The Sharing Group Discussion on Praying behind a Wahhabi Imam

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Brother Ali Camarata posted this on The Sharing Group, on the 12^th March 2015: “I noticed a good few in here are Naqshbandi Haqqanis, but I wanted to ask in general, is it valid to pray behind a Wahhabi imam?  Is there a difference of opinion on this?” 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: It is not a Naqshbandi position since the Naqshbandi is a thariqa’, and that is an opinion of fiqh.  There is ikhtilaf in this, in the current age.  The majority of people would pray behind a Wahhabi imam.  Their reason for this is that the pious predecessors, even during their contentions with the Khwarij, the Jabariyyah, the Qadariyyah, the Murji’ah, and the Mu’tazilah, did not declare them out of Islam; merely out of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. Imam Jamil Swiddiqi ibn Muhammad Faydhi az-Zahawi al-Kurdi’s (r.a.) al-Fajr asw-Swadiq fi ar-Radd ‘ala Munkiri at-Tawaswswul wa al-Khawariq summed up this position. 

There are those who still adhere to the fatwa of the muftiyyun of Makkah from the last khilafah, Sayyid Ahmad ibn Zayni ad-Dahlan (r.a.), the Mufti of Makkah and Shaykh al-Islam, highest religious authority in the Ottoman jurisdiction, for the Hijaz region.  He wrote three major works against the Wahhabi sect.  In ad-Durar as-Saniyyah fi ar-Radd ‘ala al-Wahhabiyyah, and Fitnat al-Wahhabiyyah, he said it is haram to pray behind them and banned them from the haj.  This position was endorsed by the ‘ulama of India.  It was also the position of Shaykh Sulayman ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi (r.a.), as mentioned in Sawa’iq al-Ilahiyyah fi ar-Radd ‘ala al-Wahhabiyyah. 

The difference from the previous heresies was because of their anthropomorphism.  The previous heresies differed from the ‘aqidah of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah in tawhid al-asma’ wa asw-swifat and tawhid al-af’al.  The difference here is in tawhid al-illah and tawhid adz-dzat. 

Brother Ali Camarata: Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis, so is the factor specifically anthropomorphism?  If the said imam is considered Wahhabi but does not believe in anthropomorphism? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: What people call themselves, or are called is not as pertinent as the points of ‘aqidah.  Most Muslims will identify themselves with certain groups, or by names, or claim affiliation because of who they took knowledge from.  The average person does not likely know their religion to that depth, and as such, we always assume they are Muslims, even though there may be severe disagreements in issues of fiqh and ahadits, for example.  These are not enough to put a person out of the fold of Islam. 

However, a person who knows the doctrine, subscribes to it, and propagates it, is to be addressed at that level.  Aside from the anthropomorphism, there are several points of ‘aqidah where the Wahhabi sect differs from the Sunnis.  These other points of contention include the takfir of Muslims engaged in tawaswswul, istighatsa’, nida’, ahwal wa mawlid and ziyarat al-maqamat.  There is no issue with non-subscription since none of them are wajib.  There is a major issue with saying the Muslims are engaged in kufr and shirk.  This is the second basis of the fatawa putting them beyond the pale of Islam. 

The third contention of the ‘ulama is their rejection of taqlid, qiyas, and ijma’.  And this has been a main feature of their fiqh.  But it is not an issue of ‘aqidah.  It only becomes an issue of ‘aqidah when they say that taqlid is a form of shirk.  And this was the third reason for their severe proscription. 

Brother Ali Camarata: Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis, I personally know many who would be called Wahhabi or Salafi by those opposed to them yet they are not anthropomorphic, do not make takfir as above, nor have a problem with madzahib or taqlid of such. 

You have been clear before that you believe Wahhabis are kuffar.  Would you personally pray behind them if they were as above, yet were Wahhabi in whatever other ways the label would be attributed? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: If a person identifies himself as a Wahhabi, he is either one, or he is ignorant of the religion.  If it is the first, then he is a kafir, and his swalah is invalid, and his shahadah is meaningless.  And if he the latter, then he might have no qualifications to be an imam. 

Brother Yunus Temple: It is my understanding that Wahhabis are fasiqin, heretics, not kuffar.  My understanding is that regarding the Khwarij, Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.) first tried to correct them, then he fought them, and then he prayed the funeral swalah for those enemies of his killed in the battle, which places them as fasiqin, not kuffar. 

Brother Jon Beatty: A zindiq is heretic, a fasiq is a violator of shari’ah in an open manner. 

Brother Ali Camarata: Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis, I have never heard anyone identify themselves as a Wahhabi.  That's usually a label applied on people by others. 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: Brother Ali Camarata, the Wahhabi sect identified themselves as Wahhabis first, naming themselves after Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi. 

The Wahhabi Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia in his time, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baz, used the term, “Wahhabi”, to refer to his own group: “The Wahhabiyyah are not new in rejecting all such innovations.  Their creed is to hold fast to the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger, and to follow his footsteps, and those of his rightly guided successors.”  He continued, “The Wahhabiyyah believe in them, the way they reported without any alteration.  The creed of the Wahhabiyyah is based upon fulfillment of witnessing that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and completely abandoning all innovations.  This is the foundation of the Sa’udi regime and this is the view held by the scholars of Sa’udi Arabia.  The hard attitude shown by the Sa’udi government is directed only against the superstitions and innovations in contradiction with Islam.” 

But that terms has since acquired derogatory connotations.  Among the titles Wahhabis gave themselves are the names Muwahhidun, Monotheists; Iswlahiyyun, Reformists; and Salafiyyun, Followers of the Pious Predecessors; while their opponents name them Hashwiyyah, Illiterates or literally Visceralists; Mujassimah; Anthropomorphists; and Khwarij, Seceders.  By whatever name they are called, or they choose to identify themselves, they are identified by their ‘aqidah. 

The ‘ulama, among them, Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.) and Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (r.a.), have agreed that the ignorant person and the one who makes a mistake in this community, even if what is done makes its perpetrator an idolater or disbeliever, and that person pleads the excuse of ignorance or that he made a mistake until a proof is explained to him in a lucid and clear fashion, a situation like such a person's is ambiguous.  The Muslim might have joined in him disbelief, idolatry and faith.  Yet he does not disbelieve in such a way that carries him out of the religion.  That means he cannot be declared an unbeliever.  This is the sawad al-a’azham.  The exceptions to this rule were the Qadiyanis and the Wahhabis.  Both were banned from the haj. 

Sister Nadia Yadumi: I am really puzzled, would all those going to haj then have invalid prayers?  Would all those who are having in their mosques those who adhere to this belief have invalid prayers?  For the average Muslim, this is a very unimaginable situation and unfathomable dilemma.  With so much propagation of religious material done over the last few decades, I doubt any area has been free of their influence. 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: When it comes to haj, we have no choice.  They control the Haramayn, and we make do.  But in everywhere else, people are not blamed for what they do not know.  We assume the imam is Muslim unless we have a clear reason he is ‘aqidah takes him beyond the pale of Islam.