The True Image of the Wahabia Movement
8 - the Wahabi and the Ghulat (extremists)
The Ghulat or extremist are those who went to extremes in exalting a person or persons to the extent of raising him or them above the ranks of ordinary human beings.
At the same time of the rise of Wahabia in Najid, another person was preaching a new doctrine which renewed much of what has disappeared of the beliefs of the first Ghulats who deified Imam Ali and other members of the Prophet Household. His teachings were similar to those of Ibn Abdul Wahab in labeling his opponents as heretics. He actually went further than the Wahabia founder by attacking most of the Prophet's Companions and calling them heretics.
The name of that man was Shaikh Ahmed al-Ihsaie (died 1241 AH.) His followers were thus known as al-Shaikhia. He was succeeded by Khathim al-Rashti who established his headquarters at Kerbala in southern Iraq.
The Wahabi's attitudes toward this movement is interesting. As history report, the Wahabis attacked Karbala where al-Rashti and his followers resided. As their custom in all their military campaigns, the Wahabis sacked the city, slaughtering thousands of innocent men, women and children and looting and destroying houses and shops.
But they guaranteed al-Rashti's personal safety and declared that anyone entering his house shall be safe. This special treatment of this group and their leader unveils the true nature of the Wahabi and exposes the falsehood of their claim of opposing idolatry and defending divine unity.
At this point, it may be useful to compare this position with a similar one by Ibn Taimia, whom the Wahabis claim to follow, toward another extremist group, namely the Yazidis. The Yazidis exalted Yazid ibn Muawiya whose un-Islamic deeds were enumerated earlier. A branch of this sect was named al-Adawia after Udai ibn Musafir whom they exalted along with Yazid.
Ibn Taimia who was a contemporary of this sect maintained an inexplicably untypical attitude toward this group. Famed for his extreme opinions and fierce attacks on Islamic sects swiftly judging them to be deviant and heretic, he wrote a letter to this group addressing them as faithful Muslims. In this civil and well-wishing letter we find none of his offending style and usual labels which he used in communicating with or writing on other Islamic groups such as the Asharia, the Imamiya Shia, the Zaidis, Mutazila, Murajia and others.
His letter to this group begins as follows: 26
From Ahmed ibn Tairnia to whoever receives this letter of the Muslims who belong to the Sunna and follow the exemplary, blessed, and learned shaikh Udai ibn Musafir al-Umawi. Allah has mercy on him and all those who follow his path.. May Allah lead them to His path and obey Him and His Prophet.
This shows that Ibn Taimia considered this deviant group as Sunni Muslim in variance with the consensus identifying them as extremists, heretics and idolaters who did not worship only Allah.
9 - Whom does the Wahabi serve?
Muslims are obliged to give first priority to upholding Muslims' interest. But do the Wahabis actually adhere to this principle? Did they ever oppose colonial and imperialist plots against Muslim countries? What contributions did they make to counter the imperialist and Zionist interests in Muslim countries? And finally is it true that they are loyal to Western powers and have helped them to gain access to Muslims' resources, and thus compromising their sovereignty and dignity?
It is clear to every Muslim that the Wahabis have faithfully served Western interests in Islamic countries. Furthermore, history of this group since the early days of its founder reveal not the slightest concern for developing Muslim communities through fighting poverty and illiteracy and upholding the rule of sharia and justice.
Instead the Wahabis concentrated on labeling Muslims as heretics and idolaters who deserve to be put to death and their possessions looted. Nothing catches their interest and fires their enthusiasm except finding a grave which they believe must be destroyed or attacking anyone who asks the Prophet for intercession with Allah.
Under this banner they launched a vicious campaign against Muslims, murdering, looting and spreading discord and schism. But the safety of Muslim countries and communities against foreign attack was never one of their concerns. Thus, the Wahabi princes and religious leaders turned a blind eye to the occupation of Jerusalem, the fate of Bosnian and Lebanese Muslim and the American hegemony over Islamic countries and exploitation of their oil resources.
At the same time they are outraged by the tomb of Hamza ibn Abd al- Mutalib which the Companions visited and prayed at and by the shrine of the Prophet's grandson, al-Hussain ibn Ali which the Companions and early Muslims travelled long distances to visit it - and even during the lifetime of Ahmed ibn Hanbal as mentioned earlier. It is also pertinent to wonder why those Wahabis are not moved by the embargo imposed on the Libyan people as they were by the gifts they found at the Prophet's tomb.
It is regrettable that so much of their time, effort and financial resources have been squandered on trivial issues which attract and deceive only the simple-minded. Why the Wahabis choose to focus on such issues can be answered in the following points:
First, their minds are closed and their thinking is rigid and superficial. As their writings and arguments indicate, they appear to be incapable of any profound thoughts.
