1
ين ﴿ ار ٱألخرة نعلها لل تلك ٱدل
رض ول فساد ل يريدون علو ا ا ف ٱل
قبة للمتقني ﴾٨٣وٱلع
2
الكيفية
لفيةيفم ناظرةاملسمني بالسHow to Debate with the
So-Called Salafiyyah A Handbook for People of Sound Mind and Seekers of Truth
ت نزل عليك ٱلكتب منه ءايي أ مح هو ٱل
ت هن أ كم مح
ت خر متشبهين ف ٱلكتب وأ ا ٱل م
يتبعون فأ ي لوه
ۥ ويله تأ ويلهۦ وما يعل
به منه ٱبتغاء ٱلفتنة وٱبتغاء تأ ما تش
يقولون ءامنا بهۦ ك سخون ف ٱلعل وٱلر ن عند إل ٱلل م ك وما يذ نا لبب ر
ولوا ٱل
أ ٧ر إل
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Prophet Muĥammad
May Allah raise his majesty and nobility said:
إناهللومالئكتهحتاحليتانيفالبحر ليصلونعلىمعلمالناساخلري
This means: “Verily, Allāh is Merciful to the one
who teaches the people the Religious Knowledge.
His Angels and even the fish in the sea will ask
Allāh to forgive him.” This is related by at-
Tirmidhiyy with Isnād Ŝaĥīĥ (an authentic chain of
narration).
Prophet ˇĪsā (Jesus)
May Allah raise his majesty and nobility said:
علميدعىعظيمامبالموعمنعلميفملكوتالسماء
This means: “He who learns the Religious
Knowledge and practices what he has learnt will
be called great among the Angels of the
Heavens.” This is related by al-Ĥāfiđħ Ibnu-l-
Jawziyy.
4
Contents
Forward .............................................................................................................. 8
Publisher’s Introduction ................................................................................... 10
Chapter One ..................................................................................................... 13
Basic Refutation of the Wahhābi Creed ............................................................ 13
The Obligation of Following Ahlu-s-Sunnah ................................................ 13
The Wahhābi Attempt to Discredit the Nation at Large ................................ 16
The Madhhabs of Ahlu-s-Sunnah ................................................................. 17
Names that Have Been Attributed to the Wahhābis ...................................... 22
The Correct Belief in Allāh .......................................................................... 24
The Wahhābis Attribute a Body to Allāh ...................................................... 25
The Wahhābi Reasoning Behind Their Incorrect Belief ................................ 27
How the Wahhābis Interpret the Texts ..................................................... 30
The Truth about Majāz (Figurative Speech) ............................................. 32
The Truth about the Lawfulness of Ta’wīl ................................................ 35
The Wahhābis Reject Logic ..................................................................... 38
Reasoning is Necessary and Religiously Confirmed ................................. 39
The Mental Proof that the Wahhābis believe Allāh is a Body ................... 41
The Rational Conclusion which is Supported by the Texts ....................... 44
Islāmic Texts that Refute the Wahhābi Creed ............................................... 45
Proof from the Qur’ān that Refutes the Wahhābi Creed ............................ 45
The Priority of the Muĥkam Verses over the Mutashābih ......................... 47
Proof from the Ĥadīth that Refutes the Wahhābi Creed ............................ 51
Scholarly Texts Refuting the Wahhābi Creed ........................................... 53
The Validity of the Consensus.................................................................. 53
A Documentation of the Salaf’s Belief ..................................................... 54
Important Information and Advice ............................................................... 56
The Meaning of Kufr and Some of its Details .......................................... 57
5
Judging Someone as a Kāfir (Takfīr) ....................................................... 59
Having the Correct Intention ................................................................... 61
Refrain from Purposely Leading a Person to Say Kufr ............................. 62
Think First and Hold Your Tongue .......................................................... 63
The Importance of Focusing on the Belief ............................................... 64
Who are the Real Salaf? .............................................................................. 66
Chapter Two .................................................................................................... 67
A Refutation of their Misunderstanding of the Honorable Texts....................... 67
Translating the Qur’ān ................................................................................. 67
The Wahhābis Take Advantage of the Ignorant ........................................... 69
The Wahhābis Show Outward Adherence to the Sunnah .............................. 70
The Truth about the Ĥadīth of the Female Slave .......................................... 72
The Story Behind the Ĥadīth ................................................................... 72
The Wahhābi Misunderstanding of the Ĥadīth ......................................... 73
The Arabic Terms Have More Than One Meaning .................................. 73
Different Versions (Riwāyāt) of the Ĥadīth ............................................. 75
It is not Sufficient to Say “In the Sky!”.................................................... 77
Muslim’s Narration does not Support Them ............................................ 77
This Ĥadīth is not a Proof in the Issue of Belief ....................................... 78
A Scholarly Clarification ......................................................................... 79
The Wahhābi’s Ta’wīl for the Ĥadīth ...................................................... 81
Similar Texts ........................................................................................... 82
The Truth About Istiwā’ .............................................................................. 84
The Tafsīr of the Verse and How to Refute the Wahhābis Who Misinterpret
It ............................................................................................................. 84
Similar Texts Used by Wahhābis ............................................................. 91
The Saying of Imām Mālik ...................................................................... 93
The Truth About the Ĥadīth of An-Nuzūl .................................................... 95
The Explanation of Ibn Ĥajar .................................................................. 95
The Sayings of the Prophet do not Lead to Irrational Matters .................. 98
A Similar Text ........................................................................................ 98
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The Truth About the Ascension of the Good Words ..................................... 98
The Correct Meaning of the Verse ........................................................... 99
The Implications of the Literal Meaning ................................................ 100
A Similar Text ....................................................................................... 100
Allāh is not Attributed with a Shin ............................................................. 100
Allāh is not Attributed with a Face ............................................................. 101
Verses Mentioning the Attribute of Wajh ............................................... 102
Allāh is not Attributed with a Hand ............................................................ 103
The Saying of Abū Ĥanīfah .................................................................... 104
Allāh is not Attributed with Two Hands ................................................. 104
Allāh is not Attributed with an Eye ............................................................ 107
Conclusion ................................................................................................. 108
Three Easy Ways to Smash a Wahhābi .................................................. 113
Appendix A: The Speech of Allāh .................................................................. 116
The 82nd
Verse of Sūrat Yāsīn ................................................................ 117
The Meaning of the Word al-Qur’ān ...................................................... 119
Appendix B: The Truth about Innovations ...................................................... 121
Not Every Innovation is Misguidance ......................................................... 121
Proof from the Ĥadīth about Good Innovations .......................................... 122
Other Texts Used by Wahhābis .................................................................. 123
Statements of Scholars about Good Innovations ......................................... 125
The Meaning of the Saying of ˇUmar Ibnu-l-Khaťťāb ................................ 127
Examples of Good Innovations................................................................... 128
The Commemoration of the Mawlid ........................................................... 129
Appendix C: Who are the Heads of the Wahhābis? ......................................... 133
Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah................................................................................. 133
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb ................................................................. 142
Al-Albāniyy ............................................................................................... 143
Others Whose Names are not Deserving of a Subtitle ................................. 145
Appendix D: Rain Clouds over the Graves of the Ĥanābilah ........................... 147
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Appendix E: Further Clarification Concerning the Origins of the Wahhābis....149
Appendix F: A Chronological History of Ibn Taymiyah .................................154
Details of the events of 698 (Damascus) .....................................................154
Details of the events of 705 – 707 periods ..................................................155
Details of this period (Egypt) ......................................................................158
Details ........................................................................................................160
Details ........................................................................................................161
Repentance of Ibn Taymiyah (705) .............................................................164
The Decree of Ibn Qalawūn (705)...............................................................166
The Edict of the Four Head Judges in Egypt (726) ......................................170
The Ŝulťān’s Directive (Rajab 726) ............................................................171
References ..................................................................................................173
Epilogue .....................................................................................................174
Transliteration System ....................................................................................177
Vowels (Tashkīl) ............................................................................................178
Extension (Madd) .......................................................................................178
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Forward
Excellent praise and gratitude are due to Allāh1, the Lord of the world. May
Allāh, the Exalted and Glorified, increase the rank and honor of Prophet
Muĥammad and protect his nation from what Muĥammad feared for it.
Allāh, the Exalted, has praised those who exert themselves in the pursuit of
knowledge. He2 said
3:
علمدرجات﴾لٱلذينأ وت واٱلذينآمن وامنك موٱهلل ٱ﴿ي رفع
This means: “Allāh raises the rank of those amongst you who believed and
acquired knowledge.”
And Allāh said4:
ي علم ون﴾لذينالٱلذيني علم ونوٱق لهليستوي﴿
This means: “Say (O Muĥammad), are those who know equal to those who
do not know?”
The one who acquires the Islāmic knowledge will prevail and will have his status
elevated by Allāh. This is why Prophet Muĥammad urged his nation to acquire
the knowledge of the religion. Ibn Mājah related a Ĥadīth5 of the Prophet
6:
1 Allāh is the proper name of the Creator.
2 The words ‘He’, ‘His’ or ‘Him’ when used in reference to Allāh must not be
understood to represent gender. Allāh has created both the male and the female
and does not resemble either. Allāh referred to Himself in the Holy Qur’ān with
Huwa (He) and not with hiya (she). Therefore, we refer to Allāh with ‘He’ or
‘Him’ without associating Allāh with gender.
3 Sūrat al-Mujādilah, verse 11.
4 Sūrat az-Zumar, verse 9.
5 Ĥadīth refers to the narrated sayings, doings, and approvals of the Prophet .
9
كتاباهللخي رلكمنأنت صليمائةركعة، ياأباذرألنت غد وف تت علمآيةمن ألفركعةوألنت غد وف تت علمبابامنالعلمخي رلكمنأنت صلي
This means: “O Abā Dhar, if you go and learn one verse of the Qur’ān it is
more rewardable for you than praying one hundred rakˇah (of the optional
prayers). If you go and learn a chapter of Islāmic knowledge, it is more
rewardable for you than praying one thousand rakˇah (of the optional
prayers).”
It is often referred to as the Sunnah.
6 Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 216.
10
Publisher’s Introduction
Islām is the Religion of all the Prophets of Allāh, who started with Ādam
and ended with Muĥammad . One becomes Muslim by believing in the heart
and declaring with the tongue that no one is God except Allāh and that
Muĥammad is the Messenger of Allāh. Utterance of the Two Testifications of
Islāmic Faith (ash-Shahādatayn) is required if one wants to embrace Islām and
one is not dumb (mute). If a person is not able to speak for reason that his tongue
is disabled and cannot move at all while his heart is saying the Two
Testifications of Islāmic Faith, this person becomes Muslim according to Allāh,
the Exalted. This is because he is not able to utter these Two Testifications while
his heart is saying them and believing in them.
The first declaration of ash-Shahādatayn (“No one is God except Allāh”) means
that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allāh. The second declaration
(“Muĥammad is the Messenger of Allāh”) includes the belief that Muĥammad
was the last of the Prophets and that he was truthful in all that he said and in that
which he conveyed from Allāh (as were all the Prophets before him). It also
means that the Lord of the world has sent Prophets and Messengers in order to
guide us and to teach us to worship Him correctly. The Muslim must believe in
all of the Prophets, whether the Rasūl or the Nabiyy7, since all of them came with
Islām; the Rusul (pl. Rasūl) were sent with different Religious Laws. That is,
they came with one Religion, which is Islām, but with different rules. Imām al-
Bukhāriyy related that the Prophet Muĥammad said8:
إخوةلعالتدين ه مواحدوأ مهات ه مشتاألنبياء
This means: “The Prophets are like brothers with the same father, but with
different mothers. Their Religion is one, but their religious rules are
7 The Rasūl is the Prophet who has been sent with a new religious law. The
Nabiyy is the Prophet who has been commanded to follow the religious law of
the previous Rasūl.
8 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 3258; Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Ĥadīth No. 2365;
Muŝannaf ˇAbdur-Razzāq, Ĥadīth No. 20845;.
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different.” Moreover, Allāh, the Exalted, has said9:
ينعندٱ﴿إن ﴾م إلسالٱهللٱلد
This means: “Indeed, the only Religion that is accepted by Allāh is Islām.”
Hence the term ‘revealed religions’ must not be used. Rather, one should refer to
‘Revealed Religious Rules,’ because all the Prophets came with only one religion
which is the Religion of Islām.
Prophet Mūsa (Moses) commanded the people to believe in Islām by
testifying that, “No one is God except Allāh and Moses is the Messenger of
Allāh.” Whoever believed in him became a Muslim.
Similarly, Prophet ˇĪsā (Jesus) commanded the people to believe in Islām
by testifying that, “No one is God except Allāh and Jesus is the Messenger of
Allāh.” Whoever believed in him became a Muslim.
Finally, Prophet Muĥammad commanded the people to believe in Islām by
testifying that, “No one is God except Allāh and Muĥammad is the Messenger of
Allāh.” Whoever believed in him became a Muslim. Prophet Muĥammad
said10
:
وحده ال أناوالنبيونمنق بليالإلهاهلل شريكله أفضل ماق لت
This means: “The best of what I and the Prophets before me have said is,
‘there is no god except Allāh. He is the only God and there is no partner
with Him’.”
The Two Testifications of Islāmic Faith (ash-Shahādatayn) are the essence of
Islām; they are the foundation of the faith. The analogy of constructing a
building is useful in that it explains the importance of these basic beliefs. There
will be no building without a concrete foundation. Similarly, there will be no
benefit in the Hereafter without first having the correct belief. This analogy
illustrates the need to start from the beginning and to build upward. In order to be
9 Sūrat Āl-ˇImrān, verse 19.
10 Narrated by Imām Mālik in al-Muwaťťa’, Ĥadīth No. 498 and al-Ĥāfiđħ al-
Bayhaqiyy in Sunan al-Kubrā, Ĥadīth No. 9247.
12
Muslim one must firmly believe that there is no God but Allāh and that
Muĥammad is the Messenger of Allāh. Believing in the heart and declaring
with the tongue that there is no God but Allāh and that Muĥammad is the
Messenger of Allāh is the foundation of the Islāmic Faith. Indeed all Muslims are
united by this basic belief. Muslims use the sound mind as a guide because there
is nothing in the Religious Law that the sound mind will reject. The sound mind
will bear witness to the truthfulness of Religious Law. Religious Knowledge is
essential, since learning gives one strength and purpose.
Learning ‘The Obligatory Religious Knowledge’ puts the Muslim on the road
towards moral excellence and self-betterment. The Muslim uses that knowledge
to differentiate between what is lawful and what is unlawful and between what is
acceptable and valid worship and what is invalid. The Muslims are distinguished
from one another by the amount of Islāmic knowledge that they attain and apply
during their lives.
Believing in and declaring that, “No one is God except Allāh and Muĥammad is
the Messenger of Allāh,” is the most important thing that any person can do and
is necessary before any good deeds can be accepted for the purposes of the
Hereafter. The one who becomes Muslim and stays Muslim will have the
enjoyment of Paradise without end in the Hereafter. The one who rejects Islām
will suffer the torture of Hellfire without end in the Hereafter. Undoubtedly, we
will all face death. The one who is prepared for the Day of Judgment is the one
who knows, accepts and applies the Sunni Creed and implements the teachings
of Prophet Muĥammad in all sincerity to Allāh, the Exalted.
We have published this book in an effort to expose the lies and exaggerations of
the Wahhābi/so-called Salafi movement that have been spread far and wide. We
ask Allāh to support us in this effort. Without the protection of Allāh no one can
evade sinning, and without the help of Allāh no one has the strength to obey
Him11
.
Contemplate this and know with certainty that you will not be able to benefit
from this great book unless the Lord of the world helps you and we would not
have been able to complete it without Allāh’s help. May Allāh make its benefit
widespread.
11 This is the meaning of “Lā ĥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh” as mentioned in
an authentic Ĥasan Ĥadīth related by Abū Yaˇlā from Ibn Masˇūd from the
Prophet (peace be upon him).
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Chapter One
Basic Refutation of the Wahhābi Creed
If Allāh willed, this book will shed light on some of the deviant beliefs of the so-
called Salafis/Salafiyyah, those whom the Muslims call the
Wahhābis/Wahhābiyyah. Hopefully, it will be helpful in understanding what
these misguided people believe, why they believe it, and give some basic tips on
how to refute them. Although the intention is to keep this book as simple as
possible, learning Islāmic knowledge on one’s own is not encouraged by the
religion. This book is equipped with footnotes for unfamiliar terms, but one
should not attempt to teach Islām to himself by simply reading books and
depending on his own understanding. Since this is so, every accountable person
is obligated to go to a knowledgeable teacher from Ahlu-s-Sunnah12
, and if there
is no teacher in his area, he must travel to find one, as said by the renowned
Shāfiˇiyy scholar Aĥmad Ibn Rislān13
in his famous millennial14
poem entitled az-
Zubad:
لمافلريحلعدم ج نمليمذافليسألنمليكنيعلم مThis means: “Whoever does not know, then let him ask, and whoever does not
find a teacher, then let him travel.”
May Allāh guide us to knowledgeable teachers who can fill us with knowledge.
The Obligation of Following Ahlu-s-Sunnah
Know that in a very well known ĥadīth with several narrations, the Messenger of
Allāh (ˇalayhi-ŝ-Ŝalātu wa-s-Salām15
) warned about 72 sects that would deviate
12 The Sunni/Sunniyy Muslims; the group which follows the method of the
Companions of the Prophet .
13 Aĥmad Ibn Ĥusayn Ibn Ĥasan Ibn Rislān ar-Ramliyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy (775 AH).
14 1000 lined.
15 Meaning, “May Allāh raise the rank of Prophet Muĥammad and protect his
Nation from whatever he feared for it.”
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from the correct path of the Muslims. He said16
:
ةداحوالإارايفالنهلك ةقرفنيعبسوالثعلىثق تفت سةاأل مهذهنوإ
This means: “Surely, this nation will divide into 73 factions. All of them will
be in Hell except one.” That path is the way of Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāˇah,
which means “the People of the Sunnah17
and the Majority”. They are called
Ahlu-s-Sunnah for short. They are referred to in a ĥadīth18
:
فمنأرادب بوحةاجلنةف ليلزماجلماعة
This means: “Whoever wishes for the prosperity of Paradise then let him
stick to the Jamāˇah.” The Prophet taught his Companions19
that 72 out of
73 different sects would be in Hellfire. Some will dwell in Hell forever because
of a blasphemous conviction. Some will dwell therein for a limited time known
to Allāh, due to a deviant creed that did not reach blasphemy20
, for every creed
that does not comply with the creed of the Prophet and his Companions is a
major sin if it does not reach the level of blasphemy21
. Only one group out of the
73 groups would deserve Paradise without first being tortured in Hell. His
16 Narrated by ad-Dārimiyy, Abū Dāwūd, al-Ĥākim, Ibn Abi-d-Dunyā, at-
Tirmidhiyy, Ibn Ĥibbān, and Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal.
17 Sunnah has many meanings. Linguistically, it means, “a way”. Religiously, it
could refer to the ĥadīth of the Prophet ; to the optional, recommended, and
rewardable matters; and to the Prophet’s practice of the religion in general,
including the obligations.
18 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2165.
19 Companion refers to those who met the Prophet , believed in him, and died
as Muslims.
20 Blasphemy (kufr) is the opposite of belief.
21 An example of a deviant creed that does not reach the level of blasphemy is
the creed of those who say that after the death of the Prophet, Abū Bakr, ˇUmar
and ˇUthmān all took the rulership before ˇAliyy unjustly. This is deviant because
it contradicts the agreement of the Companions.
15
Companions asked him about that single group, and he told them: 22
اجلماعة
This means: “The Jamāˇah.”
Ahlu-s-Sunnah, the People of the Prophet’s Method, is the group with the largest
following. In one narration, the Prophet said23
:
مظعاألادوالسبمك يلعالفاف اختم ت ي أارذإف
This means: “If you see (unacceptable) differences among you, then adhere
to as-Sawādu-l-Aˇđħam (the vast majority).” These different narrations of
ĥadīth comply with each other. There is no contradiction between that single,
guided group being the “Jamāˇah” and being “as-Sawādu-l-Aˇđħam”. “Jamāˇah”
means “group”, and must be explained to comply with the other ĥadīth, so in this
context it means the majority.
In another narration, the Prophet named that group24
:
ايبحصأوليهاعناأم
This means: “The group which is upon what my Companions and I are
upon.” There is still no conflict in the different descriptions of Ahlu-s-Sunnah,
for historically, the majority of Muslims have always had the same belief since
the time of the Companions, who never disagreed about the basics of belief
among themselves.
The majority of Muslims did not disagree about the validity of the rulership of
the four pious Caliphs after the Prophet, nor did they deny the attributes [of
Allāh] or liken them to the attributes of the creations. They did not deny the
torture of the grave, or believe that major sins take a person out of Islām. They
did not deny that Allāh can be seen, although He is seen without having a shape,
22 Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 4597.
23 Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3950.
24 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2641.
16
form or color. They did not deny destiny, or that there will be believers who will
be tortured in Hell, or that people have wills; all of which were beliefs held by
different deviant groups throughout history. Never has the majority disagreed
about the basics of the correct belief, and we challenge anyone to bring evidence
of such a disagreement. Until today, 75% to 80% of the nation has the same
belief, and from that, we know that the so-called Salafis are deviant people, since
they consider most of the Muslims throughout the world as mushriks25
and bad
innovators.
The Wahhābi Attempt to Discredit the Nation at Large
A Wahhābi may put up a defense in this area. Proving that the nation as a whole
will always be guided necessitates that any small group who disagrees with the
majority of the nation is misguided. Therefore, for a Wahhābi, it is imperative to
discredit this notion since he does not and cannot deny that they are a small
outnumbered group. To do that, he may mention the poor situation of Muslims
today, their lack of knowledge and being overwhelmed with sins.
This is why we, Ahlu-s-Sunnah, say that the belief of the majority of the nation
will always be correct. They would not agree upon a misguided creed. However,
the Prophet foretold that his nation will become weak and sinful. There are
several narrations about this, among them26
:
يدهشر جأه يتلمأ ادسفدنيتعنس بك سماملت
This means: “Whoever adheres to my Sunnah upon the corruption of my
nation has the reward of a martyr.” This corruption in the nation does not
mean that the majority will believe in a deviant creed. Similar is the ĥadīth27
:
هلاوايفأهت يافعتلعج هذهمك تمأ نإو وهنار كنت ورم أ والءهابر آخيب صي سو
25 Mushrik is someone who associates partners with Allāh.
26 Narrated by al-Ĥāfiđħ ať-Ťabarāniyy in al-Muˇjam al-Awsať, Ĥadīth No.
5414.
27 Sunan an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 4191; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3956.
17
This means: “Allāh’s protection (the ˇāfiyah) has been granted to the
beginning of this nation of yours, and its end will be inflicted with hardship
and matters to which you object.” A Wahhābi may also produce the verse28
:
﴾لشك ور ٱنعبادي﴿وقليلم
This means: “Only few of My slaves (the slaves of Allāh) are very thankful.”
We tell them that this is in reference to piety- that few slaves of Allāh refrain
from using their endowments sinfully, which is ungratefulness to Allāh. There
are other narrations about this issue, so know that they may produce several
references. The ĥadīths already mentioned are enough to prove them wrong.
The Wahhābis took the name of Ahlu-s-Sunnah for themselves, but if they are a
minority, only a couple million strong, how can they still claim the name? It is
easy if one merely distorts the meaning of “jamāˇah”. To fool others, and to
consider the millions upon millions upon millions of Muslims as misguided, they
say, “The Jamāˇah can be one person.” This statement may be applicable to a
person truly following Ahlu-s-Sunnah, which is the majority, but is secluded and
surrounded by misguided people. The case of the Wahhābis does not apply. We
seek the protection of Allāh from such sly deviance.
The Madhhabs of Ahlu-s-Sunnah
In reality, Ahlu-s-Sunnah is the vast, vast majority of Muslims. They stuck to the
same belief since the time of the Prophet and never deviated from it. Ahlu-s-
Sunnah follows the four famous madhhabs29
in obedience to Allāh and His
Messenger, without disputing the validity of any of them, despite the differences
among them. It is important to know that in the past, there were other valid
schools, like the school of Abū ˇAmr Abdur-Raĥmān al-Awzāˇiyy, as well as
others, but these four are the remaining schools. The followers of these schools
took great care to document their schools and pass them down to the following
generations.
The largest of those four schools is the Ĥanafiyy School, the followers of the
28 Sūrat Saba’, verse 13.
29 Madhhab “school of practical rules” refers to the work of scholars following a
particular mujtahid. Sometimes the word is used for other meanings.
18
great Imām Abū Ĥanīfah an-Nuˇmān Ibn Thābit al-Kūfiyy30
. Imām Mālik Ibn
Anas al-Aŝbaĥiyy31
was a contemporary of his, and the greatest scholar in the
city of al-Madīnah at his time. His school, the Mālikiyy school, is the most
widely spread in Africa, with the exception of the eastern African countries.
Imām Muĥammad Ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfiˇiyy32
was the greatest student of Mālik, and
his school, the Shāfiˇiyy School, is the most common in the areas of Lebanon,
Palestine, Syria, and Jordon, as well as Indonesia and Malaysia, and many
Syrians are Ĥanafiyy. As for the Hambaliyy school, the followers of Imām
Aĥmad [Ibn Muĥammad] Ibn Ĥambal ash-Shaybāniyy33
, it is the smallest of the
four, because many of the people who likened Allāh to the creations attributed
themselves to that school and have defamed it - repelling people from adhering
to it. Ahlu-s-Sunnah believes that if someone follows any one of those
madhhabs, he would be guided. By that, they respect the acceptable differences
within the boundaries of the Islāmic Sharīˇah (Law), as validated by the Prophet
himself, and just as the Companions respected the different judgments given by
other mujtahid34
Companions.
30 He is the Great Imām, al-Mujtahid, an-Nuˇmān Ibn Thābit Ibn an-Nuˇmān Ibn
al-Marzubān al-Kūfiyy. He was born in the year 80 AH and died in 150 AH. He
was buried in Baghdād. Among his teachers was Ĥammād Ibn Abī Sulaymān,
ˇAťā’ Ibn Abī Rabāĥ, Abū Isĥāq as-Sabiˇiyy, ash-Shaˇbiyy, Maĥārib Ibn Dathar,
al-Haytham Ibn Ĥabīb as-Sawwāf, Muĥammad Ibn Munkadir, Nāfiˇ, Abū Bakr
az-Zuhriyy, Abu-l-Ĥasan Zayd Ibn al-Ĥusayn, and Abū Jaˇfar Muĥammad Ibn
ˇAliyy Ibn al-Ĥusayn Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn Abī Ťālib.
31 Al-Imām, al-Mujtahid, Abū ˇAbdillāh Mālik Ibn Anas Ibn Mālik Ibn ˇAmr al-
Aŝbaĥiyy al-Madaniyy. He was born in 93 AH and died in 179 AH. He is the
author of al-Muwaťťa’. Imām ash-Shāfiˇiyy said about his book that it was the
most authentic book on the earth after the Qur’ān. Among his teachers was
Ayyūb ash-Shakhtiyāniyy, Jaˇfar aŝ-Ŝādiq, ˇAťā’ Ibn Abī Rabāĥ, Muĥammad Ibn
Munkadir, Nāfiˇ, and Abū Bakr az-Zuhriyy.
32 Al-Imām, al-Mujtahid, Abū ˇAbdillāh Muĥammad Ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfiˇiyy al-
Muťťalibiyy. He was born in 150 AH in Ghazzā and died in 204 AH in Cairo.
Among his teachers was: Mālik Ibn Anas, Muĥammad Ibn al-Ĥasan ash-
Shaybāniyy, and ˇAbdur-Razzāq aŝ-Ŝanˇāniyy.
33Al-Imām al-Mujtahid Aĥmad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Ĥambal ash-Shaybāniyy al-
Marwaziyy. He was born 164 AH in Marw and died in 241 in Baghdād. Among
his teachers was: Hushaym, Sufyān Ibn ˇUyaynah, and ash-Shāfiˇiyy.
34 Mujtahid refers to the top scholars who deduce judgments in case the ruling is
19
Clear evidence from the incidents that took place between the Companions at the
time of the Prophet is what was narrated by Imām Muĥammad Ibn Ismāˇīl al-
Bukhāriyy35
from the route of Ibn ˇUmar36
:
ر ص الع د ح أ ن ي ل ص ال ي زابحاألنمعجاملارنلقالالنيب:عنابنعمرقالتيحلصمالن ه ض عب القف يقريفالطر صمالعه ض عب كردأفة ظ ي ر ق ن ي ال إ
ركذفكلاذنمدريملي لصن لمبه ض عب القاوهي تأن مه ن امداحوفنعي ملف يبللن
This means: “Ibn ˇUmar said, ‘When he returned from the battle against the
united parties37
the Prophet said to us, ‘No one prays al-ˇAsr until reaching
Banī Qurayđħah38
.’ Some of them were in route when the ˇAŝr prayer came in.
Some said, ‘We do not pray until we get there.’ Some of them said, ‘No, we shall
pray, that is not what he wanted from us.’ That was (later) mentioned to the
Prophet and he did not scold anyone of them.” The evidence contained in this
ĥadīth is that some mujtahid companions understood the apparent expression of
the Prophet, and thus took it to be permission to pray ˇAsr outside of its time if it
meant praying it only at their destination. Others understood that the Prophet was
telling them to rush to their destination so to pray the prayer in its time there, but
not to pray the Prayer outside of its time.
Had their difference been unacceptable, the Prophet would have scolded those
who disobeyed him, because the belief of the Muslims is that the Prophet does
not remain silent in the face of sins. Thus, Ahlu-s-Sunnah, unlike the Wahhābis,
follows the Companions in what they did in reference to imitation (taqlīd) of
scholars and following schools. As a result, they did not tamper with the rules of
the Religion. More will be mentioned about the validity of following the schools
in the section about the Wahhābi grandfather, Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah.
All of Ahlu-s-Sunnah have the same belief. They belong to one of two madhhabs
not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’ān or Ĥadīth.
35 Al-Imām Muĥammad Ibn Ismāˇīl al-Bukhāriyy (194 – 256 AH).
36 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 904.
37 Al-Aĥzāb.
38 They were a tribe of Jews who had breached their treaty with the Prophet.
20
of ˇaqīdah (creed), even if some do so without realization. Knowing about this is
important. In brief, the two madhhabs of ˇaqīdah do not have different creeds.
They carry the same basic belief. The difference between them is in such matters
as definitions and terminology. In other words, the base of these two schools is
the same. The outcome they reached in regards to the belief is the same. Their
differences are in issues like defining terms, ways of analyzing proofs, and the
like. If someone follows one of the schools of ˇaqīdah, the Ashˇariyy39
School or
the Māturīdiyy40
School, he follows the belief of the Prophet of Allāh and his
Companions, just as the one who follows the method of the previously
mentioned schools of fiqh follows the method of the Prophet of Allāh and his
Companions.
If someone says, “If their belief is the same, why have two different schools, and
if they have two different schools, how could they both be the guided faction?”
The answers for these two questions are as follows:
The first is that they are different schools because they were established by two
different men in two different areas, but both with the same basic belief.
Naturally, being different individuals, they would differ in their terminology and
expressions, even if their belief were the same. Then, the scholars who came
after them applied the method of those two scholars, and taught according to
their ways, out of confession that those two scholars were the masters of their
time in the science of the creed, just as al-Bukhāriyy and Muslim41
were the
39 Al-Imām Abu-l-Ĥasan ˇAliyy Ibn Ismāˇīl Ibn Isĥāq Ibn Sālim Ibn Ismāˇīl Ibn
ˇAbdillāh Ibn Mūsā Ibn Bilāl Ibn Abī Bardah Ibn Abī Musā al-Ashˇariyy al-
Baŝriyy. He was born in 260 AH and died in 324 AH. After leaving the
Muˇtazilah, he devoted himself to defending the creed of Ahlu-s-Sunnah. He
took the Shāfiˇiyy Fiqh from Abū Isĥāq al-Marwaziyy. Among his students was:
Abu-l-Ĥasan al-Bāhiliyy, Abu-l-Ĥasan ať-Ťabariyy, Abū Sahl as-Suˇlūkiyy (the
shaykh of al-Ĥākim an-Naysābūriyy), Ibn Mujāhid and many more.
40 He was the Imām of Guidance, Abū Manŝūr Muĥammad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn
Maĥmūd as-Samarqandiyy al-Māturīdiyy al- Ĥanafiyy. He died in the year 333
AH. Among his teachers was al-Imām Abū Bakr Aĥmad al-Jawzajāniyy al-
Ĥanafiyy who took from al-Imām Abū Sulaymān Musā Ibn Sulaymān al-
Jawzajāniyy al-Ĥanafiyy who took from al-Qāďī Abū Yūsuf Yaˇqūb Ibn Ibrāhīm
al-Anŝāriyy who took from al-Imām Abū Ĥanīfah An-Nuˇmān Ibn Thābit.
41 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Imām Muslim Ibn Ĥajjāj al-Qushayriyy an-Naysabūriyy ash-
Shāfiˇiyy. He was born in 202 AH and died in 261 AH. He was the most
21
masters in ĥadīth narration42
, and the Four Imāms were the masters of Fiqh.
Thus, anyone who took by the way of al-Ashˇariyy in expressing the matters of
the creed was attributed to his school. Likewise is said about whoever taught and
authored according to the way of al-Māturīdiyy.
The answer to the second question is that the fact that they share the same basic
creed confirms that both groups are the guided faction, just as the Companions,
who had the same basic creed, differed about whether the Prophet saw Allāh.
Some, like Ibn ˇAbbās, said that he saw Allāh with his heart43
. Others like
ˇĀ’ishah Bint Abī Bakr, said that he did not see Allāh. Some of Ahlu-s-Sunnah
said that he saw Allāh with his eyes. Yes, what is correct is that he saw Allāh
with his heart and not with his eyes, and that no one will see Allāh with their
eyes in this lifetime, the proof for which does not befit this summarized booklet,
but the point is that this difference does not mean that the Companions have
divided into factions. They all still have the same basic belief, which is that Allāh
can be seen. Likewise, the differing expressions between the Ashˇariyyah and the
Māturīdiyyah do not make them two different factions, because their basic creed
is the same. Hence, what is precise is to say that they are two schools within the
same guided faction.
In explaining the Muslim’s creed, most scholars, like the Shāfiˇiyy and the
Mālikiyy scholars, are Ashˇariyyah, also known as al-Ashāˇirah. Others, usually
Ĥanafiyy scholars, are Māturīdiyyah, and it should be known that they are not
few. The Wahhābis hate both groups, claiming that al-Ashāˇirah and al-
Māturīdiyyah are deviants.
They are cornered into this claim, because both fountains of knowledge refute
the Wahhābi creed, and all other deviant creeds. Furthermore, since they claim
that the Ashāˇirah are deviant, and since most of the scholars are Ashāˇirah, they
often quote scholars whom they would consider deviant. The authority of
heavyweight scholars like an-Nawawiyy44
, Ibn Ĥajar al-ˇAsqalāniyy45
, and al-
accomplished student of Imām al-Bukhāriyy.
42 If someone asks, “Do al-Bukhāriyy and Muslim have a school in ĥadīth?” The
answer is: yes. Among the scholars who followed the way of those two imāms
was Abū ˇAbdillāh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdillāh al-Ĥākim an-Naysabūriyy, the
author of al-Mustadrak.
43 Not in his heart! Rather, with his heart instead of his eyes.
44 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Imām Abū Zakariyyā Muĥyu-d-Dīn Yaĥyā Ibn Sharaf an-
Nawawiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy. He was born in 631 AH and died in 676 AH.
22
Bayhaqiyy46
give their books and lessons an authentic tone, although in reality
such scholars refuted and disagreed with the Wahhābi beliefs. The Wahhābis
pick and choose what they like from the scholars’ comments and judgments, then
if one were to show them what those scholars believed, those Wahhābis would
say, “O, but he is an Ashˇariyy!” Ahlu-s-Sunnah is moderate, safe between the
different extremes that are and have been practiced. Unlike the Wahhābis, they
do not liken the attributes of Allāh to the attributes of the creations. Nor do they
deny the attributes or existence of Allāh, as the Wahhābis would accuse them.
They do not deem the intellect as something that has priority over the rules of
Allāh, nor do they stoop like the Wahhābis and read the Qur’ān and the ĥadīth
without using their minds. Some scholars said that the one who reads the
Revelation without using his mind is like the one who steps into the light with
his eyes closed, and the one who uses his mind without using the Revelation is
like the one who steps into the darkness with his eyes opened. We must step into
the light with our eyes opened. We must accept the Revelation of Allāh and use
our minds (according to the guidance of the great scholars of Islām).
Names that Have Been Attributed to the Wahhābis
Al-Mushabbihah; “the Likeners”, are among the ancient, deviant factions about
which the Prophet warned. They are religiously defined as the people who
liken the self of Allāh to the selves of His creations, or they liken His attributes
to their attributes. The so-called Salafis; “the followers of the Salafi Daˇwah”, as
they call themselves, are a modern branch of al-Mushabbihah, as we will prove,
if Allāh willed.
Rather than being Salafi (followers of the scholars of the first 300 years), they
are talafiyy (destructive). Do not call them Salafi, call them imposters. Call them
“so-called Salafis”, or “pseudo (fake) Salafis”. Put “Salafi” in quotation marks to
45 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Imām, the Seal of the Scholars of Ĥadīth, Abu-l-Faďl Aĥmad Ibn
Ĥajar al-ˇAsqalāniyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy. He was born in 773 AH and died in 852 AH.
Among his teachers was: Sirāj al-Bulqīniyy, Ibnu-l-Mulaqqin, al-Ĥāfiđħ Zaynu-
d-Dīn al-ˇIrāqiyy, al-Ustādh at-Tanūkhiyy and many others.
46 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Imām Ŝāĥibu-l-Wujūh, Abū Bakr Aĥmad Ibn al-Ĥusayn Ibn
ˇAliyy al-Bayhaqiyy, an-Naysābūriyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy al-Ashˇariyy. He was born in
the year 384 AH and died in 458 AH. Among his teachers was: al-Ĥāfiđħ al-
Ĥākim an-Naysābūriyy, Muĥammad Ibn Maĥmish az-Ziyādiyy, Abū ˇAbdir-
Raĥmān as-Sulamiyy, Abū Sulaymān al-Khaťťābiyy, al-Imām Abū Bakr Ibn
Fūrak and al-Ustādh Abū Manŝūr al-Baghdādiyy.
23
show that you do not consider them to actually be Salafi. If Allāh willed, we will
also speak about the true Salaf.
Call them the Wahhābiyyah, the name given to them by the scholars when they
first deviated more than 200 years ago, emerging from the land of Najd in the
Arabian Peninsula, following their master, Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb an-
Najdiyy.
***EXTRA DETAIL***
One would find many Wahhābis who are offended by being called Wahhābis,
and say that it is sinful to use the term, because it is derived from the name of
Allāh: “al-Wahhāb” (the one who gives abundantly). They would say, “How can
you use Allāh’s name to refer to people you consider deviant, is this not
belittling His name?” This is yet another example of their ignorance. Had they
known some of the basics of the Arabic language, they would not argue this
point. In the books of Arabic morphology (ŝarf), which is the knowledge of the
structures of the words, there is a chapter called “an-Nasab”, which means to
attribute/relate something to something else. For example, if someone is
attributed to the tribe of Quraysh, he would be “Qurashiyy”, and if he was a
follower of Imām Mālik he would be “Mālikiyy”. We are not actually attributing
those people to al-Wahhāb, who is Allāh the Exalted, but to Muĥammad Ibn
ˇAbdil-Wahhāb or more specifically to the last part of his name: ˇAbdul-Wahhāb
(the slave of al-Wahhāb). This name is composed of two words: “ˇabd (slave)”
and “al-Wahhāb”, which is Allāh’s name. When someone is attributed to a
person with this type of constructed name, one of the two parts must be omitted.
And so, the first part of the name in this case is omitted and the second part is
kept. Hence, anyone attributed to Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb is not called
“ˇAbdiyy”, but “Wahhābiyy”.
***
They also call themselves Ahlu-l-Ĥaqq (the People of the Truth) and Ahlu-l-
Ĥadīth (the People of [the science of] Ĥadīth). When calling themselves Ahlu-l-
Ĥadīth, they truly mean that they (unrightfully) make ijtihād47
from the ĥadīths,
bypassing what the mujtahids said. They have also been called Lā Madhhabiyyah
(those who do not claim any school of fiqh), and Ghayru-l-Muqallidīn (those
who do not imitate). They explain this name to mean that they do not merely
47 Ijtihād is the effort put by the mujtahid to deduce judgments not explicitly
mentioned in the Qur’ān or Ĥadīth.
24
imitate the scholars, rather they imitate the Prophet through the ĥadīth, but in
fact, it means that they do not follow qualified scholarship.
Truly, they are Ahlu-l-Kibr (the People of Arrogance), Ahlu-đ-Ďalālah (the
people of misguidance), al-Mushabbihah (the people who liken Allāh to His
creations), al-Mujassimah (the people who believe that Allāh has a body), al-
Ĥashwiyyah (people who speak nonsense) and kuffār (blasphemers), among
other titles.
It is easy for an ignorant person to commit kufr (blasphemy) because of them.
Many people have fallen into their snare. Except for their kufr, they talk and
dress like Muslims. However, if lent a listening ear, they surely will throw an
unfortunate person into the black flames of Jahannam48
. This does not include
people who do not believe the bad belief of the Wahhābis, but may affiliate
themselves with the so-called Salafis.
