WAHHABISM:
THE MISCHIEF OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
Wahhabism is often thought to be a conservative interpretation of Islam, however it rejects the core commandments of the Prophet Mohammad. Deobandism and Salafism differ slightly from the Wahhabism practised in Saudi Arabia; nevertheless they are almost exactly the same in beliefs.
Wahhabism was founded in the 18th century by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. He formed his belief system in a small village, Uyainah, in Najd( part of modern-day Saudi Arabia). His ideas were so heretical that he was forced into exile and denounced by his own family.
Abd al-Wahhab lived in an era when the Ottoman Empire was in decline and people in the Arabian peninsula were coming to terms with a changing world in which the conditions were not necessarily in their favour. For some discontented Muslims, Abd al-Wahhab’ s ideology was appealing.
Abd al-Wahhab gained followers quickly because he seemed to offer them a solution to their troubles. He claimed that their social and economic issues were a sign from God that they had deviated from true Islam. He declared that Wahhabism was a‘ reformed’ Islam and that Sufism( mystical Islam) was the corrupted version of Islam that was responsible for the troubles Muslims were facing. He said that by effacing Sufism from Islam( by any means he deemed necessary) and adopting Wahhabism, the Muslims would be ushered into a new‘ Islamic Golden Age’ in which they would rule the world. In doing so, he gave them scapegoats to blame and release their frustrations on: the Sufis.
It was not just the Sufis the Wahhabis hated; soon they grew to despise all those who did not adopt Wahhabism, whether or not they were Muslims.
Unlike Sufis, Abd al-Wahhab did not respect the Prophet Mohammad or his teachings. He suggested that to think about Prophet Mohammad during Salat( a form of prayer) was a sin and that his followers would be better off directing their thoughts towards donkeys. [ SIRAT-E-MUSTAQEEM, P. 86 ] He rejected the existence of spirituality altogether. This was despite what the Koran says to the contrary in, for example, chapter 39. [ KORAN 39:22 ]
One of the reasons Wahhabism has become the monster we see today is because of the support of the Saudi Royal Family. When Abd al- Wahhab was preaching his ideology, he formed an alliance with an ancestor of the Saudi Royal Family, Muhammad ibn Saud. Ibn Saud was the leader of a warrior tribe that would loot and plunder neighbouring villages. Soon, Wahhabism became the ideology ibn Saud used to justify this long-held custom. With military backing, Abd al-Wahhab freely promoted his beliefs across the Arab World. When Saudi Arabia was formed, a pact was made between the House of Saud and the Wahhabis to always support one another; the House of Saud would handle the matters of state while the Wahhabis would have full control of the religious sector in Saudi Arabia. Since the holy cities of Mecca and Medina are located in Saudi Arabia, the Wahhabis would thus have influence over to the entire Muslim nation.
Wahhabism has grown exponentially and it is practised in almost every country of the world.
14 THE TRUE MEHDI • ISSUE 02 • FEB 2017