Jazakh-Allah khair for the article.

Salam,
Ibrahim

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I am the author of the original article, and I’d like to say, subhannAllah. Look how much the use of ‘labels’ is dividing us just on this comment board.

Perhaps there was something that was overlooked about the article. It was referring to labels *within* ahl us sunnah that divide us. That is why I repeatedly use qualifiers like ‘within the fold of Islam’. That means we are *not* talking about differences in creed. We are *not* talking about differences outside of ahl us sunnah. (Please note which labels I used as examples at the end…all fall within ahl us sunnah.)

Similarly, labels such as Mu’min, muslim, etc. are labels assigned by Allah to point to different levels of iman. I don’t think you’d agree that we can label ourselves based on our iman. That seems to be something only Allah can do.

I appreciate you taking the time to clarify that differences in aqeeda (creed) are not to be overlooked. Of course not. Please note that none of the examples of labels I used have differences in creed by definition.

Wal Allahu alam,
Yasmin

The apology is mine to give; perhaps my comment was not soft enough and I apologize for that. Imam Suhaib routinely scolds me for being too harsh so I apologize for that flaw of mine.

Fi aman Allah,
J

The best way for me is to seek Allah’s guidance and keep to myself.

First of all, congratulations on entering into Islam. May Allah [swt] reward you.

Second: be assured that the extremists like Anwar al-Awlaki and those who support him are rare indeed. In fact, I would say that they control *no* mosques in America, and instead are forced to preach on the internet. So *that* is how much of a minority they are. The perfect example is how CNN covered the RevolutionMuslim fitnah mongers: it was four of them compared to the hundreds or thousands who attend the peace loving mosque in front of them. They are truly a minority! “Just four morons on a street corner” as Anderson Cooper dubbed them. The problem is that the internet amplifies their voices.

Third: it is unfair to generalize all of the Salafis / “Wahhabis” or to claim that they are the source of the problem. There are extremist Sufis, such as the Taliban, who believe it or not were not “Wahhabis” but Sufi Deobandis who follow tariqas. It wouldn’t then be fair to dub all of Sufis, or all of Deobandis, as being extremists.

Fourth: Dear brother, please do not listen to the propaganda against Sh. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab. He was a great scholar, respected by not only Salafis but non-Salafis!

I hope Imam Suhaib Webb replies to you himself, and I apologize for responding to you but I just did it because sometimes Imam Suhaib gets busy due to having to reply to so many people…But my advice to you is not to worry about all these different sects and groups…Just be a Muslim and follow peace loving scholars. No reason to jump into these tariqas and other groups…Follow non-aligned scholars like Imam Suhaib Webb, insha-Allah. Another idea is to get involved with ISNA, and their scholars are usually almost always non-aligned, moderate, and peace-loving.

Fi Aman Allah,
J

I am a convert and have a deep connection and strong feelings towards the principles of Islam and have a few good friends but wish I could understand the whole ummah. I started my journey a few years ago trying to discern what was true and what was false in the western media about Islam. Years of reading Quran and other books brought me to convert. I still go through bouts of low Iman and to be honest the last few weeks have been very difficult for me. I follow the posts here and I listen to Imam Al-Awalki’s clips on Youtube and they are disturbing to me. I am not a pacifist and understand the need for Jihad – but is the west really deserving of this?

I follow Al-Awlaki’s narrow, authoritarian, dogmatic views and I wonder if he is the scholar the young people need (I am 54) It seems to me like a Wahabi doctrine, seemingly very low on the scholarship scale compared to the great luminaries. I am more attracted to Ibn Arabi and Al Ghazali than to Al-Wahabb – because I have always been drawn to ’sirat al-mustaqeen’ as it comes from within us and not as external precept pushed upon us. So much honesty and integrity about relationships between people, lack of greed and condemning usury – a just society. But then I see these Imams in the UK preaching for Shariah and the destruction of England, do they think it will happen – that the west will fall over dead to please the Muslims. I believe there is currently no war with Islam, but I think there may be if people realize that many Muslims actually want to disassemble the societies they live in. The west will not accept it and people are better migrating away before bloodshed because no Amercican or British or French or Dutch will give away their countries to Muslims.

We like to tell the Kafir that all’s okay, it;s just a few loonies but watch the Alwaki clips on Youtube, some quite vicious and the stupid, ignorant Muslim kids who leave him jihadi responses, Maybe the west is allowing this so as to radicalize the youth, so they really can arrest them or shoot them or ban them from the country. Who do these jihadi nutcases serve, not most of us who want to worship in freedom and live our life as Muslims without government interventions.

By my problem is much deeper. I have thousands of dollars worth of books I try to read, seerah, history, politics and current affairs, I go on Youtube and Al-Awaki stills sound like a Wahabi – not inclusionist, calling takfir on who he wants as though he himself was blessed with prophethood. And I do duah for Allah;s kindness and compassion to guide me and I do Shdahili dikr, but the Shaykh from Al-Quds taught about spiritual matters and not about hate but love.

