78. AMERICANS AND THEIR DOUBLE STANDARDS.

Devyani Khobragade a Deputy Consul in the Indian Diplomatic Mission in New York  was subjected to manhandling and put to disproportionate dishonor at the hands of the U.S Law Enforcing Officials.  They had handcuffed her in the presence of her small kids in the public, after stripping her clothes and resorting her to cavity searches. The action was uncivilized unwarranted and inhuman going by the accepted norms of Vienna convention.   The Americans had thus demonstrated their inordinate high handedness of unknown proportion.

 Preet Bharara, the American prosecutor had justified the action for the false statement made by the Indian diplomat about the pay packages made to her domestic aid Ms. Sangeetha Richards while applying for her visa.

Although the issue was petty, the prosecutor had attempted to make mountains out of molehill owing to his well orchestrated ambitious agenda to gain ascendancy in the foreign soil by demonstrating high voltage loyalty to his employer, the U.S. 

 What was the necessity of handcuffing a high-ranking woman diplomatic official of a friendly nation for such a trivial issue and then escalating it to stripping her clothes and subjecting her to cavity searches?  "Why this kolaiveri, kolaiver di ?" Did the American officers especially Preet Bharara strip- search her cavities for W.M.D [weapons of mass destruction?} or to ferret out any story about them? Did they perceivably put her on par with the Al-Qaida operatives or Taliban terrorists? Who knows they would have counted the teeth of the woman I.F.S officer as had been done with Saddam Husain.  Bhagvan na kare, Preet Bharara in his ambitious urge would have committed her to Guantanamo Bay prison too.

 In previous such cases of former Consul General Prabhu Dayal and Consul Neena Malhotra who were also found to have committed the same offence, the American enforcement officials did not put them to such ignominy and disrespect,  but the officials resorted the issue to the American court of law. One does not understand the reason for such disparity. Can the foreign office of the U.S explain it to its counterpart?

Husain Haqqani, former Pakistan Ambassador to the U.S tells how an American Raymond Davis a  C.I.A Operative had killed two men in the streets  of Lahore in January in the year 2011 and left to go scotfree with the intervention of  The U.S President Michael Hussein Obama .The U.S claimed that Raymond carried a diplomatic passport and thus was eligible for diplomatic immunity. It was stated that this was not true as his name was not on the diplomatic list at the time of the murder and it was later included after the murder had taken place and it was argued that Davis was not eligible for diplomatic immunity as per Vienna convention. However with due considerations as a friendly nation, Pakistan had extended all support and resolved the issue amicably.

The Time's News Network has related a story about Linda Howard, an American State Department employee in Ethiopia . In 2011 Howard had hired a native Domestic Aid agreeing to pay her $300 a month with all perks as per accepted norms. Whereas the Assistant had lodged a complaint  with the Enforcement Officials accusing  Howard of forced labor, involuntary servitude and human trafficking.
 The Aid was forced to work more than 80 hours a week for less than a dollar an hour.The Aid was  even raped and forced to engage in sexual acts with the Diplomat's husband Russel Howard. Linda Howard was sacked from her postings and a case in the Virginia State Court was slapped on her. By the time the court had found the couple guilty the duo had already fled the country for good. The Time's states "No efforts seems to have been  made by the U.S to track down  the Howards who committed felony on the federal property."  Well-done !! Uncle Sam Democracy!!!

Going by the facts one wonders how boisterously  the double standards of the Americans and their superior inordinate stance rule in almost all diplomatic relationships with all friendly nations. They wanna display their imposing superiority, come what may, and consider the other nations as servile and subordinate to them
"Oh!Say! Can you see by the dawn's early light 
 What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming..."
 Well done!!! Uncle Sam Democracy. Well-done!!! SATYAM EVA JAYATE!!! JAY HIND !!!

  

77. ISLAM FORBIDS SEXUAL STIMULANTS.-PART FOUR

§  Islam further bans nudity and displaying women's physical attractions. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Aaraaf [The Heights] (6:26):“Oh ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. However, the raiment of righteousness, that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!”

§  Islam instructs women allowed to appear before lawful relatives to do so with casual clothes and ornamentations. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Nur [The Light] (24:31):“ …and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. In addition, Oh ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss”.

§  Islam bans a woman to travel alone. A woman must travel with an immediate relative described earlier as Mahram. This escort or companion must be one of the following relatives: a husband, a father, a brother, or a relative whom she is not allowed to marry on a permanent basis. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, which read as follows: “A woman must not travel without a Mahram. No male must enter the privacy of a woman without an immediate Mahram is available with that woman. A man raised a question to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: Oh Messenger of Allah! My wife set out to perform pilgrimage while I have registered for such and such Ghazwah [Fighting Troops, what should I do?]. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed the man as follows: Go and join your wife for pilgrimage” [20].

76. ISLAM FORBIDS SEXUAL STIMULANTS. PART THREE.

§  Islam prohibits sitting alone, for an extensive period, with young men, i.e., minor males, especially the attractive looking ones among them. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said, which read as follows: “The fornication of the eye is to look [at unlawful items or actions]. The fornication of the tongue is to speak [using unlawful words, phrases, terminology, descriptions and stories]. The fornication of the hand is to commit [unlawful acts or actions]. The fornication of the foot is to walk [even steps] to an unlawful place or activity. The fornication of the ear is to listen [to unlawful items such as songs, stories, words, secrets and the like]. Yet, the human soul wishes for all of that or promises to obtain. However, the private parts would either confirm [any of these actions and activities] or falsify them”.

§  Islam bans male Muslims to be alone with any female, other than immediate relatives that are not permissible for marriage, or a spouse. Such privacy may lead to satanic seduction. Consequently, this may lead to adulterous acts or fornication. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said, which read as follows: “Any man, who sits in privacy with a female, [whom he can marry], would be accompanied by Satan as the third companion to the two” [17].

            In fact, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained the best method to be with a female saying, which read as follows: “A man must not be alone with a woman, unless one of her male (Mahram) immediate relatives [i.e., a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a nephew, a grandson] is present with them” [18].

§  Islam further bans any mingled activities. This is because such activities and meeting may lead to suspicious relationships between non-related males and females. In fact, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Ahzab [The Confederates] (33:53):“And when ye ask [his one of his wives] for anything ye want ask them from behind a barrier [partition]: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs”.

            Professor Muhammad Qutub in his book, 'Man between Materialism and Islam', comments as follows:" Innocent co-ed was a mammoth myth came from the West [i.e., Europe and the North Hemisphere]. The West, at the beginning wanted to treat its' sexual pressure. The Western social scientists and psychologists exaggerated the immense value of co-ed. Later, they denied it all and never mentioned it after that. They truly discovered the real picture and results of co-ed. As such, physiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists withdrew completely from their previous opinion regarding co-ed. Those even denied slow dance [innocent] parties, co-ed tea parties, and co-ed picnics under the supervision of parents and teachers.

§   Today, the same scholars claim that any co-ed meeting would stir the sex and not the opposite. The personal feelings may be suppressed, or they are forced to be suppressed because of social circumstances. At other times, such personal feelings would be suppressed due to shyness before other people. Consequently, suppression of personal feelings would instigate psychological or mental anxiety and apprehension. Such anxiety occurs because of the social co-ed meetings. At such point, one of two things may take place. A young male may seek a different place where he can freely practice his personal feelings and emotions without any barriers or controls. Or else, the young male would remain under severe anxiety that may lead to certain disorders. Therefore, we can easily wonder: "What an innocent meeting these co-ed meetings are!"

§  Islam bans a wife to describe the physical details of another woman. This is so to prevent the slightest attraction of that married man to the other woman. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, which read as follows: “A woman must not see another woman [exposed in a private females meeting], then describes the details of that woman to her husband” [19].

§  Islam bans women to get out of their homes wearing full make up and perfume. Such a practice would attract the attention of males to them. As such, the woman may be trapped into unlawful relationships with males who are awaiting such opportunities.

            Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Ahzab [The Confederates] (33:33):“And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance”.

            In fact, Islam bans a female to speak softly and in an attractive tone with a male who is not related to her. This practice is a mean of protection for the female against males who are desirous for adultery and fornication. A female Muslim must speak with a male only as necessary. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Ahzab [The Confederates] (33:33):“Oh Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any of the [other] women: if ye do fear [Allah], be not too complaisant of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech [that is] just”.

75. ISLAM FORBIDS SEXUAL STIMULANTS-PART TWO

§  Moreover, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, which read as follows: “The look [of the eyesight] is a poisonous arrow of Iblis [Satan]”[13].

