[Anypeny]

ameen, may i ask where you live brother?

[Zvmwissq]

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

Brother please tell us about the Habashis.

Personally I don't know much about them, though I have seen refutations of the by Gibril Haddad and also the refutation below, which seems quite a warning.

I have also been informed that the Habashis are associated with the intelligence services of Syria, although obviously that could be speculation.

anyway, brother I would love to hear more about them because it is an interesting and unusual subject.

I can see that you have attachment and trust for your teacher, but could it be that he is not representative of the Habashi group and that he too just learned from them?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear sister in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

We have visited the site you mentioned in your question and we came to the conclusion that this site is maily concerned with publishing information and articles about Al-Ahbash. Here, we will try our best to brief you on Al-Ahbash sect as well as their dogmas and beliefs by citing the following:

"Al-Ahbash is a stray sect that follows `Abdullah ibn Al-Habashi. It has recently appeared in Lebanon taking advantage of the ignorance and poverty that resulted from the Lebanese civil war. It calls for the revival of the approaches of the advocates of the science of Kalam (theology), Sufis, and the Batiniyyah, with the aim of corrupting the Islamic creed, fragmenting Muslims and distracting them from their main issues.

Establishment:

`Abdullah Al-Harari Al-Habashi is `Abdullah ibn Muhammad Ash-Shybi Al-`Abdary by lineage, and is called Al-Harary because he comes from the city of Harar in Abyssinya (Al-Habashah). He came to Lebanon in 1950 after he incited sedition against Muslims there. He joined hands with the ruler of Indragy , the son in law of Hilasilasy , against the Islamic schools for teaching Qur’an in the city of Harar in 1376 AH/1940 CE causing what is known as the sedition of the Kolob country which resulted in sentencing the manager of the schools to twenty three years of imprisonment then he was exiled to Joury county and died there.

Moreover, the rest of the Sheikhs and callers to Islam fell in the hands of Hilasilasy who humiliated them and drove them to flee to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. That’s why `Abdullah Al-Harary was called ‘ the leader of the sedition”. Since he came to Lebanon he kept inciting sedition exactly as he used to do in his country and kept spreading his corrupt beliefs, insulting the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) accusing `A'ishah, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her) of not following Allah’s orders in addition to issuing wrongful fatwas.

Al-Habashi has recently succeeded in attracting a large group of insolent fanatics who do not consider anyone as a Muslim unless he declared his submission to their leader and his corrupt creed that includes the Batinyyah and the Rafidah. Moreover, they force themselves on people by going to their houses and insisting that they learn the Habashi creed.

Beliefs and dogmas:

Reading thoroughly all that has been issued by such sect, one would clearly see that they violate the principles of Islam and its main creed. Following are some of their beliefs:

1- Concerning creed, they follow the condemned school of Irja'. It is well known that the Islamic creed held by the Prophet’s Companions and their successors states that faith is a matter of declaring in words, believing in the heart and all this must be reflected in action for belief without practice and submission to Shari`ah has no place in Islam. However, according to them it is not necessary that faith be reflected in action and hence a person remains a believer even if he neglects all the pillars of Islam.

2- Such a sect consider it permissible to seek the help of the dead besides instead of that of Allah and this is clearly considered in the Qur'an and Sunnah as ascribing partners to Allah. They urge people to do so claiming that the dead get out from their graves to fulfill the requests of those who call upon them and then get back to the graves. Allah Almighty says: “They worship beside Allah that which neither hurteth them nor profiteth them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah.” (Yunus: 18)

3- They consider that the Qur'an is not the words of Allah but that of Gabriel.

4- They claim to follow the Shafi`i School in respect to fiqh and belief. However, they are, in fact, very far from the principles of the School of Imam ash-Shafi`i.

5- They claim that Allah has created the universe and sent the Messengers to humans for no purpose or wisdom and whoever attributes any of Allah's actions to the Divine Wisdom is a mushrik.

6- They abuse the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) particularly Mu`awiyah, `A'ishah, Khalid ibn al-Walid. They declared that Mu`awayh (may Allah be pleased with him) was not a true believer. In such case, they are similar to the Rafidah who also insult the Prophet’s Companions. [Muslims must abstain from discussing the relationship between the Prophet’s Companions and their disagreements. They must also recognize their role in promoting Islam and their being privileged with the Companionship of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It is confirmed that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not abuse my Companions for if any one of you spent gold equal to Mountain Uhud (in Allah's Cause) it would not be equal to a mudd or even a half mudd spent by one of them."‏ Allah Almighty says: “And those who came (into the faith) after them say: Our Lord Forgive us and our brethren who were before us in the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancor toward those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art Full of Pity, Mercifl.” (Al-Hashr: 10)]

7- One of the most flagrant violations of this sect is their issuing of wrong fatwas that contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For instance, they consider gambling with non-believers permissible in order to take away their money as long as this does not lead to sedition. Moreover, they consider robbing the harvest and the cattle of non-believers and permissible. They also consider it permissible to deal in Riba (interest) with non-Muslims, and to join lottery games. Moreover, one of their most obvious violations to the principles of religion is their declaration that it is permissible to look lustfully at women, on television or elsewhere, and also that intermingling between men and women without any restrictions is permissible. These are some examples of their weird fatwas that clearly contradict Shari`ah and consider all grave sins as permissible practices.

8- One of their mean ways of making Mulsims abstain from following the scholars of Islam is their belittling of their status, insulting them and labeling many of them as kuffar (non-Muslims). Among the scholars which they labeled as kuffar Ibn Taymiyyah, Adh-Dhahabi, Muhammad ibn Abdel-Wahhab, Sayyed Sabiq, Sayyed Qutb, etc."

Translated excerpts, with modifications, from Al-Mawsu`ah Al-Fiqhiyyah Al-Muyassarah fi Al-Adyan wal Madhahib Al-Mu`asirah.

In this context, we'd like to cite for you the following fatwa issued by the eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Ali Jum`ah, Professor of the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University:

“This sect follows `Abdullah Al-Harary Al-Habashi, and it has surface and deep levels. At the surface, this sect seems to adhere to the Shafi`i School of Jurisprudence, and to Imam Al-Ash`ari’s School as regards creed. However, at the deep level, their main intention is to corrupt the Muslim creed and incite sedition amongst the Muslim Ummah. Moreover, they are paid agents to the enemies of Islam.

After inciting sedition in Harar, `Abdullah Al-Habashi moved to Beirut where he started deceiving young men into joining his suspected group. He worked as an editor for publishers in Lebanon and started to cooperate with the Jews and their agents in South Lebanon. He started in the seventies to spread his corrupt thoughts and to declare many scholars as non-Muslims, especially Imam Ibn Taymiyyah , Imam Muhammad `Abdul Wahhab , the Hanbalis and all those who held different views from his under the pretext that they violate the principles of Imam Al-Ash`ari or what he has understood from the texts of the Shafi`is .

Moreover, he urged his followers to incite sedition wherever they go. For instance, they cause such a controversy concerning the direction of the Qiblah in America violating all the principles of modern science claiming that they are just innovations and rejecting substantial evidence. They caused the same problem in Japan.

In addition to causing a problem over their following other Muslims in prayers, the problem over food, the controversy over getting married to women belonging to other revealed religions and other issues that are controversial amongst Muslim scholars.

They hold strange deviant views that have never been expressed by any Muslim sect, group or movement. They declared that intermingling between men and women is permissible without any restrictions, and that Muslim leaders are not true believers and that it is permissible to cooperate with non-believers. They also once spread that their leader died then they declared that it was a rumor. In such a way, they made people detest them as they were always linked with sedition. Several Muslim authorities warned against such a sect including: the Islamic Research Academy at Al-Azhar, the General Authority for Research, Fatwas and the Islamic call and guidance in Saudi Arabia, the Higher Council for Fatwas in Northern America.

In order to continue deceiving people, they usually do not express their true views and intentions in the books or any of the publications that they issue. Even the books issued by their leader is quite ordinary and do not contain any of their aberrant views which is, in fact, part of their plan to deceive people and attract more followers. However, many of their followers repent and revert to the true path when they learn the truth about such sect."

Based on the aforementioned facts, we'd like to conclude with the following points:

1- The Ahbash group is a stray group that is not considered among main stream Muslims and they have to revert to the true path of the Companions and their successors, both in belief and in action.

2- It is not permissible to follow the fatwas of such sect.

3- They are not trustworthy and people must be warned against their dangerous corrupt views. Moreover, Muslims should advise the followers of such sect to revert to the true path.

Allah Almighty knows best. Source: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503544180

[BoomBully]

I've never seen Muslims as dumb and as big a trouble makers than the Habashis, they have this uncanny ability to create Fitnah, dive into nonsense topics and make you hate them.

[Heliosprime]

I've never seen Muslims as dumb and as big a trouble makers than the Habashis, they have this uncanny ability to create Fitnah, dive into nonsense topics and make you hate them.

harsh words. battling fitnah like wahabism isnt making fitnah though, if thats what you were talking about.

[Emedgella]

Muslims Beware of "Abdullah Habashi"

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem

O Muslims! Beware of a man who calls himself Abdullah Habashi and of his followers. They are a group of extremists who are busy accusing all Muslims who don't follow their teachings and beliefs, of being kaafir and mushrik.

The Prophet (s) said, "man kaffara musliman faqad kafar" which means "whoever calls a Muslim a kaafir, he is a kaafir." This is borne out in the following three hadiths. The Prophet (s) said, as narrated in Bukhari and Muslim by Ibn Mas'ud, "sibaab al-muslimeen fusuqun wa qitaaluhu kufrun." which means "to curse a Muslim is corruption and to fight him is apostasy." He said in another hadith related by Abdullah ibn 'Umar in Tabarani, that the Prophet (s) said, "kuffu 'an ahli `la ilaha ill-Allah' laa tukaffirruhum bi-dhambin faman kaffara `ahla la ilaha ill-Allah' fa-hua lil-kufri aqrab." This means "leave alone the people who say there is no deity except Allah, don't call them unbelievers if they did something that in your eyes is a sin, for whoever says that they are unbelievers, he is the one nearer to unbelief." Anas ibn Malik related from the Prophet (s), "thalathun min aslil-iman, al-kaffu an man qala `la ilaha ill-Allah', la tukaffiruhu bi-dhambin wa laa tukhreejhu min al-Islam" [Abu Dawud.] "the origin of faith is threefold: to leave alone those who say there is no deity but God alone, not to call him an unbeliever because of a sin, and not to bring him out of Islam."

Our answer to these people is simply "It is enough for them to understand the meaning of these three hadiths." The Prophet (s) said, "alaykum bi-ijmaa al-muslimeen" which means "you must follow the majority of Muslims." The majority of Muslims are following these three hadiths and avoid accusing anyone of kufr and unbelief, except "Abdullah Habashi" and his followers.

"Abdullah Habashi" (a.k.a. Abdullah al-Hariri) has been trained to poison the minds of Muslims, and he was sent to Damascus. There he began his activities by visiting Muslim scholars and attending their lectures, in order to analyze their personalities. However, after much effort to spread his poisonous beliefs, he found that Damascus was too spiritual and Islamic a place for him, as he was unable to poison the minds of people. Therefore he was ordered by his masters to move on to Lebanon. There he sought asylum from the Secretary General of the Religious Affairs Department in Lebanon, Mukhtar Alele. He was given shelter on condition that he only stay in the mosque of Ziqaq al-Bilat in Beirut, and the condition that he in no way spread his teachings to people.

Unfortunately, "Abdullah Habashi" broke his promise to the General Secretary who had sponsored him. The Prophet (s) said, "al-Muslim idha wa'ada wafa.'" Which means "the Muslim when he makes a promise, fulfills it" The first action that he did was to break his promise.

He began to spread his teachings through Lebanon at that time, and has continued until the present day. During the Lebanese crisis the so-called "Abdullah Habashi", gave a fatwa that his followers could rob any house left empty by tenants who had fled the fighting. He also permitted them to kill any person who carried an identity card which identified them as Christian or non-Muslim. This is not accepted in Islam.

During the crisis moreover people were pressured to become followers of the "Habashi" group by blackmail, phone threats, and by placing bombs near their homes and their cars, until this day.

Here we will present some of the fatwas "Abdullah Habashi" made up for his followers.

1. Anyone is considered an unbeliever unless they take initiation with their shaykh. Everyone else is considered kaafir.

2. They marry only within their group. They trade, buying and selling only among themselves.

3. They gave a fatwa that a man can sleep with any woman that is not a member of their group, because she will be considered jaariya, as they consider themselves at war with those who do not follow them. They are even permitted to use force for this purpose, thereby condoning rape.

4. They destroyed families by demanding that wives leave husbands and husbands leave wives, based on their claim that if one spouse took initiation with the so-called "Habashi," he or she must leave the other, unless the other spouse also take initiation. By this means, they have broken up thousands of families, in Lebanon, Europe, in America where they have some small groups.

5. They have given a fatwa to the effect that wives forcibly separated from their husbands, remarry, though they are still considered married by sharia; moreover they force them to remarry one of the members of their group.

6. They gave a fatwa that as long as the woman is covering her head, she can go swimming in a one-piece bathing suit or bikini, even in front of strange men. Their special beaches are infamous in Lebanon.

7. They say that women can go in front of any man wearing all types of cosmetics, fragrances, eyelashes, rouge and makeup, and wearing tight trousers and alluring clothes, as long as she is covering her head.

8. Now they are finally studying the possiblity of a fatwa to allow mut'ah to take place.

9. They permitted mufakhadha, which means a man may sleep and commit any sexual act with other than his wife, as long as no penetration occurs.

