This excerpt is taken from the book "Correction of a Historical Mistake about Wahhabism" by Dr. Sheikh Omar bin Abdulrahman Al-Omar, may Allah preserve him, translated by Sheikh Muhammad Badi' al-Zaman Salafi Madani, may Allah preserve him, and revised by the honorable Sheikh Abu Adnan Muhammad Munir Qamar, may Allah preserve him.
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
All praise is due to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. After praise and blessings!
It has always been the practice of false worshippers to create an atmosphere of hatred against the people of truth by labeling them with various contemptuous and hateful titles so that people remain distant from the effectiveness of their call. Among these is the label Wahhabism, which was fabricated by desire-driven and innovator Safavid groups (which is a false sect of Shia) and others, and attributed to Sheikh al-Islam, Imam, and Mujaddid of the time Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him.
The adversary has existed from eternity until today
From the lamp of Mustafa shines the spark of Bolehbi
Sheikh al-Islam was born in 1115 Hijri, and the date of his death is 1206 Hijri. It is through his personality that, in the middle of the twelfth century Hijri, Allah Almighty undertook the work of renewing the religion of truth in the Arabian Peninsula and revived the signs and traces of monotheism. His support and assistance were provided by Imam Muhammad Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, through whose efforts the foundation of the first Saudi state was laid.
His call was a completely pure call, dominated by the color of the Book and Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf.
Therefore, Allah Almighty granted it success and popularity among the people; its pure and soul-refreshing effects appeared throughout the Islamic world from east to west. However, the proponents of falsehood used various tactics and methods to tarnish the call of Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, and to create suspicion about it among the people. They tried to convince that some scholars of Sunnah had warned people against it and taught them to stay away from it, which is mentioned in some fatwas of the Maliki scholars, may Allah have mercy on them. However, this is an absolute lie, falsehood, and nonsense.
There is no room to deny the fact that the Maliki scholars warned people about a sect that is a misguided Khawarij and Ibadi sect, which appeared in the distant past in North Africa. This sect became famous under the name Wahhabism, attributed to a man named Abdul Wahhab bin Rustam bin Khawarij Ibadi.
This sect emerged in the second century Hijri, ten centuries before the birth of Imam and Mujaddid Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him.
Dr. Muhammad Shwayar, may Allah preserve him, has extensively refuted this sect in his book ”تصحيح خطأ تاريخي حول الوهابية“ (A Historical Correction Regarding Wahhabism). It is a separate matter that the enemies, through their cunning and deceit, misled people into the false belief that Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, founded a new religion contrary to the four Imams, but this is entirely a lie and based on deception and fraud. It should be clear that he did not present any new religion or new belief. The Sheikh himself, may Allah have mercy on him, introduces his call in these words:
"I praise and glorify Allah, and I inform you that the creed and religion I follow is the religion of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, upon which the Imams of the Muslims, such as the four Imams and their followers, were established. However, I clarified to the people the pure religion of Allah, forbade them from calling upon the Prophets (peace be upon them), deceased elders, and righteous people, and also prevented them from associating partners with Allah in worship, such as offering sacrifices and vows in the name of others besides Allah, reliance, prostration, and other acts of worship that are exclusively due to Allah alone, in which no close angel or sent messenger can share. This is the call to which all the Prophets (peace be upon them) invited people, and upon which Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah is established."
Reference: (Majmoo' Mu'allafat al-Sheikh al-Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab: 36/1)
Similarly, the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, clarifies the principles of his call, saying:
"The religion upon which we stand is Islam, about which Allah Almighty says:
وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
Reference: (Al-Imran: 85)
'And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.'
We call people to pure monotheism, which the Generous Lord commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him, as the noble verse states:
قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Reference: (Yusuf: 108)
'Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."'
Similarly, the Generous Lord says:
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا
Reference: (Al-Jinn: 18)
'And [He revealed] that the mosques are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.'
Likewise, what we forbid people from is shirk (associating partners with Allah), about which Allah Almighty says:
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 72)
'Indeed, those who associate others with Allah - Allah has forbidden Paradise for them, and their refuge is the Fire. And there are not helpers for the wrongdoers.'
Furthermore, the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, continues his discourse:
'Regarding the ijtihad you mentioned, know that we follow the Book and Sunnah and the imitation and adherence of the righteous predecessors of the Ummah, and we walk on the path upon which the four Imams Abu Hanifa Nu'man bin Thabit, Malik bin Anas, Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on them, were.'
