Library complex. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is

Question #9999999: Did Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab act against the Ottoman Caliphate?

Some people speak very badly of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him. They accuse him of having fought against the Ottoman Islamic Empire and against the Caliph, so he was an enemy of the Muslims. This is what they give as an argument. Is it so? How could he fight against the caliph while the caliph was praying and paying zakat and so on? They also say that he made an agreement with the English army and fought with them against the Muslims. Can you give detailed description these historical events and show me the truth? Who to believe?

All praise to Allah!

It never happened that a man brought something righteous into this world without having enemies from among the jinn and people. Even the prophets of Allah were not immune from this.

The enmity of the people has been directed against the scholars in the past, especially the true callers (Islam). They were met with intense hostility from the people. An example of this is Sheikh ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him; some of his envious people considered it permitted to shed his blood, others accused him of delusion and leaving the bosom of Islam and apostasy.

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was just another one of these aggrieved scholars who were falsely accused by the people of trying to create turmoil (fitnah). The only reasons for such behavior of people were envy and hatred, along with the fact that bid "" a (heresy, delusion) was strongly entrenched in their hearts, or they were ignorant and blindly followed people of whims and passions.

We will mention several false accusations made up against the Shaykh and prove them unfounded.

Shaykh Abd Al-Aziz Al-Abd Al-Latif said:

Some opponents of the Salafi movement (dawa) argue that Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rebelled against the Ottoman Caliphate, thereby splitting the jamaat (Muslim society) and refusing to obey and obey (the ruler).

Da" "awa al-Munawi" "in li Da" "wat al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, p. 233

He said:

Abd al-Kadim Zalum claims that the appearance of "Wahabists" and their call was the cause of the fall of the Caliphate. It was said that the "Wahabists" formed a state within the Islamic State under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Saud and later his son Abd al-Aziz, which was supported by the weapons and money of the British, and they were going to take control of the rest of the territories that were under the rule of the Caliphate, justifying themselves with urges to spread their convictions, that is, they raised their swords against the Caliph and fought the Muslim army, the army of Amir Al-Mu'minin, with the encouragement and support of the British.

Kayfa Khudimat al-Khilafa, page 10

Before we answer the false accusation that Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rebelled against the Caliphate, we mention that the Shaykh believed in obedience and obedience to Imams (rulers), whether they were just or not, provided that they did not command that which leads to disobedience to Allah, because obedience is only in regard to what is right and proper.

The Shaykh said in his letter to the people of Al-Qasim: "I consider it obligatory to obey the Muslim rulers, whether they are just or not, provided that they do not command disobedience to Allah. If someone becomes Caliph and the people support and accept him, even if he achieved the place of the caliph by force, he must obey and it is haraam to rebel against him.

Majmuat Muallafat al-Sheikh, 5/11

And he also said:
"One of the main principles of unity is obedience and submission to anyone who is appointed over us, even if he is an Abyssinian slave..."

Majmuat Muallafat al-Sheikh, 1/394; quoted in Daawa al-Munaaween, 233-234

And Sheikh Abd al-Aziz al-Abd al-Latif said:

“After establishing these facts, which make it clear that the Sheikh considered obedience and obedience to the rulers of the Muslims, whether they are just or not, provided that they do not order disobedience to Allah, we can proceed to a very important question in answering this false accusation. The following question is very important: was Najd, on the territory of which the conscription arose and developed initially, under the rule of the Ottoman state?

Dr. Salih al-Abud replied to this as follows:
Najd was never under the rule of the Ottoman state, since the power of the Ottoman state never extended so far, no Ottoman governor was appointed over this territory and Turkish soldiers never passed through this land in the period preceding the appearance of the call of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, May Allah have mercy on him. This fact is indicated by the fact that the Ottoman state was divided into administrative regions. This is known from a Turkish document called Qavanin al-Usman Mudamin Daftar al-Diwan (Laws of the Turks regarding what is included in the legislation), which was written by Yamin Ali Effendi - in charge of the Constitution in 1018 AH / 1609 EC. This document indicates that from the beginning of the 11th century AH, the Ottoman state was divided into 23 regions, 14 of which were Arab, and Najd was not among them, with the exception of al-Ikhs, if we consider al-Ikhs to be part of Najd.

Aqidat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab wa asarukha fi'l'Alam al-Islami (unpublished), 1/27

And Dr. Abd Allah al-Uthaymeen said:
In any case, Najd never came directly under Ottoman rule before the invocation of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, nor was it ever influenced by any force that could influence the events taking place in Najd. . None had such influence, and the influence of Bani Jabr or Bani Khalid in some parts, or Ashraf in other parts, was limited. None of them were able to bring political stability, so the wars between the various districts of Najd continued and there were intense conflicts between the various tribes.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Khayatuhu wa Fikruhu, p. eleven; quoted in Daawa al-Munawieen, 234-235

We will conclude this discussion with the words of Shaykh 'Abd al-Aziz ibn 'Abd-Allah ibn Baz in response to this false accusation. He, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

As far as I know, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab did not rebel against the Ottoman Caliphate, because there was no territory in Najd under the rule of the Turks. On the contrary, Najd consisted of small emirates and scattered villages, and each city or village, regardless of size, was ruled by an independent emir. These were emirates between which there were battles, wars and disagreements. Therefore Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab did not rebel against the Ottoman state, rather he rebelled against the immoral situation in his own land, and he fought on the path of jihad for the sake of Allah and showed steadfastness by spreading the light of this call to other lands ...

Speech recorded on a tape recorder; given in Daawa al-Munawieen, p. 237
Dr. Ajil al-Nashmi said: "... From the side of the Caliphate there was no reaction and manifestation of discontent or indignation during the life of the Sheikh, although four Ottoman sultans were replaced during his life ... "

Majallat al-Mujtama, question no.

If the above reflects the Shaykh's attitude towards the Caliphate, how did the Caliphate view the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?

Dr. al-Nashmi, answering this question, said:

"The idea that the Caliphate had about the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab was very distorted and clouded, because the Caliphate listened only to those who were hostile to the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, as in the messages sent by them governors in Hijaz, Baghdad or elsewhere, and through individuals who traveled to Istanbul bringing news with them.

Al-Mujtama, question no.; Quoted in Daawa al-Munaaween, 238-239

Regarding Zalum's claim that the Sheikh's call was one of the reasons for the fall of the Caliphate and that the British helped the "Wahhabis" to bring him down, Mahmoud Mahdi al-Istanbouli said in regard to this ridiculous statement:

"From this author it is necessary to demand evidence and grounds for his opinion. As the poet said: "If statements are not supported by evidence, they are used as evidence only by fools."

We will also note that history shows that the British were opposed to this call from the very beginning, fearing that the entire Muslim world might rise because of it.

Al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab fi maraat al-Sharq Wal-Gharb, 240

And he also says:

It is ironic that this professor accuses the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab of being one of the factors that caused the death of the Ottoman Caliphate, even though this movement began in 1811 and the Caliphate ceased to exist in 1922.

Ibid, p. 64

The fact that the British were against the "Wahhabi" movement is indicated by the fact that they sent Captain Foster Sadler to congratulate Ibrahim Pasha on his success over the "Wahhabis" in the war that Ibrahim Pasha waged in Dariya, and also to find out to what extent he was ready to cooperate with the British authorities to combat what they called "Wahhabi piracy" in the Arabian Gulf.

Undoubtedly, this message clearly expressed the desire to establish an agreement between the British government and Ibrahim Pasha with the intention of completely destroying the "Wahhabis".

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Manzur al-Numaani said:

"The British made the most of the hostility that took place in India towards Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab and they accused everyone who opposed them and stood in their way, or whom they considered dangerous, of being "Wahhabis" ... Similarly, the British called the Deobandit scholars in India "Wahhabis" because of their sharp opposition to and pressure from the British.

Diayya Mukazzafa Didd al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, 105-106

From these many extracts, we can see the falsity of these erroneous arguments against the backdrop of the clear scientific evidence contained in the essays and books of the Shaykh; this falsity also becomes apparent when compared with historical facts recorded by just authors.

Daawa al-Munawieen, 239-240

And Allah knows best!