Second, they fail to take into consideration basic facts about human nature and current developments in human societies. This is clearly seen in their disregard of religious, social sciences and scientific research and their total devotion to secondary and trivial issues which have no significance for the present times.
Third, their blunt language, strong criticism and obtuse viewpoints indicate that they hold no good intentions for the Islamic nation and its welfare.
Fourth, their open loyalty to Islam's enemies is a fact requiring no further proof. It is now clear to all that the Wahabis are subservient to the West more than any other faction. As a result of this blind loyalty, the invading Zionist and imperialist forces have found it easy to penetrate Islamic countries and to destroy or plunder their resources and subjugate their populations.
The Wahabis have given these foreign powers all the support they needed to realize their selfish objectives. This support has also made possible the establishment of the Zionist entity in the heart of the Muslim nation, and they continue to give it direct and indirect support. The Wahabis have also consistently helped pro-West regimes to put down liberation movements and to suppress the Islamic reawakening movement which has given them and other unpopular regimes a strong cause for worry.
10 - The true faith regarding visiting the Prophet's
tomb and asking for his intercession
First, on visiting the Prophet's tomb, the following evidence is presented:
Prophet Muhammad said: «Whoever visits me after my death is as if he had visited me in my lifetime.» 27
Prophet Muhammad said: «Whoever visits me at al-Medina I shall be his witness and intercede on his behalf on Judgment Day.» 28
Prophet Muhammad said: «Whoever visits me at al-Medina shall be at my side on Judgment Day.» 29
The Prophet also said: «Whoever visits my tomb will entitled to my intercession.» 30
Imam Malik said: If a man wants to visit the Prophet's tomb let him turn his back to the Qibla (i.e. the Kaba in Mecca), face the Prophet and call a blessing on him and supplicate. 31
Followers of Imam al-Shafi advised visitors of the Prophet's tomb to stand facing the tomb with their backs to the Qibla. This was also Ahmed ibn Hanbal's instruction. 32
In his book entitled Al-Ilal wa al-Su'alat, Abdullah ibn Ahmed ibn Hanbal (son of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal) wrote: «I asked my father if it is permissible for a person to touch the Prophet's minber, i.e. pulpit, and to seek blessings by touching and kissing it and do the same at the Prophet's tomb, and he answered me: It is allowed.» 33
Al-Tabari said: «It is permissible to kiss and touch the [Prophet's] tomb and that was the tradition of religious and pious persons.» 34
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq reported that Fatima, the Prophet's daughter, used to visit her uncle's, Hamza, tomb every Friday. 35
Second, on asking for the Prophet's intercession, we present the following testimonies: The Prophet said in his supplication: «O Allah, by the right of supplicants ...» 36
Al-Sawi al-Hanbali wrote in his book Al-Mustawib on the subject of visiting the Prophet's tomb: 'The visitor should approach the tomb's wall, facing it with his back to the Qibla and the pulpit to his left.' He also described the procedure for supplication at the tomb as follows: «O Allah, you have addressed the Prophet in Your Book: 'And if when they do themselves injustice by committing sins they can come to you to beg Allah's forgiveness and the Prophet beseeches Allah to forgive them.' So I have come to your Prophet to ask for forgiveness and I beseech You to grant me forgiveness as You have granted it to those who visited him in his lifetime. O Allah I ask You in the name of Your Prophet ...'
In the supplication of Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain he said: «O Lord, deliver me from sadness by the right of Muhammad and his Household.» 37
The Hanbali shaikh Abu Ali al-Khala said: «Whenever something worries me I would visit the tomb of [Imam] Musa ibn Jafar and ask for his intercession, and Allah always granted me what I asked for.» 38
Imam al-Shafi said: «I seek blessings through Abi Hanifa by visiting his tomb daily. If I need anything I would perform a short prayer, visit his tomb and implore Allah to grant me my wish. My supplications were always answered.» 39
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Mo'amal said: «We accompanied Imam Abi Bakr ibn Khuzaima, Abi Ali al-Thaqafi and a group of religious scholars on a visit to the tomb of [Imam] Ali ibn Musa al- Rida in Toos (Persia). I was astonished by the high respect shown by Ibn Khuzaima towards the tomb and his supplications at it.» 40
Ibn Taimai said: Ahmed ibn Hanbal, as reported in Minsak al-Mirwithi, allowed asking for the Prophet's intercession and supplicating at his tomb. Other sources such as Ibn Abi al-Dunia, al-Baihaqi, al-Tabarani have also confirmed this, according to Ibn Taimia. 41
11 - Anti Wahabia books
A significant number of Muslim scholars have countered the Wahabi movement with books and dissertations refuting their beliefs and exposing the falsehood of their arguments and their deviation from the Holy Book, The Traditions and the faith of early Muslims. A list of some of these books follows:
Al-Khawaja al-Sirhindi, Al-Usool al-Arba fi Tardeed al-Wahabia.