Reference: (Same source: 96/1)
Even after the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, clarified his call, which was a renewal call on the bright path of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, aimed at purifying worship for Allah alone and declaring disassociation from shirk, he still faced false accusations from opponents who tried their best to distance people from his faith-inspiring call.
Among these accusations is that he issued takfir (declarations of disbelief) on all Muslims and considered people disbelievers even on the basis of common sins.
Reference: (Note: The Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, followed the principles of absolute and specific takfir according to the Salafi methodology, meaning he did not issue takfir on any specific person without established proof based on kufr acts.)
Responding to this slander, the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"All these statements are pure lies and slander against us, merely intended to turn people away from the religion of Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him.
The truth is that we do not consider a person a disbeliever even if he worships an idol placed on the grave of Abdul Qadir Jilani, or is caught in idol worship hanging on the grave of Ahmad al-Badawi,
Reference: (Note: Apparently, there is no idol on these graves, but these graves themselves have been made into idols that are worshipped.)
because he is ignorant, and neither has the call reached such people to warn them of this trial. So how can we consider a person a disbeliever who does not commit shirk merely because he does not migrate to us, does not call the disbelievers disbelievers, and does not fight against them?سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ
Reference: (An-Nur: 16)
Similarly, observe from your statements:
'Our enemies have mentioned that I declare a person a disbeliever based on conjecture, suspicion, and loyalty and love.'
Reference: (Note: The Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, refers to the principle of loyalty and disavowal of Ahl al-Sunnah, meaning it is obligatory for the believers to love the believers and hate the disbelievers, but if someone loves the disbelievers, it is certainly forbidden, but such a person will not be a disbeliever unless the truth is clear and proof is established. And Allah knows best.)
Or similarly, I do not call an ignorant person a disbeliever on whom proof is not complete. This is a great slander. They want to turn people away from the religion of Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, through this."
Reference: (Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah: 113/1)
From the above lines, it becomes clear as the sun that he, may Allah have mercy on him, was a follower of the Book and Sunnah and a guardian of the methodology of the Salaf. But the innovators created an atmosphere of hatred, doubts, and confusion against him and labeled his Salafi call as Wahhabism, trying to convince people that, contrary to the four Imams, this is a fifth new religion, different from the Book, Sunnah, and the way of the Imams of Islam.
When Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the title Wahhabism, he said:
"Many people attach this title to the call of Sheikh Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab bin Sulaiman al-Tamimi, may Allah have mercy on him, and call him and his followers Wahhabis, while anyone who has the slightest knowledge and awareness of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, knows that he spread the call of pure monotheism and urged avoidance of all kinds of shirk, such as spiritual connection with the dead, belief in benefit and harm from trees and stones, etc.
He was established in the creed of the Salaf al-Salih and followed the jurisprudential school of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal al-Shaybani, may Allah have mercy on him, as evidenced by his books, fatwas, and the books of his followers, foremost among them his sons and grandsons. All these books have been published and are available.
Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, rose for the call at a time when Islam was in poverty and mourning everywhere. (Every corner of the land of Allah was crying out.) Except for a few places, the entire Arabian Peninsula was covered by the dark clouds of ignorance, and shirk and idolatry were widespread.
In these grave circumstances, the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, dedicated his body, mind, and wealth to closing the paths of misguidance and deviation. He used various means so that the purity of monotheism would shine forth in the environment of superstitions and reach the people.
At such a time, Allah Almighty granted a great favor by enabling Imam Muhammad bin Saud, the Emir of Diriyah, to accept this call. Consequently, he, his descendants, and all the people living under his leadership supported him fully and joined their voices with his. May Allah reward them abundantly and forgive them, and grant their family and descendants all that pleases Him and benefits His servants.
Since then until today, the entire Arabian Peninsula breathes under the cool shade of this fruitful and pleasant call. His call, may Allah have mercy on him, is according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him. This Wahhabism is not a fifth religion as the ignorant and mischief-makers think. It is a Salafi creed call. It is a call that revives the signs and traces of Islam and monotheism in the mirror of the methodology of the Salaf al-Salih."
Reference: (Majmoo' Fatawa Ibn Baz: 374/1)
Answering those who harbor hatred and enmity towards Imam and Mujaddid Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, Sheikh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, further says:
"There are two types of those who bear enmity and hostility towards you:
First Type:
Those who are engaged in polytheism, this is the group of misguided polytheists, whose enmity is based on your call to monotheism.