            Imam Ibn-ul-Qayyim had observed on this issue as follows: "While eyesight or eye contact is the beginning of the sexual stimulants, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) began with it first, prior to the protection and chastising of the private parts. In fact, all sexual force begins with an eye contact. Similarly, the greatest fire begins with the smallest fire spark. A person begins with an unlawful look, then this develops into a thought in the mind and heart, then this develops into a step or an action of movement towards the sexual partner, and finally this would end up in a sin of an unlawful sexual intercourse. Therefore, the prophet said: 'whoever preserves the following four items, would surely preserve his faith. These are as follows:

1.   Eyesight or looks and gaze.

2.   [Evil] thoughts that cross the mind and heart.

3.   [Sexually seductive] words those are uttered [with evil and unlawful intention] or flirting with women or men.

4.   Steps [that lead to unlawful sexual practices] [14].

            Furthermore, as it is potentially possible to unlawfully glance at something, Muslims are commanded not to prolong such unlawful looks. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) which read as follows: “Oh Ali [Listen]! Don't continue with looking [at unlawful items], as the first look is [permitted] for you, while the second is not” [15].

            Islam urged and encouraged its followers and Believers to seek the Pleasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) by protecting their looks. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, which read as follows:“ Whoever lowers his gaze by not looking at the charms of a [stranger] woman, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) would substitute him for this with a faith, which he would feel its sweetness in his heart” [16].

§  Islam ordains both adult and mature males and females to seek permission prior entering any private residence. Such permission, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) knows best, is ordained in order to avoid looks at any unlawful scene. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Nur [The Light] (24:58):“ Oh ye who believe! Let those whom your right hands possess, and the [children] among you who have not come of age ask your permission [before they come to your presence], on three occasions, before morning prayer; the while you take off your clothes for the noonday heat; and after the late-night prayer: these are your three times of undress: outside these times it is not wrong for you or for them to move about attending to each other: thus does Allah make clear the Signs to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom”.

            In addition, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Nur (24:59):“ But when the children among you come of age, let them [also] ask for permission, as do those senior to them [in age]: thus does Allah make clear His Signs to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom”.

§  Islam bans impersonation for both sexes; males and females. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)is reported to have said, which read as follows:“ May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) curse impersonating men [as females], and may Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) curse impersonating females [as males]”.

Islam bans listening to sexually oriented songs and the like. Naturally, such acts would mentally prepare and lead normal people to commit unlawful and banned sexual practices. In fact, Muslim scholars of early generations described sexually motivating songs and singings: "It is the essential means for committing adultery".

74. ISLAM FORBIDS SEXUAL STIMULANTS.

Islam and Sexual Stimulants

Islam bans all procedures that escort to arouse the sex other than the acceptable. Islam, out of precautious, bans all behavior that lead to unauthorized practices. It is a bare fact that when a person is sexually aroused and overwhelmed with sexual emotions he would be tempted to involve even in prevented courses. Such a person will not hesitate to resort to any means to gratify his sexual passions. Such a sexually charged and aroused person may tend to discharge such drive unlawfully. The sexual prevention may be attained with mutual consent of the two parties involved, or by force, or rape. Both, adults and minors may participate in such unlawful activities. Some individuals may tend to discharge it by another unlawful mean that is homosexual, lesbian, or masturbation. All the above-cited forms are unlawful in Islam.

Means to Restrict Stimulants

Islam commands to apply the following methodology in order to restrict sexual intercourse:

§  Islam commands parents to separate male and female children, who reach the age of puberty and maturity as they sleep? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, which read as follows: “Command your children to [begin] offering prayers [on a regular basis] at age seven. [Then] discipline them if they do not maintain it [on a regular basis] when they become ten years of age. [Moreover] separate [male children from females] when they sleep at that age” [12].

            Islam ordains, through Allah's Messenger's command and instruction (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to avoid any contact between males and females while sleeping together alone in the same bed or room. Such contact may arouse the potential sexual urges.

§  Islam ordains that Muslim women be segregated from stranger males. This is ordained, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) knows best, in order to maintain the honor and preserve the dignity of both and in order to avoid any sexual intimacy between both. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Ahzab [The Confederates] (33:59):“Oh Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons [when abroad]: that is most convenient, that they should be known [as such] and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”.

