Correction: After several months, I finally realized this article has a persistent typo. The correct transliteration is “Wahhabi” not “Wahabbi.” Therefore the title should properly be When did the Wahhabi Movement become Muslim? Arabic does not favor a double consonant at the end, and I should have known better. Rather than correct the entire piece, I’m simply putting the caveat up front. Sorry for the confusion.
This is a serious question: When did the Wahabbi movement become Muslim?
Just finished re-reading Hamid Algar’s excellent essay, Wahabbism: A Critical Essay, and the one question that he never answers is when did the movement become Muslim?
A few authors, thankfully, are now talking about how the Wahabbi movement was initially not considered Muslim. They also talk about how the Wahabbi movement exercises control in the Muslim world. But I have yet to find a source that tells me how or when the Wahabbis became Muslim.
Until then I can only assume that we, that is Muslims, are allowing a group that has traditionally been considered non-Muslim, to tell us what the true meaning of our religion is.
Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
I am trying to understand exactly what the
Wahabbis are attempting to accomplish in
Chechnya. Why are they fighting the Russians?
I am from a peaceful country and do not
understand why arms are used to enforce a
political or religious opinion.
Islamicate’s plea
Islamicate writes angrily about how Wahhabism has become identified publicly as the voice of Islam, and says that American Muslims should have no question how to vote in ’04: ” Do you want to get your sorry selves thrown in…
I see there is a lot of confusion about wahhabis from muslims and non-muslims. I have never heard of anybody call themselves a wahhabi. Even people I know that lived in the kingdom never heard of this. What I found is that the correct name is Salafi. I learned this from salafi people here is the west and from lectures from the salafi scholars. As a matter of fact a person by the name of Haneef James Oliver wrote a book called “The Wahhabi Myth”. And he has a website based on this topic. I suggest that anyone interested in the what a salafi has to say on this “wahhabi” topic read this site, the book, and even better talk with the scholars who call themselves salafi.
Wahabies are extremist fanatics. Sunni muslim scholars have always wrote in refuting this sect including Sulayman Ibn Abdul-wahhab who is the brother of the founder of this wahhabi sect. The grand father of Ayman Zawahiri (bin ladin right hand) who was the head of Al Azhar at his time (more than 60 yers ago) wrote a book refuting them and called them “jews” meaning they are not muslims. Visit the site associated with this message and learn more about them
If you visit that site http://www.thewahhabimyth.com/ and read it, talk with persons who call themselves salafi especially the scholars who are salafi, you’ll change your view of salafis. As a matter of fact you’ll see that the most of the people the media is calling salafi are nowhere near being salafi. You’ll find that salafis “are” sunni. Sunnis that follow the Prophet (saws), and the first generation, second, and third generation of muslims. In how they understood and acted upon the religion of Islam. Stopping were they stopped, saying what they said and nothing else. Anyone saying, “Wahabies are extremist fanatics”, doesn’t know the facts. 1 the correct term is salafi, not wahabbi. 2 one can’t be extreme upon the sunna, only those outside the sunna can be extreme. 3 if one believes the way the Prophet (saws) and the 1st three generations of muslims believed, and act according to how they acted; does that make the first three generations of muslims extreme? NO, it does not. 4 we as muslims and nonmuslims have to get the facts. This can only be done through dialog.
“Sunni muslim scholars have always wrote in refuting this sect including Sulayman Ibn Abdul-wahhab who is the brother of the founder of this wahhabi sect.” Which sunni scholars? We have to look at this matter thoroughly by comparing and contrasting. What I mean is comparing the salafi and the non-salafis to the beliefs and actions of the Prophet (saws), and the first three generations of muslims. Also contrast the beliefs and actions of the salafis and non-salafis to the Prophet (saws) and the first three generations of muslims. I mean that is the only standard we have as muslims. They were the best, so let us compare and contrast ourselves (beliefs and actions) to the best of mankind (saws) and the best of all the generations (the first 3 generations of muslims). Now this includes the scholars and the general people. Lets see how we fare. Who is the extremist, and who is upon the sunna. Name calling would be fine after this dialog, but before it it has no weight.
So who’s up for it? Let me know, inshallah I’ll talk with some imams who will arrange it with some of the ulama. Inshallah then we will see, who is on the sunna and who is not.
For information about the “Wahhabi’s”, please refer to Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips book, “The Evolution of Fiqh” for detailed analysis, although it is short, it will answer your questions. The book is available from: http://www.islamicbookstore.com.
Good Luck.