SCIENTIFIC LIFE

DAY OF CREATIVITY OF STUDENTS "LOMONOSOV-2004"
(Abstracts. Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. April. 2004)

K. Pylaeva

THE RISE OF THE WAHHABI MOVEMENT

§ 1. Life of Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab

The founder of the Wahhabi religious and political trend in Islam is Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab at-Ta-mimi. He was born in 1115/1703 in the suburb of Nejd Uyyan. His family belonged to the class of the ulema of the 1st clan. Aal ash-Sheikh from the tribe Banu Tamim. Since childhood, he was preparing to become a theologian and already at the age of 10 he knew the Koran by heart, i.e. was a hafiz. But, unfortunately, Najd - a remote Arabian pastoral region with a small number of cities and places of learning - could not give Abd al-Wahhab a thorough education in the sense that Muslims understand it. In this regard, Muhammad had to travel a lot to different cities and scientific, cultural and theological and teaching centers of Islam in order to receive a worthy theological education. He studied in Basra, Baghdad, Damascus, Iran, al-Sham, Egypt, Yemen, made a pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam - Mecca and Medina. Abd al-Wahhab studied theology with the most prominent ulema of that time, read the works of the greatest Muslim philosophers of the Middle Ages, such as Ibn Rushd, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Abu Nasr ibn Muhammad al-Farabi 2 and many others. He took part in numerous religious and political disputes, and also taught theology in the Nejdi madrasah. Having studied the current state of the Muslim religion on the territory of Arabia, he came to the conclusion that the "generally accepted" form of Islam is a deviation from its original purity of the 7th century BC. and that the superstitious Turks who conquered Arabia at the beginning of the 16th century distorted the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (including the Sunnah) beyond recognition. In the 40-50s. 18th century Abd al-Wahhab openly raised the issue of the need to renew Islam based solely on the Qur'an and Sunnah. Abd al-Wahhab found the scientific and theoretical substantiation of his ideas in the teachings of the Syrian theologian of the 13th century. Taqi al-Din ibn Taymiyyi (1263-1328), who modified the Hanbali doctrine created by Ahmad Hanbal, which rejected "innovations" that were at odds with the principles of the original purity of Islam. Abd al-Wahhab copied the theological writings of Ibn Taymiyyah with his own hand, and now his manuscripts are kept in Leiden.

For the first time, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab delivered his sermon in the city of Eyan in the early 40s. 18th century But, despite the fact that his speech attracted a huge number of associates, the theologian had to leave the city on the orders of its Turkish ruler from the family of ibn Maamer. The era of feudal disunity that engulfed the Arabian lands in the 16th-17th centuries was in full swing, and this made it possible for the teachings of al-Wahhab to quickly spread among the socially active masses of the rural population, dissatisfied with living conditions. His sermons and calls for the unification of the Arab state were supported by some sheikhs and emirs of Central Arabia. Among the first companions of al-Wahhab and admirers of his creed was the family of al-Saudids - emirs of the small city of ad-Diraiya, located in northeastern Najd. In 1740, an agreement was concluded between al-Wahhab and an emir from the al-Saudid family, which marked the beginning of a great movement for the unification of Arabia under the banner of the Wahhabi creed.

Thus, the writings of Ibn Taymiyya were put into practice by the educated theologian Abd al-Wahhab, who began a new era in the life of the Muslim East - the era of unification based on the original principles of pure Islam. The theologian died in 1787 3 in ad-Diraiya. According to researchers of the Wahhabism movement and the life of al-Wahhab 4 , out of the numerous works of the theologian, distinguished by the richness of thought and immediacy, nothing or little has apparently been printed.

§ 2. Teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab

"Wahhabism" - the name given by the opponents of the movement, the Turks, during the fierce struggle at the beginning of the 19th century; the followers of Abd al-Wahhab themselves called themselves "monotheists" or simply "Muslims". Western authors call the Wahhabis "Puritans of the Desert".

As already noted, formally al-Wahhab did not create new dogmas. He sought to restore among the Arabs the religion of Islam in its original Qur'anic purity. The question of cleansing religion from centuries of accumulating layers - an innovation in dogma, cult, traditions has already been raised in Muslim society. In the XIII century. the Hanbali madhhab, the founder of which was the Syrian theologian from Damascus, Ibn Taymiyyah, especially insisted on this. He considered unacceptable for Islam - a monotheistic religion - such elements as the cult of saints, ziyarat (pilgrim visits to tombs - mazars), not excluding the tomb of the prophet in Medina. An important dogma of the Hanbali madhhab was also the assertion that the mystical ideas of Sufism, which are at odds with the original tenets of the Koran and Sunnah, are unacceptable in Islam. Ibn Taymiyya proclaimed war on paganism, relying on the teachings of Muhammad on jihad - "holy war" against the infidels.

So, taking as a basis the Hanbali madhhab of Ibn Taymiyyah, Abd al-Wahhab developed a new religious and political doctrine, from which a new era of Islamic dogma began. The theologian urged to renounce impermissible innovations (bid "a), which included ziyarat, but, unlike the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya on pilgrimage, he did not deny the hajj to Mecca, undertaken by Muhammad himself. Abd al-Wahhab taught that to show luxury - means to deviate from the teachings of the Koran, which says that luxury is the tricks of the devil.In this regard, it was forbidden to use a rosary (the rosary was borrowed by Muslims from India through Sufism at an early stage of its development), smoke tobacco, wear silk clothes and gold jewelry. al-Wahhab considered the apostolic situation of the 7th century to be a righteous life, and he even studied the biography of the prophet according to the oldest “Life of the Apostle” by Ibn Hisham (d. 834).

The main doctrinal dogma of the Wahhabis is belief in the unconditionally one God, which is anthropomorphic for the adherents of this doctrine. The teacher considered this idea to be the essence of Islam, this is the name of the main work of his life: “Kitab at-Tav-khid” 5 . In the book, al-Wahhab highlights all the deviations from the original Islam that existed at that time, including the issue of polytheism (shirk): “Allah, He is Almighty and Great, said: “Verily, Allah does not forgive the association of partners with him, but forgives everything whatever he wishes less than this..." 6 . They recognize only the Koran, which is not subject to interpretation, and the Sunnah of the period of the four righteous caliphs. According to al-Wahhab, the teachings of the four orthodox sects (Hanafis, Shafiites, Malikis and Hanbalis) are not obligatory for anyone; each person has the right to his own opinion about the essence of the teachings that are set forth in the Qur'an. Wahhabism teaches that all people should be equal among themselves and there should be no mediator between man and God; no need to direct prayers towards anyone, even a prophet, except God, since only he knows the secrets of people. Al-Wahhab in his sermon taught people that it is necessary to destroy all external manifestations religiosity - the outward forms of rituals, spiritual ceremonies, therefore Wahhabism frees the main rites of Islam - the fivefold prayer (Persian, "prayer", Arab, "salad"), hajj, zakat 7 - from some petty formalities with which they were furnished by later Islam.

In Wahhabi teachings, only four holidays are allowed: fitr (breaking the fast), ashkura (fasting on the first ten days of the month of Muharram due to mourning for the Shia Imam Hussein), kurban (holiday of sacrifice) and Leyletul Mubarak - the night in the month of Shaaban, when Allah writes down everything done by people in a year.

Wahhabis have little regard for the traditional Muslim ablutions, as well as the rule to take off their shoes in the mosque, referring to the actions of the prophet.

The civil laws established by the Koran, the Wahhabis strive to comply with all their might: imposing zayat on the faithful, strict persecution of depravity, unnatural vices, the prohibition of usury, the fight against the custom of bloody revenge./p>

The Wahhabi movement caused discontent and open resistance in the rest of the Muslim world, especially in Egypt, as it was the largest socio-political movement that led huge masses of people. Here is what Muhammad Rashid Rida wrote about this: “The reason that they were accused of heresy and disbelief was purely political, in order to scare Muslims away from them.<...>In addition, the Turks were afraid that they would create an Arab state...” 8 But, despite this, the meeting of the ulema in Cairo, held in 1815, was forced to admit that there was no heresy in the teachings of Abd al-Wahhab, since they had preserved - and some even elevated to absolute - all the basic principles of Islam.