            Islam, however, gave a permission to the elder, unmarriageable ladies, who are neither sexually desirous nor sexually attractive, to wear normal modest attire such as long garments and basic head cover [other than covering the face] and do not wear any facial makeup, to appear as such before stranger males. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Nur [The Light] (24:60):“Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no blame on them if they lay aside their [outer] garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty: but it is best for them to be modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knows all things”.

Islam commands to protect and lower the eyesight against all unlawful scenes. Eyesight may generate a sexual desire in the eyes of the beholder. As such, this may develop later on to a wanting, eager and meditating evil desire, and eventually executing these desires, unlawfully. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in Quran Sura Nur [The Light] (24:30-31):“Say to the Believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what [must ordinarily] appear thereof…”

73. THOSE SCHOOLDAYS FULL OF ACTIVITIES.

I was then doing my school final in R.K.Sreerangammal Kalvi Nilayam, a high school in Coimbatore. The Pre University was not yet started and the eleventh standard had public examination. I had my initiation in the school at the eighth standard. The school was just opposite to the Stanes Anglo Indian School in Avanashi Road and it was about two kilometers away from our house at Mohammedan lane, Nawab Hakim Road Coimbatore.

Most students used to fetch lunch packs to school from home. I was not that fortunate to carry one to school, as the lunch would not be ready by then. Therefore I would make a run during the lunch break to and fro the Gandhi Memorial Library situated in the Chidambaram Pillai Park, about a kilo meter and plus from the school. I was a lover of the books and the library was a God-given heaven for me. The hunger in the heart and mind was more enduring than the hunger I could feel in the stomach. The forty-five minutes of lunch break was so little a time for me to go through the many thousands of books stacked in the racks.

Nevertheless, I took pleasure in my very standing there in front of the huge reference books racks and now sitting on the chair with the huge Encyclopedia Americana on the enormous table. I felt swollen with pride to see me sitting with many academics sitting buried in big bound voluminous books of their own interest. I used to hang around larger volumes of Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries very often than not in my expedition to identify with many a high-sounding word and they trapped my very fancy.

On Sundays, I would skip my breakfast at home and run all the way to the library before the time it would open its portals. I had no vehicle whatsoever as a means of transportation and I depended never on pocket money from my parents, and that was unknown to me then.  I never needed money for anything. I instituted a short cut those days to the school and to the library. I would run through the small Maniathottam lane, reach the City Municipal High School ground compound wall, climb up and jump down in the ground  then run to the opposite locked school gate opening on Avanashi Road, jump over it and sail through the Kattor road to accomplish the goal.

This would take me scarcely ten minutes to reach the target. That made me brisker than most of my age group in my class. I owe so much to my dad until the end of time, who would regularly train me in patience, endurance and survival strategies in several ways. On Sundays and other school holidays the library was my residence would not move elsewhere skipping morning breakfast and midday meals. I was never hungry

72.LIFE AFTER MY DEAR DAD'S DEATH.

There was not  even a very small breathing space that I could uncover to take a bit of a break; nowhere could I bury myself  in that big house of ours, to be free and to be in seclusion, to look intently at my unfortunate plight or to shed tears for my dear and departed dad, unobserved. Fate is not a prophet and it does not portend what would happen and when. Everything ominously crash-landed all of a sudden on our family from a sinister stellar body. I felt as though I was thoroughly deranged. I started a sort of feeling as though the whole of my body was cracking down. I had shooting dull pain all over the body, more so in my swooning head and the swollen legs. I badly needed rest now.

Relatives all sorts of them, men, women and children in all hues and several shapes were lying everywhere  in our  house, stacked and bundled as though they were all set to be exported overseas. My unhinged young mom just fourteen years older than me  and four younger brother and sisters,  the eldest of whom was not more than twelve and the youngest, less than three were left all alone, uncared for, in the middle room. They seemed half-slept and half-awake, lying snuggled to my sobbing mom.

How soon the fate had ransacked my young innocent life and shouldered on me the load of responsibilities of the family. I was still to complete fifteen. The entire day had full of different sorts of work of which I was never before accustomed to. I was the center of all the concentration now, be they the routine sacraments or explicit family related tasks I was vital for taking decision, this was so even for the trivial sort of matters too.  There were obligations and tasks that only I was projected to carry out. Mother would want me to have a break come what may, while granddad and grand mom would want me to see that the meals to be fixed for the extra people unpredictably arrived at home. Uncles would often ask if the death certificate applied for would reach us in time etc. There was no one to see if I had had my breakfast or lunch, if so when and where.

