Introduction to the Call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
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Question:
Our brother (A. F. G.) asks this question, saying: Is the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a distinct school of jurisprudence? And is what is said about his call regarding the abandonment of worshipping graves and calling upon the dead considered a disrespect to the righteous?
Answer:
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of the scholars of the Sunnah and one of the scholars of the people of truth. His call is not a fifth school of jurisprudence, but rather it is a call to the Salafi creed and to what the Salaf of the Ummah, the Companions and those who followed them, were upon. He calls for the oneness of Allah, following His Shari'ah, and revering His commands and prohibitions. He does not call for a new school of jurisprudence, as the ignorant or his hostile opponents, the worshippers of idols, claim. Rather, he called for worshipping Allah alone.
His call was in the twelfth century, in the second half of the twelfth century, and he passed away (may Allah have mercy on him) in the year 1202 AH, at the beginning of the thirteenth century.
His books are available and clarify his creed, such as the Book of Tawhid, such as Kashf al-Shubuhat (Clarification of Doubts), and such as The Three Fundamental Principles. All of them clarify his call, that he called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Allah, and that no one should be called upon alongside Allah, neither an angel, nor a messenger, nor an idol, nor a jinn, nor a human. Rather, worship is the right of Allah alone. In legal rulings, he followed the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), unless another opinion was stronger in his view based on evidence.
As for the accusation by his opponents or the ignorant that it is a fifth school of jurisprudence, or that he belittles the righteous and the prophets, this is all invalid. There is no belittling of them or diminishing of them in abandoning the association of partners with them. All the prophets came with the call to the oneness of Allah and the prohibition of calling upon the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous. It is not the one who belittles the prophets and the righteous, but rather the one who belittles them is the one who called upon them alongside Allah and thought that they were pleased with this, whereas they are not pleased to be worshipped alongside Allah. Rather, they forbade people from that. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Nahl: 36] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Anbiya: 25].
All the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them) called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and following the Messenger in what he brought. Similarly, our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) called for the oneness of Allah, revering His commands and prohibitions. Similarly, the scholars of the people of the Sunnah and the community called for what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called for, namely the oneness of Allah and sincerity to Him, such as Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, Abu Hanifa, al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, and others among the imams of Islam. All of them called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and obeying the commands brought by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and leaving the prohibitions. This is the truth, and this is the religion of Allah.
Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab called for what they called for. He called for the oneness of Allah, obeying Allah in what He commanded, leaving what He prohibited, following the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and leaving what contradicts that. So he does not have a fifth school of jurisprudence, nor does he have a fifth call. Rather, he calls for what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called for, what the Companions called for, and what the imams of Islam called for, in words, deeds, and creed. This is the truth in which there is no doubt. And whoever reads his books will know that. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Our brother (A. F. G.) asks this question, saying: Is the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab a distinct school of jurisprudence? And is what is said about his call regarding the abandonment of worshipping graves and calling upon the dead considered a disrespect to the righteous?
Answer:
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of the scholars of the Sunnah and one of the scholars of the people of truth. His call is not a fifth school of jurisprudence, but rather it is a call to the Salafi creed and to what the Salaf of the Ummah, the Companions and those who followed them, were upon. He calls for the oneness of Allah, following His Shari'ah, and revering His commands and prohibitions. He does not call for a new school of jurisprudence, as the ignorant or his hostile opponents, the worshippers of idols, claim. Rather, he called for worshipping Allah alone.
His call was in the twelfth century, in the second half of the twelfth century, and he passed away (may Allah have mercy on him) in the year 1202 AH, at the beginning of the thirteenth century.
His books are available and clarify his creed, such as the Book of Tawhid, such as Kashf al-Shubuhat (Clarification of Doubts), and such as The Three Fundamental Principles. All of them clarify his call, that he called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Allah, and that no one should be called upon alongside Allah, neither an angel, nor a messenger, nor an idol, nor a jinn, nor a human. Rather, worship is the right of Allah alone. In legal rulings, he followed the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), unless another opinion was stronger in his view based on evidence.
As for the accusation by his opponents or the ignorant that it is a fifth school of jurisprudence, or that he belittles the righteous and the prophets, this is all invalid. There is no belittling of them or diminishing of them in abandoning the association of partners with them. All the prophets came with the call to the oneness of Allah and the prohibition of calling upon the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous. It is not the one who belittles the prophets and the righteous, but rather the one who belittles them is the one who called upon them alongside Allah and thought that they were pleased with this, whereas they are not pleased to be worshipped alongside Allah. Rather, they forbade people from that. Allah the Exalted said:
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut."
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اُعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَAnd We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونAll the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them) called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and following the Messenger in what he brought. Similarly, our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) called for the oneness of Allah, revering His commands and prohibitions. Similarly, the scholars of the people of the Sunnah and the community called for what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called for, namely the oneness of Allah and sincerity to Him, such as Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, Abu Hanifa, al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, and others among the imams of Islam. All of them called for the oneness of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and obeying the commands brought by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and leaving the prohibitions. This is the truth, and this is the religion of Allah.
Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab called for what they called for. He called for the oneness of Allah, obeying Allah in what He commanded, leaving what He prohibited, following the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and leaving what contradicts that. So he does not have a fifth school of jurisprudence, nor does he have a fifth call. Rather, he calls for what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called for, what the Companions called for, and what the imams of Islam called for, in words, deeds, and creed. This is the truth in which there is no doubt. And whoever reads his books will know that. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.