The Distortion of Islamic Doctrine

June 28, 2017

Article’s Outline
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Distinguishing Between Islam and Salafi/Wahhabi and other Extremists’ Doctrines

– Observation of a Typical Wahhabi/Salafi Congregational Prayer
– The Supremacy of ’Asabiyyah (solidarity) in Old Arabia
– Jahiliyah – Reference to the Ill-Natured Pre-Islamic Tribal
– Samahatul-Islam, The Fabric of Ease, Kindness and Graceful Human Relational and Charitable Doctrines of Islam
– No compulsion, no authority over belief
– Foraging Bigotry and Extremism: Twisting the Meaning of Certain Verses to Insinuate Bigotry
– The Enemies of Woman
– Author’s Experience
– The Great Authority Interpreters of the Holy Qur’an Interpretation of the Word Awliya’
– Other Evidence of Bigotry
– Al-Walaa and Al-Barra Principle (loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity)
– The Natural Feelings of Love and Hate
– The Account of the “Disavowal and Enmity” Verses
– Love Toward Certain Disbelievers
– The Qur’an Does Not Contradict Itself
– Muslims are Permitted to Marry Christians and Jews

**– Offensives Are the Acts of Excessiveness in Religion (ghulu)
– Is Wearing a Head Cover and Robes for Men (Thawb) Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition)
– Eccentricity
– Ritual’s Intent Versus Ritual’s Formation
– The Salafi/Wahhabi Systems of Restrictions and Denials
– Spiritually and Mercifully Dry Rigid
– The inception of the Wahhabi Creed
– Exporting Hatred
– The Bigger Picture**

Part II: Catastrophes Bloodshed and Violence

– Salafi/Wahhabi Carnage
– Inducing Egypt’s Coptic and Muslim Animosity
– Global Politician on Wahhabi History in Egypt
– A Brief Sample of Qutb’s Belief and Teachings
– Sayyed Qutb Resonant Abdul Al-Wahhab’s Oratory
– Translation of Sayyed Qutb Arabic Statement
– The Orientation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Delusion of Establishing an Islamic State (Khilafah)
– Armed Groups Form of Destabilization
– High Ranking Salafi Cleric Urges an Ethnic Destructive Jihadi War in Syria
– Recruiting Salafi/Wahhabi Jihadists to Fight in Syria
– Armed civilians “Jihadi” Wars Vs. the Salafi/Wahhabi Crusades
– No Soul Shall be Taken Without a Due Process
– Criminalizing Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia Chief of Intelligence (July 2012 to December 2013)
– Salafis Slay Muslim Spiritual Leaders in Russia

Part III: Where to Go from Here

– Combating Extremism
– Murder is Strictly Impermissible in the Qur’an
– The Example of Prophet Muhammad in Mercy
– Sanctity of the Human Soul
– Conclusion

By Faysal Burhan
Published 2015

Part I:

Distinguishing Between Islam and Salafi/Wahhabi and Other Extremists’ Doctrines

Clarification

Although the following article touches on extremism, negativism, and hatred doctrine in the Salafi/Wahhabi creed, the author excludes those who practice traditional Islam and moderation, promoting peace and mercy for all people and are faithful to Islam’s original message of compassion for all.

Abstract

This article discusses the dangerous epidemic of extremism and savagery facing the Muslim Ummah (nations) today and answers whether Islam or Wahhabi/Salafi ideology is responsible for the bigotry and violence. The Wahhabi/Salafi creed set a precedent for modern extremists. I believe “Islamic” violence is ideological and evolved from the wisting of Islamic doctrines to serve the Salafi/Wahhabis and other extremists’ sociopolitical motives.

Presentation examples show the meandering of the Islamic doctrines and Qur’anic verses by the Salafi/Wahhabi clergy. As long as this deviant ideology of extremism continues, the cycle of violence and destruction of life will continue. An approach to treating this adulterated thinking at its roots is essential. I quote the late Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro, saying: “A good doctor is the one who treats the ailment from its root causes, not just superficially.” Likewise, “When a whacker whacks out the weeds, they will grow back. Only when uprooted, the weeds will cease to grow.” (Yusuf Hamza)

Therefore, the falsity of extremes, the denial and radicalism clearly outlined herein, and the Islamic ideals toward a bright future, safer and peaceful living are thus illustrated.

Observation of a Typical Wahhabi/Salafi Congregational Prayer

At some congregational prayers or formal speeches in the West, one gets the idea that ‘Islam’ possesses a culture of denial, bigotry, and hatred, conflicting with its true nature. In America, where Muslims make up less than one percent of the population, some ‘religious leaders’ (Imams) preach intolerance, dislike, and extreme aversion against the vast majority of the people surrounding them.

The terms (kaffereen), infidels, (mushrikeen) making associates to God, (najas), filthy and (zanadeeq), heretics, with distasteful tones, not to mention women negations and the condoning of western traditions, are some of the antipathies to hear. Such an attitude insinuates hatred and antagonism towards those who are non-Muslims and Muslims alike.

While the mainstream Muslim majority and their leaders in America interact with their surrounding communities, the improper preaching of the few brush-offs the non-Muslims and isolate them from the rest of society.

New layman Muslims and the youth become the primary victims of this Puritanic culture. Young, bursting with energy, can easily be manipulated into violence. More appalling than preaching hate and seclusion is that the Wahhabi creed permits its adherents to wage actual war against Muslims merely by accusing them of heresy or apostate.

Prayers, including congregational ones, are means for bringing God’s warm feelings, His mercy and compassion towards the creations, and for spiritual growth and blessings. In the example above, prayers are used to preach dislike, disapproval, the ill valuation of people, and Allah’s vast mercy toward His creations. Such preaching can only blossom loss of life, destruction, and agony far from the prayer’s purpose–connecting with God, experiencing tranquility, and perpetuating compassion and peace.

For many decades, this unfortunate trend of preaching has become a norm for many Wahhabi communities that, in time, Islam turns out to be a faith of negations and denial. Negativism against all entrenched the Wahhabi adherents since the creed’s inception in 1783. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab may be called the “father of negativism and denial.” Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab’s extreme negation philosophies exceeded anyone before or after him. Besides considering everyone who disapproves of his belief as a Kafer (infidel), he invented Islam’s ten nullifiers. No one in the entire history of Islam conceived of such denial rules.

The distortion of Islamic doctrine is appreciated by understanding the nature of the unique cultures of Arabia before the advent of Islam. Such culture may directly affect the character of the individuals implicated in this topic and discussion. ‘Asabiyyah and jahiliyyah are discussed.

The Supremacy of ’Asabiyyah (Solidarity) in Old Arabia

‘Assabiyyah, a Bedouin spirit, grew in the pre-Islamic tribal theater due to the harsh and challenging life in the often resource-less and vast desert. Survivability in such a miser arduous ecosystem induced what was known as Ghazw, acquisition raids to sustain life due to the lack of food. Typical Ghazw targets were life stock, feeds, and any free grabs. Henceforth, ‘asabiyyah became central to the tribe’s existence. Whatever the tribal leader says, right or wrong, goes. Everyone must defend and honor the tribe.

In her book, “Muhamad a Prophet for Our Time,” Karen Armstrong defines ‘asabiyyah and explains how the Prophetovercameo overcame such a conflict-causing culture. She explained:

The Supremacy of ’Asabiyyah (solidarity) in Old ArabiaTribal
solidarity (‘asabiyyah) encouraged bravery and selflessness,
but only within the contexts of the tribe. There was no concept of
universal human rights. A Bedouin felt responsible merely for his
blood relatives and confederacies. He did not concern outsiders,
whom he regarded as worthless and expendable. If he had to kill them
to benefit his people, he felt no moral anguish and wasted no
time in philosophical abstractions or ethical considerations. Since
the tribe was the most sacred value, he backed it, right or wrong.

Imagine what happens when ‘asabiyyah casts against a belief instead of a tribe? Nothing less than an epidemic of catastrophe and destruction could be one of the answers. In such a case, the Salafi clergy substitute the tribal leader, and the belief system substitutes the tribe. While tribal ta’ ssub (action verb of ‘asabiyah) is limited to a tribe, religious ta’assub has no limits. It can radically impact the entire world.

Consequently, religious ta’assub is far more dangerous and destructive. As will be seen later, religious ta’assub transgresses all legitimate and authentic limits. It often blinds people’s sight, closes their minds, and seals off their hearts. Consistently, the Divine words of God in the Qur’an or the teachings of Prophet Muhammad stood no ground.

Jahiliyah – Reference to the Ill-Natured Pre-Islamic Tribal Culture

The second term to illuminate is Jahiliyah. Regarding Islamic theology, Jahiliya reflects Arabia’s socially antagonistic culture before Islam came. Regarding this term, Karen Armstrong, in her book, Muhamad a Prophet for our Time, states:

The leading voice of the Kaferun [polytheist, disbelievers] was jahiliyyah. Muslims have traditionally used this term to refer to the pre-Islamic period in Arabia, usually translated as “the Time of Ignorance.” But although the root JHL has some connotations of “ignorance,” its primary meaning is “irascibility”: an acute sensitivity to honor and prestige, arrogance, excess, and, above all, a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation. Jahili people were too proud to surrender to Islam…. The Muslims called Abu l-Hakam [the Wise One], their chief enemy, “Abu Jahl” [the Jahil One,] not because he was ignorant of Islam—he understood it too well—but because he fought Islam arrogantly, with blind, fierce, and reckless passion. [in brackets mine]

Prophet Muhammad wanted the Muslims to be rational, “serene and tranquil, and should never fall prey to the impetuous rage and vengeful fury of jahiliyyah.” Therefore, on several occasions, Prophet Muhammad took drastic measures to avoid a jahili blow rage blow up, even among the new adherents to Islam. For example, during one of the expeditions’ resting at an oasis, two boys, one from Ansar (Medinan Muslims) and the other from Muhajereen (Meccan Muslims), got into a quarrel over who would be the first to use the water. No sooner did the jahili’ asabiyyah call erupt by the boys, each yelling out for his group’s defense.

Seizing such a jahili break out, the head of the hypocrites, Ibn Abi Salul, fueled the situation with a flammable provoking foul language intended to harm the Prophet and the Muslims. No sooner did the Prophet learn of the vendetta than he turned it off, ordering the entire expedition to move on to Medina without any further stop immediately. By doing so, he left no chance for the fury to erupt and allowed anger to cool down. He called upon the boys and the Muslims to cast off Jahiliya with high zeal, saying, “Why the Jahiliyah cry? Abandon it; it is rotten.” Bukhari

‘Assabayah and jahiliyah facilitated perpetual wars that lasted for generations, harboring unending conflicts and violent feuds among the Bedouin tribes. Are the reckless, destructive, and brutal acts of ISIS and extremists since the inception of Wahhabism anything less than reproductions of ‘asabiyah and jahiliyah?

Samahatul-Islam, The Fabric of Ease, Kindness and Graceful Human Relational and Charitable Doctrines of Islam

Before speaking about disgust, hatred, and extremism conducted by some “Muslims” in Islam’s name, it is necessary to introduce this peaceful faith’s qualities, making it global, warm, and appealing to all.

Most mainstream Muslims grew up learning about what is known as “Samahatul-Islam.” The fabric of peace and mercy; moderation as to excesses (ghulu); easiness as to difficulty and hardship; positivism and optimism as to denial and pacifism; ration as to ta’assub (arrogance, absurdity, and insanity). There is a variety of ways to accomplish an act of worship, but there is just one strict way: acceptance of others and the human relational and charitable criteria. These are some of the many qualities one finds in the work of “Samahatul-Islam.” Related to our issue of bigotry and violence, only mercy and Islam’s human relational and charitable characteristics are highlighted.

Contrary to ISIS’ brutal crimes and human beings’ slaughter, Islam elegantly cherishes relational and charitable beliefs. It sanctions the souls, recognizes all people as fellow human beings, forces no one to take up Islam, polices no one for their faith, and cares and compassion for all God’s creation. Moreover, every Muslim has charitable obligations to family, relatives, neighbors, friends, communities, and nations. A reflection on a few of the Qur’anic verses about these principles follows.

– All people are equal; the best of them are the most righteous

O humankind, indeed, We have created you from male and female
and made you peoples and tribes (lita’arafu) so that you may know
and deal with one another in kindness. Indeed, the noblest of you
in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed,
Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Qur’an 49:13

This verse lays out the standards for the peaceful, cooperative coexistence of all people and all nations. The word ta’arafu means “learning about each other for collaboration to build and beautify the living.” ‘Collaboration’ applies to all aspects of life and is limitless. It can be in diplomacy, commerce, exchange of resources, technology, industry, agriculture, environmental protection, and other life walks. The ‘learning’ includes social customs, natural resources, technology, industry, agriculture, and other ecological elements common to all people.

– A specialized relationship with the People of the Book, the Jews, and the Christians (for receiving the earlier scriptures that Islam confirms)

Consider the subsequent Qur’anic verses in this respect.

Say, [O believers], we have believed in Allah, and what has been
revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael
and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses
and Jesus and what was given to the prophets of their Lord.
We make no distinction between them, and
we are muslims [in submission] to Him. Qur’an, 2:136

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of
religion and does not expel you from your homes from being righteous and
acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who work justly. Qur’an 60:8

And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in
Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them,
[being] humbly submissive to Allah. They do not exchange the verses of
Allah for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord.
Indeed, Allah is swift in account. Qur’an 3:199

Say, “O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable
between you and us – that we will not worship except Allah and not
associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead
of Allah.” But if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we are
Muslims [submitting to Him]. Qur’an 3:64

And dispute not with the People of the Book but with means
better (than mere disputation), unless it is with those who inflict
wrong and injury, and say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to
us and revealed to you. And our God and your God are one, and
we are Muslims [in submission] to Him. Qur’an 29:46

No Compulsion, no Authority Over Belief.

ISIS’ indiscriminate killing of people for their belief, the destruction of property, the rape of girls, the burning of people, theft, robbery, and transgression against all human beings are not per Islam’s teachings but exist per the instructions of their Salafi/Wahhabi creed. Nevertheless, Islam’s noble and graceful principles regarding the permissibility of different beliefs are clear. The following are some examples.

a) Islam teaches that “there is no compulsion in matters of faith.”
Conviction and whole-hearted acceptance can only make a pure belief. The Qur’an makes this principle as vibrant as can be; it states:

There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion.
The correct course has become apparent from the wrong. So whoever
disbelieves in Taghut (tyranny and injustice) and believes
in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it.
And God is Hearing and Knowing. Qur’an 2:256

b) Islam imposes no authority on people to practice the faith.
The Qur’an instructs Prophet Muhammad not to be an authority upon people to ensure their religious practice. He is only obligated to deliver, not to police and monitor. The following verses affirm this claim. Allah (SWT) said:

If it had been Allah’s plan, they would not have taken false gods:
But We made you not one to watch over their doings, nor are you
set over them to dispose of their affairs. Qur’an 6:107

But if they turn away, then your duty ˹O, Prophet˺ is to deliver the message clearly. Qur’an 16:82

Whoever pays heed unto the Apostle pays to heed unto God, thereby, and as for
those who turn away – We have not sent you [oh Muhammad] to be their keeper,
governing their activities. Qur’an 4:80

Proofs have come unto you from your Lord, so whoso sees,
it is for his good, and whoso is blind is blind to his harm.
And I am not (here) to watch over your doings. Qur’an 6:104

Al-Fakhr al-Razi, in his Grand Tafseer, about the above verse (4:80), states: Allah tells Muhammad (PBUH) that ‘his job is not to force people to follow him. He is merely to preach the message he has.’ Understandably, the Prophet Muhammad is not authorized to police people similarly, nor are his followers. In light of the above verses, how could one reconcile ISIS practice in forcing religion over people? Is ISIS following Islam or the creed of Salafism/Wahhabism?

For more Qur’anic verses on ‘no authority over people’s belief,’ see passages 16:35 and 13:40.

c) God created people with the faculty of choosing different beliefs.

The Qur’an explicitly outlines God’s will in permitting people to choose their faith and creed. Allah (SWT) said:

And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed – all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people so that they become believers? Qur’an 10:99

Freedom of faith is one of the leading principles of Islam. See the “Five Nobilities Islam Shares with the World.”

d) The message of Islam came as a mercy to the world.

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. Qur’an, 21:107

O humankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord, a healing for what is in the breasts (hearts), and guidance and mercy for the believers. Qur’an 10:57

Consider the attributes of the mercy of God and the Prophet Muhammad discussed in the article: “Five Islamic Nobilities.” Prophet Muhammad’s entire life reflects his merciful and compassionate nature. His mercy was manifest even in war: no killing of elders, women, children, and no combatants; no burning of crops and trees, nevertheless people; no destruction of monasteries and temples… These are just a few of the ethics of Islam during an actual war. See The Qur’anic Concepts of the Ethics in Warfare.

e) Allah (SWT) rewards those who do good.

The Qur’an states:

Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews, Christians, or
Sabeans – those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did
righteousness – will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear
will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve? Qur’an 2:6

f) The sanction of the human soul.
The soul is part of Divinity. Allah endowed people with it. Allah, accordingly, imposed safeguards in its protection. He said:

Whoever kills a human being, unless it is in the course of justice for murder or bloody
Crimes on shall be like be as if he murdered all humanity. And whoever saves one life would be as if he saved the life of all humankind. Our Messengers came to people
with straightforward Truth, yet many continued transgressing the earth. Qur’an 5:32

Verse 5:32 emphasizes the soul’s sanctity, so much so that the crime of slaying one soul in the sight of God is like killing the whole of humanity. On the other hand, saving one soul’s life, in God’s view, is like preserving the entirety of humankind. Soul protection is not limited to wars or natural catastrophes but can include all safety regulations in medicine, traffic, industry, and other environmental laws.

The above and other spiritual, social, and political knowledge and guidance in the Qur’an are mercy to God’s creation. Embodiments of such mercies are many. For example, building, not destroying life, racing to do pious work, establishing societies based on values and ethics, being kind to animals and other creations of God, protecting the environment, and opening the fields of learning for all. In disseminating peace and security, preventing injustice, slavery, and exploitation, the list goes on.

The principles of Samahatul-Islam left no one wondering what ISIS practices and embraces: God and the guidance of the Qur’an or the Salafi/Wahhabi creed. So, what elements led to the creation of extremism and radical groups?

Foraging Bigotry and Extremism: Twisting the Meaning of Certain Verses to Insinuate Bigotry

Having explained “Samahatul-Islam,” I would like to relay to the readers an experience I had at a congregational prayer, which is one of many such experiences:

A young bearded Imam was wearing a short dress reaching several inches below his knees and a headgear. (see below: Is Wearing a Head Cover for Men and Robes Sunnah, Prophetic Tradition?) This Imam began warning the congregation of the danger of their community: Christians and Jews associate others with Allah; disbelievers fill the surroundings with vice; streets filled with bad habits, music, drinking, and sex; and people refusing to take up Islam. Then he explained that none of [these people’s] deeds would be accepted by Allah, no matter how good these acts were. Finally, he recited the following verse in support of his claim:

And whoever desires other than islam (submission) as religion – never will be accepted by him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. Qur’an 3:85

Even though he did not explicitly say it, the Imam’s deed-rejection theory is based on the religion’s refusal. Yes, the verses he recited about “religion” accepting criteria, but he tied this concept in a twist, transforming hatred toward all others who are not Muslim. Why should a standard set by God take religion, and hence a deed, be used to instill hatred? Had the Imam forgotten the criteria a believing Muslim must meet before their accomplishments are accepted? Does the Imam think Muslims are given an unconditional blanket of deed acceptance, irrespective? One of Islam’s many deed acceptance conditions is humility. Some of Islam’s many deed acceptance conditions are humility, sincerity, no bragging, and showing off. So why has a deed or religious acceptance become fuel for bigotry?

An interesting commentary on the misrepresentation of this same verse (3:85) made by Oxford University Press, “The Qur’an: A New Translation” by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. It states:

It has to be borne in mind that the word islam in Arabic of the Qur’an means complete devotion
/submission to God, unmixed with the worship
of any other. Qur’an thus describes all earlier prophets as muslim.
Those who read the word islam in the sense of the Prophet Muhammad’s religion will set up a barrier, illegitimately based on this verse, between Islam and other monotheistic religions.

The Enemies of Woman

Similarly, at a Mosque near Denver, Colorado, the author’s attention was taken by a booklet titled “The Enemies of Woman.” The contents’ quick browsing revealed that the women’s enemies are the Christians, the Jews, and Western modernism. The reason for this hostility, the booklet explains, is the exploitation of sex and the West’s lack of sexual limitations. The question that comes to mind is why a sensual matter universal to all people of all faiths suddenly turned into bigotry. The entire booklet is a hate tactic against the West, the Christians, and the Jews. Are Muslims innocent of sexual exploitation, seduction, and luring?

More troubling than preaching bigotry is discovering that the author of the booklet “The Enemies of Woman” was not an ordinary person or an overly zealous young Muslim. Instead, he was one of the most respected Salafi/Wahhabi spiritual leaders in modern times. He was the late Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz. Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz was considered an icon of learning in most modern Wahhabi/Salafi. But, unfortunately, Ibn Bza was ignorant of the Christians, Jews, and Westerners, who are against immodesty and sexual exploitation in both genders and for any motive.

Instead of addressing the issue of people’s sexual exploitation and preferably showing what Islam offers as a treatment, the highest spiritual leader of the “Islamic State of Saudi Arabia” has a distorted view of an ordinary matter of sex and uses it to fuel hate and bigotry.

Author’s Experience

The last time my family and I were in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in June 2011, visiting with dear friends of ours, they informed us of the sizeable task in Medina, Saudi Arabia. They took on translating the Holy Quran and producing it by the millions into many different languages. The translated copies are then distributed, free of charge, to designated entities and parties worldwide. First, my friend spoke about the hundreds of experts and scholars supporting this effort, ensuring accuracy and authenticity. Then, she showed me an English-translated copy.

I looked into the translation to check if specific misinterpreted verses had changed. I was shocked to see that Yusuf Ali Abdallah’s error in his interpretation of the Holy Quran in 1934 was still there. I thought Yusuf Ali had translated the word wrong due to his language, which wasn’t Arabic. I believe such an error was not because of a language distinction. Nevertheless, it is a Wahhabi/Salafi twist for effecting hate toward Christians and Jews.

For example, in the subsequent verse, the word awliya’ (allies solicited for victory in war) was wrongly translated as “friends and protectors.” The passage in question states:

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians
as Awliya’. They are [in fact] Awliya’ of one another. And whoever
Yatawalahum from amongst you – indeed, he is [one] of them.
Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. Qur’an 5:51

The following is the English translation of the above verse of the English Translation of the Qur’an by King Fahd Holy Qur’an Printing Complex, Medina, Saudi Arabia, revised and edited by the Department of Islamic Research, Ifta (Verdicts) and Guidance, Saudi Arabia.

O you who have believed! Take not the Jews and the Christians for
your friends and protectors: They are the friends and protectors of
each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them.
Verily Allah guides not a people unjust. Qur’an 5:5

The Great Authority Interpreters of the Holy Qur’an Interpretation of the Word Awliya’

Dr. Zuhaily of al-Tafseer al-Muneer (the Enlightened Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an) explained the Arabic word Awliya’ in the above verse as “allied,” affecting victory in times of war. Dr. Zuhaily stated that Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Jareer, Ibn Abi Hatem, and Albayhaqi, respectively, in such Tafaseers (interpretations of the Qur’an), reported that the above revelation ascended to Prophet Muhammad for a specific alliance. The inspiration reason was that the Jews of Banu Qunayqa’ broke the covenant with the Muslims for murdering a Muslim man. Then, Ubadah ibn al-Samit, a companion of the Prophet, dissolved his alliance and pact with the Jews.

In the “Words Meaning” section of Al-Tafseer al-Muneer, Dr. Zuhaily defined Awliya as “allies solicited for victory in war.” Similarly, al Fakher al Razi in the Grand Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an explained Awliya’ as “allies and supporters of a particular camp.”Al Razi went further, expounding on the types of alliances and what may or may not be admissible in Islam. Ibn Katheer, in his “Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an,” also explained Awliya’ as “allies.”

Allies may or may not be friends. Translating Awliya’ as friends is entirely inaccurate. Collaborators may not necessarily be friends. Alliance can result from an interest in a particular economic venture; it can be a common interest due to geographies, such as land or water; it can also be for personal benefit or gain, such as petroleum companies in foreign countries.

It’s fascinating to see a verse in the Qur’an on ‘believers take friendship with enemies’ of Allah and His Prophet, but the word awliya is not in the referenced verse. The term used, instead, is Yuwadoona, meaning taking up a warm-compassionate relationship. Allah said:

You cannot find people who [indeed] believe in God and the Last Day
[at the same time] and love [have affection with] anyone who contends
against God and His Apostle – even though they are their fathers or
their sons, brothers, or others [of their] kind. Qur’an 58:22

Note: The Arabic word for ‘contends against’ is ‘Hhad,’ meaning warring, challenging, and adverse [to God and His Prophet]. Although the verse applies in war and peace times, the implication is closer to wartime than peacetime.

Finally, the Arabic word for friend is “Sadeeq.” Sadeeq appears a few times in the Qur’an, one in conjunction with Joseph’s friends, another in the absence of a close friend in the Hereafter, and the third in eating at a friend’s house. Yet, the word Sadeeq or its derivative does not appear in the questioned passage. The reason for this is simple: changing the word awliya’ into sadeeq induces a negation contradictory to the divine guidance of the Qur’an, whose healing is inclusive. How can a person have no non-Muslim friends?

Similar to the wrong translation of Chapter 5, verse 51 above, are Verses 1, Surah 60, and Verse 57, Surah 5, in which the word awliya’ was also wrongly translated by the same institution of King Fahd. The correct translation of Awliya’ as allies is seen accurately in the Sahih (Authentic) International translation of the Holy Qur’an, which reads:

O you who have believed! Take not the Jews and the Christians
as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is
an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed,
Allah guides, not the wrongdoing people. Qur’an 5:51

Those who translated awliya’ into friends did not do justice to the Qur’an or Islam. No one understands Islam’s spirit and essence, and the Holy Quran interprets the word awliya’ as friends.

Other Evidence of Bigotry

While discussing this issue with another Saudi Arabian friend, I was told: “In my childhood, we (he and his classmates) were taught in our school not to take the Christians and Jews as friends.” An apparent reference supporting my friend’s claim was found in another English-translated Qur’an from Saudi Arabia, “The English Translation of the Noble Qur’an.” In the opening chapter of the Qur’an, Al Fatiha, in Verse 7, there are two clauses, “al Maghdoobi Alayhim” and “ad Dhaleen,” meaning “those who incurred [Your] wrath” and “those who went astray,” respectively.

In the Saudi translation by Mohsin Khan, the above verses in the Noble Qur’an state.

The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor,
not the way of those who earned Your anger (such as the Jews),
nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).

The Clauses, “such as the Jews,” and “such as the Christians,” appear integral parts of the passages’ wording, infusing negation and hatred against Jews and Christians. The language is “who earned Your anger” and “who went astray.” Those “earning anger” and “going astray” can be Muslims or non-Muslims. But only the Jews and Christians are singled out in the Salafi/Wahhabi interpretation of the Qur’an. This interpretation excludes those who earn the curse of God irrespective.

Muslims recite the verse above (1:7) at least 17 times in their daily prayers. Prayers are a means for exercising the soul in humility, tranquility, connectivity, and closeness to God; it is not a training institution of intolerance, prejudice, negativity, and hate.

Al-Walaa and Al-Barra Principle (loyalty and friendship and disavowal and enmity)

Al-Walaa and al-Barra is a Salafi/Wahhabi doctrine considered “the most important Islam principle.” Nevertheless, as I read the al-Walaa and al-Barra principles, I found it based on the distortion of the above verses and a generalization of the verses dealing with warfare. Furthermore, the “disavowal and enmity” portion violates other principles and Islam’s compassionate spirit.

“Al-Walaa and Al-Baraa” text principle samples were taken from the “Allah Said” website:
https://qalaallah.wordpress.com/tag/al-walaa-wal-baraa-alliance-and-disavowal

Taking a specific principle for a particular matter and applying it across the board is the generalization fault the Salafi/Wahhabis are committing against God. The “disavowal and enmity” misuses the Islamic principle for taking a stand of hate against people who aid the Muslims’ adversary during the war and applying it to nonbelievers across the board, even though the mass majority of the nonbelievers are not engaged in hostility against Islam or Muslims.

Dr. Adnan Ibrahim states, “al-Baraa (to hate and distance) applies to disbelievers committing aggression against Islam or Muslims.

Dr. Ibrahim states that Allah, in the Qur’an, commands Muslims to be fair and just to those disbelievers who “do not fight them for their religion and kick them out of their homes,” Allah said:

Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought
not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes.
Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity. Qur’an 60:8

The “disavowal and enmity” with most nations of the world is in direct conflict with the wisdom of Allah and his creation. As stated in the “Samahatul-Islam” section, Allah SWT laid out the standard of ‘aruf,’ a peaceful-cooperative coexistence of all people and all nations and righteousness, not alienation and denial. In the sight of Allah, the noblest of the creation is the most honest in ta’aruf, not the most with “hate and defiant.”

O humankind, indeed, We have created you from male and female and made
you nations and tribes (lita’arafu), so you may learn about one another and
deal with in kindness. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the
most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Qur’an 49:13

Surah 4, Verse 88 is another Qur’anic command of goodness for everyone. Here, Allah SWT is directing the Muslims to return the greetings of ‘people,’ all or anyone, with a better or at least equivalent greeting. This verse promotes virtue and harmony for all, not negativity and hate:

Answer a salutation in kinder words than those said to you in the address or
at least as kind. God keeps account of all things. Qur’an 4:86

The Natural Feelings of Love and Hate

More compelling evidence shows that love and hate instinctively react to feelings. People naturally love their parents, families, and relatives. Recognizing these facts, the Qur’an teaches:

But if they (your parents) endeavor to make you associate with Me
that of which you do not know, do not obey them but accompany
them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of
those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then, You will be

returned to Me, and I will tell you what you used to do. Qur’an 31:15

Similarly, in another verse, the Qur’an addresses Prophet Muhammad regarding disbelievers he liked to be guided, saying,

[Of the disbelievers] Surely you cannot show whom you love, but Allah
guides whom He pleases and knows the best followers of the right way. Qur’an, 28:56

The Account of the “Disavowal and Enmity” Verses

Some verses in the Holy Quran command Muslims’ disapproval of some people’s evil acts, Muslims or otherwise. Such a view includes people who engage in actual hostility against Allah, Muslims, or Islam, stemming from their loyalty and passion for the disbelievers and their religion. Allah states:

You cannot find people who [shorly] believe in God and the Last Day
[at the same time] love [have affection with] anyone who contends against
God and His Apostle – even though they are their fathers, their sons,
brothers, or others [of their] kind. Qur’an 58:22

As mentioned above, the Arabic word for ‘contends against’ is ‘Hhad,’ meaning warring, challenging, and committing adverse actions, in this case, against God and His Prophet.

Similarly, the following verse also centers on combat conditions, such as spying, assassinating, or assisting the disbelievers on account of the believers.

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers,
and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you
indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment),
and to Allah is the final return. Quran, 3:28

Love Toward Certain Disbelievers

One encounters several examples of compassion toward some disbelievers from the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. For instance, Prophet Muhammad admired his uncle Abu Talib, yet his uncle had been a nonbeliever. Historians named the year his uncle died the ‘Year of Sadness,’ pointing to the Prophet’s profound sorrow for the death of his uncle and his wife, Khadijah. Neveess, both his uncle and wife, exceedingly supported the Prophet in accomplishing the duties of his mission. The Prophet said regarding his uncle:

Quraysh did not hurt me so severely while Abu Talib was alive. -Ibn Hisham

Al-Mut’im bin Adi. is another Idolator the Prophet cared for. After the battle of Badr, wondering what to do with the prisoners of war, the Prophet said,

Were Al-Mut’im bin Adi alive and interceded with me for these fifty prisoners of war, I would release them for his sake. -Sunan Abi Dawood

Al-Mut’im ben Addi granted Prophet Muhammad protection during his early Meccan crisis and was among those who voted to sack the 28-month mad siege of the Prophet and his clan. Historians report that the Muslims were saddened concerning the death of al-Mut’im and that Hassan Ibn Thabit, the Prophet’s poet, composed and sang several lines of poetry once al-Mut’im died.

Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad consulted the unbelieving tribe of Khuza’ah: “He listened to their advice, and they kept his secrets from Quraysh.”

In another foul play by one of his companions, Hatib Ibn Abi Balta’ah, Prophet Muhammad reacted objectively, not in denial. A few days before the secretive plans of the Prophet to attack Mecca, Hatib sent a servant with a letter to Quraysh, revealing Muhammad’s intent of attacking the city.

When the Prophet confronted Hatib and found that he had done this for fear that the Meccans would harm his [unprotected] family there and not out of affection for the idolaters, Quraysh, or their faith, he didn’t reprimand Hatib for such an evil act. The Prophet’s approach to Hatib’s action confers the inherent fault on the blanket of “disavowal and enmity” claim against nonbelievers. It proves that Islam takes matters sensibly by cases with reason, fairness, and rationality.

Oversimplifying hostility for all non-Muslims and alluding to Islam is an offense against Allah, the Qur’an, and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. One must wonder why such an irrational aversion principle against a class of unharmful people can be taken out of context and made a “faith ranking standard” and “one of the most important principles of Islam?” The Qur’an called this disgusting act Ghulu, excessiveness.

The above verses and biography examples are solid substantiations questioning al-Barran’s principle’s validity and wrong generalization. Furthermore, these examples show the strong effect of ‘asabiyyah in creed and acting upon a particular clergy’s verdict. ‘Asabiyyah can and will indeed blind the sights, veil the hearts and lock the minds, and overrule the way of God and His Prophet.

The Qur’an Does Not Contradict Itself

The falsity of the blanket claim of not taking the Jews and Christians as friends appears evident in the next verse (Qur’an 60:8,) as Allah teaches the believers:

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion
And do not expel you from your homes (a tabaroohum, from birr) – from being righteous and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who remain just. Qur’an 60:8

In the verse above, Allah (SWT) describes how Muslims deal with unbelievers, including Christians and Jews, by birr. Birr is the highest level of mannerisms and ethics in Muslim culture. At this high level of compassion, Muslims are summoned to treat the unbelievers who don’t fight them for their religion and expel them from their homes. With birr, children demonstrate their behavior toward their parents and elders. This form of good mannerism is much more than a simple, friendly relationship.

Yet, in more compelling evidence, love and hate come as a reaction to feelings. People naturally love their parents, families, and relatives. Recognizing these facts, the Qur’an teaches:

But if they (your parents) endeavor to make you associate with Me
that of which you do not know, do not obey them but accompany
them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of
those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then, You will be

returned to me, and I will inform you about what you used to do. Qur’an 31:15

Similarly, in another verse, the Qur’an addresses Prophet Muhammad regarding disbelievers he liked to be guided, saying,

[Of the disbelievers] Surely you cannot show whom you love, but Allah
guides whom He pleases and knows the best followers of the right way. Qur’an, 28:56

Muslims are Permitted to Marry Christians and Jews

From another perspective, Allah (SWT) permits Muslims to marry Christians and Jews and describes the relationships as intimate.

And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves
mates that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed
between you affection and mercy. Indeed, those are signs
for people who give thought. Qur’an 30:21

Can intimacy be realized without friendship? Marital relationships weaved in passion, over and above friendship. Only individuals with distasteful ta’ssub have the gall to transgress the boundaries of Allah and defame His religion by twisting Islam’s principles and the Qur’an’s words to serve their agenda.

**Offensives Are the Acts of Excessiveness in Religion (ghulu)**

The curse of God goes on those who devotedly change the true meaning of the Qur’an’s words, faithfully tarnish the image of Islam, are extreme in religion, and fuel hatred and intolerance between people. They create falsehood, discord, contention, and enmity instead of pleasing Allah in promoting peace, mercy, and compassion for all. To those, Allah’s condemnation is explicit:

Among the Jews are those who distort words from their [proper]
usages and say, “We hear and disobey” and “Hear but be not heard,”
and “Ra’ina” (be kind to us), twisting their tongues and defaming the religion.
And if they had said [instead], “We hear and obey” and “Wait for us [to understand],”
it would have been better for them and more suitable. But Allah has
cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few. Qur’an 4:46

Say, “O People of the Scripture, do not wrongly exceed the proper limit of the devotion
of your religion beyond the truth or follow the desires of a people
who have erred. They have misled many others and have
stayed far away from the right path.” Qur’an 5:77

Allah (SWT) also said:

Do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah
except the truth. Qur’an 4:171

Are the Salafi/Wahhabis doing a similar act some of the People of the Scripture cursed for? One wonders why some people want to earn the curse of Allah. Again, ghulu actions demonstrate the radical symptom of ‘asabiyah.’

Prophet Muhammad wanted his Umma (nation) to be “serene and tranquil, and should not fall prey to the impetuous rage and vengeful fury of jahiliyyah.”

Ghulu, excessiveness in religion is a sinful oddity that leads to hardened hearts and dry souls. Often, ghulu urges hardship and difficulty. Islam is the religion of the middle road and the easy one. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

Be aware of the gulu religion. Gulu, in their belief, is what destroys these before you. -Bukhari

Also, Allah (SWT) said:

Allah wants ease for you, not hardship. Qur’an 2:185

The prophet also said:

The best of Allah’s practiced religion is the natural (unsophisticated) and straightforward (al Hanafiyatu al Samhah). Masnad Imam Ahmad and al Tabarani

Prophet Muhammad’s ways are moderation, the middle of the roads, and the easier of any two choices (PBUH). These rightful traits are essential qualities of faith for every believer since they are the keys to pleasant atmospheres for all.

Is Wearing a Head Cover and Robes for Men (Thawb) Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition)

Earlier on, there was a statement about the type of clothing the Imam in question was wearing. It’s not to belittle the clothing style but to mention that this trend is not Islamic. Do Muslims have to have beards, put on headgear, and wear short robes to be considered practicing Muslims? Unfortunately, this is a fact to some and could be the ultimate goal. Some Imams teach that this cosmetic look and clothing style is a Prophetic Tradition, Sunnah. Such Imams did not understand that this clothing style was most suited for the desert environment. Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s worst enemies, wore the same fashion; were they practicing the Sunnah?

Wearing headgear or hats is a must in the desert. Without protecting the head from the heat of the desert’s sun, one is at risk of a heat stroke, which is frequently fatal. Loose clothing helps cool the body in the extreme heat of the desert. Wrapping the head and face, except for the eyes, with cloth protects the face from the blowing and blistering sand. Remember, Allah (SWT) created the camels with double eyelids. Besides, this desert clothing style can be fatal in winter in Siberia, Russia, Alaska, or Canada. Harming one’s body is an offense in Islam.

Eccentricity

More often than not, the clothing style one wears can annoy people. From a better Da’wah vantage point, Imams and others may benefit from the Prophet’s saying: “Speak the language of your people.” Communication is not just by the tongue; it can also be done by understanding people’s culture. Speaking people’s language is considering people’s descent and traditions. The clothing style the Prophet (PBUH) wore was the same style his people wore. If the Sunnah is to follow the Prophet (PBUH), the Muslim’s clothing style should not be different from his people’s, not mimicking that of the seventh century or the desert dwellers. Furthermore, being odd, eccentric, foreign, or strange stimulates people’s dislike since people fear the weird and the unknown.

Ritual’s Intent Versus Ritual’s Formation

The ritual’s intent and goal are central to Islam, not so much the shape or format. A car aims to safely get its riders from point A to point B, regardless of color or shape. Hence, colors or shapes are secondary. The piety object is the action that first seeks Allah’s pleasure by avoiding all sinful acts, making Islam outstanding, and causing no harm to others in its realization. Then comes the format and shape of the ritual. A man went to the Prophet (PBUH) and said:

Oh Prophet of God, I conducted the seven ritual rounds of Sa’ie before circling the Ka’ba; the Prophet replied: ‘No issue, the issue is in one coming close to the honor (sexual approaches, luring, defamation, etc.) of his brother.’ -Sunan Abu Dawood.

Understanding Islam’s core functions and paying little attention to digressive issues can dispose of many Muslim conflicts, setbacks, and failures. When one infringes on his brother or friend’s honor, so much damage can be caused to the social structures in families, friends, and society. Meddling in other people’s privileges is where one must be savvy. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “No issue,” there can be in the order of rituals. A sense of what Islam sees as prudent and what is not and accordingly acting is missing in today’s Muslim world.

The Salafi/Wahhabi Systems of Restrictions and Denials

When the physical and meticulous details in rituals and other religious duties become the objectives in only one restrictive form, and when much of the permissible becomes prohibited, human life becomes a system of restraints and refusals. Worse yet, not conforming to such practices, threatened with death. Such a system and denial are far too far from the spirit and objectives of the Qur’an.

In his book, “The Great Theft, Wrestling Islam from the Extremists,” Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl defines extremists and fanatics, such as the Salafi/Wahhabis, as “Puritans” because of the distinguishing characteristics: “absolutist and uncompromising nature of its belief.” Dr. Abou El Fadl explains that the Puritans consider “the details and specifics take precedence over the ethical and moral objectives of the Qur’an…. But for moderates, as Dr. Abou El Fadl describes as the majority of mainstream Muslims, the moral and ethical purposes of the Qur’an play a central and pivotal role in legal analysis. The point of legal research is not to unthinkingly implement a set of technical rules but to seek after the ultimate objectives of the Qur’an.

All Qur’anic laws reinforce and promote moral and ethical objectives. These include justice (adle), racial and ethnic equality, freedom from compulsion in human affairs and conduct, and freedom of conscience. Muslims must apply themselves intellectually to understand and fulfill those objectives.

Dr. Abou El Fadl further added, “Because Puritans do not think of the specific rules as demonstrative examples but as objectives in themselves, they seek to implement the rules regardless of whether their application will enhance or undermine Qur’anic principles such as justice, equity, and mercy.” Dr. Abou El Fadl further elaborated,

“Even more disturbing is that by relying on the most tangential and tenuous types of evidence, puritans force upon Muslims a kind of austerity that is entirely suffocating. Much of what they advocate is affirmatively designed to remove tenderness and kindness from the human heart. They eradicate art, beauty, and anything else that excites the creative imagination and demands that Muslims become mechanized robots. Furthermore, according to Puritans, God has an affirmative will for most matters in life. Puritans have rules that regulate how one eats, drinks, dresses, sits, walks, goes to the bathroom, makes love, and undertakes practically every other aspect of life. For every human activity, some rules must be observed. Below are examples of common puritan laws as practiced in parts of the Muslim world today:

Music, singing, and dancing in all forms are forbidden.
All television programs, unless religious, are forbidden.
The giving of flowers is forbidden.
Clapping hands in applause is forbidden.
Drawing human or animal figures is forbidden.
Acting in a play is forbidden because it is a form of lying.
Wearing shirts with animal or human images is forbidden.
Shaving one’s beard is forbidden.
Eating or writing with the left hand is forbidden.
Standing up in honor of someone is forbidden.
Celebrating anyone’s birthday, including the Prophet’s, is forbidden.
Keeping or petting dogs is forbidden.|
Dissecting cadavers, even in criminal investigations and for medical research, is forbidden.

Spiritually and Mercifully Dry and Rigid

Dr. El Fadl contends that the Puritan paradigm of the relationship with God is formal and distant,

“It is strictly the relationship between superior and inferior. God is to be feared and obeyed, and the fear of God’s vengeance defines true piety. As for God’s mercy and compassion, the Puritans believe these qualities have already been incorporated into the Law. And since God’s mercy and compassion are already contained in the Law decreed by God, the Law must be considered compassionate and merciful. In the Puritan view, it is not up to humans to reflect upon or think about the nature of God’s mercy or compassion or the implication of the Divine mercy or compassion. All humans need to study the Law because it is already the full embodiment of God’s mercy and compassion.

It is as if God took whatever compassion and mercy human beings might need in life and put it all in the Divine Law. Therefore, if one needs to find, experience, or feel this Divine mercy, all one must do is obey and follow the Law…. The social impact the Law might have on people is considered irrelevant. Although people might feel that the Law is harsh, or that its application results in social suffering, this perception is considered delusional.”

Is this why, for instance, ISIS bomb markets, mosques, funerals, and towns crowded with people oblivious to the social suffering caused by the laws that they enforced—since they believed that the Law is divine, there was no point in evaluating the actual impact upon the people they impacted?

Dr. Abou El Fadl continued to state:

“The approach of the moderate Muslims to the relationship with God is materially different in several respects. Explaining the moderate approach begins with trust between God and humanity. The Qur’an describes the moment of creation as when society was entrusted with heavy responsibility. God gave humanity the blessing of rationality and the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. God made human beings God’s agents or vicegerent on earth and entrusted them with the responsibility of civilizing the land. Hence, the concept of building the earth is stated.

In the moderate conception, God is inherently and fundamentally moral. Puritans give God whimsical qualities—God is just, but justice is whatever God will be. Similarly, God is merciful, but mercy is what God wills it to be. For instance, if God in the Final Day decides to damn all women or all Caucasians regardless of their actions, that would be just and good, simply because God willed it.

For moderates, this would be impossible. God is moral and ethical in the sense that God shares an objective standard for goodness, morality, and beauty. Civilizing the earth does not mean constructing a building or paving roads. It means striving on earth to spread divine attributes such as justice, mercy, compassion, goodness, and beauty. In doing so, human beings spread Divinity itself upon the earth. In contrast, corrupting the earth—spreading violence, hatred, vengeance, and horror—means failure in discharging one’s obligations toward God.

The Qur’an teaches that the act of destroying or spreading ruin on this earth is one of the gravest sins possible—fasad fi al-ard, which means to corrupt the earth by destroying the beauty of creation, [such as what ISIS and other extremists have inflicted in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Egypt,] is considered an ultimate act of blasphemy against God.

In moderate thought, God is too great to be embodied in a code of Law. The Law helps Muslims in their quest for godliness. Still, Godliness cannot be equated to the Law….to love God honestly, and genuinely, a person would necessarily desire and even covet attributes such as fairness, justice, compassion, equity, forgiveness, and purity. The converse is also true. To love God genuinely and honestly, a person would dislike what God finds offensive, such as aggression, injustice, cruelty, betrayal, dishonesty, and arrogance.

“puritans place God beyond any emotion, such as love. As an absolute master, God rewards the obedient and punishes the disobedient, but this is the extent of the relationship. Moderate emphasizes the Qur’anic discourse that reminds humans of God’s nearness to them.

No person can judge worshippers if they are honestly and genuinely submitting to the one and only God or worshipping some other god. This point is critically important because, as will be recalled, Puritans like Abd al Wahhab accused Muslims of associating partners with God, which was another way of saying that Muslims did not worship the One and only God…As a result, engaging in takfeer, whether calling a Muslim an idolater, a polytheist, an apostate, or an infidel— Abd al Wahhab and other Puritans were able to justify murdering many Muslims.

The inception of the Wahhabi Creed

“In the historical past, influenced by the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab (c.1703–1791) created Wahhabism. Convinced that his religious mission was to wage jihad against all other forms of Islam, he began conquering his neighbors in 1763. By 1811, the Wahhabis ruled out all of Arabia, except Yemen, from Riyadh’s capital. The Ottoman sultan, nominally suzerain (a feudal lord of sorts) over Arabia, had vainly sent expeditions to crush them. He met with success only when the sultan called on Muhammad Ali of Egypt for aid. By the year 1818, the Wahhabis were driven into the Nejd desert.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s extremist views and doctrines led to controversy in Uyaynah (his town). Many of the town’s leaders were not fond of his fundamentalist approach to Islam. Merely invoking the name of the prophet Muhammad was, by al-Wahhab’s standards, a grave sin.

In 1744, he was expelled from Uyaynah. Al-Wahhab then settled in Ad-Dir’ iyah under the control of an influential tribal leader named Ibn Sa’ud. Ibn Sa’ud became a believer in Wahhab’s doctrines, and the two formed a strong alliance. Al-Wahhab and Ibn Sa’ud swore a Muslim pledge to each other, and they vowed to establish a new state that would operate under al-Wahhab’s strict interpretation of Islamic Law. (Ahmed; Anon., Wahhabism; Bijlefeld; Haykel; Hisham; Metz, Kuwait; Metz, Saudi). Thus began a military campaign that would shake the Arabian Peninsula to its core. Wahhabism gave Ibn Sa’ud the justification to raid and conquer nearby settlements. Though these settlements were Muslim (traditional Islamic Law prohibits Islamic states from attacking each other), the Wahhabi doctrine viewed all non-Wahhabists as infidels.

Then, Ibn Sa’ud found a legitimate purpose to bring the nearby settlements under his control and spread “true Islam” to the infidels. (Ahmed; Anon., Wahhabism; Bijlefeld; Haykel; Hisham; Metz, Kuwait; Metz, Saudi) Unfortunately, the Wahhabists were indiscriminate in their killings of Muslims and non-Muslims. They soon gained a reputation as brutal and fanatical warriors. They were described as so extreme that they had little regard for their lives. Their sole purpose was to kill the enemy. By his death in 1765, Ibn Sa’ud had managed to control most of the region and spread Wahhabism to those conquered lands. (Ahmed; Anon., Wahhabism; Bijlefeld; Haykel; Hisham; Metz, Kuwait; Metz, Saudi).” Click here for the Source.

History to be continued…

Exporting Hatred

Under this title, “Exporting Hatred,” Ambassador Curtin Winsor of the United States of America, who was a special Emissary to the Middle East, reports:

“Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism and the Spread of Sunni Theofascism.”

The United States has largely eliminated Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network’s infrastructure and operational leadership over the past five years. However, its ideological offspring continue to proliferate across the globe. American efforts to combat this contagion are hamstrung because its ideological and financial epicenter is Saudi Arabia, where an ostensibly pro-Western royal family governs through a centuries-old alliance with the fanatical Wahhabi Islamic sect. In addition to

indoctrinating its citizens with this extremist creed, the Saudi government has lavishly financed Wahhabism’s propagation worldwide, sweeping away moderate interpretations of Islam even within the borders of the United States.

While Saudi citizens remain the vanguard of Islamic theofascism worldwide, the growth potential for this ideology lies outside the Kingdom. The Saudis have spent at least $87 billion propagating Wahhabism abroad during the past two decades, and the scale of financing is believed to have increased in the past two years as oil prices have skyrocketed. Most of this funding goes to the construction and operating expenses of mosques, madrassas, and other religious institutions that preach Wahhabism. It also supports the training of Imams; domination of mass media and publishing outlets; distribution of Wahhabi textbooks and other literature; and endowments to universities (in exchange for influence over the appointment of Islamic scholars).”

Ambassador Curtin Winsor continued to report that the books and other literature “imprinted with the Saudi Embassy” contain:

“Be dissociated from the infidels, hate them for their religion, leave them, never rely on them for support, do not admire them, and always oppose them in every way according to Islamic Law. Whoever helps unbelievers against Muslims, regardless of the support he provides them, is an unbeliever himself. Never greet the Christian or Jew first. Never congratulate the infidel on his holiday. Never befriend an infidel unless it is to convert him. Never imitate the infidel. Never work for an infidel. Do not wear a graduation gown because this imitates the infidel.”

The Bigger Picture

“Wahhabi proselytizing is not limited to the Islamic world. The Saudis have financed the growth of thousands of Wahhabi mosques, madrassas, and other religious institutions in Western countries that have fast-growing Muslim minorities during the past three decades. Wahhabi penetration is deepest in the social welfare states of Western Europe, where chronically high unemployment has created large pools of non-disabled young Muslim men who have “become permanent wards of the state at the cost of their basic human dignity.”

“The lack of a formal ecclesiastical hierarchy within Sunni Islam renders traditional religious institutions weak in the face of well-funded Wahhabi missionary activities. Most Sunni Muslims look to their local Imams for religious guidance. In developing countries, these Imams and local leaders often struggle to resist the small amounts of Saudi aid accompanying Wahhabist missionaries. Moderate Imams do not have a comparable source of financial patronage to combat its spread. Important fronts in this campaign are in south and southeast Asia, where most Muslims live. In Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Thailand, Wahhabis have co-opted (or replaced) village and neighborhood Imams. A fresh stream of converts returning from stays as guest workers in Saudi Arabia. The children of poor converts are often taken to Saudi Arabia for “education,” and many are returned as cannon fodder for use by Wahhabi terrorist fronts.”

Part II
Catastrophes, Bloodshed, and Violence

Hearts go dry of mercy, love, compassion, and minds are fed denial, hate, extreme, gulu, in-intellect, giving zero consideration to other scholars and no weight to all other Muslims. As a result, destruction, bloodshed, and violence are imminent. Worse yet, with the scheme of retiring the intellect and having their adherents listen and obey them only, the Salafi/Wahhabi clergies ensure that their followers will continue to follow them and grow in a dark and ignorant zone. A clear picture of such teachings and schemes is the recent and continuous slaying of people and destruction in Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and Syria by the Salafi/Wahhabi creed followers’ hands as if corruption and destruction are their functions on Earth.

Salafi/Wahhabi Carnage

Anytime, anywhere the Salafi/Wahhabi environment exists, the social climate is poisoned with negativism, inducing bigotry, breeding hate, and carnage. This carnage sometimes comes from organized groups such as al-Qaeda, al-Nusrah, and ISIS. At other times, individuals such as Boston, Massachusetts, Syed Rizwan Farook of San Bernardino, California, and Ahmad Rahami in New York.

This carnage has no limits and comes in many colors and forms: the downing of passenger airplanes, such as the Russians over the Saini Desert. We are conducting suicidal operations in crowded places, such as marketplaces, funeral processions, and congregational prayers, and assassinating religious and spiritual leaders, such as in Russia and Syria.

