Jeddawi

War on Islam : " Salafi / Wahabi " Deception British Channel 4’s Dispatches has produced a scathing documentary, called Undercover Mosque, about the negative influence of Saudi Arabia, through its promotion of Wahhabism, among the Muslim community of Britain. But the video is clear to point out that, “Wahhabism is opposed to the traditional tolerant beliefs of classical Islamâ. What the video does not cover, however, is that the spread of the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam is part of a larger Western agenda, involving the CIA, to denigrate Islam. The Wahhabis insinuate themselves as legitimate members of the Muslim community,but Wahhabism was created by the British, in the eighteenth century, to undermine Islam. It has since been promoted by the state of Saudi Arabia, which was originally established by the British to achieve Western control of the world’s primary oil resource. (author, “Globalists Created Wahhabi Terrorism“) The novelty of the ruse of the Wahhabis is that they do not present themselves as a sect of Islam, but merely as a group within the majority, known as Sunnis, committed to orthodoxy. In Western countries, as pointed out by Stephen Schwartz, in The Two Faces of Islam, the Muslim communities there are newly created, and do not have long-standing traditions of classical Islam.. It is possible, therefore, for Saudi Arabia to move in and dominate the burgeoning communities. Through their immense oil wealth, they have financed the construction of mosques, printed the majority, if not all, of the Muslim literature in English, and have financially backed all the so-called moderate organizations which purportedly represent the interests of the Muslims. The purpose of promoting Wahhabism is not merely to create the mindset of the terrorist, but to indoctrinate certain Muslims to become aberrations of human beings, exemplifying all that is despicable, including misogyny, ignorance, intolerance and bigotry, as the video painfully exposes. The intent is to create an egregious image of the Muslims, to secure their identity with the prevailing prejudices against them, in order to bring about a Clash of Civilizations, or the so-called War on Terror, in other words, the War on Islam. This video will certainly inflame hatred among the bigoted right in America and elsewhere, who will surely claim "I told you so "Â. But more importantly, the message provided in this video is a wake-up call for the Muslims, to recognize the vipers hiding their midsts who have hijacked their religion. It is high time for Muslims to return to the noble principles of their religion, and start acting like the examples the world is waiting to see.. Contrary to their claims though, while it is true that the word “Salaf†refers to these early generations, the use of the term in this manner is a modern development. This deceptive interpretation of history is derived from Abdul Wahhab, who appeared in the mid-18th century. According to his memoirs, a British spy by the name of Hempher, was assigned to the Middle East in order to discover ways to undermine Islam, with the aim of advancing British control over the region. His mission eventually focussed on the support of Wahhab, and backing him through the Saudi family, through whom he preached the British’s destructive message of Islam. Essentially, Wahhab’s innovations made it legal for his followers to fight other Muslims, by pronouncing them “unbelieversâ€, under the pretense of “purifying†Islam, but in reality serving British strategy against the great Ottoman Empire. Wahhab did so by claiming that all of Islamic history, except for the generations of the Salaf, that is, from the time of the Math’habs onward, had fallen out of Islam. Once adherence of the Muslims had been unbound from their traditional legal schools, it was possible for the British and their agents to come in with their own. And this is the purpose of the Salafi movement. The Saudis were then formally installed in Arabia in 1932, and have since acted as protectors of the oil interests of the Rockefellers, who are regarded as second-in-command within the Illuminati, after the Rothschilds. Particularly since 1973, when the Oil Crisis was orchestrated to enrich the Saudis, they have used the tremendous wealth at their disposal to advance their deviant interpretations. While the Saudis have been under agreement with the CIA to finance many of its covert activities, including the funding of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, and the support of Islamic terrorists worldwide, many of the Saudi scholars as well as the government are putting on a public face of rejecting terrorism and bin Laden. They claim that terrorism and anti-government activities are contrary to the true tenets of Salafism. This is not true. At times the purpose of Salafism is to inculcate terrorism, but in general, the purpose of Salafism is to provide a new Math’hab, to estrange the world’s Muslim population from traditional Islam, and thereby lead them wherever Western interests deem fit. It’s important to understand the very special role of Saudi Arabia. First of all, Laurence of Arabia was used to dupe Sharif Hussain of Mecca in combatting the Turks during WWI, only to be tricked, when the British and French negotiated behind the scenes to partition the Middle East among themselves, even though Hussain had been promised to be appointed “King of the Arabsâ€. Saudi Arabia did not fall within this scheming, but a special fate was reserved for it. Instead, it was Ibn Saud, as head of the extremist Wahhabi faction, who was permitted to seize power in that country in 1932. A year later, he signed a deal conferring drilling rights in the country to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. Oil production in that country has supposedly shifted into native hands, under the guise of ARAMCO, but in reality, the organization merely acts as a front to hide continuing American control. In it through this relationship that Saudi Arabia both acts to safeguard the continuing monopoly of one of the world’s most precious resources, and also acting to finance the spread of the British created “Wahhabi†extremism, designed to undermine Islam from within. Who or what is a Salafi? Is their approach valid? http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/salafi.htm

Saudis talking of their experiences with Al-Qaeda Jihadis doing mea-culpa as Riyadh preaches anti-terrorism Saudi authorities seek to deter young nationals from serving as `pawns' on terrorists `chessboard'. By Habib Trabelsi – PARIS Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Wahhabism, centerpiece of anti-communist jihad of the 1980s and which provided the largest contingent of suicide bombers of September 11 2001, now seeks to deter young Saudis from continuing to "serve as pawns on terrorist groups' chessboard." Since early July, the Saudi state television has been broadcasting every Monday evening "confessions" of veterans of Iraq, the "lost" ones who claim to have found the right path and call their former brothers in arms to follow suit. Preachers, academics and experts to the rescue During the broadcast of "houmoumouna" (our concerns) On Channel 1, these repentant jihadists are supported by experts in terrorism, preachers specialising in Sharia (Islamic law), academics, specialists in psychology or sociology, journalists and even fathers of young Saudis, yet "lost" in the Iraqi jungle. The guest of the 9th edition, on August 26, was Sheikh Jamil Al-Thabiti, the father of an activist whose adventure ended in a prison in Syria. The old man, visibly moved, has not ceased vituperating against recruiters of his son and praised the Saudi authorities who have been engaging since May 2003 in a merciless fight against the local branch of Al-Qaeda, responsible for a wave of attacks in the kingdom in recent years. Various reasons ... to die in Iraq "Abou Chahd", a survivor of the Iraqi quagmire has extensively given the reasons for his departure for "Bilad al-Rafidain", and precisely for Al-Anbar, then stronghold of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the reasons for his repulsion towards the terrorist group. "Abou Chahd" was neither influenced by the rigorous of Wahhabism, the strict interpretation of Islam, nor motivated by the pan-Islamic nationalism that inspires many of Saudi jihadists, nor animated by the desire to become a martyr with the prospect to go to paradise. His motives were "personal." "At that time, I was not a devout Muslim. Following a sharp disappointment, I decided to end my life by going to Iraq," says the former fighter, dressed in a brilliant white "thoub" (traditional robe). Brainwashing ... and pocket cleansing "Abou Chahd" then immersed himself in lashing out at terrorist groups with notably Al-Qaeda in mind. He denounced the "brainwashing used by recruiters who paint martyrdom and paradise where 70 houris (nymphes) will be awaiting them in glowing colours for young believers." He condemned "the exploitation of the extreme religiosity of young candidates for martyrdom by coordinators who welcome them in Iraq, rob their passports, their money, their mobile phones and push them to paradise through the shortest path ... the suicide attack with a car bomb or a belt packed with explosives." "Saudi Arabia targeted in its youth ... a cannon fodder" General Khaled Al-Khalioui, deputy director of the King Fahd Academy, which specializes in security studies, comes to the rescue of young Saudis by recommending them "not be cannon fodder of intelligence services of some States and regimes that do not seek the well-being of the kingdom." "Do not fall in the trap of terrorist groups," he said while addressing a score of young Saudis, attentive but impassive, who attended the debate. In a previous issue, General Khalioui had estimated at "45% the rate of Saudi fighters in Iraq" before deploring that "Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, the center of the Islamic world and great economic power, is the target of many enemies …in its youth who are greatly prized by terrorist groups." "Why we are pawns of terrorism?" Academics and journalists, participating in programmes or via local press, have asked themselves thousands of questions and struggled to explain the reasons for the strong involvement of young Saudis in external conflicts. Why Saudis are the main pawns on Salafi terrorist groups' chessboard? Why do they leave a peaceful life of material comfort for an almost certain death in a foreign country? Would Saudis have a greater and deeper sense of pan-Islamic solidarity as the rest of Muslims? In any case, according Fares bin Houzam, an Al-Qaeda expert and editorialist of Al-Riyadh daily, "almost 5,000 Saudis, mostly teenagers, have already visited Iraq and their motivations are not material." The academic and journalist Ali Al-Khachibane and the sociologist al-Hafedh Hafedh agree together: poverty, unemployment and emotional vacuum are the main reasons for this proselytizing jihad. According to Adnan al-Harthy, the head of the department of history and political science at the University of Oum Al-Qoura in Mecca, what pushes the young Saudi to cross the Rubicon is "the feeling of defeat, including military one, of the Muslim nation and the lack of trust in political solutions. This feeling leads to all forms of extremism." That is why the Saudis have formed the largest contingents of foreign fighters and have indulged in terrorist acts in various parts of the world. Wahhabism obliges! However, Hamza Wahid Hashem, political science professor at the University of King Abdel Aziz, said that Wahhabi extremism is inherent in Saudi society. "Since their early childhood, the Saudis are breast-fed and speech steeped in religious extremism. It is incitement to hatred of others that has accumulated throughout several generations, "says Hashem, in an implicit reference to the Wahhabi doctrine which is accused in the West of teaching intolerance and violence against other religious beliefs. One "lost" won… another three gone The debate continues about the rehabilitation of the "lost" who are being held in centers for reeducating terrorists across the kingdom. In November 2007, a member of a commission responsible for making fundamentalists to renounce their ideology announced the release of 1,500 repentant fundamentalists out of 3,200 Islamists. It was not clear whether the others had refused to renounce the "Takfirism", a Salafi doctrine whose followers condemn Muslim leaders as apostates who deviate from the original Islam and advocate the establishment of an Islamic state worldwide. "Indeed, preventive campaigns conducted by the security forces helped topple brains filled with hatred. The rehabilitation programme has yielded some fruit, but not enough," stressed Hashem. He metaphorically added: "A young Saudi returned from Iraq, weeping and shouting: look, I take on a new lease of life! ..." "But on his way back, he met two or three other young Saudis ... bound for death." [Translated from French by Saad Guerraoui, senior editor at Middle East Online]. Some of the Pics of the Blind Wahhabi Mufti of Saudi Shaykh Bin Baz and other Wahhabi Militants on TV

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين صور السيد محمد علوي المالكي رحمه الله تعالى In One of the Pic the late Shaykh Al-Sayyid Muhammed Alawi al-Maliki ra teaching in the Haram of Makkah on the Chair of his father and grandfather! This was in the 70's, before he was banned by the Salafi/Wahhabi extremists

Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fadaaq is a Saudi Higazi Sunni Scholar and Comes from the Family of Noble Scholars of Shafii of Makkah Al Mukkaramah his Grandfather was a Big Scholar and Imam at the Haram of Makkah at the time of Ottoman and Hashmeite Rule but due to diffrence with Wahhabi Ulema he now Al- Sayyid Abdallah Fadaaq teaches from his House in Jeddah everyday to his students and Vistiors . He has authored many Books also and reguralry comes on Tv Shows on Arab Channels. He is working hard to revive the Aqeedah of Ahle Sunnah and Sufism among Young Saudis and he has reguraly written Articles defending it also. He was a Close Student of the Late Saudi Arabian Sunni Islamic Scholar and Sufi Master Al Sayyid Muhammed Bin Alawi Al-Maliki Makki he Lived in the House of Sayyid Maliki for 3 Yrs to Study under him and anyone going to Jeddah can visit him in his Hadeeth Lectuer which is held every Sunday at his residence in Malik Street of Jeddah and called Majlis Al Rohaa. 1st Pic of Shaykh Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fdaaq at a Meelad Shareef in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 2nd Pic of Shaykh Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fadaq with Al Habib Umar Bin Hafeez and Al Habib Hamid Al Jeelani at a Mawlid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 3rd Pic of Shaykh Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fadaq

A Warning to Muslims against the Bid'ahs preached by Muhammad Ibn 'Abdi-l-Wahhab by Shaykh Abdul Hadi Palazzi and Zubair Qamar Praised by Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessing and peace upon the best of His creatures, the Prophet Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-Llah, upon his noble family, his pure wives, his purified Sahabahs and upon all those who follow his path till the Day of resurrection. This paper has been compiled under the supervision of Shaykh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community as a mean to seek Allah's favor and as a warning against the founder of the heretic Wahhabi-Salafi cult and against the bid'ahs he preached. May Allah save this Ummah from bid`ahs and dalalah, and preserve us on the right path followed by Asyaduna al-akramin. Amin. Rasul-Ullah (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allahumma, bless Yemen, Allahumma, bless Sham." He was asked: "And what about Najd?" He answered: "From Najd Shaytan's horn will rise." He (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: "Beware of Shaykhu-n- Najdi, since he is Shaytan." He (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: "There will be people who come from the eastern side of Arabia who will recite Qur'an, but their recitation will not pass beyond their collarbones. They will go out of Islam as swiftly as the arrow goes through the prey. Their sign is shaving their heads." Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab was a descendent of the Bani Tamim tribe and was born in the Uyaynah village (Najd) in 1111 H. (1699 M.). His father was a learnt Hanbali scholar, and sent him to study tafsir, fiqh and tasawwuf in Mecca, Medina, Baghdad, Basrah and Damascus, as well as in Iran and India. His attitude, from the beginning, was very much polemic, and he took active part in scholarly debates. During this period, he received the surname "Shaykhu-n-Najdi". He contacted many Shaykhs of tasawwuf, and tried his best to be appointed as a khalifah. This request of his, however, was not accepted, since the Shaykhs realized he was too must influenced by kibr and by the desire to become a leader. At the age of thirty-two he came back to Najd and started working as a teacher for Bedouins; he also started exercising ijtihad, and accusing Sunni scholars and Ahlu-t-tasawwuf of bid`ahs. In 1143 H.(1730 M.) he met a leader of a gang of marauders called Muhammad Ibn Sa'ud, whose main activity was plundering travelers in the desert of Najd. Since most of those Bedouins living in Dar'iyyah were completely unlearnt, Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab could easily convict them of his theories; Ibn Sa'ud and him made an agreement, according to which the former was appointed as the "Amir", and the latter as the "Shaykh". The "Shaykh declared he was ready to publish "fatawa" where non-Wahhabi Muslims were described as apostates and idol- worshippers; this point of view obviously represented a sort of "religious justification" for Ibn Sa`ud's gang. They were not, anymore, robbers and criminals, but "mujahids", authorized to kill "kuffars", to plunder their properties and to rape their women. The "Shaykh" also appointed some "wakils" and send them to preach Wahhabism in Mecca, but scholars living in the Blessed City were ready in understanding how dangerous this doctrine was. Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan as-Shafi`i (ramimah-Ullah) was the Chief Mufti of Mecca.In wrote in the book "Al-Futuhatu-l-Islamiyyah": "To deceive the `ulemas in Mecca and Medina, those people sent emissaries in al-Haramayn, but these missionaries were not able to answer questions asked by Sunni scholars. It became evident that they were ignorant bid`ah holders. Muftis of the four madhhabs wrote a fatwa that declared them kuffars, and this document was distributed in the whole Jazirah. The Amir of Mecca, Sharif Mas`ud Ibn Sa`id, ordered that the Wahhabis should be imprisoned. Some Wahhabis fled to Dar`iyyah and informed their leader of what was happening." Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab's brother, Sulayman Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab (ramimah-Ullah), studied his works and tried his best to invite him to tawbah. At least, when he realized verbal admonitions had no effect, decided to write a book called "As-Sawa'iqu-l-Ilahiyyah fi-r- Raddi `ala-l-Wahhabiyyah". It contains a detailed refutation of his brother's heresies, and states: "One of the dalils showing that your path is heretic is the hadith sharif narrated by `Uqbah Ibn Amir and collected in the Sahihayn [bukhari and Muslim]: `Rasul-Ullah (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ascended the minbar, and it was the last time I saw him on the minbar. He said: `I do not fear that you will become mushrikuns after me, but I fear that, because of worldly interests, you will fight each others, and thus be destroyed like the peoples of old.' The Messenger of Allah (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) foretold all that would happen to his Ummah until the end of the world. This hadith sharif shows that he was certain of the fact that this Ummah will never worship idols. By saying so, he destroys Wahhabism from its roots, since Wahhabi books say that Ummah al-Muhammadiyyah is involved in polytheism, that Muslim countries are full of idols, and that Muslim graves are houses of shirk. They also claim that someone who does not accept to consider mushrikuns those who ask forintercession by the graves is himself a kafir. On the contrary, Muslims have been visiting graves and asking for the intercession of awliyas for centuries. No Islamic scholar has even called such Muslims mushrikuns. "My brother asks: `A hadith sharif says: "Of all that will befall you, shirk is what I fear more." Is not this a dalil of the fact that a part of this Ummah will be engaged in shirk?' "I say: It is inferred by many other hadiths that this hadith refers to shirku-l-asghar. There are similar hadiths, narrated by Shaddad Ibn `Aws, Abu Hurayrah and Mahmud Ibn Labid (may Allah be pleased with all of them), according to which the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) feared that shirku-l-asghar would be committed by his Ummah. It has exactly happened as it was foretold in the hadith, and many Muslims are guilty of shirku-l-asghar. But you, in your ignorance, confuse shirku-l-asghar with shirku-l-akbar, and the tragic consequence of this mistake of yours is that you regard as `unbelievers' those Muslims that do not accept to call other Muslims `unbelievers'." Another contemporary scholar, Muhammad Ibn Sulayman Effendi (ramimah-Ullah) wrote: "O Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab, do not slander Muslims! I admonish you for Allah's sake! Does anyone of them says that there is a creator besides Allah? If you have anything to argue against Muslims, please, show them authoritative dalils. It is more correct to call you, a single person, `kafir', than calling millions of Muslims `kuffars'. Ayah 114 of Surah an-Nisa' says: `If anyone contends with the Messenger after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than the one followed by Believers, we shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Jahannam, quite an evil refuge!' This ayah points to the situation of those who have departed from Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama`ah." When the order from the Amir of Mecca reached the Khalifah in Istanbul, he ordered Muhammad `Ali Pashah (ramimah-Ullah), governor of Egypt to move to Najd and to stop the Wahhabi fitnah. The marauders of Ibn Sa'ud tied to attach Mecca and fought against mujahids, but Allah gave the victory to the Islamic army. Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab was captured and sent in chains to Istanbul. A Shari`ah court found him guilty of homicide, marauding and rebellion, while Muftis of the four madhhabs declared him to be a kafir and murtaddid. Among Sunni `uleams who refuted Wahhabism we must also mention Sayyed Dawud Ibn Sulayman, Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi, Sun` Allah al-Halabi al-Makki al-Hanafi, Muhammad Ma`sum as-Sarhindi, Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Madani ash-Shaf`i, may Allah be pleased with all of them. The latter was the Shaf`i Mufti of Medina, and was asked to write a fatwa against Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab. This fatwa is quoted in the book "Ashaddu-l-Jihad" and says: "This man is leading the ignoramuses of the present age to a heretical path. He is trying to extinguish Allah's light, but Allah will not permit His light to be extinguished, in spite of the opposition of mushrikuns, and will enlighten every place with the light of Ahlu-s-Sunnah." As-Sayyid `Abdur-Rahman al-Ahdal (ramimah-Ullah), the Mufti of Zabid, said, "...in refuting them [the Wahhabis], it is sufficient to mention the hadith of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam): `Their sign is shaving their heads', since no other innovators had ever done it." The Wahhabis also call themselves the "Salafis," believing that they follow the footsteps of the pious Salaf, i.e. the Sahabahs, the Tabi'un, and Atba'u-t-Tabi'in. The Wahhabis, however, have a route of knowledge that traces back to Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi movement, who lived in the 1700's M., and before him to Ibn Taymiyyah, another heretic who lived in the late 1200's to early 1300's M. Their route of knowledge does not trace back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) or his pious followers whom he praised. The Wahhabis, therefore, cannot be "al-Firqatu-l-Najiyyah", or the Saved Sect, but are one of the other 72 deviant sects within the Ummah, which the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) dispraised and warned us about. In many of his "fatawa," Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab labeled Muslims as "kuffars" if they did not agree to his heretical teachings, which opposed the orthodox Islamic beliefs that Muslims had been adhering to for over a thousand years (known as Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama`ah). When the true Sunni Muslims disagreed with the newly formulated Wahhabi cult, the blood of countless Muslims, including plenty of scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah, was made halal by the command of Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab. Although thousands of Muslims were massacred by the deviant Wahhabis, the scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah continued to refute them in their books. An example is what the Mufti of Mecca, Ahmad Zayni Dahlan al- Makki ash-Shafi`i (rahimah-Ullah) wrote in a work titled "Fitnatu-l- Wahhabiyyah", stating: "In 1217 H. they [the Wahhabis] marched with big armies to the area of at-Tayf. In Dhu-l-Qa`dah of the same year, they lay siege to the area the Muslims were, subdued them, and killed the people: men, women, and children. They also looted the Muslims belongings and possessions. Only a few people escaped their barbarism." "They [the Wahhabis] plundered what was in the room of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), took all the money that was there, and did some disgraceful acts." "In 1220 H. they [the Wahhabis] lay siege to Mecca and then surrounded it from all directions to tighten this siege. They blocked the routes to the city and prevented supplies from reaching there. It was a great hardship on the people of Mecca. Food became exorbitantly expensive and then unavailable. They resorted to eating dogs." What better person could the British have used to fulfill their motto, i.e. "divide and conquer?" The British were laughing at Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab and his followers for plundering, looting, and killing Muslims in the name of Islam, causing Muslims in Mecca to resort to eating dogs, in addition to fighting Muslim armies sent by the Ottomans, e.g. Muhammad `Ali Pashah (rahimah-Ullah) of Egypt and his army. This was indeed a fulfillment of the interests of the British, as well as entertainment for them. Contemporary members of the Sa'ud house are descendants of Muhammad Ibn Sa'ud, the heretic who collaborated with Muhammad Ibn `Abdi-l-Wahhab, to cause a Muslim bloodbath in the name of "Jihad." Their monarchy has existed since the Wahhabi movement originated, and they continue to raise the Dajjal's banner to this very day. They have destroyed the maqams of our four Imams around al-Ka'bah, and identifying the place where the imam of salatu-l-jama`at must stand in Masjidu-l-Haram is today quite difficult. The sanctity of al-Haram is profaned five times each day, since the Wahhabi "imams" stand too close to al-Ka`bah, in a place that is not justified in the light of fiqh. The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in the 1930's has enabled the Saudi-Wahhabi kingdom to become rich, and their leaders have used their wealth to disseminate the Wahhabi doctrine all across the globe. They have built printing presses in Egypt, Syria, and even the United States to print beautiful books to attract the laypeople so that they may fall into their trap. The problem is that many new and naive Muslims are falling into the Wahhabi trap, and are propagating their false doctrine in Muslim Student Organizations, universities, and mosques – especially in the East Coast of the United States. The Wahhabis are known for parroting the slogan of "Qur'an and Sunnah," without any profound understanding of the two sources of Islam, and are known for slandering scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah like Imams Suyuti, Imam Abu Hamid Ghazali, Imam Nawawi, (ramimahum-Ullah) among others. The great Hanafi scholar, Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin (ramimah-Ullah), stated that the Wahhabis of today are reviving the creed of the Khawarij of the past. It is also known that the Khawarij wrongly understand the meanings of ayahs in the Qur'an and falsely attribute ayahs meant for non-Muslims to Muslims. The Wahhabis are notorious for reviving this Kharijite practice. Moreover, the Wahhabis have a passion for trying to find faults among the mujtahids such as the noble Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shaf`i, Imam Malik, and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. They try to find faults in their methodologies, while they do not possess a methodology of their own. Hence,Wahhabi "scholars" who have graduated from Wahhabi universities in Saudi Arabia are never taught a methodology to enable them to understand the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is why they are in a constant state of self-contradiction, confusion, and fitnah among the Muslim population. It is the scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama`ah who must awaken the Muslims and warn them by bidding the lawful and forbidding the unlawful Wahhabi doctrine by efficient means of da`wah. An anti- Wahhabi campaign must be formulated and strengthened to defend the Ash`ari and Maturidi creeds, the Hanafi, Shaf`i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhhabs, and the numerous tariqahs of tasawwuf, of which the majority of Muslim scholars have been a part of. And all praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds. WARNING Wahhabis today call themselves "Salafis," in an attempt to confuse the Muslim masses that they adhere to the methodology of the pious Salaf, or predecessors, i.e. the Sahabahs, the Tabi'un, and Itba'u-t- Tabi'in. For example, some of the true Salaf applied ta'wil, or figurative interpretation, to Allah's Attributes. Imam Bukhari gave a figurative interpretation of wajh to mean "Allah's Dominion," in Suratu-l-Qasas, ayah 88. This can be found in the Sahih of Bukhari in the Chapter "Tafsir ul-Qur'an." Plenty of other examples exist of how the Wahhabi-Salafis oppose the practices of the true and pious Salaf. The following writers are representatives of this cult. Their followers call them "Shaykhs", and Muslims must stay away from their books, papers and Web pages, and do not confuse them with real Sunni scholars: Yusuf al-Qaradawi al-Misri (the one who says that salah in al-Aqsa is "haram". He unites the errors of Wahhabis and the errors of Ikhwanis in a new form of heresy. He also claims that suicide terror attacks finalized to the assassination of civilians are "lawful" in Islam). `Abdu-l-`Aziz Ibn Baz (the deceased official "Mufti" of the Saudi regime and their Rabitah, who oppressed Ahlu-s-Sunnah in al-Haramayn). Muhammad Nasiru-d-Din al-Albani (a recently disappeared pseudo-muhaddith from Albania who classified hadiths according to his unlimited fantasy and forbade women to wear golden ornament). Abu Aminah Bilal Philips (a ultra-Wahhabi from Jamaica who forges claims in the history of fiqh, full of slanders and absurd accusations against Ahlu-s-Sunnah). Muhammad Nubar Yahya Silmy (a propagandist of Wahhabism in Sri Lanka who is very much hostile to the Sunni `aqidah). Shiraz Mohammadali (a former Shi'ite from Sri Lanka who converted to Wahhabism and fanatically supports all of al-Albani's heresies) Abu Bilal Mustafah al-Kanadi. Muhammad Saleh ibn Al-Uthaymin (an anthropomorphist who believes that Allah is "located in the upper direction"). Saleh Fawzan Al-Fawzan. 'Abdur-Rahman Rosario Pasquini (an Ikhwani propagandist in Milano who, because of senescence, supports linguistic bid'at like "Allah is monopersonal" - sic! - "Muslims are islamocratics", wa na'udhu bi- Llah, afala yatadhakkarun). ---------------------------------- Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi is secretary-general of the Italian Muslim Association (AMI) and director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community. He lectures in Muslim history at the Research Institute for Anthropological Sciences (IFOSCA) in Rome. Copyright © AIJAC 2001 Last Updated 28 September, 2001 Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community

