Re: Debate over the Prophets Passing (PBUH)
The word 'Wahhabi' is a derogatory term. For those who do not know Wahhab is one of the 99 glorious names of Allah and the man's name was Abdul Wahhab **(i.e slave of Wahhab) *and he was a reviver of the true ways of the Ahl us Sunnah in the Arabian Peninsula as per the methodology of the blessed first three generations of Muslims who are known as the *''Salaf''.
This is highly misleading. What you have mentioned are not 'sunni' beliefs at all rather they are barelvi beliefs. And all the 4 madhabs of Ahl us Sunnah have unanimously agreed that the Barelvi aqeedah is one of shirk (**Note: **This does not mean that common Barelvis are kaafir since ignorance is an excuse from takfir). Outside the subcontinent, Barelvis and their beliefs are seen as a joke.
You mean the differences between Barelvis and Ahl us Sunnah?
My responses are in brown font:
[TABLE="width: 662"]
Sunnis
Wahabis
Differences
1
Sunni believe that Allah is everywhere, has no body, form (physical or whatever), place, or direction, free from time and space. Position and state of Allah is constant (never changes), nor depends on Allah creating anything or not.
The way Allah was, Allah is, and Allah will be. For Allah past, present and future is same.
For Sunnis, throne of Allah is power he has over his creation. Sitting on throne (Astawa on kursi) is metaphorical (just like one says, a king sat on throne)
Wahabis are Anthropomorphist (Mujassami) who believe that Allah has hands, legs, eyes, fingers, face, foot, etc … in other words, has form just like human … or Allah created humans in his own image ... or humans are born in image of Allah (Nauzobillah)
For Wahabis, state of Allah changes (that means, his past, present and future is not same). Allah depends on what Allah created (for instance, once he created throne, he sat on throne).
Wahabis beliefs came from Abdul Wahab following Ibn Tamiya, according to whose statement and thinking, if one says that Allah has no physical body, then one has decided that there is no God, because the existence cannot be true without physical feature (for Sunnis this belief in itself is kufr). Ibn Tamiya was sent to Prison on charges of heresy (he was arrested and convicted of preaching heretic beliefs).
(Most vital)
Allah is certainly **not **everywhere.
“In this connection, a hadith has been related by Malik in his Muwatta' and by Muslim in his Sahih, that Muawiya ibn al-Hakam came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and told him, "I am very newly from the Jahiliyya, and now Allah has brought Islam," and he proceeded to ask about various Jahiliyya practices, until at last he said that he had slapped his slave girl, and asked if he should free her, as was obligatory if she was a believer. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) requested that she be brought, and then asked her, "Where is Allah?" and she said, "Above the sky (Fi al-sama)"; whereupon he asked her, "Who am I?" and she said, "You are the Messenger of Allah"; at which he said, Free her, "for she is a believer" (Sahih Muslim)”
Even Pharaoh, the enemy of Allah who disputed with Moosa (peace be upon him) about his Lord, told his minister Haman (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Haman! Build me a tower that I may arrive at the ways, - the ways of the heavens, and I may look upon the god of Moosa …" [40:36-37]
Having said that this issue is a matter of great controversy between the asharis and salafis. But the Barelvis have no place in this debate. Both Salafis and Asharis reject Barelvi aqeedah.
2
Sunnis believe that Prophet (SAW) and Saints would be given permission from Allah to intercede on judgment day, and Allah would accept their intercession.
Wahabis do not believe on intercession.
(Most vital)
There are no saints in Islam. However yes the Prophet can intercede as well as the martyrs. We 'wahhabis' do not dispute this.
4
Sunnis believe that Prophets (AS) are born Prophets and they know that. Prophets (AS) does not go through any test nor can do any sin. They (AS) are created for the purpose of reminding people what people already promised Allah before their birth.
Prophets (AS) declares their prophet-hood when Allah wants them to. Whatever Prophets (AS) did in this world is just for consumption of people, who learn or get guided from Prophets’ life.
Wahabis consider Prophets (AS) just like any human being, whom Allah chose to be Prophet, and that they do not have any inherent special status above humans.
(Vital)
A Prophet is not born a Prophet. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was not a Prophet before the age of 40. Prophets only become Prophets at the time of the first wahy (revelation). The case of Ibrahim (as) is a classic example of this
The Prophet (saw) was confused and scared at the time of his first revelation and did not know what had happened. Khadijah (ra) had to take the Prophet (saw) to her Christian cousin Waraqa bin Nawfil to ask about what had happened.
Clearly he did not know what had happened and he certainly wasn't born knowing that he was a Prophet.
6
Sunnis believe that one can ask Allah directly or using Prophet (SAW) and Saints (pious people) as intermediaries. Though preferred method is asking through intermediaries.
Sunnis also consider that it is better if one recites Darood on Prophet (SAW), before asking from Allah anything.
Wahabis do not believe in using name of Prophet (SAW) or pious individuals as intermediaries when asking Allah, and consider this practice as shirk or polytheism.
(Vital)
Did the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah use intermediaries?
7
Sunnis consider takfeer (declaring Muslims as kafir … for whatever reason) as biggest sin that would lead a person to hell.
Wahabis do takfeer all the time, right, left and centre … and consider takfeer as their right.
(Vital)
The biggest sin is shirk. Not takfir.
When we have people claiming that their 12 imams are nauzubillah divine or infallible or that the Quran has been changed (as some shias do) or they start worshipping graves like Barelvis then it is obvious shirk. We prefer to call a spade a spade.
8
Sunnis do not use ayahs in Quran on Muslims that is meant for Kuffars.
Wahabis use Quranic ayahs meant for Kuffars on Muslims.
(Vital)
This is an unsubstantiated allegation.
9
Sunnis celebrate Eid-e-Milad-ul-Nabi, a form of gathering where people jointly remember, praise and celebrate day Prophet (SAW) was born.
Even though Sunnis show love and remembrance towards Prophet (SAW) every day, Sunnis consider Eid-e-Milad-ul-Nabi as special occasion for showing love and respect for Prophet (SAW).
Wahabi do not believe in celebrating Eid-e-Milad-ul-Nabi … rather they oppose it using all tricks they have (including violence), calling it wrongful, innovation and sinful.
(Important)
The majority of Ulema of the 4 madhabs of Ahl us Sunnah reject the practise of Milad al Nabi. The only exceptions were Ibn Hajr and Imam Suyuti. Otherwise the majority of all classical ulema agree that this is a bidah.
And on the day of judgement the people who introduced Bidah will be turned away from the Prophet (saw) at the Lake of Kauthar, no matter how pious they may have been.
10
Sunnis commemorate the day Saints and known religious personalities died with dedication and enthusiasm, calling that day as Urs.
Wahabis call/consider these practices (Urs) as unlawful, wrongful innovations, shirk or polytheism, doing propaganda that Sunnis got it from Hindus.
(Important)
Urs and visiting shrines is both bidah and shirk.
It is haram to build anything on top of a grave. Be it a tomb or anything else at all.
According to all 4 madhabs~Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali it is bidah and a grave major sin to build anything on top of a grave.
This is the number one reason why Ahl us Sunnah rejects Barelvis and it is why Barelvis have become a laughing stock worldwide. No scholar of Islam outside the Barelvi group has ever permitted it and Ahl us Sunnah is unanimous on the sinfulness of building structures over graves.
And yes any bidah in Islam is unacceptable. Urs and all these commemmorations are pure bidah bidah bidah and even shirk.
11
Sunnis do not believe that death means end, rather it is movement from this world to next (inteqal), where Ruh are alive, can see us, can listen to us, and can pray for us.
Alam-e-Barzakh = world beyond curtain (world that we cannot see, though they can see us)
Sunnis visit mausoleums, tombs, shrines of saints, and consider graves as doorway between this world and next.
Sunnis ask saints at their mausoleums to pray for them, and believe saints’ tawassul for the blessings of Allah.
Wahabis consider this believe of Sunnis as great sin.
For Wahabis, once a person is dead, he in any form is no more there, thus a dead person can do nothing, not even pray for anyone.
(Important)
No the occupants of the grave can not pray or intercede for anyone. This has no evidence from the Quran or authentic ahadeeth.
None of these beliefs have any daleel (evidence) from the Quran or authentic ahadeeth.
12
Sunnis believe on Saints and Sufis, and believe on healing powers of taweez coming from pious saints
Wahabis do not believe on saints, or on taweez.
Yes we proudly reject the very concept of sainthood.
And taweez does not protect anyone. Rather it is Allah who protects.
13
Sunnis follow fiqah or Islamic laws given by one of 4 imans Hanfi, Hanbali, Malaki and Shafi.
Wahabis do not follow fiqah of Sunni Imams though claim they follow Imam Hanbal. Wahabis mostly follow Wahabi sheikh.
Uhh...its Barelvis who do not follow the teachings of any of the 4 madhabs of Ahl us Sunnah. However they claim to follow the madhab of Imam Abu Haneefah although they do not.
Grave worship, building structures over graves, visiting the graves of the pious dead and seeking their intercession has been rejected by all 4 imams and madhabs of Ahl us Sunnah.
14
Sunni beliefs are taken from Quran, Sunnah of Prophet (SAW), and what later generation followed.
Wahabis take their teaching from understanding of Abdul Wahab, who was follower of Ibn Tamiya. Though Wahabi make tall claims that they follow Quran and Sunnah.
No, we take our understanding of Islam from the Quran and Hadeeth and the first three generations of Muslims who are known as the 'Salaf' and due to our strict observance of the Sunnah we recognise and reject any practise which was not done by the Prophet (saw) or the sahabah (ra)-whether that practise be Milad al Nabi, grave visiting, seeking the intercession of the dead and the construction of structures over graves.
15
Sunnis believe that Prophets (AS) know about their prophet-hood, their duty, and also shareet (if) they came with, from birth.
Prophets (AS) forgetting the purpose they were created from birth or at any time, means they themselves needs reminding (later in their life), and thus it would be flaw in them as well as flaw in their creation, that is impossible, as Allah creating them for a purpose, and Allah is flawless
Already refuted above. This false belief has no basis in either the Quran or Sunnah and has in fact been rejected by evidence from the Sirah during the time of Rasulallah (saw)'s first revelation.
The common problem with most brelwis is that if they believe in something they say it is the belief of Ahlul Sunnah wal Jammah and they do not have a clue about what the other Imams have said. This is a common trend among them though not all are like that.
I recommend the الموسوعة الفقيهة الكويتية The Kawati Fiqh Encyclopedia to those interested about learning the beliefs of all the schools of thought in Islam.