In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that Allah—glorified be He—sends to this nation at the turn of every century someone who will renew for it its religion. Among the renewers—or rather, one of the greatest renewers of the twelfth century, as we reckon it to be the case based on his biography and scholarly works—was Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn Ali. He was one of the greatest scholars of Najd, originating from a household of knowledge; his fathers, grandfathers, and uncles were all scholars. He received knowledge from them, then traveled in pursuit of knowledge to Iraq, specifically to Mosul. He traveled to Iraq, met with the verifier scholars of Iraq, and took knowledge from them—among them Sheikh al-Majmu’i 1. He wanted to travel to “the Levant” (ash-Sham), but that was not made easy for him.
He looked at his society after returning to the land of Najd and contemplated the conditions of both the Bedouin and the settled townsfolk. He saw that their beliefs had been infiltrated by extraneous doubts, customs, and traditions for which Allah had sent down no authority. These had accumulated in the beliefs of the people of this land, just like other lands, because as time goes on, ignorance spreads and innovations and newly-invented matters multiply, except when Allah appoints someone to expose their harm to the people and defend against them.
Thus, this great Imam—may Allah have mercy on him—was one of those individuals. After having thoroughly mastered knowledge through his scholarly journeys in pursuit of learning, and having devoted himself to the books of the two great Imam-Sheikhs: Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, he drank deeply from them, gaining abundant knowledge that added to what he already possessed from the scholars of his time. He saw no alternative but to clarify this for the people and call them to Allah, for this is the duty of the scholar.
Allah—glorified and exalted be He—says: “And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out to fight (Jihad) all together. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may get instructions in (Islamic) religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of evil).” (At-Tawbah: 122).
So he—may Allah have mercy on him—traveled in search of knowledge, received it from the foremost scholars of his time, and then spread his knowledge among the people of this land. He called to Allah—mighty and majestic is He—with insight; he called to Allah with insight, through wisdom, good instruction, and arguing in a way that is best, just as Allah—majestic and exalted be He—said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ﷺ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.” (An-Nahl: 125).
So this Imam followed this path—which Allah guided to in this verse—after he had thoroughly mastered knowledge, traveled in pursuit of it, and received it from the foremost scholars of his time. Thus, he undertook the call to Allah: a call to Monotheism (Tawhid). Because the scholars of his time were primarily concerned with jurisprudence (Fiqh)—they would travel to the Levant to receive knowledge from the Hanbali scholars there and return, focusing entirely on Fiqh—while this Imam paid attention to Creed (Aqidah). He exerted great effort and strived to remove the misguidance and doubts that had clung to it, and he renewed this religion. Allah—glorified and exalted be He—granted him success by providing him with rulers, the foremost of whom was Imam Muhammad bin Saud—may Allah have mercy on him—whose leader he gave allegiance to.He pledged allegiance to him for the support of Allah’s religion and the call to Allah, and they agreed upon that: the one with his authority and the other with his knowledge.
And Allah made the outcome of that a source of great goodness for this land and its surroundings. The Sheikh’s call extended beyond the borders of Najd; it reached India and the Hadith scholars there, extended to Egypt—where among its effects was the Ansar Al-Sunnah Al-Muhammadiyah movement—and extended to the Sudan. It spread far and wide, to the right and to the left, and Allah brought about immense benefit through it. Through it, Allah awakened successive generations that—praise be to Allah—remain upon this prophetic path which this Imam renewed, called to, and enlightened people about. This is by the grace of Allah upon him and upon the people.
There are many scholars, but few are those who take this direction, which is the call to reform the creed. They are few, but they are the fruit of the scholars in every time and place. They are the renewers of this religion who clear away from the creed whatever doubts and contradictory customs have attached themselves to it, and this is from the grace of Allah—glorified and exalted be He.
The Sheikh and his likes renew this religion, clearing away from the creed the doubts and contradictory customs that have attached themselves to it. This is by the grace of Allah—glorified and exalted be He—fulfilling the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “There will not cease to be a group of my nation triumphant upon the truth; those who forsake them or oppose them will not harm them until the command of Allah comes”—blessed and exalted is He (Allah).
Thus, this Imam undertook the call to Allah and the correction of the creed, authored books and treatises, and sat to teach students of knowledge. Students of knowledge emigrated to him from various lands, which resulted in a scholarly renaissance in this land. Those who came after the Imam and his generation inherited this legacy, and the outcome of it was this pure and beneficial scholarly treasure that is in the hands of people today. This is how the renewers are. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ali ibn Abi Talib: “By Allah, for Allah to guide a single man through you is better for you than having red camels.”
