Who Are Wahhabis?
Where Are They?
Why Should We Care?
Bismillah Rahman Raheem
Salam alaykum wa Rahmatullah,
Someone recently sent me an excellent story about their experiences in dealing with the labels many Muslims have come up with over the last 14 centuries and how they were trying to explain the reality of just being a "plain ordinary Muslim".
I enjoyed reading it and thought about the ending of it, regarding the meaning of the label "Wahhabi". The person said at the end, they didn't still didn't know what it meant.
Here is what we have on the topic, in brief:
- First of all, the name "Al Wahhab" is one of the Isma was-Sifat (names or characteristics) of Allah Subhannah wa Ta'ala. It means, "The Bestower" and only Allah is The Bestower. A child may be named Abdul Wahhab, but not AL WAHHAB. Because this would be "shirk" (setting up partners with Allah in worship), due to Allah being the only one who is the Bestower. Therefore, it is not approved for a person to call themselves, "Al Wahhab", nor for someone to call another person by such a term. We must all be careful not to engage in such things. May Allah forgive us for past mistakes and guide us to do better, ameen.
- Second, labeling other people by terms they do not call themselves could be a sin, especially if they would not like to be called that, and it's not acceptable in Islam. In surah 49, Al Hujjarat (The Apartments) we are told, as believers, never to do gheebah (back-biting). And according to our prophet, peace be upon him, gheebah is saying anything a person would not like said about them, whether they are present or not present.
- Third, this label "Wahhabi" or "Wahhabism" usually refers to people calling others away from innovations or misunderstandings in Islam, out of sheer ignorance. The one saying it usually, does not know the history behind this label. And the one being called that, usually does not want to be labeled this way.
- Fourth, the label "Wahhabi" originated over 200 years ago and it referred to followers of the famous scholar, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. If you are familiar with the names in Arabic, you recognize the man's name is Muhammad and his father's name is Abdul Wahhab. So why would people who followed this scholar be labeled by his father's name instead of him or something about him, other than his father's name? Because they knew better than to call Muslims - Mohammedans. This term was already used in a bad way against Muslims at that time.
- Fifth, the label was given to anyone who followed the Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, and was used to criticize them. Then in later years it was given to any who followed anything he taught, even if they had not actually heard of him. Now it is given to anyone who disagrees with whatever is popular amongst some deviant groups. It is easier to say, "Wahhabi" to someone, than to try to prove a point, especially when you can't defend your position with proof.
- Sixth, the real followers of Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab were a bit over zealous, and that can be seen by their actions. But they could never be classified as "out of Islam" or "kafir" as some people try to claim today. The fact is, these people usually are trying to learn more and more about true Islam and working to put it into their lives.
- Seventh, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab lived in a village not too far from present day Riyadh (I visited there and filmed his masjid). As he grew up, he memorized the entire Quran, studied the madhab (school of thought on Islamic matters) of his father (who was knowledgeable in Islam) and then began to branch out into other madhaahab (plural of madhab). As he grew in knowledge and understanding, he became qualified to make judgments. The more he learned, the more he became aware of the mistakes many of the Muslims around him had fallen into.
- Eight, the biggest mistake of some people was shirk - they were not worshipping Allah directly and would go to graves and call upon the righteous ones who had passed away. This in itself would having given cause for fighting against them in the time they lived. The followers of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab began to go out to the grave sights and tear down the built up decorations, fancy grave stones, trimmings and statues the people had placed there to call upon and ask for their needs.
- Ninth, the people did not want to give up their grave worship nor give up the idea of a person or image to call upon for their worship, or their needs. The thought it was OK to have something between them and Allah.
- Tenth, the famous book known as "Kitab A Tawheed" gives examples from the Quran and hadeeth with very limited commentaries, the back of each chapter has a series of quest, is one of the most accepted books on aqeedah (belief system in Islam). Whoever read the book would know immediately the writer was not expressing his own ideas or playing with meanings. Rather he wanted Allah to be worshipped in the way Quran and sunnah had told us to do.
- Eleventh, in Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab's book Kitab al-Tawhid (which draws on material from the Quran and the narrations of the prophet) that worship in Islam includes conventional acts of worship such as the five daily prayers; fasting; dua(supplication); Istia'dha (seeking protection or refuge); Ist'ana (seeking help), and Istigatha (seeking benefits). He claimed, making dua to anyone or anything other than Allah, or seeking supernatural help and protection that is only befitting of a divine being from something other than Allah are acts of "shirk" (associating partners in worship with Almighty God) and contradict Tawhid (monotheism).Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab claimed, prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, worked to identify and repudiate all actions that violated these principles. The most important of his commentaries are in his book Kitab al-Tawhid, and the works of Ibn Taymiyyah.
Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab claimed, prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, worked to identify and repudiate all actions that violated these principles. The most important of his commentaries are in his book Kitab al-Tawhid, and the works of Ibn Taymiyyah.
- Twelfth, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab was for the most part, a follower of the Hanbali school of thought (fiqh) like most in Najd at the time. However, he did not endorse one particular school of thought over another and was very opposed to the concept of one madhab being taken as an absolute and unquestioned authority over the others. Additionally, he totally condemned the idea of blindly following or adhering to teachings or beliefs, on the scholarly level. Although the label of "Wahhabi" is usually thought of as the same as the Habali madhab (school of fiqh), the early fighting and disputes centered more over whether or not believers could call upon righteous people or saints in their graves for help, worldly matters such as having children or making money, regaining health, etc. rather than issues of fiqh. The claim that "Wahhabism" came out of the Hanbali madhab is completely erroneous and totally false.
- Thirteenth, today we see some very ignorant Muslims running around calling each other by labels, names and even slandering each other to the extent of saying "kafir" (non-Muslim), yet they have no idea where these labels originated or what the meanings actually are.
- NOTE: There is an authentic hadeeth in Sahih Muslim that says, "Whoever says so-and-son is in the Hell - then certainly, one of them is".
- Conclusion, the meaning of the word "Wahhab" is to bestow or give forth. And it is only Allah who is THE GIVER. To call someone this name of Allah, and mean it as a label to slander is both, ignorant and blameworthy. To call one self by this name as a label thinking it makes them better than some other Muslims, is both arrogant and could be very dangerous.
Epilog: What should a good, practicing Muslim call himself? What should he call others who don't believe or don't practice Islam the way he does?
Good Questions -
Answers are in another article on our website. Here's the link to the article we discuss various "groups" or divisions amongst the Muslims today and how to prove the correct position on the topic:
www.IslamTomorrow.com/groups/
More -
Many understand the position held by Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab in open opposition to another more famous group of Muslims under the label of "Sufism" or "Sufi".
We want our readers reaction to this statement from a famous scholar from the same time period mentioned above:
"We do not negate the way of the Sufis and the purification of the inner self from vices of sins connected to the heart and limbs, as long as the person firmly sticks to the rules of the Islamic Law and the correct and observed way. But we don't take it upon ourselves to give allegorical interpretation (ta'weel) to his speech and actions.
We only place our reliance on, seek help from, beseech aid from and place our confidence in all our dealings in Allah, The Most High. He is enough for us, the Best Trustee, the Best Mawla (Protector) and the Best Helper.
May Allah send peace upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions, ameen.
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