ABOUT WAHHABISM
Islam
as the School of Unity
Notes:
[11] Hadrat:
The Arabic word Hadrat is used as a respectful form of address. [Trans.]
The Life
Account of Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab and Ibn Sa‘ud
Notes:
[14] ‘Ali Dawani,
Firqeh-ye Wahhabi, chap. 1.-----------------------------------------
Tawhid from the
Shi`ah and Wahhabi Points of View
Notes:
[28] Surat Ta
Ha 20:5.-----------------------------
Tawassul {Resorting To
Intermediation}, Death and Shafa‘Ah {Intercession} According to the Shi`ah and the
Wahhabis
Notes:
[60] At-Tawhid
bi’l-Lughah al-Farisiyyah, no. 27, p. 123.------------------------------
The Miracles {Karamah}
of the Saints of God {Awliya’ Allah}
Notes:
[91] See Sahih
al-Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 59, 105; vol. 7, p. 199; Fath al-Bari, vol. 1, pp. 256,
408; ‘Allamah Amini, Al-Ghadir, vol. 3, p. 170 as cited in Ahmad Ahmadi
Miyanji, At-Tabarruk bi Athar ar-Rasul, p. 66.-------------------------------------
Allegorical
Interpretation {Ta’wil} in the Qur’an
Notes:
[101] Surat Yusuf
12:100.---------------------------
The Holy
Qur'an invites all human beings to unity—Muslims, Christians, Jews, etc.—and
this invitation is not exclusive for the time of the Prophet (s) or a certain
group of the People of the Book {ahl al-kitab}:[4]
﴿قُلْ
يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
تَعَالَوْا
إِلَى
كَلِمَةٍ
سَوَاءٍ
بَيْنَنَا
وَبَيْنَكُمْ
أَلاَّ
نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ
اللَّهَ
وَلاَ
نُشْرِكَ
بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ
يَتَّخِذَ
بَعْضُنَا
بَعْضًا
أَرْبَابًا
مِنْ دُونِ
اللَّهِ.﴾
Say, 'O People of the Book! Come to a word
common between us and you: that we will worship no one but Allah, and that we
will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that we will not take each other as
lords besides Allah'.[5]
The
Glorious Qur'an speaks about the synagogue, temple, church and mosque in the
same line because the Name of God is mentioned in all of them. As such, they
must be held in high esteem and respect.
Although
the blessed verse quoted invites all to unity, the greater emphasis is on the
solidarity of Muslims. This is because, in addition to their unity and
commonality in tawhid {unity of God}, prophethood {nubuwwah} qiblah
{the direction where one faces for prayer and other acts of worship}, etc.,
Muslims also have a commonality with some branches of religion. Thus, among the
followers of the various religions, Muslims are more deserving of having unity,
and thus the possibility of scientific, cultural, political and other
interactions among them is stronger.
Keeping aloof from spitefulness
The life
conduct {sirah} of the Holy Prophet (s)[6]
serves as a proof, guideline and model for all of us. Through compassion,
magnanimity and endeavor, he (s) was able to unify the people of Hijaz,[7]
most of whom had been idol-worshippers, under the banner of Islam.
After
their acceptance of Islam, some of them, known as the munafiqun
{hypocrites}, engaged in open confrontation with the Prophet (s) who had to
deal with them. They were those who ostensibly embraced Islam but in intention
and practice they were not assisting him (s). In spite of this, the Prophet (s)
peacefully associated with them and his objectives were the accomplishment of
the mission as well as imparting the understanding and implementation of the
Holy Qur'an. The very same conduct was adopted by the infallible Imams ('a)
and they never kindled the flame of discord among Muslims.
We can see
that although 'Ali ('a) had reproached the earlier caliphs as recorded
in Nahj al-Balaghah,[8] in
other instances he would laud them. All this was primarily to foster the
freedom of thought and the spread of Islamic beliefs. The conclusion is that in
the present age, indulging in magnifying Sunni-Shi`ah differences, apart from
not being useful, will result in an irreparable loss.
Proximity
between Sunnis and Shi`ah advances the interests of both. The Shi`ah in
particular have not confined their thought, culture, jurisprudence {fiqh},
exegesis of the Qur'an {tafsir}, and beliefs to themselves and their
seminaries. A survey of Muslim-populated countries substantiates this statement
as the books of great Shi`ah figures such as Shaykh al-Mufid, Shaykh at-Tusi,
'Allamah Hilli, 'Allamah Tabataba'i, and Professor Mutahhari can be
easily found in these countries.
The
proximity of Sunnis and Shi`ah opens the ways for the spread of Shi`ah thought
and culture in the Muslim world, and as a result, makes the further proximity
of these two sects even more possible.
More than
anyone else, the Wahhabis are apprehensive and endangered by this proximity. It
is for this reason that during the Hajj season, they prohibit the
entry into the country all religious books including the Qur'an (in Persian
translation), tafsir, history and hadith books, and even
Iranian magazines and newspapers. This is because they are afraid that these
printed materials would present facts against their particular policy and
doctrines. This is in spite of the fact that those matters are never repugnant
to the truth of Islam.
In terms
of outlook, they oppose not only the Shi`ah but also the four Sunni schools of
thought. They write books against the proximity of Sunnis and Shi`ah,
campaigning against it, regarding it as an impossible venture, and claiming
thus: “We shall never have an understanding with those who are engaged in
speculative interpretation of the verses of the Qur'an and who disrespect the
two sheikhs {shaykhayn}.”
Why Wahhabism should be identified
The
anti-unity campaign of Wahhabis reaches its peak during the Unity Week.[9]
One of the best means of replying to such a plot is that the 'ulama'
of the Hajj caravans and pilgrims should be the promoters of unity
more than anyone else. They should be familiar with the methods of dealing with
them and understand their views and opinions so that during confrontations and
argumentations, they could reply to them consciously and intellectually.
It is
necessary for some Muslims who are following the Sunni school to be properly
informed about the opinions of the Sunni imams so as to realize that the
Wahhabis also have views difference to them and even regard many of the beliefs
of the Ahl as-Sunnah as polytheistic and, worse still, prone to infidelity {kufr}.
In reality, Wahhabism is a political movement under the religious cover of
identifying with the Sunnis and it wants to prevent the unity of the Islamic
schools of thought {madhahib}. It is trying to kindle the flame of
discord among Muslims especially between the two main sects—Sunni and Shi`ah—so
as to make the imperialist hegemony permanent over the Muslim nation.
Unfortunately,
with the acquisition of the oil-rich land of Arabia and reliance on the enormous
God-given wealth, Wahhabism has succeeded in becoming a potent force and has
established innumerable offices and organizations throughout the world for the
propagation of its dogma. In the Sunni-populated regions of Iran and Pakistan
where most of the people are suffering from poverty and deprivation, the
Wahhabis are making huge investments, constructing religious schools {madaris},
spending large amounts of money upon their students and others, and attracting
people to Wahhabi doctrines. Since most of our Sunni brothers are living on the
border regions of Iran, they are more subjected to the influence of the
propaganda of the imperialist Wahhabis.
As the
'Alawi Shi`ah and Muhammadi Sunnis have risen up now hand in hand against their
enemies and can clearly see the hand of imperialism behind the curtain of
Wahhabism, it is necessary for Sunni and Shi`ah 'ulama' to conduct
research about Wahhabism and identify it well so as to make it clear that this
group has differences of opinion not only with the Shi`ah but also with the Ahl
as-Sunnah. Although the Wahhabis are always playing the Sunni card and try to
portray themselves as the well-wishers and sympathizers of the Sunnis, Sunnis
in turn have to know that the issues regarded by Wahhabis as their points of
departure with the Shi`ah are the same issues that are common between the
Sunnis and the Shi`ah. They also have to know that the Shi`ah school is closer
to the Ahl as-Sunnah than Wahhabism is.
Leaders and unity
During the
past decades, there were figures who regarded the unity of Muslims as their
ideal and aspiration, but they did not realize this precious aspiration, or if
they ever took steps for its realization, they were very insignificant and
rudimentary. In the recent period, the late Ayatullah Burujerdi (r)[10]
gave an affirmative reply to this aspiration by approving the Jami'ah
at-Taqrib bayn al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah {University or Forum for the
proximity of the Islamic schools of thought}.
There have
been other 'ulama' and fuqaha who upheld the approach of the
late Burujerdi. In this context, the viewpoint and outlook of the late Hadrat[11]
Imam Khomeini (r) and his efforts are well known to all. At the
present time also, in a bid to extend the scope of this unity further,
Ayatullah Khamene'i (may his sublime presence endure) has issued a decree for
reviving the foundation of unity and the forum for proximity, which is itself
worthy of gratitude and a source of hope.
It is
appropriate for us to note at this juncture that the Shi`ah 'ulama'
and fuqaha of the past, such as Shaykh al-Mufid (d. 413 AH), Sayyid
Murtada 'Alam al-Huda (d. 436 AH), and Shaykh at-Tusi (d. 460 AH), among
others, have also emphasized unity between Sunnis and Shi`ah, and have written
valuable books on this subject such as al-Khilaf which enumerates the
common points of belief between the two groups. 'Allamah Hilli has also written
a book on the basis of the jurisprudence {fiqh} of the Shi`ah and the
four Sunni schools.
All these
are proofs for the proximity of jurisprudential views of the two schools and of
the interest of leading figures in jurisprudence in establishing mutual
understanding. Of course, at the present time there are treatises on
jurisprudence written by Sunnis in which the views of the Sunnis and the Shi`ah
on the branches of religion and jurisprudence have been compared. For example,
the books Mawsu'ah Jamal 'Abd al-Nasir and Al-Fiqh 'ala'l-Madhahib
al-Khamsah can be cited.
Notes:
[4] People
of the Book [ahl al-Kitab]: the respectful title given to the Jews and
Christians in the Qur’an. [Trans.]
[6] The
abbreviation, “s”, stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa alihi wa sallam [may God’s salutation and peace be upon him and his
progeny], which is used after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s).
[Trans.]
[7] Hijaz:
the region in Western Arabia bordering the Red Sea that includes Ta’if, Mecca
and Medina. Here, it alludes to the entire Arabian Peninsula. [Trans.]
