Post by DarulTahqiq on Feb 18, 2015 12:03:48 GMT
The following quotes have been selected from an article posted - here (Dislcaimer-We are not endorsing all the claims of the original author) - The footnotes can be found in the last link and they provide the necessary details of the back ground to the authorities named. The sample of quotes provided by the author demonstrate the fact that many scholars in the Arab lands spoke out against Muhammad ibn Abdal Wahhab an-Najdi and his followers. A number of these authorities were from the Hanbali school that Ibn Abdal Wahhab claimed to follow. The contemporary followers or admirers of Ibn Abdal Wahhab rarely mention or let alone know of the following historical quotes which demonstrates the lack of credibility of Wahhabism/Pseudo-Salafism in the eyes of the elite scholars of that era and onwards.
Quotes:
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdur-Rahman al-`Afaliqi,[3] may Allah be pleased with him, chief judge and mufti, wrote a book against Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab when he claimed to be at the level of the four Imams.
It was known as Censuring the Mockery of the One who Denies Following the Mujtahids.[4] He then advised that he should not be followed, as he is not a scholar and is unqualified. [5] Imam Al-`Afaliqi put his life in danger when he dared to speak against the organisation.
Imam Sulaiman ibn Suhaim az-Zubairi,[6] may Allah be pleased with him, when he received a letter from Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, replied and also sent a copy to the judges surrounding his area:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
This is from the needy slave of Allah, the Exalted. My name is Sulaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Suhaim and I have sent this to whomever it will reach from the scholars of the Muslims, the servants of the Revealed Law of the Master of the Sons of Adam, the first of them and the last of them.
Peace be upon you and the Mercy and Blessings of Allah. As for what comes next:
It has certainly come to your attention that there has appeared in our land a man who is an innovator, ignorant, astray and leading others astray. This is causing the disruption of knowledge and the cutting off of piety from the hearts of the people.
This has led to many horrifying matters and hate-filled battles between people. Some of the things that have happened have caused hatred, enmity and are hard on the ears to bear. This has not come to our land before so we desired to send word to the scholars of the Muslims, the inheritors of the Master of the Messengers, in order that they would stop this innovator
The intent of this letter is to stand up for Allah and His Messenger, to assist the religion with sincerity. May Allah make us and you from those who assist one another in righteousness and piety. Some of the innovations and astray things that this innovator has brought are the following:
He has gone to the martyrs of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that are buried in Al-Jubailah-for example Zaid ibn Al-Khattab and his companions-destroyed their graves and spaces because they are in chambers and they are unable to exhume them. They then decided to demolish their tombs until they are at the level of one hand span in order to keep away the animals. The one that buried these people was none other than Khalid and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The innovator has also went to the masjid in the area and destroyed it. There is no proof for doing this in the Revealed Law but this is only following vain desires.
He has burned the text The Wonderful Guidance[7] due to the statement of the author, our master, our leader. He also burned the text, Meadow of the Two Lovely Breezes[8] and called it, the Meadow of the Demons.
He said at one point, “If I was able to get to the Chamber of the Messenger, I would destroy it and if I could get to the Noble House I would have done so and taken the jewels from it and left it as wood.” Didn’t this person hear the statement of the Exalted One, Whoever shows reverence for the Signs of Allah, then this is from the piety in his heart? [9]
It has been established that at one point he said, “The people for the past six hundred years have not been upon anything.” A book was also sent to me that read in one section, “You should affirm that before me you were ignorant and astray.”
Whoever does not agree with him in all of what he said or bear witness to that then he judges them with having committed major kufr. Whoever agrees with him and testifies to all of what he said, then he says of them, “You are a Muwahhid.” This is even if the person is a rebellious sinner in total or a reprobate. So in reality when one sees this, he will know that he is calling to the Tawhid of himself rather than to the Tawhid of Allah.
He then sent a book to our land that was brought by some of his missionaries bearing his hand writing. Once opened, you could see that in this book he swore by Allah that the knowledge he possesses is not present in his teachers who claim to have knowledge. This is his claim. If this is the case, then he has no teachers and neither his father nor the people of the land of Al-`Arid were aware of this.
They would have been astonished to know that when he was not learning from the teachers he was making his own points. Neither his father nor his people were made aware of this matter. So where did this man’s knowledge come from? Who did he get this information from? Was it given to him as revelation? Did he see it in a dream? Or did Shaitan teach it to him? The oath that he took claiming he was telling the truth is more dear to him than all the people of Al-`Arid.