This is only a small sample, a drop in the bucket, of what they have permitted their followers to do which is contrary to Islam.

O Muslims, the same ones who are spreading these fatawa, from this so-called "Abdullah Habashi," have cursed and charged many Muslim scholars with kufr.

To sum up, if the "Habashis" are not going to keep quiet and repent, and offer an apology to all those they accused of kufr and called unbelievers, we are going to expose the dealings of their rank and file with the Nusayris, who are a radical sect of Shi'ites who live in Syria.
from sunnah.org

Brother I know that this website is associated to the Naqshbandi Haqqanis whom don't get on with Habashis, but what of these accusations are they falsehoods or with substance?

[avaiftBoara]

from sunnah.org

Brother I know that this website is associated to the Naqshbandi Haqqanis whom don't get on with Habashis, but what of these accusations are they falsehoods or with substance?

Reading some of these accusations is funny, i have never heard this from my teachers, this site which you quoted doesnt even have the correct name of the sheikh; "abdullah habashi" is incorrect, his name is "abullah alharari". this portrays ordinary muslims as demons, the funny thing is that some of these things were actually done by the wahabbies themselves to neighbouring countries before they found oil. i honestly dont care too much about being in groups and parties and such, but unfortunately people will slander against muslims who just teach the creed of ahlesunnah wal jamaah purely and i can only speak from my experiences and dealings with a few scholars and teachers who are affiliated with aicp. so i would have to say they are defenitely falsehood with an intention to slander and lack any substance (from my knowledge and experience).

[socialkiiii]

...so i would have to say they are definitely falsehood with an intention to slander and lack any substance (from my knowledge and experience).

I understand brother, but still there are a lot of people around who seem concerned about the Ahbash.

I read this lately on http://www.onislam.net/english/news/...-campaign.html

It was about how Ethiopian Muslims are feeling that they are having the Ahbash version of Islam forced upon them and that those who don't follow it are being persecuted.

Muslims accuse the Ahbash of launching an "indoctrination program" in predominantly Muslim areas

Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Muslims have taken to the streets to protest the government's oppression on their community and interference in their religious affairs.

"This is the first time I see Ethiopian Muslims united against their common enemy," Temam Mohammed, one of the protestors, told OnIslam.net.

"The ‘Majlis’ leaders thought they can impose their evil policy on us by using force," he said, referring to the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.
Al-Ahbash: Evolution and Beliefs (Q&A)

Thousands of Muslims protested across the capital Addis Ababa following the Friday prayers to protest the government oppression of their community.

Chanting "We want our rights" and Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), the protestors condemn government restrictions on their community.

Protestors say the government is spearheading a campaign in collaboration with the Majlis to indoctrinate Muslims with the ideology of a sect called "Ahbash".

The government of Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi has put the Ahbas in charge of the religious affairs of Ethiopia's Muslims.

Muslims say the government move was in violation of the constitution, which prevents the government interference in religious affairs.

Muslims also accuse the Ahbash of launching an "indoctrination program" in predominantly Muslim areas, forcing people to attend "religious training" camps or risk police interrogation and possible arrest.

"They thought they can draw a line between “Sufi” and “Salafi” and fulfill the interest of Ahbash which is a deviant business motivated sect seeking to expand its empire by dividing the people," Mohammed said.

"But we were fast enough to know their hidden agenda and strengthened the brotherly bond among the Muslim society. That is why you see this large mass coming here to demand its right."

Founded by Ethiopian-Lebanese scholar Sheikh Abdullah al-Harari, Ahbash is seen by the West as a "friendly alternative" to Wahabi ideology, which the West sees as extreme and militant.

Muslims say Ahbash imams are being brought over from Lebanon to fill the Majlis and teach Ethiopians that “Wahabis” are non-Muslims.

Silenced Muslims

The government, however, insists it was not interfering in the religious affairs of Ethiopian Muslims.

"We have no right to intervene in the churches and mosques," Premier Zenai told the parliament last week.

"We didn’t impose Ahbash ideology on the mass. All what is happening is done by the leaders of Islamic Affairs council themselves.

"What we did was only teaching about our constitution. We did that because it was our duty," he said.

Zenawi also defended mass arrests of Muslims, saying it was part of efforts to combat extremism in the country.

"All those arrested by the security agents are part of the ‘Salafi’ school which approves that at least some ‘Salafis’ want to topple the state forcefully," he said.

"We know them and we follow up them. However, this doesn’t mean all Salafis are Al-Qaeda members."

But Muslim religious leaders see Zenawi's statements as a tactic to silence them.

"Our request is purely about freedom of religion. We didn’t ask political power," Muslim scholars said.
"He didn’t address any one of the three points we requested. But he tried to show us his wisdom about “Sufi” and “Salafi” and terrorized us by bringing a nightmare of ‘Al-Qaeda’ to our country. He did so because he wants to keep us away from raising similar questions in the future."
[B] so brother what is going on there in Ethiopia, do you have any information on it?

[cigattIcTot]

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

I was looking at this answer on sunnipath.

Question:

Is it permissible to take knowledge from the group named the Ahbash, (AICP, Ahbash, Habashis, ...)? They state that they follow the Ashari Aqeedah, and the Madhhab of Imam Ash-Shafi'i (RA). That is if pray in the proper direction of the Qibla for us?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

No, it is not permissible to take knowledge from this pseudo-Sunni group. The Ulema of Syria consider their founder `Abd Allah al-Harari a deviant who misguides others (dall mudill). Among those deviancies, he has authored a book in which he attacks some of the Sahaba, Allah be well-pleased with all of them, and he and his group have made takfir and tadlil of many of the Ulema and Awliya of the past and present.

Gibril Haddad

Faraz Rabbani writes: I agree completely. They are a group that spreads fitna and division wherever they are I can understand why someone could say Gibril Haddad is not a fair judge as he is a Naqshbandi Haqqani and there is a well known dispute between Habashis and them, but Sheikh Faraz Rabbani isn't, what could his motivation be? is he wrongly informed to say that the Habashis are a group that spreads fitna and division wherever they are ?

[Pvfcadbh]

harsh words. battling fitnah like wahabism isnt making fitnah though, if thats what you were talking about.

Apparently they battle Fitnah by making Takfeer on everybody, Habashis and Shia are competing on who's the biggest Takfeeri.

[Jueqelyl]

I took shahada 4 years ago and I believe that Allah is above the throne, and has hands bi la kayf.

Question for the habashi: Is my shahada nullified? Am I muslim or kafir?

[SallythePearl]

The Ethiopian Muslims and the Ahbash Controversy


By Muhammad Ali Alula Al-Hashimi, PhD


There very well may be an “Ethiopian Spring” brewing in the Horn of Africa! It all began back in July of 2011. The Ethiopian government, through the offices of the Islamic Supreme Council of Ethiopia, called a conference to be attended by the known Islamic scholars and leaders of Ethiopia. The scholars and leaders dutifully heeded the government summons. It was not long after the start of the conference that most of the attendees walked out in utter disgust at the proposals that were being made. Basically, the Ethiopian government was delivering that day an edict—that had been prepared with the help of Haggai Erlich, the Israeli-Zionist author specializing in Ethiopian history—that henceforth all Ethiopian Muslims would be mandated to follow, the particular controversial, indeed heretical, teachings of the Lebanese Ahbash Movement!


The attendees could not believe what they were hearing! Here was a secular government that had huddled with an Israeli-Zionist writer to dictate to the 40 million plus Muslims of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia how they should, indeed must, practice their religion from now into the foreseeable future. Clearly, the conference was an insult on three counts!

http://www.firsthijrah.com/index.php...-&catid=5:news


May Allah protect us from them

[poonnassunlix]

I was doing a little reading on the Habashis last night. and found some quite disturbing information. It is not just from one source, but from many. In fact be they Sufis, traditionalists, Ikhwanis or Salafis pretty much everyone who is a Muslim seems to dislike and distrust them.

It also became clear that the only people who liked them were enemies of Sunni Islam such as Daniel Pipes, the Syrian Regime, Hezbollah etc. and the Habashis friendship patterns suggest that at the top they have quite different motivations than the ones that they claim.

A new group has recently emerged with ambitious thoughts, and a variety of rulings. They are called Ahbash or Habashies (Ethiopians, or Abyssinians), not because they come from that land, but because their leader Abdullah AlHabashy hales from Harare in Somalia.

The Ahbash present their leader to the public as: " the new scholar, a role model for the researchers, and a representative of the scrutineers, the cream of the working scholars, the Imam who narrates traditions, the pious to extreme, the better worshipper, owner of majestic gifts, the elder Abu AbdelRahman Abdullah ben Muhammad ben Yousef ben Abdullah ben Jame' Alharary AlShiby, Al'Abdary the chief jurisprudent of Somalia, born in the city of Harare c 1339 ah / 1920 ad" (note1).

However, those who do not follow the Ahbash say that he is Abdullah AlHabashy, comes from a country the inhabitants of which hate him to an extent that they began referring to him as the father of lies and divisiveness, as per the declaration of one of those related to him, his brother in law, Yousef ben AbdulRahman AlHarary who now resides in the Madina Almunawarra, in Saudi Arabia.

He refers to him thus because of his big part in the rebellion of "Kulub" in Harare with support from Adis Ababa where he helped the enemies of the Muslims, in particular the governor of "Endragy" the brother in law of Hilasilasy, against the Muslim organisations working to the Holy Qur'an in Harare in 1367 ah / 1940 ad. (note 2) http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/habashi_beliefe.htm


This is a segment from an article was first published in the International Journal of Middle East Studies 28 (1996), 217-229.

.... In an unprecedented step in 1992, the Ahbash ran two candidates in Lebanon's parliamentary elections, one of whom, Dr. Trabulsi, won a seat in Beirut. Despite their commitment to pacifism and moderation, the Ahbash are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with what they call "Hizb al-Ikhwan" -the Brotherhood Party" -particularly Fathi Yakan's al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya and its transnational allies.

Beyond their doctrinal and ideological conflicts, al-Ahbash and al-Jama'a have engaged in bloody clashes around the 'Umar al-Kabir Mosque in Sidon and the 'Isa bin Maryam Mosque in Tripoli.79 Spokesmen for al-Jama'a and its Egyptian Islamist allies have denounced Shaykh Habashi as "an individual who plans to divide the Sunnis of Lebanon".80

Yakan has accused the Ahbash of serving Zionism and protecting its interests in the Middle East.81 He has also attacked Habashi for deviating from the Prophet's teachings by following the Mu'tazila and for his categorical rejection of Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, and Sayyid Qutb. 82

Yakan further criticizes the Ahbash for their wholesale use of takfir -an accusation of unbelief (kufr) against their enemies; he calls them "the denouncer's faction" (al-firqa al-mukaffira).83

RELATIONS WITH OTHER GROUPS

In contrast to their profound enmity toward Yakan's Jamaa al-Islamiyya, the Ahbash have "normal" and "friendly" relations with Hizballah, while expressing misgivings about the latter's violent activities.84

Despite their doctrinal sympathy with 'Ali and Shi'ism, the Ahbash are careful not to appear too close to the Shi'a, which risks alienating their Sunni constituency, as happened to Shaykh Sha'ban of Harakat al-Tawhid of Tripoli.85

.... the Ahbash and Hizballah concluded an undeclared alliance in Beirut that assured the election of their respective candidates, 'Adnan Trabulsi and Muhammad Burjawi.86

While maintaining amicable ties, the Ahbash have been singularly reluctant to support Hizballah's call for an Iranian-style Islamic order in Lebanon as a substitute for its present consociational system.

In view of their strong endorsement of consociationalism and their opposition to an Islamic state, the Ahbash have found a natural ally in the Amal movement, which also shares with the Ahbash a proSyrian orientation. These shared interests prompted the Ahbash to support the election of Amal leader Nabih Barri as speaker of the Lebanese Parliament. 87

With respect to Lebanon's Sunni religious establishment-the Sunni Juridical Office-the Ahbash maintain an uncooperative attitude. http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/al-ahbash.html

To those people on Sunniforum who are associated with the AICP/Ahbash, personally if I was you brothers I would run a mile from them and find new teachers, there is something very, very wrong with the leadership of that group.

[MormefWrarebe]

I took shahada 4 years ago and I believe that Allah is above the throne, and has hands bi la kayf.

Question for the habashi: Is my shahada nullified? Am I muslim or kafir?

now i understand why you dont like them so much a little better. it is kuffr to believe that allah is in need of a place.

[myspauyijbv]

I was doing a little reading on the Habashis last night. and found some quite disturbing information. It is not just from one source, but from many. In fact be they Sufis, traditionalists, Ikhwanis or Salafis pretty much everyone who is a Muslim seems to dislike and distrust them.

It also became clear that the only people who liked them were enemies of Sunni Islam such as Daniel Pipes, the Syrian Regime, Hezbollah etc. and the Habashis friendship patterns suggest that at the top they have quite different motivations than the ones that they claim.



http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/habashi_beliefe.htm


This is a segment from an article was first published in the International Journal of Middle East Studies 28 (1996), 217-229.



http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/al-ahbash.html

To those people on Sunniforum who are associated with the AICP/Ahbash, personally if I was you brothers I would run a mile from them and find new teachers, there is something very, very wrong with the leadership of that group.

your hatred is funny, maybe you should meet some of them for yourself and talk to them.

[Flikemommoilt]

@Abdul:

now i understand why you dont like them so much a little better. it is kuffr to believe that allah is in need of a place. He didn't say Allah is in need of a place, he just said he is above the throne.

your hatred is funny, maybe you should meet some of them for yourself and talk to them. There's a lot of them in Lebanon and they're horrible Takfeeris.

[feAilei1]

now i understand why you dont like them so much a little better. it is kuffr to believe that allah is in need of a place.

am I muslim or kafir

p.s. I didnt say Allah needs a place

[DioraMoostebeers]

,
They are so blind in their hatred of Ibn taymiyyah (), that a brother told me that once he was taken to their centre where he was made to read highlighted arabic text supposedly written by him saying things like God is three (na'udhubillah), Jesus is His son" ... whereas Ibn Taymiyyah was merely stating the christian views !
See also what wrote Mufti Husain here.

[VovTortki]

...

To those people on Sunniforum who are associated with the AICP/Ahbash, personally if I was you brothers I would run a mile from them and find new teachers, there is something very, very wrong with the leadership of that group.

I already know people that have ran ten miles from them Alhamdulillah.

They are mis-informed in regards to Ibn Taymiyyah and are very extreme in regards to the "Salafis", i keep hearing they have a "cultish agenda / behaviour" from those attending and sitting with them. Besides that one of their "leaders" already came on sunniforum trying to defend their group and it was clear that they harbour enmity towards one of the great Sahabi; Amir Mu'awiyyah and call him Baaghi (Rebel) and a Fasiq (Transgressor) Astagfirullah, he went on trying to prove this too, despite the verdicts of the Ahl al-Sunnah that it was his Ijthihadi error. May Allah guide them.

[uniopaypamp]

,
They are so blind in their hatred of Ibn taymiyyah (), that a brother told me that once he was taken to their centre where he was made to read highlighted arabic text supposedly written by him saying things like God is three (na'udhubillah), Jesus is His son" ... whereas Ibn Taymiyyah was merely stating the christian views !
See also what wrote Mufti Husain here.

My cousin who is 15 years old, a Muslim layman, doesn't know much about religion, he joined a school which is run by Habashis, I asked him: "What did they tell you about Ibn Tayymiyah " he answered: "They told us he thinks God is in several directions an he's a Kaffir."

^ That sums up the Ahbash for you in a nutshell. teaching little kids things like that, is despicable.

[niemamczasu]

am I muslim or kafir

p.s. I didnt say Allah needs a place

To say that allah is above the throne means he is in need of place, where was he before he created the arsh? allah created the arsh and after creating it he doesnt change or need it.

Ibn Taymiyah: the Wahhabi founder’s role model



It is worth giving an overview of a man named Ahmed Ibn Taymiyah (1263-1328) who lived a few hundred years before Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab. The Wahhabi founder admired him as a role model and embraced many of his pseudo-Sunni positions. Who exactly was Ibn Taymiyah and what did orthodox Sunni scholars say about him? Muslim scholars had mixed opinions about him depending on his interpretation of various issues. His straying from mainstream Sunni Islam on particular issues of creed (`aqeedah) and worship (`ibadat) made him an extremely controversial figure in the Muslim community.

Ibn Taymiya has won the reputation of being the true bearer of the early pious Muslims, especially among reformist revolutionaries, while the majority of orthodox Sunnis have accused him of reprehensible bid’ah (reprehenisible innovation), some accusing him of kufr (unbelief).[4]

It behooves one to ask why Ibn Taymiyah had received so much opposition from reputable Sunni scholars who were known for their asceticism, trustworthiness, and piety. Some of Ibn Taymiyah’s anti-Sunni and controversial positions include:

(1) His claim that Allah’s Attributes are “literal”, thereby attributing God with created attributes and becoming an anthropomorphist;

(2) His claim that created things existed eternally with Allah;

(3) His opposition to the scholarly consensus on the divorce issue;

(4) His opposition to the orthodox Sunni practice of tawassul (asking Allah for things using a deceased pious individual as an intermediary);

(5) His saying that starting a trip to visit the Prophet Muhammad’s (s) invalidates the shortening of prayer;

(6) His saying that the torture of the people of Hell stops and doesn’t last forever;

(7) His saying that Allah has a limit (hadd) that only He Knows;

(8) His saying that Allah literally sits on the Throne (al-Kursi) and has left space for Prophet Muhammad (s) to sit next to Him;

(9) His claim that touching the grave of Prophet Muhammad (s) is polytheism (shirk);

(10) His claim that that making supplication at the Prophet Muhammad’s grave to seek a better status from Allah is a reprehensible innovation;

(11) His claim that Allah descends and comparing Allah’s “descent” with his, as he stepped down from a minbar while giving a sermon (khutba) to Muslims;

(12) His classifying of oneness in worship of Allah (tawheed) into two parts: Tawhid al-rububiyya and Tawhid al-uluhiyya, which was never done by pious adherents of the salaf.



Although Ibn Taymiyah’s unorthodox, pseudo-Sunni positions were kept away from the public in Syria and Egypt due to the consensus of orthodox Sunni scholars of his deviance, his teachings were nevertheless circulating in hiding. An orthodox Sunni scholar says:

Indeed, when a wealthy trader from Jeddah brought to life the long-dead ‘aqida [creed] of Ibn Taymiya at the beginning of this century by financing the printing in Egypt of Ibn Taymiya’s Minhaj al-sunna al-nabawiyya [italics mine] and other works, the Mufti of Egypt Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti‘i, faced with new questions about the validity of anthropomorphism, wrote: "It was a fitna (strife) that was sleeping; may Allah curse him who awakened it."



It is important to emphasize that although many of the positions of Ibn Taymiyah and Wahhabis are identical, they nonetheless contradict each other in some positions. While Ibn Taymiyah accepts Sufism (Tasawwuf) as a legitimate science of Islam (as all orthodox Sunni Muslims do), Wahhabis reject it wholesale as an ugly innovation in the religion. While Ibn Taymiyah accepts the legitimacy of commemorating Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (Mawlid) – accepted by orthodox Sunni Muslims as legitimate – Wahhabis reject it as a reprehensible innovation that is to be repudiated.

Ibn Taymiyah is an inspiration to Islamist groups that call for revolution. Kepel says, “Ibn Taymiyya (1268-1323) – a primary reference for the Sunni Islamist movement – would be abundantly quoted to justify the assassination of Sadat in 1981…and even to condemn the Saudi leadership and call for its overthrow in the mid-1990s”.[5]

Sivan says that only six months before Sadat was assassinated, the weekly Mayo singled out Ibn Taymiyya as “the most pervasive and deleterious influence upon Egyptian youth.” Sivan further says that Mayo concluded that “the proliferating Muslim associations at the [Egyptian] universities, where Ibn Taymiyya’s views prevail, have been spawning various terrorist groups.” Indeed, a book entitled The Absent Precept, by `Abd al-Salam Faraj – the "spiritual" leader of Sadat’s assassins who was tried and executed by the Egyptian government – strongly refers to Ibn Taymiyya’s and some of his disciples’ writings. Three of four of Sadat’s assassins willingly read a lot of Ibn Taymiyya’s works on their own.[6]

Ibn Taymiyah is also noted to be a favorite of other Salafi extremists, including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Syed Qutb. Ibn Taymiyyah’s student, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, is also frequently cited by Salafis of all colors.



Ibn Taymiyah’s “fatwa” of jihad against Muslims

What is also well-known about Ibn Taymiyah is that he lived in turbulent times when the Mongols had sacked Baghdad and conquered the Abassid Empire in 1258. In 1303, he was ordered by the Mamluk Sultan to give a fatwa (religious edict) legalizing jihad against the Mongols. Waging a holy war on the Mongols for the purpose of eliminating any threat to Mamluk power was no easy matter. The Mongol Khan Mahmoud Ghazan had converted to Islam in 1295. Although they were Muslims who did not adhere to Islamic Law in practice, and also supported the Yasa Mongol of code of law, they were deemed apostates by the edict of Ibn Taymiyah. To Ibn Taymiyah, Islamic Law was not only rejected by Mongols because of their lack of wholesale adherence, but the “infidel” Yasa code of law made them legal targets of extermination. The so-called jihad ensued and the Mongol threat to Syria was exterminated. Wahhabis and other Salafis to this day brand the Mongol Mahmoud Ghazan as a kafir (disbeliever). Orthodox Sunni Muslims, however, have praised Mahmoud Ghazan as a Muslim. Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani writes:



In fact, Ghazan Khan was a firm believer in Islam. Al-Dhahabi relates that he became a Muslim at the hands of the Sufi shaykh Sadr al-Din Abu al-Majami’ Ibrahim al-Juwayni (d.720), one of Dhahabi’s own shaykhs of hadith….During his rule he had a huge mosque built in Tabriz in addition to twelve Islamic schools (madrasa), numerous hostels (khaniqa), forts (ribat), a school for the secular sciences, and an observatory. He supplied Mecca and Medina with many gifts. He followed one of the schools (madhahib) of the Ahl al-Sunna [who are the orthodox Sunnis] and was respectful of religious scholars. He had the descendants of the Prophet mentioned before the princes and princesses of his house in the state records, and he introduced the turban as the court headgear.[7]



Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab would later follow Ibn Taymiyah’s footsteps and slaughter thousands of Muslims in Arabia.



Orthodox Sunni scholars who refuted Ibn Taymiyah’s pseudo-Sunni positions



Ibn Taymiyah was imprisoned by a fatwa (religious edict) signed by four orthodox Sunni judges in the year 726 A.H for his deviant and unorthodox positions. Note that each of the four judges represents the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence that Sunni Muslims belong to today. This illustrates that Ibn Taymiyah did not adhere to the authentic teachings of orthodox Sunni Islam as represented by the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence. There is no evidence to indicate that there was a “conspiracy” against Ibn Taymiyyah to condemn him, as Wahhabis and other Salafis purport in his defense. The names of the four judges are: Qadi [Judge] Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Jama’ah, ash-Shafi’i, Qadi [Judge] Muhammad Ibn al-Hariri, al-`Ansari, al-Hanafi, Qadi [Judge] Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr, al-Maliki, and Qadi [Judge] Ahmad Ibn `Umar, al-Maqdisi, al-Hanbali.

Some orthodox Sunni scholars who refuted Ibn Taymiyya for his deviances and opposition to the positions of orthodox Sunni Islam include: Taqiyy-ud-Din as-Subkiyy, Faqih Muhammad Ibn `Umar Ibn Makkiyy, Hafiz Salah-ud-Din al-`Ala’i, Qadi, Mufassir Badr-ud-Din Ibn Jama’ah, Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Kilabi al-Halabi, Hafiz Ibn Daqiq al-`Id, Qadi Kamal-ud-Din az-Zamalkani, Qadi Safi-ud-Din al-Hindi, Faqih and Muhaddith `Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Baji ash-Shafi’i, the historian al-Fakhr Ibn al-Mu`allim al-Qurashi, Hafiz Dhahabi, Mufassir Abu Hayyan al-`Andalusi, and Faqih and voyager Ibn Batutah.




Najd – A place not so holy



Najd, in Saudi Arabia, is where the founder of Wahhabism came from. It was a mostly barren and dry land inhabited by Bedouins who used to graze animals. With sparse water, it is not the most comfortable of places since its climate has extremes of heat and cold in the summer and winter seasons. Najd has a notorious reputation in the orthodox Sunni community for originating seditions (fitan) long before Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab came. Indeed, it is known to have harbored many trouble mongering individuals who challenged the Muslims both spiritually and physically. The orthodox Sunni Iraqi scholar Jamal Effendi al-Zahawi says:



Famous writers of the day made a point of noting the similarity between Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab’s beginnings and those of the false prophets prominent in Islam’s intial epoch like Musaylima the Prevaricator, Sajah al-Aswad al-Anasi, Tulaiha al-Asadi and others of his kind [14].



Fenari says that although Najd is closest to to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, it has only been dispraised by Prophet Muhammad (s) in authentic traditions. He raises another interesting point that while many Arabian tribes were praised by Prophet Muhammad, the Banu Tamim – the most well known tribe of Central Arabia where Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab was from – is praised only once. Moreover, authentic traditions that “explicitly critique” the Banu Tamimites are far more numerous. Ibn al-Jawzi, an orthodox Sunni scholar, documents the evolution of the Kharijite movements and illustrates how the tribe of Banu Tamim played a leading role in it. Imam Abd al-Qahir also states that the Tamimites – and the Central Arabians in general – were intimately involved in the Kharijite rebellions against the Muslims, contrasting their immense contribution to the minimal contribution of members of the tribes of Medina and Yemen. It is from Banu Tamim where a man name Abu Bilal Mirdas came from, who, although being a relentless worshipper, turned out to be one of the most barbaric Kharijite fanatics. “He is remembered as the first who said the Tahkim – the formula ‘The judgment is Allah’s alone’ – on the Day of Siffin, which became the slogan of the later Kharijite da’wa.” It is reminiscent of what Wahhabis say today – that they strictly adhere to nothing but the Qur’an and Sunnah – although it is merely a jumble of words without coherent meaning. Najda ibn Amir of the tribe of Banu Hanifa was a Kharijite whose homeland was Najd, and the best known woman among the Kharijites was a Tamimite named Qutam bint `Alqama. It is fascinating to see that fanatics of all types came from a region where the fanatic Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab came from.





The Wahhabi assault on graves and the massacre of Muslim communities in Riyadh and Karbala



With the ferocious zeal of a “divine” mission, aimed at terminating what they perceived as the filthy polytheistic scum of Arabia, the Wahhabi army led by Muhammad ibn Sa`ud ‎ first destroyed graves and objects in Najdi towns and villages that were used for what they condemned as “polytheistic practices.” The Wahhabi movement mustered supporters who rallied behind their cause, increased the size of their army, and successfully united most of the people of Najd under the banner of Wahhabism by 1765.

The assault and “jihad”of Wahhabism did not stop after the death of Muhammad ibn Sa`ud ‎ in 1765, but continued with unrelenting and barbaric force under the leadership of his son, Abdul-Aziz, who captured the city of Riyadh in 1773. Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab died a year earlier but left four sons who continued spreading Wahhabism and strengthened the Wahhabi family’s alliance with the Al-Sa`ud ‎.[8] Later, in 1801, the Wahhabi army marched to Karbala with a force of 10,000 men and 6,000 camels.[9] Upon reaching Karbala, they mercilessly and indiscriminately attacked its inhabitants for eight hours, massacring about 5,000 people. Moreover, they severely damaged Imam Hussein’s mosque, looted the city, and left the carnage-laden city with its treasures on 200 camels.[10] This holocaust won the Wahhabi criminals the unforgiving hatred and wrath of the Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims, who, until this day, curse them passionately. The Shi’ite Muslims consider Imam Hussein, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s), one of the most sacred figures and his tomb one of the most sacred sites on earth. Every year, thousands of Shi’ites gather at the site to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein. Visiting Karbala one is indeed filled me with awe and spiritual strength even as a devout Sunni. Shi’ite wrath, of course, didn’t mean much to the Wahhabis. The Shi’ites, along with the Sunnis, had already been labeled as “blasphemers” for practicing tawassul and tabarruk. What are these practices? Are they part of Sunni Islam or not?


Tawassul and Tabarruk

Nuh Keller, an orthodox Sunni scholar, defines tawassul as “supplicating Allah by means of an intermediary, whether it be a living person, dead person, a good deed, or a name or attribute of Allah Most High”. I remember doing tawassul in 1989 at Imam Abu Hanifah’s tomb, the noble and renowned Islamic scholar whose ijtihad the majority of Sunni Muslims follow. Although I had not studied much about Islam and the practices of tawassul at that time, I had been told by trustworthy Muslims that using pious individuals as intermediaries when asking Allah for something was a blessed opportunity that I couldn’t afford to miss. I had also visited the tomb of the great sufi and saint Abdul-Qadir Jilani and performed tawassul over there. An example of tawassul is: “Oh Allah, I ask you to cure my illness by means of the noble status of Imam Abu Hanifah (s).”



When doing tawassul, the source of blessings (barakah) when asking Allah through an intermediary is Allah – not the intermediary. The intermediary is simply a means to ask Allah for things. Although it is not necessary for a Muslim to use a pious intermediary when asking Allah, it is recommended because it was a practice of Prophet Muhammad (s), the Companions (ra), and of the great scholars of Islam (ra). It is not only prophets and saints (in their graves) that are used as means to asking Allah. A Muslim can also ask Allah through relics (tabarruk) that belonged to pious people, and may even use amulets with verses on the Qur’an on them as a means of asking God for protection from evil. It is not the means that provides protection, but Allah.


Wahhabis reject a type of tawassul accepted by orthodox Sunni Muslims



Although Sunnis, Shi’ites, and Wahhabis believe that tawassul by one’s good deeds, a name or attribute of God, or intercession by someone who is alive and present is permissible, Wahhabis accuse Sunnis (and Shi’ites) of committing shirk (attributing partners in worship to God) when doing tawassul through an intermediary who is not alive or present (in the worldly life). That is, to a Wahhabi, tawassul through an intermediary who has died and is in his grave is ugly blasphemy. This is critical to know because this is the primary reason why Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab and the Al-Sa`ud ‎ criminals that collaborated with him massacred many Muslims in the Arabian peninsula. Muslims had been doing this form of tawassul for over 1,000 years but the Wahhabis believed it was blasphemy that had to be exterminated by the sword. What Wahhabis were doing in actuality was massacring orthodox Sunni Muslims, even though they foolishly believed they were fighting against evil blasphemors that didn’t deserve to live. Wahhabis were not following the footsteps of the pious Salaf, but the footsteps of Ibn Taymiyyah who a couple of hundred years before them denounced that particular form of tawassul as sinful. Wahhabis today forbid Muslims from doing tawassul through Prophet Muhammad, and have enforced strict rules around his grave in Medina, Saudi Arabia. It is for this reason that Wahhabis forbid Muslims from visiting the graves of pious Muslims, and have destroyed markings on graves to prevent Muslims from knowing the specific spots where saints are buried. Yet, it is interesting to note the hypocritical nature of the Wahhabis when they had refused the demolishing of the grave of Ibn Taymiyah in Damascus, Syria to make way for a road. Somehow, this is not “polytheism” to them, but it is “polytheism” for the majority of the Islamic community.



The flawed Wahhabi understanding of tawassul: confusing the means with the Giver



Wahhabis wrongly accuse orthodox Sunnis of committing shirk (polytheism) when asking God for something using an intermediary, whether the means is a pious human being in his grave, objects (tabarruk), or seeking protection from God using amulets with verses of the Qur’an written on them (ruqya). The Wahhabi believes that asking God for something through a means is the same as worshipping the means itself. That is, for people who do tawassul through a pious saint in his grave is asking the pious saint – and not God – for things. People who do tabarruk through a relic of Prophet Muhammad (s) are asking the relic – and not God – for blessings, and people who wear ruqya are asking the ruqya itself for protection – and not God. When a Muslim visits the Prophet Muhammad’s (s) grave and calls on the Prophet (s), “Oh Prophet,” (Ya Rasulullah), the Wahhabis accuse such a person of worshipping the Prophet (s) and refuse to accept the understanding that the Prophet himself is a means to asking God for things. Such an act to Wahhabis drives a Muslim out of the realms of the religion of Islam. In sum, the Wahhabis believe that such people are worshipping creation alongside God, and are therefore guilty of polytheism – attributing partners in worship to God.

The now deceased former Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Ibn Baz, defends Ibn Abdul-Wahhab’s accusation of polytheism that he had heaped on the Muslim masses and his resorting to “jihad” by saying that Muslims had gone astray because they had “worshipped” things are than God:



The people of Najd had lived in a condition that could not be approved of by any believer. Polytheism had appeared there and spread widely. People worshipped domes, trees, rocks, caves or any persons who claimed to be Auliya (saints) though they might be insane and idiotic.

There were few to rise up for the sake of Allah and support His Religion. Same was the situation in Makkah and Madinah as well as Yemen where building domes on the graves, invoking the saints for their help and other forms of polytheism were predominant. But in Najd polytheistic beliefs and practices were all the more intense.

In Najd people had worshipped different objects ranging from the graves, caves and trees to the obsessed and mad men who were called saints.