NOTES

1 Ulema (from Arab, ulama - scientists), in the exact sense - the estate of Muslim theologians and jurists. In practice, all categories of Muslim spiritual mentors, those who made a pilgrimage to Mecca, as well as educated respected Muslims, are often called ulema.
2 Ibn Rushd (1126-1198), Arab philosopher and physician, representative of Eastern Aristotelianism; Abu Ali Ibn Sina (c. 980-1037), Central Asian philosopher, scientist, physician; Abu Nasr ibn Muhammad al-Farabi (870-950), Arab philosopher, encyclopedic scientist, representative of Eastern Aristotelianism.
3 According to other sources, Abd al-Wahhab died in 1791 (Lutsky V. Arab countries. M., 1904).
4 See: Krymsky A.E. Wahhabis M., 1912; Tomara M. The origins of Wahhabism. M., 1930.
5 Arab. "The Book of Unity".
6 Hajj - Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Zakat - letters, "purification" - obligatory alms to the poor among Muslims
7 Ibid. four; 48.
8 Based on the materials of the article by A.A. Mantaeva "Historical and religious aspects of the emergence and spread of Wahhabism" (http://www wahhabizm.narod.ru).

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab

Not to be confused with Mohammed Abd al-Wahhab, an Egyptian singer and composer.

Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (Arab. محمد بن عبد الوهاب ‎‎)
Kind of action validity:	Theologian, preacher, founder of Wahhabism
Birth:	(1703 ) / 1115 AH
Death:	/ 1206 AH, Ad-Diriya
Parents:	Abdul-Wahhab ibn Suleiman
School, course:	Sunni, Hanbali madhhab], founder of the Wahhabi ideology
Works, essays:	“Kitab at-Tawhid”, “Kitab kashf ash-shubukhat”, “Kitab usul al-iman”, “Kitab majmu‘ al-hadis ala abwab al-fiqh”, etc.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Suleiman ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid at-Tamimi(- June 22) (arab. محمد بن عبد الوهاب بن سليمان آل مشرف التميمي ‎‎) is a well-known Arab theologian and founder of the Wahhabi movement, and also, together with Muhammad ibn Saud, who played a key role in the creation of Saudi Arabia and the consolidation of Wahhabism in the new state (the followers themselves call the movement "Salafiya")..

Biography

Early life

The exact date of birth of Muhammad at-Tamimi is unknown, it is believed that he was born in 1703 in Najd, in the city of Ayain. It is known that his father was an ulema from the Banu Tamim tribe (hence at-Tamimi) and from early childhood Muhammad began to study Islamic theology, according to the Hanbali madhhab then common on the Arabian Peninsula. At the age of 12, he married and went on a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It was during his journey that at-Tamimi got acquainted with the works of such theologians as ibn Hanbal and ibn Taymiyyah, whose views largely influenced the future of the ideology of ibn Wahhab and the Wahhabi movement as a whole.

In Medina, he studied with Abdallah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf, who, according to ibn Wahhab himself, was preparing some kind of "ideological weapon" to combat the beliefs of the inhabitants of the oases.

After studying in Medina, ibn Abd al-Wahhab moved to Basra, where, according to a number of researchers, he lived for five years. It was there that he began his "sermon" on the cleansing of Islam from innovation and idolatry, and also wrote his famous book Kitab at-Tawhid. Pretty bold ideas for the "purification" of Islam did not meet with support from the inhabitants of the oasis, as a result of the disagreements that arose, he was expelled from the city and was forced to live in Al-Khas for some time, until he reached Khuraimala, where his father later moved, enjoyed some prestige among the locals.

After returning to Ayaina, Muhammad at-Tamimi found a common language with the local emir ibn Muammir and persuaded the latter to his side. From that moment, the destruction of local sanctuaries and the mausoleum of a local saint began, the punishment was introduced by stoning for adultery, which was the last straw for the local "ruler" Suleiman al-Khumaydi, who depended on the oasis. Not daring to deal with ibn Abdul Wahhab, ibn Muammir forced him to flee to the oasis of Ad-Diriya.

Meeting with Muhammad ibn Saud. Ad-Diriya Emirate

The resettlement of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Ad-Diriya and acquaintance with the local emir Muhammad ibn Saud became a key moment in the development of both the Salafi movement and the history of the Arabian Peninsula.

Mohammed ibn Saud ibn Mohammed al Mukran (arab. محمد بن سعود بن محمد آل مقرن ‎‎) (date of birth unknown) came from the Azana tribe and only recently, by the time of the arrival of ibn Abd al-Wahhab, became the emir of Ad-Diriya. By that time it was a poor town, the inhabitants of which and the surrounding area quickly supported the idea of ​​"purifying Islam." Seeing the Ottoman officials and sheikhs drowning in luxury, they were impressed by the preacher's speeches, such as puritanism (permission to wear gold and silk products only for women, modest decoration of mosques - so as not to distract believers from prayer, etc.) and the principle of monotheism, as it once was at

Part II. Sects and doctrines that arose in later times

Wahhabis

I thought for a long time whether it is necessary to consider in detail the call of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab or whether it is enough just to mention him as a follower of Sheikh ibn Taymiyyah and other Salafists. But, being a witness of what ridiculous inventions, conjectures, and sometimes outright lies surround the followers of al-Wahhab in modern Islamic, and not only Islamic, society, I decided to pay closer attention to this teaching.

Another reason for my decision to describe in sufficient detail the history, views and methods of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was that the subject of consideration is not an obsolete fragment of the distant past, of exclusively scientific interest. On the contrary, this teaching is now very actively spreading in all parts of Muslim, and not only Muslim, lands. Even people who are very far from both Islam and religion as such know about the existence of Wahhabism.

The last argument was the numerous questions of my acquaintances about what this doctrine really is, what are its main provisions and goals.

The interest in Wahhabis today is so great that it is possible that many will be interested in this book precisely because of the desire to learn more about them, and it would be wrong for these readers not to pay any attention to Wahhabism.

So, followers of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab are usually called Wahhabis.

[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab at-Tamimi (1703-1792) was born into a religious family in the Arabian region of Najd. He received his primary Islamic education in the madhhab of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. For some time he traveled to various Islamic areas, met with scientists, which resulted in his acceptance of the Salafi doctrine, which was reflected in all his subsequent call.].

This name, established in Oriental literature, was used by opponents of Abd al-Wahhab or simply by non-Arabians.

His supporters called themselves "monotheists" or simply "Muslims".

It should be noted here that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab based his call in almost everything on the beliefs of Sheikh Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, his student ibn al-Qayyim, early Sunni imams, as well as scholars of the time of Salaf al-Salihin. Like them, Abd al-Wahhab based his views directly on the verses of the Koran and the hadiths of the Prophet, while following their literal meaning and refusing any allegorical interpretations.

That is, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was a Salafi.

In the history of Islam, there were many sheikhs who spoke with similar views and appeals; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab stands out from them only because he managed to achieve relatively great success. He was engaged not only in scientific activities and conscription, but also took decisive steps to translate his ideals into reality.

He and his supporters succeeded in founding their own state and for a long time stubbornly resisting the Ottoman Caliphate.

Let us consider the main features of the Wahhabis creed, and also briefly mention the events that accompanied the activities of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

As mentioned above, the ideology of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is based on the Sunni madhhab of the Hanbalis, as well as on the general Salafi principles, which were described in the previous chapter.

The basis of the call of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was the desire to return Muslims to true Islam, as reported by the Messenger of Allah, and as understood by the companions of the Prophet and the next two generations of their followers, that is, the righteous ancestors.

It can be conditionally said that the call of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is based on three (five? - DD) provisions:

1. Tawhid - that is, strict adherence to Monotheism in all respects.

2. Refusal of all kinds of religious innovations (bidah).

3. The command of what is approved and the prohibition of what is condemned,

strict adherence to sharia

the need for Muslims to wage jihad.

[Jihad is the application of maximum effort. In this context, jihad is the waging of a holy war against the enemies of Islam, both for defense purposes and for the promotion of sharia. There are many verses in the Qur'an calling Muslims to jihad, for example,

"Fight with them (the polytheists) until the temptation disappears, and until the religion completely belongs to Allah. But if they stop, then you should only be at enmity with the lawless" (Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 193).

At all times, Salafis called for jihad and called it one of the most important foundations of Islam.].

Tawhid (Monotheism)

The statement of Tawhid was the core of the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the main point of application of his efforts.

[But this is not accidental, because Monotheism is the most important basis of Islam, this is what the Prophets and Messengers were sent for, Holy Scriptures. In a word, Monotheism is the heart and soul of the religion of Islam.

In confirmation of the greatest significance of Monotheism, one can cite a huge number of verses of the Koran and the sayings of the Prophet, but I will cite only one hadith, and whoever wants to know more about Monotheism, let him study the relevant Islamic books.

The prophet said:

"... the best that I and the Prophets before me said: "There is no deity but Allah, the One, Who has no partner. To Him belongs the Kingdom and praise, and He is the Almighty!"" (at-Tirmidhi, Malik)].

He wrote several books in which, on the basis of the Koran and the Sunnah, he expounded his views on the true understanding of Monotheism and what, in his opinion, was a manifestation of polytheism.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab urged Muslims to abandon

grave worship,

excessive veneration of awliya,

the use of amulets and non-sharia spells;

making a pilgrimage to the graves of the aulia and to other places allegedly possessing Divine grace,

giving grace to plants, stones and other objects of the created world,

customs to tie ropes, scarves and the like to the fences of mosques, trees and other objects of pilgrimage in order to receive this grace.

Such a call was very relevant for that time, since these dubious practices were most widespread in all corners of the Muslim world. Many people made pilgrimages to the graves, turning to their inhabitants, asking them to fulfill their requests, erecting mosques, mausoleums on these graves, and taking vows.

All similar actions Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab declared polytheism to be a manifestation, which, as you know, is the biggest sin in Islam. The sin of polytheism crosses out all the good deeds of a person, and according to Allah, this sin He will never forgive a person.

[Polytheism - giving Allah a partner, worshiping someone other than Allah, any manifestation of an act that can only be attributed to Allah in relation to someone else.]

Also, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab attributed to polytheism the establishment of an intermediary between a person and Allah, to whom they pray and ask for intercession; customs to make sacrifices and make vows to anyone other than Allah; seeking help from anyone other than Allah; witchcraft and divination and some other acts practiced by his contemporaries.

[Of course, not in the sense that a person asks for help from his friend or the like. This refers to the appeal with prayers for help to the saints, so that they help a person.]

He substantiated all these statements with the verses of the Holy Quran and hadith of the Prophet, as well as the opinions of prominent imams of the past.

[Sometimes the Wahhabis were reproached for the fact that, substantiating one or another of their statements, they referred to those verses in which Allah addresses or speaks of polytheists, and the opponents of the Wahhabis argued that it was unacceptable to apply these verses to Muslims and on this basis to accuse them in polytheism. All these were not just words, because the position of polytheists in a Muslim state is very different from the position of a Muslim, or even Christians and Jews.].

Wahhabis have the following ideas about the qualities of Allah.

They recognize all those qualities of Him that are mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, without resorting to allegorical interpretations. In their ideas about Allah, they are close to the mushabbihit.

[Mushabbihits - a characteristic feature of their views was the comparison of Allah with His creations or the representation of Allah in a human form.]

Those verses that speak about the face of Allah, His hands, eyes, legs and the like, they do not comment, understanding them literally.

Wahhabis argue that Allah really has two hands, two eyes, a face, a shin, but at the same time they are not like the hands, eyes and faces of His creations.

[“At the same time, they are not similar…” - with this phrase, the Wahhabis defend themselves from accusations of likening Allah to creations.].

According to their views, Allah is in the highest place, namely above the seven heavens, above the throne and throne, He is distant from His creatures. There are many expressions in the Qur'an

"Allah istavaa on the throne."

[Istavaa - this word has several meanings, and various religious communities, depending on their beliefs, interpret it either as "sits", or as "established", or as "rules" or "owns".]

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab argued that istawaa must be understood exactly as "sat down" or "asserted". Answering the question of how this can be applied in relation to Allah, because He has neither change nor place, He does not need a throne or a throne, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab quotes the following words:

"I recognize the clear meaning of the verses and hadiths associated with the attributes of Allah, and I entrust knowledge of them to Allah, accepting their truth, because Imam Malik said: "Istavaa is known, but how is not accessible to the mind. Belief in this is obligatory, and asking about such a thing is heresy"".

This is the main approach of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab to the consideration of the verses of the Qur'an and the hadith from the Sunnah.

Wahhabis are also convinced that every day, in the third part of the night, Allah Almighty descends from the throne to the nearest sky. This notion, based on several hadiths, might not have come as much of a surprise to people in the Middle Ages (that is, in the time of Ibn Taymiyyah), but nowadays all educated people know that the Earth is spherical, and therefore , at the same time in one part of the Earth - the third part of the night, in the other - noon, and somewhere - evening.

To circumvent this controversy, some modern followers of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab argue that the idea of ​​a spherical earth is a lie forced upon Muslims by infidels. They say:

"In reality, the Earth is either flat or has the shape of a hemisphere."

The Wahhabis say that people will get the chance to see Allah in Paradise and also on the Day of Judgment.

Such beliefs of the followers of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab at all times were subjected to the most severe criticism from opponents of likening Allah to His creations, who argued that the words "hand" or "face" were used in relation to Allah only as metaphors. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, in turn, considered the supporters of such views as heretics, distorting the names and qualities of Allah, while the companions and their followers understood these expressions exactly as he says.

This question is very complicated, and a lot has been said and written about it. At all times, Muslims have had many disagreements about this, as has already been described in the first part of the book. These disputes continue to this day, various groups of Muslims accuse each other of disbelief, and often substantiate their statements with the same verses and hadiths, refer to the same authorities of early Islam, but some understand them in one way, while others - completely opposite.

Disagreements between Muslims not only do not decrease, but, on the contrary, every year they become more and more, and sometimes it seems that in the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad there is no longer such an issue that opinions would not be divided on. But the saddest thing is the fact that arguing Muslims easily accuse each other not only of delusion, but also of disbelief.

Rejection of religious innovations (bidah)

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab demanded that Muslims abandon those numerous innovations that were introduced into Islam from other religions, from pre-Islamic cults and beliefs, or simply invented by Muslims themselves.

Innovations in religion were considered to be everything that did not exist either under the Prophet or under his companions. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab wrote:

“It is about a person who introduced into the religion of Allah what Allah himself did not establish in it.

Bida is the most serious sin after shirk.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say:

"... Verily, the best of speeches is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst deeds are innovations (into religion), since every innovation is heresy, and every heresy is error, and every error is in fire .. .""

Wahhabis consider innovations:

construction and lining of tombs on the graves and the erection of domes over them,

construction of mosques over the graves,

aulia vows,

ritual detours around graves or other places,

tawassul through dead people,

travel to the graves of aulia in order to receive blessings,

celebration of the Mawlids of the Prophet and awliya,

commemoration of the dead on the fortieth day and on the anniversary of death,

dhikr using songs and dances.

[Dhikr - in the usual religious sense - the remembrance of Allah with the help of certain phrases, for example, Subhan Allah, al hamduli Allah, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha il Allah, repeated a certain number of times.

But in this case, a certain ritual is announced as an innovation, which is especially developed among the Sufis, when they gather and perform a collective zikr using drums, shouting loudly, running, jumping, clapping their feet and the like, which is very difficult to correlate with the Sunnah of the Prophet.]

Subsequently, innovations were announced and

naming the person who performed the ritual of the hajj, "hadji"; and

the use of the rosary and many other customs rooted in the practice of Muslims.

Speaking about the many innovations introduced into Islam, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab referred to the following hadith:

“Indeed, you will follow the customs of those who were before you, exactly imitating them in everything. And even if they climb into the hole of a lizard, then you will follow them.

People asked:

"O Messenger of Allah, are they Jews and Christians?"

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) replied:

"And who else?"" [This hadith is given by Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Ibn Maj.]

Abd al-Wahhab considered "closing the gates of ijtihad", blind adherence to one of the four madhhabs (taqlid) and fanaticism regarding the correctness of one's own or the fallacy of someone else's madhhab to be unacceptable.

[At a certain point in the development of Islam, an opinion appeared that the imams-mujtahids of the four madhhabs and their students developed the provisions of Sharia so well, answering all questions, that subsequent Muslims no longer need to perform ijtihad. This was called "closing the gates of ijtihad". However, history has shown this view to be wrong. And although no one officially opened the gates of ijtihad, in fact they have been open for a long time.]

Sometimes opponents of the Wahhabis argue that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab created his own madhhab or abandoned the four existing ones. It must be said that this is not true. He was a follower of the Hanbali madhhab, but recognized the legitimacy of other Sunni madhhabs. But at the same time, in the event that contemporaries see stronger evidence than that on which the imams of the established legal schools were based, Abd al-Wahhab considered it acceptable to leave their opinion and go beyond all four madhhabs. It cannot be said that this approach is contrary to Islam, because even the founders of the madhhabs themselves always said:

"If you see my fatwa and a hadith that contradicts it, leave my fatwa and follow the hadith."

