How The Saudi Monarchy Betrayed The (Salafist) Abd Al-Wahhab and crushed "Wahabism"!

How The Saudi Monarchy Betrayed The (Salafist) Abd Al-Wahhab and crushed "Wahabism"! By: Marwan Arikat I.Who is Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab? A. An 18th century Muslim theologian, from the district of Najd in the Arabian Peninsuela which is currently known as Saudi Arabia B. He was a devout followers of the Hanballi Islamic school of thought, which is one of the four Islamic schools of thought recognized by Sunni Muslims. C. He is associated with the revivalist religious movement of Salafism II. What is Salafism and is it the same as "Wahhabism"? A. A Salafi is one who follows the tradition of Salaf. The word Salaf literally means predecessor, and it is short for the phrase "al-Salaf as-Saleh", which means "The Pious Predecessors." B. The Salaf or " The Pious Predecessors" refers to the first three Generations in Islam, the first generation are the companions or disciples of the Prophet of Islam, the second generation are the followers of the first generation of Islam and the third generation are the followers of the followers of the First generation of Islam. C. According to the Salafi interpretation, the ways and the traditions of the Salaf(The Pious Predecessors), embody the Islam that was preached by Muhammad and practiced by his Companions, as well as the second and third generations succeeding them, which was a pure, unadulterated Islam, and, therefore, the ultimate authority for the interpretation of the two sources of revelation given to Muhammad, namely the Qur'an and the Sunnah. D. Salafism is a puritan Islamic movement, and Salafism as we know it today is based on teachings of Ahmad Bin Hanbal whose main accomplishment was integrating and unifying the other three Islamic schools of thoughts of his mentors and predecessors into one school of thought to prevent any innovations or distortions of Sunnah(the Pure Tradition of Prophet Muhammad), thus, Ibn Hanbal earned the title of "The Imam of the Sunnis." E."Wahhabism" is an orientalist derogatory term, was first coined by the British to describe Salafis, because Salafi fighters known as "Ikhwan(not Al-Ikhwan)"were raiding British Mandate areas such as Transjordan and Iraq. The term was then used by members of anti-Sunni Islamic branches, like Sufis and Shia'a. F. The insinuation behind the terminology of "Wahhabism" to describe Salafism is to make Salafi-thought seem as a foreign concept to Islam, by associating Salafism with the British word "Wahhabism", Muslims might believe that this puritanical Islamic school of thought is an invention by Abd al-Wahhab. Even though, the Salafist movement first appeared 1400 years ago, after the Assassination of the third Muslim head of state, Othman Bin Affan, who was also a close companion of the Prophet of Islam. 1.Salafism appeared as a reaction to the appearance of many deviant "Islamic" Ideologies and groups, some of which encouraged or justified the Killing of Othman 2. Salafism tried to reunite Muslims after the murder of Othman, and tried to prevent the civil wars and the unrest caused by the murder of Othman. 3. The two most famous figures who are mostly associated with initiating the foundations of Salafism, after the civil tension(caused by the murder of Othman) intensified between the Muslim Leadership in Baghdad and the Muslim Leadership in Damascus, were Abdullah Ibn Al-Abbas, the first cousin of Prophet Muhammad, and Abdullah Ibn Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, a young companion of the Prophet and the son of one of the most beloved companions to the Prophet. III. The Pact between Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab: A.Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammed Ibn Saud ( the founder of the first Saudi State), signed a pact in which Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab would support Ibn Saud leadership on the condition that Ibn Saud would implement and enforce Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab's teachings, especially ridding the Arabian peninsula of innovations (heretics) in the practice of Islam by bringing the religion back to its purest form. B. The pact or alliance was formalized by the wedding of Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab's daughter to Abdul Aziz, son and successor of Ibn Saud. IV. Salafists(Salafis) in the Arabian Peninsula were not pacifists! A. Although Abd- Wahab's ideology is misrepresented these days as a pacifist movement which blindly obeys the "House of Saud," Abd al-Wahhab believed that the peaceful call for Islam cannot be seperated from the physical striving in the cause of God. B. Salafis in the Arabian Peninsula have established a military wing which initiated the first waves of anti-colonial armed resistance and armed raids against the British Occupation forces and