The Wahhābis are as the Prophet said49
:
اةعلىأبوابجهنمنجلدتنايتكلمونبألسنتناتسمعمنهموتنكردعأناسم همقذفوهفيهامناستمعإلي
This means: “There are people who look like us and talk with our talk. You
would hear their message and reject. They are preachers at the gates of
Hell. They will throw whoever listens to them in it.”
The Correct Belief in Allāh
To avoid confusion, the correct creed will be discussed before discussing their
incorrect creed.
Know that Allāh exists differently from anything else. His self is His reality, and
not a body. He alone is without a beginning, because no one created Him. He is
the only Creator. He exists everlastingly and does not change. He is perfect.
Before creating the creations, He existed without them. He existed before the
skies or the ˇArsh50
existed, and He now exists as He eternally existed, without
48 Jahannam is a name of Hell.
49 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6673; Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Ĥadīth No. 1847.
50 The ˇArsh “Throne” is the ceiling of Paradise.
25
those creations affecting or changing Him.
He is alive without a body or soul, and without needing sustenance. He is
knowledgeable without a teacher and does not learn or forget. He possesses the
perfect knowledge of everything, and the creations exist only as He knew they
would. He has power to bring things from non-existence into existence. He
creates without tools and without getting weak or sleepy. He has the eternal and
everlasting Will, by which He specified His creations with particular places,
directions, shapes, colors, times, changes, movement, stability, hardships, ease,
choice, wills, and everything else He eternally willed for His creations. His
management is unhindered and uninterrupted. He cannot be distracted because
He does not have limbs. He has no partner, wife, parent, son, branch, origin, nor
opposite. He does not need anything, not a space to occupy, nor time to bind
Him. He is not benefited nor harmed by His creatures. He eternally sees and
hears everything without eyes or ears, without looking into a direction, without
needing volume or sound waves, light, time, or space. Nothing is hidden from
Him. He speaks with His eternal Kalām (Speech), without it being of a word,
letter, sound, nor language. It is not the result of organs touching or air moving,
and it does not come from any direction. Allāh does not resemble anything in the
world. He is not composed of particles, nor does He have the characteristics of
particles, such as color, shape, place, motion, stillness, texture, temperature, etc.
He is neither inside nor outside of something, since those are places for bodies.
He is not in a particular place, nor is He everywhere. He exists without being in
any place. He does not have the attributes of the creations. The creations are not
parts or attributes of Allāh. All of His attributes are eternal and everlasting. They
are not organs or emotions. Since His Self is Eternal, His attributes cannot be
created. He is different from whatever is imagined. Let there be no doubt that
this is the correct belief in Him, the mighty Lord with the perfect names.
The Wahhābis Attribute a Body to Allāh
The focus of our discussion will be the Wahhābis’ disbelief in the attributes of
Allāh. They claim Tawĥīd, but they really believe in tajsīm (attributing bodily
attributes to Allāh).
Their belief is that Allāh has attributes whose linguistic meanings refer to the
attributes of a body. This means that the meanings they choose to ascribe to
Allāh are meanings that imply a bodily reference, like organs, places and motion.
Notice the word “meanings”. They intend particular (bodily) definitions when
they use certain words. Let whoever talks to one of them pay attention not only
to the words they use, but also to the meanings they intend.
They believe that Allāh has a real face that should be understood literally. They
26
believe that He has two real eyes, and that He actually smiles (these are their
own words) and laughs. Their grandfather, Abu-l-ˇAbbās Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah
al-Ĥarrāniyy, claimed that Allāh spoke after He was not speaking. They believe
that Allāh speaks Arabic, claiming that whenever Allāh creates, He literally says
“ نك (Kun) (be; exist)”. They say that Allāh is attributed with a very real pair of
hands that must be understood as stated, and that Allāh really holds creations in
them.
They believe that He has a real right hand and a real left hand, and some said He
only has two right hands, because a left would not befit Him.
They believe that Allāh has real fingers, but they may have different opinions
about how many. At least, they would say He has two, and some may say six.
They have been known to say that Allāh sits on His ˇArsh, but it seems that was
too easy to refute, so they reverted to saying that He is above His ˇArsh. They
focus on attributing places and directions to Him. They say He is “above”, and
they mean it in the physical sense. They claim that He is above the seven skies,
above the ˇArsh, which is the ceiling of Paradise.
They believe that Allāh is separate from His creations, disconnected from them,
existing in a very high location. Some of them say that Allāh is above the ˇArsh
and there is no place there, which is absurd and against what the Prophet said
about the book above it. They do not see this as drawing similarities between
Allāh and His creations. Some of them said that Allāh exists in the sky, but
perhaps those who say that He is above His ˇArsh have overtaken them. Some
may say that Allāh is above the ˇArsh by a four-finger spaced distance.
They believe that Allāh descends from above the ˇArsh down to the first sky, and
then ascends back up; that Allāh comes and goes- so that they believe that Allāh
moves from one place to another. Furthermore, they bind Allāh by time,
believing that He descends during the last third of the night, and that He is above
the ˇArsh during the day.
They believe that Allāh has a shin and a real foot, which will be submersed in the
fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment. They even believe that Allāh will cast a
shadow on that day. They firmly believe that all of these so-called attributes must
be taken by their real, literal, apparent and obvious meanings.
As can be seen, when using the name “Allāh”, they refer to something
imaginary. Compare this to the correct belief mentioned in the previous section,
and easily see that they do not believe in God. Let whoever meets one of these
deviant people not be intimidated, nor should he underestimate every one of
27
them. Some Wahhābis study and memorize, ready to bombard their opponent.
The point of mentioning their belief without mentioning their so-called proof is
to expose the result of their analysis. They misinterpreted many verses and
ĥadīth to establish their beliefs and this is the result.
The Wahhābi Reasoning Behind Their Incorrect Belief
What complicates the issue is that they usually deny that they believe that Allāh
has a body. On the contrary, they say that they do not believe that He has a body.
Some of them say that they do not confirm whether He has a body or not, which
is still blasphemy. Some of them might say that He has a body, but then would
say that they do not know how His body is, which also does not escape
blasphemy51
.
51 Ibn Ĥajar al-Haytamiyy said in al-Minhāj al-Qawīm Sharĥu-l-Muqaddimah
al-Ĥadramiyyah, page 144: “Know that [Shihābu-d-Dīn Aĥmad Ibn Idrīs al-
Mālikiyy] al-Qarāfiyy and others narrated from ash-Shāfiˇiyy, Mālik, Aĥmad and
Abū Ĥanīfah (may Allāh raise their ranks) that those who say that Allāh is in a
direction, or has a body have committed blasphemy — and they deserve this
verdict.”
Al-Ĥāfiđħ as-Suyūťiyy narrated in al-Ashbāh wa an-Nađħā’ir, page 488, that
Imām ash-Shāfiˇiyy said: “The one who attributes a body to Allāh is a
blasphemer.”
The Imām of Ahlu-s-Sunnah, Abu-l-Ĥasan al-Ashˇariyy said in an-Nawādir:
“The one who believes that Allāh is a body does not know Allāh and he is a
disbeliever in Allāh.”
Al-Qāďī ˇAbdul-Wahhāb Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn Naŝr al-Baghdādiyy al-Mālikiyy (422
AH) said in Sharĥ ˇAqīdah Mālik aŝ-Ŝaghīr, page 28: “It is not permissible to
attribute to Him (Allāh) a ‘how’ because the Religion did not come with that,
nor did the Prophet convey such a thing, nor did the Companions ask him about
that. This is because that implies movement, transformation, occupancy,
containment and going from one place to another. And the implication of that is
the attribution of a body to Allāh and the claim that bodies are eternal and this is
blasphemy according to all Muslims.”
Ash-Shaykh Kamāl Ibn al-Hammām al-Ĥanafiyy said in Fatĥ al-Qadīr: “The one
who says Allāh is a body unlike other bodies blasphemes.”
Al-Imām Muĥammad Ibn Badri-d-Dīn Ibn Balbān ad-Dimashqiyy al-Ĥambaliyy
said in Mukhtaŝar al-Ifādāt, page 489: “The one who believes or says that ‘Allāh
28
They would deny that Allāh has a body, because they know that they would be
clearly admitting that He is like His creations. Taking this position may be the
case of most of them. Despite this denial, it is known that they secretly believe
that Allāh has a body because they hate for someone to say that He has no place
or direction, and they think that denial of place and direction is denial of His
existence. Had that been true, then where was Allāh before he created places and
directions?
They may not confirm whether Allāh has a body or not, because they would not
want to explicitly liken Allāh to His creations, and at the same time they do not
want to reject their literal meanings. This is still blasphemy, since taking a
middle ground and saying, “I do not say if Allāh has a body or not,” is like
doubting about Allāh. It is the same as saying, “I do not say if Allāh exists or
not,” or “I do not say if Allāh has a partner or not.” The one who doubts about
any attribute of Allāh that is known by necessity52
(such as His knowledge,
power, the fact that He does not resemble the creations, etc) is not a Muslim, as
mentioned by the great Imām Abū Ĥanīfah, one of the heads of the [real] Salaf53
,
in his book al-Fiqh al-Akbar54
. He said:
Himself is in every place or in one particular place’ then he is a blasphemer.”
And he says on page 490: “He (Allāh) does not resemble anything and nothing
resembles Him, so the one who likens Him to something among His creations
blasphemes. This is like the one who believes He is a body or he says ‘He is a
body unlike other bodies’.”
52 Known by both scholars and laymen.
53 Salaf “predecessors” It refers to the first three centuries of Muslims. Some
scholars said it only refers to the Companions, their students, and their students -
and not the first three centuries entirely. The first saying is the strong one.
54 Some Wahhābis will try to deny that Imām Abū Ĥanīfah authored this book
because it contains statements that they don’t agree with. So let it be known that
Imām Abū Ĥanīfah dictated this book to a group of his students, among them
being: Ĥammād Ibn Abī Ĥanīfah, al-Qāďī Abū Yūsuf, Abū Muťīˇ al-Ĥakam Ibn
ˇAbdillāh al-Balkhiyy and Abī Maqātil Ĥafŝ Ibn Salm as-Samarqandiyy. A group
of scholars conveyed this book from the previous group, such as: Ismāˇīl Ibn
Ĥammād Ibn Abī Ĥanīfah, Muĥammad Ibn Maqātil ar-Rāziyy, Muĥammad Ibn
Samāˇah, Nuŝayr Ibn Yaĥyā al-Balkhiyy, Shaddād Ibn al-Ĥakam and others. And
from this group of scholars al-Fiqh al-Akbar was conveyed with a saĥīĥ chain to
al-Imām Abū Manŝūr al-Māturīdiyy. This has been documented by al-Ĥāfiđħ
Muĥammad Murtaďā az-Zabīdiyy (Itĥāf as-Sādah al-Muttaqīn, vol. 2, page 14)
29
اهللبرافكوه اف يهفكشوأفقووأةوقخمل وأةثهناحمدإالقنمف
This means: “Whoever says that Allāh has a created attribute, or doubts55
, or is
neutral56
is a blasphemer.” Whoever considers it possible for Allāh to have a
body, even if he did not believe that Allāh actually has a body, would blaspheme
for deeming it possible.
The less intelligent among them might say that Allāh has a body, because it is
obvious that they describe a body, but they would say that His body is not like
ours, or that they do not know how His body is. According to the great Aĥmad
Ibn Ĥambal, the Salafiyy scholar whom they often claim to follow, whoever says
Allāh has a body unlike other bodies blasphemes57
. In his book, “The creed of
the distinguished Imām Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal”, Abū Faďl at-Tamīmiyy, the head of
Badru-d-Dīn az-Zarkashiyy (Tashnīf al-Masāmiˇ, vol. 4, page 258), Abu-l-
Muđħaffar al-Asfarāyīniyy (at-Tabŝīr fi-d-Dīn, page 184) and others.
55 Doubt means to deem two matters equally possible without one of the two
matters being more probable.
56 Neutral means not to take one side or another side; neither to confirm nor deny
either side.
57 Tashnīf al-Masāmiˇ, vol. 4, page 684.
From this statement of Imām Aĥmad and others, it is known that the case of the
one who says “Allāh is a body unlike other bodies” is similar to the one who says
“Allāh is everywhere.” That is, these words carry only one blasphemous
meaning according to the language and the one who utters them while knowing
their meaning blasphemes. However, if out of their ignorance they think that
these words carry a meaning which is acceptable according to the Religion then
this person does not blaspheme. This is the case of the one who thinks the
statement “Allāh is everywhere,” means “Allāh knows about everything in every
place,” although this is not a valid linguistic meaning. Similarly, the one who
says “Allāh is a body unlike other bodies” while thinking the the word “body”
means “an existent thing” is not declared a blasphemer if this is his
understanding. However, if he knows the true linguistic meaning of “body” (a
constructed entity composed of two or more parts (atoms) that takes up space
and dwells in a direction) and he says it anyway, then he is a blasphemer
according to all Muslims. This is what some scholars intended when they said
“the one who says Allāh is a body unlike other bodies is not charged with
blasphemy.”
30
the Ĥambaliyy scholars in Baghdād said, “Aĥmad objected to those who call
Allāh a body, and said: ‘The names of things are taken from the language and the
religious law; the linguists defined the jism (body) as that which has length,
width, depth, composition and image, and it (the term “jism”) did not come in the
religious law, and so it is invalid’.”
Furthermore, it is blasphemous to say that they do not know how His body is,
because the scholars of Islām have made it very clear that “how” cannot be
attributed to Him. Throughout the books of the Sunni scholars, you would find
that they said about Allāh and His attributes:
ةيفيكالب
This means: “without a how (manner of being)”. Thus, to say “they do not know
how He is” is to say that there is a how, but it is unknown to them. Saying that
the “how” is unknown does not negate the fact that they believe that He has a
body, just as saying, “the door is open, but I do not know how,” does not negate
the fact that the door is open. So, if one of them says, “We do not know how,”
tell him that the scholars of the (real) Salaf have agreed that there is no how, as
narrated from the likes of Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife, and Imām
Mālik. She said, “the ‘How’ (being attributed to Him) is not rational (ghayru
maˇqūl).58
” If Allāh willed, this point will be revisited in the section, “The Truth
about the Istiwā’ of Allāh.”
These people may have never learned the correct belief, so when they learned
their incorrect belief, they became attached to it and developed a warped logic.
Their thinking is based on an unsound premise: that Allāh is attributed with these
(human) attributes. They also have other horrendous and contradictory claims,
which need not be mentioned now. As a result, their thinking became twisted,
like the Christians who say that Allāh is one, and is three while He is one. The
Wahhābis believe that Allāh has these (human) attributes, yet they claim that
they believe that Allāh is not similar to His creations. This is clearly unsound and
incorrect.
How the Wahhābis Interpret the Texts
Notice that their so-called proofs have not been referenced yet. Go through this
process gradually and systematically. First, have a general idea of how they
58 Al-Fatĥ al-Bārī, vol. 13, page 407 by al-Ĥāfiđĥ Ibn Ĥajar al-ˇAsqalāniyy.
31
believe in Allāh, which is really disbelief. They will not deny the belief of which
we have accused them, but they may deny certain words used in this book, like
“organ” and “motion”. They openly use such words as “real”, “literal”, and
“apparent” when they attribute these (human) attributes to Allāh. In Arabic they
use such words as “đħāhir” and “ĥaqīqah”. Why do they believe these things?
The following is the reasoning behind their bad belief in Allāh, the Exalted:
They believe that Allāh must be attributed with these (bodily) attributes because
of some literal meanings of Qur’ānic verses and ĥadīths of the Prophet . They
say that these (bodily) attributes are found in al-Qur’ān and as-Sunnah, so we
must believe in them and whoever does not believe in them has negated them.
They mean that one must believe in those texts by their literal meanings, and
whoever does not believe in the literal meanings has completely negated the
attribute, which of course is not true. Hence, if they meet someone who does not
believe that the Yad of Allāh is a real and literal hand, they will accuse him of
rejecting an attribute of Allāh. If they find someone who does not believe that
Allāh has a true and literal face, as they would describe it without explicitly
calling it an organ, they would accuse him of completely rejecting an attribute of
Allāh.
This twisted reasoning is a trick that lead many Muslims to blasphemy. They left
Islām to join the Wahhābis, not realizing that this reasoning is perverted. They
did not possess the answers that would protect their faith. Seeing that too many
Muslims did not know how to defend themselves or Islām against the lies of the
Wahhābis is what inspired the writing of this book. The Wahhābis are among
those whom Allāh warned us about in the Qur’ān when He told us59
:
منه لذينيفق ل وبمزيغف يتبع ونماتشابهٱفأما﴿نةولٱابتغاء ﴾بتغاءتأويلهٱفت
This means: “As for those with perversion in their hearts, they follow what
may have more than one meaning (mutashābih60
verses), with the purpose of
causing tribulation, and to misinterpret it…”
59 Sūrat Āl ˇImrān, verse 7.
60 Mutashābih is a verse or ĥadīth that can have more than one meaning. Even an
Arab may not reach its true meaning.
32
Know that these difficult people do not deem rational thinking valid. How could
they when it shows the invalidity of their creed? They say, “Logic is good, but it
has its place.” Although a true statement, what they truly mean is that one must
believe what they consider as proper belief, regardless of logic or reasoning.
They believe that assigning a meaning to a verse or ĥadīth that is different from
its literal meaning, which is called “making ta’wīl61
”, is sinful. This basic creed
of theirs - that ta’wīl is sinful - is one of their greatest reasons for encountering
contradictions, as will be shown in the second chapter, if Allāh willed. It is true
that some texts may literally suggest some bodily attributes, but sound reasoning
does not attribute bodily characteristics to the Creator, nor is it valid for the
verses to contradict each other, which is the result of their claims. The Wahhābis
do not believe that this is grounds to interpret these texts differently from the
literal meanings. As a result, they fell into tajsīm (attributing bodily attributes to
Allāh), which is blasphemy, and they accuse the one who believes in a different
(befitting) interpretation of takdhīb (the blasphemy of contradicting the religious
judgments) and taˇťīl (the blasphemy of denying the attributes of Allāh).
They say statements like, “If Allāh revealed this word, then it must be
understood by the literal meaning, or He would have revealed a different word.”
This is a very devious and weak-minded understanding, which may sound
appealing to an ignorant person. This reasoning has no support from the Qur’ān
or the Sunnah. Scholars like Abu-n-Naŝr ˇAbdur-Raĥīm Ibn Abi-l-Qāsim ˇAbdil-
Karīm al-Qushayriyy62
said that those who follow this method do so because of
their ignorance in Arabic63
.
The Truth about Majāz (Figurative Speech)
The Wahhābis have denied that there is any figurative speech in the Qur’ān or
the Sunnah, and some of them have denied it from the speech of the Arabs
completely.
Ibn Taymiyah said64
:
61 Ta’wīl is interpreting a text to have a meaning different from its apparent
meaning. The term ‘We’ when referring to Allāh denotes majesty, not plurality.
62 Died 514 AH.
63 Conveyed by al-Ĥāfiđħ Muĥammad Murtaďā az-Zabīdiyy al-Ĥanafiyy in Itĥāf
as-Sādah al-Muttaqīn, vol. 2, page 110.
64 Al-Majmūˇ al-Fatāwā, vol. 7, page 113 (Maktabah al-ˇArabiyyah as-
33
ت قسيمم بتدعحمدثملوجمازةإىلحقيقاللغةسيم قيفالقرآنبلوت فالجماز
ي نطقبهالسلف
This means: “There is no figurative speech in the Qur’ān. In fact, dividing the
language into ‘literal speech’ and ‘figurative speech’ is an innovated
categorization. It was never uttered by the Salaf.” This denial is necessary for
their creed, and they only deny figurative speech because of their incredible
attachment to likening Allāh to the creations. If they confirm that there is
figurative speech in the religious texts, the entire foundation of their claim will
be destroyed and all of their argumentation would be petty and useless. Thus, to
justify interpreting the mutashābih verses by their apparent meanings, Ibn
Taymiyah made this claim.
The ease of demolishing this absurdity frees us from having to give a detailed
refutation. Let us settle with a few clear examples and references. Allāh
describes His Prophet in the Qur’ān as65
:
﴾وسراجامنريا﴿
This literally means: “A luminous lantern.”
If there is no figurative speech in the Qur’ān, then the Prophet must be a literal
lamp, which is not true because he is a human being. The actual meaning is that
the Prophet eradicates the darkness of blasphemy and is a reason for misguided
people to become guided. In the Qur’ān, Allāh described a wall as66
:
﴾جداراي ريد أنينقض﴿
This literally means: “A wall that wants to fall.”
If there is no figurative speech in the Qur’ān, then that wall would have to
literally been ascribed with a will, which is an attribute of the living. The
scholars said that the meaning of this verse is that the expression gives the wall
Saˇūdiyyah, 2004).
65 Sūrat al-Aĥzāb, verse 46.
66 Sūrat al-Kahf, verse 77.
34
the image of something living and willing, so to portray its leaning over as if it is
ready to fall. Taking this verse literally would necessitate confirming that the
wall was alive.
Lastly, Allāh informed us in His Book67
:
﴾نساؤ ك محرثلك م﴿
This literally means: “Your women are plots of land for your cultivation.”
Therefore, according those who deny figurative speech in the Book of Allāh or
the sayings of His prophet, the women are actual plots of land, and not humans
made of flesh and blood. The verse actually contains a metaphor that refers to the
impregnation of women.
So, just as it is known to us that these texts should not be taken literally, it is
known that nothing in the Qur’ān or the ĥadīth that would seemingly ascribe
organs, places, directions or motion to Allāh should be taken literally. As for Ibn
Taymiyah’s claim that the Salaf did not confirm figurative speech in the Arabic
language, that is refuted by the fact that the Imāms like Ibn ˇAbbās, al-Bukhariyy,
Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal and others from the Salaf interpreted texts according to
meanings different from the apparent meanings, as will come in the second
chapter. Ibn ˇAbbās said in confirmation of figurative speech in the Qur’ān68
:
إذاخفيعليكمشئمنالقرآنفابتغوهمنالشعرفإنهديوانالعرب
This means: “If anything in the Qur’ān is unclear to you, then seek its meaning
from the poetry, for the poetry is the portfolio of the Arabs.” Also among the
Salaf who confirmed figurative speech is Abū ˇUbaydah Maˇmar Ibn al-
Muthannā69
. He has a famous book entitled, Majāz al-Qur’ān (the figurative
speech within the Qur’ān).
67 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 223.
68 Narrated by al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Bayhaqiyy from the route of ˇIkrimah, ˇAliyy Ibn Abī
Ťalĥah, ˇAmr Ibn Dīnār, Ibrāhīm, and ˇAťiyyah Ibn Saˇd from Ibn ˇAbbās in his
book al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt, page 436 – 438.
69 Al-Imām Abū ˇUbaydah Maˇmar Ibn al-Muthannā at-Taymiyy an-Naĥwiyy,
110 AH – 207 AH.
35
The Truth about the Lawfulness of Ta’wīl
On the contrary, Allāh taught us this lesson in His book:
أ م﴿ م تشاباتلٱمنه آياتحمكماته ن ﴾كتابوأ خر
This means: “Within the Qur’ān there are muĥkam70
verses. They are the
base of the book, and other verses are mutashābih (susceptible to more than
one meaning).”
Also, the Prophet made a supplication for Ibn ˇAbbās (may Allāh accept his
and his father’s deeds) to know the ta’wīl of the Qur’ān, when he said71
:
علمهاحلكمةوتأويلالكتاباللهم
This means: “O Allāh, teach him the Wisdom (the Sunnah) and the ta’wīl of
the Book (al-Qur’ān).” Ta’wīl is to interpret a text differently from its literal
meaning. It is known that Ibn ˇAbbās interpreted many texts that the Wahhābis
use to liken Allāh to His creations. The fact is that ta’wīl is necessary for making
all of the texts free of contradiction.
***EXTRA DETAIL***
Know that the Wahhābis may deny the validity of ta’wīl by referring to the
verse:
هلل ﴾ٱوماي علم تأويله إال﴿
This means: “No one knows its ta’wīl except Allāh.”
They say that it is not permissible to make ta’wīl because no one can know the
ta’wīl of the mutashābih verses except Allāh. So, they say that we must take
them literally, because only Allāh knows the ta’wīl. We answer, “When reciting
this verse and stopping at the word ‘Allāh’ so that it means, ‘No one knows its
70 Muĥkam is a verse or ĥadīth that has only one meaning in the Arabic language.
71 Narrated by al-Ĥāfiđħ Ibn Mājah in his Sunan from the route of Ibn ˇAbbās
(Ĥadīth No. 166).
36
ta’wīl except Allāh’, this means, ‘No one knows the manifestation; time of
happening (of certain matters like the Day of Judgment or the coming of the
One-eyed Imposter) except Allāh’.”
According to this recitation of the verse, Allāh dispraised the Jews who tried to
determine the exact time of the occurrence of Judgment Day by referring to some
of the mutashābih verses of the Qur’ān like72
:
﴿ ﴾١ال
Which are three letters among the Arabic letters. This verse, and similar verses,
such as73
:
﴾ن ﴿
have been interpreted in different ways, and hence are mutashābih. The word
“ta’wīl” can mean “the manifestation; the time of happening”, as proven by the
saying of Allāh74
:
﴾﴿ي وميأتتأويل ه
This means: “The Day when its ta’wīl (manifestation; time of happening)
comes…”
In order to interpret the word “ta’wīl” as “meaning” or “interpretation”, recite
past the word “Allāh”, and continue until reaching the word “al-ˇIlm (the
knowledge)”.
Hence, the verse would say75
:
﴾علملٱلراسخ ونيفٱوهلل ٱوماي علم تأويله إال﴿
72 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 1.
73 Sūrat al-Qalam, verse 1.
74 Sūrat al-Aˇrāf, verse 53.
75 Sūrat Āl ˇImrān, verse 7.
37
This means: “No one knows the ta’wīl (true interpretation) except Allāh and
those who are deeply rooted in the knowledge.”
In this way, both recitations are in compliance, for just as there is no
contradiction between the meanings of the verses of the Qur’ān, there must be no
contradiction between the meanings in its recitations.
Furthermore, the Wahhābis do make ta’wīl for any verse whose literal meaning
contradicts their belief, as will be made obvious in the second chapter, in shā’
Allāh. In their so-called Noble Qur’ān translation, they put a period after the
word “Allāh” because of their disregard and disbelief in the other recitation
(qirā’ah76
) of the verse, known as the recitation of Mujāhid, the student of Ibn
ˇAbbās.
Lastly, the claim that there are verses in the Qur’ān whose meanings cannot be
possibly known by any creature is actually a blasphemous claim, because it
implies that there are verses that have no benefit for the people, since the people
could never understand their meanings. Had this been true, the old Arabs would
have discredited the Prophet by saying, “This book is not a miracle as you claim,
for our language is understood and intelligible, and you have come with
something that has no meaning to us, and cannot be known by anyone.” This
claim is mentioned in some of the footnotes of their so-called Noble Qur’ān
translation in reference to some of the verses. Do not be impressed by it because
it is a trap. It contradicts the verse of the Qur’ān that proves that everything in
the Qur’ān has a meaning that can be possibly known to the creatures77
:
﴾بلسانعريبمبني﴿
This means: “(The Qur’ān is revealed) in a clear Arabic tongue.”
This extra detail may not be needed for many, so do not bring it up without need,
especially if you do not completely understand this point. But, in case this book
is used to refute a Wahhābi who raises this point, then here is the answer.
***
76 Qirā’ah “recitation” could refer to any of the proper ways of reciting the
Qur’ān.
77 Sūrat ash-Shuˇarā’, verse 195.
38
They quote the verse from the Qur’ān78
:
عناوأطعنا﴿ ﴾وقال واس
This means: “They said, ‘we hear and we obey’,” which to them means that
they take things by face value without looking into other possible meanings.
Their belief is so unsound, that they are forced to reject logic. They believe that
the logical process of refuting them is philosophy and innovation, which is also
not true, as will now be addressed, if Allāh willed. If the Wahhābi were to ask:
“How could we be misguided by merely believing what is in the Qur’ān? We are
just taking what is in the Book and going no further.” Tell him, “But your
method of interpretation is sinful, and Allāh told us about His book79
:
كثرياوي هدي﴿ كي ضلبه ﴾فاسقنيلٱثرياوماي ضلبهإالبه
This means: “He guides many by the Qur’ān and misguides many by it, and
He only misguides the major sinners by it.”
The Wahhābis Reject Logic
So let us address the intellectual and logical issues pertaining to this blasphemy.
They do not agree that the mind (al-ˇaql)80
should have consideration in
deciphering what Allāh revealed, so they say, “Sound thinking is good, but it has
its place.” If they completely reject sound thinking, no one will listen to them, so
they give some weight to it, but if they encourage people to think, they will
expose themselves, so they deny that rational thinking is a part of the creed (al-
ˇaqīdah), which is a lie. They teach people to just believe in the texts by their
literal and apparent meanings and not to listen to anyone who says otherwise.
They might actually put their fingers in their ears, following the sunnah of the
blasphemers from the time of Prophet Nūĥ (Noah, ˇalayhi-ŝ-Ŝalātu wa-s-Salām).
Allāh told us in the Qur’ān about their rejection of the truth, that Nūĥ said81
:
78 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 285.
79 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 26.
80 ˇAql “mind; intellect” It is the faculty given to some creatures which enables
them to distinguish between what is valid and what is invalid.
81 Sūrat Nūĥ, verse 7.
39
ك لمادعوت ه ملت غفرهل مجعل واأصابعه ميفآذاهنم﴿ ﴾وإن
This means: “And surely, whenever I call them so that You would forgive
them (by guiding them to Islām), they put their fingers in their ears.”
They refer to a saying of Imām ˇAliyy (may Allāh accept his deeds), but they
pervert its text and distort its true meaning. They say that ˇAliyy (may Allāh
accept his deeds) said, “If the religion were by logic, we would wipe the bottom
of the khuff (foot gear)82
instead of the top.83
” They would then tell the person to
forget about logic, and just accept the literal interpretations.
Reasoning is Necessary and Religiously Confirmed
It is important to have the correct understanding of this saying. ˇAliyy Ibn Abī
Ťālib (may Allāh accept his deeds) actually said, “Had the Religion been by
opinion (ra’y), we would wipe the bottom of the foot gear instead of the top
(because the bottom is the side that gets dirty), however I saw The Messenger of
Allāh wiping the top”. Imām ˇAliyy did not negate the use of logic. Logic,
reasoning, and use of the intellect are praised throughout the Qur’ān. The two
Sayings of Allāh are repeated many times in the Qur’ān84
:
﴾ت عقل ونأفال﴿
This means: “Do you not use your minds?” and85
﴾ي عقل ونأفال﴿
This means: “Do they not use their minds?”
82 The Khuff refers to foot gear with specific qualities that one is allowed to wipe
instead of washing the feet in Wuďū’.
83 Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 162.
84 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 44 & 76; Sūrat Āl ˇImrān, verse 65; Sūrat al-Anˇām,
verse 32; Sūrat al-Aˇrāf, verse 169; Sūrat Yūnus, verse 16; Sūrat Hūd, verse 51;
Sūrat Yūsuf, verse 109; Sūrat al-Ambiyā’, verse 10 & 67; Sūrat al-Mu’minūn,
verse 80.
85 Sūrat Yāsīn, verse 68.
40
Al-Imām ˇAliyy, the most knowledgeable of the Companions (may Allāh raise all
of their ranks), would not say anything against the Qur’ān, and if so, then his
saying would be rejected for the revelation of Allāh. In fact, consideration of the
mental judgments is an integral part of understanding the belief, and has its
origin in al-Qur’ān and as-Sunnah. Hence, it is not philosophy or innovation.
The scholars of ˇaqīdah (creed), like Abu-l-Ĥasan al-Ashˇariyy also pointed out
the fact that the Prophets, the greatest of Allāh’s creations (ˇalayhimu-s-Salām),
used logical arguments to refute the blasphemers they encountered and to
establish the correct belief in Allāh, such as what was narrated in the stories of
Prophet Ibrāhīm (Abraham, ˇalayhi-ŝ-Ŝalātu wa-s-Salām). Among those stories
was Ibrāhīm’s debate with the tyrant, Nimrod86
:
ٱب راهيم ريبإذقالإ﴿ قالأناأ حييوأ ميت يت هللٱقالإب راهيم فإنلذيي ييوي ﴾لذيكفرٱغربف ب هتملٱشرقفأتبامنملٱلشمسمنٱيأتب
This means: “When Ibrāhīm said, ‘My Lord creates life and makes the living
die.’ Nimrod said, ‘I create life and make the living die.’ Ibrāhīm said,
‘Surely, Allāh brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west.’ Upon
that, the one who blasphemed was dumbfounded.”
By this simple and clever logic, Ibrāhīm silenced Nimrod, who claimed to be
God. This verse is evidence for the permissibility of debating deviant people to
establish the truth. So, if a Wahhābi claims that debating is forbidden, or that
mental evidence is not from the Religion, use this verse as your evidence. In fact,
it is obligatory on some Muslims (communal obligation) to know the mental and
textual evidence, and to refute the deviant people.
Thus, Imām ˇAliyy’s aforementioned saying refers to the details of the practical
rules (al-fiqh), not the essentials of belief. One can realize the correct belief
about the Creator through reasoning; that worshipping a man or a stone or a
picture is invalid. Why else do the Christians readily say, “Just believe”? It is
because they realize the confusion of their beliefs. However, we do not use logic
to deduce the practical rules. For example, how would one logically conclude
that there are five prayers? Mere logic does not necessitate five prayers over six
or four. How would one logically deduce that the bowing position comes before
prostration when praying? These judgments cannot be known by logic, and are
86 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 258.
41
not based merely on opinion. These judgments are taken from The Messenger of
Allāh . Prophets are sent as a mercy to humans and jinn, who otherwise cannot
know how to worship their Lord properly. However, those humans and jinn can
use their minds to know what is and what is not befitting to say about their Lord.
For that reason, some scholars even said that whoever is sane and pubescent is
accountable87
to confirm the existence of the Creator and to believe in His
oneness correctly; that He alone is the creator of everything; the one who does
not resemble anything, even if that person never heard the message of a Prophet.
This is because every child is born with the readiness for the correct belief
(fiťrah), and is mentally able to reach it.
Allāh said88
:
ك نايفأصحاب﴿ ك نانسمع أون عقل ما ﴾لسعريٱوقال والو
This means: “They will say, ‘Had we listened and had we used our minds, we
would not have been inhabitants of Hell’.” This verse proves that the mental
judgment has weight and should be considered.
The Mental Proof that the Wahhābis believe Allāh is a Body
Because the true goal is to help the misguided person and to let him accept the
truth, not to debate, tell the Wahhābi in a wise way that it is blasphemy to
attribute a body to Allāh. Unfortunately, it is known through experience that the
one infected with the disease of tashbīh (likening Allāh to the creations) does not
usually want to be cured. If the Wahhābi has not read this book yet, he would
probably agree with you without thinking about it; he would probably agree that
it is blasphemy to attribute a body to Allāh. On the other hand, he will still insist
that Allāh is attributed with those (bodily) attributes. He will say, “We must
believe in them as they are without changing their meanings.”
If this is his position, how could you still say that he truly believes that Allāh has
a body? They want you to believe that Allāh has bodily attributes, but to deny
87 According to most scholars, accountability refers to being sane, pubescent, and
having heard the basic message of Islām, which is the meaning of the shahādah.
Whoever dies as an accountable non-Muslim will be tortured everlastingly in
Hell on the Day of Resurrection.
88 Sūrat al-Mulk, verse 10.
42
that He has a body. Whoever accepts such contradictory reasoning is a person of
a simple mind, someone who lacks guidance, and does not value the high level of
meanings that are revealed in the Qur’ān, or the usefulness of the mind.
According to the mental judgment, whatever occupies a place is a body. The
more space it occupies, the bigger it is. They believe that the space Allāh
occupies is above the ˇArsh, although they will deny the terms “occupying
space”. They have sayings about whether Allāh is bigger than, smaller than, or
the same size as the ˇArsh. They believe that He leaves that space to occupy
another space, somewhere in the first sky.
Also, according to the mental judgment, whatever moves has a body. It must
have boundaries, limits and certain edges, so to fit in the places between which it
moves. Hence, whatever moves has a body, and whoever believes that Allāh
moves consequently believes in his heart that He has a body, even if he denies it
with his tongue.
They say that “Highness (al-ˇuluww)” is Allāh’s attribute89
, but they intend the
physical connotation instead of the majestic one. They say that He is “up”, while
repeatedly pointing to the sky. They do not say that “below” or “lowness” are
attributes of Allāh, although they say that He literally descends to the first sky,
which implies that He would be below whatever He passed on His way down.
This sick belief stands in direct contradiction with the authentic and explicit
saying of The Messenger of Allāh that even al-Albāniyy says is authentic
(although he has no right to grade any ĥadīth, as will come)90
:
أنتالظاهرفليسفوقكشيءوأنتالباطنفليسدونكشيء
This means: “O Allāh, You are ađħ-Đħāhir (the One whose existence is
obvious) and there is nothing above You, and You are al-Bāťin (the One
Who cannot be reached by delusions) and there is nothing below You.”
Because of this devastating refutation, Ibn Taymiyah, contradicted himself when
89 It is true that Allāh has the attribute of ˇuluww (highness), but its correct
meaning refers to His majesty and perfection, not a direction.
90 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Dhikr, Ĥadīth No. 2713; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth
No. 5051; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3831; Muŝannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah,
Ĥadīth No. 4223; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 3400.
43
he said91
:
إىلالسماءالدنياوالخيلومنهالعرش أنهفوقالعرشوأنهينزل
This means: “He is above the ˇArsh, and He descends down to the sky, but the
ˇArsh is never devoid (vacant) of Him.” It is unacceptable to the sound mind that
Allāh would be on the ˇArsh above the sky, then descend down to the sky, and
still upon the ˇArsh.
Whatever has a direction is restricted to a place. Anything bound by a direction
has limits, because it is restricted to one place and not to another. Anything in a
place is something with a body, whether in a high place, like the book above the
ˇArsh and the angels in the sky, or a low place, like the bottom of Hellfire. These
are descriptions of a body.
So, tell the Wahhābi that he is implying that Allāh has a body, and for him to
deny that Allāh has a body is ta’wīl; negating the literal meanings. It is helpful
for you to know and understand a rule of the scholars92
:
كانبينا الزماملذهبمذهبإذا
This means: “The implication of one’s opinion is his opinion, if that implication
were obvious.” This means that if one holds an opinion or a belief, such as if one
were to say that Allāh sits upon a grand throne, then the obvious implication of
his belief is that Allāh is a body. Therefore, since this implication is obvious, it is
confirmed as his belief, even if he does not state it explicitly. So, do not let the
Wahhābis hold both points. In one hand, they hold literal meanings that apply to
bodies, and in the other, they deny that Allāh has a body. Both points add up to a
contradiction93
. It is the same as a Christian saying that he believes in
91 Majmūˇ al-Fatāwā, vol. 16, page 107.
92 Al-Muĥaddith ˇAbdur-Ra’ūf al-Munāwiyy, 1031 AH (Al-Yawāqīt wa-d-Durar,
vol. 2, page 150); Shaykh Muĥammad ať-Ťāhir Ibn Muĥammad Ibn ˇĀshūr al-
Mālikiyy, 1393 AH (At-Taĥrīr wa-t-Tanwīr, vol. 23, page 248); Shaykh
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn Ĥusayn al-Makkiyy al-Mālikiyy, 1367 AH (Tahdhīb
al-Furūq , vol. 1, page 185).
93 Al-Fakhr Muĥammad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn al-Muˇallim al-Qurashiyy, in his
book Najmu-l-Muhtadī on page 588 narrates from ˇAliyy Ibn Abī Ťālib, the
fourth Caliph: “A people of this Nation (of the Prophet Muĥammad) shall return
44
monotheism while saying that God is three. Is it a coincidence that the so-called
Salafiyyah split the Tawĥīd (oneness of Allāh) into three categories (which is a
bad innovation)!?
The Rational Conclusion which is Supported by the Texts
Then, a sound mind concludes that Allāh exists without being in any place or
direction, since places and directions are attributes of created things; bodies. This
sound reasoning complies with the verse:
﴾كمثلهشيءليس﴿
This means “Nothing is similar to Allāh in any way.”
If Allāh were in a place, many things would be similar to Him. His Existence
without a place is not impossible, as Wahhābis think. On the contrary, the mental
judgment confirms that Allāh exists without a place, because He existed before
He created places.
If someone says that clearing Allāh from all places is negating His existence,
then we pose a question similar to that of Abū Ĥanīfah’s, “If Allāh needed a
place, where was He before He created them?94
” Such a person tries, but cannot
imagine Allāh existing without a place, so he thinks that would be denying His
existence. The Wahhābi does not know what it means to say that nothing is
whatsoever like Allāh.
He believes that Allāh needs something. Actually, negating a place for Allāh is
denying that Allāh has a body, since the place is the space that a body occupies.
It is confirmed that Allāh exists without a place, and therefore is not a body, so it
follows that He is not attributed with organs, motion, or time, and is totally
unlike all of His creations. That is the judgment of the sound mind in this issue.
to being blasphemers when the Day of Judgment is near.” A man asked, “O
Prince of the Believers! What is their blasphemy for? Is it for inventing
something, or for denying something?” ˇAliyy replied: “It is for denial. They
deny their Creator; they say that He is attributed with a body and limbs.” What
we observe today testifies to the soundness of the meaning of this narration.
94 Al-Waŝiyyah.
45
Islāmic Texts that Refute the Wahhābi Creed
An ignorant person may ask, “So, what if they believe that Allāh has a body?
What is wrong with that?” The answer is that such a bad creed is against the
explicit texts of the Qur’ān, the ĥadīth, the consensus of the scholars, and as just
addressed, the judgment of the mind.
Proof from the Qur’ān that Refutes the Wahhābi Creed
Besides the mental proof, we also refute them by referring to some very simple
and basic textual proofs. It is not necessary to refer to twenty different verses to
confirm the validity of the sound creed about the self of Allāh95
. One verse from
The Qur’ān refutes their entire foundation96
:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
This means: “Nothing is similar to Allāh in any way whatsoever.” It is a
muĥkam verse; a verse that only has one meaning according to the Arabic
language. It is explicit, not ambiguous nor figurative. It means that there is
nothing in common between Allāh and His creations; that Allāh is not like
anything, and nothing is like Him; that every creation is not similar to Allāh in
any respect. This is the meaning. This is enough to protect you from falling into
the blasphemy of likening Allāh to His creations, which is shirk.
Take a closer look at this explicit verse: Allāh said:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
The word laysa” is the word of negation. The first letter prefixed to the“ ليس
next word is the ك “kāf” with a fatĥah; a word made of one letter, simply
95 Since they believe that Allāh is made of parts, they had to refer to many verses
to establish their creed about the bodily self that they worship. However, since
Allāh is not a body or made of parts, it is enough to refer to one verse to establish
the correct understanding about the belief in Allāh.
96 Sūrat ash-Shūrā, verse 11.
46
pronounced as “ka”. It originally means “like”. It is affixed to the word مثله “mithli”, meaning “like”. The last letter suffixed on the word “mithli” is the ه
“hā’” with a kasrah, so it is actually pronounced “he”. It is a third person
masculine pronoun meaning “him”, and it refers to Allāh. The last word in the
verse is شيء “shay’ ”, which means “thing”. It is a general, indefinite term
referring to all of the creations.
It is easily noticed that Allāh revealed the word “mithli” in this verse, with the
addition of revealing the “kāf”. The negation of this combination emphatically
denies any likeness to Him. If the “kāf” were removed:
شيءه ليسمث ل
it would still mean that nothing is like Him. However, Allāh revealed the “kāf”
added to the “mithli”, and this emphasizes the meaning that nothing is similar to
Him. Furthermore, the term شيء “shay’ ” is indefinite, and whenever an
indefinite noun is presented in a negative context, then the meaning is an all-
inclusive negation. In other words, look at the difference between saying, “He is
not like a thing”, and “He is not like the thing”. The first of these two is more
inclusive, because the term “thing” is indefinite. From this, we can know that
Allāh is clear of having or being a body, and is clear of organs, motion, places,
directions, and change. According to the judgment of the mind, attributes such as
those would draw similarities between Allāh and His creatures.
Many other verses negate likeness between Allāh and His creations, like97
:
ك ف واأحد﴿ يك نله ﴾ومل
This means: “There is no one equal to Him.”
يا﴿ ﴾هلت علم له س
This means: [Posing the rhetorical question,] “Do you know of anything similar
97 Sūrat al-Ikhlāŝ, verse 4.
47
to Him?”98
However,
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
is the most explicit verse in the Qur’ān that clears Allāh from resembling His
creations. Whoever is lost in the ocean of confusion from the prevalent ignorance
among today’s Muslims, let this verse be his plank of wood for staying afloat.
Never liken Allāh to His creations, no matter how many verses a Wahhābi may
bring to you to convince you that Allāh is like a body.
We say that it is not permissible to interpret any text in a way that attributes
bodily characteristics to Allāh, because doing that will make the verses of the
Qur’ān contradictory, which is impossible. For the Wahhābis, this contradiction
is minute, acceptable, and insignificant, because they do not believe that logic is
associated with belief.
The Priority of the Muĥkam Verses over the Mutashābih
As mentioned,
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
is a muĥkam verse, and again, a muĥkam verse is a verse that can only have one
interpretation according to the Arabic language. It is important to know the merit
Allāh gave to the muĥkam verses. Allāh told us99
:
أ ممنه آي﴿ م تشاباتلٱاتحمكماته ن ﴾كتابوأ خر
This means: “Within the Book are muĥkam verses. They are the base of the
book, and other verses are susceptible to more than one meaning
(mutashābih).”
The mutashābih verses are not the base of the Book, but the Wahhābis act as if
they are, which shows that they do not understand the true meaning of this verse,
98 Sūrat Maryam, verse 65.
99 Sūrat Āl ˇImrān, verse 7.
48
or the true meaning of:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
The true Sunni Muslims follow the rule of Allāh that proves that the muĥkam
verses are the base of the book. They base their belief on:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
because it is a muĥkam verse. Then, when encountering attributes of Allāh like
“al-Yad”, “al-ˇAyn”, “al-Wajh”, “al-Istiwā’”, etc, whose literal meanings would
liken Allāh to the creations, they interpret them in a way that does not give Allāh
a body or an attribute of a body, because these words can have more than one
meaning, as will be seen in the second chapter, if Allāh willed. This is the
straight and sound way, which stations the muĥkam verses as the base of the
Book.
***EXTRA DETAIL***
The Wahhābiyyah have tricks to avoid being cornered by this verse. Among
them is that they say, “When reciting this verse, you should not stop there, rather,
you must continue and read the rest of the verse:
بصري ﴾لٱلسميع ٱ﴿وه و
This means: “And He is the one who hears and sees.”
From there they will accuse you of distorting the meaning of the verse by saying,
“Just as it is valid that He hears and sees while nothing is like Him, it is valid
that He has a face and hands while nothing is like Him.” The answer for this is in
two steps. The first is to prove the validity of reciting:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
and stopping there. That is achieved in two ways: The first is the fact that if one
looked into the book of the Qur’ān; he would find a sign over top of the verse
proving that the reciter is allowed to stop there. If the Wahhābi says, “That is for
the recitation, not the meaning,” respond by saying, “Would it be valid for the
recitation to give an invalid meaning?” The second way to thwart the Wahhābi’s
attempt to dodge this verse’s ruling is to say to him, “Even if we recited the
49
saying:
كمثلهشيءوه و بصري ﴾لٱلسميع ٱ﴿ليس
Meaning, “Nothing is whatsoever like Him, and He hears and sees,” that is
not the beginning of the verse, so what made it permissible for you to start at:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
when it is in itself the continuation of previous statements? Why have you not
recited the entire verse from its beginning to its end?” If he says: “Because this is
the part of the verse related to our topic.” We answer: “For the same reason we
have recited the amount that we have recited.”
The second step is to clarify that the hearing and sight of Allāh are not by eyes
and ears, have no beginning or end, and are not restricted to time, direction,
volume, or light, and thus do not resemble the hearing and sight of the creatures.
The scholars said that this was the benefit of being mentioned after the
confirmation that He does not resemble anything. In other words, Allāh told us in
His book:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
then, after knowing that He does not resemble anything, we are informed that:
بصري ﴾لٱلسميع ٱ﴿وه و
This means: “He is the one Who hears and sees,” so that we would know that
His hearing and sight are different from that of the creations.
This is the key for answering their question to us, “Why is it valid for you to say
that Allāh has hearing, sight, knowledge and power, but you prevent us from
saying that He has hands, fingers, face and eyes?” You can respond by saying
that hearing, sight, knowledge and power do not necessitate a body. They are
meanings that do not dictate composition and physical structure. As for their
claim of a face and hands, etc.:
If they say that they are real, literal face and hands, then they have
likened Allāh to the creation, because real, literal face and hands require
composition and physical structure. If they say that they are not literal,
50
then they have made ta’wīl.
If they say that they do not know the meanings of face and hands in
reference to Allāh, then we ask them how they could translate
something without knowing its meaning.
If they say that they translated the Arabic terms into their English
counterparts, we tell them that the Arabic terms have many possible
meanings, so the intended meanings must be translated according to the
context and not the mere word by its face value.
If they choose to use only the Arabic words, such as al-Wajh and al-
Yad, without confirming any specific meanings for them except that
they are attributes of Allāh and that Allāh knows about them, then they
have complied with us.
The origin of their twisted understanding of the verse:
كمثلهشيءوه و لبصري ﴾ٱميع لسٱ﴿ليس
is taken from their grandfather, Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah al-Ĥarrāniyy, who
confessed that he likens Allāh to the creation when he said in his book Bughyah
al-Murtād100
:
كمثلهشيء﴾قالتعاىل وهيأعظميشبهبصري ﴾لٱلسميع ٱ﴿وه وفنزه﴿ليس آيةأنزلتيفالتنزيهومعذلكملختلعنالتشبيه
This means: “The Exalted said: ﴾شيء كمثله and thereby He was exalted ﴿ليس
from resemblance; ٱ﴿وه و بصري ﴾لٱلسميع and thus He was likened. This is the
greatest verse revealed in clearing Allāh from resembling the creation, and
despite that, it was not devoid of resembling Him to others.” The reality of Ibn
Taymiyah’s claim is that the Qur’ān contradicts itself.
100 Bughyah al-Murtād fī al-Radd ˇalā al-Mutafalsifah wa-al-Qarāmiťah wa-l-
Bāťinīyah, page 464; Maktabah al-ˇUlūm wa-l-Ĥikam, Third Edition 2001.
51
***
Proof from the Ĥadīth that Refutes the Wahhābi Creed
As for the honorable sayings of the Prophet of Allāh , we recite the ĥadīth101
:
ومليك نشيءغي ر ه كاناهلل
This means: “Allāh existed (eternally), and there was nothing other than
Him.” This is a very basic and easy-to-understand proof. It shows that Allāh was
eternally alone. There was no ˇArsh, sky, body, place, direction, light, darkness,
nor anything else.
If a Wahhābi insists on his bad belief, mention this ĥadīth and then ask, but
without the intention to make him say blasphemy, “Is a place something other
than Allāh?” He can give three possible responses:
He may totally ignore your question, and instead of answering, he
would ask you a different question, or he may change the subject. If he
does either of those, do not answer his question, nor follow him into
another subject. Stick to the ĥadīth and do not let him get away with not
answering the question. If he refuses to answer the question, it is
because he knows what you are trying to do, and he does not want to be
cornered.
If he says that the place is Allāh, which we do not expect him to say,
then he committed pure, explicit and blatant blasphemy.
If he says that the place is something other than Allāh, then say, “Allāh
existed without anything, and you agree that the place is something
other than Him, so by this ĥadīth, Allāh existed without a place.” If the
Wahhābi says, “Well, Allāh is now in a place,” then he likened Allāh to
the creations, attributing change to Him. Places are not eternal, because
Allāh is the only eternal One.
Because of the clarity of this refutation, Ibn Taymiyah went to claim the
existence of the types of things with Allāh eternally. He said in his book Minhāj
as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah:
101 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6982.
52
،فإناألزلليسهوعبارةعندائما لم يزل جاز أن يكون نوع الحوادثوإنشيءحمددبلمامنوقتيقدرإالوقبلهوقتءاخر
This means: “…Although it is valid that the creations in their kind would be
everlasting, beginningless, for eternity is not an expression of something
specific. Instead, there is no moment of time, except that before it there was
another moment… ” Does not Ibn Taymiyah know that time is a creation of
Allāh, and hence was preceded by nonexistence? If that expression is not clear
enough, then here is his statement from his book called “Muwāfaqatu Ŝaĥīĥ al-
Manqūl li-Ŝarīĥ al-Maˇqūl”102
:
فإناألزيلهونوعاحلادثالعنياحلادث
This means: “Because the eternal one is the type of the creation, not the created
thing itself.” What led Ibn Taymiyah to say these things is the fact that he wants
to confirm a place and direction for Allāh, no matter what the cost. Thus, if it
were said that attributing a place to Allāh means that Allāh changed, he would
respond by saying, “No, actually the place as a type of thing is beginningless,
and so Allāh was always in a place.” This creed of Ibn Taymiyah is a shameful
exposure and a confirmation of his belief that something existed with Allāh
eternally, which is shirk.
Also, the Wahhābis believe that Allāh moves from one place to another, but
motion is not eternal. It comes into existence (has a beginning) after it was non-
existent. So, how can the Wahhābis confirm that Allāh literally descends and
ascends, when the Prophet told us that Allāh is eternal? According to the
Wahhābis, Allāh acquired attributes, which negates being eternal. How is it
known that we are created, and not eternal? It is because we change and develop.
Changing and developing are signs of the existence of the mighty Creator; the
Lord Who creates and gives us the attributes that we did not have before. This is
why Abū Ĥanīfah said in al-Fiqh al-Akbar:
التغريواالختالفيدثعنداملخلوقني
This means: “Changes and variations occur on the creations (only).” Allāh is not
102 Muwāfaqatu Ŝaĥīĥ al-Manqūl li-Ŝarīĥ al-Maˇqūl, page 228.
53
a creation, so no one gives Him attributes. Ahlu-s-Sunnah agreed that He does
not give Himself attributes, because whatever Allāh creates is a creation, and He
does not have a created attribute. Allāh is not like us. He is the One Who changes
things, but He does not change. He is eternal. This ĥadīth is also an explicit one
whose meaning cannot be played with. Use it against them and stick to it. Do not
let them lead you away from it, as the more devious among them may
intentionally try. If you use it properly, there would be no way around it.
Scholarly Texts Refuting the Wahhābi Creed
After creating the creations, Allāh did not acquire one of their attributes, like
being in a physical direction in comparison to them. Nor did he lose any of His
attributes, like eternally existing without changing. None of the creations became
attributes of Allāh. After creating places and directions, He did not take them as
attributes for Himself. He is not attributed with a created attribute; an attribute
that did not exist, and then came into existence. This is why ať-Ťaĥāwiyy103
, a
true Salafiyy, in his book famous as the ˇAqīdah of ať-Ťaĥāwiyy, said:
.مازالبصفاتهقدياقبلخلقه،مليزددبكوهنمشيئامليكنقبله ممنصفتهعليهاأبديا كذلكاليزال كانبصفاتهأزليا، وكما
This means: “With His attributes, He never ceased to be without beginning
before His creation. He did not acquire any attribute that did not exist before
them, and just as He with His attributes is without a beginning, likewise He with
His attributes will always be everlasting.”
The Validity of the Consensus
A good thing about ať-Ťaĥāwiyy’s book is that it conveys the consensus;
agreement (al-Ijmāˇ)104
of the Muslim scholars about the matters of Belief.
103 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Abū Jaˇfar Aĥmad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Salāmah Ibn
Salamah Ibn ˇAbdil-Malik Ibn Salāmah Ibn Sulaym Ibn Sulaymān Ibn Janāb al-
Azdiyy ať-Ťaĥāwiyy, (229 – 321 AH). Among his teachers was: Yūnus Ibn
ˇAbdil-Aˇlā, Abū Ibrāhīm al-Mizziyy, and al-Qāďī Aĥmad Ibn Abī ˇImrān.
Among his students was: al-Ĥāfiđħ Abu-l-Qāsim ať-Ťabarāniyy, al-Ĥāfiđħ Abū
Bakr al-Muqrī’ and al-Ĥāfiđħ Muĥammad Ibn al-Muđħaffar.
104 Ijmāˇ “consensus” is the unanimous agreement among the mujtahids in any
era about the judgment of a particular case. Once established, no one has the
54
Unfortunate for Wahhābis, they believe that all of the scholars can agree upon
something and still be wrong, so they care not that this book conveys the
consensus. The authentic saying of the Prophet 105
:
كانهللليجمعأمةحممدعلىضاللة ما
This means: “Allāh will not let (the scholars of) the Nation of Muhammad
agree on a misguidance.” The Wahhābis restrict this ĥadīth to the Companions,
may Allāh accept their deeds and grant them high status. To that, tell them that
they are making ta’wīl. This ĥadīth guarantees protection for the Ummah
(Nation) in general, which follows its guided scholars. If the scholars would
agree upon a mistake, this would mislead the entire nation. Such was the fate of
Banū Isrā’īl (the Children of Israel), whose scholars contravened the Islāmic
laws revealed to Prophet Mūsā (Moses), and thus strayed the entire nation. The
Nation of Prophet ˇĪsā (Jesus) also deviated. The nation of Muĥammad will not
deviate entirely; instead, most of them will always have the proper belief.
Another issue of consensus conveyed by ať-Ťaĥāwiyy is, “Allāh is exalted
beyond limits, extremes, limbs, organs and instruments. The six directions
(above, below, right, left, in front of, behind) do not contain (i.e. pertain to) Him,
as is the case of the created things.”
A Documentation of the Salaf’s Belief
Yet another benefit is that this book was written during the time of the Salaf.
When ať-Ťaĥāwiyy wrote this book, no one objected to it. The scholars of the
Salaf were generally the best in Islām, and not one came to him telling him that
his book contained lies or mistakes against the correct Muslim belief. On the
contrary, this book became very, very famous, was memorized, and then narrated
generation after generation, without anyone discrediting it - until today, 1,100
years later. The Wahhābis do not agree with everything that he conveyed, as
explicitly stated by the now deceased Wahhābi leader, [ˇAbdul-ˇAzīz Ibn
ˇAbdillāh] Ibn Bāz, in his corrupted explanation of ať-Ťaĥāwiyy’s book106
. Since
right to later disagree with it.
105 Narrated by al-Ĥākim in al-Mustadrak, Ĥadīth No. 8545, 8546, 8664, and
8665; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2167; Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No.
26682; al-Muˇjam al-Kabīr by ať-Ťabarāniyy, Ĥadīth No. 2171.
106 Ibn Bāz said the following in his book “Taˇlīqāt al-Bāziyyah ˇala-l-ˇAqīdah
55
they do not agree with him, then they admit that they do not believe what
Muslims believe, because the Muslims believed in what he documented before
he even wrote it. If they say that they do agree with him, then they agreed with
us, and the argument is closed.
He also conveyed, “Whoever ascribes to Allāh an attribute with a meaning
among the meanings pertaining to mankind has blasphemed.” If the Wahhābis
are truly Salafiyy, then why do they not agree with this belief that was
documented by the Salaf, agreed on by them, and thus passed on? It is because
they take what they want and leave what they want. If the Salaf believed that the
one who ascribes a corporeal (bodily) meaning to Allāh is a kāfir (non-Muslim),
then how do these so-called Salafiyyah consider themselves Muslims, since they
say, “The meaning is the same, but the degree is different”? They mean that the
meaning of hand and face and eyes is the same when attributed to Allāh, but it is
a different kind of hand, face and eye. By this, they attribute the meaning that
relates to humans to Allāh, and as just mentioned, for that, the Salaf made takfīr
(judged one as a non-Muslim).
Be careful, they truly say this statement: “The meaning is the same, but the
degree is different”. This statement is blasphemous. If they say that the meanings
of “al-Yad”, “al-ˇAyn” and “al-Wajh” (the Arabic terms) are not the same when
attributed to Allāh, then they agreed with us. If they say that the meanings of
those terms are not the same when attributed to Allāh, then what happened to
taking them literally?” In other words, we are saying that the literal meaning is
the meaning that refers to the creations, so when they use the literal meanings of
ať-Ťaĥāwiyyah” (comment #3) concerning the statement of ať-Ťaĥāwiyy: “Allāh
is exalted beyond limits, extremes, limbs…”:
…By hudood (limits) the author means such as known by humans since
no one except Allāh Almighty knows his limits…Those among the pious
predecessors who spoke of a limit with regard to His attribute of istawa,
meant a limit known to Allāh only and not known by people. As for the
extremes, limbs, the organs and the instruments…Allāh has the
attributes of face, hand and foot etc…No one except Allāh knows how
they are…Similarly, his saying ‘The six directions do not surround Him
like all other innovations’ means the six created directions…He is
above this world and surrounding it...
Therefore according to Ibn Bāz, Allāh is an existent thing that has limbs and
limits and that He surrounds this world like a basketball surrounds the air inside
of it.
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these terms, they are using the creation’s meaning; the bodily meaning107
.
***EXTRA DETAIL***
It is important to know the difference between “agreement in expression” and
“agreement in meaning”. Similarity between two things does not always take
place by merely using the same expression. For example, we say that Allāh
exists and the creatures exist, but this agreement in expression does not
necessitate that He resembles the creations, since His existence is without a
body, soul, time or place. Thus, if they ask us, “What made it acceptable for you
to say that His hearing, sight and speech are different from the creations?” We
respond by saying, as previously mentioned, “It is true that the expression is the
same, but the meaning is different, for His sight is without pupils, His hearing is
without ears, and His Speech is without letters, words or sounds.”
We oppose the Wahhābis, not because they confirm “Yad”, “ˇAyn” and “Wajh”
to Allāh, but because they do not accept for someone to deny that Allāh has
hands or a face according to the apparent meanings. They say, “We must take
those attributes as they are, without looking for other linguistic meanings.” We,
Ahlu-s-Sunnah, say, “We must believe in the attributes that are mentioned in the
Qur’ān and the Sunnah, but any attribute that would apparently imply a physical
meaning is not taken by its apparent meaning.” Therefore, if one of them were to
say that Allāh has hands, face and eyes that are neither organs nor pieces, and are
not dimensional or physical, then if this is truly his understanding, he then agreed
with us, except in the expression. Upon that, we only object to his usage of
English words that delude people to think that Allāh has organs. We then advise
him to stick to the Arabic words, and to explain to the people that those Arabic
words as attributes of Allāh are not to be taken by their apparent meanings.
***
Important Information and Advice
Thus far, we have covered the blasphemous, twisted and devious beliefs of the
Wahhābis, their reasoning, or (twisted) logic behind it, and some basic reasons
107 Just as the logical person says that the coffee cup is different from the
drinking glass, it is with this “relative difference” that the Wahhābi says that
“Allāh is different from the creation.” In other words, the Wahhābi truly believes
that “Allāh is similar to the creation, just He is not identical.” For them, the
difference is like the difference between the coffee cup and the drinking glass –
relative; without any doubt this is a blasphemous conviction.
57
why they are in error. To recap and summarize: they believe that Allāh has a
body because they take some verses and ĥadīths literally. They will usually deny
that they believe that Allāh has a body, but you may find some who are ill
enough to admit it.
Their belief is invalid, incorrect, and unsound for many reasons. It does not make
sense (but they do not care), it makes the verses of The Qur’ān contradict each
other (as will be elaborated on, if Allāh willed), it is against the explicit muĥkam
sayings of The Prophet (ĥadīth can be muĥkam and mutashābih also), and it is
against the agreement of the scholars. Before looking at some of the texts that
these very misguided people use to fool the Muslims, let us go over some
important information and advice:
The Meaning of Kufr and Some of its Details
Such a bad belief is undoubtedly blasphemous, but what is blasphemy?
Blasphemy is kufr, the opposite of īmān (faith or belief), that which cancels and
nullifies the validity of one’s Islām. A blasphemer is a kāfir, and a kāfir is not a
Muslim. Kufr is the worst sin that the slaves of Allāh commit, and it can be
committed without knowing. Being ignorant that something makes a person a
blasphemer and takes him out of Islām does not protect him from becoming a
blasphemer, or else Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others would not be
blasphemers. Had ignorance been an excuse, it would be better than knowledge,
because then people would choose ignorance so that they would be excused.
Also, an intention is not needed to commit blasphemy. That is why The Prophet
said108
:
إنالعبدليتكلم بالكلمةاليرىبابأساي هويبايفالنارسبعنيخريفا
This means: “Surely the slave of Allāh will utter the word. He does not see
anything wrong with it. Because of it, he will fall for 70 autumns109
into
Hellfire.” The depth of 70 years into Hellfire is the bottom of Hell, a place that
no Muslim will reach. Therefore, the Prophet was talking about how someone
108 Narrated by al-Bayhaqiyy in as-Sunan al-Kubrā, Ĥadīth No. 16154; Ŝaĥīĥ
Muslim, Ĥadīth No. 2988; Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6112 & 6113; al-
Muwaťťa’ Mālik, Ĥadīth No.1849; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2314.
109 i.e. 70 years.
58
committed blasphemy because of something he said, but without realizing that he
even did anything wrong. Even a new Muslim who acquired a bad belief in Allāh
would not be excused from kufr. This is so because the correct belief and saying
the Shahādah are the minimum requirements for becoming a Muslim. In other
words, just saying the Shahādah by itself is not enough to make a person a
Muslim, if that utterance is not associated with the proper belief. This is why the
Prophet said110
:
خيرجمنالنارمنقالالإلهإالاهللويفقلبهوزنذرةمنإيان
This means: “Whoever says, “No one is God but Allāh111
” will exit Hellfire,
as long as there is a particle’s weight of faith in his heart.” Also, believing
without uttering the Shahādah does not validate ones Islām, or else the Prophet’s
uncle, Abū Ťālib, would have been a Muslim, because he knew that his nephew,
Muĥammad, was truthful, but he refused to utter the Shahādah.
There is absolutely no excuse for having a bad belief in Allāh, His Messenger ,
or His Religion. People with bad beliefs in Allāh, like “Five Percenters”, the so-
called Nation of Islām, and the Wahhābis fell into kufr. Some groups have bad
beliefs in The Messenger of Allāh , like the Aĥmadiyyah who deny that
Muĥammad is the last to receive the status of prophethood. Some people claim
Islām, but disbelieve in its exclusiveness; that Islām is the only valid religion,
like those who misunderstood some Qur’ānic verses and believed that the Jews’
and Christians’ religions will be accepted by Allāh on the Day of Judgment.
When it comes to these essentials of the belief, there is no excuse for not having
them. One must have those most basic issues intact to be a Muslim. As for other
issues, like believing in the Angels, the Day of Judgment, Paradise, Hellfire, the
obligation of the five prayers, etc. if someone becomes a Muslim and has not yet
believed in these things because he has not heard about them, his Islām is still
valid.
A Muslim who commits kufr leaves Islām and becomes a kāfir. This terrible
action is ar-Riddah (apostasy), and because of it, all good deeds are erased, as
110 Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 4312; Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 44;
Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2593.
111 This means, “Whoever says no one is God but Allāh and Muĥammad is the
Messenger of Allāh.”
59
we are told112
:
﴾اسرينخلٱآلخرةمنٱحبطعمل ه وه ويفيانف قدإلٱومنيكف رب﴿
This means: “Whoever commits blasphemy and rejects belief has wasted his
deeds and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.”
As for the bad deeds, they are not erased by apostasy. Anyone with a bad belief
in Allāh because of a Wahhābi influence, or any belief like it, like some people
who believe that Allāh is a light, must say the Shahādah again with the intention
to leave that blasphemy and never return to it. Anyone who repeated their
blasphemous sayings must do the same to clear himself of their poison. Uttering
the Shahādah is to say: “No one is God except Allāh and Muĥammad is The
Messenger of Allāh.” This can be said in any language, and no witness or
shower is needed. One should be keen to say it properly, by clearly pronouncing
the “h” in the name of Allāh, and also pronouncing the name of Prophet
Muĥammad correctly. Whoever cannot pronounce the name of Allāh can
translate it, and whoever cannot pronounce the name of Muĥammad can call him
by his other title: Abu-l-Qāsim [abul\cau`\sim], like to say: “No deity is worthy
of worship except God, and Muĥammad (or Abu-l-Qāsim113
) is the messenger of
God. If someone says the Shahādah while believing something that contradicts
its basic meaning, then what he uttered did not make him a Muslim.
Judging Someone as a Kāfir (Takfīr)
Do not let your kinship or friendship bond you to these people, just as those who
are deep into the so-called Salafi cult will shun others very swiftly. Do not
compromise the validity of your belief because of your relationship with a
Wahhābi. Some people refuse to call a person a kāfir, claiming that judging
others is forbidden, which is not true. We do judge- by the rules of Allāh. Ask
the one who claims that judging is forbidden, “How do you judge a person who
utters the Shahādah?” He would obviously judge such a person as a Muslim.
How would he judge the one who cheats, lies, or steals?
He would judge that person as a cheater, liar, or thief. Then why would this
person refuse to judge the one who blasphemes as a blasphemer? We follow the
112 Sūrat al-Mā’idah, verse 5.
113 This has been stated by Shaykh Yūsuf Ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ardabīliyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy
in his book al-Anwār li-Aˇmāl al-Abrār, vol. 3, page 291 and others.
60
saying of ˇUmar Ibnu-l-Khaťťāb, that we judge the people according to what is
apparent from them. If they show goodness then we treat them as such, and if
they show wickedness then we treat them as such. Do not be reluctant to confirm
that he is a kāfir if you witness him uttering blasphemous things. Some people
are reluctant because of the ĥadīth114
:
كافرفقد باءباأحدمهاإنكانكماقالمنقالألخيهياوإالرجعتعليه
This means: “Whoever says to his brother, ‘O, kāfir’, then one of those two
would truly be inflicted with being a kāfir’. Either it is as he said, or else it
comes back to him.”
This means that if a person calls someone else a kāfir’, then he had better be
correct, or else he will become a kāfir’ for labeling a Muslim with kufr without
evidence115
. It means that if the person is correct in calling another person a
kāfir’, then it is as he said - that person is a kāfir’, but if he is incorrect, then that
judgment of kufr comes back to him, and he falls into kufr. The Prophet did not
say that it cannot be known if a person committed kufr or not. He did not say that
it is not permissible to judge a person as a kāfir unless that person testifies for
himself that he is a kāfir. Nor is it mentioned by the scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah
that a non-scholarly Muslim cannot know how to identify blasphemy. The person
who says these things speaks from his own opinions about the rules of Allāh. In
fact, Allāh told us116
:
114 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Ĥadīth No. 60.
115 Sometimes a person labels a Muslim as a kāfir unrightfully, but would not be
judged as a kāfir himself, which is the case of a person who is confused and
thinks that a major sin is kufr when it is not. For example, if someone believes
that drinking alcohol is blasphemy, so he judges the Muslim who drinks alcohol
as a blasphemer, he does not blaspheme for that because of his confusion, but he
is sinful for calling that Muslim a blasphemer and for not learning the obligatory
knowledge of the Religion. The judgment mentioned in the ĥadīth pertains to the
one who judges a person as a kāfir without any reason or evidence, and not out
of confusion.
116 Sūrat at-Tawbah, verse 74.
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كلمةماقال يلف ونباهلل﴿ ﴾مهملك فروكفر واب عدإسالٱواولقدقال وا
This means: “They swear by God (that) they did not say it, and by God, they
(actually) did say the word of blasphemy and blasphemed after their state of
Islām.”
If a person commits kufr, he is a kāfir, with no doubt about it. So, if someone
knows a person who committed kufr, but still treats him as a Muslim; makes him
believe that he is still a Muslim, then that someone fell into kufr himself117
. Kufr
is a great reality that many people unknowingly fall into everyday. Learning
about it is an obligation. Kufr is the sin that will put a person in Hellfire forever
if he dies without clearing himself from it.
If someone says, “this verse was revealed about the hypocrites who used to
pretend to be Muslims, so it does not pertain to the Muslims,” respond by saying,
“Before it became clear that those people were hypocrites, how were they
treated, as Muslims or not?” Indeed they were treated according to what they
showed outwardly. Therefore, any person who outwardly shows Islām, and then
shows blasphemy is judged as a blasphemer.
Having the Correct Intention
Among the most important things of which to be mindful is having the correct
intention. Let the one who debates with deviant people keep the pure intention.
Do not debate with the mere intention of arguing, nor just to show that you are
right and the other person is wrong, or to show off your knowledge. Instead,
debate with the intention to show the truth. Our Prophet did not debate unless
it was to show the truth, nor did he ever lose a debate. Imām ash-Shāfiˇiyy said
that he never debated with someone unless it was to show the truth. If you
believe that the deviant person will not accept what you are saying, and will only
continue committing blasphemy, then it is not permissible to keep debating with
him. However, it is permissible to continue if you need to protect the people who
are around, and to show the truth to those who are listening. Do not leave him to
talk to the people and spread his blasphemy among them if you are able to
117 Imām an-Nawawiyy said in ar-Rawďah, vol 7, page 290: “The one who does
not charge with blasphemy the one who takes a religion other than Islām (e.g. a
Christian or a fire-worshipper) or he doubts in that person being a blasphemer or
he considers his religion to be valid then he is a blasphemer, even if he shows
Islām outwardly and even if he believes in Islām.”
62
protect them from him.
Refrain from Purposely Leading a Person to Say Kufr
Also, refrain from asking questions that lead the deviant person to commit kufr.
For instance, do not ask a Wahhābi, “Do you believe that Allāh has a real face?”
or “Do you believe that Allāh is in a place above His ˇArsh?” The Wahhābi will
predictably answer, “Yes” to those questions, and then commit blasphemy as a
result of that answer; because he is admitting that he believes in blasphemy. If
you provoke, lead, cause or make someone commit blasphemy, you will fall into
it yourself118
. The evidence that this is forbidden is the verse119
:
وإلٱت عاون واعلىوال﴿ ﴾ع دوانلٱمث
This means: “Do not assist each other in sins and transgression.” If Allāh
forbade us from assisting in sins, then more so it is forbidden to assist in the
worst of sins, which is blasphemy.
This is a grave mistake made by many debaters. Intending to make their
opponents commit to bad sayings, they purposely make their opponents utter
blasphemous words. It is done to expose the contradictions and inconsistencies,
but sadly, these people fall into blasphemy while wanting to do something good.
As such, if you talk to a Christian, do not ask, “Do you believe that Jesus is the
son of God?” Do not ask the atheist, “Do you deny the existence of God?” When
these people answer “yes” to these questions, which would be the expected
answer, then the one who posed the question also blasphemes. Whoever tempts,
prompts, or encourages a blasphemer to confess to his blasphemy also falls into
blasphemy. Avoiding this sin requires you to be clever, quick and thoughtful.
The one who is able to refute a deviant person without asking him such questions
is much more effective and skilled than someone who cannot do that, and
moreover is safe by protecting himself from blasphemy.
The evidence that the one who encourages another to blaspheme shares their sin
of blasphemy is the ĥadīth120
that in reference to wine, the Messenger of Allāh
118 Al-Iˇlām bi Qawāťiˇi-l-Islām, page 355 by Aĥmad Ibn Ĥajar al-Haytamiyy.
119 Sūrat al-Mā’idah, verse 2.
120 Al-Mustadrak, Ĥadīth No. 2282; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 1295;
Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 3674; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3380; al-
Muˇjam al-Awsať, Ĥadīth No. 4102; and others.
63
damned whoever squeezes the grapes, whoever drinks the wine, whoever
delivers it, the one to whom it is delivered, whoever pours it, whoever sells it,
whoever consumes its price, whoever buys it, and he for whom it is purchased.
They all share in the sin. There are similar narrations about the people who
participate in usurious gain (ribā). Furthermore, the scholars of the four schools,
as well as other schools, have confirmed and agreed that it is blasphemous to
knowingly aid any person commit blasphemy. Consequently, helping someone
blaspheme is blasphemy. So fear Allāh, and do not think that this matter is light
or less than blasphemy. The one who engages in a debate must learn the proofs
and strategies explained by the scholars, learn the Islāmic rules pertaining to
debate, and avoid sinful matters, such as missing the prayers and asking
blasphemous questions.
Think First and Hold Your Tongue
Also, do not forget to maintain good manners and very importantly, to stay calm.
Do not let your frustration show, and do not let it lead you to shouting, etc. Allāh
advised us121
:
سبيلربكباحلكمةو﴿ سنةحلٱوعظةملٱادع إىل ﴾باليتهيأحسن وجادهل م
This means: “Call to the path (i.e., the Religion) of your Lord with wisdom
and good admonishment, and debate them with what is better.” This verse is
yet more evidence that it is permissible to debate in the Religion if there is a
benefit.
Furthermore, whoever wants to present the proof needs to think and to recognize
his limitations. Efforts to show the truth can be wasted because of not thinking
ahead and not knowing when to speak and when to be silent. Do not bring up a
detail without having further evidence or references for support. The Wahhābi
will ask for proof, and you will have backed yourself into a corner. On the other
hand, do not be afraid to ask a Wahhābi for his proof. Do not forget that the
burden of presenting evidence is on the one who makes the claim, as the Prophet
said122
:
121 Sūrat an-Naĥl, verse 125.
122 Narrated by al-Bayhaqiyy in as-Sunan al-Kubrā, Ĥadīth No. 20990 and
64
البينة علىاملدعي
This means: “The evidence is upon the claimer.” With this simple rule, you can
easily corner a person who tries to avoid an issue. If a misguided person is asked
to prove his claim, he may reply, “Prove me wrong.” Do not fulfill his request.
This is an attempt to avoid the question. Tell him, “The burden of proof is upon
whoever made the claim, so do not ask me to prove that you are wrong. Prove
that you are correct. I have not made a claim yet. I have only asked for your
proof.” This is one of the most important rules of debate and it is extremely
effective in refuting Wahhābis, because it makes them run around in circles like
headless chickens. The most frequent response we get from Wahhābis when we
ask, “What is your proof?”, or “Who said that?” is everything except the answer.
Nevertheless, be careful. Do not think that every Wahhābi will always be
stunned by this.
The Importance of Focusing on the Belief
Many ignorant people say, “Why are you arguing over the belief? That is so
basic! There are Muslims who are dying because of the blasphemers! The
Muslims are not unified, we need unity! Stop wasting your time on these small
issues!” To that, refer to the Messenger of Allāh when he said123
:
أفضلاألعمالإيانالشكفيه
This means: “The best of deeds is (the correct) belief (in Allāh and His
messenger) without a doubt in it.” Belief is higher in status than prayer,
fasting, charity, and even unity, which will not exist when the beliefs of the
people clash.
This belief is the worst of their transgressions and deviance, because it pertains
to the belief in Allāh. If a person does not have the correct belief, then he is not a
Muslim. The first thing to address with these people is their belief. We single
them out because they imitate Muslims very closely, and then teach kufr. There
are other deviant ideas that they propagate. Among them is the false notion that
everything innovated in Islām is bad, despite that they give religious speeches
others.
123 Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 14975; Sunan ad-Dārimiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2739;
Sunan an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 2526; Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhariyy, Chapter of Tawĥīd.
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with microphones, teach religious classes in schools and universities (instead of
in the mosques and houses), and have calculated the prayer times for years in
advance instead observing them every day or every few days. This topic will be
revisited in the appendices of the book, God willing. They are known for their
extremist ways of making optional (Sunnah) deeds into obligations, such as
obligating women to cover their faces. They also deem lawful things unlawful by
unrightfully restricting them to certain times, such as making the duff
(tambourine) forbidden on a day that is not a holiday or wedding. They are also
among the terrorists who are giving the Muslims a bad reputation these days.
They prohibit traveling to visit the Prophet’s grave, and other matters.
Whoever thinks that these mistakes are simple then let him think again. These
examples are only a handful of their mistakes. By this sick misinterpretation of
the religion, they accuse Muslims of kufr, deviance, and sins, which causes
tribulation and results in teaching people incorrect rules.
It would be appropriate to clarify a fallacy presented by some who claim our
Religion. It is not valid for someone to claim the need for striving for absolute
unity with all factions ascribed to Islām, for that does not comply with the
religious texts. The Messenger of Allāh said124
:
منرأىمنكممنكرافليغريهبيدهفإنمليستطعفبلسانه...فإنمليستطعفبقلبه
This means: “Any one of you who saw something forbidden, then let him
change it by his hand, if unable, then by his tongue, if unable, then with his
heart (he must hate it)…” The point of evidence is that if we were to unite with
all factions, we would either be silent about their deviance, or warn from it and
forbid it. If we are silent about their deviance and invalid creeds, then we have
abandoned the ĥadīth of the Prophet, and the Prophet warned us from being
silent in the face of evil and deviance when he said125
:
رأوااملنكرفلميغريوهأوشكأنيعمهماهللبعقابإنالناسإذا
124 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Īmān, Ĥadīth No. 49.
125 Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 4338; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 3057;
Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 1.
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This means: “Surely, if the people saw the forbidden and they did not change
it, Allāh is about to include them in a general punishment from Him.” If we
are forbidding them and warning against them, then we are not uniting with
them, instead, we would be calling them to join us, agree with us, and to leave
out everything that opposes what we are upon.
Thus, it is clear that claiming that all factions should unite and put their
differences aside is invalid, unless it means for them to unite under the Sunni
creed and leave all other deviant creeds. The only correct way is to call to the
truth and oppose whatever opposes the truth, and Allāh knows best.
Who are the Real Salaf?
The Salaf (predecessors, forerunners, pioneers) is the first three generations of
Muslims, as narrated by at-Tirmidhiyy126
:
الذينيلوهنمخريالناسقرنمثالذينيلوهنم مث
This means: “The best of the people are from my century, then those who
come after them, then those who come after them.” They are the Muslims of
the first three hundred years, starting from the migration (hijrah) of the Prophet
from Makkah to al-Madīnah. In general, the Muslims of the Salaf are better than
those who came after them. We say “in general”, because it is possible to find
someone from the khalaf (era after the Salaf) who is better than an individual
from the Salaf. It was the time of the four pious, rightly guided caliphs: Abū
Bakr, ˇUmar, ˇUthmān, and ˇAliyy. Add to that list al-Ĥasan and ˇUmar Ibn
ˇAbdul-ˇAzīz (may Allāh accept their deeds). The schools of fiqh were
established, and four remain since then- the followers of the great Salafiyy
mujtahids, Abū Ĥanīfah, Mālik, ash-Shāfiˇiyy, and Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal. The
books of ĥadīth were compiled during this time. It was the time of the greatest
scholars of ĥadīth, such as the authors of the six most relied upon books: al-
Bukhāriyy, Muslim, at-Tirmidhiyy127
, Abū Dāwūd128
, an-Nasā’iyy129
and Ibn
126 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 3057.
127 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Muĥammad Ibn ˇĪsā Ibn Sūrah Ibn Mūsā as-Sulamiyy at-
Tirmidhiyy (210 – 279 AH).
128 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Abū Dāwūd Sulaymān Ibn Ashˇath Ibn Isĥāq al-Azdiyy as-
Sijistāniyy (202 – 275 AH).
129 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Abu ˇAbdir-Raĥmān Aĥmad Ibn Shuˇayb Ibn ˇAliyy al-
67
Mājah130
. Also during this time, the great scholars of ˇaqīdah emerged, Abu-l-
Ĥasan al-Ashˇariyy and Abū Manŝūr al-Māturīdiyy. The Muslims were regarded
as the people of knowledge and piety. Because of the work that the great scholars
of the Salaf did, the Muslims after them had facilitated ease in terms of learning
Islām.
Chapter Two
A Refutation of their Misunderstanding of
the Honorable Texts
It is vital to speak about some texts that the Wahhābis use, because many people
see the invalidity of their belief, but feel compelled to follow them because they
do not want to reject the Islāmic texts. Many people know that likening Allāh to
His creatures is not sound or correct, but when shown verses and ĥadīth, they
feel that they must accept what the Wahhābis say. Then they make themselves
believe that the Wahhābis’ belief in Allāh does not liken Him the creations, thus
rejecting sound reasoning. Some people feel like they are rejecting the Islāmic
texts if they reject what the Wahhābis say, but this is not the case. Rejecting their
claims is not rejecting the Islāmic texts, it is simply rejecting the Wahhābi
misunderstanding of those texts.
Translating the Qur’ān
Beware of their so-called Qur’ānic translation, “The Noble Qur’ān”. It should be
called, “the Wahhābi mistranslation of The Qur’ān”. In it, they attribute organs
to Allāh by translating the verses literally, and supporting their mistranslations
with mistranslated ĥadīth and terrible footnotes. They even explicitly attribute
more than one shape to Allāh. Of course, they believe it is the best translation
available.
We point out the fact that translating the text of the Qur’ān and presenting that
translated text as a representation of the Qur’ān is an innovation. The scholars
did not encourage it. Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāˇah did not translate the Qur’ān;
they explained it, and what a difference between explaining and translating there
Khurasāniyy an-Nasā’iyy (215 – 302 AH).
130 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Muĥammad Ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Qazwīniyy (209 – 273
AH).
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is. They wrote books of tafsīr (interpretation) in which they explained each word
or group of words in the verses. These books of tafsīr sometimes became as vast
as four volumes or more. Some people are so deprived of the true teachings of
Ahlu-s-Sunnah that they actually believe that their translation is infallible; never
thinking that there could be mistakes in it. If they were asked, “What are you
reading?” they would say, “The Qur’ān.” It is truly and merely a translation of
the Qur’ān. Instead of giving word for word translations, the scholars gave
detailed tafsīr (interpretation; explanation), leaving the text of the Qur’ān in
Arabic. Allāh told us in many places in the Qur’ān that the Qur’ān is in Arabic,
such as131
:
﴾إناجعلناه ق رآناعربيا﴿
This means: “Surely We (Allāh) have made it an Arabic Qur’ān.” Instead of
translating the Qur’ān into different languages, the Muslims learned Arabic.
Like the rest of the religious knowledge, tafsīr must be acquired from a teacher.
Even an Arab is forbidden from making tafsīr without first learning its rules
from the mufassirūn (interpreters). There are many good books of tafsīr, like the
books of Abū Ĥayyān al-Andalusiyy132
and al-Qurťubiyy133
. To the contrary,
there are also bad books of tafsīr, such as Tafsīr az-Zamakhshariyy (al-Kashshāf)
and Tafsīr al-Jalālayn134
, despite its fame among laymen, because it ascribes the
desire of fornication to Prophet Yūsuf, mentions the false claim that the Devil
possessed the Prophet and put words on his tongue and other blasphemous
matters. There are also other books of tafsīr that require the attention of a
proficient scholar to clarify any weak ĥadīths or expressions therein like the
Tafsīr of an-Nasafiyy135
.
131 Sūrat az-Zukhruf, verse 3.
132 Al-Imām al-Mufassir Abū Ĥayyān Muĥammad Ibn Yūsuf Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn
Ĥayyan al-Andalusiyy an-Naĥwiyy (745 AH).
133 Al-Imām al-Mufassir Abū Bakr ˇAbdullāh Ibn al-Ĥasan Ibn Aĥmad al-
Anŝāriyy al-Andalusiyy al-Mālikiyy al-Qurťubiyy (711 AH).
134 One of the authors of this book is al-Ĥāfiđħ Jalālu-d-Dīn as-Siyūťiyy.
However, we do not confirm that he authored those blasphemous statements that
exist in this book. In fact some scholars have stated that this book has been
tampered with.
135 Al-Imām al-Mufassir Abū Ĥafŝ ˇUmar Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Aĥmad Ibn
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There are rules and ways of making tafsīr, so the Qur’ān is not left to be
interpreted by any unqualified person. Hence, know that when we use the term
“interpretation”, it is not meant to refer to merely reading the Qur’ān, especially
not a translation, and to produce a meaning from one’s own whim or conjecture,
like the Christians who actually have no science for interpreting their book. The
interpretations of their preachers are random and not based on any specific rules.
Mistranslating the Qur’ān and the ĥadīth is an evil innovation. Learn from
knowledgeable, trustworthy teachers, not translations. And with that, it is
important to understand that it is not a condition to know Arabic to learn the
meanings of the Qur’ān. The condition is to learn the meanings from a teacher
who learned those meanings from a teacher.
Remember, we understand the texts in accordance with the verse136
:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
Meaning: “Nothing resembles Allāh in anyway.”
By following this method, we avoid both mental and textual contradictions. They
understand the texts according to the verse137
:
ن ع ٱلرح ﴿ ﴾٥ى عرش ٱستو ٱل م
which they believe is the proof that Allāh is secluded in a place above the ˇArsh.
Its meaning will be addressed in detail in what follows, God willing. By that,
they fell into many contradictions, both mental and textual.
The Wahhābis Take Advantage of the Ignorant
A person not very knowledgeable about the matters of the creed, like a new
Muslim, is easy prey for them. They fill him with their bad beliefs by showing
their so-called proof. He may become consumed before he knows it, confident
that he has learned Islām. Also, they take advantage of whoever is ignorant of
Arabic by showing their so-called proofs. In addition, whoever lacks intelligence
would be easy to convince. They feed on the ignorant. They may start with truth,
Luqmān an-Nasafiyy al-Ĥanafiyy as-Samarqandiyy (537 AH).
136 Sūrat ash-Shūrā, verse 11.
137 Sūrat Ťāhā, verse 5.
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such as to say, “No one deserves to be worshiped except Allāh alone!
Muĥammad is His slave and Messenger! Jesus is the slave of Allāh and His
Messenger...” Then, they disclose their dark side by adding, “We must believe
that Allāh rose above His ˇArsh, and that Allāh settled Himself on the ˇArsh, and
that Allāh has two real hands…” In this way, they overtook many. It is
imperative to critically analyze what they say in order to understand their
contradictions.
Conversely, in the Muslim countries, they are known and cautioned against in
the lessons, books, and Jumuˇah speeches. There, they are minorities, so it is not
as easy for them to spread their beliefs. As such, they believe that most of The
Muslims are misguided people.
It is as if they confirm that the belief does not make sense. They all but stop short
of saying, “Yes, it is a contradiction to say that nothing is like Allāh while
describing Him with the attributes of bodies, however it is confirmed in the
Qur’ān and by The Prophet , so no matter what reasoning dictates, we do
verify these bodily attributes for Allāh.” In their minds, the Qur’ān confirms
bodily attributes for Allāh, so they believe that they should confirm bodily
attributes for Allāh, thereby disregarding the mental judgment. One may consider
this stance as something like patriotism. They are proud to say that no matter
what is rational or logical, they believe in the Qur’ān, however, they missed a
point: the correct belief does not defy logic, so there is no need to abandon it.
The Wahhābis Show Outward Adherence to the
Sunnah
They also snag people by their manners and appearance. They outwardly show
the religious rituals and signs. They grow nice beards, trim their mustaches, wear
nice fragrances, and usually dress with Muslim clothing. Ibn Mājah reports that
the Prophet said138
:
يكوندعاةعلىأبوابجهنممنأجابمإليهاقذفوهفيها،همقوممنجلدتنايتكلمونبألسنتنا،فالزممجاعةاملسلمني
This means: “There will be preachers at the gates of Hell. They will throw
138 Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3979.
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whoever responds to them into it. They are people who resemble us and
speak with our tongues. Adhere to the Jamāˇah of the Muslims…”
They say that cutting the beard is sinful, and although some mujtahids did say
that, they unrightfully deny the validity of the saying of the mujtahids who said it
is only disliked and not sinful to cut the beard. They believe that wearing the
pants below the ankles is a major sin, while the truth is that it is not sinful if
someone wears his pants below his ankles without arrogance or vanity. Some of
the mean and ignorant ones will not return the greetings of the Muslim whose
pants are below his ankles.
They falsely believe that it is obligatory for women to wear black or navy blue,
and to wear over-garments. The truth is that when the Prophet was asked if the
woman could pray with a scarf and a shirt without a garment from the waist
down (izār), he said139
:
كانالدرعسابغايغطيظهورقدميها إذا
This means: “If the shirt was flowing and covered the top of her feet.” Abū
Dāwūd as-Sijistāniyy narrated this, and it proves that she does not have to wear
an over-garment, which is the garment worn over the shirt and the rest of her
clothes. The Wahhabis also believe that the women must cover their faces.
However, there is more than one hadith that confirms that women were in the
presence of the Prophet with their faces uncovered, and he did not object to them
or forbid them from that.
They make the lines of their congregational prayers very straight. Their display
of the Sunnah may contribute to their stubbornness. In their minds, can they see
themselves misguided while bearing a big prostration mark, a long beard, and
having two wives?
However, a person with the correct belief will not accept their claims, because he
knows that Allāh is not similar to His creations, even if the Wahhābi has a huge
beard and may have memorized many chapters of the Qur’ān. The Muslim
would say to himself, “I don’t know Arabic, but I know the rule. The verse or the
hadith would not contradict the rule.” The Muslim is confident about the rule,
because the rule makes sense: Nothing is like Allāh. Nothing resembles Him. No
one has His Attributes. He does not have the attributes of anyone else. Allāh is
different from whatever you can imagine. This is how a person protects himself
139 Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 640.
72
from likening Allāh to the creations. The many verses and ĥadīth they produce
might seem overwhelming to a weak or doubtful person, nevertheless if you
learn the correct tafsīr (interpretation) of each and every one of those texts,
you’ll see that those people are very, very, very misguided.
After mentioning this, keep two important facts in mind:
A good outside appearance does not necessitate a good heart with the
correct belief. Do not let looks fool you, and do not judge every person
with a big beard and cut pants walking with a veiled woman in black as
a Wahhabi.
Those are recommended acts for the Muslim. Use your mind and seek the truth
with the sincere intention of seeking the blessings and acceptance of Allāh
(liwajhi-llāh).
The Truth about the Ĥadīth of the Female Slave
There is good reason for starting with Imām Muslim’s narration of Ĥadīth al-
Jāriyah; the Ĥadīth of the Female Slave. They use it very much to convince
people that Allāh is bound to a place. Understanding why it is not proof for their
claims is a matter of critical importance. Whoever misunderstands and thinks
that the Prophet likened Allāh to His creations falls into kufr (blasphemy).
The Story Behind the Ĥadīth
According to the narration of Imām Muslim, a man had a female slave taking
care of his flock, when a wolf attacked and ate a sheep. When he found out, he
felt that she was negligent, so he hit her in the face. Then he regretted that and
went to the Prophet and asked him, “O, Messenger of Allāh, should I set her
free?” The Prophet said, “Bring her to me,” so he brought her to him, and
according to Imām Muslim, the Prophet asked her140
:
ماءقالمنأناقالتأنترسولاهللقالأيناهللقالتيفالس قالأعتقهافإهنامؤمنة
140 Narrated by Muslim in his Ŝaĥīĥ, Chapter on the Prohibition of Speaking
while Praying, Ĥadīth No. 537.
73
“Ayna-llāh?” She said, “Fi-s-Samā’.” He said, “Who am I?” She said, “You are
the Messenger of Allāh.” He said, “Free her, for she is a believer.”
The explanation of the untranslated terms will come, if Allāh willed.
If a person does not understand the correct creed or the rules of interpreting the
Islāmic texts, he would take this ĥadīth literally and confirm the created attribute
of being in the sky to Allāh. Centuries ago, Ahlu-s-Sunnah established the correct
explanation of this narration, and there are several reasons why it is not proof for
their claims. If Allāh willed, we will only mention a few.
The Wahhābi Misunderstanding of the Ĥadīth
May Allāh protect us as we scrutinize their understanding of this ĥadīth. They
claim it to be proof that Allāh exists in a place, saying that the Prophet asked
the girl, “Where is Allāh?” - inquiring about a location. Thus, they deduce that
Allāh must be in a place, and that it must be permissible to inquire about His
location. Then they interpret her reply to mean, “In the sky”. So, they
furthermore say that since he said, “Free her, for she is a believer,” then Allāh
must be in the sky. This understanding likens Allāh to the creations, and whoever
takes the literal understanding has fallen into kufr.
The Arabic Terms Have More Than One Meaning
A smart and honest person should do at least one of two things if presented with
this ĥadīth: Reject the meaning that confines Allāh to a space and limits Him like
a body, without rejecting the ĥadīth itself (in its Arabic text), and if a little
shaken by it, then go to a knowledgeable person and ask about it. A blind
follower, an idle person who does not want to investigate, and a weak-minded
person will not ask , he will simply accept what they say, breeching the correct
belief. May Allāh strengthen our (correct) beliefs and our intellects.
The truth is that in this ĥadīth, The Prophet was asking the girl about her
belief in Allāh, and not about a place for Him, and she expressed that Allāh has
the highest status.
This ĥadīth does not prove their claim because its words can have more than one
meaning (mutashābih). The word “ayna” does not only ask about the makān
(place), but also the makānah (rank; status). This is proven by various sources,
including sayings of Companions, and Muslim scholars. The line of poetry:
منعليأينالثرىمنالثرياوأينمعاوية
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literally says, “Where is the soil compared to Pleiades, and where is Muˇāwiyah
compared to ˇAliyy?” The locations of Muˇāwiyah and ˇAliyy are not actually
sought, although “ayna” is used. It compares the high status of ˇAliyy, the rightly
guided Caliph, (which is high like the stars) to the status of Muˇāwiyah Ibn Abī
Sufyān, who was unjust and committed major sins by rebelling against the rightly
guided Caliph.
The terms “fi-s-Samā’” can also have more than one meaning. Besides “in the
sky”, it may signify having a high status. For example, in front of the Prophet ,
an-Nābighah, the Companion, said:
بلغناالسماء
This means: “We reached the sky,” as narrated by Ibn ˇAbdil-Barr. He meant
that by the blessing of Islām, Allāh raised their ranks.
*** EXTRA DETAIL***
We do not object to saying that “ayna” asks about the “makān”, but know that
“makān” does not only mean, “place”, it also means “makānah (status)”. So if a
Wahhābi brings a small, reliable Arabic dictionary, in which not all of the
definitions are mentioned, do not feel cornered if he says that “ayna” asks about
the “makān” (and he will say, “which means the place”). We agree, but makān
can also mean “makānah (status)”. Hence, the Wahhābi has no proof. If he asks
for proof that “makān” can mean “the status (makānah)”, then refer to the
narration in which al-ˇAbbās said “O Allāh, the people are directing their
supplication to you by me because of my MAKĀN to your prophet.141
”
نبيكاللهمإنالقومتوجه وايبإليكملكانمن
This is narrated by al-Bazzār142
, and they (the Wahhābis) narrate this ĥadīth
when attempting to discredit tawassul by the Prophet after his death.
Truly, al-ˇAbbās was referring to his status of being the Prophet’s companion
and uncle, and not to the place he was in, because even blasphemers stood there.
141 Fatĥ al-Bārī, vol. 2, page 588.
142 Al-Imām al-Ĥāfiđħ Abū Bakr Aĥmad Ibn ˇAmr Ibn ˇAbdil-Khāliq al-Baŝriyy
al-Bazzār (210 – 272 AH).
75
As such, the word “ayna” does ask about the “makān”, which can mean “place”
or “status”.
***
And so, this ĥadīth neither proves that Allāh is in a place, nor that it is
permissible to ask about a place for Him. It is permissible to ask “ayna-llāh?” in
Arabic, if the person means, “What do you believe about the status of Allāh?”
but one cannot ask, “Where is Allāh?” or “What place is Allāh in?” because this
is implying that Allāh is in a place, which is blasphemy. Everyone must be
certain with no doubt that Allāh exists without a place, and that it is blasphemy
even to imply that He is in a place.
Our point is to show that there are two possible meanings for the terms of this
ĥadīth. One is the rejected literal meaning, which contradicts:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
Meaning: “Nothing resembles Allāh.”
The other interpretation is that the Prophet asked her about her belief in Allāh,
and her reply meant that Allāh has the greatest status and highest majesty. This is
the acceptable interpretation, because it corresponds with the Arabic language
and the religious rules. Furthermore, it complies with other texts, including other
narrations of this very ĥadīth.
Different Versions (Riwāyāt) of the Ĥadīth
Know that in many cases, a ĥadīth would have several narrations. This is
because the Prophet did not obligate his companions to memorize everything
he said, so they would often convey the meanings of what he said, and as a
result, the expressions of one ĥadīth would vary from one narrator to another.
Take an example from the previously mentioned ĥadīth143
:
ومليك نشيءغري ه كاناهلل
This means: “Allāh existed, and there was nothing other than Him.” Al-
143 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6982.
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Ĥāfiđħ144
Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqiyy narrated the same ĥadīth, but with different
wording:
شيءكلقبلكاناهلل
This means: “Allāh existed before everything.” These are examples of one
ĥadīth having different narrations. This ĥadīth of the female slave does not prove
their claims because it has more than one narration, each with different wording:
Let us look at the narration of the great Salafiyy Mujtahid, Imām Mālik Ibn Anas,
which is stronger than Imām Muslim’s narration. In his book called al-Muwaťťa’,
Mālik narrated that the Messenger of Allāh asked the girl145
:
قالأتشهدينأنالإلهإالاهللقالتنعمأنرسولاهللقالتنعمأتشهدينقال
“Do you testify that no one is God except Allāh?” She said, “Yes.” He said,
“Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allāh?” She said, “Yes.”
As we can see, this narration does not ask about a place for Allāh. In it, The
Prophet asked the girl about her belief in Allāh. Since this narration asks
about her belief, then the narration of Muslim should also be interpreted to mean
that she was asked about her belief and not about a place for Allāh, because they
are merely different narrations of the same ĥadīth. It would only be ludicrous to
interpret the narration of Imām Muslim by the literal meaning, for then it would
not comply with a stronger narration, the narration of Mālik. We do not interpret
two different narrations of the same ĥadīth so that they would conflict with each
other; we interpret them to comply with each other.
144 Ĥāfiđħ refers to the top scholars of ĥadīth who are qualified to grade the
levels of the narrations. These scholars are higher than muĥaddiths. Someone
who memorized the Qur’ān is also called a ĥāfiđħ, but this does not make him a
scholar.
145 Al-Muwaťťa’ Mālik, Ĥadīth No. 1512; Sunan ad-Dārimiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2348;
Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 15316; Muŝannaf ˇAbdur-Razzāq, Ĥadīth No.
16814.
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It is not Sufficient to Say “In the Sky!”
A third reason this ĥadīth does not prove their claim is the fact that the Wahhābi
understanding of it contradicts a basic, fundamental rule that all Muslims know:
A person’s Islām is confirmed upon uttering the Shahādah. According to the
Wahhābis, The Prophet taught us this rule, but neglected it himself, since
according to them he judged her as a Muslim just because she said, “in the sky.”
Furthermore, if it is enough to say “in the sky” to be judged as a believer, then
the Wahhābis should consider the Jews and Christians believers, but they do not.
Therefore, the narration of Mālik clarifies what The Prophet was asking, and
the narration of Muslim is understood according to Mālik’s narration, in which
she actually was asked about the Shahādah, and that complies with the basics of
the religion. For this reason, an-Nawawiyy said when explaining the narration of
Muslim,
“In the ĥadīth is evidence that the blasphemer does not become a believer except
by confessing about (the oneness of) Allāh, and the message of the Messenger of
Allāh, may Allāh raise his rank and protect him from what he feared for his
nation, and in it is evidence that whoever confesses about the two shahādahs and
believes in that with certainty, that this is sufficient for the validity of his belief
and (the validity of him) being among the People of the Qiblah and (the people
of ) Paradise...”
Muslim’s Narration does not Support Them
If they say that this ĥadīth is narrated by Muslim, whose book is the second most
authentic book of ĥadīth, we agree (according to most scholars), but this fact
does not benefit the Wahhābi. Firstly, not every hadith narrated by Muslim is
strong. To think that there is not a single weak ĥadīth in the book of Muslim
whatsoever is evidence of one’s ignorance in the science of ĥadīth. It is
confirmed in even the smallest books of ĥadīth terminology that there are ĥadīth
for which Imām Muslim has been criticized, which is one of the reasons that his
book is the second strongest book of ĥadīth narration. Furthermore, Muslim did
not explain this ĥadīth of the slave woman; he only narrated it. Narrating and
explaining are two different issues not to be confused. As a blow below the belt,
the Wahhābis may claim that because of their prestige, the narrations of al-
Bukhāriyy and Muslim are enough without taking other books of ĥadīth into
consideration. This is utter stupidity and foolishness. It is not the way of Ahlu-s-
Sunnah to reject any authentic text from the Prophet , and the fact is that the
authentic ĥadīth are spread throughout hundreds of books.
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Thus, when a ĥāfiđħ judges a ĥadīth as authentic, that is according to his own
research. Some scholars said that Muslim’s narration is weak; a specific type of
weakness called “shudhūdh” (oddness). This is when a ĥadīth seems to be
authentic, but it opposes other authentic narrations from those who are stronger
in memorization or more numerous. In this case, the preserved narration would
be the narration of Mālik:
قالأتشهدينأنالإلهإالاهللقالتنعم قالأتشهدينأنرسولاهللقالتنعم
This means: “He said, ‘Do you testify that no one is God except Allāh?’ she
said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allāh?’
She said, ‘Yes’.”
Other scholars refrained from applying any version of the ĥadīth because of a
different type of weakness called “iďťirāb (disorder; inconsistency)”. This is
when the differences in the versions of one ĥadīth do not comply with each other
and there is no way to give priority to one over the other. They said that the
different narrations of this ĥadīth have too great of a discrepancy in their texts
and chains; One narration says “ayna-llāh.” One narration says “Do you testify
that no one is God but Allāh?” One says that the female slave was mute and
could not speak at all, and another narration says, “Who is your Lord?”
Abū Ĥanīfah even narrates a version of the ĥadīth in which the story is
completely different: A man’s mother died and left in her will for a slave to be
freed on her behalf, so the man told the Prophet that he only had that particular
slave woman, and asked the Prophet if freeing her was sufficient to fulfill his
mother’s will.
There are also inconsistencies in the chains of this ĥadīth. Hence, this ĥadīth is
unreliable in the issues of belief, and among a small number of ĥadīth for which
Imām Muslim was criticized.
This Ĥadīth is not a Proof in the Issue of Belief
Additionally, unless narrated through many, many different routes (mutawātir by
the statement) the scholars do not claim that the Prophet said those exact
words to the very letter. The Qur’ān is an example. Its wording can be traced
back to the Prophet through so many chains that we can confirm that the
Prophet recited those exact words to the very letter (while believing that the
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Qur’ān he conveyed was not his own wording, but was the wording revealed
unto him). In such a case, they would say that the Prophet used those very
words. If not narrated like that, they do not give a 100% guarantee that the
Prophet used those exact words. This ĥadīth of the slave woman is not
mutawātir, and is not even mashhūr (narrated from at least three people). Some
of the very stern scholars of ˇaqīdah said that a strong narration from the route of
only one trustworthy person is unreliable in belief issues; three trustworthy
narrators are needed.
The Prophet could not have used all of the terms in all of the narrations, being
only one incident. So, according to the scholars who did accept the ĥadīth, the
Prophet asked her something, and the sum of all the different narrations
shows that he was not asking her about a place, rather he was asking her about
her belief in Allāh. They put all of the different narrations together and came up
with a common meaning, like Imām al-Bayhaqiyy. Parenthetically, the narration
in which she was mute and raised her finger is weak, but can be interpreted to
mean that Allāh is one, or that He has the high majesty. Some of the Wahhabis
claim that Muslim narrated that the female slave pointed up and said, “In the
sky.” Saying “fi-s-Samā’” is one narration, and raising the finger (and not saying
anything at all) is another.
The fact that they do not teach people about the narration of Mālik, and do not
interpret the narration of Muslim to comply with the narration of Mālik is an
indication that they are misguided, since they pick and choose which narrations
they want, and hide the others.
A Scholarly Clarification
Among the trustworthy, reliable scholars who explained this hadith, is Imām an-
Nawawiyy, in his very famous explanation of Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim. Among what he said
about this ĥadīth is146
:
This ĥadīth is among the ĥadīth of attributes, and there are two methods in
explaining it... One is to believe in it without delving into its meaning,
confirming:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
146 Sharĥ Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, vol. 5, pages 26-27.
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and that He is clear of the attributes of the creations. The second (method) is to
make ta’wīl in a way that befits Him. So whoever takes by that (second method)
says that what is meant is to subject her to a test: Is she a monotheist who
confesses that the Creator, Manager, and doer (of whatever He willed) is indeed
Allāh alone, the one whom if the invoker supplicates to Him he directs himself to
the sky, just as the one who prays directs himself towards the Kaˇbah - and that
is not because He is limited to the sky, nor is He limited to the direction of the
Kaˇbah, rather the sky is the Qiblah of those who supplicate, just as the Kaˇbah
is the Qiblah of those who pray - or is she an idol worshipper, among the pagans
who worship the idols that are in their presence?147
So when she said:
يفالسماء
which literally means “in the sky”; he knew that she was a monotheist, and not
an idol worshipper. Al-Qāďī ˇIyāď148
said, “There is no difference between the
Muslims altogether; the scholar of fiqh, the scholar of ĥadīth, the scholar of
belief, the skillful debater, and the common Muslim, that the outward meanings
of what is narrated in mentioning Allāh the exalted being in the sky, like His
saying149
:
ألٱسماءأنخيسفبك م لٱأمنت ممنيفء﴿ ﴾ر
and texts like it, are not by their literal meanings, rather they are all given ta’wīl
according to all of the Muslims.”
An-Nawawiyy mentioned something very beneficial, “…not because He is
limited to the sky, just as He is not limited to the direction of the Kaˇbah…” The
Wahhābis say that we hold our hands to the sky when supplicating, because
Allāh is above us. Truly, it is not proof. If lifting the hands to the sky proves that
Allāh is above us, then facing the Kaˇbah would prove that Allāh is in Makkah,
147 This means that they do not direct themselves to the sky because their idols
are in front of them.
148Al-Ĥāfiđħ Abu-l-Faďl ˇIyāď Ibn Mūsā Ibn ˇIyāď Ibn ˇAmr al-Yaĥŝubiyy al-
Andalusiyy al-Mālikiyy (476 – 575 AH).
149 Sūrat al-Mulk, verse 16 (which literally translates as, “Do you feel secure
from who is in the sky that he would not make the ground split from beneath
you?”)
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which they do not believe. Nor do not say that the saying of Allāh in the
Qur’ān150
:
﴾ب ييت﴿
“My house,” referring to the Kaˇbah, means the place where Allāh resides. We
lift our hands to the sky because the sky is the Qiblah (the thing that is faced; the
reference point for facing a direction) for the supplication, just as we face the
Kaˇbah in prayer because the Kaˇbah is the Qiblah for the prayer. Besides that,
Muslim narrated that on occasions, the Prophet made supplication with his
palms facing the ground.
As we can see, an-Nawawiyy conveyed that the Muslims do not accept the literal
meaning of texts like this ĥadīth. So do the Wahhābis know better than an-
Nawawiyy? Do they claim to know better about the hadith than the scholars of
ĥadīth? Can they produce the name of a reliable scholar who said that an-
Nawawiyy was wrong other than al-Albāniyy, who truly is not a scholar? If they
say that it is possible that an-Nawawiyy could be wrong, their famous move
when shown what the scholars said, tell them that it is also possible that they can
be wrong, which in fact they are.
The Wahhābi’s Ta’wīl for the Ĥadīth
They moreover claim to take the literal meaning of Imām Muslim’s narration, yet
they claim that Allāh is high above His ˇArsh, above the sky. How then, can they
go by the apparent meaning of this ĥadīth which literally says that Allāh is in the
sky? In their English translations of this ĥadīth, they say that the Prophet
asked her, “Where is Allāh?” and she replied, “He is above the heavens,” which
is ta’wīl on their part. The word: يف “fī” literally means “in”, although it could
mean على “ˇalā” (on, over, upon)”. The word السماء “as-Samā’” literally means
“the sky”. The term mentioned in Muslim’s narration is singular: السماء (sky;
heaven), not plural السماوات (skies; heavens). If they take the literal meaning,
they have to say that Allāh is in the sky, but they believe that Allāh is above the
sky. If they want to say that it means that Allāh is above the sky, then they are
150 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 125.
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not taking the literal meaning (ta’wīl), and cannot accuse us of anything when we
do not take the literal meaning.
Similar Texts
In the Wahhābi mistranslation of the Qur’ān, they do the same for the
aforementioned verse in the chapter of al-Mulk, 16:
﴾لسماءٱأمنت ممنيفء﴿
They say that the aforementioned verse means, “Do you feel secure from the One
who is above the heavens?” They then show a new Muslim or a Muslim who
does not know Arabic, and try to convince him to believe that Allāh is above the
seven skies, limited to a place. However, the literal translation of the verse says,
“Do you feel secure from who is in the sky?” The word: من “man” (who;
whoever) can be singular or plural. If used in the singular context to refer to
Allāh, it means the One with the highest status. If used in the plural context, then
it refers to the angels who live in the sky, and on occasions have come down by
the order of Allāh to inflict the punishment on the transgressors.
This ĥadīth of the female slave, this verse in the chapter of al-Mulk, and other
texts like them, are reasons why some of the Wahhābis said that Allāh exists in
the sky. Among those ĥadīth is151
:
السماءارمحوامنيفاألري رمحك ممنيف
This means: “Be merciful to whoever is on earth, and whoever is in the sky
will be merciful to you.” This actually refers to the angels, as proven by another
narration of the same ĥadīth, with the terms152
:
أهلالسماء
Meaning: “the people of the sky.” They would say that Allāh is in the sky, He
151 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 1924; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 4941.
152 Narrated by al-Ĥāfiđħ ˇAbdur-Raĥīm al-ˇIrāqiyy in Amāliyy, Session 86, page
77; Al-Mustadrak, Ĥadīth No. 7356.
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ascends up, and sits on the ˇArsh, mounts it, or establishes Himself on it. They
would say that He is above the ˇArsh and He descends down to the sky at night
time. They do not usually say that He sits on the ˇArsh in America (although Ibn
Taymiyah said that Allāh sits), but our brothers from overseas report that they do.
Here, they say, “He is above the ˇArsh” (in a physical direction), as if He is
hovering above it. They then tell people not to try to imagine how He is above
the ˇArsh. Allāh is glorified from what they attribute to Him.
Remember that it is not a condition to mention the aforementioned points of
refutation against them in the order presented in the book. You may find yourself
in a position where it is better to mention Imām Mālik’s narration before
mentioning that the terms of the ĥadīth can have more than one meaning. Nor is
it a condition to mention every single point you know. Sometimes it is enough to
mention one detail.
In closing this section, it would be worthwhile to mention some verses of the
Qur’ān. In the chapter of az-Zumar, Allāh said153
:
ألٱلسماواتومنيفٱلصورفصعقمنيفٱون فخيف﴿ ر ﴾هلل ٱمنشاءإال
This means: “The Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the skies or on
Earth will faint, except those whom Allāh willed.”
Fainting does not befit Allāh. If the Wahhābi says, “It means that those whom
Allāh did not will to faint will not faint, so Allāh will not faint while He is in the
sky when the horn blows,” we say, “Allāh does not will for Himself to be
protected; He is not a subject of His own will, the creations are subjects of His
will.”154
In the chapter of al-Ambiyā’, Allāh said155
:
153 Sūrat az-Zumar, verse 68.
154 It is likely that the Wahhābis will not understand this point. The clarification
of this is that the scholars said that Allāh’s existence is not the trace of
someone’s will – not His own nor anyone else’s. So it is not valid to relate His
Will to Himself; it is only valid to relate it to the creation.
155 Sūrat al-Ambiyā’, verse 104.
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ٱي ومنطوي﴿ كطي ﴾لسجلللك ت بٱلسماء
This means: “The Day when We (Allāh) will fold the sky like books…”
According to their belief, Allāh will be smashed by the folding of the sky,
because the skies are solid entities, not merely air, gas and clouds. They are very
smooth, wide, and dense, with angels at their entrances.
Once, a new Muslim was shaken by this ĥadīth. He had never heard about it
before, but he knew that Allāh is not like His creations in any way. Knowing this
rule and hearing this ĥadīth explained by a Wahhābi raised questions in his mind,
because of the contradiction. He asked about it and learned many reasons why it
does not mean what those liars say.
The Truth About Istiwā’
If not for Ĥadīth al-Jāriyah, this verse156
:
ن ع ٱلرح ﴿ ﴾٥ى عرش ٱستو ٱل م
would be their first reference. It is their favorite verse. They claim it to be proof
that Allāh is above His ˇArsh, or that He sits upon it. Let us take a closer look at
this honorable verse that is clear of their incorrect interpretation:
The Tafsīr of the Verse and How to Refute the Wahhābis Who
Misinterpret It
The word:
﴾﴿الرمحن
“Ar-Raĥmān” is a name of Allāh. Al-Bayhaqiyy157
explained it as “the One with
abundant mercy for believers and blasphemers in this life, but His mercy is
reserved for believers in the Hereafter.”
156 Sūrat Ťāhā, verse 5.
157 Al-Bayhaqiyy conveyed this explanation from al-Ĥāfiđħ Abū Sulaymān al-
Khaťťābiyy in al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt, page 70.
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The word:
﴿على﴾
“ˇalā” is what in English would be a preposition. It may mean “on”, “over (by
status or by place)”, “according to”, and more.
The word:
عرش﴾لٱ﴿
“The ˇArsh” literally means “the throne”, but is not really a chair; it is the ceiling
of Paradise and the largest of creations- held up by four enormous and
praiseworthy angels. On The Day of Judgment, eight angels will carry it.
The word:
ست وى﴾ٱ﴿
“Istawā” has many, many meanings. It is a past verb that refers to the eternal
attribute of Allāh called al-Istiwā’. It has a befitting meaning, and Allāh knows
its reality. One of its linguistic meanings is “sat”, which does not befit Allāh, and
this is why some Wahhābis said “Allāh sits on His Throne.158
” Al-Qāmūs, the
famous dictionary by Majdu-d-Dīn al-Fayrūz’ābādiyy159
, lists 15 meanings for it.
Because of this dictionary, every Arabic dictionary was called “qāmūs”. More
158 Dr. Muhammad Naim Yasin says: “...For this reason, it was reported from
many Salaf scholars (this is a lie) who, when asked about the manner in which
Allah is seated on the throne, said: ‘The sitting (Istiwā’) is known, the manner
unknown’…Allah descends, hears, sees, speaks, or sits upon the Throne...”
(Source: Book of Eman, According to the Classical Works of Ibn Taymiyah,
page 28, Al-Firdous Ltd, London 2003).
The major Wahhābi Muĥammad Ibn Ŝāliĥ Ibn al-ˇUthaymīn in a booklet entitled
“The Muslim Belief” (translated by Dr. Maneh al-Johani) said: “His ‘settling on
the throne’ means that He is sitting in person on His throne in a way that is
becoming to His majesty and greatness. Nobody except He knows exactly how
He is sitting.” – All of this is pure unadulterated blasphemy.
159 Majdu-d-Dīn Muhammad Ibn Yaˇqub al-Fayrūz’ābādiyy (817 AH).
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meanings will be mentioned as we go along, if Allāh willed.
There are two methods of interpreting texts like this, as an-Nawawiyy mentioned
about the ĥadīth of the female slave: One is to believe in it without assigning any
particular meaning to it. Do not seek its specific meaning. Following this
method, we simply take the position that it has a befitting meaning that complies
with the rules of the Religion, without the need of contravening the Arabic
language, and Allāh and His Messenger know about it. We confirm that its
meaning is becoming without stipulating what that meaning is, and we merely
say, “Allāh is attributed with istawā.” This is actually the general way of the
Salaf, and the meaning of ash-Shāfiˇiyy’s saying, “I believe in what came from
Allāh according to the meaning that Allāh willed and I believe in what came
from the Messenger of Allāh according to the meaning that the Messenger of
Allāh meant.” So let the Wahhābis follow it.
Do not be fooled by the misquoted translations produced by Wahhābis. They
bring mistranslated quotes from the Imāms about this issue, claiming that they
said, “We believe that Allāh rose above His ˇArsh,” while truly they only said,
“We believe in Istiwā’.” They DID NOT say, “We believe that istawā means that
Allāh rose above His ˇArsh.” Nor did they say, “We believe that istawā means
that Allāh sat…” They said, “Istawā without a how”, not “He sat without a
how.” They said, “The meaning of istawā is not like what is imagined,” and not,
“It is impossible to say how Allāh mounted the ˇArsh.” For that reason, if a
Wahhābi brings a mistranslation similar to what is mentioned, and attributes it to
a reliable scholar, tell him, “Do not bring your translation of what a scholar said
when he used a word that can have 15 meanings.” Tell him to bring the explicit
evidence that those scholars said istawā when attributed to Allāh means “rose
above” or “sat.” In other words, tell him to bring the proof that those scholars
assigned a particular definition to “istawā” over another, and do not accept a
simple translation that, of course, is by a Wahhābi. If the Wahhābi brings some
statements from some of the old, reliable scholars, like Mujāhid the student of
ˇAbdullāh Ibn ˇAbbās and al-Farrā’160
, claiming that those scholars said it means
“rose above” by using such words as ارتفع or then know that even those عال
words still can have the meaning of highness in status and majesty, not only
highness in place.
That is assuming that the narrations are authentic. Do not be shaken by this,
160 Al-Lughawiyy Abū Zakariyyā Yaĥyā Ibn Ziyād al-Farrā’ al-Aslamiyy al-
Kūfiyy (144 – 207 AH).
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because it is known that there are two types of highness: physical, which is
impossible to be an attribute of Allāh, and majestic, which is permissible. Thus,
had they used words that attribute “highness” to Allāh that is not evidence that
Allāh is in a place. Furthermore, had they intended by those expressions that
Allāh exists in a physical location, they would be rejected by virtue of the
definitive evidence that Allāh does not resemble His creation.
The other method is to look into the Arabic language and select what is befitting
to Allāh. For example, do not use “he sat (jalasa)”, because that implies that
Allāh has a body. Do not use “to become upright (iˇtadala)”, for that would liken
Allāh to the plants that stand tall on their stalks, as Allāh told us about the
crops161
:
﴾فاست وىعلىس وقه﴿
This means: “It stood upright on its stalk.”
Do not use the meaning “to ripen (nāďija)”, for that would liken Allāh to the
fruits, nor “to become complete (tamma)”, for that would liken Him to the men
who reach the prime of their strength, as Allāh told us about Prophet Mūsā162
:
ناه ح كماوعلماٱولماب لغأش ده و﴿ ﴾ست وىآت ي
This means: “When he reached the prime of his strength and was complete,
We granted him prophethood and knowledge.”
Do not use “to dwell in a place or to be firmly established upon something
(istaqarra)”, or else He would be similar to the Ark. Allāh told us in His book
about that Ark163
:
﴾وديجل ٱست وتعلىٱو﴿
This means: “It settled upon (the peak of) Mt. Jūdiyy.”
None of these meanings befit Allāh, even though they are linguistically
161 Sūrat al-Fatĥ, verse 29.
162 Sūrat al-Qaŝaŝ, verse 14.
163 Sūrat Hud, verse 44.
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applicable to “istawā”, and there are many more meanings.
One of the meanings of “istawā” is: ق هر (to subdue). If a Wahhābi says that this
does not befit Allāh, because it implies that Allāh did not have control over the
ˇArsh, and then conquered it, we say, “Then do not say it means He rose above
the ˇArsh, because it implies that He was not above it and then He became above
it.”
Then we add, “What shows that the word ‘qahara’ is attributable to Allāh, are
His two names, القاهر and القهار which are mentioned in the Qur’ān and ĥadīth,
and derive from qahara. The correct explanation is that when the ˇArsh was
created, it was subjugated by Allāh’s power. There is no implication of struggle.”
In this verse, Allāh informed us that He subdues the ˇArsh, the largest of
creations, and subsequently controls everything else.
