رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى الْبَكْبَلِيِّ صَاحِبِ الْيَمَنِ
A Letter to the Ruler of Yemen al-Bakbalî1
Shaykh'ul Islâm Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh
and Abd'ul Azîz bin Muhammad bin Sa'ûd Rahimahullâh
Shaykh'ul Islâm Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb sent a letter to the ruler of Yemen.
In the name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
All praise is due to Allâh, the One who revealed the truth in His Book, made His Book an admonition for the possessors of intellect, and guides His slaves -whom He bestows upon- to the truth, to attain the answers.
May Allâh send peace, salutations, and blessings upon Muhammad -His prophet, messenger, and the best being amongst those whom He created-, upon his family, followers, and all of his companions -as long as the stars rise and set and as long as raindrops pour down from the clouds.
From Abd'ul Azîz bin Muhammad bin Sa'ûd and Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb,
To the brother in the way of Allâh, Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Adîlî al-Bakbalî, may Allâh save him from every evil, cause him to perform the everlasting good deeds, save him from every calamity, multiply his good deeds, and forgive his bad deeds.
Salâmun Alaykum wa Rahmatullâhi wa Barakâtuhu.
To proceed:
Your letter reached us. Your questions therein, that which reached us from afar concerning your state, and your questions concerning what we are upon and what we call people to rejoiced our hearts. So we wanted to rid your doubts with detailed answers and to explain the preferred opinion with its evidence. We beseech Allâh Subhânahu wa Taâlâ to make us and you pursue the best methodology and path.
As for the religion we are upon, then it is the religion of Islâm regarding which Allâh said,
"Whoever seeks a faith other than Islâm, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." (Âl-i Imrân, 3/85)
When it comes to what we call people to; we call them to Tawhîd (monotheism), regarding which Allâh addressed His Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam by saying,
"Say: This is my way; I invite to Allâh with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allâh; and I am not of those who associate others with Him." (Yûsuf, 12/108)
And the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"And the Masâjid (pl. Masjid; places of worship) are only for Allâh, so pray (invoke/worship) not unto anyone along with Allâh." (al-Jinn, 72/18)
When it comes to what we prohibit people from; we prohibit them from Shirk (polytheism) regarding which Allâh said,
"Indeed, he who associates others with Allâh -Allâh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire." (al-Mâ'idah, 5/72)
And the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ to His Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam in a harsh manner even though he Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam and his brothers (the other prophets) are free from Shirk,
"And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate (anything) with Allâh, your deeds would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers. Rather, worship (only) Allâh and be among the grateful." (az-Zumar, 39/65-66)
And there are many other verses (regarding the prohibition of Shirk). We also fight against the people for this reason, as Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah," meaning Shirk "and until all of the religion will be for Allâh Alone." (al-Anfâl, 8/39)
And the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"Then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give Zakâh, let them (go) on their way." (at-Tawbah, 9/5)
And the statement by Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam,
"I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that there is no -true- deity -worthy of worship- except Allâh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh, offer the prayers, and give the Zakâh. So when they perform this, they save their lives and property from me; except for the rights of Islâm, and then their reckoning will be done by Allâh Azza wa Jalla."2
And the statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,
"So know that there is no -true- deity -worthy of worship- except Allâh." (Muhammad, 47/19)
Allâh Subhânahu has named it "the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks," and "the word of piety," while the Tawâghît named it "the word of wrongdoing." According to them, whoever says La Ilaha Illallâh, he saves his property and life, even if he demolishes the five pillars of Islâm and rejects the six foundations of Îmân!
The reality of our creed is that Îmân is approving with the heart, affirming with the tongue, and performance with the limbs. However, the hypocrites are in the lowest depths of the Fire, even though they say La Ilaha Illallâh, even though they establish the Salâh, pay the Zakâh, and even though they fast, go to pilgrimage, and wage Jihâd. Nonetheless, they are under the family of Pharaoh in the lowest depths of the Fire.
Likewise, is what Allâh Subhânahu mentioned of Bal'âm and Allâh resembling him to a dog even though he had knowledge with him apart from knowing the Greatest name of Allâh.
