abu hafs
15th June 2006, 12:58 PM
How I was Guided to Tawheed
Written by Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zainoo
Taken from: The Methodology of the Saved Sect, Chapter 16, Pgs. 68-71
It is the habit of the people that they label as Wahhaabi everyone who opposes their customs, belief and innovations, even if their beliefs are corrupt, in opposition to the Noble Qur’aan, the authentic narrations of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and especially if they call to Tawheed and supplicating to Allaah alone.
I was reading to a particular Shaykh the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas in ‘Al-Arba’een an-Nawawee’ (an-Nawawee’s Forty Hadeeth), which was the saying of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi sallam): “When you ask, then ask Allaah and when you seek help, then seek from Allaah alone.” [110]
I was so amazed by the explanation of Imaam an-Nawawee when he said: “Then, if there is a need which one asks from (not dealing in the habit that his people are accustomed to) such as requesting guidance, knowledge, cure from diseases and obtaining forgiveness, then he asks his Lord these things. As for asking the creation and depending upon them, then it is blameworthy.”
So I said to the Shaykh: “This hadeeth and its explanation shows it is not permissible in seeking help from other than Allaah.” He said to me: “But it is allowed.” So I said: “What is your evidence?”
The Shaykh became annoyed and shouted angrily, saying: “Verily my aunt used to say O Shaykh Sa’ad (and he was buried in this Masjid and she used to seek help from him).” So I said to her: “O my aunt does Shaykh Sa’ad benefit you? She replied: “I call upon him, so he intercedes with Allaah for me, He then cures me.”
So I said to him: “Indeed, you are a learned man, your age has passed away in reading books and then you take your ‘aqeedah from your ignorant aunt?” He said to me: “You have Wahhaabi ideas and you have been on Umrah and brought back the books of the Wahhaabi’s.”
I did not know anything about the Wahhaabi’s, except what I had heard from the Scholars, who used to say about them: “Then, Wahhaabi’s are different from the people, they do not believe in the saints (awliyaa), their miracles and they do no love the Messenger”, and the false accusations. So I said to myself: “If the Wahhaabi’s believe in seeking help only from Allaah alone and that the only Curer is Allaah alone, then it obligatory that I find out about them.”
I asked about their gatherings and I was told that they have a place where they meet on Thursday evenings, to give lessons in Tafsir (explanation of the meaning of the Qur’aan) hadeeth and Fiqh (legal rulings), so I went to them with my children and some of the educated youth and we entered a big room and we sat waiting for the lesson. After a while and old man entered the room. He gave us Salaam and shook everyone’s hands, starting from his right, then he sat on a chair and no one stood up for him. So I said to myself: “This Shaykh is humble he did not make it necessary for people to stand up for him.”
The Shaykh began his lesson by saying: “Verily all praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and we seek His Forgiveness…” Until the end of the Khutbah, with which the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) use to open his speech and sermons. Then he began to speak in Arabic and narrated hadeeth and clarified their authenticity and their reporters and he sent prayers upon the Prophet and he mentioned his name. Finally, questions directed to him were written on pieces of paper, so he answered then with proof from Qur’aan and the Sunnah.
He continued to discuss with some of those present and did not decline any questions. He said at the end of his lesson. All praise is due to Allaah that we Muslims and Salafi’s [111], some of the people say we are Wahhaabi’s and this is an insult by using nicknames and verily Allaah has prohibited us this, in His Saying:
“Do not insult one another by nicknames.” [112]
In the past, they accused Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee of rafd so he refuted them saying:
“If rafd is loving the family of Muhammad then the humans and jinn’s witness I am a Raafidee.”
We refute whoever insults us with ‘Wahaabi’ by the saying of one poet:
“If the follower of the Prophet is a Wahaabi, then I affirm that I am a Wahaabi.”
When he finished, we left with some of the youth, amazed by his knowledge and his humility and I heard one of them say: “He is truly a Shaykh.”
Meaning of Wahaabi:
The enemies of Tawheed apply the nickname ‘Wahaabi’ to every believer in the Oneness of Allaah. The word ‘Wahaabi’ is actually a ascription to Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab and if they were truthful they would have said, “Muhammadi”, an ascription to his name Muhammad and Allaah has willed that Wahhaabi be an ascription to Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), which is name from the Perfect Names of Allaah.
So since Sufi is an ascription to a group who wear wool then Wahhaabi is an ascription to Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), He is Allaah, the One Who has given him the blessing to Tawheed and He strengthens whoever calls to it.
Footnotes:
[110] Hasan Saheeh - Reported by at-Tirmidhee
[111] Salafi: Those who follow the path of Salaf-us–Saalih (The pious Predecessors, i.e. The Prophet, the companions, the first three generations of Muslims and all those who follow their way) in all matters of belief, worship, dealing and manners etc.
