The Salaf, The Rulers and The (so called) 'Salafis'..

     And the stance of the predecessors (Salaf) with the leaders of their time – those about whom it would not be correct in any circumstances to compare them with this Tāghūt and the likes of him – were firm, clear, pure stances. And where is the stance of many of the people of the Da‛wah in our time compared to them? Despite their fame and the applause of their followers for them, despite the fact that those predecessors (Salaf) did not graduate from the “Faculties of Political Sciences and Rights” and they did not used to read the stench-filled newspapers or magazines, with the argument of knowing the plots of the enemies, but despite that, they used to flee from the Sultāns and their gates. And the Sultāns would seek them out and attempt to persuade them with wealth and other things. However, those who attribute themselves to them (i.e. the Salaf), from those whom Shaytān has played with their religion, seek for their worldly life (Dunyā) to be good by the destruction of their religion. So they come and seek the entrances of the Sultān and the Sultān humiliates them and turns away from them while the predecessors (Salaf), may the pleasure of Allāh be upon them, used to prevent the entering upon the leaders of tyranny; even those who wanted to order them with the good and forbid them with the evil, due to fear that they might fall into tribulation (Fitnah) because of them. (Therefore, they feared) that they might cozy-up to them or make them appear good, due to their generosity or that they might remain silent upon some of their falsehood or approve of it. And they used to see that being far removed from them and being secluded from them was the best disavowal (Barā’ah) and objection upon their circumstances.

And listen to Sufyān Ath-Thawrī, as he wrote to ‛Ubād ibn ‛Ubād. So he said, in his letter: 

“Safeguard yourself from the leaders as to avoid coming close to them or mixing with them in anything. And safeguard yourself from it being suggested to you that you should intercede (with them) in order to assist someone who has been wronged or to prevent a wrongdoing, because that is from the deception of Iblīs. And verily, only the wicked reciters [Qurā’ (i.e. scholars)] took this as a ladder.”

     So look at Sufyān, may Allāh, the Most High, be merciful to him, while he is calling what the callers (Du‛āt) of today describe as the benefits of the Da‛wah, as “...the deception of Iblīs.” And he did not say to his companion, as many of the callers (Du‛āt) of this time do, who waste their lives in seeking the benefits of the Da‛wah and supporting the religion through its enemies and those who wage war against it, “No, O my brother! Affirm your presence and draw near to them in hopes that you might receive a position or a chair in the council of ministers or the council of the nation. And hopefully, you can lessen the oppression (Thulm) or benefit your brothers. And do not leave that position because of the disobedient ones or the wicked people, in order to take full advantage of it. And...and...” Rather, he described that as being a ladder of this worldly life (Dunyā) with the wicked recitors. And if that was in his time, so then, what about in our time? We ask Allāh to be kept from that and we seek refuge in Allāh from the evil of the people of our time and the evil of their deceptions.
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Yet they claim that they are upon the methodology of the predecessors ( Salaf ), while the predecessors (Salaf) used to flee from the doors of the Sultāns and their positions, during the time of the lords of the  Sharī‛ah  (i.e. those who ruled according to it) and the guidance , as opposed to the times of tyranny and darkness (i.e. nowadays). And by Allāh, the swords were neither put to their throats nor were they hung by their feet or were they forced upon that. Rather, they chose to do so while they were granted for that, huge amounts of money and the diplomatic immunities. 
So we seek refuge in Allāh from the personal desires and the removal of foresight. And we wish that they would at least openly say, “We have done this due to enthusiasm for this worldly-life (Dunyā).” But instead, they say, “The benefit of the  Da‛wah and the support of the religion ( Dīn).” So at whom do you laugh, O you poor people? Is it at us, the weak? If so, then neither we nor the likes of us hold any harm or benefit for you. Or is it upon “The Mighty” (Al-Jabbār) of the Heavens and the Earths (i.e. Allāh), the One, which no hidden thing can be hidden from,  while He knows your secrets and your private conversations.

And we have heard them accuse those who oppose them or object to them regarding that, that they are shallow in ideology and have little experience and that they have neither wisdom in the  Da‛wah, nor patience in the harvesting of the fruit nor the vision  regarding the current realities and the universal practices. And (they claim) that they lack political knowledge and while being shortsighted. And they did not realize – those poor people – that they were not (merely) accusing, with that, a small group of individuals. Rather, they are accusing, with that, all of the Messengers and the Millah of Ibrāhīm, which from its most important issues is openly showing the disavowal (Barā’ah) to the enemies of Allāh and the disbelief in them and their crooked paths, while making the  enmity and hatred apparent towards their methodologies of disbelief. And  they did not realize that their words imply that Ibrāhīm and those who were with him had neither wisdom in the Da‛wah nor understanding of their current realities and that they were hasty and extremists, despite the fact that Allāh, the Powerful, the Majestic, approved of them and commanded us to take them as examples, as He said: 

Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrāhīm and those with him…

Mumtahnah:4

Extract from the book Millatu Ibrahim by Sheikh AbuMuhammad al Maqdisi (h)