Introduction to the Call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
He has a third and final question, in which he says: Some people among us in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia call the scholars Wahhabis. Do you accept this designation? And what is the response to those who call you by this name?
The answer: Yes, this is a well-known title. This title is well-known for the scholars of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the scholars of Najd, who are attributed to the Shaykh and Imam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him); because he called to Allah in the second half of the twelfth century and exerted effort in clarifying tawhid and explaining shirk (associating partners with Allah) to the people, until Allah guided many people through him, and the people entered into the tawhid of Allah and left behind the various types of major shirk they were upon, such as worshipping the people of the graves, building on the graves, worshipping trees and stones, and exaggerating in the righteous. So his call became a great Islamic call of renewal, by which Allah benefited the Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere. May Allah have mercy on him with a vast mercy. And his followers, and whoever called with his call and grew up on this call in Najd, are called Wahhabi. And this title was a mark for the people of tawhid; everyone who called to the tawhid of Allah and forbade shirk and attachment to graves, or attachment to trees and stones, and ordered sincerity to Allah, they called him a Wahhabi. So it is a noble and great title indicating that whoever is titled with it is from the people of tawhid and the people of sincerity to Allah, and from those who forbid shirk with Allah and the worship of graves, trees, stones, idols, and statues. This is the origin of this naming and this title.
It is an attribution to the Shaykh and Imam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn 'Ali al-Tamimi al-Hanbali, the caller to Allah (may Allah have mercy on him with a vast mercy). He grew up in Najd and learned in Najd, then he traveled to Makkah and al-Madinah and took knowledge from their scholars from the people of the Sunnah, then he returned to Najd and saw what the people were in of ignorance and worship of graves and exaggeration in them and shirk with Allah and calling the dead and seeking aid from them and building on their graves. So he called to Allah and guided the people and forbade them from shirk, and explained to them that tawhid is the right of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) upon His servants, and that it is what the messengers (peace be upon them) called to, and explained to them the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and that its meaning is: There is no true object of worship except Allah. So it is negation and affirmation; it negates divinity for other than Allah and affirms worship for Allah alone, (Glorified and Exalted is He), as He said : [Surat al-Hajj:62].
He said, (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Surat al-Fatihah:5] He said : [Surat al-Anbiya:25] He said, (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Surat al-Isra:23] He said : [Surat Ghafir:14] He said, (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Surat al-Bayyinah:5]
So Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) established this call in the second half of the twelfth century, and that was in al-'Uyaynah, which is a town close to Riyadh. He called to Allah there and spread tawhid, and a great circle for teaching became established with him. Then he moved to al-Dar'iyyah for known reasons, and its ruler, Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, received him and pledged allegiance to him to call to Allah the Mighty and Majestic and to spread Islam in al-Dar'iyyah and its surroundings. So Allah benefited through that, and the two individuals, Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, the grandfather of the ruling family now, cooperated in the path of the call. And that was in the year 1158 AH, in the year one thousand one hundred and fifty-eight. This is the beginning of the call in al-Dar'iyyah after he moved from al-'Uyaynah. So Islam spread there, and the domes that were on the graves were removed, and tawhid spread among the people, and they knew the true meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah." Then the state of the House of Sa'ud was established in the rest of the peninsula, and the matter of tawhid spread to the edges of the peninsula. So Allah benefited greatly through this call, and the truth became apparent through it, and the people of tawhid were victorious through it, and it became a mark for the people of tawhid in every place. Then this call also spread in Yemen and in many parts of India and other than India, and in the Levant, Iraq, and Egypt. The imams of guidance and the scholars of truth received it with acceptance, and they supported Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) and called with his call. Others opposed him, those whom ignorance overcame, or whom following their fathers and predecessors without knowledge overcame, or whom desire and fanaticism for what they were upon overcame, lest the people say: Why did you not teach us? Why did you not enjoin upon us? So they opposed this call and wrote false writings. But Allah gave victory to the call and its people, and the matter of tawhid became straight in the peninsula, and the matter of Allah spread, praise be to Allah. So the followers of this call, and those who call to the tawhid of Allah, from the scholars of tawhid, from the scholars of Najd, are titled Wahhabis. So it is a known, noble title and is not reprehensible, but it is a title for the people of tawhid and faith, for the people of calling to Allah the Mighty and Majestic. And thus this title spread.
