نشریه سلفی پژوهی
پیاپی 5 (بهار و تابستان 1396)

The terms Rabb (lord) and Ilah (god) are among the concepts that have an important role in human beliefs. Given their relevance, these two concepts are meticulously studied in this research. The object of research is to examine the relationship between these two terms from the perspectives of both Shia and Wahhabism. Assuming a relationship and rational concomitance between them, one that is characteristic of cause and effect, when one of them occurs, the other one too comes into being. A common example is the sun when it rises causing the horizon to become bright. According to Shia, there is rational concomitance between these two concepts in the sense that in the existence of Rabb, Ilah too would become existent. Some scholars like Ayatollah Subhani maintain that Rabb is the same as Ilah, and that the relationship is more than just a rational concomitance. Apparently, Wahhabism has conceded the rational concomitance between Rabb and Ilah but in practice they do not stick to it. They only maintain that Ilah incorporates the concept of Rabb and if a person attains and believes in divine unity, he will also believe in the oneness of Allah's lordship. Since Wahhabsim misinterprets these concepts and therefore labels others as polytheists, it is highly important to study them and draw out a conclusion.

One of the most important but controversial issues between Muslims and Wahhabism is the belief in divine unity or oneness of Allah. Keeping in view the assertions made by Wahhabism regarding the oneness of divine attributes, as well as the sayings of Sunni scholars, Wahhabis' belief in anthropomorphism is proved and established. Challenging Wahhabis to defend their thoughts would also expose the truth concerning their belief in anthropomorphism. That is because they have endeavored to purge themselves of this accusation through misleading words and phrases. The fact that the Wahhabis believe in anthropomorphism originates in their dogmas and fundamentals such as the negation of figurative verses and words in the Quran, considering khabari (informative) attributes as a part of the explicit verses, and validity of and adherence to the understanding of the predecessors. In view of these principles being opposed to solid and authentic evidence, Wahhabis maintain that this belief in the oneness of divine attributes and names are different from the belief of Ash'arites and Maturidis (who constitute the bulk of Sunni Muslims), Mu'tazilites, Shia, etc. Thus, they considered only themselves to be monotheists and true Ahl al-Sunnah.

The Jihadi Salafists referring to verse 44 of Chapter al-Maedah (and whoever did not judge by what Allah revealed, those are they that are the unbelievers) excommunicate the rulers of Muslim countries and accuse them of greater infidelity. They falsify the interpretation of the Prophet's great companion, Abdullah b. Abbas under the said verse, the interpretation which shakes the very basis of Takfiri foundation and which they even refuse to ascribe to Ibn Abbas. They have questioned the reliability and trustworthiness of Hisham b. Hujayr in the chain of transmission of the tradition claiming that an additional cause has been inserted in the text of the hadith. However, a careful examination of the chain and text of the hadith shall bring us to the conclusion that there is nothing in the tradition to harm the authenticity of Ibn Abbas' tradition which has been transmitted through various channels. Contrary to what they claim, early Muslim scholars and also Ibn Taymiyyah who is the theoretician of Salafism and also his students such as Ibn Qayyim not only have not opposed Ibn Abbas' tradition but they, on various occasions, have relied on it in their argumentation. If we examine the Islamic sources we will come to know that Muslim scholars have made use of this hadith in various theological, juridical and exegetic discussions.

Beseeching for help and invoking anyone than Allah was considered a polytheistic act by Ibn Taymiyyah in the eighth century. It has ever since turned into one of the most contentious issues between Salafists on the one hand and Muslims on the other. Referring to some Quranic verses and what it calls consensus of the Muslim Ummah, the former believe that seeking help from anyone other than Allah takes one out of the fold of Islam. Since it considers this act to be polytheistic in nature, it has been forced to present an analytical argument also to substantiate its claim. In this argument, it has been claimed that seeking help in other than Allah involves ascribing particular qualities and attributes of God to His servants and thus likening them to God which is a polytheistic act. The truth of the matter is that even divine prophets sought help in other Allah, not to mention the fact that based on the Quran and prophetic tradition which the Salafists also accept, the qualities which this group claims to belong to Allah are not prerogatives of Allah and that God's servants can also acquire them.

Unlike the opinion of the majority of Sunni scholars and prominent figures of Salafism such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim in affirming the hearing of the dead, contemporary Salafists do not have such an opinion. Basically, they deny that the dead have the faculty of hearing. The main reason they present in this connection comes from the apparent meanings of some of the Quranic verses including "you cannot make the dead hear" and "you cannot make hear those in the graves". In this connection, Albani has played the most prominent role in trying to prove the inability of the dead to hear. His explanation of these verses in proving the dead people's inability to hear is based on a similarity that has been drawn by the Quran in likening the infidels to the dead in terms of not being able to hear. The truth is that according to most Sunni scholars the similarity between the living infidels and the dead is that they do not benefit and make use of the prophet's call to the truth; it does not pertain to absolute inability to hear.

One of the most important but controversial issues between Muslims and Wahhabism is the belief in divine unity or oneness of Allah. Keeping in view the assertions made by Wahhabism regarding the oneness of divine attributes, as well as the sayings of Sunni scholars, Wahhabis' belief in anthropomorphism is proved and established. Challenging Wahhabis to defend their thoughts would also expose the truth concerning their belief in anthropomorphism. That is because they have endeavored to purge themselves of this accusation through misleading words and phrases. The fact that the Wahhabis believe in anthropomorphism originates in their dogmas and fundamentals such as the negation of figurative verses and words in the Quran, considering khabari (informative) attributes as a part of the explicit verses, and validity of and adherence to the understanding of the predecessors. In view of these principles being opposed to solid and authentic evidence, Wahhabis maintain that this belief in the oneness of divine attributes and names are different from the belief of Ash'arites and Maturidis (who constitute the bulk of Sunni Muslims), Mu'tazilites, Shia, etc. Thus, they considered only themselves to be monotheists and true Ahl al-Sunnah.