Inducing Egypt’s Coptic and Muslim Animosity

Is the discord and animosity between the Coptic Christians and some Muslims in Egypt an example of bigotry culture? Nowhere in the Muslim world does one find hate and hostility between Muslims and Christians more ingrained in Egypt.

The Wahhabi/Salafi creed has been creeping into Egypt from Saudi Arabia for decades. In a television interview, Jamal Banna, Hassan al Banna’s (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood Party) young brother, was asked why the spirit of “extremism and radicalism” encompasses the Muslim Brotherhood’s philosophy. He responded that many Muslim Brotherhood members left Egypt for Saudi Arabia for work in the early 1960s, as petroleum was discovered. When they returned to Egypt, tAs a result, the Salafi/Wahhabi creed had contaminated their souls.

An annual youth brain-washing package and training in Salafi/Wahhabi beliefs organize Saudi Arabia trips from Egypt during the Hajj season. After the Hajj ritual, the youth stay in Saudi Arabia for several months in training camps until Umra, the Minor Pilgrimage. The attendees perform Umra before returning to Egypt. See, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehAuceckfbU

Unlike Saudi Arabia, Egypt has a Coptic Christian community with no Christian population to inflict a conflict. The creed’s seeds of bigotry soon produced hatred and conflict between the two groups. Check out the following link for more details. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ehAuceckfbU%20-%20!

Global Politician on Wahhabi History in Egypt

Here is a link to a little historical background from Global Politician on Wahhabi history and Egypt.

Wahhabism was confined mainly to the Arabian Peninsula until the 1960s when the Saudi monarchy gave refuge to radical Muslim Brotherhood members fleeing persecution in Nasser’s Egypt. Cross-fertilization between the Wahhabi creed of the Saudi religious establishment and the Salafi jihadist teachings of Sayyid Qutb. Also, see the article “ISIS Formulation Orientation and Destination” for more details. The report continued to state:

Qutab denounced secular Arab rulers as unbelievers and proclaimed them legitimate targets of jihad. “It was the synthesis of the twain-Wahhabi social and cultural conservatism, and Qutbist political radicalism that produced the militant variety of Wahhabist political Islam that eventually (produced) al-Qaeda [and later ISIS].”

Sayyed Qutb Resonant Abdul Al-Wahhab’s Oratory

In his book Milestones on the Road, Sayyed Qutb alleged that today’s Muslims are considered jahili Muslims and must migrate to the Islamic State when founded. But if they do not migrate, they are deliberated apostates and infidels. Qutb further contended that sovereignty exclusively belongs to God. Therefore, any ruler is partnering with God’s power if not ruled by Sharia. Such rulers and governments’ extermination is a must. Sighting Sayyed Qutub’s writing, Dr. Abou El Fadl, in his work, “The Great Theft, Wrestling Islam from the Extremists,” stated, “Like ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Qutb accused the vast majority of Muslims of being hypocrites and heretics…. Qutb’s willingness to declare Muslims apostates was reminiscent of ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s rhetoric on true belief and apostasy.”

A sample of Qutb’s dangerous (Arabic text) statement and its translation show the extent of a wrong understanding of Islam from a prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader, Sayyed Qutb.

Sayyed Qutb’s Arabic Statement:

Translation of Sayyed Qutb Arabic Statement:

“It was not the intent of Islam to force people to embrace its belief since Islam is not just a belief. Islam, as we stated, is an order made to liberate man from being subservient to man. Therefore, Islam’s first goal is to oust all governing systems and regimes based on people ruling people and man ruling man. Then, all peoples shall be free to choose the religion they like, but only after they remove the political pressure and allow their soul and minds to see clear knowledge.” Qutub continued, “However, this experience should not mean that they are free to choose their whims as the God or choose to be slaves or subservient [to other men] or take each other as lords, other than God. Any governing system on Earth must be based on “slavery to God only,” and receive instructions from Him under such a governing system that people can freely choose their religions.” (Sayyid Qutb, Milestones on the Road, pg 71)

Qutb’s statement is not just false but also contradictory and confusing. First, Qutb infers that Islam forces people to embrace it. His view directly conflicts with the undisputable Qur’anic injunctions of freedom of belief.

Second, Qutb dangerously directed generations of young Muslims’ minds into a wrong “first-priority of eradicating all governments.” This false principle has made many world governments, especially the West, fear Islam. Muslims’ mission in life is to show the world’s people the compassion and mercy of Islam and draw people to it, not rebuff them. Allah SWT reveals:

(O Glorious Messenger!) Invite your Lord’s path with wisdom and refined exhortation and (also) argue with them most decently. Undoubtedly, your Lord knows well the one who strayed away

from His path and Knows the rightly guided. Qur’an 16:125

Thirdly, Sayyid Qutb seems to dictate to the world’s people to run their lives when Allah created all people free.

The Orientation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Delusion of Establishing an Islamic State (Khilafah)

The collapse of the Islamic Outman Empire (1923) was a trigger point for various Muslim thinkers trained in Islamic Jurisprudence and otherwise found ways to recreate the Khilafa. Some writers, such as Abu al-Ala al-Mawdudi (d.1979), influenced by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897), pointed out that the road to re-establishing the Khilafah could be by the founding of a new Muslim state or reclaiming existing ones. Others, such as Muhammad Abdoh, who represented the mainstream Ummah then, maintained that a grass-route system is necessary to rebuild the Ummah’s faith and moral characters and that Khilafa is part of that system.

According to Dr. Ali Gomaa, the previous Grand Mufti of Egypt, when Hassan al-Banna formed (d. 1966) the Muslim Brotherhood party, he was only 22 years old. His act split his party from the Ummah. Moreover, his teachers told him that his action was against Islamic ethics. “By creating a new Muslim party, you are splitting from the Ummah. You can be one of two: either be part of the Ummah or different than the Ummah.”

In this case, Hassan al-Banna opted to be part that is ‘different than the Ummah.’ He insisted on continuing the organization of the new Muslim Brotherhood party. The party’s by-laws and policies were politically ingrained, adapting the top-down approach taught by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897) and Abu al-Ala al-Mawdudi (d.1979) for founding the Islamic state. In his book, Dr. Aboul Fadel, Abou El Fadl, “The Great Theft Wrestling Islam from the Extremists,” states: “It is not surprising that neither al-Afghani nor Mawdudi was trained jurists.”

Since, in their views, there was no longer an Islamic state, Hasan al-Banna and Sayyed Qutb moved to establish an Islamic state by taking over the existing governments. Running away from the responsibility of building faith and morality is demanded in the grassroots option. What might happen if one attempts to make the pyramids of Egypt in an upside-down manner? The answer is straightforward; all one needs to do is see the Middle East’s chaotic situation today. Since the Muslim Brotherhood’s establishment in the 1950s, the Middle East has experienced ongoing violence, assassinations, bloodshed, and coups. For example, in Syria alone, ten coups and 18 coup attempts were made between 1958 and 1970. Not to mention three significant armed revolution attempts, two in Hamah and one in Damascus, conducted by the Muslim Brotherhood followers between 1963 and 1984. Reference 1, Reference 2.

As a result of Qutb and Abdul Wahhab’s deviated teachings, the Middle East lost much-needed economic and political stability. As part of its organizational structure, the Muslim Brotherhood had a secret militancy department that planned, organized, and executed coups, assassinations, and rebels against their local governments.

Armed Groups Form of Destabilization

More importantly, any nation’s sovereignty, stability, and security are nearly impossible when armed groups plot against their governments within or outside their borders. Muslim countries such as Morocco, Malaysia, and Indonesia, not contaminated with the Salafi/Wahhabi and other politically motivated extremists, have successfully progressed. These nations are among the more developed and advanced third-world nations. Safety and stability are essential grounds for civilization to take place. Such a critical understanding was not strange to our earlier popular Muslim countries. For instance, Prophet Muhammad dismantled Medina and Khaybar’s militants as the Ummah’s security and sovereignty were questioned; the Second Caliph, Omar Ibn al-Khattab, ordered the people of Najran to exile to Iraq. See this Arabic video clip for reference.

Salafi/Wahhabists/Extremists: Responsible for the Destruction of Syria

Intolerance and hate by extremism do not stop at breeding antagonisms, such as between certain Muslim groups and the Coptic Christians of Egypt. Still, much worse, it drove an actual Wahhabi/Salafi and other extremist invasions of Syria through infiltration and rebel support. Syria’s initial crisis was a wagon that Saudi Arabia and Qatar conveniently mounted. Below are a few links of many that show Saudi Arabia’s engrossment in Syria.

http://rt.com/news/rebels-jordan-syria-arab-833/

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/3/15/2_years_after_invasion_to_crush

http://article.wn.com/view/2013/02/26/Saudi_Arabia_Arming_Syrian_Rebels_With_Croatian_Weapons_Sinc/

Saudi Arabia and Qatar established a finance and arms supply network, released jihadi prisoners from the Saudi jails and the Gulf area, and paved their way to devastate Syria.

Saudi/Qatari satellites, television stations, and social media simulate rockets and missiles loaded with ammunition of hate sentiments and jihadi bigot slogans against the Syrian government.

Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and the political Muslim Brotherhood Party, called on all able Muslims to enter Syria and conduct Jihad to down the Syrian government. Al-Qaradawi then resides in Doha, Qatar. He was expelled from his birth country, Egypt, for his extreme political views and promotion of violence.

https://www.al-qaradawi.net/node/941

As a result, the “Improve Syria” movement turned the entire country into bloody war zones and destruction. The Salafi/Wahhabi states committed a Syrian civil war with the mass murder of Syrians and a near-total obliteration of infrastructure, resources, properties, businesses, health, education, industry, and agriculture institutions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabian_support_to_Syrian_Opposition_in_the_Syrian_Civil_War.

High Ranking Salafi Cleric Urges an Ethnic Destructive Jihadi War in Syria

Salafi/Wahhabi clerics storming the media networks and satellites started the Syrian ethnic destructive jihadi war that crippled the economy and ruined the country. The following links show the Head of the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia, a Salafi/Wahhabi Sheikh, Saleh al-Luhaidan, urging the Syrians to wage an “internal jihadi war, killing the obscene, deceitful, dangerous, and atheists Alawis, as they are the remaining people of the extinct Shia Fatimid Dynasty.”

http://burathanews.com/news/204953.html

http://www.altawhid.org/2011/04/23/

Sheikh al-Luaidan’s extreme belief in the slaying of as many as “one-third of the Syrian population“ to accomplish his evil desire to bring down what he described as the “pernicious, obscene, atheist and dangerous Nussayri (Alawi Shia) government of Syria.”

It is incredible how Salafi/Wahhabi ta’ ssub (irresponsible and irrational acts to satisfy their creed) drove its members to wage war while toppling a peaceful nation and aiming to consume as much as one-third of its people.

Note: As of 2011, the Syrian population was 21 million. For Sheikh Al-Luhaidan’s “jihadi war urging,” this translates to the slaughter of 7 million souls.

The resulting atrocities and destruction of the whole country are a “weightless, worthless and expandable” price for toppling the “Nussayri government of Syria.” Al-Luhaidan based his creed’s Alawi “jihad” call on the teaching of his master Ibn Taymiyyah, whom he quoted as saying: “Those of the Nussayri clans are awla, foremost in fighting against first, then other [infidels].”

It is outrageous, at the least, to see “prominent Muslims” fueling ethnic differences and prejudices of jahiliya that the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad banned. Prophet Muhammad had united the various tribes of Arabia, despite their diverse ethnicities, lineage, and colors, into one nation. Al Luhaidan and Ibn Taymiyyah’s teachings work on splitting the Ummah and directly oppose the teachings of the Qur’an and the way of Prophet Muhammad. The following are clarifications on the exact principles of Islam in this regard.

First, If Al Luhaidan’s Salafi belief in igniting a war, “jihad” in his words on Nussayris for being infidels, Allah did not permit Muslims to fight any human being of any faith unless they commit aggression against Islam or Muslims. Only then are Muslims allowed to fight back in defense of themselves. See “The Basic Policy of Islam Regarding Non-Muslims: Peace or War?” This Islamic “unless they commit aggression” principle holds even on the battlefield. Allah SWT instructed Prophet Muhammad to give protection and safety to any Meccan polytheists seeking his protection, even during a battle. Verse 9:6 says,

And if anyone of the idolaters seeketh thy protection (O Muhammad), then protect him so

He may hear Allah’s word and then convey him to his place of safety.

That is because they are folk who know not. Qur’an 9:6

The verse does not say, “If disbelievers did not accept Islam after given a protection, kill them,” it commands the Prophet to “deliver them to their place of safety.” There is no record of Alawi forcing any Muslim to abandon their faith or stop them from practicing their religion. Most Alawis are not religious; in such cases, the instruction of the following verse (9:7) may also apply. The verse directs Prophet Muhammad as saying, ‘As long as non-Muslims or Idolaters are upright towards you (Muslims), just being who they are, respecting covenants, and acting morally, be upright towards them.’

Said differently: if they broke a covenant, do not break it, as they did; if they befriend you, be friends with them; if they build social bridges with you, socialize with them with what is permissible, etc. This verse only echoes Islam’s inherent message of peace and mercy.

Second, Islam bans such a disparaging ethnic attitude if the Salafi/Wahhabi belief in declaring jihad on Nussayris. The Prophet PBUH said:

One who fights under a blind banner (fighting because of heritage,

whims, race, etc.), puffed up with ta’ ssub, calls (people) to fight

for their ta’ s-sub–if he is killed (in this fight), he dies as

one belonging to Jahiliyyah. –Dawood and Ibn Majah

The Prophet also said:

Whoever indiscriminately attacks my Ummah, killing the

righteous and the wicked of them, sparing not (even) those

devoted to faith, and not fulfilling his promise made with

those given a pledge of security (non-Muslims in an Islamic state)–he has nothing to do with me, and I have nothing to do with him. -Muslim

Third: Islam bans corrupting or terrorizing peaceful, safe, and secure nations and communities in any land. Allah SWT said:

And do not deprive people of their property, and do

not commit mischief on the Earth, spreading corruption. Qur’an, 26:183

And do good as Allah has done well to you. And do not make corruption and

disorder in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters. Qur’an, 28:77

Al-Luhaidan and his likes illicitly triggered imposition and terror on the Syrian people. The Salafi/Wahhabi infiltration ruined hundreds of thousands of lively and peaceful Muslim and non-Muslim homes, pushed into exile millions of people, and slew hundreds of thousands of Muslims for the sake of their creed. These atrocities cannot be, in any manner, the result of the teaching of the noble, merciful, and compassionate Qur’an or Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet PBUH said:

Anyone who assists in shedding a Muslim’s blood, even as

small as half a word, shall meet God written on his forehead

‘Hopeless from the mercy of God’. -Ibn Majah, al Bayhaqi, Abu Ya’la

Recruiting Salafi/Wahhabi Jihadists to Fight in Syria

Zealously accomplishing their devastation and corruption acts, Saudi Arabia and Qatar recruited several Salafi/Wahhabi jihadist organizations into Syria. These organizations include the Islamic State of Sham and Iraq, ISIS, and the Nusrah Front. In addition, Al Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda off-shoot, was established on January 23, 2012, to operate in Syria and maintain allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group leader. Click here to get a sense of their reckless brutality.

How could anyone who claims to be a Muslim, following the faith of mercy, slay innocent people? If Islam does not permit prisoners of war or hostage killing, in the name of what religion are these people killed?

Labeling a whole nation or a group of people, Sufi, Shia, Alawi, or Christian, and then killing them for what they are is heartless and criminal. Allah plainly describes such people who practice such belief in the following manner:

Then your hearts hardened after that [laughter], like stones or even harder. For indeed, from some rocks, rivers burst forth, and some of them split open, and water comes out, and yet, some of them fall for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Qur’an 2:7

Then why did they not humble themselves when Our punishment came to them? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made attractive to them that which they were doing. Qur’an 6:43

Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and their hearing and over their vision, a veil. And for them, there is a great punishment. Qur’an 2:7

Here are a few links showing brutality:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otmqP0EuNb4&noredirect=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXuJkK1OBOA

Armed-Civilian “Jihadi” Wars Vs. the Salafi/Wahhabi Crusades

Both the armed civilians’ jihadi wars and the Salafi/Wahhabi religious rages are annihilators. Material gain and power can result from armed civilian wars, but forcing the Salafi/Wahhabi belief on people is the gain of the creed’s butcherers only.

Armed civilian war may end if the armed group wins enough damage or gains, but there is nothing spared, and there are no limits to the carnage and ruin in the Salafi/Wahhabi crusade until their target adopts their creed. Recently, Iraq, Syria, and Libya have been examples of their persecution. Yet, the marketplaces, funerals processions, wedding processions, congregational prayers, infrastructures, places of worship, private properties, peaceful towns, and countries are low prices and done without guilt.

No Soul Shall be Taken Without a Due Process

Without due process, no soul may be taken out in Islam, even those that reject Islam, commit acts of aggression, and earn the death sentence for their hostilities as a result. The Islamic grand rule of disbelief criterion states: “The disbelieving person must reject (denounce) Islam from deep within his/her heart first and then declares it with their mouth.”

Where are the courts of law that the Salafi/Wahhabis set forth for validating the “rejection of Islam” grand rule and presenting the proof of damage to Islam or Muslims? Due process and validation were required for each one of the thousands upon thousands of people they accused of infidelity and slain as a result.

No Killing Based on Conjecture

Prophet Muhammad despised the killing of any soul. He rejected the killing based on conjecture. When an expedition to Fadak returned, Usamah ibn Zaid told the Prophet about killing a person, saying the Shahadah (declaration of believing in Allah and His messenger). The Prophet did not like what he heard. He asked Usamah, why did you kill a person witnessing the Shahadah? Usamah said it because he said it out of fear, not faith. Then Prophet Muhammad told him, “Did you open his heart to see whether or not he was a truthful believer?” Usamah said, how can I read his heart, oh Messenger of God? The Prophet replied: “Who is to protect you from God?” The explicit message of the Hadith is if you did not believe what he said, and you do not know how to read his heart, then why did you kill him?” For this case, Allah (SWT) revealed:

O you who have believed, when you go forth [to fight] in

the cause of Allah, investigate; and do not say to the one who gives

you [a greeting of] peace “You are not a believer,” aspiring

for the goods of worldly life, for with Allah are many acquisitions.

You [yourselves] were like that before; then Allah conferred His

favor upon you, so investigate. Indeed, Allah is ever, with

what you do, Acquainted. Qur’an 4: 94

Criminalizing Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia Chief of Intelligence (July 2012 to December 2013)

Bandar bin Sultan, who served as the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States for 22 years, was appointed the head of the Saudi Arabian Intelligence in July 2012 and was directly in charge of the Syrian folder. Despite his extensive international and domestic involvement and expertise, he failed to topple the government of Syria. Instead, he invested all his cards, including al-Qaeda. Bandar bin Sultan may have trafficked over 12,000 Saudis into Syria along with financing and weaponry-supplying networks. Many of the trafficked were/are hardcore jailed Salafi/Wahhabi anti-Saudi rule. The work he spearheaded amounted to the devastation of the entire country of Syria.

Note: Bandar had been absent from major political meetings on more than four occasions since being appointed Chief of Intelligence. Each time, his absence was due to a mission fiasco warranting the suspension of his political activity.

Al-Akhbar news reported that “unable to pin Bandar bin Sultan down to disclose his suspicious activities and possible illegal operations, the Royal Order of King Abdullah came to criminalize his operations and to terminate his career.” See http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/19443

The life cost of the Syrian “jihadi” war was estimated at 150,000 by the end of 2014; over a million citizens were displaced, and thousands of businesses and homes were destroyed. In addition, the Rebel explosives have destroyed much of the Syrian economic infrastructure and natural resources.

Are these criminal acts made to please Allah (SWT) or for the devil’s pleasure? Could the faith of mercy (https://www.islamic-study.org/five-primary-principles-defining-is) be the faith of terror and destruction? Yes, to those who faithfully change the meanings of the words of the Qur’an and follow a distorted creed. Here is a quotation expressing the extremist Wahhabis:

The doctrines of Wahhabi Islam are playing another role in

this war … for they are influencing the culture of war itself.

Wahhabists are permitted by their doctrine to “rob, murder,

and sexually violate” Jahili (Lopez). Wahhabi extremists learn

from a young age that all “nonbelievers” are worthless and

subject to persecution and death (Cline; Idris; Lopez; Smith).

This extremist Wahhabist view of “infidels” has led the terrorists

to use gruesome and hateful torture methods. (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1173310/posts)

Recalling Karen Armstrong’s explanation of ‘asabiyyah, Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, and Muhammad ibn Saud exploited the Bedouin’s ‘asabiyyah spirit of fearlessness and resolve and used it to benefit their political expansion. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab substituted himself as the tribe’s leader and raised it to another level—the religious authority– doubling its potency. He created the three rules for establishing the Dawlah, the state, charged the Bedouins with such potent teachings, and then launched them into terrorizing all others that were not of their thought. See Al-Wahhab Dawlah’s three rules.

The destruction of nations, the hundreds of thousands of slain Iraqi, Libyan, and Syrian souls, and the painful atrocities caused to their families and society is a nominal price for the expansion of the Salafi/Wahhabi creed.

Salafis Slay Muslim Spiritual Leaders in Russia

The Salafi/Wahhabi creed is not limited to the Syrians’ devastation today, but it has worked its way into Russia’s Sufi Muslims, who oppose terrorism. As a result, two Grand Muftis in Russia attacked along with their acquaintances in two separate attacks.

