Wahhabism

Origin of the term "Wahhabi"

The term "Wahhab" is in reference to the movement's founder Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab – although wahhabis link it to Al-Wahhab: a name of Allah in Islam.

Many Wahhabi Muslims do not approve of this name. Historically, members of this movement call themselves al-Muwahhiddun, ("the monotheists") or al-Ikhwan ("the brethren"). (The name al-Muwahhidun should not be confused with the 12th century al-Muwahhidun movement and dynasty of Morocco.)

The Wahhabis claim to call to the way of the "Salaf as-Salih", the 'rightly guided or pious predecessors' as understood mainly by Ibn Taimiyya and later by Muhammed ibn Abdul Wahab and his followers.

They are also known as Salafis, i.e. people who are upon the way of the pious predecessors.

Wahabism followed Ibn Hanbal and believed Sufism to be wrong.

Texts

Wahhabism follows Islam, so the Qur'an and the Hadiths are its basic text. It also uses explanations of Qur'an and Hadiths from the writings of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, from such books as Kitab al-Tawhid (Arabic, "Book of Monotheism") and works of scholars before him such as Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328).

Origin

Wahhabi theology advocates a fundamentalist, puritanical and legalistic stance in matters of faith and religious practice.

Wahhabists see their role as a movement to restore Islam from what they perceive to be innovations, superstitions, deviances, heresies and idolatries. During the time of Mohammed Ibn Abdul Wahhab, whose prominence gave name to this movement, there were many practices that they believed were contrary to Islam, such as:

• That invoking any prophet, saint or angel in prayer, other than Allah alone, is polytheism
• Grave worship, whether to saints' graves, or the prophet's grave
• Celebrating annual feasts for dead saints
• Wearing of charms, and believing in their healing power
• Practicing magic, or going to sorcerers or witches seeking healing
• Innovation in matters of religion (e.g. new methods of worship)
• Erecting elaborate monuments over any grave

The opponents argue that these practices have adequate proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah and have been accepted by Sunni scholars since the early days of Islam. They also see grave worship as intermediation (tawassul), and claim this is accepted and called for practice in Islam.

Wahhabism is often maligned and attacked by adherents of the Ash'ari and Maturidis as being anthropomorphist.

Early history of Wahhabism

Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia began with a surge of reformers seeking to reclaim orthodox Islam from innovation by various sects of Sunni Muslims. In the 18th century, it spread in Najd along with the expansion of the First Saudi State under Muhammad bin Saud and his successors.

Modern spread of Wahhabism

Wahhabism is the official form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. In 1924 the Wahhabi al-Saud dynasty conquered Mecca and Medina, cities holy to Muslims, creating the Saudi state. The spread of Wahhabi Islam has been facilitated by Saudi oil revenues; Saudi laypeople, government officials and clerics have donated many tens of millions of dollars to create Wahhabi-oriented religious schools, newspapers and outreach organizations.

Some Wahhabis believe that many Muslim Brotherhood scholars — Sayyed Qutb and Yusuf al-Qaradawi are sometimes cited — are corrupted due to their innovations in Islam, and their call to revolution and rebellion against the rulers of Muslim countries. For the same reason, they often hold that Osama bin Laden is not a true Wahhabi, but a Qutbee (follower of Sayyed Qutb), due to his rebellion against the rulers of Saudi Arabia.

Wahhabis ban pictures, photographs, musical instruments, singing, video, suicide bombings (not to suggest that any strand of Islam specifically condones it), and celebrating Mohammed's birthday, among many other things, based on their interpretation of the hadiths (classical collections of sayings) of Mohammad.

Many contend that Wahhabism is or has become a dominant form of Islam through proselytization driven by Saudi funding; others contend that its influence is less widespread and that the practice and observance of Wahhabism and the political manifestations that flow therefrom are more nuanced than its most doctrinaire interpretations.

Differences between Wahhabis and traditional Sunni Muslims

There are three main differences between Wahhabi Muslims and Sunni Muslims. These three differences are jurispudence (fiqh), beliefs (aqeedah), and Sufism (tassawuf). Wahhabi Muslims do not believe in blind following (taqleed) of one of the 4 mainstream schools of Sunni Islamic law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii, and Hanbali; while Sunnis hold this necessary and essential. In beliefs, Wahhabi Muslims take the entire Qur'an literally, even statements such as "Allah's hand" and therefore have anthropomorphic tendencies. Sunni Muslims either take these statements with figurative interpretations or use the principle of "billa kayf" or "without asking how." Wahhabi Muslims hold Sufism as gross innovation, even going as far as calling many Sufis pagans while Sunni Muslims hold Sufism is an essential part of Islam.

"Salafi" vs. "Wahabi" vs. "Qutbi"

See Note on Salafi vs. Wahabi vs. Qutubi at Salafi as well as the article on Qutbism.

External links

• Wahhabism and the Illusion of a Golden Age-A good introductory essay on Wahhabism
• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia article
• A Correction Of Misunderstandings Found In Non-Arabic Sources About The Movement Of Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab – A compendium of Wahhabi apologetics targeted to Muslims
• [An interesting article about Wahhabi/Salaafi defectors in Saudi Arabia.-http://www.thewahhabimyth.com/salafism.htm The Wahhabi Myth]
• [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/magazine/07SAUDIS.html?

ex=1115524800&en=a3e776e41989a547&ei=5070&pagewanted=1&oref=login]

See also

• Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab