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

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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.

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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;.

11

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.

61

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.

65

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.

66

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