Second Type:
This is a group of ignorant people who have been deceived by the invitation of the false worshippers. These poor ignorant ones have adopted the imitation and method of ignorant and naive people like themselves or have fallen into the trap of mischief-makers who throw mud. The polytheists opposed the messengers, peace be upon them, and fought against their invitation, while the other group consisted of those who, like the Jews or their like-minded people, harbored hatred and enmity towards the messengers, peace be upon them, despite knowledge and certainty. Driven by jealousy, enmity, and desires of the self, they rejected the invitation of the messengers, peace be upon them. We ask Allah Almighty for safety. “
Reference: (Source previously cited: 234/1)
Under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, the Permanent Committee for Research and Ifta was asked about the title of Wahhabism in front of several esteemed scholars. Therefore, see the response of the senior scholars under Fatwa number (9450):
“‘Wahhabism’ is a term that the opponents of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, spread when he raised the pure call of monotheism against all kinds of polytheistic matters and invited people to leave all paths and walk on the highway of Muhammad, peace be upon him. The opponents wanted, through this, to turn people away from his invitation and become a stumbling block in the path of truth. But this did not cause any harm to his invitation.”
In the path of truth, thousands of devils have met and will continue to meet:
Rather, your invitation gained strength and stability. Your call began to spread to every corner and nook of the world. Those whom Allah Almighty granted success developed a passion to further investigate and explore the reality of this invitation, its objectives, and its basis in the Book and the authentic Sunnah.
Thus, their relationship with this invitation strengthened, they embraced it, held it firmly with their teeth, and became its callers.
The scholar of Sham, Sheikh Muhammad Bahjat Baytar, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Wahhabism and Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab do not have a specific sect; rather, may Allah have mercy on him, he was a reviver of the Islamic call and adhered to the school of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him."
Reference: (Hayat Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah: 200)
When the honorable Sheikh, Allama Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about calling the people of Tawhid by the title Wahhabism, he replied:
"As for calling the people of Tawhid by the title Wahhabism, it is actually a name given to defame the call of Tawhid and distort its image. Otherwise, Wahhabism is not a separate, independent sect from the Muslims' schools of thought. Rather, the small and large books, treatises, and writings of these noble scholars reflect the reality that these people derived their methodology from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. These individuals have not separated or deviated from the methodology and approach of the Hanbali school’s learned scholars such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, and Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him. But soon, by the grace and bounty of Allah, this call attained rise and success. Then it received support and backing from the rulers and kings of the Al Saud family, who elevated it to the highest level. However, as soon as this call gained strength and support, the disease of politics entered it, resulting in the emergence of scholars who were not scholars of the nation but rather scholars of the government. These very people made unfortunate attempts to defame and tarnish this call and conveyed to people the message that this is a Wahhabi call which has no connection with the well-known and established sects of Muslims, so that people would become averse to it. Their example is like the disbelievers of Quraysh who called the Prophet, peace be upon him, a sorcerer and a liar (magician, false). Otherwise, whoever examines it with knowledge and justice will find this truth clear before him that this call is a true reflection of the Hanbali school and, besides that, the school of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, and it is not even a bit separate from the methodology of the Salaf of this Ummah."
Explanatory Statement of Allama Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him:
Among the cunning tricks and deceptions employed by the enemies of this blessed call is the claim that: this is the fifth religion in which the spirit of the Kharijites' methodology is active. They attributed it to Wahhabism, named after Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, who was the bearer of this call. Through this, this group wants to mislead people into the false belief that this call is a new and permanent religion separate from the four Imams. It has no connection whatsoever with the Book and Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf of the Ummah.
In reality, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, is the founder of this call. In this deceitful era, this group labels this call as a terrorist call.
Some individuals and suspicious groups blame this group for all the excesses, sabotage, and suicide attacks that are happening, and they keep repeating that the Wahhabi people are responsible for all these crimes. Those who link these criminal and serious acts to this call aim to make this call suspicious and to alienate people from it. They keep saying that the perpetrators of these criminal acts are Wahhabi people.
This (dangerous) thought has influenced some people. Therefore, those people began to distance themselves from this call and its bearers. What do these poor people know about the deceit and cunning being plotted behind the scenes in this dark realm? And what web of conspiracies is being spread to prevent this call? This call is completely free and pure from all kinds of terrorism and sabotage. Because it is a call for good, reform, peace, and faith. It is a bearer of adherence, not innovation and corruption on earth.
The opponents not only conspired to label this call with this title but also attached this label to the Saudi government, which has given full support and backing to the call of Imam and Mujaddid Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, from its inception until now. All praise is due to Allah alone, and all grace and favor are from Him. They began to defame it by calling it the Wahhabi government to distance it from its clear and pure methodology.
