Comments on some books of Shaykh Abdul-Rahman ibn Abdul-Khaliq


From Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz to the honorable son Shaykh Abdul-Rahman ibn Abdul-Khaliq, may Allah guide him to do what pleases Him and make His religion victorious through him. Amen!

As-salamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)

I received your letter dated 8/3/1415 A. H. And that was handed to me by the honorable brother ‘A. Kh. S. All that you explained in your letter is clear. May Allah grant you guidance and success.

I was so delighted by what you mentioned that you abide by the practice of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) and those who followed them rightly. I was pleased with your statement that all things you stated that oppose the way of the Salaf were only mistakes or due to forgetfulness and I was delighted by your mentioning that you are keen to know your mistakes to correct them in case they are truly ascribed to you.

I was also happy because of your declaration that you forgive and pardon those who wronged you and that you seek to be rewarded by Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) for this etc. However, I received your letter on the thirtieth of the month of Safar 1415 A.H. After the forty-second session of the Council of Senior Scholars had ended. If we need to review your letter in the Council, we will do so next session In sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills).

Following are the names of your books that I have comments on:

  1. First: Usul Al-‘Amal Al-Jama’i “Basics of collective work”.
  2. Second: Al-Khutut Al-Ra’isiyyah Li Ba’th Al-Ummah Al-Islamiyyah. “Main Guidelines for the revival of the Muslim Nation”.
  3. Third: Wujub Tatbiq Al-Hudud Al-Shar’iyyah “The Obligation of applying the Islamic legal penalties”.
  4. Fourth: Mashru’iyyat Al-Jihad Al-Jama’i “Legality of collective fighting/striving in the Cause of Allah”.
  5. Fifth: Al-Wasayah Al-`Ashr “The ten commandments”.
  6. Sixth: Fusul Min Al-siyasah Al-Shar’iyyah “Chapters from Islamic law based policy”.
  7. Seventh: A comment on a tape entitled: Al-Madrasah Al-Salafiyyah “School of Salafiyyah’ those following the way of the righteous predecessors’”.

Firstly:

You mentioned in your book Usul Al-‘Amal Al-Jama’i (pp. 10-11) what reads:

  • “Some of those who are ascribed to the call of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him) claimed that whoever starts a Jama’ah (group) for Da`wah (calling to Islam) and Jihad (fighting/striving in the Cause of Allah) is a Kharijite (member of a separatist group called Khawarij that believes committing a major sin amounts to disbelief)”.
  • “They also claimed that ‘the governmental’ regime and parties contradict Din (religion).”
  • Moreover, you claimed that some of the seekers of knowledge who attribute themselves to Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him) gave the contemporary rulers rights that were neither given to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq nor Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and that, as far as you know, has no precedence in the whole Muslim history and had not been mentioned by any trustworthy scholar in any book. Such rights are: no one is permitted to enjoin Ma`ruf (that which is judged as good, beneficial, or fitting by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect) or forbid Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect) unless they get permission from the Imam (ruler) and that it is impermissible to repel any attack against Muslim territories unless the Imam permits so. You mentioned that the advocates of the foregoing thus gave the ruler the same attributes of the Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He). Truth thus is what the ruler ordains and falsehood is what he declares Haram (prohibited). According to such seekers of knowledge, whatever the Imam does not decide should not be decided by anybody else. In other words, whatever affairs of Din and interests of Muslims the Imam neglects, Muslims have to ignore in order not to displease the Imam.”

This is what you mentioned in your book.

Nevertheless, I do not know that any of the followers of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him) said so. You then did not refer to the source book from which you cited this or the person who told you so. Otherwise, you have to acknowledge that you were mistaken, that such a claim has no valid root and that you now know that none of the followers of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him) had said so. You also have to verify the authenticity of your sources in your future writings and your aim should be clarifying the truth and falsehood without mentioning names of people except when necessary.

Secondly:

You said in your tape Al-Madrasah Al-Salafiyyah: “Scholars of Saudi Arabia are totally unaware and ignorant of contemporary problems… (and that) their Salafiyyah is a traditional worthless one.”

Such a saying from you is false for scholars of Saudi Arabia know about all contemporary problems and they wrote many books on them. All praise be to Allah Alone, I am one of scholars who dealt with contemporary problems and I wrote uncountable writings on them. All praise be to Allah Alone, scholars of Saudi Arabia are amongst the most knowledgeable scholars of the way of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (adherents to the Sunnah and the Muslim mainstream). They follow the same understanding of our Salaf regarding Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah), issues relating to Allah’s Names and Attributes, issues relating to warning against Bid’ahs (innovations in the religion), etc. Thus if you are ignorant of all this, you have to read the series of Ibn Qasim called Al-Durar Al-Sunniyyah, the Fatwas of our Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah be merciful to him), and our own writings on this i.e. our Fatwas and published books.