[8] Nahj
al-Balaghah (The Peak of Eloquence) is a collection of speeches, sayings and
letters of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) compiled
by Sharif ar-Radi Muhammad ibn al-Husayn (d. 406 AH/1016). The contents of the
book concern the three essential topics of God, man and the universe, and
include comments on scientific, literary, social, ethical, and political
issues. With the exception of the words of the Glorious Qur’an and of the Holy
Prophet (s), no words of man can equate it in eloquence. So far, more than 101
exegeses have been written on Nahj al-Balaghah, indicating the importance of
this treatise to scholars and learned men of research and investigation. For
more information, visit: http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul.
[Trans.]
[10] The
abbreviation, “r” stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, rahmatullah ‘alayhi,
rahmatullah ‘alayha, or rahmatullah ‘alayhim [may peace be upon him/her/them],
which is used after the names of pious people. [Trans.]
A cursory glance at the life account of Shaykh Ibn
‘Abd al-Wahhab
In this
section, we deemed it fitting to take a survey of the life of Muhammad ibn 'Abd
al-Wahhab, known as the Shaykh, and Muhammad Sa'ud.
The sons
and grandsons of the Shaykh are still living in the Arabia, some of whom are
known by the family name, “Al ash-Shaykh”. The children of Muhammad Al as-Sa'ud
some of whom are holding the reins of government in Arabia are known as “al
Sa'ud”. The country had been known before as “Hijaz”, but it was changed into
the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” {al-Mamlakah al-'Arabiyyah Sa'udiyyah}
during the reign of King 'Abd al-'Aziz.
Shaykh
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab came from the region of Najd who was born in 1114
AH in one of the cities of Najd named as ”'Ayniyyah”. His father, Shaykh 'Abd
al-Wahhab, was a scholar {'alim} and the judge {qadi} of that
region. As such, the creed of Shaykh Muhammad had been ascribed to his father.
After learning the basics of religion from his father, Shaykh Muhammad went to
Medina and learned from the 'ulama' of that region.
Due to his
personal interpretations of some issues regarding belief and his opposition to
the 'ulama' of Medina, he was expelled from the city. He then went to
Iraq where he stayed in Basrah. In that city he got acquainted with a person
named Shaykh Muhammad Majmu'i and adopted his ideas. Finally, the two believed
in a certain creed.
The other 'ulama'
of Basrah and the believers of the region that were mainly of Iranian origin,
had opposed him and ousted him from Basrah.
When
Shaykh Muhammad was driven out of Basrah, he proceeded to Damascus, which had a
pleasant climate, but because of his unusual belief and difficulties in life he
was unable to remain there. Since he could not return to Medina or Mecca, he
went back to the Najd of his father, Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahhab, who was then still
the 'alim of the region.
The Shaykh
had a brother named Shaykh Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab who was at loggerheads
with him in terms of belief. His brother was the first person to write a book
refuting his doctrines. His father also opposed him and sided with Shaykh
Sulayman. In addition to the opposition of his father and brother, he also
faced the opposition of 'ulama', and this dispute continued until the
death of his father.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab after the death of his
father
After the
death of his father, Shaykh Muhammad enjoyed great freedom in propagating his
doctrines and views. As such, he went to other places and become acquainted
with 'Uthman ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who was then the emir of 'Ayniyyah, and
married his daughter Jawharah. Although it is said that the people there
accepted some of his beliefs, because he went to extremes in opposing their
customs, they expelled him from the region. For instance, he had ordered the
destruction of a dome belonging to Zayd ibn al-Khattab, brother of 'Umar. He
had also issued a decree for an old tree, which was venerated by the people of
the region, to be uprooted.
In sum, on
account of his peculiar doctrines, among which was his disregard for the
leaders of the Ahl as-Sunnah, the Shaykh lost his esteem in the people's sight
and earned their wrath. From there he went to the region of Dar'iyyah.
Nowadays,
pilgrims—Iranian and non-Iranian—can still see the relics related to the rule
of 'Uthman in Arabia such as the holy shrine of the Holy Prophet (s) and the
graves surrounding it, the lanterns of Masjid an-Nabi, and the inscriptions on
that sacred mosque.
The children and students of Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab
Shaykh
Muhammad had a number of sons and daughters and married one of his daughters to
Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, the tribal chief. His sons, Husayn, 'Abd Allah and Ibrahim,
became judges after their father. Even now, his sons, one after another, hold
religious positions in Saudi Arabia.
During his
lifetime, apart from training students, the Shaykh wrote some books which
nowadays have caught the attention of 'ulama' and students of the
region. These books are as follows:
1. Kitab
at-Tawhid; a collection of his doctrines;
2. Kitab
Kashf ash-Shubahat, which is written in defense of his doctrines vis-à-vis
Sunni 'ulama';
3. The
merits and issues of some stories in the Qur'an;
4. Kitab
al-Kaba'ir, which has been written about the major sins;
5. Masa'il
al-Jahiliyyah, in which he compares the pre-Islamic period of ignorance of
Arabia with his own time;
6. Fawa'id
as-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah, which is well-known as Sirat ar-Rasul.
This book examines the entire course of the lives of some Companions of the
Prophet (s), his battles and the prevalent beliefs during that time;
7. Ikhtisar
ash-Sharh al-Kabir; and
8. Adab
al-Mashyi ila's-Salah (These two books have been written about issues
related to jurisprudence and the branches of religion).
These
books are still available at the present.
The Death of Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab
After
engaging in religious and political debates, successive travels to a number of
cities in the Muslim world, and enduring the wrath and anger of the 'ulama',
Shaykh Muhammad was able to find his own supporters and votaries, who are
nowadays known as the Wahhabis.
According
to historical sources which have been written in his praise and appreciation
and negating the deviant nature of his doctrines, the Shaykh passed away in
1206 AH at the age of 92 in
Dar'iyyah after traveling to Basrah, Najaf, Karbala', and probably,
Isfahan and Shiraz.
In short,
after the death of the Shaykh, his beliefs and views were promoted and
propagated with the support and blessing of external and domestic political
brokers in such a manner that at the present, most of the current rulers of
Arabia and a number of religious scholars and judges there follow him and other
Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and boarder communities in Iran
have come under the influence of these doctrines. The Wahhabis are spreading
this creed in the various countries in Europe, America and Asia by building
mosques and libraries, printing copies of the Holy Qur'an, dispatching
religious missionaries, and the like.
This creed
is called Wahhabism derived from the name of the Shaykh's father. Although the
Shaykh seemed to be a follower of the Hanbali school of thought, the truth of
the matter is that he was not so, and he was distinctively different from the
other 'ulama'. In fact, he regarded himself as free to think, choose
and formulate his own beliefs pertaining to religion. Since he considered
himself an initiator of a new set of beliefs, he expressed his beliefs in the
following points:
1. He
treated all Muslims as infidels or polytheists while thinking of himself as the
true Muslim;
2. He
declared visiting the graves and constructing domes and courtyards around the
cemetery of the Companions of the Prophet (s) and his descendants as unlawful {haram};
3. He
regarded making vows, requests and offering sacrificial animals beside the
shrine of saints {awliya'} as unlawful;
4. He used
to reckon as haram entreating {istighathah} and resorting to
the intermediation {tawassul} of the saints of God;
5. He
considered it obligatory to wage jihad against those who opposed his
creed, saying: “Wage war against the infidels and polytheists until there is no
more sedition {fitnah} and the religion is solely for God:
﴿وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ
حَتَّى لا
تَكُونَ
فِتْنَةٌ.﴾
Fight them until faithlessness is no more.[12]
What is
meant by the Shaykh in this verse is jihad against Muslims and for him
the pure religion is referred to his creed.
This is
the summary of the life account and beliefs of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd
al-Wahhab as taken from Kitab At-Tawhid bi'l-Lughati al-Farisiyyah.[13] Of
course, other points shall also be mentioned in other discussions.
To whom was Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab indebted
During the
period of his stay in Mecca and Medina, Shaykh Muhammad came across books that
had a role in the formation of his thought. Among them are the books of Ahmad
ibn Hanbal, his Musnad in particular; the books of Ibn Qayyim
al-Jawziyyah; and the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah. Contrary to other 'ulama' of
the Ahl as-Sunnah, they expressed new beliefs and opinions which can be
extracted from their books on jurisprudence and history. Of course, the Shaykh
was largely influenced by the views of Ibn Taymiyyah.
Ibn
Taymiyyah lived during the 8th century AH. In terms of belief, he
was follower of Ahmad ibn Hanbal who lived in the 3rd century AH.
Ibn Taymiyyah believed in a sort of anthropomorphism concerning God maintaining
that God has a hand, foot, eye, tongue and mouth, and occupies a space! In
order to prove his case, he resorted to the literal text of Qur'anic verses,
maintaining that God is sitting on a throne in heaven.
Ibn
Taymiyyah is the epithet and title of Abu'l-'Abbas Taqi ad-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd
al-Halim. He was born in the territory of Harran in present-day Turkey. He then
migrated with his father to Damascus, Syria, and there he acquired learning in
religion and jurisprudence. In many ideological and intellectual issues, he
held extreme and radical views.
In
addition to his anthropomorphic beliefs concerning God, he prohibited visitation
of the graves and seeking the intermediation {tawassul} of the Prophet
(s) while deeming it permissible to abuse Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib ('a).
On issues in jurisprudence, he opposed the predecessors of the four Sunni
schools. From the above points, it can be understood that the Shaykh was not
the first person to have expressed such beliefs, for individuals such as Ibn
Taymiyyah had advanced similar ideas prior to him.
Like
Shaykh Muhammad, Ibn Taymiyyah earned the wrath and stern criticism of the 'ulama'
of his time and for a time he was exiled to Egypt. But through the help of
the government of the time, he returned to Damascus. During the last period of
his life, he was imprisoned for his opposition to the 'ulama' of
Damascus and finally expired in the castle of Damascus and was buried there.[14]
Ibn Sa‘ud
In the
territory of Dar'iyyah in the region of Hijaz, which is a mountainous territory
with a pleasant climate, a person named Muhammad ibn Sa'ud assumed the
chieftainship of his tribe. The Shaykh became acquainted with Ibn Sa'ud and
relayed to him his new doctrines, and Ibn Sa'ud in turn accepted them. They
agreed together to set up a government encompassing the entire region where
religious and judicial affairs, issues concerning propagation, and the
leadership of the Friday prayers would be assumed by the Shaykh while the
political, social, military, and security affairs would be under Ibn Sa'ud.
The
government in Hijaz at that time was tribal and ethnic, and like many Muslim
countries, was under Ottoman rule whose capital was present-day Turkey. With Al
Sa'ud's ascension to power, Hijaz seceded from Ottoman rule and in the course
of time, it fell under the control of Britain. On course, the British role in
this change of the government should not be overlooked.
