Joined/considering orthodox/traditionalist aqeedah lately. Will I be tested?

format_quote Originally Posted by SintoDinto

It says in surat al ankaboot "do those who say "we believe" think that they would say "we believe" without being put to the test?" and my imam at one masjid i dont go to as often said this also refers to in our lives when we become more religious. I'm considering the aqeedah of the salaf and following a traditionalist approach to islam, ie not celebrating mawlid, rejecting sufism, rejecting birthdays, growing a beard, not taking photographs unnecessarily, not drawing animate art, rejecting bidat, rejecting weak hadeeth and sunnahs, living an islamic lifestyle rather than living a primarily entertainment/western one, not listening to music, etc.

will i be tested? i prayed salat ul istikhara, but i didn't do istishara, is that ok? i did general istishara like asking for the truth over the course of my life and asking critical questions about the atheist/sufi/traditionalist divide.

how do I know the results if there are any? what if i confuse the test with warnings? @eesa the kiwi

Most of those things you wrote are not even "traditionalist" or "orthodox". They are Reformist Salafist teachings. Salafists are not Traditionalists. They are reformists like the Protestants and Evangelicals.

On your personal matter, I suggest that you don't swing from one extreme to another. Relax and moderate.

I know a lot of people in Social Media Islam(TM) love ibn taymiyyah and ibn abdul wahab, but have you considered that Islam didn't start with these people or even was organized by these people. Due to restrictions I can't more, but seriously do your research outside Saudi/ Arab nationalist propaganda.

Islamic civilization created so much wonders and accomplished so much, don't let the history and heritage of 1,400 years be buried under the propaganda of some cultists.

format_quote Originally Posted by Zafran

The reason this is the case is because the salafi dawah on the internet is very strong - they use social media and YouTube very well unlike traditional circles (although traditional circles are changing the tide slowly). Its why new converts and young Muslims have a very warped view where they think salafi is traditional and and trad Sunni is bida without learning the broader context of Islamic civilization.

The millions of dollars promoting ibn taymiyyah's books and translating them, paying for platforming salafi televangelists, opening madrasas, etc by Saudi oil helped.

That and the fall of the old guard (like the Mughals and Ottoman empire) left a political vacuum to be exploited by them. The social vacuum caused by secularists, communists and liberals and the lack of established, islamic force also helped prop up the Salafi movement.

But make no mistake Salafists have nothing to do with Traditionalism. They hate traditional Islamic history as much as shias. They hate the islamic empires like the shias do.

@CuriousonTruth @Zafran thank you brothers, I will look into more moderate Islam as well and try to learn some Islamic history. I will try to get the full picture.