Wahhabism tightening grip over Kosovo Sunday, 30 September 2007 Islam has flourished in the Balkans over the centuries with a peaceful and modern outlook but over the last decade, especially now with the talk of Kosovo independence, there are questions being raised about the external influence in once-tranquil religious relations. Indeed, Kosovo is neither an enemy state nor a jihad state. Its brand of Islam is heavily Sunni and Sufi, which is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Wahhabism and Salafism that inspire Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Another category of historical architecture in urgent need of protection in Kosovo is Muslim houses of worship. This part of Europe is home to an indigenous Islamic tradition going back more than 600 years, with its own rich architectural heritage—mosques, tekkes (lodges of the Sufi lay brotherhoods), medreses (theological schools), Islamic libraries. Wahhabism, a fundamental form of Islam with origins in Saudi Arabia has been rearing its ugly head of intolerance in the Balkans starting from Bosnia a decade ago. With the recent manifestation of its hardcore modus operandi in Kosovo, which has more than a 90 percent Sunni Muslim population, the ongoing impact of Wahhabism demands serious attention. First, lets look at origins of Wahhabism. In the deserts of the Middle East, Muhammad al-Saud, a tribal leader, had in 1750 formed an alliance with Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab, a religious leader and al- Wahhabs name defines the Islamic interpretation that remains the Saudi Arabian kingdoms ideology. The present Saudi Arabia was formed in 1902, when Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud captured the town of Riyadh but its greatest victory came in 1924, when it captured Mecca from the Sunni Hashemite dynasty that had controlled the city for centuries. With the arrival of the 70s, the mud houses and camel caravans in Saudi Arabia started coexisting with the ultra-modern infrastructure. The newly found wealth of Petro-dollars brought phenomenal changes in a few decades. But like every gift, this one also came with a package and that has thrown young Saudis to face many nontraditional problems. According to official estimates, the last two decades have seen the native-born population in Saudi Arabia doubling to nearly 18 million but on the other hand the per-capita income during the same period dwindled to almost half of what it was. Add to that unemployment figure of about 30 percent in the adult male population with no chance of finding a job in sight. Now, compare that to the average monthly stipend of about USD 30,000 for a low ranking hierarchy prince in the Saudi ruling family, and, according to rough estimates the number of them is as high as 25,000. In the process, the Saudi government gets about 50 percent of the oil revenue as the rest is pocketed by the Saudi royal family at source. Ironically, most Saudis are aware of this fact and that fuels the unhappiness in the Vox Populi. It is thus not the lack of wealth but a disproportionate distribution system that is one of the major factors that attracts Saudi youth to terrorism which according to sources has the silent support of most people under 30. Getting uncomfortable with domestic unrest, the Saudi ruling family in 1980s decided to export this home-grown militancy to Afghanistan to fight Soviets and the rest is history. Today, Wahhabism needs new breeding grounds along with training and survival fields. It will not be long after the independence of Kosovo that the Kosovoan version, of Muttawa, the religious police since 1926 of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia . One look at the local media reports in Kosovo and neighbouring arena will suffice to convince any sceptic about the dangers of Wahhabism form of Islam. The UN and Kosovo police in the southern part of the divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica on September 19 arrested one of the leaders of the Wahhabite movement in southern Serbia and Kosovo, according to local media reports. According to these reports the arrested man was Bajram Aslani, allegedly the main Kosovo connection with the recentlyarrested Wahhabi group in Novi Pazar, Southern Serbia. The local reports suggested that the Belgrade Special prosecution for Organised crime on September 14 pressed charges against a group of 15 Wahhabites from Novi Pazar for terrorism and unlawful possession of arms. Some of the defendants were arrested near Novi Pazar on March 16 and large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives were found during the operation. Moreover, in late April reports stated that in the village of Donja Trnava near Novi Pazar, the police had a clash with two Wahabis, which resulted in the killing of one of them, Ismail Prentic, and the wounding of one police officer. Two recent explicit cases involving Wahhabis in Kosovo can be put forward in addition to every day media reports of Wahhabis being arrested, exchanging fire with law-enforcing agencies or simply taking over mosques that have been there for hundreds of years in Turkish style and converting them to conform to Wahhabi way of architecture and worship. The first case is in the Gazimestan area which has historic values with a famous medieval battlefield dating back to 1389, stretching from Pristina to Mitrovica. In addition to the remains of Serbian Prince Lazar and Ottoman Sultan Murad, there in the vicinity are two shrines called Turbe existing for hundreds of years and have never got disturbed until recently when these were vandalised. According to local reliable sources who wanted to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, it was allegedly the work of Wahhabis as they believe tombs should not be kept as shrines. The allegations are strengthened by the fact that even in Saudi Arabia there have been such cases like the Jannatul- Baqi, the famous cemetery in Medina, also known as the Tree garden of Heaven, which is alleged to have been destroyed in order to keep up with the Wahhabi ideal of Islam which is opposed by the Majority of the Sunni Muslism Worldwide. Another important case that did stir strong local resentment happened in Prizren, an old historic town that has a history of multiethnic population represented by an Orthodox Church, a Catholic Church and a Mosque, more than 350 years old from the days of Ottoman Empire. According to local sources, the mosque was getting refurbished with Saudi money and the new Imam allegedly preaches Wahhabism. The local Muslim population is disgruntled with the actions of the new Imam who without consultations first made living quarters for himself as an extension of the ancient Mosque and then replaced irreplaceable decorative wooden work on the inside ceiling and other parts with new aluminium frames thus the Mosque lost forever its historic heritage. Money talks and it sure does as is evident with its contribution to the replacement of Sunni moderate Islam in Kosovo with the financing of Salafi Islamic studies trips for youngsters. After a stint of such religious learning abroad in Saudi Arabia or Egypt, lasting around six to 12 months, the youngsters upon returning back in Kosovo with Extremist Views and calling for Jihad. Watching those alarming signs in Kosovo, socio-religious pundits and political observers warn that slow but steady moderate Islam with its Turkish roots is on its way out and with the talk of independence in Kosovo picking up, The mix of Saudi Wahhabism with their oil money is proving dangerous to the world. The question that comes to mind is: Was it a coincidence that 15 of the 19 hijackers of September 11 terrorist attacks on the US were Saudi citizens and so is the Wahhabi mastermind Osama bin Laden? In a Catch- 22 situation, the West is financing for spread of fundamental Islam in the form of Wahhabism which will boomerang to hurt them. By supporting the UN envoy for Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaaris plan for Kosovos independence, many Western governments are unwittingly working to carve out a safe haven for criminality and fundamentalist Salafi Islam in the heart of Europe. Its time to rethink Kosovo independence: another Taliban in the making and this time right in the heart of European Continent from where it will be easier not only to strike in Europe but also travel across the Atlantic. 1st Pic of Sunni Arab Scholar Shaykh Habib Ali Al Jifri on his Visit to Bosnia to Preach in Local Mosques. 2nd Pic of Ulema and SufiShuykh of Kosova and Bosnia at a Sufi Zikr Meeting in a Mosque. 3rd Pic of the Book on the Sufis of Balkans : Introduction The largest and most prevalent of these tariqats during the Ottoman period were the Khalwatiyyah and the Bektashiyyah.Though unexceptionally reprsented at present, these two tariqats once dominated the Ottoman Balkans throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. The Naqshbandiyyah, Qadiriyyah and Rifa'yyah followed them in significance in terms of supporters and dispersal. Surprisingly all three of these managed to endure to this day with considerable popularity. Several other tariqats, such as the Mawlawiyyah, Bayramiyyah, Malamiyyah, Sa’diyyah, Jalwatiyyah, Shadhiliyyah and Badawiyyah, emerged during a number of stages in the Ottoman era but have died off. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Sufis in the Balkans were connected with Ottoman rule, one of the first Sufis to have come into the region was the pre-Ottoman Bektashi holy man Sarı Saltik. Most of the details of his life are clouded by legend, this 14th century Sufi journeyed throughout the peninsula decades well in advance of Ottoman armed forces. Today his Maqams (shrines) can be found in any number of places, including Bosnia (Blagaj), Romania (Babadag), Macedonia (near Ohrid), and Albania (Kruja), where the most renowned location is to be found.

Mubarak Everyone on the Starting of the Blessed Month of Rabi Al-Awwal Mubarak About the picture it has got kind of hope in form of love to the prophet Mohammad as seen in the story of this lady Inspired by the great Islamic photographer Peter Sanders This picture has got such a great meaning beside the phenomenal Alqoba alkadra Al qoba al kadra is such an object yet having the prophet Mohammed adds a pleasure value to it that non doom has got ever. Yet, this picture, I loved to call it السلام عليك As you can see the women wearing black Abaia is standing and saying alslaam 3like yarasool Allah. Honestly, I was lucky to have this woman within the shot as she gives it such a great meaning besides having the phenomenal view of al qoba al kadra That why I love this picture here, I can feel how much love this lady got in her heart as she could not just pass away and said alslaam 3alike, yet she stopped over and faced the alqoba alkadra and showed her true love to the prophet Mohammed peace be upon him and that something she got and expressed by her action May allah accept her. O salaa alalh 3lieeek ya rasoool allah thanks a lot o all the best for everyone yarab -- Regards, Saudi Photographer Bahi Mashat Student of the Late Shaykh Al-Sayyid Muhammed Alawi Al-Maliki Makki (R.A)

,Famous Saudi-Wahhabi scholar Dr Aa'id al-Qarni is claiming that: "We Arabs are Harsh and Rude people!" Obviously, al-Qarni can only speak for his Saudi/Najdi people, whom he has lived amongst, and not for other Arabs and Muslims. I personally find no other reason for these people's rudeness and harshness (as per their own acknowledgment now) except their rigid ritualistic wahhabi understanding of Islam which eschews all forms of spirituality, and denounces all expressions of beauty in Islam. Read the whole shocking statement of al-Qarni: http://cb.rayaheen.net/showthread.php?tid=18567&action=last&view Hasbuna'Allah! Was-Salam,

Deobandi Jamiat Ulema e Hind splits, Arshad Madani expelled as president Thursday, Mar 6 2008 IST One of frontline Muslim Deobandi organisation, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind today split vertically when a meeting of the ''working committee'' expelled its president Maulana Arshad Madani for anti-party activities. A resolution to the effect was moved by General Secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani, who is also the nephew of Maulana Arshad Madani. The resolution was passed by a majority of 24 members out of 32 present in the meeting. The meeting also ''unanimously'' appointed Qari Mohammad Usman, vice-rector of Darul Uloom Deoband, as the new president of the Jamiat. Maulana Arshad Madani staged a walkout from the meeting with his supporters terming the step ''against the Jamiat constitution''. He also in turn expelled General Secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani and six of his supporters, claiming he was still the president under section 66 of the Jamiat Constitution. The elevation of Qari Usman, who is a special invitee to the working committee, to the post of President would be formally announced at the General Council meeting to be held on March 26, Mahmood Madani told a news conference. ''Arshad Madani was working against the constitution of Jamiat and was trying to divide the party by annulling organisational elections in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh,'' he charged. Maulana Arshad Madani took over the reins of the organisation after the death of Jamiat patron Maulana Asad Madani. A power struggle was on between Arshad and Mahmood Madani ever since. A working committee meeting had been called on February 28 to resolve the differences between the two top leaders of the Jamiat but it ended inconclusive. The very next day Arshad Madani sacked 20 special invitees to the working committee and also annulled the organisational elections in Karnataka.

Sufi Mujahideen the Forgotten Heros More often than not, the term "Sufi" invokes images of twirling Dervishes lost in ecstasy, strange people who engage in exotic practices that seem antithetical to Islamic legal traditions, or apolitical mystics fixated in meditation. In addition to the misconception that Sufism is inherently heterodox, perhaps the greatest misconception is that it is passive and apathetic towards Jihad. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. First and foremost, it is necessary to establish the orthodoxy of Sufism by pointing out the sheer number of eminent scholars who have been Sufi. Amongst the Hanafi Ulema, we have `Ali Qari (d. 1606), `Abd al-Ghaffar Nabulsi (1641-1733), Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624), and Shah Waliullah(R.A) (1702-1763). From the Malikis, the following Ulema were Sufi: Ibn `Ata' Illah al-Iskandari (d. 1309)3 and Ibn `Ajiba (1747-1809). The Hanbalis had `Abd al-Rahman ibn Jawzi (1114-1201); `Abd al-Karim Jili (1365-1428) who was the great-grandson of `Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani , and Ibn Rajab. Mohiyuddin Ibn Arabi was of the Dhahiri madhab. The Shafi'i madhab too,had a plethora of Sufis as some of its most prestigious scholars: Abul Qasim al-Junayd (d.910), Hakim Tirmidhi (d. 320)9, Abu `Ali Daqqaq (R.A)(d. AH 405), Abu `Abd al-Rahman Sulami (936 – 1021) , Imam Ghazzali (R.A)(1058 -1111), `Abd al-Wahhab Sha'rani (1493- 1565), Abul Qasim Qushayri (986 – 1072), Imam `Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam (1181-1262) ( In addition to his outstanding works in Islamic law, he is also known for his harshness with Muslim rulers who did not fight against the Crusaders vigorously), Imam Nawawi (1233 – 1277), and Imam Suyuti (1445 – 1505). It should also be noted that even Muhammad Haya al-Sindi ,the hadith teacher of Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab who introduced him to the works of Ibn Taymeeyah was from the Naqshbandi tariqa. Interestingly enough, the great Indian scholar and Sufi, Shah Waliullah Dilhavi ,was a student of another great Sufi scholar, Ibrahim al-Kurrani, who happened to also be the teacher of Muhammad Haya al-Sindi and Shaykh Yusuf who later lead a jihad against the Dutch in Indonesia. Aside from the select few of Sufi scholars that were briefly mentioned above, there are countless others who have not been mentioned. Although it does not give the subject justice, it should be clear that the roots of Sufism have always had its roots firmly entrenched in orthodoxy. The second greatest misconception that people, including non-Muslims, have of Sufism is that it is flaccid in participating in issues pertaining to social justice and engaging in Jihad. History is a testament that not only is Sufism not opposed to Jihad, but rather, Sufis have been amongst the foremost leaders of Jihad. Even the early Sufis were known for their fervent desire for engaging Jihad and seeking martyrdom. For example, Ibrahim ibn Adham (d. 778), was an early Sufi ascetic who was born into a life luxury which he abandoned in order to study the Sacred Sciences and later fought in jihad against the Byzantines. In fact, the very roots of the Sufi zawiya, a type of lodge, has its roots in the ribat. The ribat is a type of fortress that was often built along the ever expanding Islamic frontier. At these fortresses, Sufi shuyookh adapted their teachings of outward jihad in order to teach their disciples the science of inner jihad. During the Crusades, Sufis also participated in popular resistance against the Franks. The Battle of Mansura in Egypt included participants of the likes of Sheikh Abu Hassan ash-Shadhili ,Sheikh Ibrahim Dessouki ,and Sheikh al-Qannawwi . When Sultan Al Kamel of Egypt began negotiating with the Franks during the Fourth Crusade, Mohiyuddin Ibn Arabi scolded him by saying "You have no pride and Islam will not recognize the likes of you. Stand up and fight or we shall fight you as we fight them." Even Imam Ghazzali castigated the Mameluke Sultans for failing to carry on the fight by giving them a similarly pernicious warning: "Either take up your sword for the sake of Allah and the rescue of your brothers in Islam, or step down from the leadership of Muslims so their rights can be championed by other than you." Egyptian resistance during the Seventh Crusade was lead by Sheikh Ahmad al-Badawi of the Rifa'i tariqa. Shaykh Najm al-Din Kubra , the founder of the Kubrawiya tariqa, died in the defense of Khwarazm from the Mongol hordes. Even from within the Ottoman Empire, Sufis mobilized the masses in jihad, often lead rebellions against the rulers, assisted in the accession of the Sultan, and some even served as chaplains to the warrior class known as the Janissaries. During the era of colonialism, Sufis lead resistance movements across the Ummah against imperialism and its purveyors. In the Caucasus, the Russians faced stiff resistance coming primarily from the Naqshbandi and Qadiri tariqas. Mulla Muhammad al-Ghazi al-Kamrawi fought against the Russians when Russia declared itself the protector for the Christians in Khurjistan and annexed portions of Safavid Persia in 1800. Mulla Muhammad was the Sheikh of the Naqshbandi tariqa and hundreds of thousands of his murids fought against the Russians until he died. Leadership was then transferred to Al-Amir Hamza al-Khanzaji but within a year, he was martyred as well. The famous Imam Shamil al-Dagestani then became the Amir of the jihad and fought the Russians for twenty-seven consecutive years. Interestingly enough, Imam Shamil met Sheikh Abd al- Qadir al-Jaza'iri , another Sufi who was fighting over 3,000 miles away, in 1828 while on Hajj where they exchanged information about guerilla warfare. After his surrender, rebellions were carried on by the murids of the Qadiri order. In 1864, the Russians killed over 4,000 Qadiri murids alone along with many other innocent civilians. The Naqshbandis and Qadiris joined forces and rebelled in 1865, 1877, 1878 and all throughout the 1890s. During the Soviet Revolution, the Muslims were lead by ShaykhUzun Haji . Stalin ultimately dealt with the "Chechen problem" by forcibly relocating the entire population into concentration camps. In the Indian subcontinent, Sufis and Sufi orders played a considerable role in active military and intellectual resistance against the British. The Sufis participated in resistance prior to the famous Mutiny of 1857 when the followers of Shah Waliullah, under the leadership of his son Shah `Abd al'Aziz (1746-1824) began initiating Jihad. In a fatwa Shah `Abd al'Aziz proclaimed India to be Dar al-Harb. He declared jihad, stating "Our country has been enslaved. To struggle for independence and put an end to the slavery is our duty." He was succeeded in his struggles by Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi (1786-1831) who founded the Tariqa-i Muhammadi and was eventually defeated by the Sikhs of Punjab. Both Sufi and non-Sufi scholars alike participated actively in the Mutiny of 1857. When the rebellion was finally extinguished, over 50,000 Ulema were dead. Even in Indonesia, the Qadiri order provided leadership in the already widespread resistance to Dutch imperialism in the 1840s and 1850s. By far, one of the most act areas of Sufi resistance occurred in Africa. Resistance by Sufis against imperialism began almost as soon as Europeans endeavored at colonizing the Muslim lands. In Morocco, the Shadhili tariqa was the forefront opponent of the Portuguese in the 15th century, the most notable of the Sufis being al-Jazuli Shaykh `Uthman Dan Fodio (1754 – 1817) was a Maliki scholar of the Qadiri order who vigorously spoke out against the innovations that had become dominant in his time, particularly the mixing of Islamic and pagan beliefs. He eventually performed hegira, established an Islamic state, and engaged in jihad to unite the region under the Shariah. Al-Hajj `Umar Tal was a Tijani sheikh from northern Senegal who fought jihad against both the French and pagans of Guinea, Senegal, and Mali. After performing his second pilgrimage, he traveled across various cities in Africa starting in Cairo and eventually coming to Sokoto, Nigeria, where he studied with Muhammad Bello, the son of Shaykh `Uthman Dan Fodio , in the field of military sciences and administration. Upon his return to his homeland, he fought mainly against the pagans of Karta and Segu. `Umar was a staunch advocate of the Shariah and after one victory against the polytheists, he destroyed the idols of the pagans with his own hands using an iron mace. Al-Hajj Muhammad al-Ahrash ,from Morocco, a Darqawi Sufi, organized a group comprised of Tunisians and Moroccans in 1799 to fight against the French during their invasion of Egypt. Sayyid Muhammad `Abdullah al-Somali (1864-1920) was a Shafi'i scholar and member of the Salihiyya tariqa, which he utilized effectively as a military force for over twenty years against the British and Italians in Somalia. He once said in a speech "Unbelieving men of religion have assaulted our country from their remote homelands. They wish to corrupt our religion, to force us to accept Christianity, supported by the armed force of their governments, their weapons, their numbers. You have you're your faith in God, your arms and your determination. Do not be frightened by their soldiers or armies: God ismightier than they . . ." Perhaps one of the most famous Sufi mujahideen was `Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri (1807-1883), was elected an Amir at the age of twenty-five and personally lead the mujahideen against the French invasion of Algeria in 1830. He was part of the Qadiri order and authored "al Mawaqif" [standpoints], which is a three volume Sufi manual. Ma' al-`Aynayn al-Qalqami (1831-1910) of Mauritania was also a Qadiri Sufi who made a personal alliance with the Sharifian dynasty of Morocco to engage in jihad against the French which resulted in the death of several of his sons. In Libya, members of the Sanusi tariqa lead a coalition against the French and Italians. In the Middle East, with the Ottoman Empire in disarray, several prominent Sufi scholars carried the banner of Jihad against European occupation. `Ali al-Daqar (1877 –1943) was a Shafi'i scholar and sheikh of the Tijani Tariqa who founded al-Jami'iyya al-Ghurra', an academy of more than eleven separate schools of the sacred sciences. Along with Badr al-Din al-Hasani , he traveled the Syrian countryside during the French occupation and instructed the people of the villages of the obligatory nature of jihad against the imperialists. Hashim al-Khatib (1890 – 1958) was a Shafi'i scholar of the Qadiri tariqa also urged the Muslims to wage jihad against the French. Shaykh Muhammad Sa'id Burhani was a Hanafi scholar and Sufi of the Naqshbandi order who fought against the French during their occupation of Syria that began in 1920. Sufi resistance has not withered away and is still active in many parts of the Ummah. For example, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Sufi tariqas played a pivotal role in evicting the Communists. Many prominent leaders of the resistance were Sufis such as Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad Gailani the head of the Qadiri order. He once held the position of Chief of Justice amongst the mujahideen. Two previous presidents of Afghanistan, Sebghatullah Mojaddedi and Burhanuddin Rabbani, are of the Naqshbandi order. Even today, in Iraq two resistance groups were recently formed in April 2005 known as the "Jihad Sufi Squadrons of Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani "and 'Army of the Men of the Naqshabandi Order" in order to fight just against the American occupation unlike Other Wahhabi/Salafi Jihadi Groups who are also into Killing people on Sectrain lines and carrying out Suicide Bombings in Markets and Killing Civillans . It should be self evident by now that Sufis are not passive, a political mystics but have often formed the core intellectual and military elite in propagating Islamic revivals all across the Ummah. The article should not be misconstrued as being a comprehensive study of the role that Sufis have played in daw'ah, the revival of the sacred sciences, and jihad, but rather, it is intended to be merely a brief introduction to a voluminous study. May Allah (swt) raise up a leader from amongst us who will fight the fitnah of our day and unite our Ummah. Ameen. 1st Pic of the Great Sufi Master of Naqshbandi Sufi Tariqa Imam Shamil (1797 – March 1871) of Caucus Region. He was a leader of anti-Russian resistance in the Caucasian War and was the third Imam of Dagestan and Chechnya (1834-1859). 2nd Pic of the Great Sufi of Sanusiya Tariqa Shyakh Umar Al Mukhtar who fought jihad against the Italians when they tried to Invade Libya.He was Executed after being caught later by the Italian Army.He was the leader of the resistance movement against the Italian military occupation of Libya for more than twenty years. In 1912, following the Italian capture of Libya from the occupying Turks the previous year, Omar Mukhtar organized and devised strategies for the Libyan resistance against the Italian colonization. 3rd Pic of A Rare image of Great Sufi Shaykh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke .He led a pacifist struggle against French colonialism while trying to restore a purer practice of Islam insulated from French colonial influence.The French sentenced him to exile in Gabon (1895-1902) and later in Mauritania (1903-1907). However, these exiles fired wild legends about Bamba's miraculous survival of torture, deprivation, and attempted executions, and thousands more flocked to his Tariqa Mouride .