Notes:
The
negation of reasoning {ta‘aqqul} in the Wahhabi school and its consequence
A kind of
intellectual negation can be observed in the school of Wahhabism. Although
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab regarded himself an enlightened person,
criticizing the four Suuni schools of thought, some Shi`ah beliefs, and
reproaching them for speculatively interpreting the verses of the Qur'an, he
used to resort to secondary issues concerning the teachings about God, the
Exalted. He believed in a sort of anthropomorphism for God and in this regard
he used to content himself with the outward purport of the verses.
His
supporters also reject reflection and reasoning about the verses of the Qur'an
and the Prophetic traditions, negating the rational sciences, philosophy and
mysticism {'irfan}. They are afflicted with a close-mindedness and
intellectual frigidity to the extent that they are incapable of applying the
precepts of the school {madrasah}, the Qur'anic verses and the
traditions to the demands of time. It was for this reason that they initially
declared the telephone, mass communication devices and others as religiously
unlawful, and strongly resisted them, but later they finally relented.
Since they
are incapable of applying the concepts such as intercession {shafa'ah},
tawassul and infallibility {'ismah} of the Prophet (s) in the
light of contemporary thinking their viewpoint concerning the prophets, the
Holy Prophet (s) in particular, and the saints is narrow. They treat the
spiritual station of the prophets and the saints as identical with the rest of
people, thinking them as being annihilated and nonexistent after death, while
the Shi`ah and other Islamic schools of thought consider them to be present and
watching over us. In a result, the Wahhabis consider tawassul to the
prophets and awliya', entreating them and asking for their shafa'ah
an innovation in religion {bid'ah} and polytheism.
A few words from Martyr Professor Murtada Mutahhari
Martyr
Professor Murtada Mutahhari says:
The
Wahhabis believe that God has two realms. One is related to His Essence and no
one has the right to enter into this realm. Worship {'ibadah} and tawassul
pertain to God and are exclusive to this axis. The other realm is related to
the natural affairs of the world in which the will and discretion of man have a
role and it has nothing to do with God.[15]
He also
says:
According
to us, however, conceiving of two realms for the creation; thinking of God as
belonging to one realm and the creatures, man in particular, to be in the other
realm; and considering these two as distinctly separated is unacceptable and
itself as a kind of polytheism. We should not separate God from His acts and
His creatures; for, we believe that:
﴿أَنَّ
الْقُوَّةَ
لِلَّهِ
جَمِيعًا.﴾
That power, altogether, belongs to Allah,[16]
And:
لاَ
حَوْلَ وَلاَ
قُوَّةَ
إلاَّ
بِاللهِ العَلِيِّ
العَظِيمِ.
“There is
no might and power except from Allah, the Exalted and Great.”[17]
Then, he
says:
Contrary
to common notions, Wahhabism is not only an anti-Imamate theory but rather,
before being anti-Imamate, it is anti-tawhid and anti-human. It is
anti-tawhid because it advocates the division of work between the
Creator {khaliq} and the creature {makhluq}. In addition, it
upholds a sort of hidden polytheism in Essence {shirk-e dhati}. It is
anti-human because it fails to comprehend the talent of man that makes him
superior to the angels, and according to the text of the Qur'an, elevates him
to the status of vicegerency of Allah {khilafat Allah} who ordered the
angels to prostrate before him. It reduces him into a mere natural animal.”[18]
Tawhid according to the Shi`ah philosophers and
scholastic theologians {mutakallimun}
In the
light of the blessed Surah at-Tawhid (or al-Ikhlas), the
following headings about the cognition of the Essence and Attributes of God can
be deduced:
Tawhid of Essence {Tawhid-e dhati}
God has a
Perfect Essence and the Attributes of Perfection and Beauty. Thus, this Essence
must be regarded as One and Unique. That is, whatever we say concerning His
Oneness and Unity, we have to believe also with respect to His Essence. Those
who acknowledge such Essence also believe in the Tawhid of Essence.
Shirk {polytheism} in Essence
This means
that we believe in two or more essences for God, the Exalted. This type of
polytheism is called “polytheism in Essence”. God is One in Essence and has no
partner. So, those who maintain that God has a son or equal, or that He has
been begotten profess polytheism in Essence. The Holy Qur'an strongly condemns
this type of belief.
Tawhid in Attributes
The
Essence of God has Attributes which we can understand through Their effects,
such as the Knowledgeable {al-'Alim}, the Living {al-Hayy},
the Wise {al-Hakim}, and the Ever-Living {al-Qayyum}. We
relate these Attributes to the Essence, saying that God, the Blessed and
Exalted, is One in Essence and Attributes. Since all these Attributes relate
back to the Essence, there is no multiplicity in the Attributes and all
Attributes are one. Every Attribute is identical with the other Attribute. For
example, His Knowledge {'Ilm} is His Power {Qudrah}.
Therefore, the plurality of Attributes according to our understanding is
related to the effects of the Single Essence. As such, His Attributes and
Essence are One and not that He has One Essence and many Attributes.
Tawhid in Actions
Tawhid
in Actions is also like Tawhid in Essence in the sense that the origin
of every action in the world of being is the Divine Sacred Essence, and will
finally relate to Him. We should know that every Action that we ascribe to Him
will be the same as His other Action, and there is no difference and
distinction among the Actions of God, and the apparent duplicity in the Actions
of God is caused by our perception:
﴿وَلاَ
تَقُولَنَّ
لِشَيْءٍ
إِنِّي
فَاعِلٌ
ذَلِكَ غَدًا
إِلاَّ أَنْ
يَشَاءَ
اللَّهُ
وَاذْكُرْ
رَبَّكَ
إِذَا
نَسِيتَ.﴾
Do not say about anything, 'I will indeed
do it tomorrow,' without {adding}, 'if Allah wishes.' And when you forget,
remember your Lord.[19]
So, all
our wishes are within the domain of His will and all the actions of God are
one:
لاَ
حَوْلَ وَلاَ
قُوَّةَ
إلاَّ
بِاللهِ العَلِيِّ
العَظِيمِ.
“There is
no might and power except from Allah, the Exalted and Great.”
Those who
have such belief, attributing all actions to God have the belief in Tawhid
in Action.
Polytheism in Action {shirk-e af‘ali}
Polytheism
in Action {shirk-e af'ali} means to believe that a creature has a
divine will independent of the will of God in the sense that whatever the said
creature does is outside the domain of God's will. This is contrary to what God
has attributed to Himself as stated in the Holy Qur'an, thus:
﴿وَمَا
رَمَيْتَ
إِذْ
رَمَيْتَ
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ
رَمَى.﴾
And you did not throw when you threw,
rather it was Allah who threw.[20]
While we
all know that the Prophet (s) threw earth and stones toward the enemy during
the Battle of Badr.
Tawhid in worship
Having
attributed the Tawhid of Essence, Attributes and actions to God, Tawhid
in worship is confirmed for Him in the sense that only His Essence is worthy of
worship, and if we consider anyone as His partner in worship, as the idol-worshippers
and others do, it means that we are afflicted with polytheism in worship. The
following verses of the Qur'an express this Tawhid in worship:
﴿إِيَّاكَ
نَعْبُدُ
وَإِيَّاكَ
نَسْتَعِينُ.﴾
You {alone} do we worship, and to You
{alone} do we turn for help.[21]
And along
this line, another verse states:
﴿قُلْ
إِنَّ
صَلاَتِي
وَنُسُكِي
وَمَحْيَاي
وَمَمَاتِي
لِلَّهِ
رَبِّ
الْعَالَمِينَ.﴾
Say, 'Indeed my prayer and my worship, my
life and my death are all for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds'.[22]
Tawhid
in worship is understood from the phrase, “indeed my prayer and my worship”
while Tawhid in Lordship {rububiyyahi} is discerned from the
phrase, “my life and my death”.
The foundations of Tawhid according to the Wahhabis
The
Wahhabis regard Tawhid as having three parts: (1) Tawhid in
Lordship {rububi}, (2) Tawhid in Divinity {uluhi},
and (3) Tawhid in the Names and Attributes {asma' wa sifat}.
Tawhid in Lordship {rububi}
It means
that only the Essence of God has all the absolute and perfect Attributes. In
other words, Tawhid in Lordship is the Tawhid in recognizing
and proving God whose proofs are the verses of Surah al-Kafirun,[23]
the verse,
﴿قُلْ
يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
تَعَالَوْا
إِلَى
كَلِمَةٍ…﴾
Say, 'O People of the Book! Come to a word
common…[24]
and other
verses.
Tawhid in Divinity {uluhi or uluhiyyah}
It is the
belief in the fact that only God is worthy of worship and praise, and there is
not other that god worshipped being beside Him.
Tawhid in the Names and Attributes
The
Attributes and Names of God are pre-eternal {qadim}.[25]
The Wahhabis consider this aspect of Tawhid in the place of the Tawhid
in Attributes, worship and actions. This belief is traceable from the belief of
the Ash'arites {asha'irah}, a group of scholastic theologians {mutakallimun}
during the 2nd century AH. The Ash'arites also believed in the “pre-eternality”
{qidmah} of the Divine Names and Attributes. Anchored on this belief,
the Wahhabis reckon the Qur'an as pre-eternal and the attribute of an act of
God. They also consider the dotted Arabic letters {huruf al-mu'jam} as
pre-eternal.
They
regard as Attributes of the Essence those attributes such the Eye {'ayn};
Soul {nafs}; Knowledge {'ilm}; Life {hayah}; Hearer
{sami'}; Seer {basir}; Face {wajh}; Speech or Word {kalam};
Pre-existence {qidam}; Hand {yad}; Foot {rijl} (The
Wahhabis believe that God—God forbid—has hands and feet!), Dominion {mulk};
Grandeur {'azamah}; Greatness {kibriya'}; Eminence {'uluww};
Richness {ghina}; Mercy {rahmah}; Power {qudrah};
Wisdom {hikmah}; etc.
They
consider as Attributes of Act the attributes such as surprise {ta'ajjub};
laughing {dahik}; satisfaction {rida}; anger {ghadab};
aversion {karahah}; equality {istiwa'}; coming {maji'}
(the alleged appearance of God on the Day of Resurrection); coming down {nuzul}
(it refers to the belief of the Wahhabis that God is sitting on the Throne and
He descends from heaven at the dawn!); disagreement; and gladness.[26]
After
stating the parts and examples of Tawhid from the point of view of
Wahhabism, it is now proper to examine polytheism {shirk} according to
this sect. Thereafter, we shall compare it with Shi`ah monotheistic thought.