A suicidal Salafi woman killed Dagestan’s North Caucasus Mufti, Sheik Said Afandi, and six other Muslims. The second, Mufti Iidus Faizov of Volga Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and clergyman Valiullah Yakupov was also terrorized with a car bomb. The injured Mufti escaped death, but the clergyman was gunned down during his escape. Salafis orchestrated the two attacks on these honorable spiritual leaders. The last episode was on July 19, 2012, and the first was at the end of August 2012. The Salafis committed another cold-blooded attack, and Sirajuddin Khuriksky, a Sufi leader, was killed in 2010. Following is the latter’s report:

“Local police reported that on the evening of October 27, two unidentified people gunned down Sirajuddin Israfilov after calling him out of his house in the Tabasaran district village of Khurik. The 56-year-old died on the spot. The attackers escaped the crime scene (www.riadagestan.ru, October 27).

He was a well-known figure in his region as well as throughout Dagestan. He was the founder and head of the Islamic Institute in Derbent, which eventually transformed into a branch of the Imam Shafi’i Islamic Institute in Makhachkala. The sheik built many madrasahs south of Dagestan, particularly in the Tabasarans’ settlements. Sirajuddin received the title of sheik in 1989 from his Ustaz (teacher, mentor)

Abdullah was famous for having lived for 115 years. Khuriksky’s role was the same as his predecessor’s – that of a spiritual leader of the Tabasaran people.” See the following links for more information on the above Salafi/Wahhabi adherents’ crimes:

http://www.segurancahumana.eu/News/1635..?l=EN

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/28/prominent-sufi-dies-in-dagestan-suicide-bombing/

Ironically, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tatarstan and presented state awards to the wounded Mufti, Ildus Faizov, and the slain cleric’s relatives, Valiullah Yakupov. But the so-called Salafi Muslims slew Muslims’ spiritual leaders for merely being Sufis and standing against violence.

President Vladimir Putin, a “Kafer, atheist,” did what Allah commands Muslims to do. On the other hand, the so-called Salafi Muslims challenged Allah to slay the sacred souls He ordained to safeguard. Below are a few Islamic rules surrounding the safeguarding of the human soul. By learning of these rules, one can see how far away the noble teachings of Islam are from those who claim to be “Salafi Muslims” and give them the right to kill, in cold blood, those who disagree with their ideas.

• Reservation of the human soul. The slaying of one human soul is as evil as slaying all people, “If anyone kills a person, it would be as if he killed the whole people, and if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the whole people.” Qur’an, 5:32

A court of law with due process is the only method for taking a soul.
Hellfire is forever punishment for intentional slays of believers. “But whoever kills a believer intentionally – his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.” Qur’an 4:93
The Islamic grand rule on disbelieving is, “The person must disbelieve in his heart first, then he should verbally declare it with his tongue.”
The grand rule for Muslims fighting nonbelievers is “Fitting disbelievers permitted for hostility, not merely disbelieve.”
The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Anywho assists in shedding a Muslim’s blood, even as small as half of a word he shall meet God written on his forehead ‘Hopeless from the mercy of God.” -Ibn Majah, al Bayhaqi, Abu Ya’la.
Note: A grand mufti in the Islamic tradition is the highest religious and spiritual authority in a particular country or state.

The Muslims must not tarnish Islam’s image to defeat a particular political system or a sectarian belief. The ultimate goal is to display genuine Islam, ensuring Islam’s vision is not blemished. Smearing Islam because of a corrupt president or governing system is destructive and defames Islam and Muslims.

Part III
Where to Go from Here

Combating Extremism

What can one do to help stop the widespread defamation of Islam and the epidemic of violence? What is the solution to the Wahhabi radicalization, blood-shedding, and militancy problems?

To resolve the hate and violence crisis, one should start sincerely thinking with an open heart and clear mind to resolve these issues.

With no particular ideology in mind, each Muslim needs to learn about the peaceful life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and how he peacefully interacted with people of all beliefs while avoiding bloodshed and wars. Therefore, read the Qur’an with a pure heart and a rational mind, remembering the times revealed to the Prophet of mercy (PBUH).

One must stop listening to hostile speeches loaded with disgust and bigotry—hardened hearts lacking empathy and feelings of pain and consciousness for fellow people. Heartless people, indeed, are shut off from the mercy of Allah (SWT); their ears hear not, and their eyes see not the truth.

And We have certainly created many of the jinn and humanity for Hell. They have

hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see,

and ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; instead, they

are more astray. It is they who are heedless. Qur’an 7:179

Slaying people based on twisted religious beliefs is a dangerous and radical epidemic; young people quickly be drawn into it. In search of answers as to where we go from here, the author invites Muslims and non-Muslims to contemplate the following subjects to understand the genuine and peaceful faith of Islam:

1- Watch the Legacy of Peace documentary to understand Islam’s essence, mercy, and rationality.

With an open mind and a rational heart, explore these articles:

Five Primary Principles Defining Islam

Foreign Policy of Islam Regarding non-Muslims: Peace or War?

The Abrahamic Faiths

Two Faith One God

Muslims Alliance with the Christians and Jews

2- Listen to Refuting Ibn Taymiyah’s Philosophy of the Two Versions of Tawhid (monotheism)

3- Watch and listen to the following scholarly, detailed, and eloquent video presentation by Dr. Adnan Ibrahim of Vienna disproving Ibn Taymiyah’s philosophy of the two versions of monotheism that permitted Wahhabis to declare war against whole Muslim nations who themselves believe in the Oneness of Allah. (Arabic). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAgO0RyIBd4&feature=plcp

4- Is Islam peace and mercy or horror and terror? Allah (SWT) commands:

O you who have believed, enter into Islam [peace] ultimately [and ideally], and

do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. Qur’an 2:208

Murder is Strictly Impermissible in the Qur’an

And don’t kill a soul that God has created inviolable; save lawfully. (i.e., for a criminal offense) Qur’an 6:151

… whoso kills a soul unless it’s for murder or for wreaking corruption in the land,

it shall be as if he had killed all humankind; and he who saves a life, it shall be as if he had

given life to any or all human beings. Qur’an 5:53

The Example of Prophet Muhammad in Mercy

1- The Prophet (PBUH) pursued his way through education and discipline, not by terminating lives. He changed what is in people’s hearts and minds to ensure success, not by slaughter. As the late Dr. Hassan Hathout said: “We, doctors, treat patients by treating their illnesses, not by killing them.” Instead of killing his opponents, the Prophet (PBUH) often forgave people and let them go free without harm. Here are some examples for us as reminders.

2- The Prophet forgave the people of Ta’iff, though they turned him down with a broken heart, injured him, and drove him away from their town.

3- The Prophet treated the Bedouin, who urinated in his mosque, with kindness and mercy, explaining why he should not urinate in such a holy place.

4- The Prophet conducted the peace treaty of al-Hudaybiyah with his enemy, rather than the typical pre-Islamic cycle of fighting and bloodshed Arabia used to.

In her book “Biography of the Prophet,” Karen Armstrong stated:

Far from being the Jihad father, Muhammad was a peacemaker who risked his life and nearly lost his closest companions because he was determined to reconcile Mecca. Instead of fighting an intransigent war to the death, Muhammad was prepared to negotiate and compromise. And this apparent humiliation and capitulation proved, in the words of the Qur’an, to be a great victory [fat-‘h]…

5- After nearly 20 years of hardship and execution of Muslims, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) returned to his birth city, Mecca, and entered it without retaliation or bloodshed. Instead, he addressed the people with his famous words: “Go about (wherever you please), for you are set free.” Here, the Prophet (PBUH) did not look back at the twenty years’ bad records of Quraysh with the Muslims, but he forgave them and let them go free. His act reflects Islam’s core values—mercy and forgiveness, away from arrogance, bloodshed, and intolerance.

6- The Prophet forgave Hind, who plotted to kill his uncle Hamza and had the heart to chew his liver after being martyred. The Prophet also forgave the two people who spread false news against the honor of his wife, Aisha.

Muslims are educated about the danger of the creeds of extremism and the brutal and unjust slaying of human souls. The ultimate ending of this philosophy is self-destruction, either by man or by Allah (SWT):

Have you not seen Allah create the heavens and the Earth in “al-Huq” [rightful truth and cause]? If He wills, He can do away with you and produce a new creation. Qur’an 14:19

The creation of the heavens and Earth base is the standard of al-Huq, the rightful truth. When a man crosses the line of righteousness and acts deviously by twisting facts and following his desires, Allah (SWT) warns such people that He is swift in punishment and can replace them with people who act within the boundaries of the rightful truth. See our article on relationships and forgiveness.

Allah (SWT) sanctioned the human soul, particularly that of the believer, declaring:

And do not kill the soul Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. Qur’an 6:151

Allah (SWT) also said:

But whoever kills a believer intentionally – his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally,

and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment. Qur’an 4:93

Allah (SWT) guards the human soul even during wars. He commands:

And if they are inclined to peace, then you inclined to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing. Qur’an 8:61

Sanctity of the Human Soul

If anyone kills a person, it would be as if he killed the whole people, and if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the entire people. Qur’an 5:32

Returning bad with the good. Allah (SWT) said:

And not equal are the good deeds and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [act] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. Qur’an 41:34

Conclusion

Certain people of the Wahhabi creed alter and embellish Islamic doctrines for political and personal gains and adopt an un-Islamic method of hate and ferocity. The near and far fallouts of this distasteful philosophy are violence and carnage. Legitimizing the indiscriminate and savage killing in the name of God is a crime against God. So are Islam and humanity. Proselytizing the Wahhabi, or any creed on people, is an act against Allah (SWT), Who swore conviction, not compulsion.

It is disheartening and shameful to see the meandering of the meaning of the verses of the Qur’an for hate, backed by the rich petrodollar states. Such will only build and promote unfriendly and hardened hearts and destroy Islam’s core values and spirit worldwide.

Muslims of all creeds, genders, and ages must re-evaluate the basics of their faith, not follow teachers or fatwas with speeches and attitudes of hate, and must weigh issues with clear, unbiased minds, not with ‘asabiyah. Muslims should stand firm against Satan’s acts and to the highest degree of Islam’s defamation.

As the Syrians were going toward improving their conditions, the Wahhabist petrodollar opportunists contaminated the movement with militarism and bloodshed and twisted it into a war that destroyed Syria. Concerned Muslims must act diligently to stop this crisis. Springing up in faith and moving onward with life requires tranquility, peace, and constancy.

True believers must work to ensure that cases of hate like that of Egypt’s Coptic Christians and Muslims should not originate nor grow anywhere in the world, including Egypt.

“Al-Huqq,” the rightful truth, is Allah’s rule in creating the heavens and Earth. When man faithfully chooses to transgress the boundaries of al-Huqq or make right, wrong, and wrong right, Allah’s curse and wrath overcome those people. The destiny of those who violate the fair laws of the creation set by Allah is to succumb:

Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and Earth in truth (al-Huqq)? If He wills, He can do away with you [because of your transgressions] and produce a new creation. Qur’an 14:19