Ulema of Ahle Sunnath Protest over Wahhabi Articles in Munsif Urdu Daily of Hyderabad Deccan.

Dar al-Mustafa is an educational institute established for the study of traditional Islamic Sciences. It was founded in 1414 AH (1993 CE) in the city of Tarim, in the blessed valley of Hadramawt, Yemen. The Dar al-Mustafa campus was officially opened in Dhul-Hijjah, 1417 AH (May, 1997 CE). The founders and teachers of Dar al-Mustafa are dedicated to training their students to achieve three main goals: The acquisition of authentic Islamic knowledge (shari`ah) as established by the scholars of ahl as-sunna wa al-jama`ah: this knowledge, which is received through an unbroken chain of transmission from the Prophet Muhammad , is to be attained, realized, and implemented in the student's life. The purification of the soul and the refinement of character by learning and following prophetic examples of moral conduct and noble demeanor. The dissemination of the message brought by the Prophet Muhammad and spreading the call to Islam using a methodology based on mercy, truthfulness, sincerity, high opinions of others, and a commitment to act upon one's faith. Thus, the central purpose of Dar al-Mustafa, as indicated by these goals, is the attainment of beneficial knowledge by learning from the people who possess it, acting upon this knowledge in an exemplary way, and calling to Allah with true insight and discernment. Curriculum The education at Dar al-Mustafa follows the methodology of a traditional school of Islamic sciences. Learning occurs in the context of teacher-student relationships Studies are focused on different major areas, with jurisprudence (fiqh) and Arabic grammar (nahw) at the forefront. Other major areas of study include: theology (aqidah), Quranic memorization, Quranic exegesis (tafsir), and sciences of the heart. In each of the major areas of study, students are required to learn the meanings and explanations of religious texts (or mutun). Generally, students are also required to memorize each of the texts they study. For each religious text, students learn the meanings and explanations from a teacher who, in most cases, bases the lessons on an interpretive book (or sharh) of the text. Upon completing a text and passing the teacher's exams, students will advance to the next text in the series. The curriculum is designed such that an average student can complete all of the core classes in a period of 4 years. Below is a list of texts that are commonly used in Dar al-Mustafa, organized by major area of study: Jurisprudence Risalat al-Jami`ah Safinat an-Najaa (see link below) Al-Muqaddimah al-Hadramiyyah Matn Abi Shuja` Safwat az-Zubad Yaqut an-Nafis `Umdat as-Salik (Reliance of the Traveler) Minhaj at-Talibin Arabic Grammar Al-Ajurumiyyah Mutammamat al-Ajurumiyyah Al-Alfiyyah Theology Aqidat al-`Awam Al-Aqidah (by Imam al-Haddad) Hadith Mukhtar al-Hadith (by Habib Umar bin Hafeez) Al-Arba`in an-Nawawiyyah (The Forty Hadith, by Imam an-Nawawi) Sciences of the Heart Risaalat al-Mu`awanah (Book of Assistance) and other books in the series of Imam al-Haddad (see link below) Bidayat al-Hidayah (by Imam al-Ghazali) Ihya `Ulum ad-Din (by Imam al-Ghazali) In addition to the academic curriculum, Dar al-Mustafa provides an environment in which students are encouraged to act upon the knowledge they gain, and to perform as many of the recommended acts of worship found in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad as they can throughout their days and nights. By way of nasiha and the guidance of the teachers and their advanced students, praiseworthy traits of prophetic moral character are instilled within the students of Dar al-Mustafa. Furthermore, all students are required to embark upon Da`wa trips to rural areas of Yemen at various times of the year. The purpose of these Da`wa trips are to remind the general population of their religious obligations, teach them the basic rulings of worship and human transactions, and revive their hearts with love of Allah and His Messenger . For this reason, students in Dar al-Mustafa are given many opportunities to practice and improve their public speaking skills. The increased interest around the world in Dar al-Mustafa as a center of sacred knowledge and the limited space for students has resulted in the need for a structured admissions process The administrators of Dar al-Mustafa have appointed committees for the various regions where many of the students originate from. he Committee for Western Students in Dar al-Mustafa facilitates the admission process for students coming from North America and Western Europe. The administrators of Dar al-Mustafa have requested that all applicants seek admission by way of the appointed committee for their particular region. Any western student who wishes to seek knowledge at Dar al-Mustafa must first apply and receive acceptance before traveling. This will ensure that the student has a place reserved in Dar al-Mustafa and that the officials of the school will be prepared for the student's arrival. Requirements for Admission The following are pre-requisites to studying at Dar al-Mustafa: must be at least 15 years of age permission from parent/guardian (if applicable) fluency in reading, writing and speaking formal Arabic must have memorized part of the 30th juz of the Quran (from surat ad-Duhaa to surat an-Naas) must be willing to remain enrolled in Dar al-Mustafa for a continuous period of time in order to complete one's studies, ranging from 1 year to 4 or 5 years. Upon fulfilling these pre-requisites, a student may apply for admission. The Committee for Western Students requires all applicants to submit the following: a curriculum vitae documenting the applicant's educational background including secular (eg., high school, college, etc.) and religious educational experiences (eg., halaqaat, intensive Islamic studies programs, regular individual lessons with teachers/shuyukh, etc.). a letter of recommendation preferably written by a religious teacher/shaykh who can attest to the applicant's character, academic ability, and commitment to learning, teaching, and spreading Islam. a statement of purpose describing why the applicant wishes to pursue Sacred Knowledge at Dar al-Mustafa. Fluency in the Arabic language will be assessed as part of the admission process. Students who do not feel they meet the language requirement may want to complete an Arabic language program prior to applying to Dar al-Mustafa. (see link below) Tuition Costs In addition to covering the costs of their own books and supplies, students in Dar al-Mustafa are required to pay $20 a month for room and board expenses. Further Information Only male students are admitted to Dar al-Mustafa. There is another institute of learning in close proximity to Dar al-Mustafa that is exclusively for female students known as Dar az-Zahra. In addition to being the birthplace of many great scholars and righteous people of Islam, the blessed valley of Hadramawt is also the burial site of the Prophet Hud (peace be upon him). It is said that, before he died, the Prophet Hud's (peace be upon him) final words were: "hadara al-mawt" (death has arrived)...hence the valley is named: Hadramawt. Geography Dar al-Mustafa is located in the city of Tarim, Hadramawt. Hadramawt is a large region in southern Yemen that spans approximately 34,708 square miles (90,000 square km). Although the southern edge of Hadramawt borders the Arabian Sea, Tarim is located inland -- about 110 miles (176 km) from the coast. The region is characterized by rocky plateaus that reach elevations of around 3000 ft. (900 m) and are separated by numerous valleys in between. Climate Hadramawt is a generally hot and dry part of the world. The average annual temperature is about 80º F (26.7º C), although during the summer months the high temperatures can reach well over 100º F (37.8º C). During the winter months, the average temperature will occasionally fall below 70º F (21.1º C). The average rainfall is quite low: approximately 2.9 in (73mm) per year. A few times throughout the year, however, Hadramawt will experience heavy rainfall that results in significant flooding. Traveling to Dar al-Mustafa A few major airlines provide flight service to Yemen. The closest airport to Tarim is located approximately 19 miles (30 km) away, in the city of Saiyun. Currently, the only international flights directly to Saiyun originate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Otherwise, travelers can fly to the capital city of San`aa, which is accessible from many of the world's major airports. Then one can either take another flight from San`aa to Saiyun, or travel by bus or car to Tarim from San`aa. It should be noted that the distance from San`aa to Tarim is approximately 335 miles (540 km) and driving time can from 6 to 8 hours. Individuals with American or British passports will need a visa (either tourist or student) in order to enter Yemen. Please check with the Yemeni consulate in your region. IMPORTANT: Please note that any western student who wishes to seek knowledge at Dar al-Mustafa should first apply to the program and only travel to Tarim after receiving admission. This will ensure that the student has a place reserved in Dar al-Mustafa and that the officials of the school will be prepared for the student's arrival. Traveling to Tarim to seek knowledge at Dar al-Mustafa unannounced may result in unnecessary difficulties for both the student and the coordinators at the school. Pics of the Head of Dar Al-Mustafa Institute the Great Islamic Scholar and Ba Alawi Tariqa Sufi Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Salem Bin Hafeez. 1st Pic of Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Salem Bin Hafeez in Malaysia. 2nd Pic of Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Salem Bin Hafeez giving Speech while the Late Shaykh Al-Sayyid Muhammed Bin Alawi Al-Maliki Makki sitting in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 3rd Pic of Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Salem Bin Hafeez Making Dua in the Masjid Next to the Dar Al-Mustafa Institute in Tarim, Yemen. 4th Pic of Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Salem Bin Hafeez with the Late Shaykh Al-Sayyid Muhamemd Bin Alawi Al-Maliki Makki in Makkah Al-Mukkaramah, Saudi Arabia.

