The Parable of the Qur'an: Refuting the Wahhabi Creed

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is adapted from The Parable of the Qur’an: Refuting the Wahhabi Creed. 

From the first principles of the Wahhabi creed is the proposition that polytheists were monotheists in their belief of the Lordship of Allah.  The founder of the Wahhabi sect, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi, mocked Muslims who believed otherwise as being far more ignorant than the unbelievers. 

Referring to Muslims and the kalimah, he wrote, in his Kashf ash-Shubuhat, “The intelligent and shrewd amongst them think that its meaning is that none creates or sustains and nourishes but Allah, and none controls the affairs except Allah.  So there can be no goodness in a person when the ignorant ones amongst the disbelievers are more knowledgeable than him of the meaning of ‘Laa ilaha illa Allah.’” 

He wrote that the meaning of “Laa ilaha illa Allah” affirmed by the Qur’an and Muslims against the polytheists of Makkah was not in the meaning of Lordship of Allah (s.w.t.) because the polytheists, he alleged, already had the correct belief in the Oneness of Allah’s Lordship.  Based on this premise he diverted away the meaning of tawhid and shirk, falsely twisting aspects which have nothing to do with shirk into shirk and finally accusing the ummah of being polytheists. 

This premise of the Wahhabi sect is refuted in the Qur’an through a parable that Allah (s.w.t.) Puts Forth: 

سُوۡرَةُ الزُّمَر

وَلَقَدۡ ضَرَبۡنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ۬ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ (٢٧) قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيۡرَ ذِى عِوَجٍ۬ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ (٢٨) ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلاً۬ رَّجُلاً۬ فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ مُتَشَـٰكِسُونَ وَرَجُلاً۬ سَلَمً۬ا لِّرَجُلٍ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً‌ۚ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ‌ۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٢٩) 

We have put forth for men, in this Qur’an, every kind of parable, in order that they may receive Admonition.  (It is) a Qur’an in Arabic, without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against evil.   Allah Puts Forth a parable ― a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison?  Praise be to Allah!  But most of them have no knowledge. (Surah az-Zumar:27-29) 

In this parable, Allah (s.w.t.) Reveals in refutation of the Makkan pagans, polytheism is being compared to serving several masters who are at odds with each other, while monotheism is described as serving one master wholly.  This parable provides the following benefits in refuting this Wahhabi creed. 

The analogy considers polytheism to be in the idea of a master having several partners that are at odds with each other.  This proves that the belief of the Makkan pagans consisted of the idea that Allah (s.w.t.) had several partners who had the power and authority to be at odds with Allah (s.w.t.).  This is an issue of association of partners in Allah’s (s.w.t.) Lordship and therefore in direct contradiction to what the 1^st principle of Wahhabism states.  The parable also proves that the relationship between Allah (s.w.t.) and the believer is one of wholesome servanthood to Allah (s.w.t.).  The meaning of worship is thereby established by this to be of servitude. 

Furthermore, the parable does not mention the innovations of the Wahhabi sect whereby “seeking” an object should have been projected as the meaning of worship and the basis of distinguishing monotheism from polytheism. 

سُوۡرَةُ الرّعد

 …كَذَٲلِكَ يَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَٱلۡبَـٰطِلَ‌ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَيَذۡهَبُ جُفَآءً۬‌ۖ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمۡكُثُ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ (١٧) 

… Thus does Allah (by parables) show forth truth and vanity: For the scum disappears like froth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth.  Thus does Allah Set Forth parables. (Surah ar-Ra’ad:17)