O PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW WHY WE DECLARE TAKFÎR UPON YOU | MUHAMMAD BIN ABD’IL WAHHÂB

[Izhâr'ud Dîn]

Our People, Do You Know Why We Declare Takfîr Upon You?[1]

Shaykh’ul Islâm Muhammad bin Abd’il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh

The Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd’il Wahhâb Rahimahullâhu Taâlâ also said:

What is the Dîn which Allâh sent Muhammad Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam with? And what did Allâh criticize his people and sons of his uncles with? What did they deny? Were they denying Allâh, or did they know Him?

As for what he (Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam) commanded them with, it is worshipping Allâh who is One and has no partners, and to not take other Ilâh’s (deities) with Allâh. He Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam also prevented them from worshipping created beings from amongst the Malâ’ikah (pl. of Malak; angel), the Anbiyâ’ (pl. of Nabî; prophet), the Sâlihûn (pl. of Sâlih; the pious, righteous), the stones, and the trees, as Allâh Taâlâ said,

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

“We never sent a messenger before you except that We revealed to him, ‘There is no -true- deity -worthy of worship- except Me, so worship Me (alone).” (al-Anbiyâ 21/25)

The statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ

“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation) a Messenger (proclaiming), ‘Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (worshipping) the Tâghût.” (an-Nahl 16/36)

The statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,

وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ

“And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers; have We made besides the Most Merciful deities to be worshipped?” (az-Zukhruf 43/45)

And the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْأِنْسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ

“I have not created the jinn and human beings except that they worship Me.” (adh-Dhâriyât 51/56)

It should be known with all of this that: Allâh Subhânahu wa Taâlâ created the creation only that they should worship Him and so that they affirm His unity, and He sent the Rusul (pl. of Rasûl; messengers) to his slaves so they command them with this.

As for what we contradict them, and what we declare Takfîr upon them, it is only (them) ascribing partners to Allâh. For example, them making Du’â (supplicating) to a Nabî from amongst the Anbiyâ or an angel from amongst the angels, Nahr (slaughtering an animal) to it, Nadhr (vowing) to it, making I’tiqâf (seclusion) at its grave, making Rukû (bowing) or Sujûd (prostration) to it with Khudhû (humility), or requesting it to fulfill needs or to relieve distress. This is the Shirk of Quraysh which with it Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam declared Takfîr upon them and fought against them. And none from amongst the Kuffâr said that other than Allâh created them, provides them, or takes care of the affairs. Rather, all of them confess that the one who does this is Allâh, they recognized Allâh with this. Allâhu Taâlâ says in the Âyah while mentioning them,

قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ

“Say, ‘Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth?” (Yûnus 10/31)[2]

He said in the Âyâh,

قُلْ لِمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهَا

“Say, ‘To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?” (al-Mu’minûn 23/84)[3]

He said in the Âyâh,

وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ

“If you were to ask them, ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” (al-Ankabût 29/61)[4]

(However,) this confession does not enter them into Islâm. This did not make it Wâjib (compulsory) to stop fighting and declaring Takfîr upon them. However, their Kufr is what they believe in, which we have mentioned. Verily, they used to worship the angels, the Anbiyâ, the Jinn, the planets, and representatives drawn upon their graves while they were saying,

مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى

“We only worship them that they may bring us near to Allâh.” (az-Zumar 39/3)

وَيَقُولُونَ هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

“And they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allâh.” (Yûnus 10/18)

So Allâh Subhânahu wa Taâlâ sent the Rusul prohibiting from directing Du’â to somebody other than Him; prohibiting from the Du’â of Ibâdah (worship), and the Du’â of Istigâthah (seeking help). Allâhu Taâlâ said,

قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا

“Say, ‘Invoke those you have claimed (as gods) besides Him, for they do not possess the (ability to) remove harm from you, nor to change it.”

Until His statement,

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا

“Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.” (al-Isrâ 17/56-57)[5]

A group from amongst the Salaf said, “A group of people directed Du’â to al-Masîh (Îsâ) Alayh’is Salâm, Uzayr Alayh’is Salâm, and the angels. So Allâh told them: These are My slaves as you are My slaves, they seek My mercy as you seek My mercy, and they fear My punishment as you fear it.”

When the Mu’min knows that these people who Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam fought with and declared Takfîr upon knew Allâh, feared Him, and hoped from Him, however, they only made Du’â to these things (other than Him), only to come closer to Him and for intercession, and while knowing what we mentioned, this became Kufr to Allâh; he should know if he is following the Rasûl Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam, that the thing that is compulsory upon him is being distant from Shirk, devoting the Dîn entirely to Allâh, denying these actions, declaring Takfîr upon those who act by it, rejecting those who are upon these acts, having hatred and enmity for it, and waging Jihâd until the Dîn in its entirety becomes for Allâh. As Allâh Subhânahu wa Taâlâ said,

قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ

“Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh.” (al-Mumtahinah 60/4)

It is narrated in the Hadîth,

أوثق عرى الإيمان: الحب في الله، والبغض في الله

“The strongest handhold of Îmân is loving for Allâh and hating for Allâh.”[6]

It is also narrated in the Hadîth,

المرء على دين خليله، فلينظر أحدكم من يخالل

“Man is upon the religion of his friend. So, each one of you should be weary of who he befriends.”[7]

Do not verify anyone except with what you hear, or what he related to you without lying. Verify when a news reaches you about a person before you reject him, especially if you know that he loves the Dîn, (lives) accordingly with the Dîn, and strives in it. Allâh is al-Hâdî (the Guider), and all praise is due to Allâh, the Lord of the universe…

1.	Ad-Durar’us Saniyyah fi’l Ajwibat’in Najdiyyah, 1/144-146.
2.	The Âyah in full reads, قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللهُ فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ “Say, ‘Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?’ They will say, ‘Allâh.’ Say, ‘Will you not then show piety (to Him)?” (Yûnus 10/31)
3.	The Âyât in full reads, قُلْ لِمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ قُلْ مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ فَأَنَّى تُسْحَرُونَ “Say, ‘To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?’ They will say, ‘To Allâh.’ Say, ‘Then will you not take heed?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Great Throne?’ They will say, ‘They (all) belong to Allâh.’ Say, ‘Then will you not fear Him?’ Say, ‘Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things, who protects (all), but is not protected (of any), if you know?’ They will say, ‘They (all) belong to Allâh.’ Say, ‘Then how are you deluded?” (al-Mu’minûn 23/84-89)
4.	The Âyah in full reads, وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ فَأَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ “If you were to ask them, ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ They will surely reply, ‘Allâh.’ How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)?” (al-Ankabût 29/61)
5.	The Âyât in full reads, قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا “Say, ‘Invoke those you have claimed (as gods) besides Him, for they do not possess the (ability to) remove harm from you, nor to change it.’ Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, (striving as to) which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.” (al-Isrâ 17/56-57)
6.	Abû Dâwûd at-Tayâlasî, Musnad, Hadîth no. 783; Ibnu Abî Shaybah, Musnad, Hadîth no. 321; Ibnu Abî Shaybah, Musannaf, Hadîth no. 30421, 30443, 34338; al-Marwazî, Ta’dhîmu Qadr’is Salâh, Hadîth no. 399; with similar wording in Ahmad, Musnad, Hadîth no. 18524.
7.	At-Tirmidhî, Hadîth no. 2378; Abû Dâwûd, Hadîth no. 4833.