***EXTRA DETAIL***
Their claim that the meaning “subjugation” for “istawā” is unfounded in the
Arabic language is easily countered by the statements of many linguists, such as
ar-Rāghib al-Aŝbahāniyy164
in his famous book Mufradāt al-Qur’ān165
, where he
said:
اقتضىاالستيالء[على]ومتع ديب
This means: “Whenever it (istawā) is made transitive by (the preposition) “ˇalā”,
it has the meaning of subjugation.” Yes, even scholars from the Salaf have
documented that, such as the Mujtahid and Ĥāfiđħ, Abū Jaˇfar Muĥammad Ibn
Jarīr ať-Ťabariyy166
in his book of tafsīr, where he said, “In the speech of the
Arabs, al-Istiwā’ is used to have different meanings…” then he said after listing
several:
ومنهااالحتيازواالستيالء
164 Abu-l-Qāsim al-Ĥusayn Ibn Muĥammad ar-Rāghib al-Aŝbahāniyy (502 AH.)
165 Mufradāt fī Ghabrībi-l-Qur’ān, page 251.
166 Al-Imām al-Mujtahid Abū Jaˇfar Muĥammad Ibn Jarīr ať-Ťabariyy (224 –
310 AH).
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This means: “Among those meanings is ‘to take possession’ and ‘subjugation’.”
This is enough to counter a Wahhābi who says that Muĥammad Ibn Ziyād Ibn al-
Aˇrābiyy167
was asked if he knows about “istawā” having the meaning of
“istawlā” (subjugation), and he said, “I do not know it”. The scholars have a
rule:
منحفظحجةعلىمنمليفظ
This means: “The one who knows or memorizes something is given priority over
he who does not.” If they produce another narration in which he said, “The Arabs
do not say that a person conquered something:
استوىلعلىالشيء
unless he had an opponent…,” respond by saying, “this narration contradicts the
first, because he is confirming that he knows the meaning.” If they say, “At first
he did not know it, but then he learned it”, respond by saying, “Then it is also
possible that he did not know that they use subjugation without a reference to
any previous struggle or the existence of an opponent.” What proves that they
did use the meaning of subjugation without the existence of a struggle or an
opponent is the famous verse of Arabic poetry:
منغريسيفودممهراققداستوىبشرعلىالعراق
This means: “Bishr conquered ˇIrāq without a sword and without blood spill.” If
they say that the poet who said this line is unknown, we respond by saying that
several scholars, such as al-Ĥāfiđħ az-Zabīdiyy168
al-Ĥanafiyy169
and Ibn
Kathīr170171
(whom they consider an authority) have confirmed him to be al-
167 Al-Lughawiyy Muĥammad Ibn Ziyād Ibn al-Aˇrābiyy al-Hāshimiyy (150 –
231 AH).
168 Tāj al-ˇArūs, vol. 38, page 331.
169 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Lughawiyy Muĥammad Murtađā Ibn Muĥammad Ibn al-
Ĥusayniyy az-Zabīdiyy al-Ĥanafiyy (1145 – 1205 AH).
170 Ismāˇīl Ibn ˇUmar Ibn Kathīr al-Qurashiyy (701 – 774 AH).
171 In his history book called al-Bidāyah wa-n-Nihāyah, vol 12, page 241.
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Akhťal172
, the Christian Arab poet. Additionally, anyone who has properly
studied Arabic knows that there are many lines of poetry used as references in
the Arabic language, despite that their authors are unknown. The condition is that
they are confirmed to be from the period of those whose speech is used as
reference and evidence in the Arabic language. If they say, “But he was a
Christian, so how can you use his speech as evidence?” The simple answer is
that it is not a condition for the poet to be a Muslim. The condition is that he
came from the period of those whose speech is used as reference for the rules of
the language. Many lines of poetry that were said by the idol worshippers were
quoted by Ibn ˇAbbās when he would interpret verses of the Qur’ān.”
***
The Wahhābi might ask, “Why is the Istiwā’ over the ˇArsh specifically
mentioned if Allāh did not rise over it? What is the benefit of specifying that He
subdues and controls the ˇArsh in particular - since He has power over all
things?”, The response is: To point out the status of the ˇArsh, just as He said in
the Qur’ān173
:
﴿ ﴾عظيملٱلعرشٱوه ورب
This means: “He is the Lord of the great ˇArsh,” and this does not negate the
fact that He is the Lord of all things.
What further validates this meaning of istawā are the verses that come before
and after the verse in question. Allāh said in the Qur’ān:
وألٱمنخلقزيالت ن﴿ ﴾ع لىلٱلسماواتٱرن ع ٱلرح ﴿ ﴾٥ى تو ش ٱس عر ٱل م
ن ه ماوماحتألٱومايفلسماواتٱله مايف﴿ وماب ي ﴾لث رىٱر
The first verse, which is the fourth in the chapter of Ťāhā, contains the meaning
that Allāh created the Earth and the heavens, and the third of the three verses,
which is the sixth verse in the chapter, contains the meaning that Allāh owns the
172 Ghiyāth Ibn Ghawth al-Akhťal (90 AH).
173 Sūrat at-Tawbah, verse 129.
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heavens and the earth and all that is in between them. Since the Qur’ān is the
most eloquent speech, then by virtue of the context, it is more likely that the
meaning of the fifth verse is that Allāh controls and subdues the ˇArsh. This is so
because Allāh confirms in the fourth verse that He is the Creator, and in the sixth
that He is the Owner, so which meaning for the fifth verse is more harmonious,
that He sits or rises, or that He subdues and controls?
One of the meanings of “istawā” is حفظ (to preserve; to protect) from which the
name of Allāh احلفيظ “al-Ĥafīđħ” is derived. If interpreted by this, it means that
Allāh preserves the ˇArsh and keeps it high above Paradise. If not for Allāh’s
preservation of the ˇArsh, it would fall and destroy what is beneath it.
Assigning a particular meaning is the way of the Khalaf, the scholars after the
Salaf. Lots of deviation emerged in the later generations, as well as weakness in
the pure Arabic language, so there was a necessity to specify meanings for those
verses. The scholars of the Salaf occasionally assigned particular meanings to the
mutashābih verses, but it was not their routine. We must rely on the scholars for
the correct understanding, and not on our imaginations.
Similar Texts Used by Wahhābis
The Wahhābis do not stop there. They believe that since Allāh attributed al-
Istiwā’ to Himself more than once in the Qur’ān, this emphasizes the meaning
that Allāh is above in a place, We simply tell them that they are wrong. If they
say that Allāh said174
:
عرش﴾لٱعلىست وىٱمث ﴿
we say it does not mean that He is in a place. We combat their misinterpretation
with the verse175
:
ك نت م﴿ ﴾وه ومعك مأينما
Literally, it means “He is with you wherever you are.” They do not take this
literally because it contradicts their belief that Allāh is above us. If they say the
174 Sūrat ar-Raˇd, verse 2.
175 Sūrat al-Ĥadīd, verse 4.
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verse176
:
﴾لسمآءٱإىلست وىٱمث ﴿
then we counter with the verse177
:
يطأال﴿ ﴾إنه بك لشيءحم
This literally means: “Does not Allāh surround everything?” They also do not
take this verse literally.
If they believe that Allāh revealed istawā many times to highlight that He is in a
place above us, then they should believe that He is everywhere, since there is
more than one verse with this literal meaning. Ironically, they make ta’wīl,
denying that Allāh is everywhere. They say it means that He knows everything,
which is true. We prevail by saying, “If it is permissible to say that He is not
everywhere by His self, rather by His knowledge, then it is permissible to say
that He is not positioned above in a place by His self, but by His majesty.
If they say, “Had Allāh willed for a meaning other than being above the throne,
He would have used such an expression to clarify that, so do not say it means
that Allāh subjugated the throne,” We respond by saying, “You have fallen into
what you are trying to escape, because according to your method, you cannot say
that it means that Allāh is above the throne, because that is not the expression
mentioned; rather, the mentioned expression is merely ‘istawā’.”
***EXTRA DETAIL***
The Wahhābiyyah have attributed time to Allāh, which is one of the greatest
indications that they believe that He has created attributes. Among what they use
to ascribe time to Him is the verse178
:
يفستةأيامألٱلسماواتوٱذيخلقلٱإنربك م اهلل ﴿ ر ﴾عرشلٱست وىعلىٱمث
176 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 29.
177 Sūrat Fuŝŝilat, verse 54.
178 Sūrat al-Aˇrāf, verse 54.
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which they say means, “Surely, your Lord created the skies and the Earth in six
days, then He rose above the throne.” They explain by saying, “The word مث
means, “then”, which expresses “delay”; the occurrence of something after the
occurrence of something else by considerable time (tarākhī)”. We answer by
saying, “thumma” originally means, “then”, but it can also mean “and” and thus
does not give the meaning of delay and time. Allāh told us in the Qur’ān179
:
جعلمن هازوجها﴿ ﴾خلقك ممنن فسواحدةمث
This means: “He created you from one soul and He created from that soul its
spouse.”
This verse is reference to the creation of Ādam, his wife and their progeny. If
taken literally it would mean, “He created you from one soul, then He created
from that soul its spouse”, which would imply that his children were created
before their mother. This meaning is impossible, since it is known that His
spouse was created before his progeny. Likewise, it is known that Allāh did not
physically rise above the ˇArsh at a time after the creation of the skies and Earth,
and had they had a proper creed about the eternal Creator, they would not have
said such a thing. The true meaning is, “Surely your Lord created the skies
and the Earth in six days, and He istawā ˇala-l-ˇArsh;” according to the
aforementioned possibilities previously mentioned180
.
***
The Saying of Imām Mālik
To close this section, know that these people refer to an unconfirmed narration
from Imām Mālik. They say that he said, “Istawā is known but the ‘how’ is not.”
This narration is discredited by two narrations from al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Bayhaqiyy, one
179 Sūrat az-Zumar, verse 6.
180 Al-Ustādh Abū Manŝūr al-Baghdādiyy said in his book Uŝūlu-d-Dīn, in
summary: “Our colleagues differed regarding this verse. Some said that it is
among the verses that are Mutashābihāt whose meaning is not known by other
than Allāh, and this is the saying of Mālik. Others said that Istawā is something
that Allāh did to the ˇArsh that He called Istawā, and this is the saying of Abu-l-
Ĥasan al-Ashˇariyy. Others again said that Istawā means that He is attributed
with aboveness over the ˇArsh in status, not physical aboveness…”
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in al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt181
, and the other in al-Iˇtiqād182
.
In the former, he narrates from the route of ˇAbdullāh Ibn Wahb that he said,
“We were with Mālik Ibn Anas when a man came in and said, ‘O Abā ˇAbdillāh,
183ست وى﴾ٱعرشلٱ﴿الرمحن على
how did He Istiwā’? ’, Then Mālik lowered his head and was overtaken by sweat,
then he raised his head and said,
184ست وى﴾ٱعرشلٱ﴿الرمحن على
just as he attributed to Himself; how is not said, and how is inapplicable (ˇanhu
marfūˇ). You are a person of wickedness and a perpetrator of innovation. Get
him out of here!’, so the man was put out.”
In the latter, al-Bayhaqiyy narrates from the route of Yaĥyā Ibn Yaĥyā that he
said, “We were with Mālik Ibn Anas when a man came and said, ‘O Abā
ˇAbdillāh,
ست وى﴾ٱعرشلٱ﴿الرمحن على
How did He istawā?’ So Mālik lowered his head, then started sweating, and then
said, ‘Istawā is not unknown, ‘how’ is not rational (ghayru maˇqūl), believing in
it is obligatory, asking about it is an innovation, and I only see you as an
innovator.’ Then he ordered for the man to be put out.”
Remember, there is a great difference between saying, “We do not know how
Allāh is”, and saying “Allāh has no ‘how’”.
It is important to know that some people use this type of expression to mean,
“the reality”. Thus they would say, “I do not know how Allāh is.” What they
mean is that they do not know His reality. According to this meaning, it is not
181 Al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt, page 408.
182 Al-Iˇtiqād ˇalā Madhhab as-Salaf Ahli-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāˇah, page 43.
183 This means he recited the verse.
184 He also recited the verse.
95
blasphemy. As for those Wahhābis, they say that they do not know how his two
hands are, and how He puts His foot in Hell, and how He goes up and down in
the sky, and this is blasphemy.
The Truth About the Ĥadīth of An-Nuzūl
An appropriate third reference would be the ĥadīth of an-Nuzūl, one narration of
which is185
:
نيا ربناإىلالسماءالد ي نزل
This literally says, “Our Lord descends to the lowest sky.”
According to the Arabic language, “nuzūl” would literally be movement from
one place to a lower one. If a Wahhābi says, “Allāh descends, but not with a
descent of motion,” tell him, “But you said you take the literal meaning.” Also,
mention that such a saying is fabricated. Yes the scholars said that the nuzūl of
Allāh is not motion, and that His nuzūl is not like the descent of the creatures, but
what is meant is that they were not specifying a meaning for nuzūl, as mentioned
numerous times already. So the difference between what the scholars said, and
saying, “Allāh descends, but not with a descent of motion,” is that the scholars
did not translate the term into another language, which necessitates specifying a
meaning.
The Explanation of Ibn Ĥajar
If they say, “But al-Bukhāriyy narrated this ĥadīth, and his book of ĥadīth is
known to be the most authentic,” we say, “Yes, but he did not explain it.” Again,
there is a difference between narrating a ĥadīth to illustrate its authenticity, and
explaining the correct meaning of the ĥadīth. If they want to refer to the scholars
who explained it, then let us refer to the great scholar, Aĥmad Ibn Ĥajar al-
ˇAsqalāniyy, Amīru-l-Mu’minīn fi-l-Ĥadīth (The prince of the Muslims in the
science of ĥadīth), also known as “The Seal of the Ĥuffāđħ”. His is the most
famous of the explanations of al-Bukhāriyy’s book. Here are some statements
given when speaking about this ĥadīth in his sharĥ (explanation) called Fatĥu-l-
Bārī186
:
185 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 1094;
186 Fatĥu-l-Bārī, vol. 3, page 36-37.
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This ĥadīth is used as proof by those who confirm a direction to Allāh,
claiming it is the direction of above, and the majority has rejected that,
because such a saying leads to (attributing) containment to Allāh, and
Allāh is exalted from that. There are different sayings about the
meaning of “an-Nuzūl”. Among them are those who carry it on its
apparent and literal meaning, and those are the Mushabbihah (those
who liken Allāh to the creations), and Allāh is exalted from their
sayings,”...“and among them are those who kept it as it was narrated,
believing in it without specifying a meaning, while clearing Allāh from
manner of being and resemblance, and those are the majority of the
Salaf,”... “And among them are those who interpreted it in a befitting
way that complies with the speech of the Arabs,”... “Ibnu-l-ˇArabiyy187
said, ‘...as for his saying “yanzilu” (which literally means “he
descends”), it refers to His doings188
and not His self; it refers to
Allāh’s angel that descends with His order and prohibition. Nuzūl, just
as it exists in bodies, also has an allegorical meaning, so if you carry
the ĥadīth by the physical meaning, then it is the attribute of the
dispatched angel, and if you carry it by the allegorical meaning, then it
would be called a nuzūl from one rank to another rank, and that is
correct Arabic.’, The summary is that he (Ibnu-l-ˇArabiyy) explained it
in two ways: either that the meaning of “yanzilu” is that He descends
His order, or His angel with His order, or else that it is figurative, with
the meaning of kindness189
towards those who supplicate, and the
answering of their supplication, and the like. Abū Bakr Ibn Fūrak190
said that some shaykhs have narrated it with a ďammah191
on the
beginning192
, while omitting the direct object, i.e. descends an angel,
and what strengthens that is what was narrated by an-Nasā’iyy193
,
187 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Qāďī Abū Bakr Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdillāh Ibn Muĥammad Ibn
al-ˇArabiyy al-Andalusiyy al-Ishbīliyy al-Mālikiyy (468 – 543 AH).
188 His act of creating.
189 i.e. mercy; Allāh is not attributed with emotions.
190 Al-Imām Shaykhu-l-Mutakallimīn Abū Bakr Muĥammad Ibn al-Ĥasan Ibn
Fūrak al-Aŝbahāniyy (406 AH).
191 The “u” sound.
192 So that it reads “yunzilu” instead of “yanzilu”.
193 Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 17446; al-Muˇjam al-Kabīr, Ĥadīth No. 8391;
97
إناهلليهلحتيضىشطرالليلمثيأمرمناديايقولهلمنداعفيستجابله
[This means: “After the middle of the night passes, certainly Allāh
orders someone to (descend and) call out 'Is there anyone making
supplication, so that it would be answered for him?”] Al-Qurťubiyy
said, ‘This lifts any ambiguity’.”... “Al-Bayďāwiyy said, “Since it is
confirmed by the definite evidences that He, the glorified, is cleared of
bodily characteristics and containment, then the transfer from one
location to a lower location is impossible to be attributed to Him...”
According to this, the word “malak (angel)” is omitted, and omission (hadhf) is
something extremely prevalent in the Arabic language. Thus, the meaning would
be, “(By His order) Our Lord descends (an angel) to the lowest sky.” The
omission of the word malak (angel) is like the verse from the Qur’ān194
:
﴾لقريةٱوسئل﴿
This means: “Ask the village.” The word “people (of)” is deliberately omitted,
because that is valid in Arabic. It is also like saying, “The general bombed until
nightfall.” This does not necessitate that the general did it himself, nor is that
which was bombed mentioned. Ibn Ĥajar also mentioned another narration of
this ĥadīth, and the scholars like al-Ĥāfiđħ al-ˇIrāqiyy195
mentioned that the best
way to interpret a ĥadīth is by another ĥadīth He said:
وخريمافسرتهبالوارد
This means: “The best of what you used to interpret it (the ĥadīth) was by that
which was narrated (i.e., another ĥadīth).”
Sunan al-Kubrā by an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 9889.
194 Sūrat Yūsuf, verse 82.
195 Al-Ĥāfiđħ Zaynu-d-Dīn ˇAbdur-Raĥīm Ibn al-Ĥusayn Ibn ˇAbdir-Raĥmān al-
Kurdiyy al-ˇIrāqiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy (725 – 806 AH).
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And what would those people say about the ĥadīth narrated by al-Bayhaqiyy196
:
منالسماءينزلعيسىابنمرمي
This means: “Jesus the Son of Mary descends from the sky.” Since the descent
of Prophet ˇĪsā (Jesus) is literal - coming from a higher place to a lower one, then
the Nuzūl of Allāh cannot be the movement from a higher place to a lower one.
The Sayings of the Prophet do not Lead to Irrational Matters
Furthermore, if they say that Allāh descends during the last third of the night,
and ascends during the day, then we easily refute them by saying that it is always
nighttime somewhere, and it is always daytime somewhere. If Allāh descends to
the lowest sky during the last third of the night, He would have to be above in the
other part of the world. Then, when the night falls on that part of the world, He
would have to be above in that first part of the world. Not just that, but after the
last third of the night lapses in one area, it will shortly become the last third of
the night in another, which means that according to them, Allāh would be going
up and down relentlessly. Such a contradiction is the result of this bad belief. To
that they say with disgust, “May Allāh protect us, you are using your mind.”
A Similar Text
For extra benefit, let us mention 22nd
verse of the chapter of al-Fajr:
صفاصفاٱوجآءربكو﴿ ﴾مللك
This means: “[The signs of the power of] your Lord will come and the angels
will be standing row after row.” Literally, it says “And your Lord will
come…” It does not mean that Allāh is a body who will move from one place to
another, as the Wahhābis think. Imām Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal gave this ta’wīl, as
authenticated by Imām al-Bayhaqiyy in his book Manāqib Aĥmad197
.
The Truth About the Ascension of the Good Words
A great sign of their ignorance is their reference to Sūrat Fāťir, verse 10:
196 Al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt, page 535.
197 Al-Bidāyah wa-n-Nihāyah by Ibn Kathīr, vol. 10, page 327.
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﴾إليهيصعد الكلم الطيب ﴿
They say that this verse proves that Allāh exists above, because the verse literally
says, “The good words ascend to Him.” They say that إليه means “to (the place
of) Allāh”, and the word يصعد means “they ascend”, so that the verse means “To
Him ascend the good words”. Refuting this claim is easier than it looks.
The Correct Meaning of the Verse
The correct meaning of the verse is, “The good words are taken up to the sky, an
honorable place, by the angels who recorded them, as a sign of their acceptability
to Allāh.” The Wahhābis may deny this interpretation because of their ignorance,
but we verify it by referring to another verse198
:
﴾وقالإنذاهبإىلربسي هدين﴿
Literally, this verse means that Prophet Ibrāhīm said, “I am going to my Lord,
He will guide me.” He did not mean that He was going to the place of Allāh,
because he was going to the land of ash-Shām, the land of the Prophets
(ˇalayhimu-s-Salām), and an honorable place on Earth. If Allāh exists in a place
above us, then that great Prophet would not say that he was going to Allāh if
he was not going up. What he meant, is that he was going to the place honored
by his Lord. Hence, just as in this verse:
﴾إىلرب﴿
“(to my Lord)” means “to (the place honored by) my Lord”, the word:
﴾إليه﴿
“(to Him)” means “to (the place honored by) Him (Allāh)”. So, we say that this
verse means that the good words that are uttered are copied by the angels and
taken up to the sky by them, which is a place honored by Allāh.
198 Sūrat aŝ-Ŝāffāt, verse 99.
100
The Implications of the Literal Meaning
Furthermore, the Wahhābis do not really take the literal meaning of the verse.
They also say that it means the angels copy the good words down and then take
them to the sky. However, the apparent meaning of the verse does not say that
the angels copy the good words. So, by its literal meaning, they have to say that
the words go up (by themselves), but words cannot go up by themselves, since
words are not entities with dimensions. If they say that a ĥadīth says the angels
write down the good words (which is true), and they understand the verse in
conjunction with the ĥadīth, then we say, “There is also another ĥadīth199
:
أنتالظاهرفليسفوقكشيءوأنتالباطنفليسدونكشيء
Meaning, ‘O Allāh, you are the One whose existence is obvious, and there is
nothing above you, and you are the One who cannot be reached by
delusions, and there is nothing below you,’ so understand the verse according
to this ĥadīth also.”
A Similar Text
Similar to the aforementioned texts, is the famous ĥadīth of the Prophet’s
ascent to the seven heavens, and what is above them (and since Allāh is not
similar to the Prophet, He did not ascend above the seven heavens). In it, Prophet
Mūsā said to our Prophet :
ارجعإىلربك
This literally means: “Go back to your Lord.” The proper meaning is, “Go back
to the honorable place where you heard the Eternal Kalām (The Speech) of
your Lord.”
Allāh is not Attributed with a Shin
The Wahhābis refer to the verse:
199 Al-Asmā’ wa aŝ-Ŝifāt, page 506; Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Dhikr, Ĥadīth No.
2713.
101
عنساق﴿ ﴾يومي كشف
to claim that Allāh has a shin. They say that this verse means “The Day when
Allāh will expose His shin” or “The Day when the shin will be laid bare.” They
say that because of the word:
﴾ساق﴿
“sāq”, which literally refers to the organ between the knee and the foot and is
composed of skin and bone. We say that the “sāq” mentioned in this verse is not
even an attribute of Allāh. The verse does not say “the sāq of Allāh.” It refers to
the hardship of The Day of Judgment, as mentioned by many scholars, like Abū
Ĥayyān al-Andalusiyy in his famous tafsīr of the Qur’ān called al-Baĥru-l-
Muĥīť. Ibn Ĥajar also confirms this meaning from Ibn ˇAbbās; that he
interpreted the verse to refer to the severity (shiddah) of the situation of that day.
If a battle reached a very fierce point, it is said in Arabic:
كشفتاحلربعنساق
“The battle exposed a sāq”. We say as Ibn ˇAbbās said, that the verse refers to
the Day when the justice and wrath of Allāh will be obvious, and many people
will suffer from His punishment. In English, the word “shin” does not have the
figurative usages as the word “sāq”.
Allāh is not Attributed with a Face
The Wahhābis also believe that Allāh is attributed with a real and literal face
because of the word “wajh”, which He said He is attributed with. We agree that
al-Wajh is an attribute of Allāh, but we do not agree that Allāh has a face. We
say that the Wajh of Allāh is His eternal and everlasting attribute that is not
similar to the attributes of the creations. We do not say that the Wajh of Allāh is
a face, because the literal meaning of “face” refers to the front part of the head,
extending from the normal hairline to the chinbone and from the base of the ear
to the base of the other ear. Actually, in light of certain verses, we laugh at the
Wahhābis.
102
Verses Mentioning the Attribute of Wajh
For example, look at the saying of Allāh in the chapter of al-Qaŝaŝ200
:
وجهه ﴿ ﴾ك لشىءهالكإال
The literal meaning of this verse says, “Everything will be destroyed except His
face”. It is very easy to see that we should not take the literal meaning of this
verse. If the Wahhābis insist on this, then they must say that His (according to
them) eyes, hands, fingers, shin, and foot will be destroyed. If they do not say
that, then they are negating the literal meaning, and thus contradicting
themselves.
Furthermore, we point out the fact that this verse has the word
﴾ك ل﴿
“kull” in it, which literally means “every” or “all”. They like this word, and think
it can only mean “every”. In view of that, according to their own method, they
are forced to say that everything other than the face of Allāh will be destroyed.
One interpretation of this verse is the ta’wīl of al-Bukhāriyy. In his chapter of
tafsīr, in the section pertaining to this chapter of al-Qur’ān, he said “Illā
Wajhah” means “Illā Mulkah”; what would literally be interpreted as “Except for
His face” means “Except for His Dominion (supreme ownership).” One
interpretation of this verse, also mentioned by al-Bukhāriyy, is that everything
done without seeking the blessings of Allāh alone is not accepted (rewarded).
This is a valid interpretation that conforms to the Arabic language, like the
verse201
:
ٱبتغاءوجهربهٱألعلى﴿ ﴾إال
This means: “Except to be done for the Wajh (acceptance) of his Lord.” There
are also other interpretations for the verse.
200 Sūrat al-Qaŝaŝ, verse 88.
201 Sūrat al-Layl, verse 20.
103
We also look at the verse202
:
﴾فأي نمات ولواف ثموجه ٱهلل﴿
It literally says, “Wherever you turn yourselves, there is the face of Allāh,”
which contradicts their established belief because it implies that Allāh has a face
that is everywhere, which they do not believe. For example, they do not believe
that if you turn yourself towards the bathroom, Allāh’s “face” is in that direction.
They believe that Allāh has a real face that is with Him, and that He is physically
above the ˇArsh. One of the meanings of Wajh is “Qiblah (that which is faced).”
This verse is actually a proof that it is permissible to pray an optional prayer
without facing the Kaˇbah, while traveling and riding on an animal, and with
other conditions that need to be satisfied, as mentioned by Mujāhid the student of
Ibn ˇAbbās.
Allāh is not attributed with a face, He is attributed with Wajh, and He knows its
reality. The word can have more than one meaning, so it is safe not to specify a
meaning, or else to interpret it according to the context of the statement.
Allāh is not Attributed with a Hand
To briefly clear Allāh from the organs known as hands, check the definitions
listed for the term “yad”, like hand (an organ), power, authority, assistance,
possession, favor, etc. These are not even half of the definitions. Some befit
Allāh, like power, and some do not, like hand (as an organ). Ibn Ĥajar lists over
20 meanings in his explanation of al-Bukhāriyy, and references many of them
with verses of the Qur’ān and Arabic expressions or lines of poetry. We will skip
the references only for the sake of brevity. He cited: the organ, power,
ownership, covenant, submission, endowment, dominion, lowness; humiliation,
authority, obedience, protection, the handle of a sword, the bird’s wing, duration
(of time), beginning, cash, ability, a group, a path, dispersion, and more.
In Sūrat al-Mā’idah, Allāh revealed it to mean “dhirāˇ (arm)”203
:
﴾يديك مإىلٱملرافقفٱغسل واو ج وهك موأ﴿
202 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 15.
203 Sūrat al-Mā’idah, verse 6.
104
This means: “Wash your faces and hands (i.e. arms) up to the elbow.”
The Saying of Abū Ĥanīfah
The saying of Abū Ĥanīfah, the most explicit of the Four Imāms in clearing
Allāh from tashbīh (likeness to the creation): “It is not said that the Yad of Allāh
is His power, nor His endowment, because in saying that, there is negation of His
attribute, and that is the saying of the Muˇtazilah. Rather, His Yad is His attribute
and it has no how.” is used by the Wahhābis. They say that he said that Allāh’s
hand is not power, is not favor, etc.; meaning that he is saying that it is an actual
hand. The true meaning of the statement, is that Allāh’s attribute of Yad is not
always interpreted as power in every context, nor is it always interpreted as
endowment in every context, etc.
In one verse, Allāh said 204
﴾يد ٱهللف وقأيديهم﴿
This literally says “The hand of Allāh is above their hands.” It truly means that
their allegiance to the Prophet is accepted by Him, not that Allāh put His hand on
top of the Muslim’s hands, which is physical contact.
In one ĥadīth:
يداهللمعاجلماعة
This literally says, “The hand of Allāh is with the Jamāˇah.” The Jamāˇah is on
Earth, but they believe that Allāh is above the sky. The correct meaning is that
the support of Allāh is with the Jamāˇah.
From these, it is clear that the literal meaning of Yad is not intended. In many
languages, including English, this figurative usage is common.
Allāh is not Attributed with Two Hands
In the chapter of Ŝād, Allāh said205
:
204 Sūrat al-Fatĥ, verse 10.
205 Sūrat Ŝād, verse 75.
105
بيدى﴿ مامن عكأنتسج دملاخلقت ﴾ي إبليس
This means: “O Iblīs, what prevented you from prostrating to what I (Allāh)
created biyadayy?”
The word:
﴾بيدى﴿
“biyadayy” literally means “with my two hands”, however, it may also have
other meanings. Some scholars said that it was mentioned that Ādam was created
“biyadayh” (with His yadayn) as an expression drawing attention to his special
honor. Because to the contrary, Iblīs was created by Allāh, but it is not
mentioned that he was created “biyadayy”. We are not allowed to say it means
“two hands”, because that would be explicitly comparing Allāh to the humans.
Ibn Ĥajar narrates from some of the scholars:
This (verse) was put forth to facilitate an understanding206
, for it is
known that whoever takes care of something and has interest in it
attends to it with both hands. It is thus understood from that, that the
heed given to the creation of Ādam was more perfect207
than that of
other creations.
206 This means to make something closer to a person’s understanding.
207 Perfection as an attribute of the creatures has levels. Thus, it is possible for
one creature to be more perfect than another. For example, beauty is an attribute
of perfection for creatures, and it varies between them. Likewise is said about
bodily strength and intelligence. However, when speaking about Allāh’s act of
creating, it is not said to be more perfect in reference to one thing or another.
Allāh created all things perfectly, meaning that they all existed in accordance
with His will, whether they were big or small, strong or weak, ugly or beautiful.
This is the meaning of the verse:
ك لشىءخلقه ﴿ ﴾الذىأحسن
Meaning, “The one who perfected everything He created.” (Sūrat as-Sajdah,
verse 7.)
106
The fact is that the dual form of a word does not always denote a pair. An
example is the saying in al-Ĥajj:
لبيكاللهملبيك
“Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk”, meaning, “O Allāh, I am quick in responding to
your order in al-Ĥajj”, or “I obey you one time after another, O Allāh”.
Sometimes the dual form of the Arabic word may refer to importance of
something, swiftness to act, or the reoccurrence of something (more than twice),
like the verse in the chapter of al-Mulk208
:
كرت ني﴿ ٱرجعٱلبصر ﴾مث
This literally means, “look twice”, (using the dual form) but actually means
“Look time and time again (at the creation of Allāh).”
Because the Wahhābis believe that this verse is very clear evidence that Allāh
has two real hands, and what has been presented surely is not convincing for
them, we smack them with a clear refutation by citing the verse209
:
ن هابأييد﴿ ﴾وٱلسمآءب ن ي
This means: “Allāh created the sky with great power.” Literally it says: “Allāh
built the sky with (more than two) hands.” The plural form (ayd) is used, not the
singular form (yad), nor the dual form (yadān). In Arabic, the plural form of the
word is for counting items from three to ten.
One ĥadīth or verse would literally say that He has one hand. Another would say
two, and another would literally say three or more, so why did they not say that
He has six or more hands? Is it that they have the belief of the Hindus and do not
want to confess? The correct belief is that Allāh is attributed with al-Yad, and it
does not resemble anything, it is not an organ and Allāh knows its reality.
May Allāh bless Abu-l-Ĥasan al-Ashˇariyy, whom the scholars followed in
208 Sūrat al-Mulk, verse 4.
209 Sūrat adh-Dhāriyāt, verse 47.
107
defending the belief of the Muslims. Let us end this section with210
:
﴾وٱذك رعب دنآإب رهيموإسح قوي عق وبأ وىلٱأليدىوٱألبص ر﴿
It literally says, “Remember Our (Allāh’s) slaves, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
who had hands and vision.” In the Wahhābi mistranslation, they make ta’wīl and
say that it means they had strength and religious understanding. So, they make
ta’wīl for creations that really have hands, but for Allāh, supremely exalted
beyond the descriptions of men, they insist on the literal meanings.
Allāh is not Attributed with an Eye
The word “ˇayn” can connote “eye”, “evil eye”, “spring of water”, “self”,
“individuality”… and much more. For example, take the term “farď ˇayn
(personal obligation)”. Learning the matters of belief is a personal obligation. In
Sūrat al-Ghāshiyah, ˇayn refers to a spring of water, one in Paradise and one in
Hell:
ءانية﴿ ﴾ت سقىمنعني
and
﴾فيهاعنيجارية﴿
Prophet Nūĥ’s Ark was sailing by the guidance of Allāh211
:
﴾جترىبأعي ننا﴿
Literally, it means, “running by Our eyes”. There is no proof that Allāh has eyes
in the ĥadīth212
:
210 Sūrat Ŝād, verse 45.
211 Sūrat al-Qamar, verse 14.
212 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Book of al-Fitan, Ĥadīth No. 169; Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No.
23171; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 4320; Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No.
6972.
108
وإنربكمليسبأعور
This means: “Your Lord is not one-eyed.” The Wahhābis use this to say that
Allāh has two eyes. This ĥadīth is in reference to the one eyed imposter who will
claim to be God. The Prophet informed us that this ugly ascription is not an
attribute of the true God.
Conclusion
By now, the reader can clearly see the deviance of the so-called Salafis. Let us
close with several additional examples. Several Wahhābis have made ta’wīl for
the ĥadīth213
:
فليسدونكشيء
This means: “…there is nothing below You,” and explained it as, “…there is
nothing close to You.”
Upon such a silly ta’wīl, produce the 19th verse of al-ˇAlaq:
﴾وٱسج دوٱق تب﴿
It literally means, “Prostrate and draw nearer (to Allāh).” This will be like a
smack to the face that will lead them to make another ta’wīl, for this verse
literally implies that Allāh is below us, because prostration requires going down
to the floor. They explain by saying that the closeness to Allāh is by obedience,
which is true. They made this ta’wīl to avoid an obvious contradiction, although
there is also a ĥadīth from Imām Muslim214
:
أقربمايكونالعبدإىلربهوهوساجدفأكثروامنالدعاءفيه
“The slave would be closest to Allāh while prostrating, so make lots of
213 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Dhikr, Ĥadīth No. 2713; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth
No. 5051; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 3831; Muŝannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah,
Ĥadīth No. 4223; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 3400.
214 Sunan an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 1137; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 875;
Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Prayer, Ĥadīth No. 482.
109
supplication while prostrating...” So stand back and watch the Wahhābi eat his
own words about denying ta’wīl. If it is permissible to say that closeness to Him
is by obedience, then it is permissible to say that His highness is by Majesty.
In another verse, Allāh tells us215
:
﴿ ٱلسم وتوٱألر ﴾اهللن ور
This means: “Allāh is the guide of the people of the skies (the angels) and the
people of the earth to the light of belief.” It literally says, “Allāh is the light of
the Heavens and Earth.” The Wahhābis do not usually say that Allāh is a light,
which is an illumination. If they can use the figurative meanings, how do they
make it forbidden for us? What are their criteria for taking one mutashābih text
literally and another figuratively? All of it is from Allāh and His Messenger .
Clear evidence that they believe that Allāh is a bodily structure is they say that
Allāh will cast a shadow. The ĥadīth truly refers to the shade of the ˇArsh.
ظله
This means: “Đħilluhu (His shadow)”, as mentioned in the
ĥadīth216
, is the honorable shadow that is owned by Allāh, and the only shade
available on the Day of Judgment, when the sun will descend as close as a mile
from the heads of the people. What helps to clarify this meaning is the likes of
the saying of Allāh217
:
﴾ب ييت﴿
“baytī (My house),” referring to the honorable Kaˇbah that is owned by Allāh,
and218
﴾ر وحى﴿
215 Sūrat an-Nūr, verse 35.
216 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2391.
217 Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 125.
218 Sūrat al-Ĥijr, verse 19.
110
“rūĥī (My soul),” referring to the honorable soul of Ādam owned by Allāh. The
Kaˇbah and the soul of Ādam should not be associated with the self of Allāh. It is
as Allāh reported in the Qur’ān, that Ŝāliĥ, the Messenger of Allāh , said219
:
﴾ناقةٱهلل﴿
This means: “(Be aware of) the Camel of Allāh,” which expresses the status of
that camel, and does not mean that the camel is an attribute of Allāh. If the
shadow is an attribute of Allāh, then the camel, the Kaˇbah, and the soul would
all have to be attributes of His, something they do not say. All of these are
examples of “relation by ownership and honor”, called in Arabic: “iďāfatu milk
wa tashrīf.” Not to mention that there is another version of the ĥadīth from the
route of Salmān that explicitly mentions the ˇArsh220
:
عرشهسبعةيظلهماهلليفظل
This means: “There are seven types of people whom Allāh will shade in the
shadow of His ˇArsh.”
From another mutashābih ĥadīth, they say that Allāh will put His foot in
Hellfire:
حتيضعربالعزةقدمه
There is a lot to be said about this ĥadīth, but it is solid enough to produce the
verse221
:
كانه ؤ آلءء﴿ ﴾اهلةماورد وهالو
This means: “Had those (idols) been worthy of worship, they would not enter
Hell.”
Allāh the exalted has ordered for the idols to be thrown in Hell with those who
219 Sūrat ash-Shams, verse 13.
220 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2391.
221 Sūrat al-Ambiyā’, verse 99.
111
worshipped them. This verse proves that Allāh, the only one who deserves
worship, does not enter the Hellfire, because the one who deserves worship does
not enter Hell.
The true meaning of the ĥadīth was explained by an-Nawawiyy as Allāh putting
a group of people in Hell. He said,
This ĥadīth is among the famous ĥadīth of attributes, and the difference
between the scholars in reference to the two ways of explaining it has
already been mentioned repeatedly: The first is the way of most of the
Salaf, and some of the scholars of belief, that its meaning should not be
spoken about, rather that we believe that it is true according to what
Allāh willed, that it has a befitting meaning, and that the apparent
meaning is not intended. The second, which is the saying of most of the
scholars of belief, is that it is interpreted according to what is befitting,
and according to that, they have differed about the meaning of this
ĥadīth. It was said that what is meant by the term: قدم (qadam; which
literally means foot), in this case is: متقدم (mutaqaddam; that which is
advanced; brought to the forefront), which is commonly used in the
language. And so the meaning would be: ‘until Allāh the exalted puts in
it (i.e. Hell) those whom He has put forward for it among the people of
torture’...
After all of this explanation, the Wahhābis will say that we have done nothing
except “explain the meanings away”. Upon hearing the proper meanings of the
texts, they say, “you have emptied out the meanings.” They justify their own
ta’wīl by saying that they only give the proper tafsīr (interpretation). We say to
them, “Then we have also given the tafsīr”. This double standard is due to
arrogance and lack of intelligence.
Take heed, O seeker of truth, and benefit from what the great scholar, al-Ĥāfiđħ
Ibnu-l-Jawziyy222
said about some of the people who likened Allāh to the
creations centuries before the Wahhābiyyah, in his book called Akhbāru-ŝ-Ŝifāt
which until now is still a manuscript:
222 Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Mufassir Abu-l-Faraj ˇAbdur-Raĥmān Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAliyy Ibnu-l-Jawziyy al-Bakriyy al-Baghdādiyy al-Ĥambaliyy
(551 – 630 AH).
112
When a group of the ignorant knew about this book of mine, they were
not pleased, because they were used to the speech of their leaders who
attribute a body to Allāh, and they said, “This is not the madhhab!” I
said, “This is not YOUR madhhab nor the madhhab of your shaykhs
whom you have imitated, for I have cleared the madhhab of Imām
Aĥmad and denied the lies that have been transmitted”... “And I saw
some of our colleagues talking about the matters of the creed
inappropriately. Three people were authorized to author: Abū ˇAbdillāh
Ibn Ĥāmid, his companion al-Qāďī [Abū Yaˇlā], and Ibnu-z-Zāghūniyy.
They wrote books by which the madhhab was defamed, and took the
attributes by a physical meaning. They heard that Allāh created Ādam
with his image223
, and so they confirmed an image, a face, two eyes, a
mouth, a uvula, molars, a direction - which is the clouds - two hands,
fingers, a pinky, a thumb, a chest, a thigh, two shins and two feet, and
then said that they never heard about Allāh having a head224
. They said
that He touches and is touched, comes close to the slave in person, and
some of them said that He breathes. Then they appease the common
people with their saying: “it is not like what we can conceive”. They
took by the apparent meanings of the names and attributes of Allāh, and
then innovatively called those (apparent meanings) “the attributes of
Allāh”- with no mental or textual evidence. They paid no attention to
the texts that detour away from the apparent meanings to the meanings
that are necessary for Allāh, nor to the knowledge of what the apparent
meanings imply, which is the attributes of the creations. They were not
convinced about saying “His act of creating225
”; rather they said it is
the attribute of His self. Then upon confirming these attributes, they
said, ‘We do not carry these attributes according to other meanings that
are dictated by the language, like to say that yad means power or
punishment, or that the majī’ and the ityān226
mean grace and mercy, or
that the sāq means hardship, rather we take them by their apparent
meanings.’ And the apparent meanings are what are known to be the
223 This either means that Allāh created Ādam with an honorable image, or that
Allāh created Ādam with Ādam’s image, which is the image given to all the
humans after him.