The command of what is approved and the prohibition of what is condemned. Strict adherence to Shariah

The command of the approved and the prohibition of the condemned not only received a theoretical platform in the teachings of Abd al-Wahhab, but were also actively applied by him in practice, which, on the one hand, led to the strengthening of his position and the expansion of the foundations of his call, and on the other hand, gave rise to many obvious and hidden enemies of his teachings.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed that the one who is guided in his judgments not by what was sent down by Allah is an atheist (zindyq) and an apostate (murtad). All spheres of human and social life had to be brought into line with the Koran and the Sunnah. Abd al-Wahhab accused of unbelief anyone who preferred the judgments of people to the commands of Allah, which are well known and about which there is no disagreement.

He said:

“Whoever judges between people not according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, or seeks such a judgment, following his passions and desires, he has left Islam and faith, even if he claims that he is a believer, for Allah Almighty has refuted this and revealed the falsity of their statements.These people say what they refute with their deeds, not fulfilling the most important requirement of Monotheism - the rejection of taghut.

[Taghut - in the Qur'an - an idol worshiped by people before Islam. In a broad sense, this is any object of worship, except for Allah Almighty.]

The one who does not fulfill this requirement cannot be a follower of Monotheism, therefore, he is a sinner and all his deeds are useless.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab declared the goals of his call to be the fight against innovations and the aversion of Muslims from them;

purification of faith from jahiliyah and deviations;

establishing duties and religious laws prescribed by Islam and referring to them when making decisions;

clarification of what is permitted and forbidden;

waging jihad and establishing through it the laws of Allah;

the creation of a perfect society, following Islam in everything, and a just imamate.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers attached great importance to the need for jihad. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab said:

"I believe that jihad continues under any imam, if it is possible to hold Friday prayers behind him, and it does not matter whether he is pious or vicious. Jihad does not stop from the moment the Prophet is sent down and will continue until the Muslims kill the Dajjal. Jihad cannot be stopped either because of arbitrariness, nor because of the injustice (of the ruler)."

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers spoke so much about the obligation of jihad that their opponents had reason to claim that for the Wahhabis, jihad is the sixth pillar of Islam.

As for the opinions of Abd al-Wahhab on such matters of doctrine as the essence of faith, promise and threat, belief in the redefinition of good and evil coming from Allah, the position of the sinner, recognition of the miracles of the awliya, recognition of the imamate successively of Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali, - they did not contradict the opinions of early Sunni scholars.

Concluding the consideration of Wahhabism, I want to draw the attention of readers to the following point: Wahhabis almost unanimously believe that a Muslim who leaves the prayer not because of its denial, but, for example, because of laziness or alleged lack of time, becomes unfaithful; and even those who did not recognize the one who left the prayer as unfaithful, believed that the punishment for this sin should be the death penalty.

Here is what Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab said about this:

"There are five pillars in Islam: the first of them is two testimonies (shahada), and then there are four others. And when someone leaves them [The remaining pillars are prayer, zakat, fasting in the month of Ramadan and hajj to Mecca.], then we execute him, but we do not consider him unfaithful, since the scientists disagreed about the person who does not perform the prayer, without denying its obligation. And we cannot accuse him of disbelief on what the scientists disagree about."

Wahhabis are often criticized for such a tough approach, because it contradicts the views of Abu Hanifa, al-Shafi'i and, according to some sources, Imam Ahmad.

We have briefly reviewed the beliefs of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers. As already mentioned, his views were not original, in fact, he was a successor to the Salafi call and a follower of such well-known Salafis as Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziya, ibn Kathir, whose authority he often referred to in his works .

His teaching became widely known and spread, first of all, for the reason that Abd al-Wahhab did not limit himself to writing scientific works and exhortations, but moved from words to deeds, entering into an alliance with the head of one of the Arabian tribes. After that, his appeal reached a qualitatively new level - Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab got the opportunity to spread his views not only by persuasion, but also by coercion.

Before considering the course of events that followed when Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab began to carry out his call, it is necessary to at least briefly describe the political situation then existing in Arabia. Formally, Arabia was under the jurisdiction of Turkey, and the Turkish Sultan was considered its supreme ruler. But in fact, Turkey's power was weak. The Ottoman Sultanate was in crisis; economic backwardness from the West, internal contradictions and other reasons created a number of additional problems within the state.

Najd - the area where ibn Abd al-Wahhab began his call - was one of the historical places of the Arabian Peninsula. There was no political integrity here, on the contrary, local amirs were constantly fighting with each other, trying to expand their possessions at the expense of their neighbors.

Muhammad began to preach his ideas in 1727 in his native village - Khuramail - after he returned from Iraq.

While his father was alive, he, following his requests, did not show much activity.

After the death of his father in 1740, Muhammad intensified his activities, began to hold meetings, express his views, send messages and emissaries to nearby areas. But after some time, due to the deterioration of relations with the local authorities, he was forced to leave his homeland and go to Wayna.

Meeting with the local emir, Uthman ibn Muammar, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab said:

"I will ask Allah to help you in mastering Najd and subjugating its Bedouins, if you defend La illaha il Allah."

This proposal interested Uthman, and he vowed to help the arriving sheikh in all respects. In Wayne, Muhammad for the first time began to put into practice what he had preached for a long time, bringing administration and legal proceedings in line with Sharia.

First of all, he ordered to cut down several huge trees, to which local residents made "pilgrimages", turning to them for help and performing pagan rites for this purpose.

His second step was the destruction of the tomb, which, according to some sources, belonged to Zayd ibn al-Khattab.

[Zayd ibn al-Khattab is a companion of the Prophet, brother of the second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab.].

People came to this grave, performing those actions that ibn Abd al-Wahhab considered a manifestation of polytheism: excessive reverence, putting hands on the grave, requests from the deceased. Despite the strong resistance of the local residents, with the support of Emir Usman Muhammad managed to achieve his goal - the sanctuary was destroyed.

Such events could not go unnoticed. The news that Muhammad and Usman had stirred up trouble and established the Sharia reached the superior emir, who at one time allowed Usman to take possession of Wayna.

The Emir ordered Uthman ibn Muammar to immediately stop this activity and kill the founder of the new call. But Usman was very attached to Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and, having explained to him the essence of the problem, asked him to leave his possessions. Thus, after four years, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was forced to flee from Wayna.

From there, he decided to go to the village of Darius, where he already had a lot of supporters; besides, the local emir was very powerful and famous for his piety.

The arrival in Dariya should perhaps be considered a turning point in the development of the call of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was after the conclusion of the strategic alliance between Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Emir Muhammad ibn Saud that a new page in the history of conscription was opened.

[Muhammad ibn Saud (1687-1179) - the founder of the first Saudi state. It was he who received Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and supported him, after which, waging war with neighboring tribes, he managed to significantly expand the boundaries of his possessions.]

According to the agreement concluded in 1746, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab promised to remain with ibn Saud until the end, and Muhammad ibn Saud promised to support and protect ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and, if necessary, to wage jihad in the path of Allah.

Also, according to some information, one of the clauses of the agreement stated that from now on the emirs in the state would be chosen from the family of al-Saud, and the imams from the family of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

[On this occasion, Wahhabis are often complained about, because such a separation of religious and secular power does not correspond to Islam, contrary to the practice that existed in the time of the Prophet and the righteous caliphs, combining in the ruler the functions of both a religious leader, an imam, and a secular head of state, responsible for all vital state affairs. questions.].

Three years later, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab announced the need to wage jihad against his opponents in order to protect Islam.

From that moment began an uninterrupted series of small and large battles between the supporters of the two Muhammads and their opponents. The main advantage of the Wahhabis in comparison with all neighboring tribes was not only and not so much military force how much religious cohesion and sincere belief that all their actions are based on Sharia and, accordingly, are pleasing to Allah.

Initially, they subjugated the nearest villages to their power, then large settlements, such as er-Riyadh, al-Hassa, el-Katif, after which the entire historical regions of the Arabian Peninsula (Tihama, Hijaz) were included in the Saudi state.

An important ideological success was the taking under control of two Muslim shrines - Mecca and Medina.