After that he jumped and called both Ibn al-Farid and Ibn `Arabi unbelievers. He said that the household of the Messenger among us were unbelievers as they take oaths and that whoever did not testify to their kufr was also an unbeliever.
It was reliably established from him that when he was told the difference of opinion of the scholars is a mercy, he remarked, “Their difference of opinion is a trial.” In addition to that, he started to destroy and plunder the charitable endowments and deny what was narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Companions that they used to give charitable endowments.
The same innovator removed the wage for hajj guides, the supplication made for the Sultan in the khutbah and gave his reason as, “The Sultan is a rebellious sinner and it is not permissible to make supplication for him or praise him.”
We were then told that the sending of peace and blessings on the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, on Friday night was an innovation and astrayness that will take the person who does it to the Fire.
The claim was then made that the wage the judges take, past and present, when they judge between claimants and there is no treasure for them or maintenance, then that is bribery. This statement completely contradicts what has textually been handed down from all the Imams, namely that bribery is what is taken to nullify the truth or to make falsehood true. It is also bribery when the judge says to the two claimants, “I will not judge between you except for a wage.” This is actually bribery, not what the judges are doing now or before in ages past.
The one who offers a sacrifice on behalf of someone and then says the Name of Allah over it and gives it to Allah the Exalted has been named an unbeliever by this person. Likewise, the same thing is said of the person who negates the evil of the jinn using sacrifices and such. The innovator says of such a person, “That is kufr and the meat is impermissible for consumption.” The scholars have only mentioned that the one who did that has committed an impermissible act and this was mentioned in the commentary of the text the Uttermost Boundary.
Scholars, please clarify, may Allah have mercy upon you, to the laymen regarding these matters and protect these poor believers who are being deceived, their true creed corrupted. If you judge this as the best course of action, then please clarify it and we will go to his statements and follow him; but if you should see this as a mistake, call us away from it, push us away from it and make clear to the people the error in this matter.
Many people in this land have already been tested with great trial by this individual. May Allah have mercy on you, we seek to have the matter explained before false thoughts come into the souls of the people. The answer is being sought from you and that it is found by whoever maintains it. Those who maintain it are those who have knowledge and deep insight of the Judgement of Allah and His Messenger, as that is how the truth is manifested when it is threatened and the same way that falsehood is repelled. [10] [11]
Imam `Abdullah ibn Suhaim, may Allah be pleased with him, also weighed in when he received two of the Muwahhidun missionaries, Hasan ibn `Aidan and an armed guard, and in the course of conversation realised that the two had likened Allah with His Creation.[12] Further to this, the common people rejected him and sent him away. This forced Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab to backpedal on his theology; but upon realisation that the Imam would not relent, Ibn `Abdul Wahhab resorted to calling him an unbeliever.[13]
When the Muwahhidun cult asked Imam `Abdul Muhsin ibn `Ali Al-Ushaiqiri, may Allah be pleased with him, to become a member, his reply was not favourable.
Imam Muhammad ibn Al-Hajj Ahmad As-Saffarini, wrote a work, Answers on Najd Regarding Questions about Najd. It was one of the major works about the cult and still remains a classic, again from another contemporary. He also wrote four volumes of information on creed, clarifying the identity of Muslim Orthodoxy. He stated in one text regarding the danger of accusing Muslims of being unbelievers,
So when mention is made of some of the evil thoughts and actions of the people of innovation and astrayness and you label them with astrayness and carrying falsehood. The text of the author, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned this matter after making clear the way of the People of Truth and the path of the Companions of the True Way and Certainty. It was as if he was saying that what is compulsory to believe has already been been made clear regarding those who differ with us from the people of innovation so beware that you speak their statements, believe as they do and when you understand all of that, you need to stick with the madhhab of the People of Truth.
So you are not to believe in labelling as unbelievers the people who pray and they have established one of the pillars of Islam and basic points of the religion. It is impermissible to kill them. Kufr is the opposite of faith and the unbeliever who did the act is called either ungrateful or a true unbeliever. This is based on the pronunciation of the word, its’ root and so forth. Then there is the hadith, “Whoever said to his brother, ‘Unbeliever!’ Then one of them is that.” The reason for that is that he is either telling the truth or he is lying. If he is telling the truth, then the person referred to is an unbeliever. If he is lying, then the charge of kufr returns to him due to his labelling his Muslim brother an unbeliever. [15]
Imam Muhammad As-Saffarini also wrote a text[16] with one of his teachers, Shihab ud-Din al-Mannini,[17] regarding Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab being a false prophet and the conditions of ijtihad.[18] The text was another rallying cry for Orthodox Muslims.