71. IMAM ABDEL WAHHAB'S LATER DOCTRINE

Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab declared that Islam protected by the Ottoman Sultan was not the true Islam, implying that the sultan was not the legitimate leader of the ummah. The Wahhabis held that the Arabs were worthier than the Turks with regard to imamete or leadership. Thus the authority of the Ottoman rule was rejected and challenged. When the rapid expansion of the Wahhabi movement was reported to Istanbul, the Ottoman Caliph, Sultan Mahmud II, urged Muhammad 'Ali Pasha, the governor of Egypt, to drive the Wahhabis out of the holy cities. Under the Caliphal instruction, Muhammad 'Ali Pasha launched a series of military attacks on Wahhabi-controlled territories. In 1818, he reached Dariyya and captured the capital of the Wahhabi-Saudi alliance (Troeller, p. 14).

Although the Wahhabi movement was put down, its expansion did not fade away. After the recovery and restoration of the Saudi dynasty, 'Abd al-'Aziz, Son of 'Abd al-Rahman, entered Riyadh in 1901 and the Saudi dynasty regained authority while regions of Najd, Hijaz, Makkah, Madina, and Jeddah were all also occupied. After an international recognition of hereditary authority or kingship of the Saudi family, new developments in the political arena facilitated the consolidation of the Saudi-Wahhabi alliance as a nation-state.

Later Developments in the Wahhabi World

The Wahhabi world could not remain aloof from the changing nature of world events and patterns of international relations in the modern era. New developments in different spheres of life rapidly occurred. Today the Wahhabi doctrine is supported by the political power of the state as the official form of Islam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it has been from the outset of the Wahhabi-Saudi alliance. The members of the royal family seem to be advocates of the Wahhabi ideology. The mufti and the chief qadi come from the House of Shaykhs. The courts are largely Wahhabi in character. The spread of education and the improvement of communication systems have made it easier to transmit the Wahhabi doctrines to different segments of [the] population.

Under the influence of new developments and toleration of less-strict rulers, the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia have shown a growing openness towards not only non-Wahhabi Muslims, but also non-Muslims. The Shi'ites of the Eastern regions used to be unwelcome residents in the eyes of the governments, but gradually they have seen their situation improve and the Wahhabi King has been an honoured guest at official functions in Shi'ite towns.

COURTESY: ISLAMIC ENCYCLOPEDIA

70. IMAM ABDEL WAHHAB'S PURITANIC TEACHINGS

Following practices may lead the believer to shirk according to the Wahhabis:

To visit the tombs of saints to gain God's favour.

To introduce a name of a prophet, of a saint or of an angel into prayer.

Seeking intercession from any being but God.

Interpretation of the Qur'an by ta'wil.

According to Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab's system, attendance at public prayer is obligatory, smoking of tobacco is forbidden and subject to punishment, shaving the beard and the use of abusive language are also to be punished.

With regard to fundamental basis of Islam, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab places a great emphasis on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He attacks the blind acceptance of authority in religious matters in general, thus comes to oppose the earlier 'uluma' who lack independent thinking. He finds it essential to go beyond the medieval authorities to the Sunnah of early generations. Rejecting qiyas, he recognizes only two major authorities: the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) along with the precedents and the ijma' of the Companions. In Wahhabi mentality, a number of concepts were given a prior importance such as tawhid, shirk and bid'at (innovation) mentioned above.

Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab distinguishes between dar al-Islam and dar al-harb extending the scope of dar al-harb to some other Muslim countries which he regards as having 'unlawful' societies. Therefore those who live in dar al-harb where there is no freedom have to perform hijrah, emigrating from every country in which shirk and kufr are apparent. Another usage of hijrah appears in Wahhabi texts as a spiritual understanding which necessitates keeping away from all sinful things, forbidden by God and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Helm, p. 87).

Any kind of political division of the ummah and civil war were regarded as fitnah, social disturbance. The first fitnah appeared under 'Ali's Caliphate when the Kharijites left him. Wherever a fitnah occurs, it must be abolished by declaring a jehad, holy war. The followers of Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab had been indoctrinated to believe that the opponents of the Wahhabi cause were enemies of Islam who should be fought against (Yessini, p. 64).

COURTESY: ISLAMIC ENCYCLOPEDIA.