Destruction of Islamic Architectural Heritage in Saudi Arabia: A Wake-up Call By Saeed Shehabi Saeed Shehabi, Ph.D. is Chairman of IFID, London, England. In year 2002, Dr Ahmad Zaki Yamani, the Former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia, delivered a lecture at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, on a subject that had not been openly discussed at this level. Dr Yamani's lecture was about a project that he had undertaken to excavate the site of the Holy Prophet's house in Makkah. A team of more than 300 workers, engineers, archaeologists and other experts worked over a 24-hour period, excavated the house, took detailed images of its design and structure, and filled it with sand before they left. When Dr Yamani was asked why the house was hidden again, he said that there were powerful people in his country who would object to the whole operation, arguing that it was blasphemous to glorify anyone but God. During the discussion, a young Jordanian man stood up and said: "Isn't it a waste of money and effort to do what you had done in order to unearth old stones that would benefit no one?" Dr Yamani replied: "Thank you. You have made my task easier. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the mentality we are facing in Saudi Arabia. I hope you now understand why we had to cover the findings in haste." During this year, 2006, the extent of the destruction of historic Islamic monuments has come to light with devastating impact. It is now estimated that more than 90 per cent of historic mosques, mausoleums and other artefacts have been erased from the face of the earth, to the extent that some Saudi voices, especially from the Hejaz, have begun to question the wisdom of the eradication of the country's historic wealth. The policy of destruction and enmity to anything that is of symbolic value has now crossed the borders of Saudi Arabia to other countries. The destruction in February 2006 of the ninth-century tomb of Samarra in Iraq has extended the boundaries of this policy to other parts of the Arab and Muslim world. There is now a growing fear that other monuments and mausoleums in Iraq and elsewhere may be targeted by elements loyal to the Salafi School of Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahabi, the godfather of the most destructive force in the Muslim world. In May 2001, the 2000-ye ar-old statue of Buddha in the Afghan city of Bamyan was demolished by the Taliban forces, which ruled Afghanistan for five years (1996–2001). Although several delegations from Muslim countries flew to Kabul to dissuade the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, from destroying the monument, they failed in their mission.The extremism of today's Salafi movement has become a force of annihilation, which spares no one in its drive to dominate the Muslim world. It is closely linked to the Wahhabi movement founded by Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahab (1703–1792 AC). His aim was to purify Islam by returning all Muslims to what he believed were its original principles as typified by al Salaf al Salihin (the earliest converts to Islam). He rejected what he regarded as corruption introduced by bid`a (innovation, reformation) and shirk (idolatry). During his lifetime, he denounced the practices of various sects of Sufism as heretical and unorthodox, such as their veneration of saints. Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahab revived interest in the works of an earlier scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah (661–728AH/1263–1328AC), and his disciple, Ibn al Jawziyyah (d. 1350 AC). Ibn Taymiyyah was reported to have said: "The leaders of Islam agreed that it is not permitted to build the mausoleums over the graves. They cannot be considered mosques and praying in them is not permitted." Later, Ibn Jawziyyah said: "The mausoleums that are built on graves must be demolished. It is not permitted to keep them for one day if there is the power to demolish them." Seven centuries had passed after the advent of Islam with none of the scholars raising the issue. Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahab, who came four centuries after Ibn Jawziyyah, went further in his extremism and adopted doctrines that label people with differing views as unbelievers and polytheists. Those falling into these categories, according to him, were worthy of nothing but extermination. Their lives deserved no sanctity, their wealth could be plundered and their families could be enslaved or killed. The legacy of Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahab has not only survived for two centuries, but has also acquired new international dimensions. Extremists are now distributed over the five continents and are threatening not only non-Muslims but also the very fabric of the Muslim Ummah, which is being destroyed in the rising sectarian discord promoted by followers of the neo-Salafis. Within Saudi Arabia itself, fear has become a major factor in silencing the voices of dissent. Despite the atrocities of recent years, which are committed by the neo-Wahhabis and neo-Salafis against non-Muslims as well as Muslims, the Saudi government has refused to disengage from its historic pact with the Wahhabis. Apart from the ideological and political consequences of this pact, the country's heritage has been subjected to utter vandalism and eradication. Although some brave writers and commentators have questioned the wisdom of this destruction, their pleas are ignored. It is a religious or political war? What is the role of politicians in encouraging this policy? Is it an interest-based war or the result or ignorance and prejudice?Earlier this year (2006), the grave of Hashim ibn `Abd Manaf, Prophet Muhammad's grandfather, in the Palestinian city of Gaza was desecrated. Mr `Abd al Latif Hashim, the Director of the Documentation Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments, accused the Salafis and Wahhabis of carrying out this heinous act, and described the destruction of the grave as the loss of a historic monument in Palestine. The desecration was in line with the pattern of destruction followed by the Wahhabis over the past two centuries. Muslims consider these acts a disaster for the Muslim world for several reasons. First, they are an attack on civilization and culture and the losses are irreplaceable. Second, targeting symbols that are sacred to others can only provoke sectarian and religious tension, which could lead to bloodshed. Third, it compromises the principle of tolerance that Islam promotes among people to safeguard social and religious peace. Fourth, targeting the graves and tomb s of historic Muslim figures is tantamount to humiliating these noble ancestors and is contradictory to Islamic values and teachings. Historically, the destruction of graves goes back to the early days of Islam, although at that time, it was carried out for different reasons. In 236 AH/850 AC, the Abbasid Caliph, al Mutawakkil, ordered the destruction of Imam Hussain's grave. The earth was levelled and the ground flooded with water. It was a political revenge for the rebellion against the Abbasid rule, spearheaded by followers of the descendants of the Holy Prophet. It was an act to prevent the use of this holy site becoming a centre for the opposition to the Abbasids. Attacks on graves on the early days of Islam were motivated by politics rather than religion. However, during the past two centuries, enmity against religious symbolism has been presented with the support of religious edicts in line with the teachings of Muhammad ibn `Abd al Wahab. Visiting tombs of disciples or faith symbols has been equated to polytheism (shirk), which is liable to the maximum punishment. Tension with other schools of juris prudence has escalated and a state of religious polarization has been forming in the Muslim world. The present Saudi rule in the early twentieth century is a marriage of convenience between the Salafi trend based on Wahhabi traditions and the Saudi ambitious political agenda. Relations among Muslims have become strained as the Salafi movement has taken root in many places, thanks to the Saudi petrodollars that have been abundant since the mid-1970s as a result of the oil boom. Two hundred years ago, the Saudi–Wahhabi alliance wreaked havoc in Iraq. When its forces invaded the country in 1816, they destroyed the mausoleum of Imam Hussain and other sacred places before they left. The Arabian Peninsula became the launching pad for the new politico-religious trend. This led to the destruction of more than 90 per cent of Islamic monuments, holy places, tombs and mausoleums. Anything that had symbolic significance unrelated to the Wahhabi school of thought was deemed "polytheistic" and faced destruction. In 1924, `Abd al `Aziz ibn Sa`ud and his troops occupied Makkah in the region of Hejaz. Among their first actions was the destruction of al Mu'alla graveyard, which contained the grave of Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad's wife, and that of his uncle, Abu Talib. Two years later, in 1926, Ibn Sa`ud occupied Madinah and demolished the tombed mausoleum over the graves of several of Prophet Muhammad's descendants, including those of his daughter, Fatimah, and his grandson, Hassan ibn `Ali. Since no tangible resistance to their heinous actions was mounted by Muslims, they went even further and demolished the famous Seven Mosques of Salman al Farisi, Abu Bakr, `Umar, Fatimah, `Ali, al Qiblatayn and al Fath. Their sites have been transformed into banking facilities such cash dispensing machines.The pain of the people of the Hejaz has become so intense that their journalists have begun to raise their voices. On 10 September 2004, Muhammad al Dubaisi wrote in the newspaper, al Madinah, an article entitled "The destruction of these mosques has deprived Madinah of one pillar of its immortal history, and a minaret of its traditional glory". Saleh al Fawzan, a Salafi writer, contributed an article in response a week later to the same newspaper, justifying the destruction of the historic mosques.The Wahhabis have gone even further. They have demolished the grave and tomb of Hamza ibn `Abd al Mutallib, Prophet Muhammad's uncle. They have cleared the graveyard of the martyrs of Uhud (the second battle of Prophet Muhammad after the Conquest of Madinah). The routes of the battles of Badr and Uhud (first and second battles of Prophet Muhammad) have also been cleared. Serious consideration is now being given to the idea that the Cave of Hira' (where Prophet Muhammad received God's Message from the Angel Gabriel) should be destroyed. This is not a building, but a cave in the mountain. Four years ago, heavy demolition equipment, including excavators, were dispatched to desecrate the mausoleum of Sayyid `Ali al Araidhi (d. 825 AC). On 12 August 2002, the grave of this respected figure (the son of Imam Jaffar al Sadiq) was removed from the face of the earth. An order is now in place to desecrate the grave of one of Prophet Muhammad's Companions, Rafa`ah ibn Rafi`al Zurqi. He took part in the battles of Badr, Uhud and al Khandaq. He also participated in the Bay`at al Ridwan. An adjacent historic mosque known as al Khandiq is due for destruction. Another symbolic site has recently been desecrated. The birthplace of Prophet Muhammad has been removed and new toilets built on the sire. There is also a plan to separate Prophet Muhammad's grave from his mosque in preparation for the desecration of the grave itself. The connecting doors between the two sites are regularly closed as a prelude to the implementation of the plan. It is known, too, that the Ka`bah has not been spared the heinous actions of the Wahhabis. Early in 2006, many of the artefacts and historic items inside it have been removed and destroyed, including engraved writings, silk ornaments and curtains. On 25 August 2005, the web site of al `Arabiyyah (the leading Saudi satellite channel) published an important article with the title, "A new plan for Madinah angers archaeologists…. Historians and intellectuals call for a review of the destruction of artefacts in Makkah and Madinah". The article argued that these artefacts cannot lead to religious inventions and must not be destroyed. It quoted Dr Anwar Ishqi, a renowned thinker, as refuting the arguments that these historic items can create religious confusion and it called for the protection of the mere 10 per cent that have so far been spared destruction. Another thinker, Dr Sami Anqawi, a senior researcher in the artefacts of Makkah and Madinah and a former Director of Pilgrimage Research, called for a comprehensive view of the Muslim scholars, and confirmed that only a small percentage of historic works remain and that the continued destruction will bury Islamic history and civilization. On the same day, the Saudi daily newspaper, al Watan, confirmed that a new plan for Madinah would certainly destroy one of the most important historic quarters of the city. The area of Shraibat would be annihilated in the following months, together with all the sites relating to early Islamic and Prophetic history. Extremist trends have mushroomed from the Wahhabi–Salafi movement and have become a threat to the political and social fabric of Muslim countries, in addition to world peace and security. Muslim scholars and thinkers are thus urged to deal effectively with this destructive ideology before it achieves the total eradication of the Islamic heritage, not only in the Arabian Peninsula but also elsewhere. The destruction of several historic sites in Iraq, including that of the Askari Mausoleum in Samarra, is a wake-up call to everyone. It must be heeded without any further delay. Note; Former Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Shaykh Ahmed Zaki Yamani is a Famous Saudi Intellectual Worldwide and he hails from the Hijaz Region of Saudi Arabia and Particulary from a Noble Scholarly Family of Makkah Al-Mukkarmah. 1st Pic of the Late Saudi Arabian Sunni Islamic Scholar Al-Sayyid Muhammed Alawi Al-Maliki sitting with Ex-Saudi Oil Minister Shaykh Ahmed Zaki Yamani in Makkah Al-Mukkaramah. 2nd Pic of Saudi Arabian Sunni Islamic Scholars Al-Sayyid Abdallah Faddag and Al-Habib Umar Hamid Al-Jeelani with Ex Saudi Oil Minister Shaykh Ahmed Zaki Yamani in a Mawlid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This was a Letter written to the Wahhabi Scholars of Najd by a Great Sunni Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Yusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i . He is the Ex-Kuwaiti Minister and a Great Scholar who has countered Wahhabis in Kuwait and in the Arab World and has written Books against them and even made the Kuwaiti Government Ban the Kitab ul Tawhid written by Abdul Wahhab in Kuwait on the ruling that it incites sectarian Violence by calling Muslims as Mushriks.He was a Close friend of the late Saudi Arabian Sunni Islamic Scholar Al-Sayyid Muhamemd Bin Alawi Al-Maliki Makki of Makkah Al-Mukkarmah.Here is his Website Link http://www.rifaieonline.com/en/cv.html ADVICE To Our Brothers : the Scholars of Najd [1420/1999] Sayyid Yusuf ibn Al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i Prologue In the Name of Allah All -Beneficent Most Merciful "Say: Who gives you provision from the sky and the earth? Say: Allah. Lo! We or you assuredly are rightly guided or in error manifest. Say: You will not be asked of what we committed, nor shall we be asked of what you do. Say: Our Lord will bring us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. He is the All Knowing Judge" [34:24-26]. "Lo! Allah enjoins justice and kindness and giving to kinsfolk, and forbids lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorts you in order that you may take heed" [16:90] "O my people! Yours is the kingdom today, you being uppermost in the land. But who would save us from the wrath of Allah should it reach us?" [40:20]. All praise belongs to Allah! Blessings and greetings upon our Master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah and upon his Family and most honorable Companions and all those loyal to him. To proceed: Using as my point of departure the narration of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, "Religion is sincere, faithful advice." We said: [Faithful] to whom? He replied: "To Allah, to His Book and His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and their multitude." 3 and after the publication of my book "al-Radd al-Muhkam al Mani" 4 and that of other books authored by people of learning,5 I waited to see if, perhaps, some of your doings and methods would change. However, nothing of the sort took place. Therefore, since Allah says in Surat al-Asr, "By the declining day, Lo! Man is in a state of loss, Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance." [103:1-3], I decided, after the Prayer of Counsel (al-istikhara), to address you with this sincere faithful advice which, I hope, will be accepted. I ask our Lord Most High to show it to us, and show us falsehood for what it is and grant us to avoid it. May He not make this matter confused for us lest we follow our lusts. It is Allah alone who guides to what is right. Accordingly, I Say trusting in Allah for success. 1. CALLING THE MUSLIMS: "Pagans" It is not permitted to change Muslims- believers in monotheism who pray with you, fast, pay zakat, and perform pilgrimage shouting over and over, "Ever at Your call, O Allah! Ever at your call, there is no partner with you, ever at Your call! Truly all glory and praise, all favor and grace belong to you, and all sovereignty and dominion! No-one can be a partner to You!" - It is not permitted, by Law, to charge them with idolatry (al-shirk) the way your books and publications are filled with such charges; the way your preacher clamors on the day of the Major Hajj in the mosque of al-Khayf in Mina, in the eve of the Feast of the pilgrims and all Muslims; and the way his fellow preachers frighten the people of Makka and those in the Holy Mosque on the Day of Id al-Fitr through all their verbal assaults and false accusations. Stop this, and may Allah guide you! To frighten a Muslim is prohibited, especially the dwellers of the Two Sanctuaries. There are many sound sacred texts to that effect. [b]2. Calling the Muslims "Apostates"[/b] You have declared the Sufis disbelievers then the Ash'aris. You have denied and denounced imitation of and adherence to the Four Imams, Abu Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Whereas their imitators formed and continue to form the vastest mass (al-sawad al-a'zam) of the Muslims, just as the King 'Abdal-Aziz - textually stipulates reliance upon, and due consideration of the Four Madhahib. Therefore, stop this and may All guide you! Whoever turns disbeliever after his Islam has the status of an apostate (murtadd) whose killing becomes licit. Therefore, remember the narration of your Prophet the Elect One - Allah bless and greet him and his Family, "Do not revert after me and turn disbelievers again, striking at one another's neck." 6 [b]3. Calling the Muslims "Deviants"[/b] After you finished doing the above, you let loose certain hirelings you had nurtured, so that they began to throw accusations of misguidance and deviance at the Islamic groups and organizations that work in the field of calling to Islam (da'wa) and are active raising up the Word of Allah and commanding good and forbidding evil. In so doing they have made use of books, tapes, and the like. Then you went and translated those books into various languages, distributing them free through your numerous outlets. Likewise, you published a book that contains the declaration that the people of Abu Dhabii and Dubai are disbelievers, together with the Ibdis, 7 your colleagues on the board of Majlis al-Ta'awun. As for your attacks on the renowned Al-Azhar University and its scholars, they are too numerous to count! [b]4. Calling the Muslims:"Innovators"[/b] You keep repeating the phrase of the noble hadith, "Every innovation is misguidance" 8 without discernment, only to criticize and condemn others, yet approving certain actions that contradict the Prophetic Sunna without condemning them nor counting them as innovations. We shall list some of them. 5. Shutting the Mosque in Madina at Night You close the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and greetings be upon him, after the Isha prayer when this Mosque was never closed before your time in the history of the Muslims, preventing people from performing retreat (I'tikaf) and late night prayers (tahajjud) in it, and you forget the saying of Allah Most High, "And who does greater wrong than he who forbids the approach to the sanctuaries of Allah lest His Name should be mentioned therein, and strives for their ruin?…" [ 2: 114]. 6. Imposing the Style of Jajd in Adhan You impose on the callers to prayer in the Hijaz a specific style of adhan which is the one you use in Najd, within a specific, limited duration of time, and you require that the voice not be softened nor beautified in calling the Muslims to this paramount symbol of the Religion which is Salat. 7. Monopolizing Teaching in Hijaz You forbid teaching and admonition in the Two Sanctuaries even if the teacher is one of the great Muslim scholars and even if he comes from the Hijaz or al-Ahsa' as long as he does not follow your school of thought or carry an explicit permit written and sealed by you. Anyone other than yourselves is thus barred, were it the Rector of the distinguished al-Azhar! Therefore, fear Allah and do not go to excess in promoting your madhhab but keep a good opinion of your brothers among the scholars of Islam. 8. Preventing Burial in al-Baqi' You forbid the burial of Muslims who die outside Madina and Makka from taking place in those Two Cities which are of the most blessed sites, loved by Allah and His Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, depriving the Muslims from obtaining the immense reward of burial in them. It is related from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Adi al-Zuhri the he said, 'I saw the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, on his mount, standing on the hillock, saying, "By Allah! You are surely the best land of Allah and the most beloved to Allah of the lands of Allah, and if I were not being driven out of you I would never go out" 9 . It is also narrated form Ibn 'Umar that he said the Messenger of Allah, peace and greetings be upon him, said, "Whoever can die in al-Madina, let him die in it, for I do intercede for whoever dies in it." 10 9. Obstructing and Scolding Women in Madina You forbid women from reaching the Place of the Noble Meeting [i]al-Muwajaha al Sharifa[/i] at the grave of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, and greeting him just as men do. If you could, you would prevent women from circumambulating the Holy House with their lawful relatives, all contrary to the practice of the pious Predecessors and the Muslims! You despise the believing women who protect their honor and worship their Lord. You rebuke them harshly, block them from seeing the [original] Mosque and the imam with multiple barriers, and stare at them with suspicion and distrust. All this is an ugly innovation for it is the start of something that did not take place in the time of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, nor that of the pious Predecessors. For the rows of the men used to stand behind the imam, then those of the boys, then those of the women, all praying together without barrier behind the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him. 10. Posting Hoodlums at the Noble Grave You have brought hirelings and ignoramuses whose only skill is frowning and placed them at [i]al-Muwajaha al Sharifa[/i] with their backs turned to the Elect Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him. They turn their backs and rear ends to him, facing his visitors and all Muslims with sour faces full of spite, giving them sinister looks and taunting them with charges of idolatry and innovation, almost attacking them physically. They rebuke this one, bark at that one, hit the [[i]supplicating] hands of the third,[/i] raising their voices to censor and blame, ignoring and forgetting the saying of Allah, "O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as you shout to one another, lest your works be rendered vain while you perceive not. Lo! They who subdue their voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, those are they whose heart Allah has proven unto righteousness. Theirs will be forgiveness and immense reward. Lo! Those who call you from behind the private apartment, most of them have no sense." [49:2-4]. All this behavior is compounded with arrogance and persistence in humiliating the lovers and beloved of [i]al-Mustafa,[/i] peace and greetings be upon him, and his visitors among the Believers in his noble presence and right before his noble sleeping-ground which the Shaykh of the Hanbalis Abu al-Wafa' Ibn 'Aqil considered the most sublime spot in all the universe as related by Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim in his book Bada'I al-Fawa'id." 11 11. Blocking Women from Visiting Baqi' You forbid women from visiting the noble Baqi' with no agreed-upon, clear and explicit proof form the Law. 12 You create difficulties for the Muslims who perform visitation in other than short and restricted times. Some of them wait for the opportunity of burying the dead so that they can visit al-Baqi'! You have also forbidden guides to al-Madina al Munawwra from accompanying visitors, eliminating their livelihoods and leaving visitors in confusion. They do not know the location of the graves of the noble Family of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, not those of his wives, the Mothers of the Believers, not those of his companion and this is truly grave injustice, tyranny, oppression, and arrogance which Allah Most High shall never accept, neither His most honorable Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him. Stop it, and may Allah Most High guide you! 12. Grave Destruction and Desecration You destroyed the sign-posts by which we knew the graves of the Companions, the Mothers or the Believers, and the members of the noble Family of Prophet. You left them a vacant lot, the grave posts stones were scattered so that we no longer know whose grave is where. Gasoline was even poured on one of them. 13 Truly there is no change nor power except with Allah Most High, Most Great. Leave stone superstructures intact that they are allowed! Leave the hand-span elevation for it is allowed, together with the two grave -posts! It is established that the Prophet placed a rock on top of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un's grave saying, "With it I shall designate the grave of my [milk-] brother and later bury in it whoever dies among my relatives." 14 Kharija ibn Zayd said, "I can see myself when we were young men in the time of "Uthman [ibn 'Affan]. The Strongest one of us in high jump was he who could jump over the grave of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un and clear it." 15 13. Police Interrogation Centers You created an inquest and trial center in the corner of the Prophetic Sanctuary previously, now next to al-Baqi'. There, you sentence those you observe to use intermediaries (tawassul), or visit frequently, or act humbly, weep or supplicate to Allah Most High in front of the most noble grave, seeking the Prophet as a means of approach to Allah Most High. You shower them with a hail of questions prepared in advance pertaining to the validity of visitation, using intermediaries, and [celebrating] the noble Birth. Whoever you deem in violation in the above you imprison, cancel his residency permit, and banish him from the land. All this when these are, in fact, matters that turn between the status of desirability (istihbab) and that of indifference (ibaha) among the scholars, including the Hanbalis, so that it is impermissible to declare apostate a Muslim on their basis or pursue him in justice. I was told by a trustworthy former detainee that his hands remained chained all the while of his month-long incarceration so that he performed ablution and prayed in chains. He was even prevented from reading the Holy Qur'an. Fear Allah! Injustice shall reap multilayered darkness on the Day of Resurrection! Can such evil take place in the Mosque of the Prophet who said, "I am only a means offered" 16 Allah sent him as a mercy to all the worlds: what about the Muslims you treat so harshly in close vicinity to him in his own Mosque? Remember he said, "Prophets are alive in their grave, praying" "Truly Allah forbade the earth to consume the bodies of Prophets." 17 Baqi' al-Gharqad; Ibrahim, the Prophet's, peace and greetings be upon him, son, was buried next to him.[T] 14. Razing of the Mosque of Abu Bakr As Siddique You allowed a generous donor from Madina to raze and rebuild the mosque of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be well pleased with him, in Jabal al-Khandaq at his expense. Once the building was razed, you canceled the rebuilding permit for you consider it an innovation to visit the seven Mosques at the site of the Battle of the Trench, concerning which was revealed Surat al-Ahzab! In fact, you wish to destroy them all. 18 15. Interdiction of "Dala'il al-Khayrat" You forbid people to bring in and read Dala'il al-Khayrat fi al-Salawat 'ala al-Nabi ("Guide to all Good things in the Invocation of Blessings upon the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him") 19 by the knower of Allah Most High and descendant of al-Hasan, May Allah be well pleased with him, Shaykh Muhammad Sulayman al-Jazuli and other books. Yet you know of the books and magazines that enter the land and are put on display, all sorts of publications deemed abominable and reprehensible by the Law. Fear Allah. 16. Forbidding Mawlid Gatherings You spy on, harass, arrest, and punish whoever holds gatherings of celebration and commemoration of the Prophetic birth that are devoid of any lawfully reprehensible activity. Yet you do not object to gatherings of entertainment, musical instruments, singing, and all such displays. Since when is it allowed to use a double standard, humiliating the loving faithful while cajoling the mindless dissolute? 17. Forbidding Qunut in the Fajr Prayer You forbid the imams in the mosques to recite the qunut supplication in the dawn prayer, deeming it an innovation 20 when you know that it is established in the Law according to two of the four Imams, al-Shafi'I and Malik. Why do you impose your own opinion and create difficulties for the Muslims? 18. Monopolizing the Position of Imam You do not allow anyone to be imam in either of the Two Sanctuaries except one of your own. You make it categorically forbidden to the Ulema of al-Hijaz, al-Ahsa' and others. Is this an act of justice, or an obligation of the Religion? Fear Allah All Mighty and be just! For Allah Most High loves who are just. 19. Destruction of Our Historical Vestiges You have wreaked destruction on the historical vestiges of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, and those of his most honorable Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in Madina al-Munawwara especially, of the two Sanctuaries. Nothing seems to remain of these vestiges anymore except the Prophetic Mosque itself. Yet, in our time, the nations of the world pride themselves in and preserve their historical vestiges as a memento, a lesson, a meaningful sign of their time-honored past. But you consider that every vestige that is stopped at for perusal or visit, is a partner [worshiped] together with Allah Most Sublime. But Allah Most High Himself ordered us to travel the earth to see the vestiges of the idolaters and derive lessons from them, such as 'Ad and Thamud, found at Diyar Salih, al-'Ala', near Madina al-Munawwara, which are still visited sites, as Allah Most High said, "System have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers)" [3:137]. "Have they not traveled in the land to see the nature of the consequence for those who disbelieved before them? They were mightier than these in power and (in the) traces (which they left behind them) in the earth. Yet Allah seized them for their sins, and they had no protector from Allah. That was because their messengers kept bringing them clear proofs (of Divine sovereignty) but they disbelieved; so Allah seized them. Lo! He is Strong, Serve in punishment" [40:21-22]. "Has not the history of those before you reached you: the folk of Noah and (the tribes of) 'Ad and Thamud and those after them? None but Allah knows them. Their messengers came unto them with clear proofs, but they thrust their hands into their mouths, and said: Lo! We disbelieve in that wherewith you have been sent, and lo! We are in grave doubt concerning that to which you call us" [14:9]. Why then do you deprive the Muslims from witnessing the sign-posts and vestiges of the battles of Badr, Uhud, Hudaybiya, Hunayn, al-Ahzab and others of the Days of Allah in which He gave victory to His Messenger and righteous servants, routing idolatry and the polytheists? Fear Allah, and be among those endowed with hearts so that, perhaps, you will be granted mercy! 20. Aiding the Arch-Innovator, al-Albani You have provided a haven to Nasir Albani 21 and abetted him, allowing him to publish his book Ahkam al-Jana'iz wa Bida'uha in which he openly asks for the removal of the grave of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, from the most noble Mosque! 22 You appointed him a member in the upper board of the Islamic University in Madina al-Munawwara and a teacher in it. After the late King Faysal barred him and expelled him from the country with some of his followers you returned him to that position. You still liberally propagate and recommend his deviant books but have interdicted and forbidden some of the books of Hujjat al-Islam al- Ghazzali, Abu al-Hasan al-Nadwi, 'Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda, al-Maliki, Sa'id Hawwa, al-Buti and others of the Ulema of the Muslims. Where is justice and equity? 21. Aiding Another Rabid Extremist You nurtured al-Albani's student and deputy in Kuwait, 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abd al-Khaliq, directing your followers to him, lavishly supporting him with every means. He assailed the host of the Friends of Allah in his Fada'ih al-Sufiyya ("The Disgraces of the Sufis") in which he deems all Sufis misguided, free-thinking heretics (zanadiq) and lawless esoteric (batiniyyin) even they count those eulogized by Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Rajab, al-Dhahabi, and the rest of your putative authorities! Remember a rigorously authentic hadith qudsi states: "Whoever shows enmity to a single friend of Mine, I declare war on him." 23 22. Erasing Poetry in Praise of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him You take advantage, every year, of the opportunity of maintaining, polishing, and refurbishing the Prophetic Mosque in order to eliminate many of the emblems of islam [still] found in the inner hall of the Mosque such as historical vestiges and praises of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him. You painted over many of the verses of al-Busayri's poem on the Prophetic Mantle (al-Budra 24 you have also tried to cover up the famous two verses-- inscribed on the windows of the Mosque- quoted in the Story of al-'Utbi as mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his Tasfir: [/color]"O best of those whose bones are buried in the deep earth, [/color]and from whose fragrance the depth and height have become sweet! May I be the ransom for a grave in which you dwell, where one finds purity, bounty and munificence! 25 If the custodian of the Two Sanctuaries- King Fahd - had not stopped you when the news reached him then ordered you to restore them as they were…! But what is the reason for this disrespect and obstruction of your most noble Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, the means of access between you and your Lord? What has transpired between you and him? You seem to have forgotten His saying, "Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is a painful doom" [9:61] and "Lo! Those who malign Allah and His messenger, Allah has cursed them in the world and the Hereafter, and has prepared for them the doom of the disdained" [33:57] 23. Asking to Demolish The Green Dome You allowed a man by the name of Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi'I- known through his books and tapes for his propensity to insult and disparage those of the Ulema who disagree with him, those who call unto Allah, and the pious of this Community of Islam - to produce some research at the end of his studies at the Islamic University of Madina titled "About the Dome Built over the Grave of the Messenger, peace and greetings be upon him" sponsored by Shaykh Hammad al-Ansari. In this paper he demands openly and without shame that the Noble Grave be brought out of the Mosque, deems the presence of the Grave and Noble Dome there major innovation, and asks that they both be destroyed! On top of this you granted him high marks na da passing grade! Do you honor those who challenge the Messenger of Islam, the Beloved of Allah, the Mercy to the Universes and His Intimate Friend? Then this man directed hundreds of his followers, imitators, and their kind among those influenced by your School, bearing arms, to destroy and unearth the graves of the pious Muslims in Aden, Yemen, a few years ago 26 . They roamed the land spreading corruption and ruin, digging up the graves of the dead with picks and spades until they brought out the bones of some of the dead and blind dissension. We heard they even used dynamite in some places! All this is a part of the record of your deeds. 24. Not Saying "al-Munawwara" for Madina You named the volume of the Qur'an printed on order of the Custodian of the Two Sanctuaries- Allah reward him for it!-- by the name of Mushaf al-Madina al-Nabawiyya ("Volume of the Prophetic City") instead of Mushaf al- Madina al-Munawwara ("Volume of the Illuminated City"). It seems you refuse to acknowledge that this blessed city became illuminated - as did the entire world -by the sending and messengership of our Master Muhammad, peace and greetings be upon him. Yet the young girls of the Ansar called out in the past, "The full moon rose over us form the mountains of al-Wada'!" For the Prophet, peace be upon him, is indeed al-Badr; the full moon - and the Light, 28 as Allah said, "O Prophet, Lo! We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner, and as a summoner unto Allah by His permission and as a lamp that gives light" [33:45-46] and "Now has come unto you light from Allah guides him who seeks His goods pleasure unto paths of peace. He brings them out of darkness unto light by His decree and guides them unto a straight path"[5:15-16] Go back to the books of commentary and you will see that they explained the light mentioned in the foregoing verses to mean [i]al-Mustafa, [/i]peace and greetings be upon him. Here we will not argue with you concerning the light of his noble essence but we say that he was light and Mercy through the Book and the Sunna and guidance that he brought. Allah Most High said, "He brings them out of darkness unto light by His decree and guides them unto a straight path" [5:16] 25. Not saying "Sanctuary" for Madina You insist on naming the overseeing board for the affairs of the Two Sanctuaries, "Presidency of the Meccan Sanctuary and the noble Prophetic Mosque" (ri'asat al-haram al-makki wa al-masjid al-na-bawi al-sharif) but you do not say, The Noble Prophetic Sanctuary (al-haram al-nabawi al-sharif), likewise in your road signs indicating that direction. Why is not his Mosque [referred to a] as a Sanctuary? The Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, declared all of Madina a sanctuary. 'Asim ibn Sulayman al-Ahwal said that he asked Anas: "Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and greetings be upon him, make Madina a sanctuary (haram)?" He said: "Yes! From such -and -such a place to such-and -such a place. So, whoever gives rise to some innovation in it," -Anas said to 'Asim and this is a very tough stipulation, "incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people! Nor will Allah accept from him the least of barter and trade on the Day of Resurrection!" Another narration- also form a Anas- states, "then he, peace and greetings be upon him, marched until Uhud came into sight and said, 'This is a mountain who loves us and whom we love.' Then, overlooking al-Madina, he said, 'O Allah! Truly I am declaring a sanctuary all that is between its two mountains as Ibrahim declared Makka a sanctuary. O Allah! grant them blessings in their mudd and sa'[measures]." 29 Also narrated from Abu Hurayra, the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, said, "Al-Madina is a sanctuary (al-madinatu haram), so whoever gives rise to an innovation in it or gives safe haven to and innovator, let the curse of Allah be on him, that of the angels, and that of All people! And let not the least barter nor trade be accepted from him on the Day of Resurrection!" 30 26. Falsifying Our Scholarly Heritage It has become your custom to suppress whatever does not please or satisfy you from the books of our Islamic heritage which you cannot prevent from entering the [Saudi] Kingdom because the general public need them. This is a criminal act both in Islamic Law and in secular laws against the views of the authors who are Ulema of the pious Predecessors. They cannot summon you before a judge in this world but they can certainly summon you before the Almighty Judge in the next world… Among the passages that were suppressed or altered and tampered with: [/color][/color]In the book of al-Adhikar by imam Muhyi al-Din al-Nawawi as published by Dar al-Huda in al- Riyad in 1409/1989 and edited by 'Abd al-Qadir al-Arna'ut of Damascus, page 295, the chapter- title, "Section on Visiting the Grave of the Messenger, peace and greetings be upon him" was substituted with the title, "Section on Visiting the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and greetings be upon him" together with the suppression of Several lines from the beginning of the section and its end, and the suppression of al-'Utbi's story which Imam al-Nawawi had mentioned in full. 31 [/color] This is a bold felony against an author and his book! When the editor was asked about it, he replied that your agents were the ones who had changed and tampered. I have a facsimile of his own hand- written statement to that effect. [/color]Certain expressions that displeased you were suppressed from al-Sawi's [d. 1241/1825] super commentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn. 32 Suppression of the chapter that concerns the Friends of Allah (al-awliya), Substitute - Saints (al-abdal), and the Righteous (al-salihin) from Ibn' Abidin's Hashiya in Hanafi jurisprudence. 33 Suppression of the 10th volume --on tasawwuf-- of Ibn Taymiyya's Fatawa in your latest edition. Shaykh Ibn Baz the [late] former overall president of the directorships of scholarly research, ifta, da'wa, and irshad tried to rectify whatever did not please him in Fath al-Bari by the Imam and hadith master Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani. So he published three volumes together with his aides then stopped his remarks; but he opened and avenue of harm and evil with these remarks. Abu Bakr al-Jaza'iri was given the opportunity to make a commentary on the Qur'an that might be a substitute and rival to Tafsir al- Jalalayn. The public was then misled to believe that they were the same book to ensure its propagation. 34 27. Indecencies of Guards towards Women Whereas you separate women from their relatives in the Mosque of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on the pretense that you are anxious to preserve chastity and Religion, you station your men at the entrances reserved for women, fully facing them, as if those men were divinely immunized against all that may occur in others. Likewise you station your male observers within the rows of the men and women who circumambulate the House in the greater and minor pilgrimages, fully facing the faces of women and demanding them to don the face-veil in violation of the position of the vast majority of the Ulema that it is obligatory to uncover the face when accomplishing this rite. 28. Terrorizing Muslims inside the Haram You do not object to those who terrorize the Muslims who are in the Meccan Sanctuary and investigate them, arresting them if they do not produce residency papers, in violation of the saying of Allah Most High, "and whosoever enters it is safe" [3:97]. In addition, these doings create commotions and spoil the climate of purity, peace, quiet, and dignity for "those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves" [2:125]. 29. Willfully Creating Unlawful Situations You adamantly decline to ratify, in the Islamic law courts, the contracts of marriage and nikah between Muslim men and women for any foreign Muslim male and female if the man is a visitor and does not possess a document of permanent residency. This is an innovation and injustice for which you are entirely accountable if the man commits and illicit act. 30. Doctrinal Inquisition of Students [color="#8b0000"]You do not enlist any student into undergraduate and graduate studies without first examining him in what you term "correct doctrine" not contenting yourselves with the fact that one is a Muslim from the ranks of the common Muslims who declare Oneness for Allah Most High. This is despicable fanaticism. 31. Libeling Ulema Who Disagree With You [color="#8b0000"]When some one disagrees with you over any issue in jurisprudence or doctrine, you publish a book reviling him, declaring him an innovator or an idolater without granting him his right to defend or justify himself against such charges, as has happened with al-Maliki, Abu Ghudda, al-Sabuni and others. 32. Attempting to Close Down al-Baqi' You strove to commit a major innovation in which none preceded you, not even those who adhered to your doctrines and methods before you; striving to close down the noble Baqi' cemetery, prevent burial in it, and redirect the burial of the new dead to another spot far from the place of idolatry and innovations, as you put it, so as to stop people from entering al-Baqi' and visiting whoever is in it of the Prophetic relatives, the Companions, the Successors, and the rest of the Righteous. Allah Most High brought your endeavors to naught causing someone to inform king Fahd, the custodian of the Two Sanctuaries, of this plan. Whereupon he rejected what you were planning and ordered that al-Baqi' be enlarged so as to eliminate your pretext that it became too full to accommodate more Muslim burials. 33. Replacing Khadija's House With Latrines You approved, without the least objection, the razing of the house of Khadijat al-Kubra -Allah be well- pleased with her!- The mother of the believers and First Beloved of the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds- Allah bless and greet him and his Family. That place is the spot where the Revelation descended upon him for the first time from the Lord of Mighty and Majesty. You did not raise a peep when this destruction occurred, satisfied that washrooms and latrines took its place! Where is fear of Allah? Where is Shame before his most noble Messenger? 34. Eradicating the House of his Mawlid You tried and continue to try - as if it were your goal in life- to destroy the last remnant of the historical vestiges of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, namely the noble place where he was born. This house was razed then changed into a cattle market, then some pious people used ruse to transform it into a library which became "Maktabat Makka al-Mukarrama." You began to pray at that place with evil stares and vengeful threats, trying to entrap it with the official departments. You openly requested that it be destroyed and have shown hostility to the authorities pressing them hard to effect such destruction after the decision taken to that effect by the organization of your major scholars a few years ago. I have an explicit taped recording of this decision. But the Custodian of the Two Sanctuaries, King Fahd -- the prudent and wise man who is a aware of next worldy consequences-- ignored your request and froze it indefinitely. Alas, for shame! Such disrespect and disloyalty against this noble Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, by whom Allah Most High brought us out and yourselves and your ancestors into light! What a shamelessness in his presence the Day we come to drink form his blessed Basin! Alas, woe and misery for a Sect that hates its Prophet whether in word or in deed, holding him in contempt and trying its best to eradicate his traces! Yet Allah Most High says to us, "Take as your place of worship the place where Ibrahim stood (to pray)" [2:125]. And he said, bestowing on the Israelites the gifts of Talut, Musa, and Harun, "And their Prophet said unto them: Lo! The token of his kingdom is that there shall come to you the ark wherein is peace of reassurance from your Lord, and a remnant of that which the house of Musa and the house of Harun left behind, the angles bearing it. Lo! Herein shall be a token for you if (in truth) you are believers" [2:248]. The Ulema of Quranic commentary said that these vestiges consisted in the staff of Musa peace be upon him, his sandals, etc.35 Read also, if you like, the sound and authentic hadiths that pertain to the physical and personal relics of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, and the true concern of the Companions, may Allah be well pleased with them, over them as mentioned in the pages of sahih al-Bukhari. There is enough evidence "for him who has a heart or gives ear with full intelligence" [50:37] and ample provision for those who think and reflect. 36 35. Repudiating the Hanbali School Those that came before you were of the Hanbali Madhhab, following and imitating the school of the Imam and Shaykh Ahmad ibn Hanbal beginning with Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Rajab, Ibn 'Abd al -Hadi, Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi, then al-Zarkashi, Mar'i ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi, then al-Zarkashi, Mar'i ibn Yusuf, Ibn Jubayra, al-Hijawi, al-Mardawi, al-Ba'li, al-Buhuti, Ibn Muflih, finally Muhammad ibn 'Abd al- Wahab and his sons, Mufti Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, and Ibn Humayd-. However, now you dissociate yourselves from this school, declaring that "you are Salafis." 37 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn Baz recently announce in an interview with the periodical al-Majalla that "he does not confirm to nor rely on the Hanbali madhab and the jurisprudence of the Hanbalis" but that you "all conform only to the Qur'an and the Sunna." Glory to Allah Most High! And are Imam Ahmad and his brothers the others Imams not in Conformity to the Qur'an and Sunna? Or have you and this Shaykh and his followers all reached the rank of mujtahid mutlaq and the rank of Imam in the Law - one who exerts his own personal reasoning and juridical opinion without following, not imitating whoever preceded him? We seek refuge in Allah Most High from ignorance, illusion, and deluded claims! We seek refuge from having reached the time described by the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, when he said, "just before the Hour there shall come days in which ignorance shall descend and knowledge be lifted , and killing will abound." 38 He also said, "Truly Allah does not take away Knowledge suddenly and forcefully from His servants, but He takes it away by taking away the Ulema until none is left, at which time the people shall take for their leaders ignorant persons who will be asked questions and will answer without knowledge. They shall be misguided and misguide others." 39 36. Hacks Reviling the Imams of Islam You have allowed youngsters and immature babblers (sufaha al-ahlam) to attack the pious Predecessors who are the most eminent personalities of this Community, among them the Proof of Islam, Imam al-Ghazzali 40 - Allah have mercy on him! You encouraged a certain Mahmud al-Haddad to publish a book in which he claims to have gathered together the two works of hadith - documentation by al-'Iraqi and al-Zabidi -- for [all the narrations cited in] Ihya 'Ulum al-Din and which began by attacking Imam al-Ghazzali and accusing him of misguidance and major aberrations! This, of course, after first attacking, through all your publishing media, Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari 41 and his followers who constitute the vast mass of the Muslims since hundreds of years and whom you have described as "misguided and misguiding others"! (See past issues of your periodical, al-Buhuth al-Islamiyya; Safar al-Hawali's Manhaj Ahl al-Sunna wa al-jama'a: and others). I have shown the [Saudi] minister of religious endowments, Shaykh 'Abd Allah 'Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki, some of these issues myself…but nothing changed. 37. Outlawing Nasiha to Rulers You narrowed, then closed the door of faithful advice from the Muslims to their rulers and those in authority among them. You gave fatwa that whoever trespasses it commits a sin and showed enmity to such advisers. All this when the Muslims and their rulers are in the direst need of admonition and sincere advice towards good! May Allah send blessings and greeting on him who said, "Religion is sincere, faithful advice." We said,[ Faithful] to whom? He replied, "To Allah, to His Book and His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and their multitude." 42 38. Committing Criminal Excesses You acted scandalized and denounced al-Khomayni, the Iranian leader, and his friends when they made the verse, "The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom" [5:53] an excuse to issue death warrants and execution orders against their adversaries. Yet you yourselves later took that same verse as an avenue to commit the same acts against your own opponents, using it to cut off the heads of inadvertent offenders among the foreigners and the helpless, even for possessing a little hashish or qat. We neither heard that you consulted the Islamic Juridical Council (Majma 'al-Fiqh al-Islami) located near you in Jeddah, nor that you sought out the least conformation in the matter from other authorities such as al-Azhar or the major Ulema of the Muslims! It appears that you have studiously forgotten, in your capacity as judges, the narration of 'A'isha that the Messenger of Allah, peace and greetings be upon him, said, "Ignore the offenses of those seen to possess [good] qualities (dhawi al-hay'at), except in [corporal and capital ] penalties." 43 A'isha also related that the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, says, "Stave off the penalties from the Muslims as much as you can, and if any leeway is found than release the detainee. Truly it is preferable for the ruler to pardon mistakenly." al-Titmidhi narrated it and said, "This report has been narrated from her without raising it up to the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, which is more correct." 44 The Hadith master Ibn Hajar said: Al- Bukhari said the most authentic narration on the chapter is Sufyan al-Thawri, from "'Asim, from Abu Wa'il, from 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud who said, "Stave off the penalties by way of inconclusive evidence. Avert death from the Muslims as much as you can." The same was narrated from 'Uqba ibn 'Amir and Mu'adh with mawquf chains and 'Umar with munqati 'mawquf chain. 45 Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm related it from 'Umar in al-isal with a sound mawquf chain. Ibn Abi Shayba similarly narrated through Ibrahim al-Nakha'I from 'Umar that the latter said: "To erroneously not apply the penalties because of inconclusive evidence is dearer to me than me than mistakenly applying them on the basis of inconclusive evidence." It is also in al Harithis's Musnad Abi Hanifa, from Miqsam, from Ibn'Abbas, raised to the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him 46 . You also forgot what the Most Truthful said concerning human life, "Whoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed all the mankind, and whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he has saved the life of all the mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of the sovereignty of Allah), but after wards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth" [5:32] And you forgot that the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, said, "The first judgment that shall be passed among the people on the Day of Resurrection shall be over blood [unjustly shed]." 47 Therefore, fear Allah Most High and do not kill a life which Allah Most High made sacred, except in justice! And be warned of the causes for remorse and guilt on the Day of Woe and Resurrection. 39. Brain - Washing Young Activists You brain-washed gullible young men with your School and rigid opinions such as Juhayman al-'Utaybi, executed for seizing the Meccan Sanctuary with his cohort. Your teacher was his teacher and spiritual master. They used to return and refer to him as well as act upon his and al-Jaza'oro's opinions. They would roam under your sights, harassing the Muslims in the Two Sanctuaries, commanding and forbidding and strutting until their force increased, their claws grew long, and they did what they did, so they were surrounded and killed, or wounded and taken prisoner. Then you announced that you had nothing to do with them and were innocent of their misdeeds! But their books and the publications they left behind are the best witnesses and to the facts. For they stated themselves fully with your extremist views and became completely intoxicated with them. Still you continue on your way, without the least shame - all in the name of the Qur'an and Sunna! Therefore, fear Allah to Whom you shall return. 40. Declaring Every body Apostate You have declared as disbelievers the Sufis, then the Ash'aris and the Maturidis- then you turned to the Ikhwan, then the rest of those who make da'wa and the thinkers of Islam.. what have you left for the Muslims besides yourselves? 41. Suppressing Sessions of Fiqh and Dhikr You forbade and stopped all lessons except yours; all madhahib except your madhhab, all admonitions except your admonitions. As a result, there are no more gatherings of knowledge, no more sessions of admonition, no more circles of Qur'anic readings, no more gatherings of dhikr. What will you say tomorrow to your Lord? When it shall be said, "And stop them, for they must be questioned" [37;24] 42. Apostatizing the Awliya' and Shuhad' You declared Ibn 'Arabi 48 a disbeliever then Hujjat al-Islam Al-Ghazzali. Then you declared that Hasan al-Banna' did not die as a martyr, neither the martyrs of Afghanistan as "their creed was not correct as a whole, indeed, they were followers of the Hanafi School, erring, and bound for destruction." You left none but yourselves as those who are saved, forgetting the Prophet's, peace and greetings be upon him, saying, "If anyone says, 'The people have perished,' then he perished the most." 49 43. The Sham(e) of Madina University You built a university in al-Madina al-Munawwara and named it the Islamic University, near the Master of Prophets, peace and greetings be upon him. People and scholars then flocked to it with their cherished children and sons, rejoicing at the chance of drinking form this spring, thinking it would increase them in love and followership of their Beloved, peace and greetings be upon him, his dear Family, his Companions, and the Successors. But there you were teaching them how to deprecate him and all of them! You also had the students spy on and surveil one another so as to report to you the names and activities of those you named grave-lovers (al-quburiy-yun)! Namely, those who made frequent visits and salutations upon the Master of Messengers and the Mercy of Allah to the worlds so that you might wage war against them, ostracize them and expel them! You would only keep whoever became your client and obeyed you- for those alone are truthful and trusted according to you. Whoever graduated successfully at your hands, having drunk in the gamut of your beliefs, you sent back to their countries as your representatives to sound out your warnings and announce your glad tidings that their misguided fathers and way ward nations must renew their Islam. Such graduates you pampered with lavish salaries, opening offices for them and every conceivable opportunity. As a result, dissensions and enmity flared up between them and the Ulema and pious Muslims of the generations of their fathers and past Shaykhs. Such graduates resemble the time bombs you manufactured and filled with all kinds of bad opinions of others and deep-seated contempt. This has transformed Muslim countries, especially Africa and Asia, into battle-fields of perpetual dissensions among Muslims. This condition has even spread to the Muslim countries that gained their independence from Russia only recently, all the way to Muslim minorities and communities in Europe, America, Australia and elsewhere! To Allah is our complaint. Outdoing Ibn Taymiyya and his Friends Neither Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al- Qayyim, nor any of the Imams of the Salaf before them said that the Sufis were all polytheists. There, they said that among them were those who reach the level of siddiq - truthful saint. Look up, if you wish, the books of al-Dhahabi and Ibn Rajab, Ibn Taymiyya's Fatawa, Ibn al- Qayyim's Madarij al-Salikin and others. Yet you declare the Sufis apostate in their entirety and impute them with innovation and idolatry! The same acts are committed by your minions and newfound pupils, the likes of 'Abb al-Rahman 'Abd al-Khaliq, Jaza'iri, Zino, Dimashqiyya, Albani, Wadi'I, and whoever sings their tune. I ask, are these opinions of yours in conformity with the Pious Predecessors or are you full-fledged innovators who single yourselves out in all of them? Is it permissible, then, for you to say "We are Salafis," when no Salafi ever precede you in committing such acts?! 45. Exporting Fitna to the US and Europe Your deep-seated illness has contaminated America and Europe. As a result, disagreement flared up in the mosques and schools of the Muslims, this one following Ibn Baz and 'Uthaymin, declaring apostasy to the Sufis and those who make dhikr, that one Ash'ari or Maturidi; the third one, Deobandi or Barelwi, etc. Each is fighting the other and forbidding salat behind the other as well as marriage or brotherly relations, severing the ties of Religion. I have witnessed this myself and was present when a Muslim preacher was prevented from giving khutba in an American mosque on the grounds that he was a Sufi, following which, a quarrel flared up among the worshippers… Repent, and repent now to Allah the Lord of the worlds who said, "Repent unto Allah all, O believers, so that you may succeed"</EM> [24:31]. 46. Waging War on Islam and the Muslims The slaughters and terrible events presently taking place damage the reputation of Islam and play havoc with the Muslims. For example, what happened in Algeria and Egypt or in the Meccan Sanctuary is nothing but the fruit of your graduates and beliefs, and the reading of your publications, all of them built on apostatizing (takfir), calling monotheists idolaters (tashrik), hurling accusations of innovations (tabdi') and holding the worst opinions of the Muslims. If you want to see this clearly and so that all people can see this plainly, it suffices to sift through those extremists, is there any Sufi among them, any Azhari, or Ash'ari, or follower of one of the Four Madhahib? And after you set them loose you kept silent and mute, sitting back and watching instead of firmly condemning their acts. You were not of those who gave them sincere, faithful advice. I truly wonder, after this, who is the manifest corrupter? 47. Calling Sunnis "Jahmis" and "Mu'tazilis You accuse the Muslim who differ with you of being deviant Jahmis or Mu'tazilis. The truth is, you are the Jahmiyya because you agree with them in some of their doctrines and you are the Mu'tazila because you concur with them in denying sainthood and saints as well as their miraculous gifts, the life of the dead, 50 and the arbitration of reason in matters of the unseen in religious issues. It was said, She flung her bane at me and slinked away. And also, [i]Do not blame a moral trait then display it; [i]Shame on you If you do-great shame! 48. Reviving Kharijism [i]You adopted the practices of the Khawarij. Whenever one of the Muslims comes to you-- especially students of Islamic knowledge --you begin by checking his doctrine: is it correct in your view or not? "What do you say about this? and about that? and where is Allah?" etc. This is exactly what the khawarij would do in the past whenever a Muslim monotheist met him. If he differed with them they killed him. As for the polytheists and the disbelievers, they showed them kindness, reciting the verse, "And if anyone of the idolaters seeks your protection, then protect him so that he may hear the word of Allah; and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who know not" [9:6]. "Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty? What ails you? How foolishly you judge!" [35-36]. 49. Contempt of the Ulema The Four Madhahib had pulpits in the Meccan Sanctuary --you destroyed them51 and teaching chairs -- you banned them. Among the last to date was that of Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Alawi al-Maliki who succeeded his father and grandfather. But your eyes could not bear to see him there, so you accused him of misguidance and sheer disbelief in your book al-Hiwar. Had Allah not prompted me to defend him with my book al-Radd al-Mani' and others of the people of learning with theirs, 52 and if King Fahd, the Custodian of the Two Sanctuaries, had not interfered to protect him, he would have been ancient history today. There used to be Ulema also in the Noble Prophetic Sanctuary, teaching the Four Schools of Law. The last one was Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Juhani al-Shafi'I- the author of the manual Qatf al- Thimar fi Ahkam al-Hajj wa al-I'timar- whom you prevented from teaching, 'until he obtain a permit for teaching, until he obtain a permit from Shaykh Ibn Baz.' The permit was never issued and so he was stopped from teaching. Another was the scrupulous, erudite scholar and mufti, Shaykh 'Abd Allah Sa'id al-Lahji al-Shafi'I - rahimahullah! One of your spies stopped him from teaching and all requests to Ibn Baz to return him to teaching failed. As a result, the students were deprived of the benefit of his valuable lessons. Before him the verifying, erudite scholar, Shaykh Isma'il 'Uthman al-Zayn al-Shafi'I --rahimahullah!-- was also stopped and harassed. Allah is the one who shall take accounts of you! Thus was the gate of teaching in the Four Madhahib closed shut after such teaching had lived on uninterruptedly since the earliest ages of Islam-- the days of the Tabi'in and their Successors from the best praised Islamic centuries and even in the time of your predecessors when they penetrated the Hijaz. Yet you gave full opportunity there to al-Jaza'iri and his ilk, such as his in-law, to repeat and shout at the top of his lungs, right next to [i]al-Mustafa, [/i]peace and greetings be upon him, "The father and mother of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, are in hellfire! The father and mother of the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, are in hellfire!" repeatedly.53 Truly we belong to Allah and to Him is our return, there is no change and no power except with Allah, sufficient for us is Allah, and what a wonderful reliance! All this is in the balance of your deeds and under your responsibility in the presence of our Almighty Lord, without fear not trembling on your part before Allah Most High, Who said, "Lo! Those who malign Allah and His messenger, Allah has cursed them in the world and the Hereafter and prepared for them the doom of the disdained" [33:57] and "Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is a painful doom" [9:61]. 50. Recent Elimination of a Vestige There was a vestige at the spot where the Prophet's, peace and greetings be upon him, camel alighted in the mosque of Quba' when he emigrated to Madina, at which location was revealed the verse. 54 "A place of worship which was founded upon duty to Allah from the first day is worthier that you should stand to pray therein, wherein are men who love to purify themselves. Allah loves the purifiers" [9:108]. You eliminated this vestige which we used to see until recently. 51. Defacing Masjid al-Qiblatayn There used to be, in the Mosque of the Two Qiblas, a marker indicating the old qibla and the abrogated direction of prayer towards the Farthest Mosque [in al- Qudus, Sham], so you eliminated it on the grounds that you consider it an innovation. 52. Razing the Gardens and Wells Of the Companions You eliminated the garden of the Sahabi Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be well pleased with him, which contained a date palm-tree planted by the Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, and you destroyed the well of al-'Ayn al-Zarqa' near Quba' and the well of Aris -the "well of the ring."55 you also forbade sighting of the well of Ruma which 'Uthman, may Allah be well pleased with him, had bought from a Jew and turned into a permanent endowment for the Muslims in the way of Allah Most High. There are many other important vestiges that were either eliminated or defaced and changed. 53. Closing the Madrasas in al-Ahsa' Followers of the Four Schools from the population of al-Ahsa' used to have private schools for the study of each madhhab. You closed them down and forbade any teaching from taking place in them because, according to you, it is impermissible to teach other than your madhhab in the schools for men and women under your jurisdiction. When they began to hold private tuition in their own houses you surveiled them, harrassed them, besieged them, and spied on them! Are these the acts of the righteous callers to Allah, the elite of the people of Allah, and the scrupulously God wary servants of simple living (zuhd) who fear their Almighty Lord, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, Who said, "And guard yourselves against a day in which you will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul will be paid in full that which it has earned and they will not be wronged" [2:281]. "Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again Unto an awful Day, The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?" (83:4-6). 54. Razing Abu Ayyub al-Ansari's House You wrecked destruction on the house of the great Companion Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, radia Allahu anhu, who hosted the Prophet, Allah bless and greet him and his Family, upon his arrival at Madina al-Munawara before the building of his noble apartments. All the periods that preceded yours have preserved this vestige, including your immediate predecessors. But you destroyed this most noble vestige which used to be in the qibla of the most prayer-niche (mihrab) the noble Prophetic Mosque on the pretext that "the polytheist Muslims" derived blessings from it! 55. Destroying an Invaluable Library You destroyed, near the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, radia Allahu anhu, the library of Shaykh al-Islam `Arif Hikmat which was filled with priceless books and manuscripts.56 Its fine Ottoman architecture was unique. You destroyed all of the above when it was far from the enlargement of the Sanctuary and had nothing to do with it. 56. Madina Destroyed, Khaybar Preserved! You also destroyed the well of BirHa' inside the enlargement area, leaving no trace of it nor any marker indicating its former existence. The Prophet, peace and greetings be upon him, entered it as mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere. You spared none of the vestiges of [i]al-Mustafa,[/i] peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions Only in Madina, only the Prophetic Mosque, why did you not turn to Khaybar and other places? And is it permissible to imitate the Jews who destroy and eliminate every Islamic vestige in al-Qudus al-Sharif by erasing our own vestiges in al-Madina al-Munawara? What have you left of our glorious heritage for future generations? 57. Executions for Using Ruq'ya for Healing Finally, you emboldened yourselves to issue rulings in the name of the pure, undefiled Law, for the killing of whoever differed with you among those who specialize in [the application of] healing [verses and supplications] al-ruqya, and spiritual healing, naming them magicians! Nor did you distinguish between the genuine and true authorities among them and the charlatans. You reserved for yourselves the absolute right of fatwa and verdict in the matter. As a result, you shed the blood of numerous innocent people on the grounds that they are magicians whose blood is licit, ignoring the command of Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, "that you slay not the life which Allah has made sacred, save in the course of justice" [6:151] and the statement of the Bringer of glad tidings and Warner, peace and greetings be upon him, "The first judgement that shall be passed among the people on the Day of Resurrection shall be over blood [unjustly shed]." 58 Therefore, stop at the limits and do not trespass bounds; leave alone whatever is of indecisive status. Beware the Day punishment shall be exacted for the embryos from their killers, "a day whereon a man will look on that which his own hands have sent before, and the disbeliever will cry, 'Would that I were dust!' "[78:40]. "And guard yourselves against a day in which you will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul will be paid in full what it has earned, and they will not be wronged" [2:281]. Epilogue O our brothers, the Scholars of Najd! The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is dear to the heart of every Muslim. Its governors - beginning with the Custodian of the Two Sanctuaries - spend every effort in serving the guests of the Merciful such as the pilgrims of Hajj and 'Umra. However, because of your aberrant and anomalous behavior - as I described in this booklet - all you do is hurt the governors of this developing State who have placed on your shoulders the trust of legal and religious matters. You must keep this trust faithfully. Do not mix into it your lusts and your own perceptions lest those who lie in ambush, find in this State an opportunity to argue against it, that it is inadequate and incapable of protecting the important sites and law-related affairs in the cities that contain the holiest objects of Islam. Therefore, fear Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, with regard to your Religion and your State and your Islam and the Muslims! Show more concern in combating dispersion and distance yourselves from causing factionalism among Muslims. I ask Allah Most High that you be among those "Who hear advice and follow the best thereof" [3:18]. Was-Salamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Your brother, Yusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i 1st Pic of Islamic Scholar ShaykhYusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i sitting with Shaykh Habi Ali Al-Jifri in Makkah Al-Mukkarmah. 2nd Pic of Islamic Scholar ShaykhYusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i with with Islamic Scholars and Sufi Shuykh of the Ba Alawi Tariqa of Sufism Shaykh Al-Habib Omar Bin Hafeez and Shaykh Habib Salem Al Shatri and Shaykh Al-Habib Hasan Bin Abdullah Al Shatri 3rd Pic of Islamic Scholar Shaykh Yusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i with Shaykh Al-Sayyid Abbas Al-Maliki in a Mawlid in Jeddah. 4th Pic of Islamic Scholar Shaykh Yusuf ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i in his Office in Kuwait welcoming Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Habib Umar Bin Hafeez .