Shirk {polytheism} and its limits according to the
Wahhabis
Shirk {polytheism}
from the viewpoint of Wahhabism means associating partner with God and
considering other beings as independent from Him. Wahhabism also regards
turning for help to the prophets and seeking the intermediation {tawassul}
of the saints as acts of polytheism.
According
to this viewpoint, kissing and visiting the graves of the infallible Imams ('a)
and the Prophet (s) are all acts of polytheism, unlawful and religious
innovation {bid'ah}. According to the Wahhabis, the Shi`ah are
polytheists or at least their beliefs have elements of polytheism.
The socio-political consequences of Tawhid and shirk
{polytheism} according to the Wahhabis
The late
Muhammad Jawad Mughniyyah thus writes:
Based on
the Wahhabi creed, mere utterance of ”La ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna
Muhammadan rasul Allah” {There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah} is not enough for the acceptance of Islam. After uttering
it, one should rather not seek the intermediation of other than God; not have
the intention of paying homage to the Prophet (s); not touch and kiss his
grave; not swear by the Prophet (s); and not call on him and addressing him,
thus: “O the Messenger of Allah!” and “O my master!”
During his
control of Mecca, Muhammad ibn Sa'ud (one of the rulers of Saudi Arabia) had
said in his speech that with the exception of the Wahhabis, all Muslims are
polytheists and must be reformed at the point of the sword so as to embrace
Wahhabism. Contrary to his statement, however, King Faisal, the king of the
Wahhabis, in his message issued in 1342 AH, says while addressing the Wahhabis:
“And all Muslims, from Egypt, India, etc. are your brothers.”
This means
that, “You should not be pessimistic with respect to the Muslims and you are
not supposed to act according to this creed of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd
al-Wahhab.”
Maintaining
this belief by the Wahhabis would have such socio-political consequences as
considering all Muslims as polytheists and spreading sedition {fitnah}
and chaos, for such a belief is an imperialist and anti-Islamic one.
The Wahhabi-Shi`ah difference of perspective on
Tawhid
As stated
earlier, there are qualitative and quantitative differences between the
Wahhabis and the Shi`ah about Tawhid.
We shall
find out later on that this classification from the perspective of Wahhabism
has significant political implications.
It can
probably be argued that there is no problem with the classification of the
Wahhabis. In addition, this issue is only an intellectual limitation, and
difference of opinion between Muslim philosophers and mystics {'urafa'}
concerning this issue can also be observed. But that which cannot be ignored is
the difference in understanding.
Shi`ah 'ulama'
have divided Tawhid into (Tawhid in) Essence, Attributes,
acts and worship while the Wahhabi 'ulama' have divided it into (Tawhid
in) Lordship, Divinity and the Names and Attributes.[27]
If we compare them, and pair Tawhid in Essence with that of Lordship
and Tawhid in Divinity with that of Tawhid in acts and
worship, nothing remains to compare with Tawhid in the Names and
Attributes. Meanwhile, to believe in the pre-eternity {qidmah} of the
Names and Attributes demands the acceptance of “the multiplicity of
pre-eternals”, and this is an Ash'arite belief which is false.
Shi`ah 'ulama'
believe that the Names of God can be divided into two: particular and general.
The particular aspect pertains specifically to the Essence of God, the Exalted,
such as “Allah”. The general aspect relates to the Attributes of God which can
also be applied to His servants such as rahman {All-beneficent}, rahim
{All-merciful} and karim {All-kind}. The intellect of man has
separated this aspect of Attributes and ascribed it to God.
If this
difference merely had an ideological dimension, it would not then be so acute
and sensitive, but since they are utilizing it for a political end, it ought to
be analyzed.
The
Wahhabis have taken this way of dividing the levels of Tawhid from Ibn
Taymiyyah who, in turn, had adopted it from Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
Similarly,
by dividing the Attributes into Acts and Essence, the Wahhabis have ended up
believing that God has an actual hand and foot and that He can physically come
and have an appearance. They have contented with the literal meaning of the
verses in this regard while rejecting rational understanding and analysis. They
reject as ”mu'awwilun” {allegorical interpreters} those who oppose
this creed, particularly the Shi`ah who, by taking inspiration from the lofty
teachings of the Prophet (s) and the infallible Imams ('a), interpret
the verses related to God's seeing, hearing, His having a hand, foot and His
coming on the Day of Resurrection as allegorical. For instance, the Shi`ah
regard the verse,
﴿الرَّحْمَانُ
عَلَى
الْعَرْشِ
اسْتَوَى.﴾
to mean
the sovereignty and authority of God on the Throne and not in the sense of God's
actual sitting on the Throne.
Notes:
[23] Surat
al-Kafirun 109:1-6: “O faithless ones! I do not worship what you
worship, not do you worship what I worship; nor will I worship what you have
worshipped nor will you worship what I worship. To you your religion, and to me
my religion.”
[24] Surat Al
‘Imran 3:64: “Say, ‘O People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you:
that we will worship no one but Allah, and that we will not ascribe any partner
to Him, and that we will not take each other as lords besides Allah’.”
[25] Here, the
word “pre-eternal” [qadim] is not in contrast to the notion of “new” [jadid].
It is rather the opposite of “created” [hadith]; that is, to have existed from
the very beginning and not to have come into being sometime in the past.
Tawassul according to the Wahhabis
In this
chapter, tawassul {resorting to intermediation} according to Wahhabism
shall be examined. The 'ulama' of this sect believe that Tawassul
to other than God, paying homage {ziyarah} to a grave and praying in a
place where there is a grave in front of the person praying are not consistent
with Tawhid in Lordship. According to them, the requisite of Tawhid
is that one should not resort to the intermediation of other than God even if
he is the Prophet of Islam (s), because tawassul, shafa'ah
{intercession} and the like are outside the Sunnah of the Prophet and
the pious predecessors {as-Salaf as-salih}, and the Qur'an also
regards this belief as polytheism.[29]
It is thus
stated in the book, al-Tawhid bi'l-Lughati al-Farisiyyah:
Seeking
the help of other than God is polytheism and seeking refuge in other than God
is also within the sphere of polytheism… The Words {kalimat} of God
are identical with the uncreated {qadim} Essence of God. So, for this
reason, one may entreat {istighathah} these Words otherwise, such act
of entreating will be regarded as polytheism.[30]
In
refuting this proposition, it must be stated first of all that the pertinent
verse had been revealed with respect to the jinn. Concerning the
circumstances surrounding the revelation of this verse, it must be said that
the Arabs used to believe that the jinn live in the desert, and during
the pre-Islamic period of ignorance {al-Jahiliyyah}, they used to turn
to the “chief of the jinn” at the time of going out of the city for help,
addressing him thus: “O chief of the jinn! Save us from the evil of the jinn
and preserve us from their annoyance.”
Of course,
resorting to the jinn is absolutely unlawful because God has explicitly
prohibited this practice. In addition to this, seeking help from anyone who
denies God is obviously more so. Secondly, there are a lot of differences
between the prophets {anbiya'} and messengers {rusul} who
have direct connection with God, and the receivers of the divine revelation, on
one hand, and the jinn who do not recognize God on the other. Therefore, the
Islamic belief demands that we have to beseech and entreat God, the Exalted,
and seek the intercession of those who are closer to Him.
We have
mentioned earlier the viewpoint of the Wahhabi 'ulama' regarding the
status of tawassul to other than God. Now, we shall examine their
reasons:
First
reason: By citing as proof the noble verses,
﴿قُلْ
ادْعُوا
الَّذِينَ
زَعَمْتُمْ
مِنْ دُونِهِ
فَلاَ
يَمْلِكُونَ
كَشْفَ
الضُّرِّ
عَنكُمْ
وَلاَ
تَحْوِيلاً.
أُوْلَئِكَ
الَّذِينَ
يَدْعُونَ
يَبْتَغُونَ
إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ
الْوَسِيلَةَ
أَيُّهُمْ
أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ
رَحْمَتَهُ
وَيَخَافُونَ
عَذَابَهُ.﴾
Say, 'Invoke those whom you claim {to be
gods} besides Him. They have no power to remove your distress nor to bring
about any change {in your state}. They {themselves} are the ones who
supplicate, seeking recourse to their Lord, whoever is nearer {to Him},
expecting His mercy and fearing His punishment.' Indeed your Lord's punishment
is a thing to beware of,[31]
they have
concluded that one should never seek help and resort to anyone other than God.
Analysis of the above verses
If one
contends oneself with the literal meaning and not take into consideration other
Qur'anic verses, these two verses will conform to the statements of the Wahhabi
'ulama' because based on these words of God, when man abandons the “nearer
means” (that is, God Himself) in order to get closer to God and resorts to a
“remote means” (that is, “other than God” {min duni allahi}) and one
who has no power to remove distress and the like, it will fall within the
spheres of polytheism in Lordship {shirk-e rububi}.
It must be
noted, however, that there are other verses indicating that with God's
permission, one may also resort to other than God, in which case, the issue of
polytheism would be irrelevant, and one could turn for help from the individuals
approved by God. If these 'ulama' had only paid attention to these
other verses, they would have never committed such a glaring mistake.
Turning for help {istimdad} of the weak to the
strong
In
principle, tawassul is one of the laws of creation and it means
resorting to a superior means in order to attain an objective. One
manifestation of tawassul is a child's tawassul to his mother
when something happens to him. This meaning is true in all spheres of human
life—social, political, ideological, material, and spiritual. Tawassul
to God is the same tawassul to that which is perfect in power and
force. Tawassul to the prophets and the saints of God is a case of the
tawassul of the weak to the strong, because the prophets are stronger
than other human beings. One may resort to the prophets and saints for help and
take their practical conduct, which we called sunnah, as models for
ourselves.
Tawassul in the Qur’an
Many
verses of the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions speak about the subject of tawassul
to the awliya'. As an example, one may refer to the verses related to
the sons of Ya'qub (Jacob) ('a):
﴿قَالُوا
يَا أَبَانَا
اسْتَغْفِرْ
لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا
إِنَّا كُنَّا
خَاطِئِينَ.