Imam `Isa Al-Qaddumi, may Allah be pleased with him, was instrumental in preaching against the movement, he delivered letters and so forth. This Imam classified them as Khawarij. He was a currier for Imam Muhammad ibn Al-Hajj Ahmad as-Saffarini, who wrote, Answers on Najd Regarding Questions about Najd.[19]
Imam Saif ibn Ahmad Al-`Atiqi,[20] may Allah have mercy on him, also rejected the pamphlets sent out by the Salafi organisation.
Imam Ibn Sulaim,[121] may Allah be pleased with him, rejected Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab’s false ideas.
Imam Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Kurdi, may Allah be pleased with him, reiterated numerous times,
Praise be to Allah Alone. There is no doubt in that the knowledge of deriving rulings is taken from scholars. So whoever has his books as his shaikh, then his mistakes are more than when he is correct. The claims of absolute ijtihad today are generally coming from the slave who is far from it. Imams Ar-Rafi`ii, An-Nawawi and those who preceded them, like Fakhr ud-Din Ar-Razi, have come to agree then as today that there are no absolute mujtahids. Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Haitami has mentioned in his rulings that there has not been an absolute mujtahid since Imam Ash-Shafi`ii and his contemporaries. Imam Ibn as-Salah said it has been more than three centuries since an absolute mujtahid has existed. [22]
The Imam says further,
So the one who is claiming this, it is necessary such a one return to the truth and abandon false hopes. With regard to his calling Muslims unbelievers, then it has been explicitly stated by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, “When the man says to the other, ‘Unbeliever!’ Then one of them is an unbeliever.” So the one who is throwing such a charge at a Muslim is the unbeliever according to Ash-Sharh ul-Kabir by Imam ar-Rafi`ii. [23]
The Imam continues,
This is because he is calling Islam kufr, and this is followed by Imam An-Nawawi and is the depended upon ruling for the latter day scholars of the School.[24]
Imam Sulaiman ibn `Abdul Wahhab, may Allah be pleased with him, was a famous teacher by this time and was one of the first five scholars to write a book against the movement and the first to systematically organise all the most severe beliefs under headings. The first book, Divine Lightning, was written around the year 1162, while the final and more expanded work, Divine Lightning: The Decisive Speech, was written from his study in Sudair before he was captured in the year 1190, tortured and enslaved. The book in your hands is the latter copy.
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Fairuz Al-Hanbali, may Allah be pleased with him, in his response letter, proclaimed,
I swear to dedicate my life until I reach the level of ijtihad and then I will fight this innovation![25]
He also stated, Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab and his followers are people of innovation because they contradict all of that which has been handed down.[26]
Imam `Alawi Al-Haddad, may Allah be pleased with him, in his work, The Illuminated Lamp in Clarifying the Dangers and Darkness of the one coming from Najd that has Led Common People astray, preached,
And as we had mentioned from the Shaikh, the learner, the wise one, Shaikh `Afif ud-Din `Abdullah ibn Dawud Al-Hanbali Al-Basri, it is the case that he claimed prophethood implicitly, but not outright, and did not expose his affair in the beginning.[27]
He said in another chapter,
In one chapter we will speak about the kufr of what the wretched Najdi said about Imam Abu Hanifah not being upon anything and refusing to follow the Imams, their books, rulings and conclusions.[28]
Imam `Abdullah ibn Dawud Al-Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, in his warning letter, Lightning and Thunder: An Answer to the Cursed Ibn Sa`ud, advised:
So from these issues with them is the claim to prophethood. This was manifested by him not explicitly by speech, but this was done implicitly so that the people would not reject it immediately and bear witness to what the scholars have mentioned. What the scholars have mentioned is that Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, in the beginning of his affair, was shown to have reached the level of a false prophet and a liar of the same capacity as Musailimah, Sajjah the false prophetess, Al-Aswad Al-`Ansi, Tulaihah Al-Asadi and others. As for his father, he was a pious man.[29]
Imam Nasir ibn Sulaiman ibn Suhaim Az-Zubairi,[30] may Allah be pleased with him, was another enemy of the Muwahhidun cult and resisted it at every turn.