There are many stories of atrocities and looting committed by the Wahhabis during their military campaigns. Such cases, indeed, were not uncommon and did not add to the popularity of Wahhabism. But it must be said that this cruelty was not a directive from above.

Another accusation often brought against the Wahhabis is that, under the slogan of the revival of Islam, they unleashed a civil war, further weakened the central government of Istanbul and were one of the reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which was forced to send large forces from other provinces - Iraq to suppress the new movement. and Egypt.

The confrontation between the troops of the Sultan and the army of the new Saudi state continued with varying success for several years. At the cost of incredible efforts and thanks to a large numerical superiority, the commander of the Egyptian army defeated the Wahhabis.

Gradually they were expelled from all the territories they conquered, and their last stronghold, the city of Darius, was captured.

But, despite the executions and mass repressions, after a while the state of the Saudis was restored and still exists. This is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whose king is a member of the al-Saud family, and whose official doctrine is the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

As I have repeatedly mentioned, the teachings of the Wahhabis from the moment of their appearance to the present day are subjected to the most severe criticism - from accusations of misconceptions in dogmatic issues and ending with the condemnation of the methods and rules for the implementation of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab of his call. Over all these years, so many works have been written containing criticism of Wahhabism, and so many words of condemnation have been uttered against him that it is not even possible to briefly consider all the claims.

[I will only mention the book "The Confession of an English Spy". Its author is M. Gumus. This is such a false and stupid book that no reasonable person would believe in it. It is full of various kinds of absurdities, mistakes, and blind fanaticism. It is written in the form of a novel, which makes it very easy to read, and everything is presented in such a way that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was allegedly recruited by an English spy in order to destroy true Islam by creating a new madhhab.].

Almost all of the existing sects have written at least one book accusing the Wahhabis of at least delusion.

Especially ardent opponents of the Wahhabis at all times were the Sufis and Shiites, whom Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab constantly accused of deviating from Islam, introducing numerous innovations and leaving the path of pure Monotheism, introducing into their religious practice such actions as invoking awliya, pilgrimage to their graves and the construction of mosques on them and other actions strictly prohibited by ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

It should be noted that the ideas put forward by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab had a great influence on the Islamic Ummah. In many Muslim countries, this teaching has followers who sympathize with the ideas of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

Many modern Islamic thinkers, wittingly or unwittingly, fell under its influence, so we can conclude that the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab have proved their viability, and they are unlikely to disappear in the near future.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Suleiman ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid at-Tamimi was born in 1115 h. him in his father's family. As a child, the boy showed signs of talent and ingenuity. He memorized the Qur'an at less than ten years of age. When he was not yet twelve, he reached physical and mental maturity. His father said: "I saw that he was worthy to be an imam in Namaz, and I married him in the same year." He studied with his father the Islamic law of the Hanbali madhhab (interpretation), the interpretation of the Koran and the hadith. From childhood, he immersed himself in books of interpretations of the Koran, hadiths and various beliefs, studied the works of Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Teimiyya and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. Later, he traveled to Mecca in order to perform the Hajj3 to the Sacred Mosque of Allah, then visited the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and welcome him. There he met with the scholars of Medina, the city of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then he came to Najd. During this long journey, with his penetrating gaze, the sheikh saw in Najd and other Arab cities that he visited, erroneous beliefs and vicious customs. When the sheikh was in Medina, he heard a pagan prayer for help addressed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and an appeal to him along with Allah. Najd himself was a "pasture" for all kinds of fables and vicious beliefs that contradict the foundations of true religion. There were several graves in the city, which were supposedly the graves of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, and people made pilgrimages to them, asking them for what they needed and praying to them for protection from their sorrows. Even stranger was their appeal to the palm tree Fahl al-Nakhl in the city of Manfuha for mediation. People were convinced that the palm tree could help girls who were late in marriage to get married. And for this purpose they called out to her, saying: “O palm of palms! I want a husband this year." In Hijaz, he saw that the graves of the companions and members of the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are revered in a way that should be treated only to the Lord of the worlds. In Basra, he met with shirk (communion of equals to Allah) of the era of ignorance (jahiliyya), which does not fit in the mind and contradicts the Shariah. The same thing happened in Iraq, al-Sham, Egypt, Yemen. Such vicious thoughts were placed on a par with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His trusted Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as well as with the heritage of his God-fearing Companions. The Sheikh saw that the people are far from the true laws of religion and its spirit, that the people do not know why Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to all people. He became convinced that people do not know about the state of mankind in the time of the Jahiliyyah, they do not know what the hated paganism was like. He saw that they betrayed Islam and distorted both the foundations of religion and its secondary provisions, except for only a few of them, to which Allah was merciful. After he ascertained the plight of both the faith and the worldly life of the people, the sheikh was convinced that they had introduced into the foundations of Islam that which was rejected by the Koran and the Sunnah. His belief in their error and heresy was confirmed by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that Muslims can change their religion and that they will follow in the footsteps of Jews and Christians: Indeed, you will follow the customs of those who were before you, exactly imitating them in everything. And even if they climb into the hole of the lizard, then even then you will follow them. (Al-Bukhari 6/360, Muslim (2669) from Abu Said). The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said. Islam appeared unusually, and it will return again unusually, as it appeared. (Muslim (145) from Abu Hurairah). Imam at-Tamimi did not stop persistently declaring to his people that they had gone astray. He began his invocation by explaining to the people that one should not invoke, sacrifice, or make a vow to anyone other than Allah. People were convinced that graves, stones, trees are beneficial and avert harm, that one should ask them for help and give them vows, at-Tamimi explained that this is a clear delusion and lie, that this does not lead to the satisfaction of Allah and that this must be abandoned. His speech was reinforced by verses from the Book of Allah, hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and examples from the life of his righteous companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Having spent an active fruitful life, full of striving for knowledge, Jihad and calling to Allah, the sheikh died in the city of ad-Diriya in 1206 AH. at the age of eighty-four.
Beliefs of Sheikh Muhammad at-Tamimi

