Salam
Yes, it does feel a little odd writing these words, a post in support of Shaykh Yasir Qadhi’s views on Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahab!
Rumours of a Change: I had heard some months back from someone in America that there had been a seismic shift in Shaykh Yasir’s opinion regarding the revered Mujaddid (renewer) of the Salafi-Wahabi movement. This information was coupled with online extracts from an academic work where Shaykh Yasir was quoted regarding his change in views.
The Podcast: But, as the hadith states, “News of a matter is not like witnessing it directly….” It was, therefore, refreshing to hear him directly and courageously discussing this issue (albeit briefly) in his recent Mad Mamluks podcast along with an apology for some of his harsh statements regarding Sayyid Muhammad bin Alawi al-Maliki (God have mercy on him). I must admit, it was amazing to hear some of his statements which echoed almost exactly the position of the landmark book on the movement recently authored by the Jordanian scholar: Shaykh Uthman al-Nablusi.
Furious Counter Response: As expected, a furious counter response is underway for this criticism of Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahab. This is to be expected, as once the Mujaddid of a movement is proven to be an extremist, the whole foundation of the movement collapses.
His Reasoning: Shaykh Yasir did not detail in depth the reasons why he labelled Shaykh Ibn Abdul Wahab the ideological forefather of ISIS and a takfiri. We did, however, deliver a lecture this past Ramadan where we presented the quotes which Shaykh Yasir was alluding to. They can be found in the videos below which can be viewed as a defence for the statements made in the podcast.
To conclude: God bless Shaykh Yasir Qadhi and protect him. It takes courage to change ones fundamental views and express them so openly. The orthodox Arab Sunni scholars may not agree with every point made in the podcast, but there is more than enough common ground presented in it to build bridges between communities and organisations. More importantly, we hope it is a turning point in the West to tackling the poisonous hate filled takfiri dawah contained in the works of the Najdi movement.
Falsity of Denials of Najdi Scholars Regarding their Extremism
Evidence of Being Takfiri
Takfir of Ottomans & Murder of Opponents
Extreme Fatwas of “Third Wave” Najdi Scholars