their Arab proxies in Transjordan and Iraq. C. The armed wing of Salafism was named "Ikhwan" which meant "brothers" (not to be confused with "Al-Ikhwan" or the non-salafi Muslim Brotherhood.) D. "Ikhwan" raided Transjordan and Iraq, which were under British occupation, so many times that the Birtish were enraged and wanted to crush the Salafist"Ikhwan." E. The Saudi Family did not have an army, so it relied on "Ikhwan" to subdue the Arabian Peninsula based on the agreement with Abd al-Wahhab. F. The "Ikhwan" is one of the first anti-colonial resistance moveme in the Arabian Peninsula. G. The "Ikhwan" stood out, because resistance movements in the Middle East were usually initiated by the educated, city inhabitants who belonged to middle or upper class. While " Ikhwan" were religious, salafi Bedouin tribesmen. Thus, the "Ikhwan" did not conform to the common Arab stereotype that Bedouins were primitive in their thinking, because Bedouins are believed to be tribally oriented, rather than ideologically oriented. H. "Ikhwan's" allegiance were to God and His Prophet and loyalty to the tribe came second. Their mission was to eliminate all forms of idolatry in the Arabian Peninsula and the rest of the Arab World. The interest of the tribe was not their priority. I. After the British occupation failed to crush "Ikhwan," they conspired with the Saudi Family to eliminate "Ikhwan." The Brits promised to support the Saudi future state if the "Ikwan" were defeated, and sure enough the Saudi established alliances with different tribes and were armed by the British with modern weapons, along with the support of British Royal Air-force, helping the Saudi Family defeat the "Ikhwan" who relied on primitive weapons like swords and spears. V. How did the Modern Saudi Monarchy silence the many descendants of Abd al-Wahhab? A. The Saudi Family knew that even after the defeat of "Ikhwan", the countless descendants of if Abd al-Wahhab (later named Al-Sheikh, or the tribe of the [religious]Scholar) were concentrated in Najd which happens to be the home base of the House of Saud, and Al-Shiekh were as large as the Saudi Family or the House of Saud. B. Moreover, Al-Shiekh was more supported by the religious scholars and followers of Abd al-Wahhab than the Saudi Family. C. To ensure the support and the allegiance of Al-Shiekh and their supporters, the Saudi Family established a pact with Al-Shiekh which puts the Islamic Holysites under the control of Al-Shiekh, in addition, legislation of internal affairs as well as the religious courts of law are to be based on the salafi principals put down by Abd al-Wahhab. D. Therefore, the legislative council or "Shura" council in Saudi Arabia, is run until this day by the descendants and the followers of Abd al-Wahhab. E. In addition, the affairs and the management of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina must be run by a direct descendant ( not only a follower) of Abd al-Wahhab, which was a coup d'état against the Hashemites (the tribe of the Prophet of Islam) and the their relative tribes of Mecca and Medina who were the ones in charge of the of the two Holy Mosques since the death of the Prophet ( In the case of Mecca, the Meccan tribes, including the Hashemites, controlled Mecca for centuries before the Birth of the Prophet of Islam) until the collapse of the Ottoman empire in 1917. VI. Why is this deal a betrayal of the original pact with Abd al-Wahhab? A. Abd al-Wahhab wanted the basics of Islam or the traditions of the Salaf spread around the Muslim World, and more specifically in the eastern part of the Arab World(Arabia, Yemen, Great Syria and Iraq) while the Saudi Family limited the teachings to the borders of modern Saudi Arabia. B. Abd al-Wahhab did not separate between internal and external affairs, he was determined to ensure that Islamic law would apply to all affairs of the state, and not only limited to internal affairs. C. Abd al-Wahhab and other Salafis refused any harmonious relations with colonial powers( "Ikhwan's" raids and battles against the British.) D. Abd al-Wahhab believed that Muhammed Ibn Saud ( the founder of the first Saudi State) will run the state as Caliphate State not as a royal state. E. Abd al-Wahhab would've not made the pact with the Saudi Family if he had known that they would follow secular traditions with regard to State's external affairs, monarchy system or the State's funds and wealth. F. Salafis in general do not regard anyone, especially the head of the state and his family, as exempt from the Islamic law of the land. G. In addition, almost all Salafis agree that the head of the state is a care taker and enforcer of the Divine Law which is interpreted by the legislative council or the council of the scholars (Shura Council). This means that the head of the state must implements Shura Council laws, hence, the head of the state cannot make-up any laws.