قَالَ سَوْفَ
أَسْتَغْفِرُ
لَكُمْ
رَبِّي
إِنَّهُ هُوَ
الْغَفُورُ
الرَّحِيمُ.﴾
They said, 'Father! Plead {with Allah} for
forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring'. He said, 'I shall plead
with my Lord to forgive you; indeed He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful'.[32]
In these
verses, the sons of Ya'qub ('a) resorted to the intermediation of
their father. They had committed mistakes so many times; they had annoyed and
disturbed two prophets of God (Ya'qub and Yusuf (Joseph) ('a)), and
transgressed the command of God by annoying their parents and telling lies.
Since those mistakes required the sons to seek forgiveness, they took their
father as their intercessor; so this action has not been denied or rejected in
the Qur'an.
Since God
does not reproach the sons of Ya'qub for resorting to two persons of those who
are near to Him {muqarrabun}, it can be concluded that there is
nothing wrong in entreating the Prophet (s) especially since the eminence of
his rank and the loftiness of his station are not hidden to anyone.
The other
verse which may be cited is the following:
﴿وَلَوْ
أَنَّهُمْ
إِذْ
ظَلَمُوا
أَنفُسَهُمْ
جَاءُوكَ
فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا
اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ
لَهُمُ
الرَّسُولُ
لَوَجَدُوا
اللَّهَ
تَوَّابًا
رَحِيمًا.﴾
Had they, when they wronged themselves,
come to you and pleaded Allah for forgiveness, and the Apostle had pleaded for
forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah All-clement,
All-merciful.[33]
It can be
deduced from this verse that the intermediation of the Holy Prophet (s) can
also be resorted to in asking God for forgiveness of sins.
It is
possible to criticize the deduction based on the first verse with the answer
that the tawassul of the sons of Ya'qub ('a) to their father
had been confined to their own time; that is, one may seek the help of the
living and not the dead. We shall talk about this point later on in the section
concerning tabarruk.
What can
be inferred from the second verse is that tawassul to the Prophet (s)
is in a general sense. That is, it includes both the time when the Prophet (s)
was alive and the time afterward. And there is no reason to distinguish between
tawassul during and after his lifetime.
Since the
following verse reproaches tawassul to idols and regards it as a form
of polytheism, some individuals might cite it as proof that tawassul
to other than God leads to misguidance:
﴿وَقَالُوا
لاَ
تَذَرُنَّ
آلِهَتَكُمْ
وَلاَ
تَذَرُنَّ
وَدًّا وَلاَ
سُوَاعًا
وَلاَ يَغُوثَ
وَيَعُوقَ
وَنَسْرًا.
وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا
كَثِيرًا
وَلاَ تَزِدْ
الظَّالِمِينَ
إِلاَّ
ضَلاَلاً.﴾
They say, 'Do not abandon your gods. Do not
abandon Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr,' and they have certainly
led many astray. Do not increase the wrongdoers in anything but error'.[34]
In reply,
it must be said that if what is meant by “other than God” are idols, then one
cannot find fault with this statement, but if “other than God” includes the
prophets and awliya', then it would be contrary to the truth because
these beloved ones are approved by God and are vicegerents of Allah {khulafa'
Allah}. Idols are in contrast and contradiction with God while the prophets
('a) and saints are concordant with Him and are means of His grace. In
the same manner, idols are a source of deviation from God while the prophets ('a)
are means of guidance and righteousness. In sum, the comparison between tawassul
to the prophets ('a) and tawassul to the idols is an
asymmetrical and false analogy.
The other
point is that an idol is basically an object of worship and not a means of
nearness to God {taqarrub}. There are two types of means of nearness
to God: One is legitimate, referring to the prophets ('a) and the
saints, and the other is illegitimate such as idols and the like which religion
has made forbidden to man.
Death according to the Wahhabis
There are
different viewpoints concerning death, and we shall deal with the viewpoint of
the Wahhabis on the subject. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah is reported to have said:
Tawassul
to the dead, even if he be the Prophet of Islam (s), is an act of polytheism
because based on the statement of the Qur'an, he is dead and extinct:
﴿إِنَّكَ
مَيِّتٌ
وَإِنَّهُمْ
مَيِّتُونَ.﴾
He then
continues:
Entreating
the dead and uttering words such as: “O my master, O the Messenger of Allah!
Help me,” “O my master 'Ali ibn Abi Talib! Assist me,” and the like are acts of
polytheism.[36]
It is
indeed amazing that Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah and the Wahhabis could have no
belief in the purgatorial life {hayat al-barzakh}, thinking that the
dead cannot establish spiritual relations with others, while the Qur'an affirms
that those who are in the barzakh are alive.[37]
How could the Wahhabis regard the martyrs {shuhada'} as dead while the
Qur'an says,
﴿وَلاَ
تَحْسَبَنَّ
الَّذِينَ
قُتِلُوا فِي
سَبِيلِ
اللَّهِ
أَمْوَاتًا
بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ
عِنْدَ
رَبِّهِمْ
يُرْزَقُونَ.﴾
Do not suppose those who are slain in the
way of Allah to be dead; rather they are living and provided for near their
Lord.[38]
Accordingly,
how could Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab also say that “Anyone who dies
would be annihilated,”36
while the Holy Qur'an says,
﴿فَكَشَفْنَا
عَنْكَ
غِطَاءَكَ
فَبَصَرُكَ
الْيَوْمَ
حَدِيدٌ.﴾
We
have removed your veil from you, and so your sight is acute today.[39]
In another
place, it states thus,
﴿وَلَهُمْ
رِزْقُهُمْ
فِيهَا
بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا.﴾
And therein they will have their provision
morning and evening.[40]
Since
there is morning and evening in the world of barzakh according to the
verse quoted, and that the dead have provisions, those who are in the world of
sojourn (barzakh) cannot be regarded as nonexistent {ma'dum}.
Of course, morning and evening are special characteristics of barzakh because
there is no sun on the Day of Resurrection which could portray this case. So,
death is not equivalent to nonexistence, and the theory of the Wahhabis is
consequentially rendered false.
The permission to resort to the sacred personages
In the
following verse, the Holy Qur'an regards it permissible and acceptable to
resort to and seek the intermediation of the chosen ones of God in seeking
nearness to Him {taqarrub}:
﴿يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا
اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
وَابْتَغُوا
إِلَيْهِ
الْوَسِيلَةَ
وَجَاهِدُوا
فِي سَبِيلِهِ
لَعَلَّكُمْ
تُفْلِحُونَ.﴾
O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and
seek the means of recourse to Him, and wage jihad in His way, so that you may
be felicitous.[41]
Although
in this verse seeking the means of recourse is discussed in a general sense,
based on the other proofs and pieces of evidence mentioned in the Holy Qur'an
and the traditions, one of its vivid manifestations is the prophets and saints.
Therefore, the purport of this verse may be expressed in the following words:
Though
approaching God is the outcome of grace, you have to observe God-wariness {taqwa}
perfectly and since it is possible that the persons resorted to have no
independence of their own and have obtained such station through sincerity {ikhlas}
and God-wariness {taqwa}, you also have to maintain God-wariness in
resorting to them.
Istimdad and tawassul to the living ones
Seeking
help and assistance from the living is permissible and it cannot be treated as
a form of polytheism. This is a point which has been endorsed and affirmed by
stories in the Qur'an. For example, when Hadrat Yusuf (Joseph) ('a)
was in prison he requested his cellmate, that if the latter was released, he
should mention his case to the king:
﴿اذْكُرْنِي
عِنْدَ
رَبِّكَ.﴾
Mention
me to your master.[42]
Or, when Hadrat
Musa and Khidr ('a) arrived at a certain village, they made a request
to the inhabitants of the village, hence:
﴿فَانطَلَقَا
حَتَّى إِذَا
أَتَيَا
أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ
اسْتَطْعَمَا
أَهْلَهَا.﴾
So they went on. When they came to the
people of a town, they asked its people for food.[43]
It can be
said that the acts of these three great personalities, apart from not being
acts of polytheism, they are rational and customary behaviors, having no
inconsistency with their infallibility {ismah}. Also, in confirming
this statement, the following verse, which is addressed to the Prophet (s), can
be cited as proof:
﴿وَلَوْ
أَنَّهُمْ
إِذْ
ظَلَمُوا
أَنفُسَهُمْ
جَاءُوكَ
فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا
اللَّهَ
وَاسْتَغْفَرَ
لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ
لَوَجَدُوا
اللَّهَ
تَوَّابًا
رَحِيمًا.﴾
Had they, when they wronged themselves,
come to you and pleaded Allah for forgiveness, and the Apostle had pleaded for
forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah all-clement,
all-merciful.[44]
Based on
this verse, the Prophet (s) has been granted the permission to be the
intercessor of sinners. According to the Shi`ah, this intercession is still
valid and is not confined to the lifetime of the Prophet (s).
The preeminence of tawassul to the Divine Essence
Before
ending the discussion, it is necessary to pose this question: Which is
superior, tawassul to God, or tawassul to the saints of God?
It can be concluded from the verse,
﴿أَيُّهُمْ
أَقْرَبُ.﴾
“whoever is nearer {to Him}”[45]
that tawassul
to God is superior. That is, as much as possible, one must seek help from God
and this is a principle to which Muslim mystics are steadfast. But just as he
makes use of his intellect, natural instinct and other means in managing his
life, man also seeks the assistance of intermediaries in the domain of
spirituality and seeking nearness to Allah.
Tawassul as identical with servitude {‘ubudiyyah}
Since tawassul
to the prophets and the awliya' of God is like the angels' act of
prostration (to Adam) with the permission and command of God, resorting to
these beloved ones is identical with servitude {'ubudiyyah} and
worship {'ibadah}. Among the Muslim sects, only the Wahhabis do not
believe in tawassul and its devotional dimension. It must be noted
that this sect is trying to make its incorrect and false ideas dominant.
Of course,
if we ever regard the Wahhabis' opposition to tawassul as incorrect,
it is because there are authoritative traditions and hadiths that
prove the incorrectness of this sect's belief. For example, after the demise of
the Prophet (s) a certain Arab came to the grave of the Prophet (s) and threw
himself on the holy shrine. While pouring the soil of the grave over his head,
he said: “O Messenger of Allah! I heard from you the verse, “Had they, when
they wronged themselves, come to you…” And now I have wronged myself and I
have come here to ask you to plead for forgiveness for me.” At the end of the hadith,
it is thus stated regarding this episode: “Then a voice from the grave was
heard: 'You are forgiven!'”[46]
In another
tradition, it has been narrated that there was once a famine in Medina. Bilal
ibn °arith, one of the Companions, went to the grave of the Prophet (s) and
said: “O Messenger of Allah! There has been no rain for quite sometime. Pray to
God to shower the rain of His mercy upon us. During the night, Bilal saw the
Prophet (s) in a dream, saying: “You shall soon benefit from the rain of the
Lord.”
It is not
useless to note the fact that Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i, one of the
leading figures of the Ahl as-Sunnah, regards tawassul to the Ahl
al-Bayt ('a) as permissible, thus saying:
آلُ
النَّبِيِّ
ذَرِيعَتِي
وَهُمُ
إلَيْهِ
وَسِيلَتِي
The
family of the Prophet is my shelter
and
they are means of my nearness to Him (God).
Regarding
°adrat Fatimah az-Zahra ('a), the following tradition has been
narrated:
“أنَّ
فَاطِمَةَ جَاءَتْ
فَوَقَفَتْ
عَلَى قَبْرِ
رَسُولِ
اللهِ فَأخَذَتْ
قَبْضَةً
مِنْ تُرَابِ
القَبْرِ
فَوَضَعَتْهَا
عَلَى
عَيْنَيْهَا
فَبَكَتْ.”
“Fatimah ('a)
went to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (s); picked up some soil from the
grave, put it on her eyes and cried.”
It can be
inferred from the above hadith that to seek the help of the Prophet,
the infallible Imams and the pioneers of religion is not against the religion
because a personage such as Fatimah az-Zahra ('a) used to go to the
grave of her great father and seek this beloved's assistance. There is another hadith
which is as follows:
Because of
the effect of famine and the lack of rain, a number of people went to the house
of 'a'ishah (wife of the Prophet (s)), asking for her guidance. She said to
them: “Make holes on the holy shrines of the Prophet (s) in such a way that the
sky would become the watcher of the holy grave of the Prophet (s) so that it
would shower rain in respect for the Prophet (s). When the people followed
'A'ishah's instruction, the rain came.
Many
traditions have been recorded in the book, At-Tabarruk,[47]
all of which show the tawassul of the Companions to the soil of grave
of the Messenger of Allah (s) for cure and blessings {tabarruk}.
Shafa‘ah according to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab
and Ibn Taymiyyah
Based on
some verses of the Qur'an, Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, Ibn Taymiyyah
and the contemporary Wahhabis regard seeking help from other than God or asking
for their intercession {shafa'ah} as an act of polytheism. Their main
proof is the phrase, “other than God” in verse 18 of Surah Yunus.[48]
The Wahhabis regard the prophets, saints, idols, the jinn, and the
dead as the most vivid manifestations of this verse.
In reality,
they have not made any distinction between the idols during the pre-Islamic
period of ignorance {jahiliyyah}, which were taken by the people as
their intercessors and were held in high esteem by their forefathers, and the
person of the Prophet (s) because they believe that the Prophet (s) has passed
away, and as such, he could not do anything and nothing could not be expected
from him anymore. Therefore, they imagine the intercession of God on the Day of
Resurrection as positive, and that of the Prophet (s) or other awliya'
as negative.
It can
perhaps be inferred from the apparent purport of their contention that this
sect rejects intercession in general. They have divided intercession into
positive and negative in the following manner:
1.
Positive intercession is that which comes from God. There are many verses that
substantiate it, and there is no debate and dispute concerning this type of
intercession.
2.
Negative intercession is that which comes from other than God such as the
Prophet (s), other prophets ('a) and the awliya'—of course,
when they are not alive.
The most
fundamental basis for this belief of the Wahhabis is the following blessed
verse:
﴿وَيَعْبُدُونَ
مِنْ دُونِ
اللَّهِ مَا
لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ
وَلاَ
يَنْفَعُهُمْ
وَيَقُولُونَ
هَؤُلاَءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا
عِنْدَ
اللَّهِ.﴾
They worship besides Allah that which
neither causes them any harm, nor brings them any benefit, and they say, 'These
are our intercessors with Allah'.[49]
An analysis of the quoted noble verse:
What the
apparent purport and text of the verse substantiates is that God rejects the
intercession of idols, not the intercession of human beings. In other words,
“besides Allah” refers to idols and it is these idols whose intercession is not
acceptable to God. The following verse also confirms this contention:
﴿وَلاَ
يُقْبَلُ
مِنْهَا
شَفَاعَةٌ
وَلاَ يُؤْخَذُ
مِنْهَا
عَدْلٌ وَلاَ
هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ.﴾
Neither intercession shall be accepted from
it, nor any ransom shall be received from it, nor will they be helped.[50]
The
absolute negation of intercession of other than God can be deduced from the
phrase, “besides Allah” which is mentioned many times in the Holy Qur'an. The
absoluteness and generality of “besides Allah”, however, is mitigated by other
verses, and the intercession by individuals who possess the conditions for
intercession is permissible and acceptable. Some of the verses that can
substantiate this claim are the following:
﴿وَلاَ
تَنفَعُ
الشَّفَاعَةُ
عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ
لِمَنْ
أَذِنَ لَهُ.﴾
Intercession is of no avail with Him except
for those whom He permits.[51]
﴿مَنْ
ذَا الَّذِي
يَشْفَعُ
عِنْدَهُ
إِلاَّ
بِإِذْنِهِ.﴾
Who is it that may intercede with Him
except with His permission?[52]
﴿يَوْمَئِذٍ
لاَ تَنفَعُ
الشَّفَاعَةُ
إِلاَّ مَنْ
أَذِنَ لَهُ
الرَّحْمَانُ
وَرَضِيَ
لَهُ قَوْلاً.﴾
Intercession will not avail that day except
from him whom the All-beneficent allows and approves of his word.[53]
﴿وَلاَ
يَشْفَعُونَ
إِلاَّ
لِمَنْ ارْتَضَى.﴾
And they do not intercede except for
someone He approves of.[54]
Based on
these verses, the intercession of those who have the permission of Allah is
acceptable. Now, a question that lingers in the mind is this: Have not those
who negate the intercession of the prophets and saints come across these
verses, or do they have other reasons?
In reply,
it must be said that the intensity of their enmity to the Shi`ah have prompted
the Wahhabis to focus on the verses that negate, and not affirm, intercession.
Through this method and policy, they are determined to accuse the Shi`ah of
disbelief {kufr} so as to incite the entire Muslim world against the
Shi`ah as much as possible. At this juncture, the hidden hand of imperialism
can be witnessed in some of the religious beliefs of Wahhabism.
In
opposing and besmirching Shi`ah beliefs, the Wahhabis oppose the Qur'an and the
Sunnah of the Prophet (s) upon which this belief is based. The Qur'an
and Sunnah acknowledge the intercession of the prophets and the saints on the
Day of Resurrection. They respect the soil of their graves, encouraging the
Muslims to honor and respect them, especially the Holy Prophet (s); and are the
foundations of many material and non-material activities and achievements. The
Wahhabis not only regard tawassul and visitation to the graves {ziyarah}
as unlawful and acts of kufr and shirk, but also deny the
principle and basis of intercession.[55]
The consequence of this practice will be drifting away from the Prophet (s) and
the infallible Imams ('a), which is itself a kind of secret attack
against Islam.
The precedence of the negation of tawassul and
shafa‘ah
Ibn
Taymiyyah, one of the Sunni 'ulama' of the Hanbali madhhab
during the 8th century AH, says regarding tawassul and shafa'ah:
Seeking
help from the dead without paying attention to God, even if that person is a
prophet, or requesting the dead to pray to God to grant our request, or for us
to implore God, “O God! By the station and position of so-and-so, grant our
request”, etc. are forbidden and impermissible, which will finally lead to
polytheism in worship.[56]
As we can
observe, the intellectual cornerstone of Wahhabism is traceable to Ibn
Taymiyyah, however, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab discusses these doctrines with
more fanaticism and extremisms, especially the negation of tawassul
and shafa'ah. As it is always looking for every opportunity to catch
fish in troubled waters imperialism has been trying to take advantage of the
record and opposition of the Wahhabi thought to the other schools {madhahib}.
They have
been attempting to do this when the precedence of the Wahhhabi creed is not a
proof for the madhhabi nature of the Wahhabi movement. It cannot be
considered one of the Islamic schools of thought because from the very
beginning, the Muslim nation, the Ahl as-Sunnah in particular, has declared the
ideas of Ibn Taymiyyah and his followers as an innovation in religion {bid'ah}
and to be against the religion.
The ideas of Ibn Taymiyyah and the reaction of Ahl
as-Sunnah
Taqi
ad-Din Abu'l-'Abbas Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah was born in 661 AH in a
Kurdish-populated village called Urfah in Turkey. When the Tatars invaded the
Muslim lands, he along with his family went to Damascus (Syria) and studied in
the religious school {madrasah} of the Hanbalis where he engaged in
the memorization of the Qur'an. He read Musnad Ibn Hanbal and the
book, Mu'jam at-Tabari, and engaged in learning other sciences. It has
been said that he had good memory and talent.[57]
Profound
talent and enthusiasm prompted Ibn Taymiyyah to encounter many intellectual
problems and issues during the different stages of his studies. Since he would
not be convinced of the views and opinions of the professors, he gradually
reached a point in his beliefs that he elicited the reaction of the 'ulama'
and fuqaha {jurists} at the time which led to his imprisonment and
banishment.
Before Ibn
Taymiyyah had the opportunity to repent, Sultan Nasir, the ruler of the time,
allowed him to return to Damascus in 709 AH and Ibn Taymiyyah also made peace
with the 'ulama' and fuqaha.[58]
In 720 AH, he was again put behind bars for having a clash with the fuqaha
on the issue of divorce but in 721 AH, he was released from prison through the
letter of the Sultan.
After his
release, he once again languished in the prison cell of Damascus on the order
of the government for the contradictions his religious edicts had with that of the
Sunni and Shi`ah fuqaha in his region.
This time,
the government prohibited him from issuing religious edicts, and as per
judicial decree of a Shafi'i judge, all his students including Ibn Qayyim
al-Jawziyyah were imprisoned. Meanwhile, the people had been so angry with him
that they decided to kill him.
The ‘ulama'’s opposition to Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn
Taymiyyah used to regard traveling to visit the graves of the prophets ('a)
and the pious as impermissible, deeming it as a sinful travel, and would rule
for the completion (instead of shortening) of prayer during this travel, which
led the Shafi'is to rise up in opposition to him.
In a bid
to portray a veneer of moderation to his creed, Ibn Taymiyyah used to say that
since the Prophet (s) and the Companions had neither visited their graves nor
sought their intermediation, and that the Followers {tabi'un}[59]
have also not done so, none of the Muslims should deem it recommended {mustahabb}.
