Mouood Mouood English Edition
Content Of The Book
This book has criticized the beliefs of extremist Wahhabis in three main areas and clarified their weaknesses by means of referring to Quranic Verses and authentic Traditions.
First Area
Issues related to belief and disbelief. He clarifies:
“Many people (the fanatic Salafis), may Allah rectify them, have gone astray in understanding the principle which excommunicates somebody from Islam, to the extent that whoever disagrees with them, that is, almost all the Muslims on earth – except their small minority – are regarded by them as disbelievers!!”
He believes that the leader of this faith was not in favour of such extremism. He refers to the famous Prophetic tradition: Revilement of Muslims is debauchery and their killing is disbelief10, and censures the vilification and prosecution of Muslims; gives sufficient reasons to clarify the borders between belief and disbelief, and, thenceforth, points out their faulty reasoning which has led to their mistaken concepts.
It is interesting to note that his tone against the Salafis is, at times harsh and, occasionally, furious at the contemptuous terminology used by them.
For instance, he quotes from their works:”At times people request things from the Prophets and other Saints that no one except Almighty is capable of giving, and this is Polytheism (and disbelief).”
In reply he asserts: “This saying results from inadequate knowledge and understanding of a practice that has existed among Muslims since the beginning. People entreated those gracious individuals to pray to God and ask for His Glory to resolve an irresolvable problem, and countless cases of these pleadings to the Prophets are seen in authentic Islamic traditions; such as, the treatment of cureless maladies, the falling of rain, the gushing of spring water from the fingers of the Prophet (S), the sufficiency in a small quantity of food to feed and satiate a large crowd, and similar cases.”
At the end he suggests: “Do they understand the meaning of Tawheed (monotheism) and Kufr (disbelief) better than the Prophet(S)? This is something that no ignorant Muslim, let alone scholars, could dare to imagine.” 11
His tone is polite throughout, but his language is harsh against their anathemas, accusations of debauchery and insulting statements.
Second Area
In this section, Alawi clarifies the high status of the Prophet of Islam (S) according to the Quran and Islamic traditions. He then explains the concept of acquiring blessings from the traces of the Holy Prophet (S) and how this has nothing to do with polytheism, Thereafter, he recounts the many incidents mentioned in the traditions and statements of scholars concerning the permissibility of acquiring blessings by kissing the Prophet’s (S) hand, gaining blessings from the container that he used to drink water from, gaining blessings from his Glorious House, from his Holy Rostrum and Noble Grave, and sanctifying the traces of the Holy Saints and the past Prophets (‘as). He quotes his evidence mainly from the famous books of the Sunni orthodoxy so that there remains no room for any doubt, and then he names the companions that acquired blessings from the traces of the Messenger of God (S).
He wonders why despite all these manifest traditions and authentic evidence, a group with ears and eyes folded, denies this fact and condemns it as a type of ignorance and demagogy. 12
Third Area
This section of the book deals with many controversies, the most important one being the recommendation of visiting the Holy Shrine of the Prophet (S) and supplicating besides that Sacred Monument, and acquiring blessings from his (S) traces. He supports his case with reference to many quotes of the great accepted scholars of the past.
In the end he clarifies a point strongly opposed by the extremist Wahhabis, which is, commemorating the birth of the Prophet (S), the day of migration, the occasion of being delegated as a Prophet, the descent of the Quran, the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr (the first battle of the Prophet (S)), and the night of mid-Sha’ban.
The extremist Wahhabis believe that all these acts are forbidden innovations and thus savagely prevent the performance of ceremonies and commemorations.
In a simple, common sense, logical response, Ben Alawi tells them that these commemorations are conventional affairs, and nobody performs them as a religious ruling and, therefore, they have nothing to do with innovation and non-innovation. But they certainly involve crucial side-effects that shouldn’t be overlooked. The message of Islam at all costs should be conveyed to people in these glorious gatherings. He concludes: these gatherings are, in reality, very precious occasions, which must be guarded and taken advantage of in the best manner, and those who oppose them and strive for their elimination, are ignorant and narrow-minded. 13
A Necessary Reminder
The aim of presenting abstracts from the book is to suggest that the foundation of his statements which are interwined with reason, logic, grace and bravery are factual and welcomed by a large faction of the great Islamic scholars of different countries, including the Saudi kingdom.
It seems that the fanatic Wahhabis have exhausted their term, considering the fact that a book which is exclusively engaged in censuring extremist Wahhabism is getting such applause from the Islamic world.
However, Ben Alawi in return for this great gift to the Islamic world and even to the moderate Wahhabis, received his reward. Books were published by that same crowd of fanatics, in which the same old and coarse method of excommunication was employed and the decree for his infidelity was issued. (Books by the name “Discourse with Maleki” and “Refutation to Maleki on his Misguidance and Indecency”)
Not only were these books condemned by readers but were regarded, by a collection of the scholars of Al-Azhar, as of service to the Zionists and an attack upon Islamic unity. Ben Alawi was still very much respected by the people of Saudi Arabia, and tens of thousands of people participated in his funeral procession, and the Saudi leaders visited his house several times to condole with his family.
This popular response demonstrated the general opinion of the people against the extremist Wahhabis and their weapon of excommunication and anathemisation!
However, the chief justice of Mecca summoned him to court in Riyadh and pronounced him guilty. He defended his writings for a few hours and at last he said: This is my personal judgement. At most, you are a Muslim jurist and I too am a Muslim jurist and no jurist can impose his opinion on any other jurist. The court acquitted him!