Undoubtedly, what you said about the scholars of Saudi Arabia is untrue and a serious mistake. You thus have to correct yourself and declare this in local newspapers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. I ask Allah (Exalted be He) to guide us all, to help us return to the truth and stay firm on it. Verily, Allah (Glorified be He) is the Best One to be asked.

Thirdly:

You mentioned in your book Al-Khutut Al-Ra’isiyyah Li Ba’th Al-Ummah Al-Islamiyyah pp. 72-73:

“Our Arab and Islamic countries do not generally apply Shari`ah (Islamic law) except to some of the personal status issues. However, all our countries with no exception follow laws of the West or the East regarding all financial transactions and political and international laws. The same applies to criminal laws such as Hudud (ordained punishments for violating Allah’s Law) are imported and fabricated etc.”, p. 78.

Such generality is incorrect for, all praise be to Allah Alone, Saudi Arabia applies Shari’ah, establish Hudud, and Shar’i (Islamic legal) courts have been founded all over the Saudi Arabian Kingdom. Nevertheless, I do not claim that Saudi Arabia or any other country is infallible. Besides, I came to know that the sultan of the government of Brunei ordered that Shari`ah has to be applied with regard to all matters and under all circumstances. You then have to withdraw such a statement and declare so in local newspapers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Had you said “most of the Arab and Muslim countries…”, this would have been convenient as it is the reality of the matter. I ask Allah to grant us all guidance and success.

Fourthly:

You mentioned in your book Wujub Tatbiq Al-Hudud Al-Shar’iyyah p. 26: “Removing the causes of crime before applying the punishment: Apart from fanaticism and ignorance I say: ‘It is definitely impermissible to apply the Shar’i punishment before removing the reasons of the crime. We have to excuse the criminal if they were under the influence of monopoly, injustice, the absence of social solidarity, and the spread of selfishness.

I say: in such a society there may be excuses for whoever is obliged to commit theft and whoever is obliged to commit Zina (adultery) to support her child, old mother, or sick father. I think it is a sign of naivety and ignorance that we punish the adulterer or the fornicator while we allow all kinds of wantonness and libertinism. Therefore, it is neither rational nor wise that we apply Shar’i criminal Hudud before removing all causes of the concerned crimes.’” See p. 27.

Again, what has been mentioned above is incorrect. It contradicts truth and I do not know of any scholar who said the same except a narration that `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) suspended the application of theft Hadd (ordained punishment for violating Allah’s Law) during the year of famine. However, even if such a narration is Sahih (authentic), the issue still needs Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings) and insight. Anyway, explicit texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) clearly state the obligation of inflicting the Hadd on whomever is proven to be guilty.

You have thus to withdraw what you have mentioned in this book and declare this in local newspapers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. You also have to declare so in a special book in which you withdraw all your mistakes. It is well known that truth is firm as ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Musa Al-Ash`ary (may Allah be pleased with them all). Consequently, returning to the truth is better than persisting in falsehood.

May Allah guide us all to what pleases Him! May He protect us all from the causes of His Anger!

Fifthly:

You called in your book Mashru’iyyat Al-Jihad p. 28, 37, 39 and your book Al-Wasaya Al-‘Ashr p. 71, 44 to dividing Muslims into groups and parties and mentioned that such division is a good phenomenon.

Nevertheless, it is well known that your call referred to above opposes the Qur’an and Hadith. For example, Allah (Glorified be He) says: “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur’ân), and be not divided among yourselves” [Aal Imran: 103]

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says: “Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him) have no concern in them in the least.” [Al-An’am: 159]

There are many other Ayahs (Qur’anic verses) to the same effect. Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pleased with three things you do: that you worship Him and do not associate anything with Him, that you take hold of the rope of Allah altogether and that you give good counsel to the one to whom Allah gives command over you.” 1 There are many other Hadiths to the same effect.

You have thus to withdraw this and declare it in local newspapers as well as in the book in which I advised you earlier to compose and mention all the mistakes you corrected.

Sixthly:

You mentioned in your book Fusul Min Al-Siyasah Al-Shar’iyyah pp. 31-32 that demonstrations were amongst the means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make Da`wah.

As I do not find any text to prove this, please tell me your reference and source of information. If you do not have an authorized source for the foregoing allegation, then you have to withdraw it. It is considerable to mention that I do not know any text to prove such a claim. It is well known that demonstrations lead to many evils. Anyway, if there is a Sahih text on demonstrations, this has to be completely clarified so that corrupters do not use it as proof for their false demonstrations.

Finally, I ask Allah (Exalted be He) to help us all to acquire beneficial knowledge, to do good deeds, to set right all our hearts and actions, to make us amongst the guiding and the guided people. Verily, Allah is the Most Generous, the Most Bountiful.

As-salamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

  1. Muslim, Sahih, Book on judicial decisions, no. 1715; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 2, p. 367; and Malik, Al-Muwatta, Book on miscellaneous matters, no. 1863. ↩