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Gharib,[31] may Allah be pleased with him, was another one of the scholars that spoke the truth against the movement. He was based in Ad-Dir`iyyah during the Brotherhood takeover and hid his hatred for them at first. His test came when a stranger to the land came to Ad-Dir`iyyah and quizzed him about his creed and position on the organisation now controlling his city. After winning the trust of the Imam, he was told that they were evil, mistaken, wrong, murderers and guilty of calling Muslims unbelievers.
The individual that came to the Imam showed himself to be a spy for the cult and reported his statements. The Muwahhidun authorities seized him, checked the statements that he had made to be sure that he stood by them; and with bravery and valour deserving of a true scholar, he affirmed the words that he had uttered to the spy. This act of boldness led to Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Gharib’s execution.[32]
His son-in-law, Imam `Abdul `Aziz ibn Hamad,[33] may Allah be pleased with him, was a known opponent of the movement. He lived in the aftermath of pogroms and depopulations of several towns and villages. He declared them Khawarij, preached against the cult but hid his faith. He would later be instrumental when Muhammad `Ali Basha moved against the organisation. Upon their first meeting, it was realised that Imam Ibn Hamad had the same creed as the Basha and even urged them on.[34]
Imam Ibn Jadid An-Najdi,[35] may Allah be pleased with him, was another enemy to the organisation and stood against them with his teacher, Imam Muhammad ibn Fairuz Al-Hanbali.
Imam Ahmad As-Sawi,[47] may Allah be pleased with him, the great Maliki judge and jurist, said of this movement,
Allah has said, Humanity, the Promise of Allah is true. So do not be deceived about the life of this world and do not let the Deceiver lead you astray about Allah.[48] This ayah was said to have been sent down regarding the Khawarij who corrupted the meaning of the Book and the Sunnah and did this to make the blood and wealth of the Muslims permissible to be spilled and taken. This very thing can be witnessed now in their companions in a cult that appeared in Al-Hijaz by the name of the Wahhabis.
They think that they are upon something, but they are only liars. Shaitan has taken a hold of them and caused them to forget the Remembrance of Allah. These people are the group of Shaitan. Are not the group of Shaitan the losers? We ask Allah the Generous that He wipe them out and exterminate all trace of them from the land.[49]
Imam Ahmad Ad-Dayyaf,[50] may Allah be pleased with him, stated,
In the year 1229 we received great news about the Ottoman khilafah taking the Sacred Precincts of Makkah and Madinah back from the cult of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab and his followers. And when it was announced, it was a relief and great news to everyone. When a message was sent to Tunis from this group, it was advised by Abu Muhammad Mahmud Basha that this must be answered.
The answer came from the Imam Abul Fida’ Isma`il at-Tamimi, who wrote a long book named, The Divine Portents in Explaining the Astrayness of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab. Imam Abu Hafs `Umar al-Maliki also wrote a book on them, and this man is the splendour of the madhhab and torchbearer of the school in this age.[51]
The Imam said further,
So when this reply was sent, the successor of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab did not answer, but he continued in his warfare and killing.[52]
Imam Hasan Ash-Shatti,[53] may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned,
I have read this general message with regard to the matter of Revealed Law as it relates to some doubts that were raised by some ignorant people, who do not necessitate kufr in principle, while some of it may be beneficial in consideration. Ibn `Abdul Wahhab has declared them to be unbelievers due to this action as stated in this letter, in addition to his declaring their blood and wealth licit for spilling and seizure.
This belief was reached due to what appeared to their people by the outward import of the explicitly worded texts of Revealed Law built upon their founder’s ignorance, hatred and bad thoughts about the believers. May Allah curse whoever has this creed, for indeed, whoever declared a believer to be a unbeliever has already committed kufr.[54]
Imam Muhammad ibn Humaid Al-Hanbali,[55] may Allah be pleased with him, in his Low Hanging Clouds over the Graves of the Hanbalis informs us:
This man, Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, is the bringer of this call, this call whose evil has spread and engulfed the horizon with darkness. It is clearly mentioned in history that he did not begin to propagate his ideas publicly while his father was alive.[56]
Imam Dawud ibn Sulaiman Al-Khalidi,[57] may Allah be pleased with him, made the following remark,
There have been some people that have appeared in our time, opposing Muslim Orthodoxy and the madhhabs while leading astray the Ummah of Muhammad and declaring the blood and wealth of these Muslims to be permissible for spilling and seizure. This group took filthy and dark doubts and used them to surround people.
I then sought the Help of Allah to answer them with these few pages that I wrote, so that Allah would guide them and what a wonderful intercession this would be for me![58]
Quotes:
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdur-Rahman al-`Afaliqi,[3] may Allah be pleased with him, chief judge and mufti, wrote a book against Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab when he claimed to be at the level of the four Imams.
It was known as Censuring the Mockery of the One who Denies Following the Mujtahids.[4] He then advised that he should not be followed, as he is not a scholar and is unqualified. [5] Imam Al-`Afaliqi put his life in danger when he dared to speak against the organisation.
Imam Sulaiman ibn Suhaim az-Zubairi,[6] may Allah be pleased with him, when he received a letter from Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, replied and also sent a copy to the judges surrounding his area:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
This is from the needy slave of Allah, the Exalted. My name is Sulaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Suhaim and I have sent this to whomever it will reach from the scholars of the Muslims, the servants of the Revealed Law of the Master of the Sons of Adam, the first of them and the last of them.
Peace be upon you and the Mercy and Blessings of Allah. As for what comes next:
It has certainly come to your attention that there has appeared in our land a man who is an innovator, ignorant, astray and leading others astray. This is causing the disruption of knowledge and the cutting off of piety from the hearts of the people.
This has led to many horrifying matters and hate-filled battles between people. Some of the things that have happened have caused hatred, enmity and are hard on the ears to bear. This has not come to our land before so we desired to send word to the scholars of the Muslims, the inheritors of the Master of the Messengers, in order that they would stop this innovator
The intent of this letter is to stand up for Allah and His Messenger, to assist the religion with sincerity. May Allah make us and you from those who assist one another in righteousness and piety. Some of the innovations and astray things that this innovator has brought are the following:
He has gone to the martyrs of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that are buried in Al-Jubailah-for example Zaid ibn Al-Khattab and his companions-destroyed their graves and spaces because they are in chambers and they are unable to exhume them. They then decided to demolish their tombs until they are at the level of one hand span in order to keep away the animals. The one that buried these people was none other than Khalid and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The innovator has also went to the masjid in the area and destroyed it. There is no proof for doing this in the Revealed Law but this is only following vain desires.
He has burned the text The Wonderful Guidance[7] due to the statement of the author, our master, our leader. He also burned the text, Meadow of the Two Lovely Breezes[8] and called it, the Meadow of the Demons.
He said at one point, “If I was able to get to the Chamber of the Messenger, I would destroy it and if I could get to the Noble House I would have done so and taken the jewels from it and left it as wood.” Didn’t this person hear the statement of the Exalted One, Whoever shows reverence for the Signs of Allah, then this is from the piety in his heart? [9]
It has been established that at one point he said, “The people for the past six hundred years have not been upon anything.” A book was also sent to me that read in one section, “You should affirm that before me you were ignorant and astray.”
Whoever does not agree with him in all of what he said or bear witness to that then he judges them with having committed major kufr. Whoever agrees with him and testifies to all of what he said, then he says of them, “You are a Muwahhid.” This is even if the person is a rebellious sinner in total or a reprobate. So in reality when one sees this, he will know that he is calling to the Tawhid of himself rather than to the Tawhid of Allah.
He then sent a book to our land that was brought by some of his missionaries bearing his hand writing. Once opened, you could see that in this book he swore by Allah that the knowledge he possesses is not present in his teachers who claim to have knowledge. This is his claim. If this is the case, then he has no teachers and neither his father nor the people of the land of Al-`Arid were aware of this.
They would have been astonished to know that when he was not learning from the teachers he was making his own points. Neither his father nor his people were made aware of this matter. So where did this man’s knowledge come from? Who did he get this information from? Was it given to him as revelation? Did he see it in a dream? Or did Shaitan teach it to him? The oath that he took claiming he was telling the truth is more dear to him than all the people of Al-`Arid.
After that he jumped and called both Ibn al-Farid and Ibn `Arabi unbelievers. He said that the household of the Messenger among us were unbelievers as they take oaths and that whoever did not testify to their kufr was also an unbeliever.