Anyone who observed this practice had gone against the consensus of Muslims.
After issuing this religious edict, Ibn Taymiyyah considered the following hadiths
from the Prophet (s) as fabricated {maj'ul}:
مَنْ
حَجَّ وَلَمْ
يَزُرْنِي
فَقَدْ جَفَانِي.
He who
performs the Hajj (pilgrimage) without paying a visit {ziyarah}
to me has indeed deserted.
لاَ
تُشَدُّ
الرِّحَالُ
إلاَّ إلَى
ثَلاَثَةِ
مَسَاجِدَ:
الْمَسْجِدُ
الْحَرَامُ،
وَمَسْجِدِي
هَذَا،
وَالْمَسْجِدُ
الأقْصَى.
You are
not supposed to travel except for the visitation {ziyarah} of three
mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), this mosque of mine (Masjid an-Nabi in
Medina), and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).
These
kinds of views incited the opposition of the Sunni 'ulama'. So, it
becomes clear that there had been no difference of opinion regarding it until
that time and the first person to initiate this difference was Ibn Taymiyyah
who, while in prison, wrote books in support of his creed.
After more
than two years of imprisonment in the prison cell of Damascus, Ibn Taymiyyah
passed away in 728 AH and was buried in Bab as-Saghir beside his brother. In
the book, Al-Kunya wal-Alqab, Shaykh 'Abbas al-Qummi opines
that he was buried in Jordan. Ibn Taymiyyah was later known as Taqi ad-Din
Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Halim al-Harrani ad-Damishqi.
Nowadays,
there is no trace of his grave and the books attributed to him, as per reported
in the book, Ibn Taymiyyah batal al-Islah ad-Dini, are estimated to be
as many as seventeen books.
What we
quoted regarding the issue of shafa'ah was from the book entitled, Ibn
Taymiyyah batal al-Islah ad-Dini. Similar subjects are also recorded in
the book, Fath al-Majid, which is a commentary on the book, At-Tawhid,
by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab. In a recently written book entitled, At-Tawhid
bi'l-Lughati al-Farisiyyah, there has been some modification of issues
about which the Shi`ah have opposing views.
This book
in which some of those issues were presented was distributed freely among the
Iranian pilgrims at the Jeddah Airport in 1374 AH (1995 CE). Concerning shafa'ah,
it states that shafa'ah is exclusive for God. The inclusion of the
divine grace and compassion has conferred this merit upon some of the servants
of God. This book narrated a certain subject from Ibn Taymiyyah, at the end of
which it says:
لاَ
تَكُونُ
إلاَّ لأهْلِ
التَّوْحِيدِ
وَالإخْلاَصِ.
Intercession
includes individuals who are monotheists and sincere, and by the decree of God,
intercession extends to these individuals.
In this
book, the author writes that according to the Shi`ah, those individuals who
best embody these qualities of Tawhid and ikhlas {sincerity}
are the prophets, awliya' and infallible Imams ('a) who,
according to the above quotation, are supposed to possess the privilege to
intercede on the Day of Resurrection.[60]
Notes:
[48] Surat
Yunus 10:18: “They worship besides Allah that which neither causes them any harm, not
brings them any benefit, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’
Say, ‘Will you inform Allah about something He does not know in the heavens and
on the earth? Immaculate is He and exalted above [having] any partners that
they ascribe [to Him].”
[55] For more
information, see Sayyid Ibrahim ‘Alawi, Tarikhcheh-ye Naqd wa Barrasi-ye
Wahhabiyyah, pp. 257-353 and other books included in the bibliography of this
book.
[56] Mahmud
Mahdi al-Istambuli, Ibn Taymiyyah batal al-Islah ad-Dini (Beirut: Nashr
Maktaba’l-Islami, n.d.), pp. 136, 139.
[57] Mahmud Mahdi
al-Istambuli, Ibn Taymiyyah batal al-Islah ad-Dini (Beirut: Nashr
Maktaba’l-Islami, n.d.), pp. 136, 139.
[58] Mahmud
Mahdi al-Istambuli, Ibn Taymiyyah batal al-Islah ad-Dini (Beirut: Nashr
Maktaba’l-Islami, n.d.), pp. 30.
[59] Tabi‘un
[‘Followers’ or ‘Successors’] refers to the second generation of Muslims who
came after the Companions, who did not know the Prophet (s) but who knew his
Companions. [Trans.]
Another
point upon which the Wahhabis differ with the Sunnis and the Shi`ah is the
issue of miracles {karamat}. All Muslim sects regard the prophets ('a)
as people who performed miracles {karamat} and wondrous feats {mu'jizah}
because the Qur'an bears witness to the authenticity of this point. Concerning
the infallible Imams ('a), however, the only group that does not
recognize them to have performed miracles and treat them as equal to others in
the possession or otherwise of this merit is the Wahhabis. The Shi`ah
characterize the infallible Imams ('a) with having miraculous and
marvelous powers, substantiating this fact with religious traditions and
historical accounts.
Now, if
anyone believes that there is a difference between a mu'jizah and a
karamah, emphasizing that mu'jizah refers to that which is
performed by the prophets as narrated in the Qur'an while karamah
refers to that which is performed by the infallible Imams ('a) as
narrated in the traditions, it must be said that in any case, the pure Imams ('a)
possess powers and forces which the common people undoubtedly do not possess,
and it makes no difference whether you call it as mu'jizah or karamah.
It is said that some of the real Gnostics and mystics {'urafa'}
possess this power and to a lower degree. It is thus stated in the book, Fath
al-Majid:
The
miracles {karamah} of the saints of God {awliya' Allah} are
the products of divine attraction and grace, and this affair does not depend
upon the person or his knowledge and intention—like the karamah of
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) on numerous occasions and the karamah
of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) when he came to Iran and talked to
Prophet Daniel in the town of Shush. Similarly, at the time when Medina was
afflicted with famine, 'Umar participated in the prayer for rain and it came.
It must
not remain unstated that we do not have reliable historical evidence concerning
'Umar's coming to Iran and the town of Shush in particular. It was rather 'Ali
ibn Abi Talib ('a) who had come to Shush and talked with Prophet
Daniel ('a).
With
regard to the famine, it must also be said that what has been recorded in
reliable sources is that at the request of 'Umar, 'Abbas the uncle of the
Prophet (s) performed this prayer.
Then, the
said author adds that these miracles have no benefit and if there were any
benefit, it only pertains to that time. In short, after the death of those
possessing karamah, those miracles have no value and one should not
expect them.[81]
Therefore,
the Wahhabis believe in a sort of karamah for the Imams ('a),
the Companions and leading figures of the religion, but they consider these
miracles valuable only at the time when those possessing them are alive because
once a person departs from this world, the mark of his existence, like that of
other living creatures and even the non-living ones, ceases to exist. They
substantiate this statement of theirs with the verse,
﴿إِنَّكَ
مَيِّتٌ
وَإِنَّهُمْ
مَيِّتُونَ.﴾
You will indeed die, and they {too} will
die indeed,[82]
in which
the death of the Prophet (s) has been treated equal with that of the awliya'.
They have also inferred from this verse that seeking help from the souls of the
prophets ('a) and the awliya' is a futile and vain practice,
and that ziyarat al-qubur {prayer recited on visiting a grave} must be
shunned. Of course, the prohibition of ziyarah for women is even more
emphasized and the philosophy behind it is clear.
The miracles of the saints of God as the effect of
satisfaction of the soul and God-wariness {taqwa}
According
to the verses,
﴿وَمَنْ
يَتَّقِ
اللَّهَ
يَجْعَلْ
لَهُ مَخْرَجًا.﴾
And whoever is wary of Allah, He shall make
a way out for him,[83]
And
﴿إِنَّ
اللَّهَ لاَ
يُضِيعُ
أَجْرَ
الْمُحْسِنِينَ.﴾
Indeed Allah does not waste the reward of
the virtuous,[84]
anyone who
is wary of God, does righteous deeds and strives to offer sacrifices and
charities for the pleasure of Allah, God will show him the way of deliverance
from worldly and otherworldly adversities and give him rewards in both worlds.
And whenever the people of the world benefit from his good deeds, meritorious
rewards shall be granted to him. So, anyone who is of the opinion that the
ornament of karamah befits a particular number of people and that
these miracles are valuable and effective as long as their possessors are
alive, is thinking and believing incorrectly because the quoted verses do not
point to a particular person or group.
Meanwhile,
the ruling on the truly faithful persons is like the ruling on water. When they
are alive, everybody can benefit from their presence and when they die and are
buried, people can establish spiritual communion with them, turning to them for
help and seeking their intermediation. In the same manner, underground water
can be obtained by the spade, wheelbarrow and bucket.
In spite
of this, the Wahhabis believe that anyone who departs from this world, even if
he is the Prophet (s), his existence has no more effect and anyone whose
existence has no effect is not worthy of tawassul and ziyarah
to him would be of no avail, thus to seek someone who has no benefit and gain
for one is a futile and vain action.
Charities {khayrat}, alms {sadaqat} and vows
{nudhurat}
The other
case which the Wahhabis regard as sources of polytheism are charities {khayrat},
alms {sadaqat} and vows {nudhurat} given on behalf of the
dead. Thus, it is stated in the book, Fath al-Majid:
The holy
shrines, sacred places and graves of the awliya' which have become
sites of ziyarah, charities, vows, etc. are places of Satan and it is
unlawful to sojourn in these places such as the Zaynabiyyah, the Ra's al-Husayn
in Syria, and Karbala' and Najaf in Iraq.
The
commentator of this book thus writes:
There were
such places in the Hijaz before, but thanks to God, they were demolished
through the able hand of King 'Abd al-'Aziz al Sa'ud, and it is hoped that God
would destroy the rest.[85]
It must be
said that if the Shi`ah fulfill their vows and give alms in sacred places, it
is for the pleasure of God and such acts are not tainted with any sort of
polytheism. The issue that comes to mind is this: Why do the Wahhabis overlook
the corruptions and perversions that plague the youth; the wealth that is
plundered from Muslim countries; and the culture and civilization that are
being destroyed in Muslim lands? Yet, they persistently find fault with
charities, alms and ziyarah to the graves of leading figures of the
religion, and consider that all the problems of Muslims emanate from these
issues. At the time when Europeans are mummifying their great ones and
preserving the putrefied bones of inventors in affection for their scientists,
why are the Wahhabis trying to destroy the relics and shrines of religious
personalities especially the pure Imams ('a) and consider ziyarah
to these great personalities as hindrance to development, where in fact these
personalities are the fountainheads of guidance {hidayah} and
enlightenment {irshad}?
