Ahadits That Apply to the Wahhabi Sect

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

These ahadits are cited in the six books of authentic ahadits and have been collated mainly from the following two books written in refutation of the Wahhabi heresy.  Sayyid al-‘Alawi ibn Ahmad ibn Hasan ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad (r.a.) wrote Miswbah al-Anam wa Jala’ az-Zalam fi Radd Shubah al-Bid’i an-Najdi allati Adalla biha al-‘Awamm, “The Lamp of Creatures and the Illumination of Darkness Concerning the Refutation of the Errors of the Innovator from Najd by Which He had Misled the Common People”.  It was published 1325H / 19907 CE.  Imam Ahmad ibn Zayni ad-Dahlan (r.a.), the Mufti of Makkah and Shaykh al-Islam in the Hijaz region of the Ottoman state, wrote Khulaswat al-Kalam fi Bayan Umara’ al-Balad al-Haram, “The Summation Concerning the Leaders of the Holy Sanctuary”.  In it, he has a chapter, “A History of the Wahhabi Fitnah in Najd and the Hijaz.” 

Referring to the Khwarij, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “They transferred the Qur’anic verses meant to refer to unbelievers and made them refer to believers.” 

He also said, “What I most fear in my community is a man who interprets verses of the Qur’an out of context.” 

He also said, “The fitnah comes from there,” and he pointed to the East, where the Najd is in present-day Eastern Saudi Arabia. 

He described their coming thus: “A people that recite Qur’an will come out of the East, but it will not go past their throats.  They will pass through the religion like the arrow passes through its quarry.  They will no more come back to the religion than the arrow will come back to its course.  Their sign is that they shave,” meaning that they shave their heads. 

He also said, “There will be in my ummah, dissent and a faction; a people with excellent words and vile deeds.  They will read Qur’an, but their faith does not go past their throats.  They will pass through religion the way an arrow passes through its quarry.  They will no more come back to the religion than the arrow will come back to its original course.  They are the worst of human beings and the worst of all Creation.  The one who kills them or is killed by them is Blessed.  They summon to the book of Allah but they have nothing to do with it.  Whoever kills them is closer to Allah than they.  Their sign is that they shave.” 

He also said, “A people will come out at the end of times, immature, foolish and corrupt.  They will hold the discourse of the best of creation and recite Qur’an, but it will not go past their throats.  They will passes through religion the way an arrow passes through its quarry.  If you find them, kill them, for verily whoever kills them will have his Reward from Allah on the Day of Judgement.” 

He also said, “There will be people in my ummah whose mark is that they shave,” referring to their heads.  He continued, “They will recite Qur’an, but it will not go past their throats.  They will pass through religion the way an arrow passes through its target.  They are the worst of human beings and the worst of all Creation.” 

He also said, “The apex of disbelief is towards the East.  Pride and arrogance is found among the people of the horse and the camel,” referring to the Bedouin Arabs of the Najd. 

He also said, “Harshness and dryness of heart are in the East, and true belief is among the people of Hijaz.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “O Allah, Bless our Syria and our Yemen!” 

They said, “Ya Rasulullah, and our Najd!” 

He did not reply.  He blessed Syria and Yemen twice more.  They asked him to bless Najd twice more but he did not reply.  The third time he said, “There are the earthquakes and the dissensions, and through it will dawn the horn of Shaythan.”  Another version has, “The two horns of Shaythan.”  Some scholars have said that the dual horns referred to Musaylimah ibn Habib al-Khadzdzab and to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab.  Some versions continue with the words, “And in it is the consuming disease,” referring to death. 

Some books of sirah mention the following version in the chapters devoted to the battles against the Banu Hanifah, “At the end of times a man will come out of Musaylimah’s country and he will change the religion of Islam.”  Most of the Khwarij were also from the Najd area, from the tribes of Banu Hanifah, Banu Tamim, and Wa’il.  Musaylimah al-Khadzdzab was from the Banu Hanifah, and ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab was from Banu Tamim. 

Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) said concerning the Banu Hanifah, the tribe of Musaylimah the Liar, “Their valley will not cease to be a valley of dissensions until the end of time, and the religion will never recover from their liars until Judgment Day,” and in another version, “Woe to al-Yamamah without end.”  al-Yamamah is the valley in the Najd. 

When Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.) killed the Khwarij, someone said, “Praise be to Allah Who has Brought them down and Relieved us from them.” 

Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) replied, “Verily, by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, some of them are still in the loins of men and they have not been born yet, and the last of them will fight on the side of the Antichrist.” 

And the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “A people that recite the Qur’an will come out of the East, but it will not go past their throats.  Every time a generation of them is cut down another one will come until the last one finds itself on the side of the Antichrist.” 

And he also said, “There will be a huge confusion within my ummah.  There will not remain one house of the Arabs except that confusion will enter it.  Those who die because of it are in the Fire.  The harm of the tongue in it will be greater than that of the sword.” 

And he said, “There will be a dissension, deaf, dumb and blind: whoever tries to control it, the dissension will control him.”  This means they will be blind and not see the true issue nor listen to the voice of truth. 

And he said, “A Shaythan will appear in Najd by whose dissension the Arabian island will quake.” 

On the authority of Sayyidina al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib (r.a.), the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “A man will come out of the Wadi Abu Hanifah like a bull that lunges against its yoke.  There will be much slaughter and killing in his time. They will make the possessions of Muslims lawful for themselves and for trade among themselves.  They will make the lives of Muslims lawful for themselves and for boasting among themselves.  In that confusion, the despised and the lowly will attain positions of power.  Their idle desires will keep company with them the way a dog keeps company with its master.”  Wadi Abu Hanifah is in Najd. 

On the authority of Sayyidina Abu Sa’id Sa’id ibn Malik al-Khazraji al-Khudri (r.a.), “Verily in the wake of this time of mine comes a people who will recite Qur’an but it will not go past their throats.  They will pass through religion the way an arrow passes through its quarry.  They will kill the Muslims and leave the idolaters alone.  If I saw them, verily I would kill them the way the tribe of ‘Aad was killed,” meaning he would fight them to extinction. 

And the Prophet (s.a.w.) also said, “There will be, towards the end of time, a people who will say to you what neither you nor your forebears ever heard before.  Beware of them lest they misguide you and bring you confusion.” 

And he said, “They will pass through Islam like an arrow passes through its quarry.  Wherever you meet them, kill them!” 

And he said, “They are the dogs of the people of Hell.” 

And he said, “They recite Qur’an and consider it in their favour but it is against them.” 

And he also said, “There will be thirty antichrists after me, all claiming prophethood.” 

And he also said, “Some people will be standing and calling at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to their call, their will throw him into the Fire.  They will be from our own people and will speak our language.  Should you live to see them, stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader. If not, isolate yourself from all these sects, even if you have to eat from the roots of trees until death overcomes you while you are in that state.” 

And he said, “Just before the Hour there will be many liars.” 

Sayyidina Jabir ibn Samurah (r.a.) said, “Be on your guard against them.” 

And he said, “The Hour will not come until thirty false prophets appear, all of them lying about Allah and His Messenger.” 

And he said, “There will be false prophets and liars among my ummah.  They will tell you something new, which neither you nor your forefathers have heard.  Be on your guard against them and do not let them lead you astray.” 

And he said, “If the leadership is entrusted to those unfit for it, expect the Hour.” 

And he said, “You will see the barefoot ones, the naked, the destitute, the shepherds and camel herders take pride in building tall structures in abundance.” 

And the Prophet (s.a.w.) also said, “One of the signs of the change of religion is the affectation of eloquence by the rabble and their betaking to palaces in big cities.” 

All these ahadits apply to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab and his followers, the Curse of Allah (s.w.t.) be upon them.