In this regard, Imam and founder Shah Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Faisal, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
"Enemies of the call defame us by the name of Wahhabi and disparage our religion by the name of Wahhabism, implying that it is a religion and ideology. It should be clear that this is a blatant lie and a terrible mistake, based on rumors and false propaganda; it is the result of the conspiracies of those who incite discord.
We are neither bearers nor propagators of a new religion or creed, nor did Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, present anything new. Our belief is the belief of the pious predecessors (Salaf al-Salih), which is found in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him, the path on which the pious predecessors walked. We equally respect all four Imams; in our view, there is no difference between Imam Malik, Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on them."
Reference: (Mukhtarat min al-Khutab al-Malakiya: 42/1)
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may Allah preserve him, gave an explanatory statement regarding Wahhabism, which was published in the magazine "Al-Hayat" on 14/5/1431 AH under the title:
"Researchers should avoid the trap of reforming Wahhabism."
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, may Allah protect him, said:
"Indeed, the call of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab is not a call to a new methodology or thought. I repeatedly call out that whoever finds anything in the Sheikh’s books and treatises that contradicts the Book and Sunnah and the practice of the pious predecessors, let him openly and clearly present it before us.
Therefore, I call upon the men of the pen and writers not to be swept away by those who have fallen into the trap of the term Wahhabism. They think it is merely a term, but behind this term lies the true objective of the enemies to defame the pure, clean, and Salafi call.
The contents of this call are by no means different from the Holy Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Especially, numerous conspiracies have been made from various angles to tarnish this call and distort its reality. This call, in the mirror of its achievements and services, can in no way be an example of those things, because it is the fruit of this call that the foundation of an Islamic government was laid, a government based on religion, which protects the rights of the people and has the honor of serving the Two Holy Mosques. This is the only Saudi government that Allah Almighty has granted authority over this land, which serves all Muslims and protects its religion. It is established on the foundation of religion and will remain evergreen." (Insha’Allah)
Statement of the Encyclopedia Britannica about the British Context:
دائرة المعارف البريطانية (Encyclopedia Britannica) made a notable statement regarding the invitation of Imam Mujaddid Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him:
"The Wahhabi movement is a name whose purpose is to keep Islam pure and clean. Wahhabis are only followers of the messages of the Prophet ﷺ and ignore everything else. The enemies of Wahhabism are actually enemies of true Islam."
The Spaniards became the protectors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
"Undoubtedly, the accusations and lies leveled against Wahhabism have no connection with reality. Wahhabi people desire to bring Islam back to the time of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, may Allah be pleased with them."
The protectors have been found to save the Kaaba from becoming an idol house
Similarly, the German historian Dr. Dagbert writes in his book ”عبد العزيز سبب نجاح الدولة السعودية أدام الله عزها“: "Abdul Aziz is the cause and leader of the success of the Saudi government." (May Allah always preserve his honor) He writes:
"The House of Saud has, besides the apparent weapon of the sword, another spiritual weapon which they use for their victory and prosperity, and that spiritual weapon, in which the greatest secret of their success is hidden, is the weapon created by Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, who was devoted to religion, who was rejected for his beliefs, took refuge with the House of Saud in the capital Diriyah, and was granted their support and a guarantee of peace and security."
In the end, I declare with full confidence and certainty that whoever is wise, free from prejudice and narrow-mindedness, and considers the invitation of Sheikh Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him, with reason and justice, and carefully reads his writings and books, will find this matter absolutely clear and evident that this is a pure and Islamic invitation based on the Book and Sunnah and according to the understanding of the pious predecessors of the Ummah. It is far from terrorism and extremism, and free from all those deviant thoughts on which terrorist groups are based, such as ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Al-Qaeda organizations, etc.
May Allah have mercy on Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, who revealed these facts in these words:
"It is astonishing that these enemies said about those who adhere to the traces of the Qur'an and Sunnah, 'You are like the Kharijites because you follow the apparent texts; you have not attained the depth and breadth of meanings.' These are all the names by which you have labeled the Ahl al-Hadith and the bearers of the Qur'an and faith. You have insulted them with these words to make people detest them, just as devilish magicians influence others. Their only sin is that they embraced Allah's revelation and command and did not incline towards anything against the requirements of Hadith and Qur'an, nor showed bias."
Allah Almighty is the One who guides to the straight path; He alone is sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs.
Dr. Umar bin Abdulrahman Al-Umr
عضو هيئة التدريس بالمعهد العالي للقضاء، الرياض