The beliefs of Sheikh Muhammad at-Tamimi are the beliefs of the faithful Salafs (righteous ancestors), based on what the Messenger of Allah bequeathed to us, as his companions, their followers and righteous imams, such as Abu Hanifa, adhered to it , Malik, ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, Sufyan al-Thawri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Ibn Mubarak, al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, as well as such prominent scholars in the field of Islamic law as al-Ashari, Ibn Khuzayma, Taqi hell -Din ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Dhahabi and others. In one of his letters, written to the people of Al-Qasim, the sheikh stated his beliefs. Beginning in the name of Allah, he wrote: “I call on Allah and the angels present, as well as you as witnesses that my beliefs, like those of all the followers of the Sunnah, are based on faith in Allah, His angels, His Book, His messengers, Resurrection after death and predestination with its good and evil. Belief in Allah refers to believing in what He has described Himself in His Book, and as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has characterized Him, without alteration or rejection. I am convinced that “there is nothing like Him; and He is Hearing, Seeing” (Council, 11). I do not deny what He described Himself, I do not distort the true meaning of it, and I do not schismatic about His names and signs. I don't ask "how?" about them and do not liken them to the qualities of His creations, since He is the Most High, there are no equals to Him, and one cannot ask the question “how?” about Him, because there is no one like Him, and He cannot be compared with His creations, for Allah, Holy and Great is He, knows best about Himself and about others. His speech is the most truthful, His narrations are the most beautiful, and He Himself rejected what the adherents of describing and likening Allah to His creations that contradict the truth ascribe to Him, and what the adherents of change and non-recognition deny in Him. After all, the Almighty said: “Holy is your Lord - the Lord of Might, and He is greater than what is attributed to Him. And peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!” (Standing in a row, 180-182). And the surviving group in their views regarding the deeds of Allah is between the beliefs of the Qadarites and the Jabris, regarding the punishment of Allah - between the views of the Murjiites and the Vaidites, regarding faith and religion - between the beliefs of the Harurites and Mu'tazilites on the one hand, and the Murjiites and Jahmits - on the other. And in relation to the companions of the Messenger of Allah - between the Rafidah and the Kharijites. The surviving group are righteous Muslims who follow the path of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his righteous companions. They are based on Holy Quran and reliable Sunnah. Their protector is Allah, their imam is the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Kadarites believe that a person performs his actions without the will of the Almighty, and the Jabrites believe that a person, on the contrary, does not have his own will. True Islam claims that everything happens according to the will of Allah, but a person has the right to choose. The Murjiites believe that any person who testifies that there is no deity but Allah, and that Muhammad is His messenger, can do any deeds, and he will not be punished. And the Waidites believe that the mercy of Allah will not reach people who commit even the smallest sins. The adherents of the Sunnah are convinced that Allah punishes for sins and forgives them to whomever He wants, if he did not associate equals with Allah. Harurites (Kharijites) and Mu'tazilites believe that committing sins destroys faith, and a person goes to Hell forever for them. The Murjiites and Jahmits, on the other hand, believe that sin does not affect faith, even if it is manifested only in words. They believe that the one who declared his faith is on the same level as the archangel Jibril. This division between Muslims occurred after the assassination of Caliph Uthman during the confrontation between Ali ibn Abu Talib and Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan. The Rafidah believe that Ali ibn Abu Talib is the best in the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and should have inherited power after him; while they declare the disbelief of Muawiyah and his supporters. The Kharijites, on the other hand, consider both Ali and Muawiya as infidels, as well as the supporters of both of them. The third group - the Nasibis - strongly scold Ali and his supporters, considering Muawiya right. Adherents of the Sunnah believe that Ali and Muawiya acted on the basis of their own ijtihad (the highest level of knowledge). History has shown that this turmoil was arranged by conspirators who did not want to come to terms with the power of Islam. I am convinced that the Qur'an is the revealed Word of Allah, it is not created, it was brought from Allah and will return to Him, and that Allah really uttered it and sent it down to His slave, the messenger entrusted in Revelation and His messenger between Him and His slaves - the prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I believe that Allah does what He wills, and nothing happens without His will, and nothing goes beyond His will, and nothing deviates from His Destiny, and nothing happens without His control. For everyone, His Predestination is inevitable, and nothing will escape what is prescribed for him in the Preserved Tablet. I believe in all the events after death, which were told to us by the prophet of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I believed in the temptation in the grave and in its benefits, in the return of souls to bodies, in the fact that people will appear before the Lord barefoot, naked, without circumcision of the foreskin. The sun will approach them and the scales will be erected, on which the deeds of the slaves will be weighed: “Then on whose scales what is weighed will be heavy, they will be blessed. And on whose scales what is weighed will be easy, they have caused loss to themselves and will forever remain in hell ”(Believers, 102-103). And two lists will be unfolded, and there will be those that will receive the book on the right, and those that will receive the book on the left. I believe in the pool of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the Day of Resurrection, and that its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and the number of glasses around it is equal to the number of stars in the sky. Whoever drinks one sip of it will never be thirsty. I believe that the Path6 is laid on the back of Hell, and people will walk on it based on their deeds. I believed in the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and that he is the first of the intercessors and the first to be entitled to it. And only adherents of heresy and error deny the intercession of the prophets. Intercession will be granted to him only after the permission and pleasure of Allah, as the Almighty said about this: “They intercede only for the one to whom He favors” (Prophets, 28). Allah Almighty said: “Who can intercede before Him without His will?” (Cow, 255). And He said: “And how many angels are in the heavens, whose intercession will not help until Allah permits for those whom He wills and is pleased with” (Star, 26). And He, praise be to Him, is pleased only with tawhid and will allow intercession only for His followers. And for the polytheists there will be no share in this intercession, since the Almighty said: “And the intercession of those who intercede will not bring them benefit” (Wrapped up, 48). I also believe that Heaven and Hell are the creations of Allah, that they still exist today and that they will never disappear, and that believers will see the Lord with their own eyes on the day of Resurrection, as they see the moon on a full moon night without obstacle for this. And I believe that the Prophet Muhammad “sallallahu ‘alehi wa sallam” is the last of the prophets and messengers, may Allah bless him and welcome him, and the faith will not become correct until the slave believes in his mission and bears witness to his prophecy. The best in his community is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Umar al-Farooq, then Uthman Dhun-Nurayn, then Ali ibn Abu Talib, then the rest of the ten, then the members of Badr, then those who took the oath at the tree - the Oath of Contentment, then the rest of the companions. And I love the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I remember their good deeds, I ask for forgiveness from the Lord for them, I refrain from discussing their mistakes, I am silent about what arose between them. I am convinced of their superiority and follow the word of the Almighty: “Those who came after them say: - Our Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who are ahead of us in accepting the faith, and do not affirm in our hearts a hidden enmity towards believers. Our Lord, You are the Meek, the Merciful” (Collection, 10)*.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made ten of his
companions with the news that they will go to Paradise during their lifetime. These are Abu Bakr ibn Abu Quhafa, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abu Talib, Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, Saad ibn Abu Waqqas, Abdurrahman ibn Awf, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Talha ibn Ubaydullah and Said ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with them! The Battle of Badr, which took place in the year 2 AH, was the first major battle in the history of Islam, in which more than 300 companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, took part. Three thousand mushriks (pagans) of the Quraish tribe came out against them, but Allah granted victory to the Muslims. The participants in the Battle of Badr were the first Muslims whose merits are incalculable. Beya al-Ridwan, or the Oath of Contentment, was taken by the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) under a tree in Hudaybiya in AH 7, when the Muslims swore allegiance to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, even if they meet death. I am pleased with the mothers of the faithful, cleansed of all that is bad. I recognize the miracles of the faithful, but they have nothing from the right of Allah. And I do not portend Paradise or Hell to any Muslim, except for those who were reported by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but I ask good for the beneficent and fear for the sinners. I do not call a single Muslim unbeliever for his sins and do not claim that he left the Islamic community. I also believe that Jihad should continue during the reign of every ruler, good or bad, and Namaz after him is permissible. I consider it obligatory to obey Muslim rulers unless they order disobedience to Allah, whether they are just or not. I am convinced that all heresy must be rejected, and I am convinced that faith is not only utterance with the tongue, but also conviction in the heart and performance in deeds. It increases with obedience to Allah and weakens with disobedience to Him. And it is divided into more than seventy degrees. The highest degree is evidence that there is no deity but Allah, and the lowest is the removal of obstacles in the Path of Allah. I consider it obligatory to command the righteous and to prohibit sins on the basis of the pure Sharia of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. These are the beliefs of Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab at-Tamimi. These are the creeds of the adherents of the Sunnah and their community without the slightest diminution or addition. It is obligatory for every Muslim to have such beliefs, and whoever does not accept these reliable and healthy views, he does not belong to the adherents of the Sunnah and their community, and we are afraid that he is in error and deviated from the straight path of the true religion of Allah.

Call to Monotheism and Enmity with the Mushriks

During the time of Muhammad ibn-Abd-al-Wahhab, the ideas of Sufism and other polytheistic movements spread greatly in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as throughout the Ottoman Caliphate. On the graves of many Islamic scholars and companions of the Prophet Muhammad, monuments and crypts were erected, to which pilgrimages were made. Superstitions and other manifestations of polytheism were widespread. Seeing all this, Sheikh Muhammad ibn-Abd-Al-Wahhab decided to write a book calling for the purification of Islam from innovations introduced into the religion after the era of the righteous caliphs, and any manifestations of polytheism. The book was called "Kitab at-Tawhid" ("The Book of Monotheism"). The book caused dissatisfaction among the religious leaders of many Islamic movements, and especially Sufism, which practices pilgrimage to the graves, religious innovations and teachings of mediation between God and people. As the followers of the sheikh note, it was the call to "pure Islam" that caused the hatred of many of his contemporaries and subsequent generations for the sheikh.
Currently, some works of Sheikh Muhammad ibn-Abd-Al-Wahhab are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials in Russia and in the lists of extremist materials in a number of other countries, as they are clearly directed against the teachings of Sufism, which was one of the predominant currents in these countries, and in particular - in the republics of the North Caucasus. Meanwhile, the sheikh's book mainly consists of quotations from the primary sources of Islam - the Koran and the Sunnah, the book is recognized by all authoritative theologians, known at the world level, and is used as a teaching aid in many higher religious educational institutions of the world.