If they see someone who calls to Allah and clarifies the reality of tawhid and forbids shirk in Africa or in the Levant or in Yemen or in other places, if some of the extremists and some of the deviants see him, they say: This is a Wahhabi, in order to make people averse to his call and so that people think that this call is a false call or a call that contradicts the Shari'ah. And that is an ugly and blameworthy error. Rather, it is the reality of what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to. For the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to the tawhid of Allah, and thus all the messengers, every one of them, called to the tawhid of Allah and spread the religion of Allah, peace and blessings be upon them. As He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Surat al-Nahl: 36].
So this is the call of the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them all, and it is the call of our Prophet and our Imam and our Master Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He called to the tawhid of Allah and established the call in Makkah. And the polytheists used to call those who responded to his call "Sabi," just as the monotheist is now called a Wahhabi.
So whoever responded to the call of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah, they said to him: Sabi. And thus it was after he migrated, but Allah gave victory to the call and supported His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). And the call spread in Makkah and its surroundings. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated to al-Madinah, and the call was victorious, and the market of jihad was established, and al-Madinah became the stronghold of Islam and the city of Islam and the first capital of Islam, and praise be to Allah.
And the point of all this is that this call and this title is a title for whoever calls to the tawhid of Allah. Whoever calls to the tawhid of Allah and denies shirk, some of the ignorant call him a Wahhabi due to their ignorance of the reality and their lack of knowledge of the reality. And the reality is what we mentioned: that it is a great call to the tawhid of Allah and to following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and not blind following and not blind fanaticism, and not innovations and superstitions, and not shirk and attachment to the dead, trees, stones, or to the prophets and the righteous, or to idols. This call fights this shirk, and calls to the tawhid of Allah and sincerity to Him and faith in the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and its realization, and the realization of following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and holding fast to his Sunnah and his path and being upright upon that.
This is the call of Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him). Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
The answer: Yes, this is a well-known title. This title is well-known for the scholars of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the scholars of Najd, who are attributed to the Shaykh and Imam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him); because he called to Allah in the second half of the twelfth century and exerted effort in clarifying tawhid and explaining shirk (associating partners with Allah) to the people, until Allah guided many people through him, and the people entered into the tawhid of Allah and left behind the various types of major shirk they were upon, such as worshipping the people of the graves, building on the graves, worshipping trees and stones, and exaggerating in the righteous. So his call became a great Islamic call of renewal, by which Allah benefited the Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere. May Allah have mercy on him with a vast mercy. And his followers, and whoever called with his call and grew up on this call in Najd, are called Wahhabi. And this title was a mark for the people of tawhid; everyone who called to the tawhid of Allah and forbade shirk and attachment to graves, or attachment to trees and stones, and ordered sincerity to Allah, they called him a Wahhabi. So it is a noble and great title indicating that whoever is titled with it is from the people of tawhid and the people of sincerity to Allah, and from those who forbid shirk with Allah and the worship of graves, trees, stones, idols, and statues. This is the origin of this naming and this title.
It is an attribution to the Shaykh and Imam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn 'Ali al-Tamimi al-Hanbali, the caller to Allah (may Allah have mercy on him with a vast mercy). He grew up in Najd and learned in Najd, then he traveled to Makkah and al-Madinah and took knowledge from their scholars from the people of the Sunnah, then he returned to Najd and saw what the people were in of ignorance and worship of graves and exaggeration in them and shirk with Allah and calling the dead and seeking aid from them and building on their graves. So he called to Allah and guided the people and forbade them from shirk, and explained to them that tawhid is the right of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) upon His servants, and that it is what the messengers (peace be upon them) called to, and explained to them the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and that its meaning is: There is no true object of worship except Allah. So it is negation and affirmation; it negates divinity for other than Allah and affirms worship for Allah alone, (Glorified and Exalted is He), as He said :
That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُHe said, (Glorified and Exalted is He):
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُAnd 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 فَاعْبُدُونِAnd your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُSo invoke Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, although the disbelievers dislike it.
فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَAnd they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَSo Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) established this call in the second half of the twelfth century, and that was in al-'Uyaynah, which is a town close to Riyadh. He called to Allah there and spread tawhid, and a great circle for teaching became established with him. Then he moved to al-Dar'iyyah for known reasons, and its ruler, Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, received him and pledged allegiance to him to call to Allah the Mighty and Majestic and to spread Islam in al-Dar'iyyah and its surroundings. So Allah benefited through that, and the two individuals, Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, the grandfather of the ruling family now, cooperated in the path of the call. And that was in the year 1158 AH, in the year one thousand one hundred and fifty-eight. This is the beginning of the call in al-Dar'iyyah after he moved from al-'Uyaynah. So Islam spread there, and the domes that were on the graves were removed, and tawhid spread among the people, and they knew the true meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah." Then the state of the House of Sa'ud was established in the rest of the peninsula, and the matter of tawhid spread to the edges of the peninsula. So Allah benefited greatly through this call, and the truth became apparent through it, and the people of tawhid were victorious through it, and it became a mark for the people of tawhid in every place. Then this call also spread in Yemen and in many parts of India and other than India, and in the Levant, Iraq, and Egypt. The imams of guidance and the scholars of truth received it with acceptance, and they supported Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) and called with his call. Others opposed him, those whom ignorance overcame, or whom following their fathers and predecessors without knowledge overcame, or whom desire and fanaticism for what they were upon overcame, lest the people say: Why did you not teach us? Why did you not enjoin upon us? So they opposed this call and wrote false writings. But Allah gave victory to the call and its people, and the matter of tawhid became straight in the peninsula, and the matter of Allah spread, praise be to Allah. So the followers of this call, and those who call to the tawhid of Allah, from the scholars of tawhid, from the scholars of Najd, are titled Wahhabis. So it is a known, noble title and is not reprehensible, but it is a title for the people of tawhid and faith, for the people of calling to Allah the Mighty and Majestic. And thus this title spread.
If they see someone who calls to Allah and clarifies the reality of tawhid and forbids shirk in Africa or in the Levant or in Yemen or in other places, if some of the extremists and some of the deviants see him, they say: This is a Wahhabi, in order to make people averse to his call and so that people think that this call is a false call or a call that contradicts the Shari'ah. And that is an ugly and blameworthy error. Rather, it is the reality of what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to. For the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to the tawhid of Allah, and thus all the messengers, every one of them, called to the tawhid of Allah and spread the religion of Allah, peace and blessings be upon them. As He (Glorified and Exalted is He) 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 الطَّاغُوتَSo this is the call of the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them all, and it is the call of our Prophet and our Imam and our Master Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He called to the tawhid of Allah and established the call in Makkah. And the polytheists used to call those who responded to his call "Sabi," just as the monotheist is now called a Wahhabi.
So whoever responded to the call of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah, they said to him: Sabi. And thus it was after he migrated, but Allah gave victory to the call and supported His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). And the call spread in Makkah and its surroundings. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated to al-Madinah, and the call was victorious, and the market of jihad was established, and al-Madinah became the stronghold of Islam and the city of Islam and the first capital of Islam, and praise be to Allah.
And the point of all this is that this call and this title is a title for whoever calls to the tawhid of Allah. Whoever calls to the tawhid of Allah and denies shirk, some of the ignorant call him a Wahhabi due to their ignorance of the reality and their lack of knowledge of the reality. And the reality is what we mentioned: that it is a great call to the tawhid of Allah and to following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and not blind following and not blind fanaticism, and not innovations and superstitions, and not shirk and attachment to the dead, trees, stones, or to the prophets and the righteous, or to idols. This call fights this shirk, and calls to the tawhid of Allah and sincerity to Him and faith in the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and its realization, and the realization of following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and holding fast to his Sunnah and his path and being upright upon that.
This is the call of Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him). Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.