Al-Shaikh al-Mushrifi al-Maliki, Idhar al-Ukook mimin Mana' al- Tawasil bi al-Nabi wa al-Wali al-Sadooq.
Muhammad ata-Allah, Al-Aqwa'l al-Mardia fi al-Rad ala al-Wahabia.
Al-Shaikh Tahir Sunbil al-Hanafi, Al-Intisar lil Awlia' al-Abrar.
Al-Shaikh Ibraheem al-Rawi, Al-Awraq al-Baghdadia fi al-Hawadith al-Najdia.
Al-Shaikh Salman al-Azami, Al-Baraheen al-Satia'.
Al-Shaikh Hamadallah al-Dajawi, Al-Basair li Munkiri al-Tawasil.
Nassir al-Saeed, Tarikh al-Saud.
Al-Shaikh Abdullah ibn Abdu Latif al-Shafi, Tajreed Saif al-Jihad li Muda'i al-Ijtihad.
Al-Shaikh Abdullah ibn Ibraheem Merghani, Tahreth al-Aqbia ala al- Istiqatha bi al-Anbia wa al-Awlia.
Al-Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman al-Hanbali, Tahakum al- Muqalideen bi min Ida' Tajdeed al-Deen.
Abu Hamid ibn Marzook, Al-Tawasil bi al-Nabi wa bi al-Saliheen.
Al-Shaikh Ibraheem Hilmi, Jalal al-Haq fi Kashf Ahwal Shirar al- Khalq.
Malik Dawood, Al-Haqaiq al-Islamia fi al-Rad ala al-Mazaim al- Wahabia bi Adi'lat al-Kitab wa al-Sunna al-Nabawia.
Ahmed ibn Zaini Dahlan, Khulasat al-Kalamfi Umara al-Balad al- Haram.
----------, Al-Durur al-Sania fi al-Ra'd ala al-Wahabia.
----------, Fitnat al-Wahabia.
Al-Shaikh Ismail Al-Tamimi al-Maliki al-Tunisi, Ra'd ala Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab.
Al-Fakih al-Hanbali Abdul Muhsin al-Ushaikiri, Al-Ra'd ala al- Wahabia.
Al-Shaikh Ibraheem ibn Abdul Kadir al-Riahi al-Tunisi al-Maliki, Ra'd ala al-Wahabia.
Al-Shaikh Ibraheem ibn Uthman al-Samnoodi al-Masri, Sa'dat al- Darain fi al-Ra'd ala al-Furkatain al-Wahabia wa Muqalidat al-Dahria.
Abu Hamid Marzook, Al-Saif al-Batir li Unq al-Munkir ala al- Akabir.
Shah Fadhil Rasool Al-Qadiri, Saif al-Jabar al-Maslool ala A'dai al- Abrar.
Al-Shaikh Dawood ibn Sulaiman al-Baghdadi, Sulh al-Ikhwan fi al- Ra'd ala min Qal bi al-Shurk wa al-Kufran.
Al-Shaikh Sulaiman ibn Abdul Wahab, Al-Sawaiq al-Ilahia fi al-Ra'd ala al-Wahabia.
----------, Fasil al-Khitab fi al-Ra'd ala Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab.
Al-Shaikh Jameel Sidqi al-Zahawi, Al-Fajr al-Sadiq.
Muhsin al-Ameen, Kashf al-Irtiab fi Atba' Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab.
Muhammad Jawad Mugania, Hathi Hia al-Wahabia.
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Hamaion Hima'yati, Al-Wahabia: Nakd wa Tahleel, p. 24.
Ibn Taimia, Al-Was'ia al-Kubra, p. 5.
Sunnun al-Darqutni, vol. 2, p. 278.
Sunnun Abi Dawood, vol. 2, p. 12; Ibn Abi al-Dunia, Wafa al-Wafa, p. 1395.
Al-Baihaqi, Al-Sunnun al-Kubra, vol. 5, p. 245.
Sunnun al-Darqutni, vol. 2, pp. 378, 194.
Al-Nawawi, Roos al-Masa'il; Wafa al-Wafa, op. cit., p. 1377.
Wafa al-Wafa, op. cit., p. 1378.
Ibid., p. 1404.
Ibid., p. 1406.
Tafseer al-Qurtubi, vol. 10, p. 248.
Ibn al-Sunni, Amal al-Yaom wa al-Laila.
Al-Sahifa al-Sajadia, Supplication no. 30.
Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 1, p. 120.
Ibid., vol. 1, p. 123; Al-Khawarizmi, Manaqib Abi Hanifa, vol. 2, p. 199.
Tahtheeb al-Tah'theeb, vol. 7, p. 339.
Ibn Taimia, Al-Tawasil wa la-Wasila, pp. 105-106.