"A scholar who does not act upon his knowledge... Shall be punished before the idol worshipers."3
When it comes to the things you have mentioned with regards to the reality of Ijtihâd, we are imitators of the Book, the Sunnah, the righteous Salaf of the Ummah, and the reliable opinions of the Four Imâms who are Abû Hanîfah an-Nu'mân bin Thâbit, Mâlik bin Anas, Muhammad bin Idrîs (ash-Shâfi'î), and Ahmad bin Hanbal Rahimahumullâhu Taâlâ.
When it comes to your question regarding the reality of Îmân, then it is affirmation, it increases with good deeds, and decreases with their opposite. Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"...and so those who have believed will increase in faith..." (al-Muddaththir, 74/31)
Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing." (at-Tawbah, 9/124)
Allâhu Taâlâ also said,
"The believers are only those who, when Allâh is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith." (al-Anfâl, 8/2)
There are many similar verses of the Qur'ân. Ash-Shaybânî Rahimahullâh said,
"Our Îmân is: statement, action, and intention... It increases with piety and decrease with evil."4
Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam also said,
"Îmân has over seventy branches, the highest of which is the statement La Ilaha Illallâh and the lowest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the path."5
Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam said,
"And if he is not able, then he should change it with his heart. That is the weakest of Îmân."6
And the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"And (also) whoever intends (a deed) therein of deviation (in religion) by wrongdoing - We will make him taste of a painful punishment. And (remember) when We pointed out for Ibrâhîm the place of the House (of Allâh) saying: Do not associate anything with Me as My partner, and purify My House for those who circumambulate around it, and those who standing up in worship and those who bow down and prostrate." (al-Hajj, 22/25-26)
The Tawâghît whom Allâh said regarding,
"They (the Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allâh..." (at-Tawbah, 9/31)
They said, "The wrongdoers of Makkah fill al-Jannah (Paradise)!" However, as good deeds are multiplied therein, bad deeds are also multiplied. But, the matter reversed, so much so that the affair became such that those women of the Hutaym Tribe and the Egyptian women who are known to be adulteresses come in delegations on the great day of Hajj, and it is well known that noblemen openly commit adultery with them. It is also well known that those who perform homosexuality, the polytheists, the Râfidhah, and the enemies of Allâh and His Rasûl from every group are safe in Makkah. Likewise, those who supplicate to Abû Tâlib are safe therein. As for those who unify Allâh and glorify Him, it is prohibited for them to enter Makkah, and if they were to take refuge in the Ka'bah, they would not be granted asylum. Whereas, (the Dome of) Abû Tâlib and the women from the Hutaym Tribe grant asylum to those who seek refuge in them.
"Glory be to You O Allâh! This is a great lie." (an-Nûr, 24/16)
"And they were not (fit to be) its guardians. Its (true) guardians are not but the righteous, but most of them do not know." (al-Anfâl, 8/34)
We have not come with anything which contradicts the narrations and is rejected by the intellect. However, they talk the talk but don't walk the walk, whereas we talk and we walk.
"It is severely hateful in the sight of Allâh that you say what you do not do." (as-Saff, 61/3)
We fight against the idol worshippers as Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam fought against them. We also fight against those who abandon the Salâh and those who withhold the Zakâh, just as the truthful of this nation Abû Bakr as-Siddîq Radiyallâhu Anh fought against them.
However, the affair is only as Waraqah bin Nawfal said, "No one has ever brought something akin to what you brought except that he was treated with hostility, was persecuted, and was driven away!"
That which is little and suffices is better than that which is great and makes one heedless.
Wa's Salâmu Alaykum wa Rahmatullâhi wa Barakâtuhu.
1- Ar-Rasâ'il'ush Shakhsiyyah, 14th letter, p. 94-98; ad-Durar'us Saniyyah, 1/94-99.
2- Al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 25; Muslim, Hadîth no. 21-22.
3- This verse of poetry belongs to the Shâfi'î scholar Ibnu Raslân (844 H). (Ibnu Raslân, az-Zubd, p. 4)
4- Ash-Shaybâniyyah found in Majmû'ul Mutûn'il Kabîr, p. 37.
5- Muslim, Hadîth no. 35.
6- Muslim, Hadîth no. 49.