224 Meaning that they know of no narration from the Prophet about that, so they
do not confirm it.
225 Like what was said about the ĥadīth of an-Nuzūl.
226 Which both literally mean ‘coming’.
113
attributes of the humans. An issue is taken literally if that (literal
meaning) were possible, so if there is an indication to do otherwise,
then it is taken figuratively. They are stubbornly adherent to likening
Allāh to the creations, and some of the laymen have followed them. I
have exposed the follower and the followed. I said to them, “You are the
people who convey, and you have a following, and your imām is the
great imām, Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal, and he used to say while being under
the whip, “How would I say that which was not said?” And so beware
of innovating into my madhhab that which is not a part of it...”
Three Easy Ways to Smash a Wahhābi
May Allāh have mercy upon you. Throughout the book, several strategies and
arguments were presented for defense and offense; however, here are three cases
although already mentioned in the book in one way or another - that if used
properly, one should be able to use any one of them to silence a Wahhābi swiftly
and easily:
The first is that we ask the Wahhābi what he says about the verse227
:
ك نت م﴿ ﴾وه ومعك مأينما
This literally means, “He is with you wherever you are”. He will either take it
literally or not. If he takes it literally, He has fallen into explicit contradiction of
their creed, for they confirm the direction of highness for Allāh, believing
without evidence that highness of place confirms highness of status228
. If he says
that it means that Allāh knows about everything everywhere, then say, “Just as
you saw it fit to interpret the verse in a way that is different from the apparent
meaning so to save yourself from contradiction, we also make ta’wīl for every
verse and ĥadīth that literally implies that Allāh is in the direction of the sky,
because that is necessary for escaping contradiction.” However, the difference
between us and them is that we escape all contradictions, while they are stuck
with contradicting the verse229
:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
227 Sūrat al-Ĥadīd, verse 4.
228 Disproving this.
229 Sūrat ash-Shūrā, verse 11.
114
This means: “Nothing resembles Him in any way.”
It may be said to him, “What made it permissible for you to make ta’wīl and
made it forbidden for us?” It may also be said to him, “Based on what rule did
you make ta’wīl for one verse and leave it for the other verse?” This deed of the
Wahhābiyyah is called in Arabic “taĥakkum”; being arbitrary, or in other words,
saying something without evidence. Do not let him move to another subject until
he answers the question or submits to Ahlu-s-Sunnah.
The second case is to refer immediately to the aforementioned ĥadīth known as
“the ĥadīth of ˇImrān Ibn al-Ĥuŝayn”230
:
كاناهللومليك نشيءغري ه
This means: “Allāh existed and there was nothing other than Him.” From the
great strength of the evidence in this ĥadīth, you may even refer to it before you
mention any verse from the Qur’ān. This ĥadīth is a very mighty weapon against
them. The way to use this ĥadīth has already been explained in the section
“Proof from the Ĥadīth that Refutes the Wahhābi Creed”, so review it there.
If the Wahhābi says that he does not know the ĥadīth, tell him that his ignorance
does not change the fact that the ĥadīth exists, and do not let him move to
another point. If he claims that it is weak, tell him that it is actually ŝaĥīĥ,
narrated in al-Bukhāriyy, and add that he should not talk without knowledge. Out
of desperation, he may claim that this ĥadīth does not prove that Allāh exists
without a place or direction. If so, tell him that it is not permissible to shut off
your mind on purpose. The ĥadīth is as clear as daybreak in negating the
existence of anything with Allāh eternally, and that includes places and
directions.
The third way is to ask the Wahhābi, “Must the Muslim creed be built upon
something definitive231
or speculative232
?” If he says speculative, and he most
likely will not say that, then his ignorance and stupidity will be obvious to
230 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6982, 7418, 3191; Ŝaĥīĥ Ibn Ĥibbān, Ĥadīth
No. 6140, 6142; Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 19876; Sharĥ Muskili-l-Āthār,
Ĥadīth No. 5629, 5630; Muˇjam al-Kabīr, Ĥadīth No. 498; Ĥilyatu-l-Awliyā’,
page 260; al-Iˇtiqād al-Bayhaqiyy, page 92; Sunan al-Bayhaqiyy, Ĥadīth No.
17702;
231 Meaning: something definite and absolute.
232 Meaning: something that could possibly be true or not be true.
115
anyone with mental discrimination. If he says that the creed of the Muslims must
be built upon something definitive and not speculative, then we agree, but then
say to him, “How many meanings can istawā have?” If he says that it can have
only one meaning, then he is either a ruthless liar or a pathetic ignoramus. If he
confesses that it can have many possible meanings, then for him to choose
“rising above” is a speculation on his part. The secret of using this point is in
clarifying that speculation comes into play when there is more than one
possibility for something. The rule the scholars used was233
:
إذاثبتاالحتمالسقطالقطعيفاالستدالل
This means: “If more than one possibility is confirmed, then the certainty of the
evidence is dropped”.
For this reason, the real Salaf used to say “Istawā, as He ascribed to Himself,”
because that is definitive. They did not choose one meaning over another,
because that would be speculative, and they definitely did not say, “rose above as
He ascribed to Himself.” As for the verse234
:
كمثلهشيء﴾ ﴿ليس
This means: “Nothing resembles Him in any way.”
It can only have one meaning, so it is definitive and thus the creed is built upon
it.
***
233 Al-Baĥru-l-Muĥīť fi Uŝūli-l-Fiqh, vol. 3, page 152 by al-Imām, al-ˇAllāmah,
al-Muĥaqqiq, Badru-d-Dīn Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdillāh az-Zarkashiyy ash-
Shāfiˇiyy (794 AH).
234 Sūrat ash-Shūrā, verse 11.
116
Appendix A: The Speech of Allāh
The Speech of Allāh is an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allāh, as previously
mentioned. It is not of a sound, letter, or language. With this attribute, Allāh
orders, forbids, promises, threatens, informs, and questions, but without His
speech being made of parts. It is one eternal and everlasting speech that does not
change. It is not carried by the air, it does not take up time, nor can it be
imagined. It is wrong to believe that His speech is of parts; that at one time He
orders, then His speech changes so that He forbids at another time, etc. Rather,
the change occurs in the creations; He would create in His slave the
understanding of an order, and in another slave the understanding of a question,
etc. The evidence from the Book of Allāh that He is not attributed with parts is
the verse235
:
﴿وجعل واله منعبادهج زءا﴾
This means: “They made Him from the parts of His slaves.”
This attribute of Allāh is confirmed in the Qur’ān and the ĥadīth. It was
established from the Messenger of Allāh that he said236
:
مامنكممنأحدإالسيكلمهربهيومالقيامةليسبينهوبينهترمجان
This means: “There is not one of you except that his Lord will speak to him
on the Day of Judgment; there will be no interpreter between them.”
Whoever denies the Speech of Allāh has attributed imperfection to Allāh and has
blasphemed. Likewise is the judgment of the one who likens this attribute to the
speech of the creatures. Most of the debates in the early days were about the
issue of the Speech of Allāh.
The belief of those who liken Allāh to the creations is that Allāh has speech, but
that His speech is similar to the speech of the creation, although they will not say
it like that237
. They believe that Allāh speaks Arabic, but that His speech is
235 Sūrat az-Zukhruf, verse 15.
236 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 7074; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 185;
237 They will not blatantly say that his speech is like the speech of creations. But
they say that He speaks Arabic, and they say other things that imply that His
speech is created.
117
eternal, which as usual, is a contradictory matter.
The 82nd Verse of Sūrat Yāsīn
ك نف يك ون ﴾ آأمر ه إذآأرادشيئاأني ق ولله ﴿إن
This means: “Surely, His Command, if He willed for something, He says to it,
‘Be,’ and it shall be.”
What lead those who liken Allāh to the creations to believe that Allāh speaks
Arabic is this verse, and other verses like it. They would say that Allāh said:
ك نف يك ون ﴾ ﴿ي ق ولله
claiming that it means that He utters the word: ﴾ك ن﴿ (kun), which is a command
meaning “be; exist”. They would add to that, that since Allāh is eternal then His
utterance must be eternal; so they considered an expression that has a beginning
and an end-since it starts with a particular letter and sound and ends with a letter
and sound- as eternal and everlasting. The scholars have given very convincing
refutations against this blasphemous creed:
They said that the term: ﴾ك ن﴿ is Arabic, and Allāh existed before the Arabic
language and before all other types of things existed, so the result of their claim
is that Allāh was silent and then started speaking, which is impossible since that
is the attribute of the creatures, as well as an imperfection.
Their claim that Allāh always utters these two letters before the creation of every
individual thing also leads to saying that Allāh addresses things that do not exist.
In other words, according to them, when He gives the command to exist, who
was being addressed? The thing did not yet exist so as to receive the address. If
they claim that He addresses it after it existed, then respond by saying, “it is
meaningless to say He created something that already exists”; meaning that they
claim that Allāh says ﴾ك ن﴿ whenever He willed to create something, so if He is
addressing something that already exists, then there is no benefit in ordering it to
exist.
Furthermore, their claim implies that Allāh does not say anything other than
because He would be addressing every distinct thing that comes into ﴿ك ن﴾
existence, but at every single moment, countless things simultaneously come into
118
existence, whether bodies, sounds, motions, thoughts or otherwise.
Additionally, their belief leads to say that Allāh creates the creations by a
creation, which is the utterance of ﴾ك ن﴿. Based on this creed, that a creation,
which is the utterance of ﴾ك ن﴿ was the reason for the creation of other things,
that creation must have been preceded by the utterance of ﴾ك ن﴿ and since it is
created, it would also have to be preceded by the utterance of ﴾ك ن﴿. The belief
of Ahlu-s-Sunnah is that Allāh creates with His eternal will and power, in
accordance with His eternal knowledge.
Ahlu-s-Sunnah said that if it were valid that Allāh would speak with words and
sounds, then it would be valid that He would have any attribute of the creations,
because whatever resembles something is subject to whatever its similar is
subject. For that reason, people believe that any particular book could burn, since
books burn, and that any house could be demolished, because houses can be
demolished. Anything that speaks with letters and words and sounds could have
organs, and anything with organs can be destroyed.
What, then, is the correct meaning of the verse? Ahlu-s-Sunnah had two
interpretations of this verse, both of which comply with the judgment of the
sound mind and the texts of the Religion. The first interpretation is that:
ك نف يك ون ﴾ آأمر ه إذآأرادشيئاأني ق ولله ﴿إن
This means: “That Allāh creates without effort, difficulty, or prevention.”
This means that the things He willed to create come into existence swiftly and
easily without being delayed from their destined times of existence238
. The
second interpretation is that things come into existence in accordance with
Allāh’s eternal judgment. His judgment is His command, and His command is
His eternal speech, not an Arabic expression. The word in the Qur’ān: ﴾ك ن﴿
facilitates an understanding, and refers to the eternal Speech of Allāh, just as the
word: اهلل itself facilitates an understanding and refers to the eternal self whom
we worship. The first interpretation was given by Imām Abū Manŝūr al-
Māturīdiyy himself, and the second was mentioned by the Ashˇariyyah like al-
238 Sharĥ Lumaˇ al-Adillah, page 71, by ash-Shaykh Sharafu-d-Dīn Ibn at-
Tillamsāniyy; Tasfīr an-Nasafiyy, vol. 2, page 408.
119
Bayhaqiyy.
The Meaning of the Word al-Qur’ān
It is very important to know that the term “al-Qur’ān” has two usages. The first
is the eternal and everlasting speech, which is an attribute of Allāh. It has no
beginning and no end, as mentioned previously. According to this meaning, the
first thing that may come to mind when hearing the word “al-Qur’ān”, which is
the Book of Allāh, is not intended.
The second meaning for “al-Qur’ān” is the expressions revealed to Muĥammad,
may peace be upon him, which are created. The pages on which those
expressions are written are created, the ink used to write them is created, the
tongues that recite them are created, the hearts that memorize those expressions
are created, etc. The term: “al-Qur’ān” is synonymous to the term: “the Speech
of Allāh”, because “the Speech of Allāh” also has these two meanings: the
eternal and everlasting attribute of Allāh, and the revealed expressions.
Because of this interchangeable word usage and meaning, the people who liken
Allāh to the creations got confused and misunderstood the statement of the
scholars, “al-Qur’ān is the Speech of Allāh and it is not created.” They thought
that the scholars meant that the revealed expressions are the eternal Speech of
Allāh and that those revealed expressions are not created, which is a
blasphemous, illogical understanding, because it attributes eternity to the created
thing. Had they adhered to the saying of al-Junayd al-Baghdādiyy239
they would
have been safe: “at-Tawĥīd (monotheism) is distinguishing the eternal from the
event.240
”
The scholars of the Salaf said that it is forbidden to say, “The Qur’ān is created”,
for fear of someone misunderstanding and believing that the attribute of Allāh is
created. They also forbade people from saying, “The Qur’ān is not created”, for
fear of someone believing that the revealed expressions are eternal. They said,
“The Qur’ān is the Speech of Allāh and it is not created”, a statement that is
clearer than the previous two.
They said that when clarifying this issue to people to mention these details. So
when we quote verses of the Qur’ān and say, “Allāh said”, it is not with the
meaning that Allāh speaks Arabic, but meaning that those expressions are not the
239 Al-Junayd Ibn Muĥammad Ibn al-Junayd al-Baghdādiyy (298 AH).
240 Fatĥ al-Bārī, vol. 13, page 357.
120
work of a creature; no human, angel, or jinn authored the Qur’ān, rather it is a
revelation that refers to the eternal Speech of Allāh, clarifying for the creatures
Allāh’s orders, prohibitions, promise, and threat.
121
Appendix B: The Truth about Innovations
One of the greatest tribulations these people have brought upon the Muslims is
their misunderstanding of innovations. Linguistically, “bidˇah (innovation)”
means, “that which was done without a previous example”. There is no dispraise
in the word itself. Religiously, a bidˇah is something not revealed explicitly in
the Qur’ān or the Sunnah.
In this issue, the Wahhābi’s mistake lies in believing that anything not done by
the Prophet is sinful, because it is an innovation. The truth is that any new
issue must be checked to see if it complies with or contradicts the rules of the
Religion.
Not Every Innovation is Misguidance
Because of a ĥadīth, they claim to shun any innovated matter- but we know
better241
:
وكلبدعةضاللةLiterally, the ĥadīth says, “Every innovation is misguidance.” This is the basis of
their deviance in this issue, so may the ĥadīth be cleared of their falsehood. This
ĥadīth is strong, but their interpretation is invalid. The true meaning of the ĥadīth
is, “Every innovation (which does not comply with the rules of the Religion)
is misguidance.”
The Wahhābis would deny this interpretation with disgust, relying on the word:
kull (every; each; all). We say that the terms of this ĥadīth are “ˇāmm كل
makhŝūŝ”; general wording with specific meaning242
. The support for our claim
is abundant and clear:
One ĥadīth243
:
وكلعنيزانية
241 Sunan an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 1578.
242 Sharĥ Saĥīĥ Muslim by an-Nawawiyy, vol. 6, page 154.
243 Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2786.
122
This literally means, “Every eye is a fornicator.” Despite the general wording,
the Prophets, pious people, blind men, and children are not included, so it has a
specific meaning. It truly means, “Most eyes glance with the forbidden look;
the look that leads to fornication”. This verse from the Qur’ān should convince
the doubtful244
:
ك لشىء﴾ ﴿ت دمر
This literally means “It destroyed everything”, but truly it means, “The wind
destroyed most of the things in that area.” The violent wind that destroyed the
tribe of ˇĀd blew on them for seven nights and eight days consecutively.
Certainly, this verse does not mean that the wind destroyed everything, for that
would include the Heavens and Earth entirely. Therefore, despite the general
wording of the verse, the intended meaning is specific.
Proof from the Ĥadīth about Good Innovations
A Wahhābi may acknowledge these general expressions with specific meanings,
but deny that the ĥadīth of innovations is one of them, because his heart is firmly
opposed to the idea of good innovations. We further substantiate our
interpretation of the ĥadīth with another ĥadīth about innovations245
:
فلهأجرهاوأجرمنعملبامنسنيفاإلسالمسنةحسنةThis means: “Whoever starts a good Sunnah in Islām has its reward, and the
reward of whoever works according to it…” This ĥadīth is an explicit proof
for good innovations. Imām Muslim narrated this ĥadīth and because of it, we
understand the ĥadīth which literally says that every innovation is misguidance
to be of general wording with a specific meaning. This is because it is impossible
for two authentic sayings of the Prophet to contradict each other.
Of course, the Wahhābis have their routines for evading the ruling contained in
this ĥadīth. Some of them say that it is specifically for the Companions. Others
say that it refers to the one who revives a Sunnah of the Prophet . Both claims
are easily countered. Definitely, this ĥadīth is not restricted to the Companions,
244 Sūrat al-Aĥqāf, verse 25.
245 Saĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of az-Zakāh, Ĥadīth No. 1017; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy,
Ĥadīth No. 2675; Sunan an-Nasā’iyy, Ĥadīth No. 2554.
123
because the Prophet gave a general statement that is not restricted:
حسنةمنسنيفاإلسالمسنة
Meaning, “Whoever starts a good Sunnah…” In addition, it does not refer to
the person who revives a Sunnah of the Prophet , because then he would truly
be restarting; following something the Prophet already started. Easily seen by
the honest person, this ĥadīth praises whoever innovates something that complies
with the rules of the Religion.
Some of the more ignorant Wahhābis will argue that the word “bidˇah” is not in
this ĥadīth. A true but petty argument, for the reference to innovations is still
contained therein. Because of their blindness, they will not see our point, and still
insist that this ĥadīth means, “Whoever revives a good Sunnah of the Prophet
...” If you meet one of those, then recite the second half of the ĥadīth:
كانعليهوزرهاووزرمنعملبا ومنسنيفاإلسالمسنةسيئة
This means: “And whoever starts an evil Sunnah in Islām, then upon him is
its sin and the sin of whoever works according to it…” There is no Sunnah of
the Prophet classified as an “evil Sunnah”. According to their method, the
second half of this ĥadīth would mean, “And whoever revives an evil Sunnah of
the Prophet …” Hence, the word “Sunnah” in this ĥadīth means “a way”; “a
practice”- and not exclusively the Sunnah of the Prophet . This clarifies the
meaning of the word “Sunnah” in the first half of the ĥadīth.
Other Texts Used by Wahhābis
Being very staunch in this issue, they will produce more texts to substantiate
their claim. Do not be shaken if they recite the ĥadīth of al-Bukhāriyy246
:
فهوردماليسمنهمنأحدثيفأمرناهذا
Then, they will say it means, “Whoever innovates into this affair of ours that
which is not from it is rejected”. Actually, this ĥadīth supports what we have
246 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 2550.
124
already stated, because the meaning is, “Whoever invents something that does
not comply with (the rules of) this Religion of ours is rejected.” The ĥadīth
does not say:
فهوردمنأحدثيفأمرناهذا
“Whoever innovates into our religion is rejected”, rather, the Prophet gave a
qualifying statement:
ماليسمنه
“that which does not comply with it.” So, if the new action complies with the
rules of the religion, it is not rejected.
They may deliver the verse247
:
لك مدينك م﴾ ﴿اليومأكملت
claiming that it means, “Today I have perfected your Religion for you”. From
there, they say that anything coming afterwards would be an unacceptable
innovation. This verse does not support their claim at all. By this interpretation,
they imply that the Religion was imperfect until this verse came, and this is nasty
blasphemy. Whoever has a sound mind and seeks the truth would then inquire
about our explanation. We say that the verse means, “On the day of this verse’s
revelation, the rules of the Religion have been completed.” Out of His
Wisdom, Allāh did not reveal all of the rules of the Religion at once, but in
stages, and all Muslims know this. For example, the obligation of the five
prayers was not revealed to the Prophet until the event of the night journey and
ascension up to the skies. The obligation of Praying the Friday prayer and of
fasting the month of Ramaďān came after the migration from Makkah to al-
Madīnah. Even the prohibition of drinking wine was not revealed immediately.
This verse came, confirming that the Prophet received the last of the rules,
and he conveyed all of them, even the general rules which the future top scholars
(mujtahidūn) would need for deducing the answers for cases not mentioned by
the Prophet . Additionally, this verse was not the last verse to be revealed248
. If
247 Sūrat al-Mā’idah, verse 3.
248 Al-Bukhāriyy and Muslim narrated from al-Barrā’ Ibn ˇAzib that the last verse
125
they claim that anything that comes after this verse is an unwanted innovation,
then they say all the verses and ĥadīth that came later are abominable, which
itself is an abominable claim.
Statements of Scholars about Good Innovations
What has been mentioned is good ammunition and enough to protect a Muslim
from becoming doubtful about good innovations, but know that they recite other
texts, including reports from the Companions and other scholars. What helps to
understand many of the texts they would present is to know that when the
scholars used the word “bidˇah” without restriction, they meant the bad
innovation; in particular they meant the bad beliefs of the deviant factions. The
context was understood, so they did not always have to say, “bad bidˇah” - they
just said, “bidˇah.” However, the sayings of the scholars explicitly mentioning
good innovations are abundant, like the saying of ash-Shāfiˇiyy249
:
The innovated matters are of two types: The first of them is that which was
innovated and conflicts with something from the Book, the Sunnah, the
consensus, or what was confirmed from the Companions (athar). This is the
innovation of misguidance. The second is that good thing which was innovated
and does not conflict with anything from the Book, the Sunnah, or the consensus.
That is the innovated thing which is not dispraised.
An-Nawawiyy documented in his book Tahdhīb al-Asmā’ wa al-Lughāt250
:
The imām and shaykh whom his greatness, proficiency, mastery in the
different types of knowledge, and status of being an imām are agreed
upon, Abū Muĥammad ˇAbdul-ˇAzīz Ibn ˇAbdis-Salām251
, may Allāh
accept his deeds, said towards the end of the book al-Qawāˇid, ‘The
revealed was the 176th verse of Sūrat an-Nisā’. Al-Bukhāriyy also narrated from
Ibn ˇAbbās and al-Bayhaqiyy from ˇUmar that the last verse revealed was the
278th
verse of Sūrat al-Baqarah, which contains the prohibition of ribā. Aĥmad
Ibn Ĥambal, Ibn Mājah and Ibn Marduwayh narrated the same. An-Nasā’iyy, Ibn
Jarīr ať-Ťabariyy and Ibn Marduwayh narrated from Ibn ˇAbbās that the last
verse revealed was the 281st verse of Sūrat al-Baqarah. Ibn Abī Ĥātim narrated
the same from Saˇīd Ibn Jubayr. (al-Itqān fi ˇUlūm al-Qur’ān, vol. 1, page 56.)
249 Manāqib ash-Shāfiˇiyy, vol. 1, page 469 by al-Bayhaqiyy.
250 Tahdhīb al-Asmā’ wa al-Lughāt, vol. 3, page 22.
251 Famous as: ˇIzzu-d-Dīn Ibn ˇAbdis-Salām ash-Shāfiˇiyy (660 AH).
126
innovation is divided into: obligatory, prohibited, recommended,
disliked, and permissible. The way to reach that is by applying the
innovation to the rules of the religious law. So if it applied to the rules
of what necessitates an obligation, it is obligatory, or the rules of
prohibition, then it is prohibited, or the recommendation, then it would
be recommended, or the disliked, then it would be disliked, or the
permissible, then it would permissible.’
The statement of Muĥammad Amīn Ibn ˇĀbidīn252
, the famous Ĥanafiyy scholar
clarifies this quote of Ibn ˇAbdis-Salām253
:
The innovation could be obligatory, like the preparation of the
evidences for refuting the misguided sects, and learning grammar (an-
Naĥw) which enables the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah254
;
or recommended, like the innovation of inns (for students of knowledge
and the poor), schools, and every charitable matter that did not exist in
the first days (of Islām); or disliked, such as decorating the Mosque; or
permissible, such as exaggerating in delicious foods, drinks, and
(luxurious) clothing.
Among the most devastating references against these people is what Aĥmad Ibn
Taymiyah said in two of his books255
:
تفاقاملسلمني،ةفهيبدعة،وهيضاللةباوكلبدعةليستواجبةوالمستحبومنقاليفبعضالبدعإهنابدعةحسنةفإناذلكإذاقامدليلشرعيأهنا
مستحبة
This means: “Every innovation that is not obligatory or recommended is an evil
innovation and a misguidance by the agreement of the Muslims, and whoever
said about some innovations that they are good innovations, would be correct
252 Muĥammad Amīn Ibn ˇĀbidīn ad-Dimashqiyy (1198 - 1252 AH).
253 Raddu-l-Muĥtār, vol. 1, page 376.
254 This is in reference to the one who wants to convey the ĥadīth and interpret
the Qur’ān.
255 Qawāˇid Jalīlah fi-t-Tawassul wa-l-Wasīlah, page 44; Majmūˇ al-Fatāwā,
vol. 1, page 162.
127
only if religious evidence stands as a proof that it is recommended.” Here, he
explicitly confirms the existence of good innovations, although he was not as
precise as an-Nawawiyy, ˇIzzu-d-Dīn and Ibn ˇĀbidīn in his categorization. What
is correct is that if it is not obligatory, recommended or permissible, then it is a
bad innovation, and that includes the disliked innovations that did not reach the
level of being forbidden, like writing “S.A.W.” after the Prophet’s name. Amid
the explicit scholarly sayings is that of ˇUmar Ibnu-l-Khaťťāb, “What a good
bidˇah this is,” narrated by Mālik, al-Bukhāriyy, and others256
.
The Meaning of the Saying of ˇUmar Ibnu-l-Khaťťāb
ˇUmar, may Allāh increase his status, gave this statement after ordering the
people to pray the tarāwīĥ prayers behind one imām, and then returning on a
different night to find that the people kept praying as he ordered - something the
Prophet (ˇalayhis-Salām) never ordered, nor did Abū Bakr. This narration makes
the Wahhābis’ blood boil. They ridiculously say that ˇUmar did not mean that
what he did was an innovation. They say that the Prophet already prayed the
tarāwīĥ prayers in congregation, so ˇUmar truly meant, “What a good revival of
the Sunnah this is”. Clarify for them that the tarāwīĥ prayer is not the innovation,
not even praying it in congregation, but the order for all the people to pray
behind one imām establishes the innovation.
When the Prophet was alive, he did not order it, although some people did it. He
started praying at home because he did not want the people to think that it was an
obligation. Since then, the people used to pray the tarāwīĥ prayers in scattered
groups: a person here, a congregation there, another person there… and Abū
Bakr, after the Prophet’s death, left it as such. After Abū Bakr, ˇUmar ordered
a change- for all the people to gather behind one imām. Since then, the Muslims
worldwide have prayed tarāwīĥ behind one imām. This perfectly discredits the
Wahhābi belief, for if their understanding of this issue were correct, then ˇUmar
would have said, “I will not order the people to pray behind one imām, I will
leave it as the Prophet left it.” Add to that, that if ˇUmar meant that he revived
the Sunnah, he would not have used the words:
نعمتالبدعة
“good innovation”, especially after the Prophet (ˇalayhi-s-Salam) already said,
256 Al-Muwaťťa’, Ĥadīth No. 252; Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 1906.
128
according to the Wahhābis, that every bidˇah is misguidance. So, they claim that
ˇUmar meant the linguistic meaning of bidˇah, and they say it means, “to
revive”. We tell them that “aĥyā (to revive)” refers to what was already done,
like what is mentioned in the ĥadīth257
:
منأحياسنةمنسنيت
This means: “Whoever revives a sunnah my of Sunnah...” There is no way to
replace the word “iĥyā’ (revival)” with the word “bidˇah (innovation)”. This
trick of theirs is a cheap attempt to hide the truth. Do not fall for it.
Rather, look at what Ibn Ĥajar said in explanation of ˇUmar’s statement258
:
The innovation is originally that which is done without a previous
example, and in the religious law it is applied to that which is contrary
to the Sunnah, and so it would be dispraised. The accuracy of the issue
is that if it is from something that is categorized under what is
religiously considered good, then it is good, and if it were from
something that is categorized under what is religiously considered bad,
then it is bad, or else it would be permissible (mubāĥ; not rewardable
nor punishable), and it could be divided into the five judgments259
.
Examples of Good Innovations
The examples of good innovations are also abundant. One of them is Abū Bakr’s
order to compile the Qur’ān into one muŝĥaf260
, upon the suggestion of ˇUmar
Ibnu-l-Khaťťāb, despite that Abū Bakr explicitly told ˇUmar, “How can you do
something that the Messenger of Allāh did not do?” ˇUmar said to him, “By
Allāh, it is good.261
” A second example is basing the Islāmic calendar on the
migration of the Prophet (ˇalayhis-Salām), which was done by ˇUmar, and not
257 Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ĥadīth No. 4702.
258 Fatĥ al-Bārī, vol. 4, page 253.
259 Obligatory, recommended, forbidden, disliked, and permissible.
260 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 4702.
261 If a Wahhābi says that this is not an innovation because there was a need for
its compilation, respond by saying that the need for the issue does not deny the
fact that the Prophet did not do it nor ordered for it to be done.
129
the Prophet . The people differed about what to use as a reference point for the
calendar. Some said by the birth of the Prophet , some said by his death, some
mentioned the first reception of the revelation. ˇUmar chose the Hijrah
(migration) because of its great importance. ˇUthmān Ibn ˇAffān ordered for an
additional adhān to be called for the Friday prayer. The Companion, Khubayb,
prayed two rakˇah(s) before being executed. When the Companions found out
about what he did, they said, “He made a Sunnah for us.” The dots in the Qur’ān
were innovated by the students of the Companions. Even Ibn Taymiyah
acknowledges that the dots are an innovation, and he accepts them. He said in his
book Majmūˇ al-Fatāwā262
وقيلاليكرهللحاجةإليهوقيليكرهالنقطدونبدعة قيليكرهذلكألنهه والصحيح أنه ال أسالشكللبياناإلعراب
This means: “It was said that it is disliked because it is an innovation, it was said
that it was not disliked because of the need, it was said that the dots are disliked
and not the ĥarakāt because they clarify the syntactical case, and what is correct
is that there is nothing wrong with it.” The titles of the sūrahs (chapters) and the
other symbols in the Qur’ān, like the signs that show where to stop reciting, are
all innovated. The terminologies of the science of hadith, like “ŝaĥīĥ”, “ĥasan”,
and “ďaˇīf” are all innovated as well as the jargon of other religious fields.
Protect yourself and defend Islām with these facts.
The Commemoration of the Mawlid
Not mentioning the commemoration of the Mawlid (birth) of the Prophet
would leave this section incomplete. The Wahhābis find this good Sunnah to be
an abhorrent major sin and some claim it to be shirk and kufr. Among their
attacks against it is to say, “The Companions of the Prophet loved the Prophet
more than others, so had the Mawlid been good, they would have been the
first to do it.” Our response is that there is no rule that says, whatever the
Companions were not the first to think of is rejected. It is true that the
Companions were the best, but this does not mean that any goodness that would
ever cross the minds of men would cross the minds of the Companions
beforehand. If the Wahhābis are truthful, let them extend this idea to other
262 Al-Majmūˇ al-Fatāwā, vol. 3, page 402.
130
matters. Let them say, “If putting the dots in the Qur’ān were good, then the
Companions would have done it first.”
A proof for the validity of the Mawlid is the previously mentioned ĥadīth of the
Prophet 263
:
كاناهللل أمةحممدعلىضاللةيجمعما
This means: “Allāh will not let (the scholars of) Muĥammad’s Nation agree
on a misguidance.”
When the Mawlid was first done some 800 years ago, not a scholar objected, nor
the scholars of the centuries after that, thereby establishing the consensus of its
validity. The fact is that the Wahhābis deem it a trifling sin, and some even say it
is blasphemous, thereby breeching the consensus, and whoever disagrees with
the consensus has disagreed with the Messenger of Allāh. If they resort to a lie
and say that all of those scholars were misguided, and so Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdul-
Wahhāb called the people back to the true belief, then we stun them with the
ĥadīth of al-Bukhāriyy264
:
التزالطائفةمنأميتظاهرينعلىاحلق
This means: “There will always be a group from my nation which is very
evidently adhering to the truth.” If the Wahhābis were correct, then this hadith
would be wrong, because they claim that centuries passed without a scholar
speaking out against an atrocious corruption that spread throughout all Muslim
countries.
Another proof, coming from Ibn Ĥajar as narrated by al-Ĥāfiđħ as-Sakhāwiyy265
,
is found in the ĥadīth of ˇĀshūrā’, which is the tenth day of the Islāmic month of
Muĥarram.
263 Narrated by al-Ĥākim in al-Mustadrak, Ĥadīth No. 8545, 8546, 8664, and
8665; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 2167; Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No.
26682; al-Muˇjam al-Kabīr by ať-Ťabarāniyy, Ĥadīth No. 2171.
264 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6882.
265 Al-Ĥāfiđħ Shamsu-d-Dīn Muĥammad Ibn Abdur-Raĥmān Ibn Muĥammad as-
Sakhāwiyy (831 – 902 AH).
131
The Prophet recommended for the Muslims to fast on that day every year
because that was the day when Mūsā was saved from the Pharaoh, and the day
when the Ark of Prophet Nūĥ settled on the mountain. Ibn Ĥajar said that this
ĥadīth proves that it is permissible to thank Allāh at specific times for an
endowment that He gave or for a calamity that He relieved, and the best of all is
the coming of Prophet Muĥammad , more specifically, his birth. When the
Prophet was asked why he fasts every Monday, he said, “I was born on
Monday.266
”
There is no worship of the Prophet involved in the Mawlid, as the Wahhābis
accuse the Muslims. They may recite the ĥadīth267
:
الت طرونكماأطرتالنصارىعيسىابنمرمي
This means: “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians have done
to Jesus the son of Mary,” which does not mean that the Mawlid is forbidden,
but that worshipping the Prophet is forbidden.
When left to stand on his last leg, the Wahhābi may ask, “Why would you want
to do something that the Prophet did not do?” The answer is simply, “To get
the blessings.” The concept that is so hard to get through their skulls is that it is
not forbidden to do something just because the Prophet did not do it, hence
the saying of the Prophet :
منسنيفاإلسالمسنةحسنةفلهأجرهاوأجرمنعملبا
This means: “Whoever starts a good Sunnah in Islām has its reward, and the
reward of whoever works according to it…”
Then how is the Mawlid practiced? It is practiced by reciting the Qur’ān, reciting
the biography of the Prophet , singing words of praise, feeding the Muslims,
and other recommended and rewardable worships. The Wahhābis would say that
it is not permissible to gather all of these matters together on one day in the name
266 Musnad Aĥmad, Ĥadīth No. 22031; Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Chapter of Fasting, Ĥadīth
No. 1162.
267 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 3261.
132
of commemorating the birth of the Prophet . We emerge triumphant by telling
them that they have then discredited their claim of three aspects of Tawĥīd; the
Tawĥīd of godhood, the Tawĥīd of lordship and the Tawĥīd of the names and
attributes, which is truly a wicked innovation because it is related to belief. Not a
soul from the Salaf stated it. Refusing to acknowledge that their division of
Tawĥīd is an innovation, when asked for an explicit text from the Qur’ān or the
ĥadīth, they say, “We have only gathered the various verses about these issues
and put them together.” They are masters of the double standard.
Actually, Ahlu-s-Sunnah’s practice of the Mawlid is like the innovation of the
Muslims who followed ˇĪsā (Jesus, ). Allāh praised them in the Qur’ān268
:
ن هاعل كتب رأفةورمحةورهبانيةٱب تدع وهاما يهمإال﴿وجعلنايفق ل وبٱلذينٱت ب ع وه رعايتها﴾ ٱبتغآءرضوناهللفمارعوهاحق
This means: “And in the hearts of those who followed him, We (Allāh)
created compassion, mercy, and rahbāniyyah which they innovated. We did
not obligate it on them; they only did it seeking the reward of Allāh. Those
who came later did not observe it as it should have been observed.”
In this verse, we are told that these compassionate and merciful Muslims
innovated rahbāniyyah; a practice of leaving the people and the luxuries of this
world, even marriage, to dedicate all of their spare time to worship. They were
not obligated to do this, but it was rewardable and praiseworthy. What further
shows that it was a good innovation is the fact that the people who came
afterwards did not practice the rahbāniyyah properly, and those are the Christian
monks we know of today. This verse benefits the Nation of Muĥammad and is a
proof for good innovations in Islām. If the Wahhābi says that there is no
rahbāniyyah in the nation of Muĥammad, tell him that this is not our point; the
point is that they did a good innovation. What is strange is that the Wahhābi-
Saudi government dedicated an entire week to celebrating the birth of
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdul-Wahhāb269
.
268 Sūrat al-Ĥadīd, verse 27.
269 The Wahhābi head, al-ˇUthaymīn was asked: “What is the difference between
what is called ‘The week of Shaykh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil Wahhāb’, and the
celebration of the Prophetic Mawlid, as the second is condemned, while the first
isn’t?”
133
Appendix C: Who are the Heads of the
Wahhābis?
Learn a bit of the biographies of some of their heads, and further see their
misguidance. While they claim not to follow a madhhab, they follow the
explanations of selected individuals. In essence, they do follow a madhhab;
unfortunately it is not a valid one.
Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah
Their grandfather is Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah al-Ĥarrāniyy, from some 700 years
ago. He is their master’s master, and reference for ˇaqīdah (creed). It is important
to know that Ibn Taymiyah was not a Wahhābi. He had many beliefs contrary to
theirs.
He believed that saying, “O, Muĥammad,” after the Prophet’s death is good-
something that the Wahhābis consider blasphemous. In his book called The
His response was:
The difference between them (according to our knowledge) is from two
sides:
The first is: the week of Shaykh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb was not
done as a means to get closer to Allāh, it is only meant for removing
doubts that are in the hearts of some people towards this man, and to
show what Allāh has blessed the Muslims through this man.
The second is: the week of Shaykh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb does
not reoccur and return (every year) as is the case with ˇĪds; it is
something that has been clarified to the people, things were written in
it, and the truth regarding this man, that was not known before, was
shown to many people, then it ended. Source: Majmūˇ Fatāwā wa
Rasā’il Shaykh Muĥammad Ŝāliĥ al-ˇUthaymīn, volume 16 - Prayer of
the two ˇĪds.
In other words, they have covered up their own innovation by stating that they
did not do it out of sincerity to Allāh, but rather, out of seeking a worldly benefit.
Furthermore, according to logic of al-ˇUthaymīn, if the Muslims only celebrated
the Prophet’s birth once then it would have been acceptable.
134
Good Words270
, he narrated that ˇAbdullāh Ibn ˇUmar, the great Companion,
said, “O, Muĥammad,” after the death of the Prophet . Thus, according to the
Wahhābi creed, Ibn Taymiyah is a mushrik. Because of this fact, the
Wahhābiyyah have published this book of his with this hadith omitted. In this
issue, do not be sidetracked by the Wahhābi saying, “That ĥadīth is weak”.
Respond simply by saying, “Whether the ĥadīth is weak or strong is not the
issue; the issue is that he put it in a book that he called The Good Words, which
means that he considered it good.” Anyway, the scholars considered it acceptable
to narrate weak ĥadīths if they were in reference to doing good, optional deeds,
but not for confirming rules or matters of the creed. Al-Ĥāfiđħ al-ˇIrāqiyy in his
millennial poem said:
ورأوامنغريتبينيلضعفوسهلوايفغريموضوعرووا
عنابنمهديوغريواحدبيانهيفاحلكموالعقائد
This means: “They (the scholars of ĥadīth) were lenient in more than one area
when they narrated, without clarifying the weakness in the ĥadīth, but they
considered that the level of the ĥadīth must be clarified in reference to rulings
and convictions. This was said by Ibn Mahdiyy and others.”
Therefore, whether or not the ĥadīth is weak does not change the fact that he
considered it good, and thus narrated it in a book that he called “The Good
Words”. This is one of the strongest issues for breaking Wahhābis. Either they
admit that calling upon someone who died does not necessitate that the caller is
worshipping the one who died, or they consider Ibn Taymiyah as a blasphemer
for considering it something good.
Nor did Ibn Taymiyah discredit the madhhabs. He claimed to follow the
madhhab of Aĥmad Ibn Ĥambal, but to the contrary, he was far from Imām
Aĥmad’s path. Whenever a Wahhābi discredits following a madhhab, mention
this fact. Only their most ignorant followers will deny it. Also, make it clear for
the Wahhābi that this is a single madhhab, since some Wahhābis say you cannot
follow one particular madhhab.