Biography of Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi a Great Sunni Scholar from Syria Born in Damascus, Shaykh Muhammad descends from a family whose lineage goes back to the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, through his grandson Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allahu 'anhu. His ancestors also include some of the greatest scholars of Syria. His father, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Ya'qoubi (d. 1985/1406 H.), was one of the greatest scholars Syria saw in the past 50 years. As a little boy, Shaykh Muhammad crawled in the Grand Umayyad Mosque and the Darwishiyya Mosque, where his father was an instructor for 40 years, and sat in the laps of some of the greatest scholars. Under his father's tutelage, Shaykh Muhammad followed a solid traditional curriculum since the age of four, studying the major classical works on the various disciplines of the Shari'ah as well as the instrumental disciplines. He received ijazas in Hadith from several of the most prominent scholars in Syria. Amongst the scholars who gave him ijaza were the Malikite Mufti of Syria Sayyid Makki al-Kittani, the Hanafite Mufti Muhammad Abul-Yusr 'Abideen, Muhammad Salih al-Khateeb, Ali al-Boudaylimi, Zayn al-'Abideen at-Tounisi, 'Abdul'Aziz 'Uyun as-Soud, and Muhammad Wafa al-Qassaab. He is a charismatic speaker in both Arabic and English. Several of his speeches have been produced. He has been traveling around the world teaching and calling people to Islam. Scores of people embraced Islam or repented after listening to him. Shaykh Muhammad is a leading scholar of hadith. He taught Sahih al-Bukhari 4 times, sahih Muslim twice, al-Muwatta 6 times al-Shama'il of Imam Tirmidhi 17 times. several schlars from the Islamic world and the West studied hadith under him or took ijaza from him., Shaykh Muhammad pursued his academic studies at the University of Damascus, Faculty of Shari'ah. He also received a degree in Arabic literature in 1987 and completed a two-year study of philosophy at the Arab University of Beirut. In 1991, Shaykh Muhammad joined the PhD program of linguistics at Gothenburg University in Sweden, Department of Oriental Studies, where he also worked as a researcher and a teacher of classical Arabic literature. He worked in Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah in Kuwait in 1990 as Research Editor and later as Assistant Director for Research and Studies. In Sweden, Shaykh Muhammad served the Muslim community of Gothenburg as Imam, where he struggled for the establishment of Islam in the country. In 1999, the Swedish Islamic society in Stockholm chose him as the Mufti of Sweden. Besides working in Syria and Sweden, Shaykh Muhammad participated in conferences, delivered lectures, and gave Friday speeches in the Middle East, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Shaykh Muhammad taught his first class at the age of eleven in Qura'an and Tajweed, delivered his first public speeches at the age of twelve, and gave his first Friday khutba at the age of fourteen and a half. Shaykh Muhammad is married and has three children and currently resides in Damascus, Syria. 1st Pic of Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi Giving Speech . 2nd Pic of the Great Scholar Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi 3rd Pic of Islamic Scholars Al-Habib Ali Zain Ul Abideen Al-Jifri and Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi in a Mawlid .