Allah—majestic and exalted be He—guided many generations through this call, and—praise be to Allah—it continues to have a praised impact and a luminous path by which people are guided. It spread across various Islamic lands, and through it, generations grew up upon monotheism and died upon monotheism. The credit for this goes, if Allah wills, back to this renewing Imam, and this is how scholars should always and forever be.
This call has borne evident fruits as a result of the sincerity upon which it was founded; it is a pure call. Otherwise, there are many callers today, and there are organizations for da’wah and budgets allocated for it, yet the fruit is little. But this call—praise be to Allah—due to its truthfulness and its connection to sound knowledge, [bore abundant fruit].
Allah—glorified be He—said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): ‘This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah; those who worship others along with Allah or set up rivals or partners to Allah).’“ (Yusuf: 108).
“I invite unto Allah”—this is the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and those who follow him among the callers to Allah—mighty and majestic is He—who come after him.
“with sure knowledge”—meaning based on knowledge. For the caller must invite based on knowledge, not ignorance; he invites based on knowledge after having learned first. Thus, this Imam did not embark on the call until he had thoroughly mastered knowledge from the scholars of his time, both in his own country and those he traveled to. When he had mastered knowledge and looked into the conditions of the people, he undertook the call to Allah with truthfulness and sincerity.
However, the call requires—and the caller needs—what supports and assists him from authority. This is why the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to present himself to the tribes during the pilgrimage season, saying: “Who will shelter me? Who will support me until I convey the message of my Lord?” Until Allah provided him with the Supporters (Ansar) from Madinah, who pledged allegiance to him for support and aid, joining their brothers among the Emigrants (Muhajirin) and Ansar around the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Thus, the call of the Messenger spread, was reinforced, and became victorious through Allah, and then through the Muhajirin and Ansar around the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
This Imam followed this very path, emulating the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He presented this call to Imam Muhammad bin Saud, the ruler of Diriyah at that time. Before the call of this Imam, the land of Najd was fragmented; every town had its own emir, governing itself and not submissive to any other town. The land of Najd was in this pattern, and as for creed, people paid little attention to it except for those whom Allah willed. When this call arose, the entire country was united from end to end under a single leadership and a single imamate, by the blessing of this call. Praise be to Allah, it remains so, and we ask Allah—glorified and exalted be He—to make it continue, grow stronger, and increase, by Allah’s permission.
For it is a call that originated upon beneficial knowledge, a correct creed, firm faith, and striving in the way of Allah to support His religion, and thus it achieved success—praise be to Allah. Otherwise, how numerous are the callers, the institutions of da’wah, and the budgets allocated for them! Yet where is the blessing in them? Where is the output? There is goodness in them, God willing, but when you compare them to the call of the Sheikh and other reformist calls, the difference is clear: a single person undertook it without starting with material resources, yet Allah granted them victory, and his call spread, remained, and carries goodness and blessing.
This is the result of sincerity and the result of it being founded upon knowledge and insight. Da’wah cannot stand except upon knowledge: “Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge,” (Yusuf: 108) and “Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ﷺ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.” (An-Nahl: 125) This cannot be achieved except through knowledge, so da’wah must stem from knowledge.
Therefore, the call must be based on knowledge—this is one thing—and it must also be based on sincerity and a righteous intention, and this is the foundation. Through this, the call succeeds, by Allah’s permission.
Muslims are always and forever in need of the call to Allah. The call is directed to believers, inviting them to steadfastness, repentance, and sincerity to Allah—mighty and majestic is He. The disbelievers are also invited to enter into the religion of Allah—mighty and majestic is He. Thus, the call is for believers first, and it is also for disbelievers so that they may enter the religion of Allah.
Furthermore, the call precedes ‘striving’ (jihad) in the way of Allah; the call comes first, and then after it comes striving in the way of Allah. The call is built upon these two foundations: knowledge first, and it is also supported by an authority that backs it. When Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab pledged allegiance to Imam Muhammad bin Saud for the call to Allah and striving in the way of Allah, Allah brought about a great impact through that in this land, and it extended to others—praise be to Allah. The creed was purified from the doubts and misguidance that had attached to it, and abundant goodness was achieved. Thus is the call to Allah—mighty and majestic is He. And people are in need of the call to Allah at all times. Even if people are Muslims and believers, they still need the call to Allah to correct their creed, walk upon the sound methodology, and perform righteous deeds. Therefore, the call is needed by Muslims first, and then also by disbelievers so that they may enter into Islam.
