Reality of Ibn Abdul Wahhab and Wahhabism

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ

والصلاة والسلام على خاتم النبيين

Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) was a great reformer and imam, whom I consider the Mujaddid of the 13^th century after Hijrah.

Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (may Allah have mercy on him) one of the elders of the great school of Deoband, said concerning him:

محمد بن عبدالوہاب کو لوگ وہابی کہتے ہیں وہ اچھا آدمی تھا سنا ہے کہ مذہب حنبلی رکھتا تھا اور عامل بالحدیث تھا بدعت وشرک سے روکتا تھا۔ مگر تشدید اس کے مزاج میں تھی۔ واللہ تعالی اعلم۔

People call Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab ‘Wahhabi’. He was a good person, and I have heard that he follows the Hanbali school of thought and acts upon the Hadith. He used to prevent people from innovation and idolatry, but he was harsh in his attitude.

محمد بن عبدالوہاب کے مقتدیوں کو وہابی کہتےہیں۔ ان کے عقائد عمدہ تھے۔ اور ان کا مذہب حنبلی تھا۔ البتہ ان کے مزاج میں شدت تھی مگر وہ اور ان کے مقتدی اچھے ہیں۔ مگر ہاں جو حد سے بڑھ گۓ ان میں فساد آگیا اور عقائد سب کے متحد ہیں۔

The followers of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab are known as Wahhabis. They had good beliefs and their school of thought was Hanbali. They were very stringent in their attitude but he and his followers were good people. Yes, those who exceeded the limits were overcome by corruption. The belief of all is the same (Fatawa Rashidiyah, p.292)

Regarding the term ‘Wahhabi’, Maulana Rashid Gangohi said:

اس وقت اور ان اطراف میں وہابی متبع سنت اور دیندار کو کہتے ہیں

Presently and in this region one who follows the Sunnah and is religious is called a ‘Wahhabi’ (ibid, p.250)

A major point of criticism commonly levelled against Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and his followers, the ‘Wahhabis’, is that they make Takfir of the majority of the Ummah, and are therefore among the factions of the Khawarij. In answer to this, Imam Ibn Abdul Wahhab himself wrote:

وأما التكفير فأنا أكفر من عرف دين الرسول ثم بعدما عرف سبه ونهى الناس عنه وعادى من فعله فهذا هو الذي أكفره وأكثر الأمة ولله الحمد ليسوا كذلك

As for takfir (excommunication), then I [only] make takfir of the one who came to know [the reality] of the the religion of the Messengers and after he came to know it, reviled it, prohibited the people from it and showed enmity towards whoever acted upon it. This is the one who whom I declare a disbeliever, and the majority of the [Muslim] nation - and all praise is due to Allah - are not like that. (Ad-Durar as-Saniya; v.1, pp.82-83)