HISTORY OF THE CEMETERY OF JANNAT AL-BAQI IN MADINAH AL-MUNNAWARAH On 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (Madina) were demolished by King Ibn Saud. In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of holy personages at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet (s)'s mother, wife, grandfather and other ancestors are buried. Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijaz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to come, Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history. The Origins of Al-Baqi Literally "al-Baqi" means a tree garden. It is also known as "Jannat al-Baqi" due to its sanctity, since in it are buried many of our Prophet's relatives and companions. The first companion buried in al-Baqi was Uthman b. Madhoon who died on the 3rd of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. The Prophet (s) ordered certain trees to be felled, and in its midst, he buried his dear companion, placing two stones over the grave. On the following years, the Prophet's son Ibrahim, who died in infancy and over whom the Prophet (s) wept bitterly, was also buried there. The people of Madina then began to use that site for the burial of their own dead, because the Prophet (s) used to greet those who were buried in al-Baqi by saying, "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi". The site of the burial ground at al-Baqi was gradually extended. Nearly seven thousand companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were buried there, not to mention those of the Ahlul Bayt . Imam Hasan b. Ali , Imam Ali b. al-Husayn , Imam Muhammad al-Baqir , and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq were all buried there. Among other relatives of the Prophet (s) who were buried at al-Baqi are: his aunts Safiya and Aatika, and his aunt Fatima bint al-Asad, the mother of Imam Ali . The third caliph Uthman was buried outside al-Baqi, but with later extensions, his grave was included in the area. In later years, great Muslim scholars like Malik bin Anas and many others, were buried there too. Thus, did al-Baqi become a well-known place of great historic significance to all Muslims. Al-Baqi as viewed by historians Umar bin Jubair describes al-Baqi as he saw it during his travel to Madina, saying "Al-Baqi is situated to the east of Madina. You enter it through the gate known as the gate of al-Baqi. As you enter, the first grave you see on your left is that of Safiya, the Prophet's aunt, and further still is the grave of Malik bin Anas, the Imam of Madina. On his grave is raised a small dome. In front of it is the grave of Ibrahim son of our Prophet (s) with a white dome over it, and next to it on the right is the grave of Abdul-Rahman son of Umar bin al-Khattab, popularly known as Abu Shahma, whose father had kept punishing him till death overtook him. Facing it are the graves of Aqeel bin Abi Talib and Abdullah bin Ja'far al-Tayyar. There, facing those graves is a small shrine containing the graves of the Prophet's wives, following by a shrine of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib. The grave of Hasan bin Ali , situated near the gate to it's right hand, has an elevated dome over it. His head lies at the feet of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, and both graves are raised high above the ground, their walls are panelled with yellow plates and studded with beautiful star-shaped nails. This is how the grave of Ibrahim, son of the Prophet (s) has also been adorned. Behind the shrine of Abbas there is the house attributed to Fatima, daughter of our Prophet (s), known as "Bayt al-Ahzaan" (the house of grief) because it is the house she used to frequent in order to mourn the death of her father. At the farthest end of al-Baqi is the grave of the caliph Uthman , with a small dome over it, and there, next to it, is the grave of Fatima bint Asad, mother of Ali b. Abi Talib " After a century and a half, the famous traveller Ibn Batuta came to describe al-Baqi in a way which does not in any way differ from the description given by Ibn Jubair. He adds saying, "At al-Baqi are the graves of numerous Muhajirin and Ansar and many companions of the Prophet (s), except that most of their names are unknown." Thus, over the centuries, al-Baqi remained a sacred site with renovations being carried out as and when needed till the Wahhabis rose to power in the early nineteenth century. The latter desecrated the tombs and demonstrated disrespect to the martyrs and the companions of the Prophet (s) buried there. Muslims who disagreed with them were branded as "infidels" and were subsequently killed. The First Destruction of Al-Baqi The Wahhabis believed that visiting the graves and the shrines of the Prophets, the Imams, or the saints was a form of idolatry and totally un-Islamic. Those who did not conform with their belief were killed and their property was confiscated. Since their first invasion of Iraq, and till nowadays, in fact, the Wahhabis, as well as other rulers of the Gulf States, having been carrying out massacres from which no Muslim who disagreed with them was spared. Obviously, the rest of the Islamic World viewed those graves with deep reverence. Had it not been so, the two caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar would not have expressed their desire for burial near the grave of the Prophet (s). From 1205 AH to 1217 AH, the Wahhabis made several attempts to gain a foothold in Hijaz but failed. Finally, in 1217 AH, they somehow emerged victorious in Taif where they spilled the innocent blood of Muslims. In 1218 AH, they entered Makkah and destroyed all sacred places and domes there, including the one which served as a canopy over the well of Zamzam. In 1221, the Wahhabis entered Madina to desecrate al-Baqi as well as every mosque they came across. An attempt was even made to demolish the Prophet's tomb, but for one reason or another, the idea was abandoned. In subsequent years, Muslims from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt were refused entry into Makkah for Hajj. King Al-Saud set a pre-condition that those who wished to perform the pilgrimage would have to accept Wahhabism or else be branded as non-Muslims, becoming ineligible for entry into the Haram. Al-Baqi was razed to the ground, with no sign of any grave or tomb whatsoever. But the Saudis were still not quite satisfied with doing all of that. Their king ordered three black attendants at the Prophet's shrine to show him where the treasure of valuable gifts were stored. The Wahhabis plundered the treasure for their own use. Thousands of Muslims fled Makkah and Madina in a bid to save their lives and escape from the mounting pressure and persecution at the hands of the Wahhabis. Muslims from all over the world denounced this Saudi savagery and exhorted the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire to save the sacred shrines from total destruction. Then, as it is known, Muhammad Ali Basha attacked Hijaz and, with the support of local tribes, managed to restore law and order in Madina and Makkah, dislodging the Al-Saud clansmen. The entire Muslim world celebrated this victory with great fanfare and rejoicing. In Cairo, the celebrations continued for five days. No doubt, the joy was due to the fact that pilgrims were once more allowed freely to go for Hajj, and the sacred shrines were once again restored. In 1818 AD, the Ottaman Caliph Abdul Majid and his successors, Caliphs Abdul Hamid and Mohammed, carried out the reconstruction of all sacred places, restoring the Islamic heritage at all important sites. In 1848 and 1860 AD, further renovations were made at the expense of nearly seven hundred thousand pounds, most of which came from the donations collected at the Prophet's tomb. The second plunder by the Wahhabis The Ottoman Empire had added to the splendor of Madina and Makkah by building religious structures of great beauty and architectural value. Richard Burton, who visited the holy shrines in 1853 AD disguised as an Afghan Muslim and adopting the Muslim name Abdullah, speaks of Madina boasting 55 mosques and holy shrines. Another English adventurer who visited Madina in 1877-1878 AD describes it as a small beautiful city resembling Istanbul. He writes about its white walls, golden slender minarets and green fields. 1924 AD Wahhabis entered Hijaz for a second time and carried out another merciless plunder and massacre. People in streets were killed. Houses were razed to the ground. Women and children too were not spared. Awn bin Hashim (Shairf of Makkah) writes: "Before me, a valley appeared to have been paved with corpses, dried blood staining everywhere all around. There was hardly a tree which didn't have one or two dead bodies near its roots." 1925 Madina surrendered to the Wahhabi onslaught. All Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet (s). Ibn Jabhan says: "We know that the tomb standing on the Prophet's grave is against our principles, and to have his grave in a mosque is an abominable sin." Tombs of Hamza and other martyrs were demolished at Uhud. The Prophet's mosque was bombarded. On protest by Muslims, assurances were given by Ibn Saud that it will be restored but the promise was never fulfilled. A promise was given that Hijaz will have an Islamic multinational government. This was also abandoned. 1925 AD Jannat al-Mu'alla, the sacred cemetery at Makkah was destroyed alongwith the house where the Holy Prophet (s) was born. Since then, this day is a day of mourning for all Muslims. Is it not strange that the Wahhabis find it offensive to have the tombs, shrines and other places of importance preserved, while the remains of their Saudi kings are being guarded at the expense of millions of dollars? Protest from Indian Muslims 1926, protest gatherings were held by shocked Muslims all over the world. Resolutions were passed and a statement outlining the crimes perpetrated by Wahhabis was issued and included the following: The destruction and desecration of the holy places i.e. the birth place of the Holy Prophet , the graves of Banu Hashim in Makkah and in Jannat al-Baqi (Madinah), the refusal of the Wahhabis to allow Muslims to recite Ziyarah or Surah al-Fatiha at those graves. The destruction of the places of worship i.e. Masjid Hamza, Masjid Abu Rasheed, in addition to the tombs of Imams and Sahaba (Prophet's companions). Interference in the performance of Hajj rituals. Forcing the Muslims to follow the Wahhabis innovations and to abandon their own ways according to the guidance of the Imams they follow. The massacre of sayyids in Taif, Madina, Ahsa, and Qatif. The demolition of the grave of the Imams at al-Baqi which deeply offended and grieved all Shias. Protest from other countries Similar protests were lodged by Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, and Turkey. All of them condemn the Saudi Wahhabis for their barbaric acts. Some scholars wrote tracts and books to tell the world the fact that what was happening in Hijaz was actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea was to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to come, Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history. A partial list of the demolished graves and shrines Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah which includes the grave of Sayyida Khadija bint Khuwailid , wife of the Prophet (s), the grave of Amina bint Wahab , mother of the Prophet (s), the grave of Abu Talib, father of Imam Ali , and the grave of Abdul Muttalib, grandfather of the Prophet (s) The grave of Hawa (Eve) in Jeddah The grave of the father of the Prophet (s) in Madina The house of sorrows (bayt al-Ahzan) of Sayyida Fatima in Madina The Salman al-Farsi mosque in Madina The Raj'at ash-Shams mosque in Madina The house of the Prophet (s) in Madina, where he lived after migrating from Makkah The house of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq in Madina The complex (mahhalla) of Banu Hashim in Madina The house of Imam Ali where Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn were born The house of Hamza and the graves of the martyrs of Uhud . 1st Pic of the Blessed Green Dome in Madinah Al-Munnawarah 2nd Pic of the Tomb of Sidi Al-Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi the Great Sufi in Tanta, Egypt at the time of Mawlid Celebration. 3rd Pic of the General view of the Mawlid of The Maqam of Great Sufi Sidi Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili and founder of the Shadhiliya Tariqa Of Sufism, in Humaythara (Eastern desert) Egypt. 4th Pic of Large Crowds at the Annual Mawlid Celebration at the Maqam of Great Islamic Scholar and Ba-Alawi Tariqa Sufi Shaykh Abu Bakr Bin Salim in Hadramuwt, Yemen. 5th Pic of the The Blessed Grave of the Sufi Shaykh of Shadhilli Tariqa Shaykh 'Abdas-salam ibn Mashish on Mount al-'Alam, - Morocco. 6th Pic of the of Blessed Grave of the Great Islamic Scholar and Ba-Alawi Tariqa Sufi Shaykh Qutb Habib Umar Al-Attas in Yemen 7th Pic of the Dome over the Blessed Grave of Great Sufi Hazrath Khawaja Gharib Nawaz Chisti in Ajmer ,India .

