Eighty nine years have passed from that tragic incident; one whose bitter consequences still affect the Muslims…
After occupying Mecca, they attacked Medina; but the defenders of the city did not have the power to face them. They occupied the city of Medina as well. Then, they entered the cemetery of Baqi and destroyed the grave of Abdullah and Ibrahim, the father and son of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP), his wives, and all the companions and followers with no exception; however, they did not leave it at there and destroyed the metal shrine over the graves of Imam Hassan (PBUH), Imam Sajjad (PBUH), Imam Baqir (PBUH), and Imam Sadiq (PBUH). Moreover, they destroyed the birth place of Imam Hassan (PBUH) and Imam Hussain (PBUH), the graves of the martyrs of Uhud, and the shelter (Bait al-Ahzan) Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH) had built for Lady Fatimah (PBUH)(1).
These are people who were later known as the “Wahhabis”.
But this question might come into mind that “How did Wahhabyiat emerge, and who was its founder?
The official preaching of the ideology of Wahhabyiat, which considered all the other Islamic sects to be polytheists and disbelievers in Allah (SWT), began by Ibn Taymiyyah in year 698 AH in Syria. However, his views were strongly opposed by great Sunni and Shia scholars. Ibn Taymiyyah died in the prison of Syria in year 728 AH, and his thoughts became forgotten with his death.
However, the false beliefs of Ibn Taymiyyah were revived by “Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab” with the support of “Muhammad ibn Saud”, the governor of the city of “Diriyah”, in the region of “Najd” in the Arabian Peninsula in year 1157 AH.
Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, who is known as the founder of Wahhabyiat, was born in year 1115 AH in “Uyyinah” in the region of Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. He learned the Hanbali Jurisprudence in his hometown and then moved to Medina to continue his studies.
During his studies, he mentioned statements that revealed his deviated beliefs, to a level that some of his teachers were worried about his future.
The most important thing Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab did was that he structured the beliefs of Ibn Taymiyyah as a new sect or school which was different from all the four Sunni schools as well as Shiism.
As an example, following Ibn Taymiyyah, the Wahhabis believe that Allah (SWT) sits on His throne in the Heavens (2). Ibn Taymiyyah is so misguided that he considers Allah (SWT) to have hands, feet, legs, and a face, as explained in his book “Al-Aqidah al-Hamawiyah”. This view is in clear contradiction with the verses of the Holy Quran, specifically verse 11 of Chapter 42 and verse 4 of Chapter 112, where any similarity between Allah (SWT) and His creatures is negated: “There is none like Him”, “There is no partner or similar to Him”.
Hisni al-Dimashqi (3) writes that:” Ibn Taymiyyah has said,’ Whoever seeks help from a dead person or someone who is far … is an oppressor, deviated, and polytheist one’. This statement shakes man’s body. No one has said such a statement before the pagan Ibn Taymiyyah. He has claimed that the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (PPBUH&HP) ceased after his death. Such belief is definitely false, and a sign of polytheism and hypocrisy (4)”.
Later, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab went on with his false beliefs to consider Muslims to be idol worshippers and polytheists because of seeking help (Tawassul) from the Prophets and Imams; he judged them as disbelievers, considered killing them to be allowed, and regarded their properties as war booties. Based on this, he destroyed the shrines of all the companions and saints in his vicinity. His followers also killed thousands of innocent Muslims and plundered their properties based on this ruling.
Zaini Dahlan, the jurisprudent of Mecca, writes:” He was so extremist that even his brother, Shaykh Sulayman, denied his beliefs and did not follow him in any of his innovations; to a level that he wrote a book in denying the beliefs of his brother. One day, Sulayman asked his brother,’ How many pillars does Islam have?’ Muhammad replied,’ Five’. Sulayman said,’ But you day that whoever is not a Wahhabi and does not follow you is a polytheist, and you have made this the sixth pillar of Islam!’ Their dispute became so intense that Sulayman saved his life by escaping to Medina (5)”.
It is so sad that this false belief has made its way to our era, and at a time when mankind takes pride in civilization and progress, the blood of thousands of innocent is spilled in various countries in terrorist attacks based on the deviated beliefs of Wahhabyiat. Such belief is a serious threat not only to the Muslims, but also to all human beings with any religion or ideology…
Is it not on us to look for a solution to oppose the propagation of such false, shallow beliefs?
(The above is a selection taken from “Wahhabyiat from the Perspective of Wisdom and Religion”, by Ayatullah Dr. Muhammad Hussaini Qazwini (with some changes and additions))
The Roshd Website offers condolences to all Msulims of the world, especially you dear friend, upon 8th of Shawwal, the anniversary of the destruction of the shrines of the Imams of Baqi (PBUH), the symbol of oppression against the Ahl al-Bait (PBUT), and the manifestation of crime and narrow-mindedness of the Wahhabis.
Footnotes:
1- History of Wahhabis, p. 107 (126 in the Arabic version)
2- Al-Aqidah al-Hamawiyah, p. 429
3- Khair al-Din Zarkali, a Wahhabi scholar, has described Hisni Damishqi as “He is a knowledgeable, pious, righteous, leader and Imam; he has written many books, one of which is “Daf’ Shubah Man Shabbah Wa Tamarrad” (Al-A’laam, vol. 2, p. 69)
4- Daf’ al-Shubah An al-Rasul Wa al-Risalah, p. 131
5- Al-Durar al-Sunniyah fi al-Rad Ala al-Wahhabyiah, pp. 39-42