How could anyone who understands the Religion deny the validity - in fact the
necessity - of following the schools? It is enough to clarify for whoever denies
the schools, that he does not have enough knowledge to the deduce rulings that
270 Al-Kalim ať-Ťayyib, Ĥadīth No. 235.
135
were not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’ān or the ĥadīth, and thus must follow
someone who does, like any one of the Four Imāms, just like the one who does
not have knowledge of medicine or mechanics must refer to a doctor or a
mechanic. He does not know enough about what is general in the Book of Allāh,
or what is specific, what is abrogating, what is abrogated, what is absolute, what
is restricted, what has more than one meaning, what has only one meaning, the
reasons for the revelation of the different verses, etc. How can he then be sure
that he can successfully deduce the rulings that he needs by just reading the
Qur’ān? The same is said about the ĥadīth of the Prophet - or is that Wahhābi the
type of foolish person who thinks it is enough to have (translations of) al-
Bukhāriyy and Muslim on his shelf? In order to deduce rulings, one must have
vast knowledge of the ĥadīth, their varying narrations, their chains, and the
books that are not arranged according to the chapters of fiqh, like Musnad
Aĥmad271
, as well as many other issues. The proof that there are cases not
explicitly mentioned and thus are in need of the deduction of qualified, mujtahid
scholars is the ĥadīth in which the Prophet asked Muˇādh Ibn Jabal upon
sending to him Yemen272
:
يإن لم يكن :أقضيبكتاباهلل،قال:قالكيف تقض إن عرض لك قضاء؟يإن لم يكن ي سنة رسول :،قالفبسنةرسولاهلل:قالي كتاب اهلل؟
:صدرهوقالرسولاهللفضرب:درأيبوالآلو،قالأجته:قال؟اهلل لما يرض رسول اهللرسول اهللالحمد هلل الذي ويق رسول
This means: “How will you rule if a case is presented to you?” He said, “I will
rule according to the Book of Allāh.” The Prophet said, “And if it is not in the
Book of Allāh?” He said, “Then by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh.” The
Prophet said, “And if it is not in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh?” He
said, “I will deduce the ruling (make ijtihād) to the best of my ability.” Then the
Messenger of Allāh hit him on the chest and said, “Praise and thanks be to
Allāh, the one who gave success to the messenger of the Messenger of Allāh
271 Some books of ĥadīth are not arranged according to the chapters of fiqh, so
researching whatever is narrated about the prayer or Zakāh would not as simple
as looking into the table of contents and turning to the chapter of prayer or
Zakāh.
272 Narrated by ať-Ťabarāniyy in al-Muˇjam al-Kabīr, Ĥadīth No. 362; Sunan
Abī Dāwūd, Ĥadīth No. 3592; Sunan at-Tirmidhiyy, Ĥadīth No. 1327.
136
to do what pleases the Messenger of Allāh.”
Ibn Taymiyah also did not discredit good innovations, as presented. He is
misguided because he breeched the consensus in more than 60 cases. He was not
a Wahhābi, but he was a Mushabbih (a likener). He has books filled with
blasphemy; some of which he took from others before him and some of which he
imagined on his own. In the book Kitābu-l-ˇArsh, one of his statements is, “Allāh
could be carried on a mosquito if He willed, so how about a great ˇArsh?” It is
true that he was a scholar, in fact a ĥāfiđħ of ĥadīth. Because of his knowledge
and outward character, he gained the title, “Shaykhu-l-Islām (the shaykh of
Islām)”. However, the scholars who knew of his situation said that his
knowledge exceeded his intelligence; he memorized more than he could
comprehend.
The Wahhābis are very impressed by his misleading title, which he was not the
only one to receive. His title has been given to others, like Imām al-Ashˇariyy
and Ibn Ĥajar al-ˇAsqalāniyy. Moreover, other scholars have other titles. Al-
Ghazāliyy273
is “Ĥujjatu-l-Islām (the proof of Islām)”, and Abū Manŝūr al-
Baghdādiyy274
was called “al-Ustādh (the highly ranked teacher)”. Al-
273 Abū Ĥāmid Muĥammad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Aĥmad ať-
Ťūsiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy al-Ghazāliyy (450 – 505 AH). Al-Ghazāliyy was nicknamed
Ĥujjatu-l-Islām for his brilliant scholarship, particularly in defending the Islamic
Belief against deviations. He was initially one of the students of Imāmu-l-
Ĥaramayn al-Juwayniyy, but quickly raised in the ranks of scholarship. He
gained a reputation as a brilliant scholar and started authoring books already in
al-Juwayniyy’s time. He stayed with his teacher until he died. After that he
travelled to Baghdād and was made in charge of the prestigious Niđħāmiyyah
school by its founder, the minister Niđħāmu-l-Mulk, who was practically the
ruler at the time. He had built this school for the greatest scholar of the time, Abū
Isĥāq al-Shīrāziyy. Later al-Ghazāliyy left all of that behind to live an ascetic
lifestyle and became one of the greatest scholars of Sufism after already having
achieved that in the sciences of belief and jurisprudence.
274 Al-Imām, al-Muĥaddith, al-Faqīh, al-Uŝūliyy, Abū Manŝūr ˇAbdul-Qāhir Ibn
Ťāhir Ibn Muĥammad al-Baghdādiyy at-Tamimiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy al-Ashˇariyy
(429 AH). Adh-Dhahabiyy described him in his book Siyar Aˇlām an-Nubalā’ as:
“the great, outstanding, and encyclopedic scholar.... He used to teach 17 different
subjects and his brilliance became the source for proverbs.” Adh-Dhahabiyy said
further that he would have liked to write a separate, more complete article about
him, and quoted Abū ˇUthmān aŝ-Ŝābūniyy saying: “Abū Manŝūr is by scholarly
consensus counted among the heads of the scholars of belief and the
137
Juwayniyy275
was called “Imāmu-l-Ĥaramayn (the imām of the two holy cities)”.
Strangely, the Wahhābis are not impressed by these big scholars. The Wahhābis
believe that Ibn Taymiyah was the mujaddid (renewer) of his time, but he is not
worthy of standing in the shadow of the true mujaddid of his time, Taqiyyu-d-
Dīn as-Subkiyy276
, who wrote several books refuting Ibn Taymiyah.
Ibn Taymiyah claimed that Hellfire will end - something an ignorant Wahhābi
denies, and an evasive Wahhābi makes excuses for. He has a book with a
misleading title: The Refutation Against Whoever Claims that Paradise and Hell
are Finite. What he actually wants to say is that only Paradise is everlasting, not
that both Paradise and Hell are everlasting.
He said therein277
:
كتابوالسنةوالأقوالالصحابة معأنالقائلنيببقائهاليسمعهم
This means: “Those who claim that Hell will remain have no evidence from the
Book, the Sunnah or the statements of the Companions.” Then how about this
verse from the Book278
:
﴿خ لدينفيهآأبدا﴾
This means: “They will be in it forever and ever”, or this statement from the
Prophet279
:
methodology of jurisprudence, as well as a front figure of Islām.”
275 Al-Baĥr al-Imām Abu-l-Maˇālī ˇAbdul-Malik Ibn ˇAbdullāh Ibn Yūsuf Ibn
Muĥammad al-Juwayniyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy al-Ashˇariyy (419 – 478 AH).
276 Al-Imām al-Mufassir al-Ĥāfiđħ al-Mujtahid al-Uŝūliyy an-Naĥwiyy al-
Lughawiyy al-Mutakallim Shaykhu-l-Islām Abu-l-Ĥasan ˇAliyy Ibn ˇAbdil-Kāfiyy
Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn Tamām Ibn Yūsuf Ibn Mūsā Ibn Tamām Ibn Ĥāmid Ibn Yaĥyā Ibn
ˇUmar Ibn ˇUthmān Ibn ˇAliyy as-Subkiyy al-Khazrajiyy al-Anŝāriyy al-
Ashˇariyy (683 - 756 AH).
277 Ar-Raddu ˇalā Man Qāla bi-Fanā’i-l-Jannati wa-n-Nār, page 67.
278 Sūrat al-Aĥzāb, verse 65.
279 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6179.
138
وألهلالنارياأهلالنارخلودالموت
“(and it will be said) to the people of Hell, ‘O, People of Hell, everlastingness
without death’”? Even his faithful student, Ibnu-l-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, whom
the scholars nicknamed: “The Shadow of Ibn Taymiyah who walks upon the face
of the Earth”, agreed with Ibn Taymiyah, and said out of conveying the
conviction of Ibn Taymiyah280
:
كوهناأبديةالانتهاءهلاوالتفىنكاجلنةفأينمنالقرآنوالسنةدليلواحد وأما يدلعلىذلك
This means: “As for Hell being everlasting with no end, and not vanishing like
Paradise (is everlasting), where is there a single piece of evidence of that from
the Qur’ān and the Sunnah?”
For those who deny, we tell them not to deny what they do not know. Those who
know that he said it make excuses. Some may say that Allāh will reward him for
his mistake. Some may say he retracted his statement. Both excuses are wrong.
Claiming that Hellfire will end is blasphemy, because its everlastingness is
explicitly repeated throughout the Qur’ān. How would this man, who memorized
the Qur’ān and knew Arabic very well, be rewarded for contradicting the explicit
verses of Allāh’s book?
Allāh rewards the mujtahids when they make ijtihād in the fiqh judgments, even
if they deduce a wrong answer, as proven by the ĥadīth281
:
إذاحكماحلاكمفاجتهدمثأصابفلهأجرانوإذاحكمفاجتهد مثأخطأفلهأجر
This means: “If the Ĥākim282
deduces a judgment and was correct, he has two
rewards, and if he judged, so he deduces a ruling and is mistaken, he will have
one reward.” However, an unqualified person who breaches the basics of belief
280 Ĥādī al-Arwāĥ, pages 579 and 582.
281 Narrated by al-Bukhāriyy in his Ŝaĥīĥ, Ĥadīth No. 6919.
282 Ĥākim in this context refers to the qualified mujtahid.
139
that are explicitly mentioned in the Qur’ān is not rewarded, in fact he loses all of
his reward. As for claiming that he retracted the statement, let the Wahhābi
produce the retraction, or else refrain from lying to protect a deviant man.
This claim breaches one of the most fundamental Muslim beliefs, and is merely
one case where Ibn Taymiyah strayed.
Aĥmad Ibn Ĥajar al-Haytamiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy, wrote in his Fatāwā
Ĥadīthiyyah283
:
Ibn Taymiyah is a slave which Allāh forsook, misguided, blinded,
deafened, and debased. That is the declaration of the Imāms who have
exposed the corruption of his positions and the mendacity (deception) of
his sayings. Whoever wishes to pursue this must read the words of the
Mujtahid Imām Abu-l-Ĥasan [Taqiyyu-d-Dīn] as-Subkiyy, of his son
Tāju-d-Dīn as-Subkiyy, of the Imām al-ˇIzz Ibn Jamāˇah and others of
the Shāfiˇiyyah, Mālikiyyah, and Ĥanafiyyah shaykhs... It must be
considered that he is a misguided and misguiding innovator and an
ignorant fanatic whom Allāh treated with His justice. May He protect us
from the likes of his path, doctrine, and actions!...
Know that he has differed from people on questions about which Tāju-
d-Dīn as-Subkiyy and others warned us. Among the things Ibn
Taymiyah said which violate the scholarly consensus are:
that whoever violates the consensus commits neither disbelief
(kufr) nor grave transgression (fisq);
that our Lord is subject to created events - glorified, exalted,
and sanctified is He far beyond what the depraved ascribe to
Him!
that He is complex or made of parts (murakkab), His Self
standing in need similarly to the way the whole stands in need
of the parts, exalted is He and sanctified beyond that!
that the Qur’ān is created in the Self of Allāh, exalted is He
beyond that!
that the world is of a beginningless nature and exists with
Allāh since pre-eternity as an “ever-abiding created object”,
thus making it necessarily existent in His Self and [making
283 Fatāwā Ĥadīthiyyah, pages 114-117.
140
Him] not creating willingly, exalted is He beyond that!284
his suggestions of the body, direction, and displacement [of
Allāh], and that He fits the size of the Throne, being neither
bigger nor smaller, exalted is He from such a hideous
invention and wide-open disbelief, and may He forsake all his
followers, and may all his beliefs be scattered and lost!
his saying that the Hell-Fire shall vanish285
,
and that Prophets are not impeccable,
and that the Prophet has no special status before Allāh and
must not be used as a means,
and that the undertaking of travel to the Prophet in order to
perform his visitation is a sin, for which it is unlawful to
shorten the prayers, and that it is forbidden to ask for his
intercession in view of the Day of Need,
and that the words of the Torah and the Bible were not
perverted, but their meanings were. [Ibn Taymiyah as stated in
his book Bayān Talbīs believed that Jesus referred to Allāh as
“our father who is in Heaven.”] Some said: “Whoever looks at
his books does not attribute to him most of these positions,
except that whereby he holds the view that Allāh has a
direction, and that he authored a book to establish this, and
forces the proof upon the people who follow this school of
thought that they are believers in Divine bodily attributes,
dimensionality, and sitting.” That is, it may be that at times he
used to assert these proofs and that they were consequently
attributed to him in particular. But whoever attributed this to
him from among the Imāms of Islām upon whose greatness,
leadership, religion, trustworthiness, fairness, acceptance,
insight, and meticulousness there is agreement - then they do
not say anything except what has been duly established with
added precautions and repeated inquiry. This is especially true
when a Muslim is attributed a view which necessitates his
disbelief, apostasy, misguidance, and execution. Therefore if it
284 This is mentioned about Ibn Taymiyah also by Ibn Ĥajar in Fatĥ al-Bārī,
vol.13, page 411.
285 As reported from him by Ibn al-Qayyim - who tends to agree with him - in his
Hādī al-Arwāĥ, pages 252-258. Also Ibn Taymiyah dedicated a book on this
subject as the scholars of his time documented. Ibn Abī ˇIzz in his commentary
on ať-Ťaĥāwiyyah also endorsed this belief of Ibn Taymiyah’s.
141
is true of him that he is a disbeliever and an innovator, then
Allāh will deal with him with His justice, and other than that
(i.e. other than the blasphemer) He will forgive us and him.
His fate was that he died imprisoned according to the consensus of the head
judges of the four schools of his era. To that, the Wahhābis compare his situation
to that of Imāms Mālik and Aĥmad, who are clear and very far from the strayings
of Ibn Taymiyah. They were not beaten nor imprisoned by prestigious and just
judges of Ahlu-s-Sunnah as Ibn Taymiyah was, nor were they blamed for bad
statements by other scholars of their era. They were tortured by the deviant
faction of their time, the Muˇtazilah.
There is no comparison in this issue. The Wahhābis have the nerve to imply that
Ibn Taymiyah and his students were the only guided people of their time and all
of the other scholars were influenced by the bad innovators and the Ŝūfiyyah286
.
They dare claim that he was imprisoned out of jealousy of his knowledge. Upon
overwhelming exposure such as what is mentioned here, the Wahhābi would say,
“It is not permissible to defame the scholars, this is backbiting and gossip.” The
answer to this attempt to overlook the truth is to say that the Prophet warned
against many people when there was a need to do so, such as the ĥadīth287
:
ائياشننيدنمانفرعاي النف اوالنف نأنظ اأم
This means: “I do not think that so and so and that so and so know anything
about our Religion,” and the ĥadīth of Fāťimah Bint Qays when she sought the
Prophet’s advice about two men who wanted to marry her288
:
ه لالالموكل عص فة ياوعام مأوهقاتعنعاه صعع ضاليفمهوجب اأمأ
This means: “As for Abū Jahm, he never takes the stick from his shoulder
(meaning that he beats women) and as for Muˇāwiyah, he has no money.”
286 Ŝūfiyy is a person who practices taŝawwuf. The true application of taŝawwuf is
in leaving the mundane and worldly desires. It is not by neglecting the obligatory
prayers for optional deeds, spinning in circles, dancing, touching women, or
belittling the status and pleasures of Paradise.
287 Narrated by al-Bukhāriyy in his Ŝaĥīĥ, Ĥadīth No. 5720.
288 Ŝaĥīĥ Muslim, Ĥadīth No. 1480.
142
There is also the ĥadīth of Hind the wife of Abū Sufyān, who said to the Prophet,
“Abū Sufyān is certainly a miserly man. Would it be sinful if I took some of his
money secretly?” the Prophet did not say to her, “How could you expose him
like that? - this is backbiting and gossip.” Rather, he said289
:
وفر املعبيكفكايموكن ب وتنيأذخ
This means: “You and your children (may) take what is normally needed.”
Therefore, our exposure of Ibn Taymiyah’s deviance is not mere gossip, but a
religious duty.
His books were burned, except what the scholars kept for records, he was warned
against from the tops of the minarets, and people were forbidden to teach from
his route.
He became outdated until Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb revived and added to
his teachings.
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb an-Najdiyy is their father, after whom they were
named. He was a deviant man from just over 200 years ago, of the land of Najd,
the land that the Prophet said290
:
انطيالشن رق ع ل طايه بو
This means: “The horn of the devil will emerge from Najd.” His father,
ˇAbdul-Wahhāb, and his brother, Shaykh Sulaymān, and the other scholars of his
time shunned him. Unlike his master, he was not a scholar. His father was
disappointed in him because he did not study as his ancestors had. One of the
easiest angles to expose his deviance may lie in the fact that he was not
authenticated by any scholar of his time. He was not a scholar of ˇaqīdah (creed),
nor fiqh (detailed rules), nor lughah (Arabic language), nor tafsīr (Qur’ānic
interpretation), nor ĥadīth, nor history, etc. He was so ostracized, that he deemed
everyone who did not follow him a blasphemer. He claimed to be the mujaddid
of his time, calling Muslims back to their Religion. He claimed that the Muslims
289 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 2097.
290 Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy, Ĥadīth No. 6681.
143
all over the Earth worshipped graves, Prophets and awliyā’ (Muslims of the
highest levels of piety), and this belief is still held by his followers until today. It
was reported that he was a funded British agent. He was the first person to
misinterpret the ĥadīth claiming that all innovations are bad, which has lead to
intense tribulations in our times. He instigated his followers to rebel against the
khalīfah, which is a major sin even if the khalīfah is an unjust Muslim. As a
result, he shed the blood of many Muslims. His followers have confirmed his
belief of likening Allāh to the creation in many of their books, of course without
calling it “likening”. He died after more than 100 years ago and left the legacy of
the worst faction alive today.
Al-Albāniyy
Their uncle is Nāŝiru-d-Dīn Muĥammad Ibn Nūĥ al-Albāniyy, a deviant
contemporary who died. The Wahhābis elevated him to the status of a muĥaddith
(ĥadīth scholar). He worked in a library, and indulged in reading the six books of
ĥadīth. He misunderstood a lot, and imagined himself to be a scholar. We
discredit him by telling the Wahhābis that he had no shaykh to teach him the
science of ĥadīth, and we challenge any Wahhābi to bring us his chain of
teachers if they think this is a lie291
. Not to mention that the true scholars had
291 The Wahhābi’s weak response to this is to say that al-Albāniyy was given
Ijāzah (certification) from Shaykh Muĥammad Rāghib at-Tabbākh al-Ĥalabiyy.
Had at-Tabbākh actually taught al-Albāniyy or given him an Ijāzah, he would
have been able to recount at-Tabbākh’s chains of narration which are known
among the people of knowledge and his real students.
Even if we were to assume that at-Tabbākh actually met al-Albāniyy and that he
actually gave him an Ijāzah, this still doesn’t make him a Muĥaddith let alone a
Ĥāfiđħ of ĥadīth. Furthermore, what strengthens our stance that he didn’t have
any teachers in the Science of Ĥadīth is what is written in his official biography
which has been spread by the Wahhābis:
He also learnt from his father the art of clock and watch repair - and
became highly skilled in that and famous for it and derived his earnings
through it. He began to specialize in the field of ĥadīth and its related
sciences by the age of 20 - being influenced by articles in “al-Manār”
magazine.
He began to work in this field by transcribing al-Ĥāfiđħ al-ˇIrāqiyy’s
monumental “al-Mughniyy ˇan Ĥamli-l-Asfār fi-l-Asfār fī takhrīj mā fi-
l-lĥyā mina-l-Akhbār” and adding notes to it.
144
many, many, many shaykhs, so even upon the presentation of one chain of
teachers (which they have yet to produce) we would not be impressed. Despite
this, they take him as the brightest ĥadīth scholar of our day, and some go as far
as to label him as the mujaddid of our time. He has endeavored diligently in
perverting the ĥadīth and its science, but the true scholars have not been hesitant
in refuting and warning against him. The only people who do not know him as a
fraud are his followers and whoever has been poisoned by them.
It was narrated about him that in one of his sessions, a Jordanian lawyer
requested from al-Albāniyy to recite 10 ĥadīth with their chains of narration from
memory. Al-Albāniyy responded by saying, “I am not a muĥaddith of
memorization, I am a muĥaddith of the book.” The lawyer responded by saying,
“Then I am able to do what you do” Upon that, al-Albaniyy felt embarrassed.
He delved further into the field of ĥadīth and its various sciences
despite discouragement from his father. Furthermore, the books he
needed were not to be found in his father’s library which was composed
mainly of various works of Ĥanafiyy Fiqh - and since he could not
afford many of the books he required he would borrow them from the
famous library of Damascus – “al-Maktabah ađħ-Đħāhiriyyah” – or
sometimes from book sellers.
He became engrossed with the science of ĥadīth to the extent that he
would sometimes close up his shop and remain in the library for up to
twelve hours - breaking off his work only for prayer - he would not even
leave to eat, but would take two light snacks with him.
Eventually the library authorities granted him a special room to himself
for his study and his own key for access to the library before normal
opening time. Often he would remain at work from early morning until
after ˇIshā. During this time he produced many useful works - many of
which are still waiting to be printed.
Nowhere in this talk do the Wahhābis mention the name of al-Albāniyy’s
teachers in the Science of Ĥadīth. In fact, what is clear to us is that he spent all of
his time reading books in the library, and after some time he emerged from it
thinking himself to be a scholar of ĥadīth. His ignorance is quite evident by the
mistakes found in his books (e.g. declaring ĥadīth narrated by al-Bukhāriyy,
Muslim and many others to be weak).
145
Others Whose Names are not Deserving of a Subtitle
The Wahhābis have other heads, such as the recently deceased ˇAbdullāh Ibn
Bāz. He has been falsely called “the Grand Muftī of Makkah”. He has also
worked hard in solidifying the call of the Wahhābis. Now that he and al-Albāniyy
are dead, we find the Wahhābis breaking into small groups, and bickering among
themselves. Also among the Arab Wahhābi heads are: ˇAbdul-ˇAzīz Āl ash-
Shaykh, Rabīˇ al-Madkhaliyy (he is known for dividing the Wahhābis, and he has
been labeled a Ĥizbiyy), Ŝāliĥ Fawzān, Muqbil Ibn Hādī, ˇAbdullāh Ibn Jibrīn292
,
292 ˇAbdullāh Ibn Jibrīn said in his book al-Irshād, page 5:
When the third century of the Hijrah ended, the last of the best (three)
centuries, these books (the books he likes) were unfortunately left for
dead, and were stored away without anyone recognizing, reading, or
studying them except rarely, and only in hiding. The Ashˇariyy School
and Muˇtaziliyy School (this is a lie) were firmly established and people
pored over their study everywhere… And by careful study of these
centuries: the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and most of the seventh, you do
not find anyone that is upon the School of the Sunnah…Ať-Ťaĥāwiyy
mentioned in it (the Creed of Ať-Ťaĥāwiyy) some terrible statements
that were widespread in his time through the Kalām scholars, such as
his statement: “Verily Allāh is clear of the having limits, extremes,
corners, limbs or instruments. The six directions (up, down, front, back,
left and right) do not contain Him like all created things.”
What we can understand then, is that anthropomorphist creed of believing that
Allāh is a bodily being, something to be pointed at in a direction, and with parts,
and dimensions is what was only taught in hiding during those centuries until Ibn
Taymiyah showed up. The belief of Ibn Taymiyah went into hiding again after
his death. His books were burned and forbidden to teach, and anyone who spread
his teachings faced punishment. Ibnu-l-Qayyim, as an example, was jailed and
almost executed at one point. That is why it is hard find books of scholars that
support the beliefs of Ibn Taymiyah during that period.
So we also have the 8th, 9
th, 10
th, 11
th centuries free of what Ibn Jibrīn calls
‘Sunnism’, until the rebellion of Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb in the 12th
Century after the Hijrah. Since then they have only grown stronger through
support from the imperialist powers. It was the British that first supplied them
with weapons, and thereby helped to renew the call to the so-called “Salafi”
version of religion. After that the books of Ibn Taymiyah were gradually brought
out from their hiding places and published.
146
Salmān ˇAwdah, Muĥammad al-Munajjid, and others.
Hopefully, their end will come soon. Among their heads is a Caribbean man
named Bilāl Philips, although many Wahhābis claim that he is off the “Minhaj”
now. He believes that Allāh must be above the creations since it is not befitting
to say He is below them. Ibn Bāz and Philips are among the Wahhābis who
documented the so-called three aspects of Tawĥīd. In America there is a man
named Dawud Adeeb, who has been refuted on more than one occasion. In one
lecture called, “The Existence of Allāh”, he said that he did not know whether
dividing Tawĥīd into three categories was an innovation or not, yet he proceeded
to teach the people about it anyway. He is known for pointing up toward the sky
while claiming that he is “pointing up because God is up.” Several people,
including Wahhābis, heard him saying that “Allāh sits on the ˇArsh.”
Also among the Wahhābis in America is: Ĥasan aŝ-Ŝumāliyy, Abū Muslimah,
Ťālib ˇAbdullāh, Abu-l-Ĥasan Mālik, and Abū Usāmah adh-Dhahabiyy who has
been living in the UK as of recent. Yasir Qadhi and Suhaib Webb from “Al-
Maghrib Institute” are both Wahhābi in creed, although they have apologist
agendas. Suhaib Webb attempts to mix his Wahhābism with Sufism and Yasir
Qadhi’s perversions are so evident that even the major Wahhābi leaders warn
against him. Yusuf Estes is yet another Wahhābi, although his fame is
predominant in Europe.
Be warned of these men, and others, like Ibn al-ˇUthaymīn, who said that “We
do not know exactly how Allāh sits, and that Allāh has a glorious face and two
real eyes.” He did not try to camouflage his blasphemy. They have many stooges
and plenty of money to back them. It is important that the information in this
book is learned properly, understood, and taught to as many people as possible,
so to help in defending the religion of Muĥammad . There are only a few
standing between the Wahhābis and the people.
In short, if you are a follower of Ibn Jibrīn, Ibn Bāz, Ibn ˇUthaymīn, al-Albāniyy,
Abū Bakr al-Jazā’iriyy, Muqbil, al-Madkhaliyy, ˇAbdur-Raĥmān ad-
Dimashqiyyah, Abu Muslimah, Abu Usamah, Bilal Philips, Dawud Adeeb, Yasir
Qadhi, and other so-called “Salafis,” know that you are a follower of a sect that
has been in hiding for most of history since the Hijrah. They claim to know and
follow what the Salaf believed, although they are in opposition to 95% of all
scholars of all the major Islāmic sciences.
147
Appendix D: Rain Clouds over the Graves of
the Ĥanābilah
Shaykh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdillāh an-Najdiyy said293
:
(415) ˇAbdul-Wahhāb Ibn Sulaymān Ibn ˇAliyy Ibn Musharraf at-Tamīmiyy
an-Najdiyy
Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb studied Fiqh with his father, the author of the famous
book al-Mansak, and also studied with others. He gained Religious knowledge
and also taught it. Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb wrote an explanation of some
religious issues and it was recognised as being well-written. He died in the year
1153 AH. Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb is the father of Muĥammad, who was founder
of the mission (i.e., the Wahhābi mission) whose evil has spread across the
horizon. However, there is an enormous difference between father (Shaykh
ˇAbdul-Wahhāb) and son (Muĥammad). Indeed Muĥammad did not reveal his
mission until after the death of his father (Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb). Some of the
people whom I met have related from some of the people of knowledge
narrations from the contemporaries of Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb that describe his
anger with his son Muĥammad. This is because Muĥammad had not agreed to
study the religious knowledge of his ancestors and the people of his area. His
father (Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb) had a presentiment that something would
happen because of his son Muĥammad. Therefore, Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb
frequently said to the people about his son (Muĥammad), “How much evil you
will see from Muĥammad.” Subsequently, what Allāh Predestined to happen
came to pass.
Similarly, the son of Shaykh ˇAbdul-Wahhāb, Sulaymān, who is the brother of
Muĥammad, was also opposed to the mission of Muĥammad. Sulaymān refuted
Muĥammad emphatically with verses of the Holy Qur’ān and ĥadīths. This is
because the refuted one (i.e., Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb) would not accept
other than these two sources294
. Nor would he consider the sayings of earlier or
293 Al-Imām, al-ˇAllāmah, Shaykh Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdillāh Ibn Ĥumayd an-
Najdiyy al-Ĥambaliyy, the Muftī of the Ĥambaliyy School of Makkah (1295 AH)
– as-Suĥub al-Wābilah ˇalā Darā’iĥ al-Ĥanābilah.
294 Although Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb claimed to follow the Qur’ān and
Sunnah only, in reality he contradicted both of them.
148
later scholars, whoever they were, other than [Aĥmad] Ibn Taymiyah and his
student Ibn al-Qayyim [al-Jawziyyah]. This is because Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-
Wahhāb considered their sayings (i.e., Ibn Taymiyah and his student Ibn al-
Qayyim) to be explicit verses which did not accept interpretation and he used
them in debate with the people, despite the fact that the sayings of these two
figures contradicted what he understood. Shaykh Sulaymān named his refutation
against his brother (Muĥammad) Faŝlu-l-Khiťāb fi-r-Raddi ˇalā Muĥammad Ibn
ˇAbdil-Wahhāb (“The Emphatic Speech on the Refutation of Muĥammad Ibn
ˇAbdil-Wahhāb”). Allāh protected Sulaymān from the evil and deception of his
brother Muĥammad, whose great influence spread a threat far and wide. This is
because if a person contradicted and refuted Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb, and
Muĥammad was unable to kill him openly, he would send someone to
assassinate him in his bed or in the market-place at night, since he judged
whoever contradicted him to be a blasphemer and legalised their killing.
It has been said that an insane person lived in the town and among his habits was
to strike whoever he came across, even with a weapon. Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-
Wahhāb gave an order that this insane man was to be given a sword and admitted
to the mosque where his brother Shaykh Sulaymān sat alone. When Shaykh
Sulaymān saw the insane man, he was afraid. The insane man threw the sword
from his hand and said, “O Sulaymān, do not be afraid; you are of those who are
saved.” He repeated this many times and this is without a doubt among the
Karāmāt295
.
295 An extraordinary event that happens to a righteous Muslim, indicating that the
Prophet that he follows is truthful.
149
Appendix E: Further Clarification
Concerning the Origins of the Wahhābis
The so-called Salafis, or Wahhābis as Muslims commonly refer to them as, is the
most violent extremist movement spread among the Muslims in our time. Some
think that their radical way is a recent phenomenon and that their violent
extremism only targets non-Muslims. The reality is that Sunni Muslims were the
first to suffer and perish at their hands since their establishment some 280 years
ago in the eastern Arabian Desert.
The Wahhābis are the followers of Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb and his
predecessor Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah who in turn followed a cocktail of heretical
beliefs taken from the Greek Philosophers, the Karrāmiyyah, and the
Ĥashwiyyah or simply put: those who believed the world is beginningless and
those who likened Allāh to His creations.
The radical and in some cases, blasphemous interpretations of the so-called
Salafis (although previously confined to small communities of people in Arabia)
currently has a global imprint due to the protection, finance, and tutelage of the
Saudi government. It should be noted that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” is the
only country in the entire world named after an individual [dictator]. One only
needs to ask “why that is?” in order to know the truth about the Wahhābi
Movement.
The following is a summary of their origins as documented by the Muftī of
Makkah, al-Muĥaddith Aĥmad Ibn Zaynī Daĥlān ash-Shāfiˇiyy296
:
296 He is a historian and a scholar in the Islamic Fiqh. He acquired different types
of Islamic knowledge and was appointed as the Muftī of the Shāfiˇiyyah scholars
in the greatly honored city of Makkah. His students were so many that it is rare
to find a scholar who came after him whose chains of narrations do not include
him. He was born in Makkah in 1231 A.H. and died in al-Madīnah in Muĥarram
1304 A.H. He authored many writings which were published and widely spread.
The following are some of his works:
Sharĥ Matn al-Alfiyyah; (an explanation of the text of al-Alfiyyah in the
Arabic language).
Tārīkhu-d-Duwali-l-Islāmiyyah bi-l-Jadāwil al-Marďiyyah; (a history
150
During the reign of Ŝulťān Salīm III (1204-1222 AH) many tribulations took
place. One was the tribulation of the Wahhābiyyah (Wahhābis or so-called
Salafis) which started in the area of al-Ĥijāz297
where they captured al-
Ĥaramayn298
, and prevented Muslims coming from ash-Shām299
and Egypt from
reaching their destination to perform Pilgrimage (Ĥajj).
The fighting started between the Wahhābis and the Prince of Makkah, Mawlānā
Sharīf Ghālib Ibn Musāˇid, who had been appointed by the honored Muslim
Ŝulťān as his ruling representative over the areas of al-Hijāz. This was in 1205
AH during the time of Ŝulťān Salīm III, the son of Ŝulťān Muŝťafā III, the son of
Aĥmad. Previous to the outbreak of fighting, the Wahhābis began to build power
and gain followers in their areas. As their territories expanded, their evil and
harm increased. They killed countless numbers of Muslims, legitimated
confiscating their money and possessions, and captured their women. The
founder of their wicked doctrine was Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb, who
of the Islamic states).
Fatĥu-l-Jawādi-l-Mannān ˇalal-ˇAqīdah al-Musammāti bi Fayďi-r-
Raĥmān fī Tajwīd al-Qur’ān; (a summary of the Tajwīd rules of
recitation of the Qur’ān).
Khulāŝatu-l-Kalām fī Umarā’ al-Balad-il-Ĥarām; (the history of the
Rulers of Makkah).
Al-Futuĥātu-l-Islāmiyyah; (a history of the opening of the different
countries by Muslims).
Tanbīhu-l-Ghāfilīn, Mukhtaŝar Minhāji-l-ˇĀbidīn; (a summary exposing
the good manners of the worshippers).
Ad-Duraru-s-Saniyyah fi-r-Raddi ˇala-l-Wahhabiyyah; (a treatise
refuting the Wahhābis).
Sharĥ al-Ājurrumiyyah; (an explanation of an Arabic grammar text).
Fitnatu-l-Wahhābiyyah; (a treatise of the tribulations inflicted by the
Wahhābi sect).
297 Al-Ĥijāz refers to the western part of Arabia which includes Makkah and al-
Madīnah.
298 Al-Ĥaramayn refers to Makkah and al-Madīnah.
299 Ash-Shām refers to the area that includes Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and
Palestine.
151
originated from eastern Arabia, from the tribe of Banū Tamīm. He lived a long
life, about one-hundred years. He was born in 1111 AH and died in 1200 AH.
His history was narrated as follows:
Muĥammad Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb started as a student of knowledge in the city of
the Prophet, al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah. Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb’s father was a
good, pious man among the people of knowledge as was his brother, Shaykh
Sulaymān. His father, his brother, and his shaykhs had the foresight Ibn ˇAbdil-
Wahhāb would innovate a great deal of deviation and misguidance, because of
their observance of his sayings, actions, and inclinations concerning many issues.
They used to reprimand him and warn people against him.
What Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb’s father, brother, and shaykhs speculated about him
came true - by the Will of Allāh, the Exalted. Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb innovated
deviant and misleading ways and beliefs and managed to allure some ignorant
people to follow him. His deviant and misleading ways and beliefs disagreed
with the sayings of the scholars of the Religion. His deviant beliefs led him to
label the believers as blasphemers! He falsely claimed visiting the grave of the
Prophet and performing the Tawassul300
by him as shirk. Additionally, he
falsely claimed visiting the graves of other prophets and righteous Muslims
(Awliyā’) and performing Tawassul by them was shirk as well. He added to this
by saying, “To call upon the Prophet when performing Tawassul by the
Prophet is shirk.” He passed the same judgment of shirk on the ones who call
upon other prophets and righteous Muslims (Awliyā’) in performing Tawassul by
them.
In an effort to give credibility to his innovations Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb embellished
his sayings by quotations which he selected from Islamic sources, i.e., quotations
which are used as proofs for many issues but not the issues which Ibn ˇAbdil-
Wahhāb was attempting to support. He brought false statements and tried to
beautify them for the laymen until they followed him. He wrote treatises for
them until they believed that most of the People of Tawĥīd were blasphemers.
Moreover, Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb called upon the princes of eastern Arabia and the
people of ad-Darˇiyyah301
to support him. They carried his doctrine and made
this endeavor a means to strengthen and expand their kingdom. They worked
together to suppress the Bedouins of the deserts until they overcame them and
300 Tawassul is asking Allāh for goodness by a prophet, righteous believer, etc.
301 Ad-Darˇiyyah is a region north of the city of Riyāď, Saudi Arabia.
152
those Bedouins followed them and became foot-soldiers for them without pay.
After that, these masses started to believe that whoever does not believe in what
Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb said is a blasphemer, and it is Islamically lawful (ĥalāl) to
shed his blood and plunder his money.
The matter of Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb started to evidence itself in 1143 AH and
began spreading after 1150 AH. Subsequently, the scholars - even his brother,
Shaykh Sulaymān and the rest of his shaykhs - authored many treatises to refute
him. But Muĥammad Ibn Saˇūd, the Prince of ad-Darˇiyyah in eastern Arabia,
supported him and worked to spread his ideology. Ibn Saˇūd was from Banū
Ĥanīfah, the people of Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb302
. When Muĥammad Ibn
Saˇūd died, his son ˇAbdul-ˇAziz Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Saˇūd took over the
responsibility of fulfilling the vile task of spreading the Wahhābi beliefs.
Many of the shaykhs of Ibn ˇAbdil-Wahhāb in al-Madīnah used to say, “He will
be misguided, and he will misguide those for whom Allāh willed the
misguidance.” Things took place as per the speculation of the scholars. Ibn
ˇAbdil-Wahhāb claimed his intention behind the madhhab he invented was “to
purify the Tawĥīd” and “repudiate the shirk.” He also claimed people had been
following the shirk for six-hundred years and he revived their Religion for
them!!
This is a very brief summary of the history of Wahhābi Movement. To talk at
length on each of these details would be very lengthy. The tribulations inflicted
by the Wahhābis were a calamity for the Muslims. The Wahhābis shed a great
deal of blood and robbed a great deal of money; their harm was prevalent and
their evil spread.
Many of the ĥadīth of the Prophet spoke explicitly about this tribulation. One
narration said:
كما تراقي ه م،ير ق ونمنالدين خيرج ناسمنقبلاملشرقي قرؤ ونالق رآنالجياوز السهم منالرمية، سيماه م التحليق ير ق
This means: “There will be people who come from the eastern side of Arabia
302 Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb (the Mendacious) was a blasphemer man who
claimed the status of prophethood for himself after the death of Prophet
Muĥammad . He was killed by the Muslims during the caliphate of Abū Bakr,
may Allāh raise his rank.
153
who will recite Qur’ān, but their recitation will not pass beyond their
collarbones303
. They will go out of Islām as swiftly as the arrow goes through
the prey. Their sign is shaving their heads.” This ĥadīth was mentioned in
many narrations, including in Ŝaĥīĥ al-Bukhāriyy and other books of ĥadīth.
There is no need to expound on listing these narrations or their narrators because
they are well-known and of the ŝaĥīĥ classification.
The Prophet said: “Their sign is shaving their heads.” This is an explicit
reference to the Wahhābi sect. They used to order all those who follow them to
shave their heads. None of the previous sects, i.e., those who came before the
Wahhābi, like the Khawārij or other innovators, had this sign.
As-Sayyid ˇAbdur-Raĥmān al-Ahdal, the Muftī of Zabīd in Yemen, used to say:
“There is no need for writing against the Wahhābis. For, in refuting them, it is
sufficient to mention the ĥadīth of the Prophet: ‘Their sign is shaving their
heads’ since no other innovators had ever done it.”
303 This means they do not understand the meaning of what they read.
154
Appendix F: A Chronological History of
Ibn Taymiyah
661304
- Abu-l-ˇAbbās Aĥmad Ibn ˇAbdil-Ĥalīm Ibn ˇAbdis-Salām Ibn ˇAbdillāh
Ibn Abi-l-Qāsim Ibn Taymiyah al-Ĥarrāniyy ad-Dimashqiyy was born. He
learned from Ibn ˇAbdid-Dā’im, al-Qāsim al-Irbiliyy, Muslim Ibn ˇAllān, Ibn Abī
ˇUmar and al-Fakhr but he mostly read on his own305
.
667 - Ibn Taymiyah accompanied his father who moved from Harrān to ash-
Shām.
698 Rabīˇu-l-‘Awwal - Scholars protested against Ibn Taymiyah’s sayings
because of what they found in Ibn Taymiyah’s book al-Fatwā al-Ĥamwiyyah.
Details of the events of 698 (Damascus)306
1. A group of scholars [and Shāfiˇiyyah] raised objection to Ibn Taymiyah’s
sayings about the Attributes of Allāh. They brought al-Fatwa al-Ĥamwiyyah
and rebutted him in a session they held for that.
2. [After the session was over, the public announcers broadcasted in Damascus
the invalidity of al-Ĥamwiyyah creed.]307
The scholars issued a decree and
banned Ibn Taymiyah from discussing the issues of creed.
3. After some days, the judges Imāmu-d-Dīn and his brother Jalālu-d-Dīn al-
Qazwīniyy sat with Ibn Taymiyah for a long time. The two judges then
prohibited the people from speaking badly about Ibn Taymiyah.