Hazrat Allama Maulana Shah Abdul Aleem Siddiqi Radi Allahu Anhu were from the family of Hazrat Abubakr-e-Sideeq Radi Allahu anhu. His father, Hazrat Maulana Abdul Hakim Siddiqui Qadri [RA] was a great ‘alim, poet and sufi master, who aught him Urdu, Persian, Arabic and literature. At the age of nine years, the young student delivered his first public speech of ninety minutes at the Jama Masjid of Meerat. His Eminence Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqui graduated as an Islamic scholar at the age of sixteen when he obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Meerat (India). He spoke Arabic, Urdu, Persian, English, French, Indonesian, Malaysian and Japanese languages fluently. He continued advanced Islamic studies under the guidance of the great Islamic scholar Imam-e-Ahle Sunnat Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan Faazile Bareily [RA] whom His Eminence became one of his most valuable Khalifa. His Eminence acquired further knowledge in Quranic exegies, Hadith, Tassawwuf and the four schools of Islamic Laws in Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara under the care of eminent ‘ulama of his days such as Sheik Ahmad as-Shams of Morocco, Sheik as-Sannusiyya of Libya, Maulana Abdul Baqi of Ferrangi Mahal at Madina. His Eminence also studied Islamic Medicine which he used in serving ailing humanity in the many countries which he would later visit. He received Ijaaza of the Qadriyya, Chisti, Naqshbandi, Soharwardi, Idriisi and Sanusi orders. In 1951, he toured the world preaching and propagating Islam. He visited America, London, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe, Southern Africa, Trinidad, Philippines, Iraq, Holland, Thailand, Ceylon, France, and many other countries. As a result of his efforts, thousands of non-muslims accepted Islam at his hands. Princess Gladys Palmer of Burinia, Merwate Tifinch, the French Governor of Mauritius, Mahifli Donawa, a Minister of Trinidad and Mr. F. Gengson, the Christian Minister of Ceylon, were some of the famous personalities who accepted Islam after meeting him. His Eminence was responsible for establishing various mosques and Islamic Centres throughout the world. Three of the famous such institutions are the Hanafi Masjid in Colombo, the Sultaan Masjid in Singapore and the Nagoya Masjid in Japan. He established many institutions of Islamic propagation including ASJA in Trinidad & Tobago. He was also the founder of various newspapers and Islamic magazines from amongst which are, "The Muslim Digest" (South Africa), "Trinidad Muslim Annual" and the "Pakistani News". During his tour of the world, he met with various western dignitaries and had lengthy discussions with them on Islam. He met the world renowned Irish dramatist and philosopher, George Bernard Shaw, on 17th of April 1935 during his visit to Mombassa, Kenya and discussed many moral and spiritual issues with him. Bernard Shaw was impressed with the unique perspective of His Eminence and commented thus, "I have been very pleased to make his acquaintance, and it will be the most precious of all memories of this trip of mine." His Eminence spent most of his remaining life traveling to the most obscure corners of the world to spread the message of Islam and imparting spiritual teachings to adherents of various sufi orders. It is said that he traversed the world seven times over and has no doubt earned the title - Mubaligh-e-Azam (The Greatest Propagator of Islam). His Eminence passed away in Madina al-Munawwara on the 22nd August 1954/(22nd Zul-Hijjah) whilst on the hajj and is buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi at the feet of Umm-ul-Mumineen ‘Aisha Siddiqui Radi Allahu anha. May we continue to benefit from his duas. Note: Both Mubbaligh-e-Azam, Hazrat Allama Maulana Shah Abdul Aleem Siddiqi Radi Allahu anhu Radi Allahu Anhu and Qutab-e-Madina, Hazrat Allama Maulana Zia ul Din Madani Radi Allahu anhuRadi Allahu Anhu are buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi, both from family of Hazrat Abubakr-e-Sideeq Radi Allahu anhu and both khalifa-e-Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (R.A) 1st Pic of Great Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Maulana Shah Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddique al Qadiri (R.A) next to his son, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddique al-Qadiri (R.A) . 2nd Pic of Maulana Shah Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddique al Qadiri (R.A). He was among one of the Khalifas of Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Fazel e Barlelwi(R.A) 3rd Pic Great Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Dr Fazlur Rahman Ansari Al-Qadri (R.A) in Suriname (could be 1969). He was Son-In-Law of Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqui and he transmitted to him all the ijazah (authority) in all spiritual matters. Since then Maulana Ansari became Maulana Siddiqui right hand man in all Islamic missionary activities. Thus Maulana Ansari (R.A) travelled the world in the service of Islam, most notable was his historic visits to South Africa in August 1970 and to Seychelles in December 1970. 4th Pic of Son of Maulana Abul Aleem Siddiqui (R.A) the Great Scholar Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddique al-Qadiri (R.A) with the Great Islamic Scholar and Ba-Alawi Tariqa Sufi Shaykh Habib Ahmed Mashour Bin Taha Al-Haddad in Mombasa(Kenya) in a Mawlid u Nabi Celebration.

Munsif Urdu Daily (Hyderabad Deccan ) Publishes Wrong Wahhabi Article which Sparks Protest.

The History of Sufi Tariqas in Jerusalem (Palestian) Jerusalem has always been one of the holiest places in the world and has a great religious and spiritual importance in the hearts of all believers from the three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For Moslems, It is the third holy city after Mecca and Medina. Prophet Mohammed had stated the basis of the Islamic religion in the Arabian peninsula, but Jerusalem was chosen by our mighty God, as it is believed to be the nearest point to heaven, to be the place from which Prophet Mohammad had ascended to heaven in "Al Mi'raaj" after he was brought to Jerusalem in his miraculous journey " Al-Israa''. Taking this spiritual side of Jerusalem, Sufism (Mysticism in Islam) has been a prominent aspect in Jerusalem especially during the Ottoman rule (1516-1917), when the Ottoman Sultans had supported the Tasawwuf in all parts of their Empire including Jerusalem. This paper studies Sufism in Jerusalem under the Ottoman Rule by going into its history and institutions. Let us first start with defining the term Sufism. The term Sufism or (Tasawwuf) The contemporary Shaykh Hisham Kabani the leader of the Naqshabandi Sufi Order in North America, said in an interview with Joseph Roberts at the "Commom Ground Magazine" (August 1996), that the term "Sufism" came from four different Arabic sources. The first "Ahlu al -Sufa": The people of the bench. During the time of the Prophet, there were many people who were attracted to him and were trying to achieve spiritual advancement. The Prophet used to meet with them in the evenings, and after he left, his followers would stay behind, sitting until morning on benches in the mosque located near his house, trying to recite and memorize what he had told them trough the day. The second source is: "Safa" (very clear like crystal, and transparent like water). The third source is "Sufatul Kafa": the bath sponge, which describes the soft heart of a Sufi. The fourth source is "Sufi", meaning wool, after robes worn by followers who went to caves for seclusion to connect themselves with their Lord.. (5) The Tasawwuf in our time is a target that is attacked by the Salafi group who believe that the Tasawwuf is innovation which entered Islam from other religions and that the true Moslem must fight it. The Wahhabi Islamic scholars lead this attack, while Sufis, especially those who emigrated to the west, defended it. Jerusalem As I have mentioned Jerusalem has always been one of the holiest places on earth. It is written in our holly Qur'an: "Glory be to Him who did take His servant for a journey by night from the sacred (Haram) mosque to the farthest (Aqsa) mosque whose precincts We did bless, -in order that We might show him some of Our signs: for He is the One Who hears and sees (all things)" (Qur'an, Surat al- Israa' :1). So, from Jerusalem the prophet saw some of His Mighty signs, which means that this new religion gave a special spiritual importance to Jerusalem. For this reason most of the great Sufis in the Tasawwuf history had visited the city, part of them died and was buried in it, others spent part of there life in this holly city. Rabi'a Adawiyya 717-801 A.D. One of the great Sufis, visited Jerusalem and lived the rest of her life in it, and was buried in al-Tur (Mount of Olives), and Muslims still visit her grave there. "As the mystical side of Islam developed, it was a woman, who first expressed the relationship with the divine in a language we have come to recognize as specifically Sufic by referring to God as the Beloved. Rabi'a was the first human being to speak of the realities of Sufism with a language that anyone could understand. Though she experienced many difficulties in her early years, Rabi'a's starting point was neither a fear of hell nor a desire for paradise, but only love. "God is God," she said -for this I love God... not because of any gifts, but for itself- her aim was to melt her being in God. According to her, one could find God by turning within oneself". (7) There are a lot of Sufi sheikhs graves in Jerusalem. Great part of them was buried in the Islamic cemetery in the west side of the city "Mamela". In his book (Islamic Mausolea and Cemeteries In Jerusalem) Dr. Kamel L Asali mentioned the names of about 35 great sheikhs of the Sufis who were buried in Mamela through the history, some of them was buried in what is called in Arabic (Housh) which is a small part of the cemetery, where the followers of his Sufi Tariqa (order) were buried around his grave. The other part of the graves was divided between the other two Islamic cemeteries: al-Sahera out the northern side of the walls of the old city, and Bab al-Asbat out side the eastern wall. Sufis institutions Other graves are distributed in different parts of the city especially inside the walls of the old city, where they became what are known in Arabic as (zawya), one of three Sufi institutions around the world. Zawya: Internet Encyclopedia of the Orient defined it as a shrine, stating: ".these shrines are found in vast numbers all over North Africa, and is a central part of Islam, and do in some cases challenge the position of mosques, and in some other cases, zawyas and mosques coexist inside the same building. Some zawyas have even been turned into mosques." "The zawya is built around the residence or the grave of a holy man, waly or woman, walya. A clear majority of zawyas is simple in their shape and interior, normally in order to reflect the ascetic lifestyles of the holy man or woman commemorated. The people for whom the zawyas have been built have been ascetics, Sufi leaders, teachers, people who have returned from pilgrimages (like hajj), learned men, people with whom a miracle is connected or former rulers" The zawya is used also as schools to teach people the spiritual studies, and to do hearing (Sama'), which we will explain later. Al-Ribat The second Sufi institution is known by the name (al-Rebat) which means the "border forts." In war time these places were used as camps for the Moslem soldiers, but when there was no war, they where used by the Sufi as schools for teaching their spiritual studies and as libraries where they use to keep their books. In the late middle Ages they were used also as guest houses or shelters where the poor people can stay. Khaniqah (guest-houses) The third Sufi institution is the "Khaniqah": a Persian word which used to name the buildings where the Sufis used to stay to worship, study and sleep. In the late middle ages, under the Ottoman rule, a new name "Tkiyya" was used in stead of the "Khaniqah". It became one of the government institutions; the government chose the head of the "Khaniqah" and payed his salary. The similarity in the function of the three institutions cause confusion in using those names, especially by some of the historians and the Travelers who visited the city, some of them used the name Khaniqah for a place that was known as zawya. Although the golden age of the Tasawwuf in Jerusalem was under the Ottoman rule, the history of the Tasawwuf in the city goes back to the early days of Islam as mentioned before, when the Tasawwuf became part of Islamic studies. Since the second Islamic century, a great number of Sufis visited or lived in the city, and a lot of Sufi institutions were built. The first Sufi institution was "al-Khaniqah al karamia" built by the Sufi Mohamed ibn- karam (died 868 AD). He came from Sagistan in Asia, used to wear leather and taught at al-Aqsa mosque, but the people left his lessons when he started to say that the human being can be a believer in God only by saying and without a need for doing, which means without a need of worshiping God. He and his followers used to do "dhikr" (where a name of God or a short religious phrase is repeated over and over again) in that Khaniqah.(8) Most of the Sufi Khaniqahs were built on the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, under the Mamluki rule and the reason for that was because the Mamluki Sultan Barkuk (1382-1398 AD) encouraged to merge the Sufi studies with other academic studies and he used to pay for the shaikhs who share the daily dhikr in addition to the payment that they had paid for being teachers at the Khaniqahs. (9) The institutions were divided according to what is known in the Sufi by the name of (Tariqa) which means: The Way of those shaikhs to call people to Allah's Divine Presence and obedience to the Prophet. Those shaikhs are guides, and each guide has his own method (Tariqa) in calling people to the Prophet's ways. The founders of most of those Tariqas used to live in the Middle Ages in different parts of the Islamic world their followers continue their order through the centuries; some of the followers renew in the Tariqa, or started a new one. In the seventeenth century there were seventy Sufi institutions in Jerusalem, every one of them refers to different Sufi Tariqa. Between the seventeenth and the nineteenth century Sufis occupied most of the buildings that were around the two mosques in the Haram. (10). Part of them were built by the Ottoman governors, and others were built before the Ottomans. Two sources provided us with information about the Tasawwuf and the Sufis in Jerusalem under the Ottoman rule: First is the old record of the legitimate Moslem court in East Jerusalem, and the second are the books that were written by Travelers who visited the city at that time. The most famous of them was: Abed al-Ghane al- Nabulsi he was one of the greatest Sufis at that time, his visit to the city in the year 1690 AD, and the book he wrote (al-Hadra al-Unsia fi al-Rehla al-Maqdesia) which means: the nice assembly-dhikr in the journey to Jerusalem. This visit draws a good picture of the city in general and of the Sufis and Tasawwuf in particular. Through his book and other source we will start our journey to Tasawwuf and Sufis in Jerusalem, visiting some of the zawyas at that time, having some information about the buildings, that most of them are still exist till now, learning something about the Tariqas that characterize the zawya and joining part of the ceremonies that al- Nabulsi joined before more than 300 hundred years ago. The Indian Zawya Entering Herod's gate at (Bab al-Sahera) to the old city, the first thing that you face after the two small shops in front of the gate are the steps that led to Saadyya quarter up the hill there are two buildings, the first in the front is new used as an UNROW clink, the one on the back is an old building used as a guest house for the Indian Moslems who visited Jerusalem. This place used to be zawya for the followers of er Rifa'I tariqa which was established by shaikh Ahmed er Rifa'i (1118-1181AD) he was borne in Basra, Iraq. His followers use to stamp them selves with knives and swords without being hearted according to the beliefe that their shaikh had a spiritual power to heal them as he did near the tomb of the prohet, they tell this story about his mericals: "In the year 1160 AD Ahmed er Rifa'i went on pilgrimage, and in Medina he went to see our Prophet (pbuh). The guard didn't want to let him in because he was not traveling in his Sayyid clothes that would have shown that he was a blood relative of the Prophet. When the guard didn't let him in, he was sad and yelled towards our Prophet's tomb and said "Eselamu-aleyke ya jeddi" ("Peace be on you, my ancestor") and then our Prophet answered saying "Aleykesselam ya veledi" ("And peace be on you, my son") and our Prophet's hand came out of the tomb and he kissed our Prophet's hand. And when people saw this miracle, they went into a state of vejd (ecstasy) and began stabbing themselves with their swords and knives. When the ecstasy moment passed, there were people lying wounded all over the floor with lots of blood. So Ahmed er Rifa'i went around and healed them all back to their normal health. After that, Ahmed er Rifa'i was known to have this gift and this is known as a Rifa'i miracle." (11) The followers of this Tariqa forbid hearting the animals. There was another zawya for the followers of er Rifai' in Jerusalem near one of the Haram gates: al-Ghwanema gate.(12 The Maylawiyya zawya Not far from the last one, at the Islamic quarter there is a zawya, which was established in the year 1543 AD by Khawandek Karbek the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem at that time. The Ottoman Sultans gave a special position to the shaihks and the followers of the Maylawiyya Tariqa through the history, before building the zawya in Jerusalem Sultan Salim named the shaikh Akhfash Zada as the shaikh of the Tariqa in Jerusalem and he order his government to pay him a great amount of money monthly (500 Uqja). (13) "The Maylawiyya Tariqa which was established by Jalaluden Rume who was born in 1207 A.D in Balkh in what is today Afghanistan. At an early age his family left Balkh because of the danger of the invading Mongols and settled in Konya, Turkey, which was then the capital of the Seljuk Empire. His father Bahauddin was a great religious teacher who received a position at the university in Konya. Jalaluden early spiritual education was under the tutelage of his father Bahauddin and later under his father's close friend Sayyid Burhaneddin of Balkh. The circumstances surrounding Sayyid's undertaking of the education of his friend's son are interesting: Sayyid had been in Balkh, Afghanistan when he felt the death of his friend Bahauddin and realized that he must go to Konya to take over Jalaluden 's spiritual education. He came to Konya when Mevlâna was about twenty-four years old, and for nine years instructed him in "the science of the prophets and states," beginning with a strict forty day retreat and continuing with various disciplines of meditation and fasting. During this time Jalaluden also spent more than four years in Aleppo and Damascus studying with some of the greatest religious minds of the time." (14) His most important work, the ``Mathnawi'' or ``Spiritual Couplets,'' fills six volumes, and their impact on Islamic civilization was so great it gave rise to his title, Mevlana, meaning ``the teacher.'' (15) "Rumi was a sensuous poet as well as a religious thinker, offering great insight into the struggle of the mystic with physical existence."(16) On Wednesday 16th of April 1690 A.D al-Nabulsi visited Maylawiyya zawya. In his book (al Hadra) he described it: a three floor building in front of the first floor there was a great courtyard, he climbed the second steps which led to the second floor there he reached another courtyard smaller than the first one, then he climbed the steps to the third floor, " here we nearly reached the sky" small courtyard was in front of the third floor. He entered a great room (Diwan) the stony seats were all around covered with mattress and pillows a small pool with fountain was in the middle of the room, the roof of the room was built of stone. From its windows he sows all the parts of the city. As a Sufi gust they made him a special Sama' ceremony "the word Sama' comes from a root meaning to listen, suggesting an occasion when music is used to uplift the soul. The form that Sama' and whirling took in Rumi's day was probably informal and ecstatic, consisting of long nights of dhikr, music and poetry. After his death and under the guidance of his dutiful son, Sultan Veled, the Sama' took on a more ceremonial form, as a kind of embodied cosmology" (17). it is important to know that the Miliu zawya was the most wealthy zawya under the Ottoman rule, a lot of property in the city were owned in the name of it as investments to cover payments. The Bistami Zawya There were two Zawwiyas for the followers of the Bistami Tariqa: The first was in the same Islamic quarter (Sadia') it was established by the shaikh Abdullah - al-Bistami (died in the year1391 AD), he came to from Baghdad with his shaikh Aladdin Ali, he was also his teacher who taught him at the Nezammia school there, they came together to Jerusalem and settled tell they died (18) al-Bistami is a name of Sufi Tariqa (order) according to the one who established it: "Bayazid's grandfather was a Zoroastrian from Persia. Bayazid made a detailed study of the statutes of Islamic law (Sharea') and practiced a strict regimen of self-denial (zuhd). All his life he was devoted to in the practice of his religious obligations and in observing voluntary worship. He urged his students (murids) to put their affairs in the hands of Allah and he encouraged them to accept sincerely the pure doctrine of tawhid (the Oneness of God). This doctrine consisted of five essentials: to keep the obligations according to the Qur'an and Sunnah, to always speak the truth, to keep the heart free from hatred, to avoid forbidden food and to shun innovations (bidca). Bayazid died in the year 874" (19) al-Nabulsi mentioned in his book that he met there a carpenter his nam was Isma'el living with his family at the zawya near the tomb of al-Bistami he said that the man told him that he lost his sight and he wrote a complement poem in the name of prophet Mohamed and his sight return back, he added that all the shaihks of the Tariqa used to call them selves Bistami the family name of the founder of the Tariqa. He said also that there was special part at Mamela cemetery where all the shaikhs of the Tariqa are buried. al-Nabulsi did not mention any ceremony at the Bistami Zawya. The Turkish Traveler Olia Jalabi who visited Jerusalem in the year 1670 mentioned that the second Bistami Zawya was in the east side of the Haram courtyard, were the followers of the Tariqa used to meet every Thursday night to join the dheker ceremony.(20) The Qyrami zawya This zawya is in the Islamic quarter not far from the Haram, it was built by the sheikh Shams Adin Mohamed al- Turkmeni he was born in the year 1386 and died in the year 1420 his tomb on the zawya.(21) On Saturday 19th of April 1689AD sheikh al-Nabulsi visited the zawya. He wrote that he met there with a man who told him that Shams Addin was his ancestor, and told him about the gnosis and the knowledge of the unseen of Shams Addin. He told him also how his ancestor allowed women to share the "dheker" ceremonies. Al-Nabulsi stood near the grave, prayed and seeked his blessings. The Wafa'i zawya The location of the zawya is near one of the Haram's gates, it was built in the fourteenth century, and was used by the followers of the Wafiyya' Tariqa which is a part of the Shadhli tariqa established in the thirteenth century by Abu-al-Hassan al-Shadhli who was born in Tunis in the year 1196 AD. He was one of the great saints of the Community, and he said about tasawwuf: He who dies without having entered into this knowledge of ours dies insisting upon his grave sins (kaba'ir) without realizing it. (22) The Adhamia zawya Adhamia zawya was out side the old city walls near the now- existing central bus station. It was built in a cave in the year 1358 AD by the Mamluki governor of Damascus. It includes some graves of sheikhs (22). al-Nabulsi visited it with company and said that after they left the old city they walked between the gardens till they reached it, and he described it by saying that alive people are living under dead ones, which means the zawya was built above the Islamic al-Sahera cemetery which was up the hill. Entering the old city from Bab al-Asbat: Saint Stevens' gate, going from the east towards the west through the Way of the Cross (via-Delarosa), there were many zawyas some of which are: The Mehmazia Zawya (23) Mehmazia was built through the Mamluki rule. Inside the Zawya there is a tomb of one of the Sheiks: Khiera'den Mehmazia (d 747 H- 1347 A.D). The Naqshabandi Zawya Going straight towards the west in the same road we reach The Naqshabandia or Uzbakia zawya, which was established in the fourteenth century by Muhammad Bahauddin Uways al-Bukhari the founder of the Tariqa. Behind the word Naqshaband stand two ideas: "naqsh" which means (engraving) and suggests engraving the name of God in the believer's heart, and "band" which means "bond" and indicates the link between the individual and his Creator. This means that the Naqshabandi Sufi initiates practices, prayers and obligations according to the Divine Revelations and Inspirations. The Imam of the Naqshabandi Tariqat without peer was Muhammad Bahauddin Uways al-Bukhari, known as Shah Naqshaband.He was born in the year 1317 AD in the village of Qasr al-Arifin, near Bukhara. After he mastered the shariah sciences at the tender age of 18, he kept company with the Shaikh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi, who was Master of Traditions (imam al-muhaddithin) in Central Asia at that time. (24) Shah Naqshaband performed Hajj three times, after which he resided in Merv and Bukhara. Towards the end of his life he went back to settle in his native city of Qasr al-Arifin. His teachings became quoted everywhere and his name was on every tongue. Visitors from far and wide came to see him and to seek his advice. Shah Naqshaband said: "The Naqshabandi School is the easiest and simplest way for the student to understand tawhid. ...It is also free from all innovations and deviations and exaggerated statements and dancing and dubious recitals (sama'a). It does not demand of its follower's perpetual hunger or weakness. That is how the Naqshabandiyya has managed to remain free from the excesses of the ignorant and the charlatans (mushawazeen). In sum we say that our way is the mother of all Tariqats and the guardian of all spiritual trusts. It is the safest, wisest and clearest way. It is the purest drinking-station, the most distilled essence. Naqshabandiyya is innocent from any attack because it keeps the the way of the blessed Sunnah."(25) Naqshabandi zawya was renewed in the year 1625 AD. The poor Moslem visitors from Bukhara and other Asian countries used to stay in it through there visit to Jerusalem. Inside the zawya there are three tombs, a mosque, and many rooms for the guests. The Afghani zawya Behind the Naqshabandi zawya there is another one. It was established by the followers of the Qadiriyya Tariqa in the year 1633 AD. This Tariqa was established by Shaikh 'Abd al-Qaadir Al-Jilani, who was born in the Iranian district of Giilaan, south of the Caspian Sea, in 1077-8 AD. At the age of eighteen, he left his native province to become a student in the great capital city of Baghdad .After studying traditional sciences, he encountered a more spiritually oriented instructor in the saintly person of Abu'l-Khair Hammaad ad-Dabbaas .(26) Then, instead of embarking on his own professorial career, he abandoned the city and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq. He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdaad, in 1127 AD, and began to preach in public. (27) In the words of Shaikh Muzaffer Ozak Efendi: "The venerable 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani passed on to the Realm of Divine Beauty in. 1166 AD., and his mausoleum in Baghdad is still a place of pious visitation. He is noted for his extraordinary spiritual experiences and exploits, as well as his memorable sayings and wise teachings. (28) The dheker in this zawya is still going on weekly every Thursday night. There used to be another Qadiriyya zawya in Jerusalem. It was built before the year 1703 AD by Mohamed Pasha the Ottoman ruler of Jerusalem at that time, but Dr. Kamel L Asali who mentioned that in his book " Mausolea and Cemeteries In Jerusalem Islamic" did not give the location of this zawya, and did not say if it still appears.(29) The Salaheia Khaniqah The last Sufi institution that I want to mention here is al-Khaniqah al- Salaheia, which was built by "Salahidden al Ayyoubi" the Moslem leader who liberated Jerusalem from the crusaders. He built it in the year 1187 AD in the record number 95, which was written in the year 1613 AD. The Ottoman court rewrote the endow script that was written by Salah-iddin 426 years ago. After he described the properties that he endowed, including those that will be rented to spend on the Khanqah, he wrote: I endowed it to the old and the young sheikhs of the Sufis, the residents, and those who came from aboard (Arabs and non Arabs), to stay in it, in condition that all of them meet after the afternoon prayers and read some verses from the Quran and make dheker ceremonies and ask god to bless the man who endowed the property and to bless the Moslems all around the world. (30) Conclusion Because of the spiritual status of Jerusalem and because the Ottoman Sultans supported the Tasawwuf in all parts of their Empire including Jerusalem, many Sufis visited Jerusalem, lived in it, some died and were buried in it. Many Zawias (Sufi institutions) were established and many Tariqas (mystical orders) were followed. Most of the people in Jerusalem used to follow one of the Sufi Tariqas. Many Sufi sheikhs came from Three families: Dejani, Alami and al-Waffa' al-Husseini. Becoming a Sufi shaikh required a written permit (Ejaza) from the Shaikh of the Tariqa. 1st Pic of Great Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Hazim Abu Ghazaleh. He is From Palestian but now lives in Amman, (Jordan). He is the Shaykh of Shadhili Sufi Tariqa. 2nd Pic of the Late Saudi Arabian Sunni Islamic Scholar Al-Sayyid Muhamemd Alawi Al-Maliki with Palestinan Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Ahmad Mansur Qortam Al-Husayni Al-Maliki-Al-Filistini and Ex-Saudi Information Minister in his Residence in Makkah Al-Mukkarmah , Saudi Arabia. 3rd Pic of Palestinan Islamic Scholar and Sufi Shaykh Ahmed Mansur Al Qortam Al-Husayni Al-Maliki Al-Filistini in Gaza.(Palestian). 4th Pic of Islamic Scholar and Naqshabandi Sufi Tariqa Shaykh Moulana Nazim Adil Haqqani Al Naqshabandi Al Qubrusi with his Followers in Cyprus. 5th Pic of Islamic Scholar and Naqshabandi Sufi Tariqa Shaykh Moulana Nazim Adil Haqqani Al-Naqshabandi Al-Qubrusi .