69. IMAM MUHAMMED ABDEL WAHHAB'S INFLUENCE ON ISLAM

Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab wrote on various Islamic subjects such as theology, exegesis, jurisprudence and on the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). His works were collected and published in twelve volumes under the title of Mu'allafat al-shaykh al-Imam Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab by the Islamic University of Imam Muhammad Ibn Sa'ud.

In his works, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab denounced a number of beliefs and practices prevailing among the Muslim society. He begins his discourse by stressing the unity of God. He underlines the doctrine of tawhid, God's uniqueness as omnipotent Lord of creation. He stresses the unity of God in deserving worship and absolute devotion of the servants. He regards the associations of persons or things with the Lord as a violation of the doctrine of God's Oneness. Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab condemns the intercession, tawassul, which was applied and practised by a large number of Muslims during their prayer to God. He warns the believers against showing excessive devotion to saints and against the use of saints' graves as places of worship for tawassul.

 He considers these external elements polytheism, shirk. He seeks to purify the Muslim community from any such kind of external elements by returning to the ways of the Prophet (pbuh) and the first generations of pious Muslims. Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab states that the true Islam is that of the first generations (al-Salaf al-Salih) and protests against all those later innovations as superstitious accretions which brought what he calls 'new gods' into Islam. As a result of this attitude to Sufi tradition, the Wahhabis felt that it was an obligation upon them to destroy all the existing alien components. Accordingly, they attacked the graves of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), tombs of saints, or anything associated with popular veneration like trees or stones. An obvious example of this zealous hatred was seen when the Wahhabis plundered Karbala, a Shi'ia holy city, and destroyed Husayn's tomb. [5]

Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab rejected all kinds of innovations, defined by him as any doctrine or action not based on the Qur'an, Sunnah or on the authority of the Companions. Among the innovations are practices such as celebrating the Prophet's birth, the use of rosary, adding minarets and ornaments to mosques, etc. Following practices may lead the believer to shirk according to the Wahhabis:

COURTESY;ISLAMIC ENCYCLOPEDIA.

68. AHLE TOWHEED'S MOST IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DOCTRINES.

Ibn Taymiyyah's teachings had three main implications for Wahhabi doctrines:

1. Concerning State and Religion: According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the 'ulama' are responsible for the protection of the Divine Law. A government is regarded as Islamic by virtue of the support it gives to Islam and to the 'ulama'. One can accept the rule of anyone who follows the Shariah. This understanding had an important effect on the Wahhabi ideology that accepted al-Sa'ud's dynasty as a legitimate and hereditary Islamic government after taking refuge in Dariyya, a territory controlled by [the] al-Sa'ud family.

2. Concerning the Sources of True Islam: Ibn Taymiyyah strives for the pure form of Islam in his enduring pursuit of Divine reality like Ibn Hanbal. Ibn Taymiyyah turns to the Qur'an and the Sunnah as the basis of the Divine law, refusing any accretions of later developments after the initial pristine years of the salaf, the first three generations of Islam. He insists on eliminating all the foreign elements which do not reflect the authentic core of Islam and the purity of Islamic teachings. The idea of going back to the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah with a puritanical attitude ignoring later fiqhi schools was adopted and applied by Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab as against the majority of medieval scholars and rejecting ijtihad based on the qiyas (analogy or logical reasoning).

3. Concerning Sufi Doctrines and Practices: In the light of recent scholarly works, Ibn Tayymiyyah is said to have been a Sufi of the Qadiriyyah Order. But he regards the idea of mystical unity with God and ecstatic aspects of Sufism as un-Islamic; therefore he rejects these teachings. It should be noted that he did not reject Sufism itself but denounced intercession, saint veneration and grave cults. [3] Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab, inspired from the above notion, developed his doctrine to such an extent that the Wahhabis are said to have opened the Prophet's mausoleum and removed any relics.

COURTESY: ISLAMIC ENCYCLOPEDIA.