It was reliably established from him that when he was told the difference of opinion of the scholars is a mercy, he remarked, “Their difference of opinion is a trial.” In addition to that, he started to destroy and plunder the charitable endowments and deny what was narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Companions that they used to give charitable endowments.
The same innovator removed the wage for hajj guides, the supplication made for the Sultan in the khutbah and gave his reason as, “The Sultan is a rebellious sinner and it is not permissible to make supplication for him or praise him.”
We were then told that the sending of peace and blessings on the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, on Friday night was an innovation and astrayness that will take the person who does it to the Fire.
The claim was then made that the wage the judges take, past and present, when they judge between claimants and there is no treasure for them or maintenance, then that is bribery. This statement completely contradicts what has textually been handed down from all the Imams, namely that bribery is what is taken to nullify the truth or to make falsehood true. It is also bribery when the judge says to the two claimants, “I will not judge between you except for a wage.” This is actually bribery, not what the judges are doing now or before in ages past.
The one who offers a sacrifice on behalf of someone and then says the Name of Allah over it and gives it to Allah the Exalted has been named an unbeliever by this person. Likewise, the same thing is said of the person who negates the evil of the jinn using sacrifices and such. The innovator says of such a person, “That is kufr and the meat is impermissible for consumption.” The scholars have only mentioned that the one who did that has committed an impermissible act and this was mentioned in the commentary of the text the Uttermost Boundary.
Scholars, please clarify, may Allah have mercy upon you, to the laymen regarding these matters and protect these poor believers who are being deceived, their true creed corrupted. If you judge this as the best course of action, then please clarify it and we will go to his statements and follow him; but if you should see this as a mistake, call us away from it, push us away from it and make clear to the people the error in this matter.
Many people in this land have already been tested with great trial by this individual. May Allah have mercy on you, we seek to have the matter explained before false thoughts come into the souls of the people. The answer is being sought from you and that it is found by whoever maintains it. Those who maintain it are those who have knowledge and deep insight of the Judgement of Allah and His Messenger, as that is how the truth is manifested when it is threatened and the same way that falsehood is repelled. [10] [11]
Imam `Abdullah ibn Suhaim, may Allah be pleased with him, also weighed in when he received two of the Muwahhidun missionaries, Hasan ibn `Aidan and an armed guard, and in the course of conversation realised that the two had likened Allah with His Creation.[12] Further to this, the common people rejected him and sent him away. This forced Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab to backpedal on his theology; but upon realisation that the Imam would not relent, Ibn `Abdul Wahhab resorted to calling him an unbeliever.[13]
When the Muwahhidun cult asked Imam `Abdul Muhsin ibn `Ali Al-Ushaiqiri, may Allah be pleased with him, to become a member, his reply was not favourable.
Imam Muhammad ibn Al-Hajj Ahmad As-Saffarini, wrote a work, Answers on Najd Regarding Questions about Najd. It was one of the major works about the cult and still remains a classic, again from another contemporary. He also wrote four volumes of information on creed, clarifying the identity of Muslim Orthodoxy. He stated in one text regarding the danger of accusing Muslims of being unbelievers,
So when mention is made of some of the evil thoughts and actions of the people of innovation and astrayness and you label them with astrayness and carrying falsehood. The text of the author, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned this matter after making clear the way of the People of Truth and the path of the Companions of the True Way and Certainty. It was as if he was saying that what is compulsory to believe has already been been made clear regarding those who differ with us from the people of innovation so beware that you speak their statements, believe as they do and when you understand all of that, you need to stick with the madhhab of the People of Truth.
So you are not to believe in labelling as unbelievers the people who pray and they have established one of the pillars of Islam and basic points of the religion. It is impermissible to kill them. Kufr is the opposite of faith and the unbeliever who did the act is called either ungrateful or a true unbeliever. This is based on the pronunciation of the word, its’ root and so forth. Then there is the hadith, “Whoever said to his brother, ‘Unbeliever!’ Then one of them is that.” The reason for that is that he is either telling the truth or he is lying. If he is telling the truth, then the person referred to is an unbeliever. If he is lying, then the charge of kufr returns to him due to his labelling his Muslim brother an unbeliever. [15]
Imam Muhammad As-Saffarini also wrote a text[16] with one of his teachers, Shihab ud-Din al-Mannini,[17] regarding Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab being a false prophet and the conditions of ijtihad.[18] The text was another rallying cry for Orthodox Muslims.
