A Brief Overview of the Salafi Dawah and the Life of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab

Question:
The first message in this episode is one that reached the program from the Syrian Arab Republic, Damascus. It was sent by a listener from there who indicated his name with the initials (A. A.). Our brother asks three questions, one of which says: I want a brief overview of the Salafi dawah and of Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab.
May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The Salafi dawah is the call to what Allah sent His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with. It is the call to holding fast to the Great Qur'an and the pure Sunnah. This Salafi dawah is the call to following the methodology that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established in Makkah, and then in al-Madinah, in conveying the dawah to Muslims and others, guiding people to good, and teaching them what Allah sent His Prophet with: the oneness of Allah, sincerity to Him, faith in His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), abandoning the association of partners with Allah , carrying out what Allah and His Messenger commanded, and abandoning what Allah and His Messenger forbade. This is the Salafi dawah. The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) followed this path. After his passing, the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proceeded along his path in calling to the oneness of Allah, denying shirk, and guiding people to the oneness of Allah in their words and deeds, as Allah commanded them to do in His saying : [al-Baqarah:21], and in His saying, Exalted is He: [al-Nisa:36], and in His saying, Exalted is He: [al-Bayyinah:5].
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to this, and the polytheists used to cling to graves, the dead, idols, trees, and stones: they would call upon them, rub themselves against them, seek blessing from them, seek intercession through them, slaughter for them, and make vows for them. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from that and informed them that they neither benefit nor harm, and that it is obligatory to make worship sincere to Allah alone. He said: .
When Allah opened Makkah for him after the migration, he broke the idols and demolished al-'Uzza, which was a tree that was worshipped, and he demolished al-Manah, which was a stone that was worshipped, and he demolished al-Lat, which was worshipped in al-Ta'if, and so on with all the idols, which he broke. He sent to the tribes and chiefs calling them to the oneness of Allah, commanding them to abandon the worship of idols, false gods, awliya (close friends of Allah), prophets, and angels. Worship is the right of Allah alone; for Allah, Exalted is He, says: [al-Dhariyat:56], and He says, Exalted is He: [al-Nahl:36]. The meaning of "make Allah alone your Lord" is: single Him out for worship. He is the one who is called upon, from whom hope is sought, from whom it is asked, to whom prostration is made, to whom bowing is made, for whom slaughter is performed, and for whom vows are made. As for graves, one does not cling to them, nor are mosques or anything else built upon them, nor is anyone called upon besides Allah, nor is aid sought from them, nor is intercession requested from them; intercession belongs to Allah alone [al-Zumar:44].
Allah has refuted the polytheists in His saying, Exalted is He: [Yunus:18]. So Allah refuted them by saying: [Yunus:18]. And He said, Exalted is He: "Know that to Allah belongs pure religion" [al-Zumar:2-3]. Then He said, Exalted is He: [al-Zumar:3], meaning: they claim that they worshipped them to draw near. They say:
So Allah refuted them and declared them liars, saying, Exalted is He: [al-Zumar:3]. He made it clear, Exalted is He, that they are liars in their claim that they bring them closer to Allah, and disbelievers in their worship of idols, angels, and prophets.
It is not permissible to go to the owner of a grave and say: "O my master so-and-so, help me, or aid me, or fulfill my need, or intercede for me, or I am under your protection." All of this is reprehensible; all of this is major shirk.
In his lifetime, there is no harm if he is alive and you say: "O so-and-so, intercede for me," just as the Companions used to say to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during his lifetime: "Intercede for us, O Messenger of Allah, call upon Allah for us." He used to seek aid for them when they were afflicted with drought, in the Friday sermon and elsewhere, and he used to make du'a' for them. There is no harm in his lifetime.
And so on the Day of Resurrection, if Allah resurrects him, he will intercede for people on the Day of Resurrection. But after his death in the barzakh (the interval between death and resurrection), he is not called upon, nor is anyone else, not the prophets, not the angels, not the righteous. They are not called upon with Allah, nor is aid sought from them. But you say: "O Lord, forgive me, O Lord, have mercy on me, O Lord, rectify my heart, O Lord, provide for me, O Lord, relieve my distress, O Lord, rectify my children, O Lord, help me against my enemy, O Lord, intercede for Your Prophet, O Lord, make me among the people of the intercession of Your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), O Lord, guide me to Your obedience and following Your Shari'ah." This is how you speak, asking your Lord.