Islam stands upon two matters: the call to Allah and striving (jihad) in the way of Allah—mighty and majestic is He. People cannot be set right without da’wah. If some say, “The people are Muslims, the people already know,” no; they still need da’wah, they need enlightenment, education, and deep understanding in the religion of Allah—mighty and majestic is He.
Praise be to Allah, resources and capabilities are now abundantly available in this country, so they must continue this call to Allah and not neglect it within school curricula, in mosques, and across all fields. Every Muslim who travels to the lands of disbelievers carries this religion, conveys it to the people, and invites them to it; this is a great duty. A Muslim represents Islam first through his deeds, his morals, and his dealings with people, and then he also invites them to Allah with his knowledge and insight. Every Muslim must invite to Allah—mighty and majestic is He—according to what is possible for him. If Muslims were to do this, Islam would spread across the east and west of the earth. This is a tremendous matter that must be paid attention to.
The Da’wah (call) of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab proceeded along this very pattern. It is said that when he began his call in a town and was pressured and expelled from it, he went out to another town carrying a hand fan in his hand to fan himself with, repeating this verse [of the Quran] until Allah provided him with someone who supported him, aided him, and stood by him. Thus, Allah blessed this call, gave it a great impact in the nation, and it spread even outside this country, as is well known.
A Muslim should be a caller to Allah in any country he travels to. He should be a caller first through his deeds, morals, and dealings, and he should be a caller through his knowledge, jurisprudence, and whatever insight Allah has given him, remaining a caller to Allah—mighty and majestic is He.
The Da’wah (call) of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab—may Allah bless it—was established by the hands of a single man. Today, there are societies for da’wah, budgets, and so on; we ask Allah to place blessing and goodness in them, but those in charge of them must pay attention to this and carry out this matter in the required manner, upon the prophetic Sunnah, and following the path of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) and their creed.
Da’wah must begin with the creed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Mu’adh ibn Jabal when he sent him to Yemen: “You are coming to a people from the People of the Book, so let the very first thing you invite them to be the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they respond to that, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers every day and night. If they respond to that, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them a charity (zakah) taken from their rich and returned to their poor.”
This indicates that there is a gradual approach in da’wah and that it must begin with the creed. Any da’wah that does not begin with the creed is a failed da’wah of no use. Calls that sideline the creed, push it away, and only call for noble morals, good dealings, and the like are calls of no benefit because they have neglected the foundation and the head. If the head is lost, of what use is the rest of the body? Therefore, one must begin with the creed first, start by enlightening people regarding their creed, and then move on to the matters of their religion—prayer, zakah, and the rest of the religious duties. A gradual approach in da’wah step-by-step is a required matter.
The call (Da’wah) of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is upon this sound prophetic methodology to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided. Whoever sidelines da’wah from its [proper] methodology and says, “This is an Islamic da’wah,” while doing so, then this is not an Islamic da’wah and it will never succeed. How many da’wah movements and da’wah institutions do we hear about, but where is the fruit? Because they were not established upon the authentic foundation, which is the creed. This is not an Islamic da’wah, and it will never succeed. How many calls and da’wah institutions do we hear of, but where is the fruit?! Because they were not established upon the authentic foundation, which is the creed, and they did not strive to reform the creed and purify the creed first, so that the very first thing they invite people to is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, until the end of the hadith.
For the creed is the foundation and the head, and upon it all other deeds depend. Deeds—no matter what they are—are of no benefit to their owner if they are not based upon a sound creed. This is a matter that must be realized.
The Sheikh’s Da’wah (call) was established upon this foundation. The very first thing he—may Allah have mercy on him—began with was the call to the correct creed. He authored Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book of Monotheism), which is in our hands today concerning the unification of worship. He authored it with every chapter built upon a Quranic verse, a hadith, and the statements of the people of knowledge. Allah caused people to benefit from this book, and Muslims, scholars, and students benefited from it. He also authored Al-Usul al-Thalatha (The Three Fundamental Principles), concerning knowing Allah—majestic and exalted be He—[and the rest of the principles]. And knowing His Prophet, and knowing the religion of Islam with proofs. He authored Kashf al-Shubuhat (The Clarification of Doubts), which addresses the misconceptions put forward by those who argue against the correct call, explaining their errors one by one.