Imam `Isa Al-Qaddumi, may Allah be pleased with him, was instrumental in preaching against the movement, he delivered letters and so forth. This Imam classified them as Khawarij. He was a currier for Imam Muhammad ibn Al-Hajj Ahmad as-Saffarini, who wrote, Answers on Najd Regarding Questions about Najd.[19]
Imam Saif ibn Ahmad Al-`Atiqi,[20] may Allah have mercy on him, also rejected the pamphlets sent out by the Salafi organisation.
Imam Ibn Sulaim,[121] may Allah be pleased with him, rejected Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab’s false ideas.
Imam Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Kurdi, may Allah be pleased with him, reiterated numerous times,
Praise be to Allah Alone. There is no doubt in that the knowledge of deriving rulings is taken from scholars. So whoever has his books as his shaikh, then his mistakes are more than when he is correct. The claims of absolute ijtihad today are generally coming from the slave who is far from it. Imams Ar-Rafi`ii, An-Nawawi and those who preceded them, like Fakhr ud-Din Ar-Razi, have come to agree then as today that there are no absolute mujtahids. Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Haitami has mentioned in his rulings that there has not been an absolute mujtahid since Imam Ash-Shafi`ii and his contemporaries. Imam Ibn as-Salah said it has been more than three centuries since an absolute mujtahid has existed. [22]
The Imam says further,
So the one who is claiming this, it is necessary such a one return to the truth and abandon false hopes. With regard to his calling Muslims unbelievers, then it has been explicitly stated by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, “When the man says to the other, ‘Unbeliever!’ Then one of them is an unbeliever.” So the one who is throwing such a charge at a Muslim is the unbeliever according to Ash-Sharh ul-Kabir by Imam ar-Rafi`ii. [23]
The Imam continues,
This is because he is calling Islam kufr, and this is followed by Imam An-Nawawi and is the depended upon ruling for the latter day scholars of the School.[24]
Imam Sulaiman ibn `Abdul Wahhab, may Allah be pleased with him, was a famous teacher by this time and was one of the first five scholars to write a book against the movement and the first to systematically organise all the most severe beliefs under headings. The first book, Divine Lightning, was written around the year 1162, while the final and more expanded work, Divine Lightning: The Decisive Speech, was written from his study in Sudair before he was captured in the year 1190, tortured and enslaved. The book in your hands is the latter copy.
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Fairuz Al-Hanbali, may Allah be pleased with him, in his response letter, proclaimed,
I swear to dedicate my life until I reach the level of ijtihad and then I will fight this innovation![25]
He also stated, Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab and his followers are people of innovation because they contradict all of that which has been handed down.[26]
Imam `Alawi Al-Haddad, may Allah be pleased with him, in his work, The Illuminated Lamp in Clarifying the Dangers and Darkness of the one coming from Najd that has Led Common People astray, preached,
And as we had mentioned from the Shaikh, the learner, the wise one, Shaikh `Afif ud-Din `Abdullah ibn Dawud Al-Hanbali Al-Basri, it is the case that he claimed prophethood implicitly, but not outright, and did not expose his affair in the beginning.[27]
He said in another chapter,
In one chapter we will speak about the kufr of what the wretched Najdi said about Imam Abu Hanifah not being upon anything and refusing to follow the Imams, their books, rulings and conclusions.[28]
Imam `Abdullah ibn Dawud Al-Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, in his warning letter, Lightning and Thunder: An Answer to the Cursed Ibn Sa`ud, advised:
So from these issues with them is the claim to prophethood. This was manifested by him not explicitly by speech, but this was done implicitly so that the people would not reject it immediately and bear witness to what the scholars have mentioned. What the scholars have mentioned is that Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, in the beginning of his affair, was shown to have reached the level of a false prophet and a liar of the same capacity as Musailimah, Sajjah the false prophetess, Al-Aswad Al-`Ansi, Tulaihah Al-Asadi and others. As for his father, he was a pious man.[29]
Imam Nasir ibn Sulaiman ibn Suhaim Az-Zubairi,[30] may Allah be pleased with him, was another enemy of the Muwahhidun cult and resisted it at every turn.
Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Gharib,[31] may Allah be pleased with him, was another one of the scholars that spoke the truth against the movement. He was based in Ad-Dir`iyyah during the Brotherhood takeover and hid his hatred for them at first. His test came when a stranger to the land came to Ad-Dir`iyyah and quizzed him about his creed and position on the organisation now controlling his city. After winning the trust of the Imam, he was told that they were evil, mistaken, wrong, murderers and guilty of calling Muslims unbelievers.