I Know I read Al-Arabi and Al-Ghazali and not Al-Wahab – but I did read him, sort of like Catholic Islam – if we don;t like we’ll excommunicate you.

I took baya from a Shadhili Shaykh from Al-Quds. He teaches at Al-Quds and stays there most of the time, Inshaalal I will go and stay in the zawiyah even for a few days.I listen to Al-Awlaki and I wonder if it is the Islam I joined a religion that has become more narrow and rigid since the conection with Wahab and the Saudi royal family.

Right now I need some help. I don;t know if Imam Webb can run a few classes for the confused and perpelxed, possibly old timers possibly new Muslims.

I would like a brief introduction into Isalmic thought and theology – eveything from Ibn Arabi, Al-Ghazzali, Ibn Taymiyah, khawarij and salafi developments as well as the rolu of Sufism in the Mslim world.

I understood Muslim theology used to be so rich and complex and now we have al-Awlaki saying who is and isn;t a Muslim. If I take Alllah into my heart with all heart and convictions and follow the Quran and sunah – how does he know Allah is happier with him than with me who left Judaisn because Allah called and guided me.

Brothers I need help with a couple of classes about the theologies, madhabs and shcools of though like Ashaeri, Maturidi etc, If someone can volunteer to sit with me of perhaps the Shaykh can hold a few lectures for people who are interested and lacking knwolegde.

These are tough times for me – I came from Judaism – it is not easy. I put my faith and guidance in Allah and his meesnger – La Ilahah Illalah – Muhammad Rasul Allah
La Ilaha Illa Hu Al-Hayyu-l-Qayyum Wa Atubu Ilayh
Allahumma Salli’Ala Sayidina Muhammadin Wa Aalihi Wa Sahbihi Wa Salam

Salam,
Ibrahim

Unfortunately you are mixing things up, and so is the person you quoted.

It would be a good idea to actually read Kitab al-Tawhid and Kashf al-Shubuhat yourself before drawing such sweeping conclusions. Both books are available in English with commentary. I strongly recommend Yasir Qadhi’s translation/commentary of Kashf al-Shubuhat, which is entitled “A Critical Discussion about Shirk.”

“How should we reconcile that quote of his, if he did indeed say what you quoted, to the contradictory positions below?”

Nothing is contradictory, brother. You have unfortunately mixed up the issues of tawassul and istighata. This is not really your fault since the scholars you follow purposefully mix these two things up as well.

Please read this here to understand the different types of tawassul:

http://saheefah.org/aqeedah/a201/

You said:

“Contrary to ‘not censuring the other position’ of allowing Muslims to do tawassul, he heaped the biggest accusation of polytheism against them.”

Ibn Abdul Wahhab said that calling on other than Allah for help [istighata] is Major Shirk. There is consensus (ijma) on this point. This particular type of “tawassul”–where one calls on the Prophet such as “O Prophet, help me”–is haram, with no questions asked. Not only is it haram but it is shirk/kufr.

The words “not censuring the other position” are taken with regard to calling on Allah [swt] alone but saying the words “O Allah, I ask you by the right of the Prophet…” In this scenario, the person is calling on Allah [swt] *directly*, but using the words “by the right of….” And the majority position about this is that it is disliked and that there is no sound proof for it. But *this* is the position about which there is “no censuring the other position” for.

So there are two types of “tawassul”:

(1) Calling on other than Allah [swt] for help: “O Prophet, help me!”

(2) Calling on Allah [swt] alone but invoking the right of the Prophet: “O Allah, I call on you alone for help by the right of the Prophet.”

Notice the difference? The first type is haram/shirk/kufr. The second one is a difference of opinion but the correct opinion is that one should not do it.

*This* is what Ibn Abdul Wahhab was saying. Unfortunately, the scholars you follow use the words of scholars who say that the second type is OK in order to justify the first type of “tawassul”, and this is the trick they play.

“This did not escape notice by his own brother and Hanbali scholar, Sulayman Ibn Abdal-Wahhab, who wrote an entire book against him.”

Why do you think that his brother is an authority figure? Just because he refuted Ibn Abdul Wahhab, suddenly he is the “Hanbali” authority figure? In fact, Sulayman was not a good man.

“such as his desire or making permissible to destroy tombs”

This is in accordance to the Sunna of the Prophet [s] who ordered Ali [ra] to destroy tombs and level the graves.

“Had it been as simple as the quote you stated, I doubt the eminent scholars who devoted their lives”

There are Shia scholars who dedicate their entire lives to Islam. Would you then follow their opinions based on this? Why not follow the truth instead of scholars?

In any case, the vast majority of scholars–not just Salafis–have said that calling on other than Allah [swt] is haram/shirk. Islam-online, Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi’s site, declares that “no Muslim could ever call on other than Allah.”

Brother, first read this here:

http://saheefah.org/aqeedah/a201/

And then you may insha-Allah understand the situation better.

Fi Aman Allah,
J