Question:
Salam maulana
I want to ask about the wahaabi sect. I belong to sunni sect (in documents but consider myself muslim only) met some friends who belong to wahaabi sect(although they call themselves nothings but muslims) i found that they follow quran, sunnah which is verified in books of hadiths…should i follow them? bcz we sunni reject certain things claiming that hadiths in bukhari and other books are weak on no grounds…please guide as my parents brought me up simply and the knowledge of these sects came to me from surroundings as i grew older…i am worried only because what these wahabis/ahl e hadiths says about bida’h i found it right e-g rituals related to dead,eid milad un nabi,etc etc…..and if you say that i should not follow any sect and just be same like as prophet Muhammad and sahabas were then from which source i should extract sunnah(no question rises about authenticity of quran)…..i am strongly strongly convinced that these wahabis follow a bit better path than ALL other sects but i am also confused by your booklet THE CALIPHATE THE HEJAZ AND THE SAUDI-WAHHABI NATION-STATE and think that like shia may be these are also misguided…..please guide me may allah bless you here and here after.
Answer
wa ‘alaikum assalaam!
Although Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was rightly-guided there are many Muslims today who are misguided. When anyone criticizes and condemns such misguided Muslims such does not reflect as criticism of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam).
I have never commented in my writings (such as in my book entitled ‘The Caliohate The Hajaz and the Saudi-Wahhabi Nation-State’ and in my lectures on whether or not I consider Muammad Abd al-Wahhab to have been misguided. And I do not intend to do so now!
with love,
Imran N. Hosein