Thus, Kitab al-Tawhid and Kashf al-Shubuhat serve as a foundation that callers to Allah—mighty and majestic is He—rely upon, distribute to the people, explain to them, and clarify for them. This is the foundation upon which da’wah is built: The Three Fundamental Principles—knowing Allah, knowing His Prophet, and knowing the religion of Islam with proofs. Every principle has its proofs, and there is no matter from the affairs of the religion except that it has a proof to rely upon, but it requires clarification and explanation. Explanation and clarification require knowledge and jurisprudence. Otherwise, everyone claims to be calling to da’wah now, but where are the effects? And where are the fruits?
We do not say there is no goodness; we say there is goodness, God willing, but we want more than this. People still, as you know, remain in their ignorance, and in what has clung to their creeds of doubts and deviations, and they need clarification and explanation, which requires knowledge, awareness, and insight.
Thus, the call of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab bore the fruit of these generations that grew up upon it and died upon it, upon monotheism. The reward for this goes back to this renewer and caller to Allah—mighty and majestic is He. “Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to that of those who follow him, without that decreasing anything from their rewards. And whoever calls to misguidance will have a sin upon him similar to that of those who follow him, without that decreasing anything from their sins.”
There are callers of misguidance; there are callers of misguidance just as there are callers of monotheism and callers of truth. But there is a difference between callers and callers, and a difference between their impacts. The call of truth produces truth, goodness, and righteousness, while the call of misguidance produces evil, doubts, and deviations. Indeed, there are many callers of misguidance, and Allah will recompense each of them according to what he left behind in the nation of goodness or evil.
[The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:] “Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to that of those who follow him; whoever calls to misguidance will have a sin upon him similar to that of those who follow him.”
We ask Allah for safety and well-being. But da’wah, as we mentioned, requires knowledge, and knowledge requires learning, insight, and patience.
Allah—glorified and exalted be He—said, in the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful: “By Al-‘Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss, Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma’ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.).” (Al-Asr: 1-3).
These four matters: these are the ones who are saved from loss. Those who have believed—this is beneficial knowledge and a sound creed. And who have done righteous deeds—knowledge is of no benefit without action; action must accompany knowledge. And advised each other to truth—it is not enough for a person to merely be learned, knowledgeable for himself, and guided in his own soul; this is not enough. Rather, he must invite others, which is “recommend one another to the truth” (al-Asr: 3), and this is the call to Allah—glorified and exalted be He—as well as enjoining good and forbidding evil. And “recommend one another to patience” (al-Asr: 3) —because the one who calls to the truth will be harmed, and may even be threatened, so he needs patience. “and recommend one another to patience” (al-Asr: 3)—they are patient with whatever befalls them.
Thus was the call of the Sheikh; it was established upon these great foundations: upon knowledge, upon action, upon the call to Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and upon patience regarding it and whatever results from it in terms of harm from people, opponents, and the obstinate. It requires patience, otherwise, whoever has no patience cannot continue. He cannot continue in da’wah, enjoining good, and forbidding evil.
“and bear with patience whatever befall you,” (Luqman:17) And “recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience” (Al-Asr: 3)
So the Sheikh’s call embodied these Quranic characteristics, and that is why it succeeded and bore fruit, praise be to Allah. Therefore, the duty is to undertake this call, persist in it, and be patient with whatever happens because of it or along its path. This is enjoining good and forbidding evil.
We ask Allah—mighty and majestic is He—to make us and you among those who call to Him with insight: first among the believers, among the believers who call to Him with insight. And may Allah grant us and you patience, sincerity, and jihad (striving) in His way.
Jihad is not restricted to carrying weapons; jihad can be with the heart, it can be with the tongue, and it can be with weapons. Jihad has many types, and everyone performs whatever of it Allah has made easy for them. Among [forms of] jihad is undertaking the call, being patient with it, continuing in it, and remaining steadfast upon it. This is part of patience and requires patience.
Jihad is not restricted to carrying weapons; jihad can be with the heart, it can be with the tongue, and it can be with weapons. Jihad has many types, and everyone performs whatever of it Allah has made easy for them. Among [forms of] jihad is undertaking the call, being patient with it, continuing in it, and remaining steadfast upon it. This is part of patience and requires patience.
We ask Allah—mighty and majestic is He—to grant us and you success in truthfulness in speech and action, sincerity in the call to Him, and patience upon that. And may peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
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Sheikh Muhammad al-Majmu’i al-Basri. ↩