[112] Soorah al-Hujuraat, Aayah 11
Written by Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zainoo
Taken from: The Methodology of the Saved Sect, Chapter 16, Pgs. 68-71
It is the habit of the people that they label as Wahhaabi everyone who opposes their customs, belief and innovations, even if their beliefs are corrupt, in opposition to the Noble Qur’aan, the authentic narrations of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and especially if they call to Tawheed and supplicating to Allaah alone.
I was reading to a particular Shaykh the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas in ‘Al-Arba’een an-Nawawee’ (an-Nawawee’s Forty Hadeeth), which was the saying of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi sallam): “When you ask, then ask Allaah and when you seek help, then seek from Allaah alone.” [110]
I was so amazed by the explanation of Imaam an-Nawawee when he said: “Then, if there is a need which one asks from (not dealing in the habit that his people are accustomed to) such as requesting guidance, knowledge, cure from diseases and obtaining forgiveness, then he asks his Lord these things. As for asking the creation and depending upon them, then it is blameworthy.”
So I said to the Shaykh: “This hadeeth and its explanation shows it is not permissible in seeking help from other than Allaah.” He said to me: “But it is allowed.” So I said: “What is your evidence?”
The Shaykh became annoyed and shouted angrily, saying: “Verily my aunt used to say O Shaykh Sa’ad (and he was buried in this Masjid and she used to seek help from him).” So I said to her: “O my aunt does Shaykh Sa’ad benefit you? She replied: “I call upon him, so he intercedes with Allaah for me, He then cures me.”
So I said to him: “Indeed, you are a learned man, your age has passed away in reading books and then you take your ‘aqeedah from your ignorant aunt?” He said to me: “You have Wahhaabi ideas and you have been on Umrah and brought back the books of the Wahhaabi’s.”
I did not know anything about the Wahhaabi’s, except what I had heard from the Scholars, who used to say about them: “Then, Wahhaabi’s are different from the people, they do not believe in the saints (awliyaa), their miracles and they do no love the Messenger”, and the false accusations. So I said to myself: “If the Wahhaabi’s believe in seeking help only from Allaah alone and that the only Curer is Allaah alone, then it obligatory that I find out about them.”
I asked about their gatherings and I was told that they have a place where they meet on Thursday evenings, to give lessons in Tafsir (explanation of the meaning of the Qur’aan) hadeeth and Fiqh (legal rulings), so I went to them with my children and some of the educated youth and we entered a big room and we sat waiting for the lesson. After a while and old man entered the room. He gave us Salaam and shook everyone’s hands, starting from his right, then he sat on a chair and no one stood up for him. So I said to myself: “This Shaykh is humble he did not make it necessary for people to stand up for him.”
The Shaykh began his lesson by saying: “Verily all praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and we seek His Forgiveness…” Until the end of the Khutbah, with which the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) use to open his speech and sermons. Then he began to speak in Arabic and narrated hadeeth and clarified their authenticity and their reporters and he sent prayers upon the Prophet and he mentioned his name. Finally, questions directed to him were written on pieces of paper, so he answered then with proof from Qur’aan and the Sunnah.
He continued to discuss with some of those present and did not decline any questions. He said at the end of his lesson. All praise is due to Allaah that we Muslims and Salafi’s [111], some of the people say we are Wahhaabi’s and this is an insult by using nicknames and verily Allaah has prohibited us this, in His Saying:
“Do not insult one another by nicknames.” [112]
In the past, they accused Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee of rafd so he refuted them saying:
“If rafd is loving the family of Muhammad then the humans and jinn’s witness I am a Raafidee.”
We refute whoever insults us with ‘Wahaabi’ by the saying of one poet:
“If the follower of the Prophet is a Wahaabi, then I affirm that I am a Wahaabi.”
When he finished, we left with some of the youth, amazed by his knowledge and his humility and I heard one of them say: “He is truly a Shaykh.”
Meaning of Wahaabi:
The enemies of Tawheed apply the nickname ‘Wahaabi’ to every believer in the Oneness of Allaah. The word ‘Wahaabi’ is actually a ascription to Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab and if they were truthful they would have said, “Muhammadi”, an ascription to his name Muhammad and Allaah has willed that Wahhaabi be an ascription to Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), which is name from the Perfect Names of Allaah.
So since Sufi is an ascription to a group who wear wool then Wahhaabi is an ascription to Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), He is Allaah, the One Who has given him the blessing to Tawheed and He strengthens whoever calls to it.
Footnotes:
[110] Hasan Saheeh - Reported by at-Tirmidhee
[111] Salafi: Those who follow the path of Salaf-us–Saalih (The pious Predecessors, i.e. The Prophet, the companions, the first three generations of Muslims and all those who follow their way) in all matters of belief, worship, dealing and manners etc.
[112] Soorah al-Hujuraat, Aayah 11