An Old Pic of Jannatul Baqi in Madinah Al-Munnawarah.

Pic of the Grave of Sayyidna Biba Amina the Blessed Mother of the Holy Prophet Muhammed in ABWA SHARIF near Madina Al-Muannawara .

Sufism casts a spell of moderation over Sudan Followers of this Samaniya sufi sect, or tariqa, spend all afternoon of their only day off work worshipping God through the zikr, or practice of remembrance. The sheikh guides devotees through the various chants and movements. Even young children can join in (women participate in a separate area) Extended family networks are the main source of personal security and social strength. Tradition has it that no family in Sudan is without at least one sufi. The sufi commitment to service helps keep families intact. Here a family gathers for dinner around a common plate. "If there is a family in Sudan that does not have at least one Sufi member, it is not Sudanese." This is the view of Dr. Hasan Al Fatih Qaribullah, a leading sheikh of the Sammaniya tariqa, or Sufi movement, in Khartoum. It is a view commonly held by Sudanese. Sufism in Sudan is not a public issue or part of a national debate. Yet it is an enormously important force that has shaped, and continues to shape, the society as a whole. It is widely recognized that the extended family is of vital social and economic importance in this country, where poverty is widespread but real hunger rare. Strong family ties are traditional, but Sufism, which teaches the practice of sacrificial service for others, is an important element in the glue that holds many Sudanese families together. It is a serious religious discipline, not the ideal seen by 1960s western religious romantics. The word suf means wool in Arabic, and the Sufis took their name for wearing rough woolen clothes as part of their spiritual discipline. On a recent Friday afternoon on a Khartoum street closed to traffic and covered in mats, hundreds of Sammaniya devotees stood in lines facing each other for the zikr, or remembrance of God, that is the most important Sufi ritual. They spent all afternoon of their only day off work bowing deeply hundreds of times, chanting "la illah il Allah," there is no god but God, or other devotional lines, or simply the word "Allah", again and again. Every moment directed by their sheikh, they turned from side to side and jumped up and down. There was no small talk; there were no distractions, just the devotee, his sheikh and his God against the background of the voices of men leading the chants. The zikr combines chants, prayers, meditation and various related body movements to induce a total absorption of the individual in the worship of God. It requires real stamina to go the full five or six hours, especially when summer temperatures soar to well above 40 degrees Celsius. But the reward, says Sheikh Qaribullah, is a feeling of joy. He says when he engages in the zikr his whole focus is on God and being close to God. "I try hard to be close to God," he says simply. His dignified bearing and spiritual face testify to the fruits of these exertions. His father and grandfather were Sammaniya sheikhs as well, and they descended from the man who introduced the sect to Sudan, a disciple of Samman, a mystic based in Medina (many years before the current Wahabi sect took over Saudi Arabia and suppressed Sufism there altogether). There are some 3,000 men in Qaribullah's Khartoum group, and half as many women, who worship separately. He says Sammaniya is the largest Sufi tariqa in Sudan, probably numbering in the millions. There are definitely several million Sufis in Sudan altogether, making probably the largest national Sufi community in the world. The various groups operate independently (Sufism is not like a Christian denomination; it more closely resembles Christian mystical orders) but have good relations among themselves. On the prophet Mohammed's birthday (May 24 this year) there will be a 12-day Sufi get-together in Khartoum that will bring together all the groups in a massive celebration. This is an annual event. Sheikh Hassan Qaribullah, leader of a major Samaniya group in Omdurman Members vary from children to old folks, poor to rich, educated and not. When the Sammaniya meet for their zikr, they all wear the white galabiyas common in Sudan, with a special leather belt that signifies their devotion. There is some variety in dress among the groups. Qaribullah says that increasingly young, well-educated Sudanese are drawn to Sufism because they are disappointed in the other Islamic movements, especially fundamentalism with its emphasis on law rather than spiritual experience and growth. There are many other Sufi movements in Sudan. Some of the larger ones are the Tijaniya, Khatamiya, Ansar (the group of the Mahdi of anti-British fame) and the Birhaniya. Many are part of international tariqas, such as the Shazliya, the Qardiriya and the Naqshabandi. Qaribullah says the Sammaniya have branches in several countries and are the largest tariqa in Nigeria. Each tariqa is founded by an individual who has some particular teachings and ways of conducting a zikr, but all share common principles and similar practices. For all, the sheikh is important as the person who guides each devotee, or murshid, on the path of spiritual development. The sheikh leads the prayers and zikr but also gives personal advice to his followers on most matters, including career, marriage and family. But while Sufism is a tough, demanding discipline, it is not a career in itself and Sufis have to hold down ordinary jobs like everyone else. Qaribullah is a scholar who has taught in various universities and was for several years the chancellor (president) of the Omdurman Islamic University. He has also written and published over 100 books, following a pattern established by his spiritual lineage. The Sufis are not directly involved in politics, allowing their followers to make their own choices. But politicians frequently court their favor, nonetheless. And many political leaders in Sudan are Sufis themselves, including several ministers in the present government. Jaafer Nimeiri, Sudan's president throughout the 1970s, was a Sammaniya Sufi. But Sufis do inevitably have a moderating effect on whatever party leads the country since the very core of their teaching and practice is tolerance of others. Qaribullah sums up the Sufi mandate thus: "The Sufi should do good for people and follow the way of the Prophet Mohammed. He should be tolerant with his family, neighbors and all others in the world." These are not ideals to which lip service is given. These are the core objectives of every disciple and progress in the tariqa depends on achieving them Pic of Followers of the Sammaniya Tariqa of Sufism in a Zikr Mehfil in Khartoum, Sudan.

WAHHABISM: UNDERSTANDING THE ROOTS AND ROLE MODELS OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISM by Zubair Qamar* condensed and edited by ASFA staff Introduction The most extremist pseudo-Sunni movement today is Wahhabism (also known as Salafism). While many may think that Wahhabi terror is a recent phenomenon that has only targeted non-Muslims, it will surprise many to know that the orthodox Sunni Muslims were the first to be slaughtered in waves of Wahhabi massacres in Arabia hundreds of years ago. One only has to read the historical evolution of Saudi Arabia to know the gruesome details of the tragedy – a tragedy in which thousands of Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims perished at the hands of Wahhabi militants. The extremist interpretations of Wahhabism, although previously confined to small pockets of people in Arabia, has survived to this day under the protection, finance, and tutelage of the Saudi state religious organs. This has transformed Wahhabism – and related Salafi groups that receive inspiration and support from them – from a regional to a global threat to be reckoned with by the world community. To a Wahhabi-Salafi, all those who differ with them, including Sunni Muslims, Shi’ite Muslims, Christians, and Jews, are infidels who are fair targets. Do the majority of Sunnis support Wahhabism? Are Sunnis and Wahhabis one and the same? What is a Wahhabi? Because Wahhabis claim to be “true Sunnis,” it is difficult for one who is unfamiliar with Wahhabism to distinguish it from orthodox Sunni Islam. If a Wahhabi is asked if he/she is Sunni, he/she will always reply in the affirmative. When asked if they are Wahhabis, they reply with an emphatic “no” as they consider it an insult to what they believe and stand for: “Purity of worship and reverence to God alone. The authentic carriers of Islam from the time of the Prophet (s)[1] until now.” Calling them Wahhabis implies that they learned ideas from a man – Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab – instead of the Qur’an and Sunnah – the two great sources of Islam. Irrespective of what they think, they are not following the Islamic sources authentically, but the wrong interpretations of the founder of the Wahhabi movement who appeared in the 1700s. Sunnis and other Wahhabi detractors have labeled them as Wahhabis to differentiate them from orthodox Sunnis. Wahhabis as Salafis: deceptive semantics Wahhabis differentiate themselves from orthodox Sunnis by labeling themselves Salafis, which refers to the word salaf – the time period in which the early Muslims lived in the first 300 years after the Hijra, or emigration, of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622. The Companions (Sahaba), those who followed the Companions (Tabi’een), and those who followed those who followed the Companions (Taba al-Tabi’een) who lived in the time period of the Salaf are exemplars par excellence of what Muslims should be, as Prophet Muhammad (s) had praised these Muslims as being the best of Muslims. Therefore, it has been the aim of every Muslim since the time of Prophet Muhammad (s) to adhere to and to follow the footsteps of the adherents of the salaf. This means that when a Wahhabi calls himself a Salafi, he claims to be a genuine follower of pristine Islam. This, however, is far from the truth. Orthodox Sunni Muslims believe that they are the true bearers of pristine Islam since the time period of the Salaf. Because there were time gaps between the noble period of the Salaf and centuries that followed, the authentic positions of the early Muslims were passed by scholars in those times and afterwards to later generations via meticulous, systematic, and methodological means of preservation. The knowledge was passed from qualified scholars to other qualified scholars through the centuries, who passed it to the masses. This uninterrupted chain of knowledge from the time of the Salaf until now has been authentically preserved by the orthodox Sunnis. Orthodox Sunnis, therefore, have roots in the Salaf, and are represented today by the four surviving authentic schools of Islamic jurisprudence: Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools (madhahib). The Wahhabis, by calling themselves Salafis, not only claim to follow the footsteps of the early Muslims, but also use semantics to fool and allure less informed Muslims into accepting Wahhabism. Wahhabis say, “You must follow the Muslims of the Salaf.” (This is undoubtedly true.) Then the Wahhabi semantics: “Therefore you must be a Salafi and nothing else. Following anything else means you’re following a path that is different from the Muslims of the Salaf.” By such deceptive semantics, the less informed Muslims believe that Salafis must truly represent the pristine interpretations of the early Muslims of the Salaf. After all, the word Salafi sounds like Salaf, so it must truly be representative of it. Far from it. When the less informed goes beyond semantics and blind faith and investigates what a Salafi believes, the truth unveiled is that the understanding of Salafis (Wahhabis) is different and contradictory to the understanding and positions of the pious Muslims who lived in the Salaf – and the majority of Muslims who have ever lived (Sunnis). Wahhabi-Salafi variety The Wahhabi-Salafis believe that Sunnis have been vehemently wrong for the past 1,000+ years and aim to bring the Muslims out of a state of ignorance (jahilliyya) that has existed, in their minds, since the time of the pious adherents of the Salaf. Even if the majority of orthodox Sunni Muslims were strong today, indeed if they ruled an empire that stretched far to every corner of the globe, it would still be a failure to Salafis because to them the foundations of such a political system would have been based on reprehensible innovation (bid’a) and blasphemy (kufr). To the Salafi, the presence and power of Sunni orthodoxy, in all of its manifestations as illustrated throughout Islamic history, is just as impure as the rising European hegemony in all of its manifestations since the demise of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. To the Salafis, a minority in this world, the world is an abode of blasphemy, ruled and occupied by infidels that demands reformation through both non-violent and violent means to bring about a supposedly pure Islamic world system. Wahhabi-Salafis come in various strains, some being more extreme than others. The variety in strains is due to differences in approach of bringing the Muslims back to a state of strengthened belief based on the example of the pious ancestors. It must be emphasized that although all Wahhabis are called Salafis, all Salafis are not purely Wahhabi. “Salafi Muslims” include those like Syed Qutb who wish to eradicate the supposed current state of ignorance (jahiliyya) and bring Muslims back to a state of purity – a purity reminiscent of the purity of Muslims who lived in the time period of the Salaf. However, all Salafi Muslims, whether they are Wahhabi or Qutbi, admire with exaggeration the role models Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab and Ahmad Ibn Taymiyah, whose hard-line interpretations have inspired revolutionaries today. Therefore, although all Salafis are not Wahhabis, they admire many of the same role models – role models who have been rejected and condemned by masses of orthodox Sunni scholars for their unauthentic representations of pristine Islam. It can also be said that all Wahhabis consider themselves to be Salafis and prefer to be called by this name (instead of Wahhabi), even though differences exist between Salafi groups. Although there are differences in approach among Salafis, they have nonetheless allied themselves in an attempt to make the Salafi vision a reality by both non-violent and violent means. An example of this are the Salafi-oriented Deobandis and their alliance with the Wahhabis. The alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood (and its various factions and offshoots) and the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia was strengthened during the 1950s and 1960s in the struggle of the Muslim Brotherhood against Egypt’s Nasserist regime. Saudis had provided refuge for some leaders of the Brotherhood, and also provided assistance to them in other Arab States. The Wahhabi-Salafi alliance was further strengthened as a response to the growing threat of Shi’ah power when the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran revolted and overthrew the U.S.-allied Shah in 1979. Lastly, the alliance made itself manifest in the holy struggle (jihad) against the atheist/Communist Soviets in Afghanistan. Salafis of all strains worked together as the “righteous Sunnis” to counter the Shi’ah-Communist threat, from proselytizing to killing to make their Salafism prevail. Indeed, Salafis have used both proselytizing and revolutionary means to express their message using both political and apolitical approaches. So-called “Sunni terrorism” today is perpetrated by radical Salafis who desire to replace “infidel” governments with myopic “scholars” who adhere to their fanatical interpretations and ideologies. Their tentacles are spread to all corners of the globe, including Bosnia, Albania, Indonesia, Philippines, Uzbekistan, England, Malaysia, South Africa, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Salafis have demonstrated the havoc they are capable of wreaking in recent decades. Wahhabis as neo-Kharijites The Wahhabis are especially notorious for reviving the ways of the Khawarij (or Kharijites). They originated in the time of the caliphates of Uthman and Ali, among the closest companions to Prophet Muhammad. They were the earliest group of fanatics who separated themselves from the Muslim community. They arose in opposition to Ali – Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law – because of his willingness to arbitrate with Mu’awiyah, governor of Damascus at that time, over the issue of the caliphate. The Khawarij, meaning “those who exited,” slung accusations of blasphemy against Ali and Mu’awiyah – and those who followed them – saying that the Qur’an, and not them, had the ultimate authority in the matter. Ibn al-Jawzi, an orthodox Sunni scholar, in his book Talbis Iblis (The Devil’s Deception) under the chapter heading “A Mention of the Devil’s Delusion upon the Kharijites,” says that Dhu’l-Khuwaysira al-Tamimi was the first Kharijite in Islam and that “[h]is fault was to be satisfied with his own view; had he paused he would have realized that there is no view superior to that of Allah’s Messenger…” Furthermore, the orthodox Sunni scholar Imam Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi discusses the Kharijite rebellions and their bloody massacres of tens of thousands of Muslims in one of his books. He explicitly mentions the Azariqa, one of the most atrocious Kharijite movements led by Nafi’ ibn al-Azraq from the tribe of Banu Hanifa – the same tribe where the heretic Musaylima the Prevaricator (or Liar) who claimed prophethood alongside Prophet Muhammad came from. Just as the Khawarij threw accusations of blasphemy on Ali and Mu’awiya, Wahhabis throw accusations of blasphemy against Sunnis and Shi’ites. The Al-Sa`ud and Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab – the founder of Wahhabism Wahhabism is named after the its founder, Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792), and has its roots in the land now known as Saudi Arabia. Without this man, the al-Sa`ud ‎, one of many clans spread over the Arabian peninsula, would not have had the inspiration, reason, and determination to consolidate the power that they did and wage "jihad" on people they perceived to be “polytheists” – those who attribute partners in worship to Almighty God. How intimately close was al-Sa`ud‎’s association with Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab? Robert Lacey eloquently illustrates this association: Until [Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab’s] coming the Al Sa`ud ‎ had been a minor sheikhly clan like many others in Nejd, townsmen and farmers, making a comfortable living from trade, dates and perhaps a little horse-breeding, combining with the desert tribes to raid outwards when they felt strong, prudently retrenching in times of weakness. Modestly independent, they were in no way empire builders, and it is not likely that the wider world would ever have heard of them without their alliance with the Teacher.[2] The al-Sa`ud are originally from the village of ad-Diriyah, located in Najd, in eastern Arabia situated near modern day Riyadh, the capital of Sa`ud‎i Arabia. Ancestors of Sau’ud Ibn Muhammad, whom little is known about, settled in the area as agriculturists and gradually grew in number over time into the clan of al-Sa`ud ‎. Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab was raised in Uyainah, an oasis in southern Najd, and was from the Banu Tamim tribe. He came from a religious family and left Uyainah in pursuit of Islamic knowledge. He traveled to Mecca, Medina, Iraq, and Iran to acquire knowledge from different teachers. When he returned to his homeland of Uyainah, he preached what he believed to be Islam in its purity – which was, in fact, a vicious assault on traditional Sunni Islam. The orthodox Sunni scholar Jamil Effendi al-Zahawi said that the teachers of Ibn `Abdul-Wahhab, including two teachers he had studied with in Medina – Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Kurdi and Shaykh Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi – became aware of his anti-Sunni Wahhabi creed and warned Muslims from him. His shaykhs, including the two aforementioned shaykhs, used to say: “God will allow him [to] be led astray; but even unhappier will be the lot of those misled by him.”[3] Moreover, Ibn `Abdul-Wahhab’s own father had warned Muslims from him, as did his biological brother, Sulayman Ibn `Abdul-Wahhab, an orthodox Sunni scholar who refuted him in a book entitled al-Sawa’iq al-Ilahiyya fi al-radd `ala al-Wahhabiyya [“Divine Lightnings in Refuting the Wahhabis”]. Ibn `Abdul-Wahhab was refuted by the orthodox Sunni scholars for his many ugly innovations. Perhaps his most famous book, Kitab at-Tawheed (Book of Unity of God) is widely circulated amongst Wahhabis worldwide, including the United States. His book is popular in Wahhabi circles, although orthodox Sunni scholars have said that there is nothing scholarly about it, both in terms of its content and its style. 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 , and of the great scholars of Islam . 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 . 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. Pic of Wahhabi Students Sleeping in the Masjid e Nabavi with there Legs Towards the Qibla and Quran kept on the Stomach in a very Bad way.