The individual that came to the Imam showed himself to be a spy for the cult and reported his statements. The Muwahhidun authorities seized him, checked the statements that he had made to be sure that he stood by them; and with bravery and valour deserving of a true scholar, he affirmed the words that he had uttered to the spy. This act of boldness led to Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn Gharib’s execution.[32]
His son-in-law, Imam `Abdul `Aziz ibn Hamad,[33] may Allah be pleased with him, was a known opponent of the movement. He lived in the aftermath of pogroms and depopulations of several towns and villages. He declared them Khawarij, preached against the cult but hid his faith. He would later be instrumental when Muhammad `Ali Basha moved against the organisation. Upon their first meeting, it was realised that Imam Ibn Hamad had the same creed as the Basha and even urged them on.[34]
Imam Ibn Jadid An-Najdi,[35] may Allah be pleased with him, was another enemy to the organisation and stood against them with his teacher, Imam Muhammad ibn Fairuz Al-Hanbali.
Imam Ahmad As-Sawi,[47] may Allah be pleased with him, the great Maliki judge and jurist, said of this movement,
Allah has said, Humanity, the Promise of Allah is true. So do not be deceived about the life of this world and do not let the Deceiver lead you astray about Allah.[48] This ayah was said to have been sent down regarding the Khawarij who corrupted the meaning of the Book and the Sunnah and did this to make the blood and wealth of the Muslims permissible to be spilled and taken. This very thing can be witnessed now in their companions in a cult that appeared in Al-Hijaz by the name of the Wahhabis.
They think that they are upon something, but they are only liars. Shaitan has taken a hold of them and caused them to forget the Remembrance of Allah. These people are the group of Shaitan. Are not the group of Shaitan the losers? We ask Allah the Generous that He wipe them out and exterminate all trace of them from the land.[49]
Imam Ahmad Ad-Dayyaf,[50] may Allah be pleased with him, stated,
In the year 1229 we received great news about the Ottoman khilafah taking the Sacred Precincts of Makkah and Madinah back from the cult of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab and his followers. And when it was announced, it was a relief and great news to everyone. When a message was sent to Tunis from this group, it was advised by Abu Muhammad Mahmud Basha that this must be answered.
The answer came from the Imam Abul Fida’ Isma`il at-Tamimi, who wrote a long book named, The Divine Portents in Explaining the Astrayness of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab. Imam Abu Hafs `Umar al-Maliki also wrote a book on them, and this man is the splendour of the madhhab and torchbearer of the school in this age.[51]
The Imam said further,
So when this reply was sent, the successor of Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab did not answer, but he continued in his warfare and killing.[52]
Imam Hasan Ash-Shatti,[53] may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned,
I have read this general message with regard to the matter of Revealed Law as it relates to some doubts that were raised by some ignorant people, who do not necessitate kufr in principle, while some of it may be beneficial in consideration. Ibn `Abdul Wahhab has declared them to be unbelievers due to this action as stated in this letter, in addition to his declaring their blood and wealth licit for spilling and seizure.
This belief was reached due to what appeared to their people by the outward import of the explicitly worded texts of Revealed Law built upon their founder’s ignorance, hatred and bad thoughts about the believers. May Allah curse whoever has this creed, for indeed, whoever declared a believer to be a unbeliever has already committed kufr.[54]
Imam Muhammad ibn Humaid Al-Hanbali,[55] may Allah be pleased with him, in his Low Hanging Clouds over the Graves of the Hanbalis informs us:
This man, Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab, is the bringer of this call, this call whose evil has spread and engulfed the horizon with darkness. It is clearly mentioned in history that he did not begin to propagate his ideas publicly while his father was alive.[56]
Imam Dawud ibn Sulaiman Al-Khalidi,[57] may Allah be pleased with him, made the following remark,
There have been some people that have appeared in our time, opposing Muslim Orthodoxy and the madhhabs while leading astray the Ummah of Muhammad and declaring the blood and wealth of these Muslims to be permissible for spilling and seizure. This group took filthy and dark doubts and used them to surround people.
I then sought the Help of Allah to answer them with these few pages that I wrote, so that Allah would guide them and what a wonderful intercession this would be for me![58]