67.WAHHABIS ARE NOT THE FOLLOWERS OF ANY PARTICULAR DENOMINATION,THEY ARE THE PURITANS IN ISLAM

The title Wahhabi was given to the followers of Shaykh Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab by his Muslim opponents. People to whom the Wahhabi name was applied have rejected this opprobrious label. [1] Instead, the Wahhabis called themselves ahl al-tawhid (People of Unity or Muwahhidun), those who profess the doctrine of the Unity of God. [It is not that any section of Islam claims not to be a Mauwahhid (i.e., believer in the Unity/Oneness of God), but merely that the Wahhabis have appropriated to themselves this title.] - Editor

The founder, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab, was born in Uyayna in Najd in 1703. His father and grandfather were Hanbalite qadis, thus he was brought up and educated in this tradition. He studied in famous learning centres - Medina, Basra, Baghdad, Hamadan, etc. - spending many years in travel during which he perused philosophy and Sufism. After having completed his studies, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab returned to Uyayna where he publicly preached his doctrines and met both success and opposition. The governor of Uyayna was asked to expel Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab as a consequence of disputes caused by his teachings. [2]

Implications of Ibn Taymiyyah's Views For Wahhabi Thought

Before examining the doctrines of Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab, I would like to analyse the influence of Ibn Taymiyyah on Wahhabi thought. This analysis will throw light on the development of the Wahhabi movement and its doctrinal relation with the teachings of Ibn Taymiyyah who seems to me as a prototype for Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab.

The originator of the Wahhabiyah movement had been a Sufi adept in his youth, but later came under the influence of Ibn Taymiyyah's writings. Ibn Taymiyyah's teachings had three main implications for Wahhabi doctrines:

1. Concerning State and Religion: According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the 'ulama' are responsible for the protection of the Divine Law. A government is regarded as Islamic by virtue of the support it gives to Islam and to the 'ulama'. One can accept the rule of anyone who follows the Shariah. This understanding had an important effect on the Wahhabi ideology that accepted al-Sa'ud's dynasty as a legitimate and hereditary Islamic government after taking refuge in Dariyya, a territory controlled by [the] al-Sa'ud family.

courtesy:the Islamic encyclopedia.

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66.INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJIOON. MY DAD DIED PEACEFULLY.

 One Thursday night my mom took all of us to dad's  bed. He was very dreadfully emaciated. He looked at me, called me by his side, and seemed to try saying something. Nevertheless, he could not.  It was very difficult for him to even breathe.We all had no idea what was going on. Soon after that, I had returned to my study and others to their task. It was early in the morning the next day, the azan was going on, a Friday it was, mom rushed madly to where I was sleeping weeping and sobbing with dreadfulness.

She had sent me for the grandmother of my only friend Ghouse Khan living opposite to our house. The old woman came with her son Azeez bhai and they pronounced that my dearest dad was already dead. I remained shocked, dumbfound and dreadful for a completely long period. Untold grief and gloom settled everywhere in our family. An unforeseen and unpredictable ‘something’ had traumatized our very life of existence. The future looked ominous and direction less.

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJIOON.

“O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.

And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah:”They are dead.” Nay, they are living, though ye perceive it not.

Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

Who say, when afflicted with calamity:”To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.”

They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

The Quran: Chap 2:153 to 157.

64. MY DAD'S LAST DAYS AND FINANCIAL DEPRESSION.

My dad retired from his service and resorted to his intellectual pursuit.

I was hardly fifteen then and had not completed my school and likewise all my sisters and brother were younger than I was. My mom was hardly thirty then. The pension offered to my dad was nowhere near adequate. The rent from the shops plus his private practice as medical practitioner somewhat helped us get through.

 Financial depression started as and when we all grew. Time went on and my dad grew old. He led a hermit’s life now, not seeing anyone even within our family. He would be mostly in his room isolated from the outside world praying and meditating what he called the blissful tranquility. Most of the time, he was on bed, mostly.

There was not enough of money coming in now from his medical practice. His pension was scanty and there was much more to spend for.

There was no one from either of our family worth leaning on for support. My father would rather die a lonely death than would come within reach of some for support of any kind. His friends’ visits were rare now. The total burden of running the family rested on my mother’s shoulder now. We resorted to raising loans from the shops given on rent, and the tenants had their own version of accounts, neither dad nor I had access to them.

I remember to have observed my dad raising loans from moneylenders for our daily livelihood in those times of penury-ridden spell. We have heard of Kabuliwalah a character in Rabindranath Tagore’s stories. Jumeirath khan was such a Kabuli walah from whom my dad used to raise loans very often, say for the expanses of Ramadan and Bakrid. The khan was unkind and hard headed man. He was just money minded. My dad could not return the money in time as promised, and this made him horribly angry against my dad. He spoke very harshly to my dad when he was returning from the masjid, one evening.