304 All dates are After Hijrah.
305 Ŝalāhu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy said: “[Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah] was immensely
learned but lacked intelligence that embroiled him into perils and made him fall
into hardships.” (Sharĥ Lāmiyyah al-ˇAjm, page 189)
306 Same account of events was documented by Ŝalāhu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy
volume 1, page 34.
307 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy, volume 1, page 34.
155
705 to 707 - Ibn Taymiyah was called to Egypt and imprisoned there in Khazanat
al-Bunud308
.
Details of the events of 705 – 707 periods (Damascus and Egypt)
1. The Ŝulťān in Egypt requested the judges to test Ibn Taymiyah in his creed,
because objectionable matters related to that creed reached the Ŝulťān.
2. On the 7th
[or 8th] of Rajab the scholars and judges held a session and asked
Ibn Taymiyah about his creed [in the presence of the representative of the
Ŝulťān]309
. He mentioned some of it. They brought his creed al-Wasiťiyyah
and discussed some of its topics. They delayed other topics to another
session. They met on Friday the 12th of Rajab and decided to forward al-
Kamāl az-Zamalkaniyy to interrogate Ibn Taymiyah. Kamālu-d-Dīn refuted
Ibn Taymiyah. The session then ended on the basis that Ibn Taymiyah had
made a pledge to follow the creed of ash-Shāfiˇiyy [and his Madhhab is that
of ash-Shāfiˇiyy]310
. They accepted this standing of his then adjourned the
meeting.311
3. Tribulations took place after that, Ibn Taymiyah and his follower’s stirred
troubles [and the followers of Ibn Taymiyah claimed that their shaykh is
correct. They were brought with Ibn Taymiyah before the court of the judge
Jalālu-d-Dīn al- Qazwiniyy.]312
Ibn Taymiyah fought with the Shāfiˇiyy
judge, [and then he was slapped and the ruling was to punish him, but
someone interceded for him. The same thing happened to two of his
followers.]313
Consequently, the representative of the Ŝulťān refrained
people from discussing the issues of creed hoping by that to control the
tribulation314
. The scholars and judges held another session around the end
308 Ibid.
309 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
310 Ibid.
311 This section is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy.
312 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
313 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
314 This did not stop the judges to discuss other issues among themselves and
some of them resigned. The ruling officials intervened and reassigned the judges,
but the issue was not resolved and the Ŝulťān’s representative asked the Ŝulťān to
156
of Rajab. [In the presence of the representative of the Ŝulťān, they discussed
with Ibn Taymiyah the issue of creed. Ibn Taymiyah followed the same route
he had followed in the earlier session.]315
4. The officials in Damascus corresponded with the Ŝulťān about Ibn
Taymiyah’s affair around the end of Shaˇbān. On the 5th
of Ramaďān, the
proclamation of the Ŝulťān reached Damascus asking the head judge Najmu-
d-Dīn Ibn Ŝaŝrā316
to accompany Ibn Taymiyah who was summoned to
Egypt317
. It also asked the officials to inform the Ŝulťān about the events of
698 concerning the creed of Ibn Taymiyah. Subsequently, they started
asking the people, and gathering the information about the events, and what
Ibn Taymiyah did during that period. They brought [to the judge Jalālu-d-
Dīn al-Qazwīniyy]318
the creed that was investigated during the time of the
head judge Imāmu-d-Dīn al-Qazwīniyy.319
5. News reached ash-Shām that the Mālikiyy judge in Egypt is greatly involved
in pursuing Ibn Taymiyah’s matter. The Ĥanābilah are causing tribulations
in Egypt and some of them were slapped as a punishment. On the 12th of
Ramaďān Ibn Taymiyah was sent to Egypt320
. He reached Egypt in the last
third of Ramaďān.321
6. The scholars held a hearing in Ramaďān [and the judges, fuqahā’, scholars
and princes attended the meeting. Shamsu-d-Dīn Ibn ˇAdnān ash-Shāfiˇiyy
spoke, showed some sections of the creed of Ibn Taymiyah, filed a suit
against Ibn Taymiyah’s creed at the Mālikiyy court, and brought before the
court some sections of the creed.]322
. They asked Ibn Taymiyah to defend
himself. Ibn Taymiyah did not answer the questions and stopped. Several
times the scholars asked him, but he did not respond; instead of that, he tried
make a decision.
315 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
316 This name can also be pronounced as Ŝaŝurrā.
317 Consistent with Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy, volume 1, page 34.
318 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
319 This section is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy.
320 Ibid.
321 This section is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy.
322 Al-Ĥuŝniyy.
157
to lecture them, but they stopped him. They spent a long time trying to
resolve the issue. Eventually, the Mālikiyy judge decided to imprison Ibn
Taymiyah323
and his two brothers. He was taken from the meeting and at
first was held in the tower of the castle then they transferred him to the
basement in the castle of the mountain to humiliate him and prevent people
from mixing with him. Al-Mālikiyy said: “Ibn Taymiyah has to suffer
restraint if he is not killed because his blasphemy became confirmed.”324
7. The Shāfiˇiyy judge Ibn Ŝaŝrā went back to ash-Shām [carrying the Ŝulťān’s
decree, and reached it on the 16th of Dhi-l-Qaˇdah].
a. The Muslims were gathered in the grand mosque and warned
about the creed of Ibn Taymiyah.
b. It was then announced in Damascus that whoever believes in
Ibn Taymiyah’s creed, his blood and belongings become
lawful, especially the Ĥanābilah.
c. The decree of the Ŝulťān was then read325
[and in front of the
judge Jamālu-d-Dīn al-Mālikiyy and other judges] the
Ĥanābilah were humiliated and they testified that they follow
the creed of ash-Shāfiˇiyy.326
8. Ibn Taymiyah stayed imprisoned in the basement until the 23rd
of Rabiˇ
al-‘Awwal.
a. During this period, his case stirred difference in opinions
among the Muslims in Damascus and Cairo concerning Ibn
Taymiyah and other issues. The head judges had to interfere to
rectify the situation. Ibn Ĥajar quoted that all those who were
in Egypt from among the judges, shuyūkh, fuqahā’, scholars
and laymen condemn Ibn Taymiyah except the Ĥanafiyy
323 Ibid.
324 This section is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy.
325 The proclamation denounced Ibn Taymiyah’s creed, ordered the people
especially the Ĥanābilah to avoid it and threatened those who do not do that with
dismissal them from the posts, imprisonment, confiscation their money, and to be
put them to death. See al-Ĥuŝniyy.
326 This section is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy.
158
maybe because the Ĥanafiyy in Damascus praised the
knowledge and understanding of Ibn Taymiyah327
.
b. Then the Shāfiˇiyy, Ĥanafiyy and Mālikiyy head judges held a
meeting to discuss the case.
c. They accepted to release Ibn Taymiyah, but stipulated that he
has to retract some of his belief. Different times they asked
him to attend, but he refused. One ruler interceded and he was
then brought to the castle.
d. Some fuqahā’ discussed with him the issues and by the end of
the deliberation, Ibn Taymiyah said: “I am an Ashˇariyy.” They
witnessed that he had declared his repentance voluntarily and
cleared himself of what is contrary to his attestation.
e. They wrote a pronouncement for the record and a great number
of the scholars and non-scholars witnessed the event which
occurred on the 25th Rabiˇ al-‘Awwal 707. The tribulation
calmed down, Ibn Taymiyah left the prison and lived in Cairo.
709 Period - Ibn Taymiyah was still incarcerated in 709. He was sent to
Alexandria, then released, then sent back to Cairo, and then sent back to prison328
in Alexandria.
Details of this period (Egypt)
1. On the middle of Shawwal, Tāju-d-Dīn Ibn ˇAťā’ met with a group of
Sufis from the faithful and went to the castle to complain about Ibn
Taymiyah. They said that Ibn Taymiyah denies making Tawassul by the
Prophet , and slanders the Mashāykh of the Tarīqah329
.
327 The famous Ĥāfiđħ, Abū Zurˇah al-ˇIrāqiyy said: “The knowledge of Ibn
Taymiyah is wide, but his comprehension is weak” (al-Ajwibah al-Mardiyyah).
Imām as-Subkiyy said: “Ibn Taymiyah was covering himself with following the
Book and Sunnah, pretending that he is a caller to the truth and guide to Jannah,
but he deviated from following to innovating and diverted from the Jamāˇah of
the Muslims when he discarded consensus” (ad-Durrah al-Muďiyyah).
328 Ibid.
329 “Mashāykh of the Tarīqah” refers to the pious Muslim mentors who guide
159
2. The judge Zaynu-d-Dīn Ibn Makhlūf spoke to the head judge Ibn
Jamāˇah about Ibn Taymiyah and Sharafu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝābūniyy and
ˇAlā’u-d-Dīn al-Qawnawiyy witnessed the case. Consequently, Ibn
Jamāˇah ordered the imprisonment of Ibn Taymiyah who was led to the
prison of ad-Daylam on the 18th of Shawwal and stayed there until Ŝafar
709. He was then moved to Alexandria to the jail in the eastern tower.
3. The Ŝulťān an-Nāŝir assembled the judges, interceded for Ibn Taymiyah
to the Mālikiyy judge and reconciled them. The Judge stipulated that Ibn
Taymiyah vows not to repeat his bad doings. The Ŝulťān gave his word
that Ibn Taymiyah had repented.
4. Ibn Taymiyah then left the prison [on the 8th of Shawwal 709]
330, stayed
in Cairo, and people started visiting him. He went with an-Nāŝir to ash-
Shām331
in Shawwal, 712 and reached there in Dhi-l-Qaˇdah. By that,
out of the 7 years he stayed away from ash-Shām, Ibn Taymiyah spent 4
years in jail.
718 Jumāda-l-Ākhirah - The people of ash-Shām became aware of the decree of
the Ŝulťān which banned Ibn Taymiyah from delivering edicts about the issue of
“swearing to divorce”. The scholars [of Fiqh and judges] held a session for that
and discarded Ibn Taymiyah’s sayings completely and ignored it. The ruling was
announced in public.332
719 Ramaďān - The scholars [of Fiqh and Judges]333
stood up against Ibn
Taymiyah because of his judgment concerning the issue of divorce. They
conducted a session for this purpose334
[and the decree of the Ŝulťān was read
before them. It contained a section that deals with Ibn Taymiyah because of his
judgment in the case of divorce. The decree of the Ŝulťān reprimanded Ibn
their students to the best way of one’s humbling oneself to worship Allāh.
330 Ibid.
331 Ibid.
332 All this section is from Ibn al-Wardiyy, volume 2, page 381. This section is
consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy. It is not found in ad-Durar in detail. Ad-Durar
mentioned two events for the issue of divorce one in Ramaďān 719 and the other
in Rajab 720. Ibn Taymiyah was release from the castle was in ˇĀshūrā’ 721.
333 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy.
334 Ibid.
160
Taymiyah after it had banned him from issuing judgments.]335
The session
ascertained that Ibn Taymiyah is prohibited from giving Islamic edicts.336
720337
- The scholars held another session in Rajab at as-Saˇadah court, re-
corrected Ibn Taymiyah in the edict of divorce and reprimanded him. They
ordered him to be put in jail at the castle of Damascus. He was released by the
Ŝulťān’s proclamation on Monday in ˇĀshūrā’, 721, and left the jail to his home.
The time he spent in prison was 5 months and 18 days.338
Details339
1. Ibn Taymiyah was present in this session. The scholars asked him about
his edicts in the matter of divorce and reminded him that they, the
Ŝulťān and the ruling officials, had banned him from issuing judgments
but he did abide by that.
2. Ibn Taymiyah denied issuing the judgment. Five men witnessed that he
had answered their inquiries according to what the judges stated. He
denied and insisted on denying. Another person came and more
witnesses attested that he gave the judgment to a butcher named Qamar
Muslimāniyy, and they recollected the incident.
3. They ordered Ibn Taymiyah to write by his own hand that he will not
give a judgment like that or judge at all. He wrote that he will not issue
such a judgment and did not judge by something else.
4. The judges decided to imprison him in the castle of Damascus.
726 Shaˇbān - The scholars [during the time of the head judge Jalālu-d-Dīn al-
Qazwīniyy]340
stood up against Ibn Taymiyah again, but this time because Ibn
335 Ibid.
336 Ibid.
337 All this section from aŝ-Ŝafadiyy and is consistent with al-Ĥuŝniyy. However,
al-Ĥuŝniyy’s account took place in Ŝafar 718 at as-Saˇadah court and he
provided more details.
338 The same jail period was quoted by al-Ĥuŝniyy.
339 Taken from al-Ĥuŝniyy.
340 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy.
161
Taymiyah denied the legitimacy of visiting341
the grave of the Prophet . [They
found an edict in Ibn Taymiyah’s hand-writing in which he prohibits the travel
and riding the animals to visit the graves of the Prophets and the righteous.]342
[They wrote to Egypt about this matter]343
. [The Ŝulťān ordered the
imprisonment of Ibn Taymiyah]344
[in the castle]345
[of Damascus and prohibited
Ibn Taymiyah from issuing judgments]346
. He was then imprisoned in the
castle347
. Ibn Taymiyah stayed there until he died on Monday [20th
or]348
22nd
of
Dhi-l-Qaˇdah 728349
.
Details350
1. This time Ibn Taymiyah issued an edict in which he stated, it is
prohibited to initiate a travel except to the three Masājid - refer to the
mashhūr ĥadīth. He said it is not permissible to initiate a travel to visit
the graves of the Prophets like the grave of Ibrāhīm and the grave
of Muĥammad .
2. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah traveled to Jerusalem and gave a speech. In
his speech he mentioned this judgment and said: “Here I am going back
without visiting the Khalīl (Ibrāhīm).” He went to Nablis and in his
speech he mentioned the same case until he said: “It is not permissible
to visit the grave of the Prophet except his Masjid.” The people jumped
at him, but the ruler of the city protected him.
341 Ibid.
342 Ibn al-Wardiyy, volume 2, page 398.
343 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy.
344 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy and al-Ĥuŝniyy quoting Ibn Shākir al-Kutbiyy.
345 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy.
346 Ibn al-Wardiyy, volume 2, page 398.
347 Al-Ĥuŝniyy quoting Ibn Shākir al-Kutbiyy.
348 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy.
349 Ibid.
350 Ibn Shākir al-Kutbiyy.
162
3. The people of Jerusalem and Nablis wrote to Damascus describing the
events that occurred and what Ibn al-Jawziyyah had done.
4. The Mālikiyy judge summoned Ibn al-Jawziyyah. The latter went
instead to the head judge Shamsu-d-Dīn Ibn Muslim, showed repentance
and embraced Islām in his presence. The judge accepted his embracing
of Islām, judged him as a Muslim and deemed his blood unlawful. He
did not punish him because of his relationship to Ibn Taymiyah.
5. At this point, the scholars from the Shāfiˇiyyah and Mālikiyyah schools
became extremely upset. They wrote an edict against Ibn Taymiyah,
since he was the first person to speak about this matter. Shaykh
Burhānu-d-Dīn the son of shaykh Tāju-d-Dīn wrote on it about 40 lines
counting many cases Ibn Taymiyah said and judged. At the end, he
judged him as a kāfir. Shihābu-d-Dīn Ibn Jahbal ash-Shāfiˇiyy agreed
with him. Under his handwriting, aŝ-Ŝadr al-Mālikiyy said a similar
thing and others joined in that.
6. They carried the edict to the Ŝulťān’s representative who at first wanted
to call a meeting to assemble them with the fuqahā’ and the scholars.
He then found that the matter bears a great deal of discussion and the
Ŝulťān has to be informed. Consequently, he included the edict in the
issues’ proceedings which were sent periodically to Egypt.
7. The Ŝulťān gathered the judges, but the Mālikiyy was sick and could not
attend. When they read the edict, the head judge Badru-d-Dīn Ibn
Jamāˇah said, “The one who says this statement is a deviant, strays
others and is an innovator. The Ĥanafiyy and Ĥambaliyy agreed with
him. The Ŝulťān then asked, “What do you judge about this person.” He
said, “Be imprisoned.” The Ŝulťān said, “This is what I thought
privately I should do to him.”
8. The four head Judges, the Mālikiyy, Shāfiˇiyy, Ĥanafiyy and Ĥambaliyy
wrote the verdict to Damascus and instructed the representative to act
upon the decree of the Ŝulťān. The announcers broadcasted the
declaration of the Ŝulťān. The date of the correspondence from the
Ŝulťān was the 27th Rajab 726.
9. Soon after that, Ibn Taymiyah’s followers, who were already in prison,
were put on trial. Some of those were:
a. ˇImādu-d-Dīn Ibn Kathīr: He was indicted, hit and prosecuted
for saying that the Torah and Injīl are not perverted. They
163
toured him around the city, degraded him and his punishment
was made public.
b. ˇAbdullāh Al-Iskandariyy: He conceded that he had said, “The
callers of the adhān are blasphemers,” because they say “O
Prophet of Allāh you are my means.” He also admitted that he
embraced Islām at the head Ĥambaliyy judge Shamsu-d-Dīn
Ibn Muslim who accepted his repentance, deemed his blood
unlawful and did not breach his marriage contract.
c. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah: After all, he was the originator of
the tribulation altogether. They confronted him with the
speeches he said in Jerusalem and Nablis, but he denied the
case. However, a group of trustworthy fuqahā’ from Damascus
had traveled to Nablis and attended the session. They testified
that he said it and the judge substantiated it. The head judge
Ibn Muslim slapped him on his rear and belittled him with two
other individuals (one of them had praised Ibn Taymiyah), and
sent them back to the prison. The head judge Jalālu-d-Dīn
punished him further after the Mālikiyyah arraigned him from
the prison and filed a suit at the head Mālikiyy judge. The
Ĥambaliyy judge interceded for him and accepted the ruling of
Jalālu-d-Dīn. Ibn al-Jawziyyah was then smacked, put on a
donkey and toured the city disgracefully. By the end of the
day, they sent him back to the prison located at the judge
Jalālu-d-Dīn’s post; afterwards, they gave him to the Ŝulťān’s
representative who imprisoned him in shackles in the castle
and let the others go free. By that, the tribulation came to rest.
The Muslim judges, scholars, and rulers made Ibn Taymiyah repent several times
and each time he renounces his oaths and nullifies his commitments. Eventually,
he was incarcerated following an edict issued by the four head judges who are:
one Shāfiˇiyy, one Ĥanafiyy, one Mālikiyy and one Ĥambaliyy. They judged him
as a deviant against whom one must warn against, as stated by Ibn Shākir al-
Kutbiyy, who was one of Ibn Taymiyah’s students. Ŝulťān Muĥammad Ibn
Qalawūn issued a decree to be read in Egypt and ash-Shām to warn the Muslims
from Ibn Taymiyah and his followers.
164
Repentance of Ibn Taymiyah (705)351
Invalidity of the Apparent Meaning in Creed
Ibn Taymiyah claimed repentance and wrote by his hand:
Praise to Allāh, my belief is that al-Qur’ān352
is one Attribute of the
Attributes of the eternal Self of Allāh and is not created. It is not a letter
and not a sound. It does not settle in any creation, or paper, or ink, or
something else. I believe in the saying of Allāh:
ن ع ٱلرح ﴿ ﴾٥ى تو ش ٱس عر ٱل م
explained according to the saying of the [Sunni] group attending this
hearing. It is not understood according to its ‘ĥaqīqah’ and apparent
meaning. I don’t know its reality, only Allāh knows the reality of that.
The saying about an-Nuzūl resembles the saying about al-Istiwā’. I say
about the former what I say about the latter. I don’t know its reality,
only Allāh knows the reality of that. It is not understood according to its
‘ĥaqīqah’ and apparent meaning, as the group attending this hearing
said. Anything that contradicts this belief is false and anything I wrote
or said which contradicts that is false. Any part of its content that
accuses others with misguidance or attributes to Allāh what is not
befitting to Allāh, I hereby clear myself of it and to Allāh repent from
what disagrees with it.
Written by Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah on Thursday the six of Rabiˇ al-‘Ākhir
705; everything I wrote and documented in this paper, I said it willingly
without compulsion. Written by Aĥmad Ibn Taymiyah. Ĥasbunā
Allāh wa Niˇma-l-Wakīl353
.
351 Najm al-Muhtadiyy documented this statement with the signatures of the
scholars who signed it. Ibn Ĥajar conveyed the record in ad-Durar also but the
date he documented was 15th Rabiˇ al-Awwal 707.
352 Al-Qur’ān in this context means the Speech (Kalām) of Allāh – His eternal
and everlasting attribute confirmed to His Self.
353 This is a common saying which means: Allāh provides what is sufficient to us
and He is the best to rely on.
165
On the top of that, the head judge Badru-d-Dīn Ibn Jamāˇah wrote: “He
testified in my presence; all that he wrote was by his own hand on the
specified date.”
At the footnote of the handwriting: “He testified all that which he wrote
by his hand. Written by ˇAbdul-Ghaniyy Ibn Muĥammad al-
Ĥambaliyy.”
Following the handwriting of Ibn Taymiyah, there are some
testifications. Here is a copy of it: “The aforementioned wrote by his
hand the above material in my presence and testified its content. Written
by Ibn ar-Rufˇah.”
A copy of another handwriting: “He admitted that. Written by ˇAbdul-
ˇAziz an-Nimrāwiyy.”
A copy of handwriting: “He admitted all of that on the date listed. ˇAliyy
Ibn Muĥammad Ibn Khaťťāb al-Bājiyy ash-Shāfiˇiyy.”
Another copy of handwriting: “This occurred in my presence on the
date listed. Written by al-Ĥasan Ibn Aĥmad Ibn Muĥammad al-
Ĥusayniyy.”
In the footnote, it is written: “The aforementioned wrote by his hand
and testified. Written by ˇAbdullāh Ibn Jamāˇah.”
Another copy of handwriting: “He admitted that and wrote it in my
presence, Muĥammad Ibn ˇUthmān al-Būrījibiyy.”
All those individuals are from the great scholars during that era. Ibn ar-Rufˇah
alone authored al-Maťlab al-ˇĀliyy fi Sharĥ Wasiť al-Ghazāliyy in 40 volumes.
After Ibn Taymiyah wrote the statements by his hand, the head judge al-Badr Ibn
Jamāˇah stamped his handwriting by the noble mark and a group of the scholars
witnessed that. That document was kept in al-Malkiyyah an-Nāŝiriyyah Library.
However, not long after a short period passed, Ibn Taymiyah negated his
promises and nullified his words.354
354 As his biography showed, he went back to his practice of misguiding others,
as it is the habit of the heads of misguidance.
166
The Decree of Ibn Qalawūn (705)
Addressing the Issue of Ibn Taymiyah
I start with the name of Allāh, the one who is merciful to the believers and the
non-believers in this life and merciful to the believers only in the Hereafter.
Praise belongs to Allāh who is clear of the similar and the equal. For this, Allāh
said:
ء ﴿ ميع ٱلصي ليس كمثلهۦ ش ﴾هو ٱلس
“No one or thing resembles Allāh in anyway and He is attributed with
Hearing and Sight.”
I thank Allāh who inspired us to submit to as-Sunnah and the Qur’ān, and
cleared in this era the causes of suspicion and skepticism. I bear witness that no
One is God but Allāh the only One who is without any partners. This testament
of someone aspires to receive by his sincerity the good ending and fate, and
further clears his Creator of occupying a direction, since Allāh cleared Himself
of filling a direction per the saying of Allāh355
:
﴿ ي وهو معك أ بما تع ن ما كنت ﴾٤ بصي ملون وٱلل
The verse informed us that Allāh knows about us wherever we are and sees
whatever we do.
I bear witness that our master Muĥammad is Allāh’s faithful worshipper and his
Messenger. For reaching safety, the Prophet set the way to whoever strives to
obey Allāh. Allāh ordered to ponder about the endowments of Allāh, while
banned contemplating about the Self of Allāh. May Allāh raise the rank of
Prophet Muĥammad, his family and companions. By them, the banner of faith
rose, Allāh established the foundation of the straight Religion whose rules He
ordered to follow. Furthermore, by them Allāh extinguished the dogma of
whoever had strayed from the truth and endorsed the bad innovations.
Hereafter, the Islāmic creeds, observed Laws of Islām, highly ranked integrals of
faith and the certified Islāmic schools are the foundation on which one builds.
They are the sanctuary to which each one should resort and the route that
whoever abides by it will be greatly successful. Moreover, whoever dissents
355 Sūrat al-Ĥadīd, verse 4.
167
from it deserves excruciating torment. Accordingly, one has to execute these
rules and emphasize their permanence. Moreover, one has to safeguard the
Nation’s (Islāmic) beliefs against dispute, look upon the rules of the leading
imāms as coherent, eradicate the eruptions of the innovations, and break up its
congregated factions.
During this time, Ibn Taymiyah expanded the realm of his pen and stretched by
his ignorance the scope of his speech. He talked about issues pertaining to the
Self and the Attributes [of Allāh] and in his wicked speech, he expounded on
despicable matters. He discussed issues that the companions and their students
did not address and he uttered things from which the famous, God-fearing, and
leading imāms stayed away. By that, he sponsored [issues] that the imāms of
Islām had renounced, while the consensus of the scholars and judges settled
contrary to what he sponsored. He spread some of his edicts to make them
known in the country and to fool the minds of the lay people. By that, he
conflicted with the scholars of Fiqh of his era and the scholars of ash-Shām and
Egypt. He sent his letters to various places and gave his edicts ridiculous names
that have no support by the revelation Allāh conveyed.
We became aware of this effort, and the conduct of his mentored pupils who
practiced this wickedness and the similar state of affairs they uncovered and
spread. We learned about the doing of Ibn Taymiyah who mocked his cult and
swayed them to obey him until it was said that they explicitly attributed to Allāh
the Exalted, the letter, sound, tashbīh356
and tajsīm357
. For the sake of Allāh, we
stood up fully alarmed from this immense news and renounced this innovation. It
hurt us when news spread about some ones in our kingdom for being behind this
disgrace. We hated what the falsifiers uttered and we recited the saying of
Allāh358
:
ا يصفون سبحن ٱ﴿ عم ﴾٩١لل
“Allāh is clear from the non-befitting attributes some ones ascribe to Him.”
He, the exalted and high in status, is unique in his Self and Attributes without an
356 Tashbīh is likening Allāh to the creations and it is kufr.
357 Tajsīm is likening Allāh to a body and it is kufr.
358 Sūrat al-Mu’minūn, verse 91.
168
equal and the alike359
:
ل تد ﴿ر وهو ب ركه ٱل يد ص
ر ب رك ٱل ﴾١٠٣بي وهو ٱللطيف ٱل ص
“Indeed, no creation knows the reality of Allāh, whereas Allāh knows
everything.”
We forwarded our decrees to arraign the aforementioned Ibn Taymiyah to submit
to our high Dignities after his false edicts had spanned our country in ash-Shām
and Egypt. He explicitly declared in these edicts statements which whenever an
intellectual hears them, he recites the saying of Allāh360
:
﴾٧٤ اا نحكر لقد جئت شي ﴿
“What you conveyed is debarred.”
When he [Ibn Taymiyah] was brought to us, we convened the recognized
Islāmic-decision-makers361
and the authorities in authentication and reliable
narration; the judges of Islām attended together with the Muslims’ rulers, the
religious scholars, and the Muslims’ fuqahā’. To appraise his issues, we
conducted a formal religious hearing before a sizeable crowd, a group of imāms
and professionals whose expertise is in the issues of dispute. They consequently
refuted him. They established all the alleged charges of which he was accused
and their verdict emerged per the trustworthy and reliable testaments [submitted
to them] as well as his handwriting that exposed his deplorable belief. They
adjourned the meeting and the concluding disposition of the assemblage was to
denounce his wicked creed. They held him liable for what his pen had testified
while reciting362
:
ويس ﴿ دته ﴾١٩لون ستكتب شه
359 Tanzīh is to clear Allāh from the non-befitting attributes such as place and any
attribute of the creations.
Sūrat al-Anˇām, verse 103.
360 Sūrat al-Kahf, verse 74.
361 Called Ahlu-l-Halli wa-l-ˇAqd.
362 Sūrat az-Zukhruf, verse 19.
169
“Their testimony will be written down and they will be questioned.”
Furthermore, it was reported to us that he was ordered to repent many times
before this event. The honorable Islāmic ruling pulled him back when he collided
with such issues and unrightfully charged. However, he re-engaged after they
had stopped him, defied the restraining orders, and discarded them.
At the court of the judge al-ˇAzīz al-Mālikiyy, the previous matters were
certified. The honorable Islāmic Law ruled its judgment that stipulated to
imprison the aforementioned [Ibn Taymiyah] and prevent him from enactment
and presentation. Our decree requests that no one may observe such practices
that the aforementioned conducted. [Anyone who does not] abstain from
imitating him in believing similar beliefs, or citing him to trail such sayings, or
paying attention to such statements, or pursuing his course in tashbīh, or talking
about the high direction that he voiced, or conversing about word and sound, or
uttering [any of] that will quit to death. Also, [it is forbidden] to convey tajsīm,
or express statements about this inapt matter, or dissent from the saying of the
imāms, or single oneself out from the Nation’s scholars, or place Allāh, the
Glorified and Exalted, in a direction, or yield to discussing where and how.
Nothing is for the advocate of that but prosecution.
Let everyone watch out this bound. To Allāh is the order from before and after.
Let each of the Ĥanābilah retract this creed, exit out of these immensely deviated
delusions and abide by what Allāh ordered of holding on to the praised
madhāhib of the people of [Islamic] faith. Verily, whoever deserts the order of
Allāh misses the straight course. Such one warrants nothing except affliction,
and long imprisonment is his settlement and abode - what a disgraceful abode
this is.
Our decree instructs to broadcast publicly in guarded Damascus, the countries of
ash-Shām, and other close and far corners that we seriously forbid, [intend to]
deter and [hereby] threaten whoever follows Ibn Taymiyah in the matter we
expounded. Whoever had pursued him [but repented] we will leave him in his
position, forgive him and assign him a national status similar to what we endow
on him. Whereas, whoever insist to rebuff and refuse all but to defend, we order
to drop them from their schools and positions, degrade them below their current
rank while humiliating them, and deny them from filling in our country any
positions of judgeship, ruling, directorship, teaching, testimony, and
“imamship”; indeed, no ranking or residency for them. We wiped out the call of
this man from the countries and nullified his creed by which he had misguided
many people or almost did; indeed, he misguided many individuals and by that
creed, they spread corruption on earth.
170
Let the records of the Islāmic hearings confirm that the Ĥanābilah have
complied with retracting this standing and present the records after
authentication to the Mālikiyy judges. We provided pardon and warning, and
exercised justice when raised the alarm.
Read our decree on the podia of the mosques and dispense it as a comprehensive
admonisher and deterrent as well as [one of] the most just forbidder and bidder,
Allāh willing.
Praise to Allāh alone; may Allāh raise the rank of our Prophet Muĥammad, his
family and companions and grant them Salām.
The above honorable handwriting is dependable; it was written on the 18th
of
Ramaďān, 705 AH.”
The Edict of the Four Head Judges in Egypt (726)363
Visiting the grave the Prophets
The four judges in Cairo wrote the following on the front side of the answer
which Ibn Taymiyah gave with regards to visiting the grave of the Prophets
and the graves of the righteous:
Praise to Allāh; in an answer to a [given] question, the author of the
related content [of this edict] states that the visit to the graves of the
Prophets and righteous is an innovation.
He also mentions things similar to that and says that it is not permissible
to travel to visit the Prophets. [All of that] is false and condemned. [Let
it be known that] a group of highly ranked scholars related that the visit
to the Prophet is virtuous and sunnah by consensus.
This aforementioned muftī364
should be restrained from uttering such
statements and eccentric answers; and [should be] imprisoned if he does
not put an end to that. The standing of his should be exposed publicly to
make it well known so that people become vigilant and alert to not
follow him.
363 Ibn Shākir al-Kutbiyy.
364 Person who issued the edict.
171
Written by Muĥammad Ibn Ibrāhīm Ibn Saˇdillāh Ibn Jamāˇah ash-
Shāfiˇiyy; the same thing says Muĥammad al-Ĥarīriyy al-Anŝāriyy al-
Ĥanafiyy but he [Ibn Taymiyah] definitely and categorically has to be
imprisoned, written by the latter; the same thing says Aĥmad Ibn ˇUmar
al-Maqdisiyy al-Ĥambaliyy; the same thing says Muĥammad Ibn Abī
Bakr al-Mālikiyy, when it is confirmed that he said it, to be immensely
refrained as needed to thrust away this vice and other wickedness.
The Ŝulťān’s Directive (Rajab 726)
Visiting the grave the Prophets
Ŝulťān in Egypt wrote a directive to his representative in Damascus concerning
the issue of visiting the grave the Prophet . Badru-d-Dīn al-‘Aˇzāziyy signed it
and Ibn Najībiyy recited its content, it states, after beginning with the name of
Allāh:
May Allāh continue his blessings; we put forward for your noble
acknowledgement and dignity our review for the subject matter you
prepared concerning Ibn Taymiyah. We studied the issue and examined
the content in reference to the aforementioned and the way he charged
into issuing the answer. [He gave the answer] to the Islāmic question
after the repeated honorable decrees, which came in response to the
verdicts declared by the judges and head scholars, had prohibited him
from doing so.
We held a hearing in our presence and asked for the reading of [Ibn
Taymiyah’s] answer in front of the judges and the scholars. They all
declared that the edict is wrong and condemned Ibn Taymiyah. They
gave a ruling which entails censuring him [Ibn Taymiyah], imprisoning
him by a lengthy incarceration, and categorically preventing him from
answering Islāmic questions. While in our presence, they marked by
their handwriting the aforementioned opinion on the front side of the
edict that is equipped by a copy of what Ibn Taymiyah wrote.
We have attached to this correspondence to the high Dignity a copy of
the ruling to provide him with a perspective of the resulting opinion that
the four judges had written. Then he proceeds forward to apprehend the
aforementioned at the castle of guarded Damascus, categorically
prevent him from answering Islāmic questions, and prevent the people
from mixing with him and repeatedly visiting him. Each day, he [Ibn
Taymiyah] will be provided with his basic needs. To serve him, he will
172
be visited by a selected individual like a relative, son, brother or the
like.
Let this matter be known, and follow the ruling according to the
judgment issued by the scholars, which possess the diverse knowledge,
concerning the aforementioned prison and the lengthy incarceration.
This individual very frequently sets out to people forbidden innovations
which preoccupy their minds. It is a priority to put off this matter and
block his pretext for such an endeavor.
Let his [high Dignity] execute this judgment and progress in fulfilling it.
When the high Dignity apply this directive which we devised
concerning Ibn Taymiyah, he will proceed to stop those who follow Ibn
Taymiyah’s ways, or issue answers according to these edict, or apply
these [false] judgments in divorce, or follow this newly innovated edict.
If he [the high Dignity] learns about someone who followed this
practice or gave an answer according to it, then examine the pertinent
cases. If they are known scholars and mashāykh365
, then their
punishment is comparable to the status of each, but if they are youths of
the enlisted members who seek to show off like Ibn Taymiyah sought it,
then he punishes and deters them. Let him be strict and decisive in
resolving their issues to straighten the conduct of the people and to
guard them in following the truth. Subsequently, no one would then
dare to answer Islāmic questions contrary to consensus or innovate in
the revealed Religion of Allāh unprecedented propositions. The high
Dignity will administer these identified matters because these practices
eradicate the pretexts [behind the evil doings] and this measure has
superiority over permitting these endeavors.
We rushed sending this answer and postponed the other requested items
which will be sent after this article, Allāh willing. It was written on the
27th of Rajab, 726 AH.
365 It is the plural of shaykh.
173
References
1. Ibn al-Muˇallim al-Qurashiyy, Najm al-Muhtadi wa Rajm al-Muˇtadī
(manuscript), pages. 630-631.
2. Ibn Shakir al-Kutbiyy, ˇUyūn at-Tawārīkh (manuscript), page 179.
3. Ibn Ĥajar al-ˇAsqalāniyy, ad-Durar al-Kāminah, volume 1, pages 144-
153.
4. Ibn al-Wardiyy, Tatimah al-Mukhtaŝar fī Akhbār al-Bashar (Tārīkh Ibn
al-Wardiyy), volume 2, page 381, page 398.
5. Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy366
, ‘Aˇyān al-ˇAŝr wa Aˇwān an-Naŝr
(manuscript), volume 1, page 34.
6. Taqiyyu-d-Dīn al-Ĥuŝniyy, Dafˇ Shubah man Shabbaha wa Tamarrad,
pages. 41-42, 43-45. (He quoted Ibn Shākir al-Kutbiyy in his book of
Tārīkh); al-Ĥuŝniyy said: “Ibn Shākir was one of the followers of Ibn
Taymiyah and was beaten severely because he said to a caller of Adhān
you committed kufr when the caller said ‘O Prophet of Allāh you are
my means.’ They wanted to sever off his head, but he renewed his faith
in Islām. I only mention what he said because that is more prudent to
establish the case against Ibn Taymiyah, in spite the fact that he
neglected things out of his spitefulness and wickedness, which if
mentioned would deeply degrade his role model. The surprising thing is
that Ibn Taymiyah mentioned them, while he ignored them.”
366 Ŝalāĥu-d-Dīn aŝ-Ŝafadiyy was a student of Ibn Taymiyah and Taqiyyu-d-Dīn
as-Subkiyy.
174
Epilogue
Let us end with some statements given about the Wahhābis by the scholars:
Shaykh Aĥmad aŝ-Ŝāwiyy al-Mālikiyy (1241 AH) concerning the Wahhābis said
the following367
:
…And some said that this ayah was revealed in reference to the
Khawārij [before they appeared], those who pervert the interpretation
of the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. And they declared lawful [the shedding
of] the blood of the Muslims and [the confiscation of] their money. As
may now be seen in their modern-day counterparts; namely, a sect in
Ĥijāz called “Wahhābis,” who think they are on something; truly they
are the liars. Satan has gained mastery over them and made them forget
Allāh’s remembrance. Those are Satan’s party, truly Satan’s party, they
are the losers.
Shaykh Muĥammad Amīn Ibn ˇĀbidīn al-Ĥanafiyy ad-Dimashqiyy said,
concerning the Wahhābis368
:
…As it has occurred in our times with the followers of [Ibn] ˇAbdil-
Wahhāb, who appeared from Najd and imposed their control over the
sacred Ĥarams. They used to attribute themselves to the Ĥambaliyy
School but they believed that only they were Muslims and that whoever
opposed their beliefs were polytheists (mushrikūn), thus they considered
the killing of those who were from the Ahlu-s-Sunnah and their scholars
to be legitimate, until Allāh Most High destroyed their might and
power.
Perhaps this is more than sufficient. If we can refute the Wahhābi understanding
of the aforementioned texts, then the others that they use can also be explained.
This book complies with the verse:369
367 Ĥāshiyah aŝ-Ŝāwiyy ˇalā Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 5, page 78; Dār Iĥyā’ at-
Turāth al-ˇArabiyy.
368 Radd al-Muĥtar, vol. 3, pages 339-340, Chapter: “Regarding the Followers of
[Ibn] ˇAbdil-Wahhāb, the Khawārij of our Times.”
369 Sūrat Āl ˇImrān, verse 110.
175
ملنكرٱملعر وفوت ن هونعنٱمةأ خرجتللناستأم ر ونب﴿ك نت مخي رأ هلل﴾ٱوت ؤمن ونب
This means: “You are the best nation ever sent out to the people. You bid the
good, forbid the evil, and believe in Allāh.”
We thank Allāh for the blessings that He gave without being obligated to give
anything.
We thank Him for enabling us to know who these wicked people are, and
granting us the ability to refute them. We ask Him to enable us to see the truth as
truth so that we may abide by it, and to see the evil as evil so that we may avoid
it. We ask Him to grant us the correct belief and a good understanding of it. We
ask Him to let us die with belief, and escape His torture. We ask Allāh to grant
us the lawful sustenance. May Allāh make this booklet beneficial in life and after
death, forgive those who worked on it, spread it, make it a shield and a weapon
for the Muslims, and make it weigh heavy in the scale on the Day of Judgment.
O, Allāh, we ask You by the merit and honor of Your beloved Prophet to
answer this humble supplication.
And Allāh Knows Best
177
Transliteration System
English Arabic English Arabic
A, a أ Ť, ť ط
B, b ب Đħ, đħ ظ
T, t ع ˇ ت
Th, th ث Gh, gh غ
J, j ج F, f ف
Ĥ, ĥ ح Q, q ق
Kh, kh خ K, k ك
D, d د L, l ل
Dh, dh ذ M, m م
R, r ر N, n ن
Z, z ز H, h ه
S, s س W, w و
Sh, sh ش Y, y ي
Ŝ, ŝ ء ‘ ص
Ď, ď ض Ā, ā ءا
178
Vowels (Tashkīl)
Open the two lips when uttering the letter Fatĥah ب ba
Gather up and fold the two lips when uttering
the letter
Ďammah
bu ب
Lower and stretch the bottom lip when uttering
the letter
Kasrah ب bi
Stress the letter by doubling Shaddah ب e.g. bb
Extension (Madd)
Extend the sound of the letter for the length of two ĥarakah. One ĥarakah is the
length of time taken to flex the finger or extend it. This is the case for three
letters:
Alif آ which is underlined ( ā ) to show that it needs to be extended.
Wāw و which is underlined ( ū ) to show that it needs to be extended.
Yā’ ي which is underlined ( ī ) to show that it needs to be extended.
179
حني تمسون وحني تصبحون ١٧فسبحن ٱلل
رض وعشي ت وٱل و م ١٨ا وحني تظهرون ول ٱلمد ف ٱلس
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