Seeking blessings {tabarruk} from the sacred stones
Another
case highlighted by the Wahhabis and with which they have found fault is the
consideration of some stones as sacred and making tawassul to them
because they equate this recourse with a sort of idol-worship. As such, they
believe that anyone, who takes recourse to these stones, makes a vow upon them,
and takes them as intercessors, is a polytheist {mushrik}:
﴿وَيَقُولُونَ
هَؤُلاَءِ
شُفَعَاؤُنَا
عِنْدَ
اللَّهِ.﴾
And they say, 'These are our intercessors
with Allah'.[86]
And with
this belief, they have thus written:
It is not
permissible for the stones from which people seek tabarruk and make
vows upon to remain on the surface of the earth. And it is incumbent upon
Muslims to obliterate them whenever they have the opportunity to do so.[87]
The fact
must be acknowledged that there is no Muslim country in which Muslims express
reverence to a stone, regarding it as an intercessor, and if out of ignorance
and heedlessness, some Muslims revere an old stone or tree, asking it for
mercy, this practice must not be ascribed to Muslims in general.
Of course,
there are two stones and two hills whose Qur'anic sanctity made Muslims honor
them. They are the following:
1. The
Black Stone {al-hajar al-aswad}: This stone is situated in a corner of
the Ka'bah, and the beginning and end of every tawaf
{circumambulation of the Ka'bah} is determined by it.
2. The
Station of Abraham {maqam ibrahim}: The Qur'an enjoins the Muslims to
perform prayer at this site:
﴿وَاتَّخِذُوا
مِنْ مَقَامِ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ
مُصَلًّى.﴾
Take the venue of prayer from Abraham's
Station.[88]
3. The
hills of Safa and Marwah: Regarding these two hills, the Qur'an says:
﴿إِنَّ
الصَّفَا
وَالْمَرْوَةَ
مِنْ شَعَائِرِ
اللَّهِ.﴾
Indeed Safa and Marwah are among Allah's
sacraments.[89]
Of course,
it must be noted that if people honor them, and hold in high esteem the Prophet
of Islam (s), the pure Imams ('a), the Qur'an, and the religious
personalities, it is because they are among the sacraments of Allah and
honoring them indicates the purity of hearts:
﴿وَمَنْ
يُعَظِّمْ
شَعَائِرَ
اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا
مِنْ تَقْوَى
الْقُلُوبِ.﴾
And whoever venerates the sacraments of
Allah—indeed that arises from God-wariness of hearts.[90]
Seeking Tabarruk from the Prophet (s) and his relics
The
Muslims—Sunnis and Shi`ah—have consensus of opinion on this issue; that the
Prophet (s) and his relics must be honored and revered. In confirming this
subject one may refer to many historical accounts and the sayings of leading
Sunni personalities. For example, Hadrat Zahra ('a) and other
Companions used to invoke blessings from the soil of the grave of the Holy
Prophet (s); 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar who strove to preserve the relics of the Holy
Prophet (s) even tried to preserve a tree under which the Prophet (s) once
rested; Ahmad ibn Hanbal deems it permissible to invoke blessings from the
relics of the Messenger of Allah (s); and Sunni fuqaha believe that:
زِيَارَةُ
القُبُورِ
أفْضَلُ
الْمَنْدُوبَاتِ.
Visitation
of graves is the best of all recommended (mustahabb) acts.
It is
important to note that for this reason, the Prophet (s) and his successors ('a)
and their relics as well as other religious objects must be honored as they are
the manifestations of the religion and truthfulness of revelation.[91]
Notes:
Based on
the classification of the verses of the Qur'an into the definitive {muhkam}
and the metaphorical {mutashabih},[92]
and into the abrogating {nasikh} and the abrogated {mansukh},
in explaining some verses, one should not content himself with only their
external purport because their external purport could be doubtful and
misleading. Meanwhile, according to the traditions, the Qur'an has many cores
and layers, the understanding which is not possible for everyone. As such, in
understanding some verses, it is necessary to take other verses into account.
For example, in interpreting verses such as:
﴿الرَّحْمَانُ
عَلَى
الْعَرْشِ
اسْتَوَى.﴾
The All-beneficent settled on the Throne,[93]
﴿وَجَاءَ
رَبُّكَ
وَالْمَلَكُ
صَفًّا صَفًّا.﴾
And Your Lord and the angels arrive in
ranks,[94]
one must
seek the assistance of other verses for clarity and correct interpretation such
as:
﴿لَيْسَ
كَمِثْلِهِ
شَيْءٌ.﴾
﴿وَلَمْ
يَكُنْ لَهُ
كُفُوًا
أَحَدٌ.﴾
Nor has He any equal,[96]
﴿وَكَانَ
اللَّهُ
بِكُلِّ
شَيْءٍ
عَلِيمًا.﴾
And Allah has knowledge of all things.[97]
There are
two approaches in dealing with these kinds of verses. One group is the
literalists who content themselves with the literal meaning of the verses. The
other group is the allegorists who take into account other verses in explaining
and analyzing these kinds of verses, and they believe in allegorical
interpretation {Ta'wil}. For instance, in interpreting the verse, (عَلى
الْعَرْشِ
استَوَى) ”…settled on the Throne,”[98]
they have said that ”'arsh” is the Throne exclusive for God where He
is settled, but the allegorists have given two probabilities for this verse:
(1) 'arsh
is a thing having the three dimensions of width, height and depth; and
(2) 'arsh
alludes to a fact and concept having no material characteristics.
It is
worthy to note that 'Allamah Tabataba'i (r) accepts the first
probability while the late Sha'rani (r) advocates the second
probability. It must be emphasized that in interpreting these kinds of verses,
those who content themselves with their literal meanings are committing an
indescribable mistake and blunder. It is because if one believes in the literal
interpretation of ”…settled on the Throne,” he must then
assume God to have a physical body, while God is not a body.
Ta’wil according to the Wahhabis
'Abd
al-'Aziz Muhammad Sultan, a Wahhabi writer, regards Ta'wil as having
three meanings:
1. Ta'wil
means translating a word from the preferable probability {ihtimal rajih}
to the preferred probability {ihtimal marjuh}.
2. Ta'wil
means interpretation of the word whether it is consistent or inconsistent with
its literal sense.
3. Ta'wil
means the unknown truth and quality which are known only to God.
Then, he
writes that Ta'wil in any case is forbidden, and the exoteric meaning
must not be turned into the esoteric one. The exoteric meaning must be
maintained even if it is inconsistent with actuality and reason.[99]
The
Shi`ah, however, are of the opinion that with acceptable evidence a word can be
separated from its literal meaning and be reunited with its esoteric and actual
meaning. In this respect, proofs, pieces of evidence and verses of the Qur'an
can be cited, but dealing lengthily with this subject is beyond the scope of
this book.
The fact
must be pointed out, nevertheless, that the Wahhabi practice of restricting
their focus on the literal and exoteric meaning of the verses is extremely
dangerous, and it will encounter problems on mystical and rational issues.
The Juhaymi nature of the Shi`ah
The
Wahhabis identify the Shi`ah who make Ta'wil and tafsir of
the verses of the Qur'an as ”Juhaymis”. This is because Juhaym ibn
Safwan, who lived in the 2nd century AH, used to engage in Ta'wil
and he believed in it. Of course, contrary to the notion of the Wahhabis, the
Shi`ah do not follow that person on the subject of Ta'wil. They rather
follow the pure Imams ('a) who have allegorically interpreted
innumerable verses. The Qur'an itself talks about Ta'wil, using the
word itself through the tongue of °adrat Yusuf (Joseph) ('a) when he
says:
﴿إِذْ
قَالَ
يُوسُفُ
لأَبِيهِ: يَا
أَبَتِ إِنِّي
رَأَيْتُ
أَحَدَ
عَشَرَ
كَوْكَباً وَالشَّمْسَ
وَالْقَمَرَ
رَأَيْتُهُمْ
لِي سَاجِدِينَ.﴾
When Joseph said to his father, 'Father! I
saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves
before me'.[100]
After
Yusuf ('a) was released from prison and became a chief {'aziz}
in Egypt, and a famine engulfed Palestine and Egypt, the sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)
('a) came to Yusuf ('a) to get their ration of grains. After
recognizing one another, Yusuf ('a) requested them to return to Egypt
along with their father. When Ya'qub ('a) and his wife and sons saw
Yusuf ('a) with such glory and grandeur, they prostrated before him.
Then, Yusuf ('a) recounted his childhood dream, saying:
﴿يَا
أَبَتِ هَذَا
تَأْوِيلُ
رُؤْيَاي
مِنْ قَبْلُ.﴾
'Father! This is the fulfillment {Ta'wil}
of my dream of long ago.[101]
The moon,
the sun and eleven stars that prostrated before Yusuf ('a) were
interpreted as referring to Ya'qub ('a), and his wife and 11 sons.
Of course,
the interpretation of this dream was not clear in the beginning for Yusuf ('a).
After many years, however, the fulfillment of this dream was made manifest to
them.
Therefore,
Ta'wil means that when the meaning of a verse is not clear, by employing
the assistance of other verses and reliable traditions, the meaning that is
closer to the reality is obtained.
The Wahhabis have not trodden the path of
enlightenment
Nowadays,
the Wahhabis and some Shi`ah are traversing a path, which shows their
close-mindedness, and will entail dangerous consequences prompting them to
totally seclude themselves from society and render them incapable of responding
to rational and religious issues. This path is one where they are content only
with the literal meanings of Qur'anic verses and Prophetic traditions; the path
of non-recognition of philosophy, mysticism {'irfan} and
philosophical-scholastic {kalami} proofs; and heedlessness to the new
sciences.
The truth
must be accepted, however, that in every epoch, the Qur'an is loftier than
human though.
Therefore,
one should not be content with its literal meaning and interpret its
probabilities because human mind and thought advance every day and discover new
realities. As this Wahhabi idea can become a pretext for neglecting the Qur'an
since they consider the human mind as incapable of understanding it and
therefore, this book of revelation would end up only being kissed and set
aside. One must rather strive as much as possible to understand it properly.
[92] Surat al
‘Imran 3:7: “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. Parts of it are definitive
verses, which are the mother of the Book, while others are metaphorical.”
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