Mouood Mouood English Edition
Exaggeration And Overstatement About Saints
Mohammed ben Abdulwahhab states in the outset of the book Kashf ul-Shubahat: “Monotheism (Tawheed) is the religion of the prophets whom Allah has sent to His servants, the first amongst them is Noah (‘as) the Almighty sent him to his nation at the time when they had exaggerated about the Saints.”
Thereafter Ibn Farhan remarks: The opening to this assertion is correct. However, it ends erroneously and it is perhaps a prelude to ex-communication! The Almighty sent Noah (‘a), to summon people towards the unitary God and to abandon polytheism, because they worshipped idols called Wadd and Sowa’ and so on…Their problem was not confined to just exaggerating about the Saints. Exaggeration and overstatement can be the cause for polytheism (or disbelief), but indeed not every overstatement is polytheism nor does anyone have the right to shed Muslim blood based on this excuse!
He then goes on to say: ‘I do not claim that the exaggerations made about Saints and the great ones of religion or some superstitious rituals are correct, I claim they are wrong but cannot be termed as blasphemy’.
Some people criticized the Sheikh saying that those whom he ex-communicated and went to war against and killed, were Muslims who established prayer, fasted and performed the pilgrimage. He responded that since they exaggerate about the dignitaries of religion they are all disbelievers and are even worse than the polytheists of the era of paganism. 27
Ibn Farhan is astounded that the opposers of exaggeration, are themselves given to unbelievable exaggeration about Sheikh Mohammad ben Abdulwahhab by regarding him pure from making any mistake, calling him “the patriarch of existence”, 28 a term that they don’t even allow to be used for the Holy Prophet (S).
And in the last critique (the thirty-third critique), he addresses the Sheikh and states that on page 70 of his book, the only exception that he has made on the issue of blasphemy (or ex-communication) is of those who are “reluctant” (unwilling), meaning those who are forced to make a blasphemous statement. He has then referred to the Qur’anic verse “Except he who was compelled”. Ibn Farhan mentions another party mentioned in the Quran, who rose in denial of some religious matters (while they believed in the fundamentals of Islam), due to unawareness and ignorance, or as a result of incorrect understanding of the Qu’anic verses and narrated traditions. Those people, according to the Quran and traditions, are excused and are not considered as disbelievers.
He then concludes: ‘One of the shortcomings of the Sheikh’s methodology lies in his procedure of taking hold of one Qur’anic verse or a single tradition and leaving aside the rest of the verses and traditions, and this is a very grave mistake.’
The Second Chapter: A critique of Al-Dorar ul-Sonniyah
In the second chapter of the book, he questions the Sheikh’s views in Al-Dorar ul-Sonniyah and points out forty mistakes, including the statement in this book29: ‘none of the scholars of Najd nor the judges of that region know the meaning of “لا إله إلا الله” (There is no God but Allah), and they cannot distinguish between the religion brought by Mohammad (S) and the religion of Amr ibn Lahi (the famous idol worshipper of the era of paganism); they consider the religion of Amr ibn Lahi superior and even the right religion’. As a result, he declares all scholars, Jurists and Judges of that region polytheists and infidels.
Ibn Farhan then cites the books written about the scholars and the jurists of this region to show that Sheikh Mohammad was heading in the wrong direction when ex-communicating Muslims. Amongst the cases that he raised concerning exaggeration in ex-communication by this extremist Wahhabi group, are the following two cases:
1) Ex-communication of the Shi’a: Sheikh Mohammad ben Abdulwahhab suggests that whoever doubts the infidelity of the Shia is an infidel. 30 Ibn Farhan goes on to say: ‘This is while Ibn Taymiah, with all his exaggerations and hostilities towards the Shia regards them as Mulsims (even though he considers Shias as the people of forbidden innovations), but says explicitly that they are not infidels (disbelievrs).’ 31
The author then suggests: ‘It was only after these inhuman and un-Islamic fatwas that the killing of the Shia, who were the ones who actually laid the foundations for the most developed doctrine of Tawheed (monotheism) in Islam, began and continues to this day.
2. The Sheikh states: ‘Whoever curses a companion of the Holy Prophet (whoever it may be) is an infidel! 32
Ibn Farhan Maleki states clearly, ‘Mo`awiyah according to the explicit text of Sahih Muslim33 commanded his people to curse Imam Ali (‘as) (and for decades, from the pulpits, speakers cursed Imam Ali (‘as). In spite of this, did the Shaikh call Mo’awiyah an infidel? 34
This Maleki Sunni scholar states: ‘It has been seen that Sheikh Mohammad, defends himself thus: “The enemies claim that I ex-communicate individuals upon suspicion, I regard ignorant individuals who haven’t been provided with proof as infidels. This is a great calumny. They intend to break up people from the religion of God and His Messenger.” 35
Ibn Farhan states: ‘This very claim by the Sheikh is an implicit ex-communication in relation to those who have not embraced Wahhabism, since he means that the religion of God and His Messenger, that they intend to distance the people from, is the creed of Wahhabism. Therefore, those opposing Wahhabism, disbelieve the religion of God and His Messenger.’ 36
Contradiction In The Words Of The Sheikh
Ibn Farhan refers to other explicit sayings of the Shaikh and states: ‘There are many faults and errors imputed to the Sheikh which he wards off himself, while most of them exist in his sayings! He then mentions twenty-five cases of these imputations with reference to their source and evidence, including what the Sheikh denies regarding the following:
He considers the fourfold creeds of the Sunnah as void!
Whoever implores the Saints is an infidel!
1) If he finds the power and ability he will demolish the Tomb and the Holy Shrine of the Prophet (S)! (And akin to the shrines of the Imams of the household and other dignitaries in Baqee, he will level it to the ground.)
He regards the visit to the sepulchre of the Prophet (S) as forbidden!
He regards everybody as infidels, except those who follow him!
He has denied many other statements similar to these, while they are either found explicitly in his books or heard in his speeches, and this amazing contradiction surprises anyone who goes through his work with an open mind.
