Mu` meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

I seek refuge in Allah from satan the cursed.

Salaams brother Burhan:

Can you please explain the actual meaning of "Wahabi"? I was told that 'wahabis' are people who devote themselves to Allah ONLY, take His name only and derive and explain verything out of His book only, the Quran and nothing else. If this is the case, then truely they are successful ones, don't you think so?

Best Regards and God Bless.

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Answer:

Who are the Wahhabis

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

About 200-300 years ago, the majority of the Islamic countries were under colonial rule, and shirk was rampant amongst the muslims. In various parts of the world, a number of good scholars arose who warned the believers against the heinous crime of ‘shrik’, and guided them to follow the clear commands of the Quran and Sunnah.

Among such scholars was a person named Mohamed ibn Abdul Wahhab in the land of Arabia. He actively confronted the concept of shirk and the practices of ‘bidah’ or innovation, and was quite successful in guiding the believers to the Quran and Sunnah. Mohamed ibn Saud, the founder of what is currently known as Saudi Arabia was impressed by the teachings of Mohamed ibn Abdul Wahhab, and helped and supported him in this cause.

Mohamed ibn Abdul Wahhab was influential in propagating the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah in the land of Arabia. The English colonial rulers of Arabia at that time, obviously did not like his movement and started a ferocious propaganda about Mohamed ibn Abdul Wahhab and his Islamic movement, and they are the ones who termed the movement ‘Wahhabi-ism’.

The term Wahhabi soon became synonymous with fundementalist Islam, and was widely used as a derogatory term by the Western colonial powers and the so-called ‘moderate’ muslims, to imply the believers who would not practice innovations and shirk in their deen.

Wahhabi is thus not a sect in Islam, neither a school of thought, nor a deen! It was simply a term concocted and used by the Western colonial powers of the time; just as today they display their open prejudice against the true believers by naming them ‘fundementalists’, ‘extremists’, and ‘terrorists’! In their convenient terminology, the muslims who obey and follow the Western Powers are called ‘moderate’; and the muslims who obey and follow Allah and His Messenger are called ‘extremists’!

The irony is that in the land of Saudi Arabia one will not even find a trace of any people who call themselves ‘Wahhabis’! But in countries like Iran, Pakistan, India, etc. the ‘moderate’ muslims who are themselves severely engrossed in practices of shirk and bidah, call all those believers who refuse to practice shirk and bidah as Wahhabis.

Your Statement: If this is the case, then truely they are successful ones, don't you think so?

Success in the Just Court of Allah will not depend on whether one is called a Wahhabi, or a Sunni, or a Shia, etc. The ones who Allah says in the Holy Quran will be successful in the Hereafter are those who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, and do righteous good deeds according to the Quran and Sunnah. They are the ones who accept, believe, obey and follow the clear guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws). These are the ones who will achieve True Success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 58 Surah Mujadila verse 22:

Thou wilt not find any people, who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Apostle, even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has written Faith in their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Nur verses 51-52:

51 The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say "We hear and we obey". It is such as these, that will attain Success.

52 It is such as obey Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah, and do right that will win (in the end).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 61 Surah Saff verses 10-12:

10 O ye who believe! Shall I lead you to a bargain that will save you from a grievous Penalty?

11 That ye believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that ye strive (your utmost) in the Cause of Allah with your property, and your persons: that will be best for you, if ye but knew!

12 He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in Gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the Supreme Success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 64 Surah Tagabhun verse 9:

The Day that He assembles you (all) for a Day of Assembly, that will be a day of mutual loss and gain (among you). And those who believe in Allah and work righteousness, He will remove from them their ills, and He will admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever: that will be the Supreme Success.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan