peace & mild words of gentleness.
(Al-Furqan, Verse 63)

When Abu Usamah heard the Ayat, instead of reflecting upon the Speech of Allaah and rectify his words and actions, he became more incensed and made three or four attempts to reach out his hand towards the head or face of the younger Salafi brother saying ;
“come out of town and I’ll smash your f******* face.”
I and another of the more senior members of the table that had come over, kept Abu Usamah away from reaching the younger brother by pushing his hand away from the younger ones face and told him to move on. At this point Abu Usamah said; “come on let’s go out of town and I’ll beat the three of you **** ******* (using more obscene language)

He put up his fist and said ;
“We use these where I come from”

We continued to stand in front of him to stop him getting to the younger (and smaller) brother repeating ;
“As-sallaam alaikum” every time he spoke with his foul language.

When he realised that we were not going to respond he shouted loudly in the middle of the city centre towards the younger brother,
“Your mother!”
His intention behind this statement was clear and is a known insult to people from the Afro American/Caribbean community, which means to have illicit sexual relations with your mother.

I could not believe what this criminal was uttering and advised him, “Fear Allaah, how could you say these words about a brother and his mother?!”, to which he responded by reviling me and my mother, saying;
“Your mother too”, again the meaning and intent was clear.

Before I could react, another of the senior brothers of the table, that had also come over by then, pulled me away and reminded me that he was an innovator that had spoken ill of Shaykh Rabee and even worse, he had spoken ill of Abu Bakr radi’Allaahu annhu, so who was my mother in comparison, may Allaah reward the brother.

Abu Usamah continued to insult, swear and abuse the brothers that had come into the city to aid the da’wah and call to Allaah. I turned around to see him
show his prowess by pulling the hat off the head of the young brother and walk away with it, claiming that he was ready to fight the young brother and he must come and fight him for his hat.

He made such a scene that eventually the police had to calm the situation down and detain him to take his details before moving him on.

This was witnessed by dozens of passers-by, including a brother that attends Green Lane Masjid, who later spoke to us saying he could not believe what he had witnessed and said he would not go back to that masjid while Abu Usamah was still teaching there. The latter part of his actions was also witnessed by a woman that had joined Abu Usamah (presumably his wife). Even in front of his wife, he had no shame.

Abu Usamah is in reality a coward, fool and sinner who does not fear Allaah, and cares little about the filth that spews from his mouth.

We have been informed that the scene was recorded by some passers-by,
so if/when that becomes available, you can see for yourself the filth that this man is capable of. His innovations have proved he is no Salafi – his open sins prove that he is not God fearing.

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last day then let him speak good or remain silent”
(Bukhaari & Muslim)

Related by our brother Aqil Abu Umar https://twitter.com/SalafiCCDawah/status/664039532833173504