The words of Islamic scholars regarding the accusations of Mahammad Ibn-Abd-al-Wahhab

Al-Abd Al-Lateef said:
Some opponents of the Salafi movement (dawa) argue that Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rebelled against the Ottoman Caliphate, thereby splitting the jamaat (Muslim society) and refusing to obey and obey (the ruler).
Daawa al-Munawieen li Dawat al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, page 233
He said:
Abd al-Qadim Zalum argues that the appearance of "Wahabists" and their call was the cause of the fall of the Caliphate. It was said that the "Wahabists" formed a state within the Islamic State under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Saud and later his son Abd al-Aziz, which was supported by the weapons and money of the British, and they were going to take control of the rest of the territories that were under the rule of the Caliphate, justifying themselves with urges to spread their convictions, that is, they raised their swords against the Caliph and fought the Muslim army, the army of Amir Al-Mu'minin, with the encouragement and support of the British.
Kayfa Khudimat al-Khilafa, page 10
Sheikh Muhammad ibn-Abd-Al-Wahhab said in his letter to the people of Al-Qasim:
“I consider it obligatory to obey Muslim rulers, whether they are just or not, provided that they do not command disobedience to Allah. If someone became a caliph and people supported and accepted him, even if he achieved the place of caliph by force, he should obey and it is haram - to rise up against him.
Majmuat Muallafat al-Sheikh, 5/11
And he also said:
“One of the main principles of unity is obedience and submission to anyone who is appointed over us, even if he is an Abyssinian slave…”
Majmuat Muallafat al-Sheikh, 1/394; quoted in Daawa al-Munaaween, 233-234
And al-Abd al-Latif said:
“After establishing these facts, which make it clear that the Sheikh considered obedience and obedience to the rulers of the Muslims, whether they are just or not, provided that they do not order disobedience to Allah, we can proceed to a very important question in answering this false accusation. The following question is very important: was Najd, on the territory of which the conscription arose and developed initially, under the rule of the Ottoman state?
Dr. Salih al-Abud replied to this as follows:
Najd was never under the rule of the Ottoman state, since the power of the Ottoman state never extended so far, no Ottoman governor was appointed over this territory and Turkish soldiers never passed through this land in the period preceding the appearance of the call of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, May Allah have mercy on him. This fact is indicated by the fact that the Ottoman state was divided into administrative regions. This is known from a Turkish document called Qavanin al-Usman Mudamin Daftar al-Diwan (Laws of the Turks regarding what is included in the legislation), which was written by Yamin Ali Effendi - in charge of the Constitution in 1018 AH / 1609 EC. This document indicates that from the beginning of the 11th century AH, the Ottoman state was divided into 23 regions, 14 of which were Arab, and Najd was not among them, with the exception of al-Ikhs, if we consider al-Ikhs to be part of Najd.
Aqidat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab wa asarukha fi'l'Alam al-Islami (unpublished), 1/27

In any case, Najd never came directly under Ottoman rule before the invocation of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, nor was it ever influenced by any force that could influence the events taking place in Najd. . None had such influence, and the influence of Bani Jabr or Bani Khalid in some parts, or Ashraf in other parts, was limited. None of them were able to bring political stability, so the wars between the various districts of Najd continued and there were intense conflicts between the various tribes.
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Khayatuhu wa Fikruhu, p. eleven; quoted in Daawa al-Munawieen, 234-235
Dr. Ajil al-Nashmi said:
“... From the side of the Caliphate there was no reaction and manifestation of discontent or indignation during the life of the Sheikh, although four Ottoman sultans were replaced during his life ...”
Majallat al-Mujtama, Question No. 510
If the above reflects the Shaykh's attitude towards the Caliphate, how did the Caliphate view the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?
Dr. al-Nashmi, answering this question, said:
"The idea that the Caliphate had about the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab was very distorted and clouded, because the Caliphate listened only to those who were hostile to the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, as in the messages sent by them governors in Hijaz, Baghdad or elsewhere, and through individuals who traveled to Istanbul bringing news with them.
Al-Mujtama, question no. 504; Quoted in Daawa al-Munaaween, 238-239
Regarding Zalum's claim that the Sheikh's call was one of the reasons for the fall of the Caliphate and that the British helped the "Wahhabis" to bring him down, Mahmoud Mahdi al-Istanbouli said in regard to this ridiculous statement:
"From this author it is necessary to demand evidence and grounds for his opinion. As the poet said: "If statements are not supported by evidence, they are used as evidence only by fools."
Al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab fi maraat al-Sharq Wal-Gharb, 240
And he also says:
It is ironic that this professor accuses the movement of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab of being one of the factors that caused the death of the Ottoman Caliphate, even though this movement began in 1811 and the Caliphate ceased to exist in 1922.
Ibid, p. 64
The fact that the British were against the "Wahhabi" movement is indicated by the fact that they sent Captain Foster Sadler to congratulate Ibrahim Pasha on his success over the "Wahhabis" in the war that Ibrahim Pasha waged in Dariya, and also to find out to what extent he was ready to cooperate with the British authorities to combat what they called "Wahhabi piracy" in the Arabian Gulf.
Undoubtedly, this message clearly expressed the desire to establish an agreement between the British government and Ibrahim Pasha with the intention of completely destroying the "Wahhabis".
Sheikh Muhammad ibn Manzur al-Numaani said:
"The British made the most of the hostility that took place in India towards Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and they accused everyone who opposed them and stood in their way, or whom they considered dangerous, of being "Wahhabis" ... Similarly, the British called the Deobandit scholars in India "Wahhabis" because of their sharp opposition to and pressure from the British.

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

He is a respected Imam, an outstanding interpreter of the Koran, Abu al-Fida, Imad ad-Din, Ismail ibn Umar ibn Qasir al-Qurayshi al-Busravi (from Busra by birth) Dimashki (from Damascus by upbringing, education and place of residence). Ibn Kathir was born in 701 Hijri (about 1326 Gregorian calendar) in the city of Busra.
His father gave khutbas [sermons] on Fridays in his village, but died when Ibn Kathir was only four years old. Ibn Kathir's brother, Sheikh Abdul-Wahhab, took him under his care and taught him until he moved to Damascus in 706 AH, when he was five years old.
Ibn Kassir's teacher
Ibn Kathir studied Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) under Burhan al-Din, Ibrahim bin Abdu-Rahman Al-Fizari, known as Ibn al-Firqan (died 729 AH).
Ibn Kathir listened to Hadith from Isa bin al-Mutiya; Ahmad bin Abi-Talib (Ibn Ash-Shahnakh) (died 730 AH); Ibn al-Hajar (died 730 AH); and the Hadith transmitter of Sham (modern Syria and surrounding regions) Baha ad-Din al-Qasim bin Muzaffar bin Asakir (died 723 AH); and Ibn ash-Shiirazi; Ishaq bin Yahya al-Amidi, also known as Afif ad-Din, Sheikh of Zahiriya (died 725 AH); and Muhammad ibn Zarad.
He stayed and studied with Jamal ad-Din, Yusuf ibn Az-Zaki Al-Mizzi (died 724 AH). He received knowledge from him and also married his daughter.
He also read with Shaykh-ul-Islam Taqi-ud-din, Ahmad ibn Abdul-Khalim bin Abdus-Salam bin Taymiyyah (died 728 AH). He also read with the Imam, Hafiz and the historian Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Dhahabi (died 748 AH); and also with Abu Musa al-Karafi; Abu l-Fathom ad-Dabbusi and Ali bin Umar As-Suwani; and with others who gave him permission to pass on the knowledge he had received from them in Egypt.
In his book Al-Mujam Al-Muhtas, Hafiz al-Dhahabi wrote that Ibn Kathir was "Imam, a scholar of jurisprudence, an educated scholar of Hadith, a famous Faqih and scholar of Tafsir, who wrote useful books."
Also in ad-Durar al-Kamina, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said: “Ibn Kathir worked in the field of Hadith on topics relating to texts and the chain of transmission. He had a good memory, his books became popular in his time, and people benefited from them after his death."
Also, the famous historian Abu al-Mahasin Jamal ad-Din Yusuf bin Saif ad-Din said in his book Al-Manhal As-Safi: “He is the Sheikh, the Imam, the great scholar Imad ad-Din Abu al-Fida. He studied a lot and was very active in his search for knowledge and records. He was superior in the areas of Fiqh, Tafsir and Hadith. He collected knowledge, was an author (of books), taught, transmitted Hadith and wrote. He had great knowledge in the field of Hadith, Tafsir, Fiqh, Arabic etc. He gave fatwas (religious rulings) and taught until he died. May Allah have mercy on him. He was known for his accuracy and great knowledge, and as a scholar of History, Hadith and Tafseer."

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