This is the correct path. It is this Salafi method that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established, and his Companions established, and then those who followed them with excellence established. The Companions and those after them called to this path: holding fast to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and making worship sincere to Allah alone. No close angel is called upon with Him, no sent prophet, no owner of a grave, no jinn, no tree, no idol, nor anything else. Worship is the right of Allah alone [al-Baqarah:21], [al-Dhariyat:56], [al-Bayyinah:5], along with the belief that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Seal of the Prophets, with no prophet after him. Allah sent him to all people, the jinn and mankind. This belief is necessary: you must believe that Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the Hashimi, the Arab, the Makkan, then the Madinan, is the Messenger of Allah in truth (peace and blessings be upon him), and that he is the best of creation, the master of the children of Adam. You believe in this, and you believe that Allah sent him to all people: the jinn and mankind. Whoever responds to his call and follows what he brought has Paradise, and whoever deviates from his path has the Fire.
He is the Seal of the Prophets, with no prophet after him. Whoever claims prophethood after him, like the Qadiyyaniyyah, is a disbeliever; for Allah, Exalted is He, says: [al-Ahzab:40] (peace and blessings be upon him). And the hadiths have been mass-transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he is the Seal of the Prophets. He said: (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, completing the Salafi dawah is: obedience to Allah and His Messenger, doing the commands, and abandoning the prohibitions: you pray as Allah has prescribed, you give zakah as Allah has prescribed, you fast as Allah has prescribed, you perform Hajj as Allah has prescribed, you are dutiful to your parents, you maintain your family ties, you call to Allah with wisdom and good guidance, you enjoin good and forbid evil in a good manner, with gentleness and wisdom. You abandon sins: such as zina, undutifulness to parents, riba (usury or interest), severing family ties, drinking intoxicants, and other sins. You abandon them and warn against them; this is obedience to Allah, and exalting Allah, and following His Shari'ah. You hope for His reward and fear His punishment. All of this is included in the Salafi dawah.
As for Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), he was an imam and a scholar who called to Allah . He called to this method. He (may Allah have mercy on him) was in Najd... from the lands of Najd, then he moved to al-'Uyaynah, which is a known town near al-Dar'iyyah. He learned knowledge and became well-versed in religion. Then he traveled to the two Holy Sanctuaries and learned in Makkah and al-Madinah. Then Allah expanded his chest for the Salafi dawah. The people of Najd, some of them, used to cling to idols, graves, trees, and stones, as is the case in many lands. So Allah expanded his chest for the reality of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and for the Salafi dawah that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions established. When his chest was expanded for this matter and he knew its evidence, he called to this. He called his people and the people of Najd to the oneness of Allah.
In Najd, there was a grave belonging to Zayd ibn al-Khattab, the brother of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), in al-Jubaylah near al-Dar'iyyah. It was visited and worshipped alongside Allah. There were trees and stones there that were worshipped alongside Allah. He forbade this, and forbade attaching oneself to the dead, graves, trees, and stones. He informed them that this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and that Allah sent His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to call to the oneness of Allah, to deny this shirk, and that the Companions did the same. He called to Allah in Najd, first in al-Dar'iyyah, then in Harimaylah, then in al-'Uyunaynah, then he moved to al-Dar'iyyah. Muhammad ibn Sa'd, the ruler of al-Dar'iyyah, supported him in this. He continued in calling to the oneness of Allah, sincerity to Him, and following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He demolished the domes over the graves, cut down the trees that were worshipped alongside Allah, and demolished the dome over the grave of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, among other effects of shirk. So Allah helped him in that, and Prince Muhammad ibn Sa'd helped him, and then the House of Saud after him—may Allah reward them with good—and they have continued to be supporters of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) to this day. They call to Allah, and they support the people of knowledge in calling to the oneness of Allah, denying shirk, and establishing the religion.
This is the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), an imam and scholar of Salafi creed. He called to the oneness of Allah and to following His Shari'ah, and he forbade shirk, religious innovations, superstitions, and sins. This was just as the Companions called to Allah, and just as al-Shafi'i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Malik, and other imams of Islam called to the oneness of Allah and sincerity to Him. It was also like what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah did in his time in the seventh and eighth centuries, and Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) in the eighth century, and Ibn Kathir and their like called to Allah. He was on their path (may Allah have mercy on him).
So he is a Salafi imam who calls to the oneness of Allah, obedience to Allah, and following His Shari'ah.
As for his enemies, the grave worshippers, who accuse him of being an innovator, or that he hates the awliya (close friends of Allah), all of this is false. They lie about him, just as they lied about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and others. He calls to the oneness of Allah, calls to following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), calls to truth and guidance, calls to sincerity to Allah, and abandoning the religious innovations and superstitions that have afflicted many people. He is a guided, successful imam who calls to the oneness of Allah and obedience to Him, and calls to the Salafi creed. And so are his supporters from the House of Saud, and from the scholars and the righteous; they are all callers to the truth.
As for the name "Wahhabis," this is a title their enemies gave them to deter people. They are Muhammadis. He is Muhammad; he is not 'Abd al-Wahhab. He is Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab; his father's name was 'Abd al-Wahhab. The correct term is "Muhammadis," because he is Muhammad, and the Prophet is Muhammad (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him). So he is among the followers of Muhammad (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him). But his enemies, the ignorant ones, or those who imitated the ignorant, or imitated the enemies, called them Wahhabis out of ignorance or stubbornness and to deter people from the truth. So a person of intellect should not be deceived by this title that the enemies use to incite them, saying that they are enemies of the religion, or that they are enemies of the truth, or that they are people of innovation. All of this is false.
The Wahhabis: callers to the truth, callers to the Salafi methodology, callers to what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was upon, and what the Companions and the imams of Islam after them were upon. So Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, his descendants, and his followers to this day call to the oneness of Allah and to following His Shari'ah, and they forbid shirk with Allah and the religious innovations for which Allah has not sent down any authority. Among these innovations are building over graves and making them into mosques, because they are a means to shirk. They also forbid establishing mawlid celebrations and festivals for birthdays, because they are a means to shirk. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions did not do this, and all good is in following them. For Allah says (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Surah al-Tawbah: 100]. So those who follow them with excellence are those who proceeded on their path, adding nothing to it and subtracting nothing, but proceeding on their path in the oneness of Allah, sincerity to Him, following the Shari'ah and revering it, abandoning what Allah has forbidden of religious innovations, abandoning sins, calling to the oneness of Allah, and following His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in word and deed. This is the way of the righteous Salaf, the Companions and those who followed them with excellence. This is the way of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, and the way of his followers from the House of Saud and other scholars who proceeded on his path.
And so are his followers among the scholars who proceeded on his path in India, in the Levant, in Iraq, in Egypt, and in every place. He has many followers in many countries and in many regions of the world. They have known the truth, they have known his good call from his books and the books of his followers, and that it is a Salafi call, a call to the oneness of Allah, following His Shari'ah, and following His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him).
So my advice to every Muslim is to fear Allah, and to know the truth by its evidence, not by taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence), the words of the ignorant, and following the ignorant, but by evidence. He should look at the books of the people, look at what they established in their books, such as Fath al-Mujid, Kitab al-Tawhid, Taysir al-'Aziz al-Hamid, and other books and responses of theirs, until he knows the truth, and knows that they are upon the truth and guidance, and that they are callers to the oneness of Allah, to following His Shari'ah, and to abandoning what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden.
This is the call of the Wahhabis. This is the path of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), and this is the way of his followers and supporters from the scholars of Najd and others, from the House of Saud and others.
We ask Allah to keep everyone firm upon guidance, and to rectify the hearts of everyone and the deeds of everyone, and to guide the one who is astray so that he may be upright upon the truth. We ask Allah to guide those who are astray, and to teach the ignorant, so that they may know the truth by its evidence. And we ask Allah to guide the extremists and the followers of desires, so that they may abandon extremism and desires, and submit to the truth, and follow what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought, and submit to it by evidence, not by taqlid of the ignorant and taqlid of the followers of desires. For taqlid of the followers of desires and taqlid of the ignorant is harmful and not beneficial.
So it is obligatory for the student of knowledge to take the truth by evidence, and to look at the books of the people about whom he hears things that contradict the Shari'ah. He should look at their books until he knows the truth by its evidence, and until he speaks with knowledge and insight, not with taqlid of Zayd and 'Amr, and the like of that.
We ask Allah for success and guidance for everyone, and we ask Allah to rectify the conditions of all Muslims everywhere. We ask Allah to grant them understanding in the religion, and to guide us and them to His straight path, and to bestow upon all Muslims understanding in the religion of Allah, and holding fast to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him), and standing by their limits; for He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is Generous and Bountiful.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.