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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
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“When a human dies his deeds come to an end, save for three: an act
of charity that continues to ‘flow,’ knowledge that is still benefited
from and a pious child who prays for him.” (Recorded by Muslim.)
Abu Butain explained the attraction behind this false form of
prayer. He stated, “When Satan realized that everyone who reads or
hears the Quran flees from shirk and the worship of other than Allah,
he cast into the hearts of the ignorant ones the concept that this is only
tawassul, seeking intercession through them, turning to them and so
forth. So he snatched the names ibaadah (worship) and shirk from
their hearts and clothed them in new names that the hearts would not
flee from.” 1 However, names in themselves cannot change the reality
or the essential ruling of something. It is still shirk that the ignorant
ones had fallen into.
Closely related to this issue is the general question of making
prayers or supplications to someone or something other than Allah.
Although for many Muslims in the West today—perhaps partially due
to the long-run beneficial influence of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s students,
followers and supporters—this may seem like a very clear-cut issue,
this is yet another issue in which ibn Abdul-Wahhaab faced a great
deal of opposition. Thus, for example, al-Qabbaani wrote about
praying for help to other than Allah, “As for what he claims that
istighaathah (seeking help and rescue) is a type of worship of other
than Allah and that it is part of the greater shirk of the shirk of the
disbelievers, he does not establish any proof or evidence for that.” 2 Al-
Qabbaani also said, “It is permissible to make tawassul, seek
intercession and seek help via the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) as well as via others from the
prophets or ‘saints.’” 3 Al-Hadaad made similar remarks and said that
the idea that one cannot pray to the “saints” is one of the lapses of “the
Najdi,” that is, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. 4
1 Quoted in al-Abdul-Lateef, p. 269.
2 Quoted in al-Abdul-Lateef, p. 349.
3 Quoted in al-Abdul-Lateef, p. 349.
4 Cf., al-Abdul-Lateef, p. 349. For statements from other opponents, such as ibn
Jarjees, Dahlaan, ibn Daawud and others, see al-Abdul-Lateef, pp. 350-357.
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