When the Sheikh [Ibn Abdul-Wahhab] saw that polytheism was dominating the people and that no one showed any disapproval of it or no one was ready to call the people back to Allah, he decided to labour singly and patiently in the field. He knew that nothing could be achieved without jihad (holy fighting), patience and suffering [italics mine].[11]



Orthodox Sunnis, however, have never claimed to worship the means, but only God. Because Wahhabis didn’t tolerate this, they massacred thousands of Muslims who they saw as being “polytheists” in Arabia. In actuality, they were Sunni Muslims who were following Islam in its purity as taught by the pious ancestors that lived in the time period of the Salaf.





Wahhabis attribute a place and direction to Allah



While accusing the masses of Muslims of being polytheists, Wahhabis themselves have differentiated themselves from other Muslims in their understanding of creed. Due to the Wahhabis’ adherence to an unorthodox, grossly flawed literal understanding of God’s Attributes, they comfortably believe that Allah has created or human attributes, and then attempt to hide their anthropomorphism by saying that they don’t know ‘how’ Allah has such attributes. For example, Bilal Philips, a Wahhabi author says:



He has neither corporeal body nor is He a formless spirit. He has a form befitting His majesty [italics mine], the like of which no man has ever seen or conceived, and which will only be seen (to the degree of man’s finite limitations) by the people of paradise.



Discussing each part of his statement will shed light into his anthropomorphic mind. Bilal Philips says that “Allah has a form befitting His majesty…” What he confirms in his mind is that Allah definitely has a form. He even specifies the kind of form by saying: “He [Allah] has neither corporeal body…” meaning that Allah has a form that is not like the forms of creation, and then says, “nor is He a formless spirit. Then he says, “He has a form befitting His majesty…” The problem with such statements to a Muslim is that they express blatant anthropomorphism. What Bilal Philips is doing here is foolishly attributing a “form” to God that, in his mind, nobody has ever seen. Therefore, Bilal Philips believes that God has some type of form, or non-corporeal body. No orthodox Sunni Muslim scholar has ever said such a perfidious thing.

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, one of the greatest mujtahid Sunni imams ever to have lived, refuted such anthropomorphic statements over a thousand years before Bilal Philips was born. The great Sunni Ash`ari scholar, Imam al-Bayhaqi, in his Manaqib Ahmad relates with an authentic chain that Imam Ahmed said:



A person commits an act of disbelief (kufr) if he says Allah is a body, even if he says: Allah is a body but not like other bodies.



Imam Ahmad continues:



The expressions are taken from language and from Islam, and linguists applied ‘body’ to a thing that has length, width, thickness, form, structure, and components. The expression has not been handed down in Shari’ah. Therefore, it is invalid and cannot be used.



Imam Ahmed is a pious adherer of the time period of the Salaf that was praised by Prophet Muhammad (s). How can Bilal Philips claim to represent the pious forefathers of the Salaf? He not only contradicts them but is vehemently refuted by them. The great pious predecessors had refuted ignoramuses like Bilal Philips in their times long ago.

Blatant anthropomorphism is also illustrated by the Wahhabi Ibn Baz’s commentary on the great work of Imam Abu Ja’afar at-Tahawi called “Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah” (The Creed of Tahawi), a work that has been praised by the orthodox Sunni community as being representative of Sunni orthodoxy. The now deceased Ibn Baz was Saudi Arabia’s grand Mufti.

Article #38 of Imam Tahawi’s work states:



He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created entities are.



Ibn Baz, in a footnote, comments:



Allah is beyond limits that we know but has limits He knows.



In another footnote, he says:

By hudood (limits) the author [referring to Imam Tahawi] means [limits] such as known by humans since no one except Allah Almighty knows His limits.

Ibn Baz deceptively attempts to represent the noble Sunni Imam al-Tahawi as an anthropomorphist by putting his own anthropomorphic interpretation of Imam Tahawi’s words in his mouth. It must be emphasized that not a single orthodox Sunni scholar understood Imam Tahawi’s statement as Ibn Baz did.



Ibn Baz’s also shows anthropomorphism in a commentary by the great Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani. Ibn Baz says:



As for Ahl ul-Sunna – and these are the Companions and those who followed them in excellence – they assert a direction for Allah, and that is the direction of elevation, believing that the Exalted is above the Throne without giving an example and without entering into modality.



Another now deceased Wahhabi scholar, Muhammad Saleh al-Uthaymeen, blatantly expresses his anthropomorphism. He says:



Allah’s establishment on the throne means that He is sitting ‘in person’ on His Throne.



The great Sunni Hanbali scholar, Ibn al-Jawzi, had refuted anthropomorphists who were saying that Allah’s establishment is ‘in person’ hundreds of years ago:



Whoever says: He is established on the Throne ‘in person’ (bi dhatihi), has diverted the sense of the verse to that of sensory perception. Such a person must not neglect that the principle is established by the mind, by which we have come to know Allah, and have attributed pre-eternity to Him decisively. If you said: We read the hadiths and keep quiet, no one would criticize you; it is only your taking them in the external sense which is hideous. Therefore do not bring into the school of this pious man of the Salaf – Imam Ahmad [Ibn Hanbal] – what does not belong in it. You have clothed this madhab [or school of jurisprudence] with an ugly deed, so that it is no longer said ‘Hanbali’ except in the sense of ‘anthropomorphist’



Sulayman ibn `Abdul Allah ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, the grandson of the Wahhabi movement’s founder, says:



Whoever believes or says: Allah is in person (bi dhatihi) in every place, or in one place: he is a disbeliever (kafir). It is obligatory to declare that Allah is distinct from His creation, established over His Throne without modality or likeness or exemplarity. Allah was and there was no place, then He created place and He is exalted as He was before He created place



Just as Bilal Philips affirms a form to Allah in his mind, and Ibn Baz confirms limits to Allah in his mind, al-Uthaymeen confirms that Allah is literally sitting ‘in person’ on the Throne in his mind. All of them have loyally followed the footsteps of Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab – the two arch-heretics who were instrumental in causing tribulation (fitna) and division among the Muslim masses because of their reprehensible, unorthodox interpretations of the Islamic sources.

Wahhabi anthropomorphists say: Allah is in a direction, Allah has limits, Allah is literally above the Throne, and that Allah is sitting ‘in person’ on the Throne. To a Muslim, the fact is that the Throne is located in a particular direction and a certain place. By understanding Allah to be above the Throne literally as the Wahhabis do, they are attributing Allah with created attributes and, as a result, are implying that a part of the creation was eternal with Allah. This opposes what the the Qur’an and the following hadith authentically related by al-Bukhari says:



Allah existed eternally and there was nothing else [italics mine].



Sunni orthodoxy clears Allah of all directions and places. To a Sunni, Allah has always existed without the need of a place, and He did not take a place for Himself after creating it. Orthodox Sunni scholars have said exactly what was understood by Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Companions (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah, the great mujtahid Imam who lived in the time period of the Salaf said: “Allah has no limits…”, period. And this is what Sunni orthodoxy represents.