Dr Wasiyullāh Abbās: his call for cooperation with Ahlul-Bid’ah and his recommendation and support for Zakir Naik in 2016. Is he right or wrong?

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet, his family, his Companions and those who truly follow their way until the Day of Resurrection.

Zakir Bangladesh2

On the 5th Shawwal 1437H (10th July 2016) Shaikh Wasiyullah Abbas issued a statement defending Zakir Naik and calling upon Muslims to aid him and support him. Within this recorded statement, he mentions what he sees as many of the good efforts of this Zakir Naik. I believe that Shaikh Wasiyullah has once again erred in his assessment of a personality who clearly and persistently opposes the Salafi aqeedah and manhaj. I believe that this statement in support of Zakir Naik and support for his TV channel should be disregarded due to the overwhelming proofs showing the deviations of Zakir Naik. All of the students of knowledge that I know who understand English and have read and heard Zakir Naik agree that he should not be recommended, rather he is to be warned against. I will list just a small handful of the deviations of Naik here with relevant references:

1. Zakir Naik affirms the names of the Hindu gods as titles that Allah can be called by.

“It is mentioned in Rig Ved (One of the religious books of idol-worshipping Hindus) sages call One God by many names that means there are various names given to this One God. And Rig Ved alone gives no less than 33 different attributes of Almighty God most of which are mentioned in Rig Ved, Book no. 2, Hymn no. 1. And one of the beautiful attributes which is mentioned in Rig Ved of Almighty God is Brahma… Brahma means, ‘The Creator.’ If you translate into Arabic it means Khaliq. We Muslims have got NO objection if anyone calls Almighty God Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) as ‘Khaliq’ or ‘Creator’ or ‘Brahma’. …Another beautiful attribute which is given in Rig Ved, Book no. 2, Hymn no. 1 Verse no. 3, is Vishnu. Vishnu means “The Sustainer”. If you translate into Arabic it means ‘Rabb’. We Muslims have got NO objection if anyone calls Almighty God as ‘Rabb’, or ‘Cherisher’, ‘Sustainer’ or ‘Vishnu’…”

Reference with a fuller context and refutation: Click here

Wikipedia states: Brahma (/ˈbrəmɑː/; Brahmā) is the creator god in the Trimurti of Hinduism. He has four faces, looking in the four directions.[1] Brahma is also known as Svayambhu (self-born),[4]Vāgīśa (Lord of Speech), and the creator of the four Vedas, one from each of his mouths.

While Brahma is often credited as the creator of the universe and various beings in it, several Puranas describe him being born from a lotus emerging from the navel of the god Vishnu. Other Puranas suggest that he is born from Shiva or his aspects,[11] or he is a supreme god in diverse versions of Hindu mythology.

Vishnu [vɪʂɳu]; Sanskrit: विष्णु, Viṣṇu is one of the most significant deities in Hinduism. He is the form less Supreme God Svayam Bhagavan of Vaishnavism (one of the principal denominations of Hinduism).[1] He is also known as Narayana and Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition,[1] he is conceived as “the Preserver or the Protector”.

Naik may not affirm these descriptions for Allah, but he has clearly deviated by allowing the use of these idolatrous names for Allah. It is a grave deviation from the ‘aqeedah of Islam to take the names of the idols of the mushriks and ascribe them to Allah. The Names of Allah are known only by Revelation (tawqeefiyyah) and not by the misguided opinions of ignoramuses like Naik who speak concerning Allah without knowledge. Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) said: “So the Names of Allah are known only by way of revealed texts (tawqeefiyyah) and one halts at that which is reported by the legislation (the Sharee’ah), not increasing upon that and not decreasing. That is because the intellect cannot possibly reach, comprehend or encompass what Allah is deserving of in terms of Names.” Read here for a fuller discussion on Allah’s Names and Attributes by the great Scholar Ibn Uthaimeen (may Allah’s mercy be upon him).

2. Zakir Naik’s mockery of the Salafis, exaggeration and false accusations. Zakir does not claim attachment to Salafiyyah, he mocks, belittles and rebukes those who call themselves Salafi.

Once, in Riyadh, I went to meet Shaikh Ibn Baz (rahimahullah) when he was alive, I had gone to meet him. I went without appointment, his secretary asked me, who are you? I said, “I am a muslim”. “Which muslim are you? Which muslim are you?” I said, “Muslim.” “What is your Aqeedah?” I said, “Allah and Messenger.” “You question me , I will answer you.” If you want to question, then do it with me. He wished that I should say… In Saudi Arabia, there are no Ahle Hadees. In Saudi Arabia  there are Salafi. Few people know Ahle Hadees. There if you say Ahle Hadees, they won’t recognize you. In Saudi Arabia there are Salafi. Because I did not say that I am a salafi, he did not permit me to meet him…”

Salafi? How many Salafis are there? Qutubi, Suroori, Madkhali? I can take names! And with all of them it is Allah’s fadl (grace) that I have met them. Those who are their heads, with all of them I have met; I go to London, America I travel, I go to Saudi Arabia, I go to Gulf Country, how many groups and parties are there in Salafis?

Reference with a fuller context and refutation: Click here

The fact that he uses terms such as Qutubi, Suroori and Madkhali; and claims he has met their ‘heads’ shows that he is aware of the claimants to Salafiyyah; and has cunningly used these ascriptions to launch an attack upon the Salafis in truth, even those who take from the noble Scholar of hadeeth, ‘aqeedah, and Sunnah, Dr Rabee’ Ibn Hādī Al-Madkhalī (may Allah preserve him). Naik refers to the actual Salafis in derogatory tones as “Madkhali Salafis”! Naik, in essence, is saying to his audience, “Forget Salafiyyah! I’ve looked into it for you: Salafiyyah is sectarian and partisan; it is split into groups; I will not follow it and I urge you not to follow it!” This ignoramus knows exactly where he going with this; and that is to deliberately throw his audience into confusion regarding the Salafi Madh-hab, so they turn away from it. Furthermore, how many people are there who ascribe to the Sunnah and Sunni Islam, yet they are far removed from the Sunnah and are fanatically sectarian: the Brelewis say they are Sunni, ISIS claim to be Sunni, the Deobandees claim to be Sunni, Tableeghi Jamaa’ah claim to be Sunni, the Naqshbandi Sufis claim to be Sunni, and so on. Will Zaik Naik now also disown and mock the term Sunni?

As a side point, I met Zakir Naik more than ten years ago as he walked into the Salafi Bookstore (Al-Maktabah As-Salafiyyah) in Birmingham. He introduced himself as an “international speaker” to one of the staff and asked to speak to someone. So I had a conversation with him and quickly realised he was not grounded in the details of tawheed, ‘aqeedah, Sunnah and Salafiyyah. I found him to be ignorant, arrogant, opinionated with pre-conceived ideas about Salafiyyah and a rooted prejudice against the Salafis. At one point he tried to assert that every sect of Islam was Sunni and Salafi, since they all follow Qur’an and Sunnah (!!). I responded to that assertion, after which he could not offer a counter-argument. I continued to advise him about the importance of the ‘aqeedah and its central place in Islam. I advised him to study the books of the Salaf, since they are now available in English. I gave him no leeway to walk out of the bookstore whilst believing that Salafiyyah was anything other than the truth. I further advised him to study in a correct manner, and not give da’wah except upon knowledge and I suggested books and scholars he should refer to. He purchased several books upon the Salafi Creed such as Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal’s (rahimahullaah) ‘Foundations of the Sunnah’ for his library in India. He clearly did not benefit from them!

3. Zakir Naik has no concern with truth and calling to it, his sole concern is numbers. He states:

“And it is my request that it is this firqas (groups & parties) because of which there is maximum problem and that’s why I, you see, I give speeches in several gatherings, several gatherings, [gatherings of] Ahle Hadees, Jamaat Islami, Barelvee. I had been to Kerala, and I had been there twice, ‘Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen’, KNM, Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen which is a Salafi idaara (organization), Ahle Hadees, usually they call me and I had gone twice before.”

Reference: See point 2 above, from Salafitalk.net

4. The ‘orators’ and ‘scholars’ of Zakir Naik’s Peace TV channel:

This channel is filled with deviant callers who oppose the Salafi manhaj. Dr Wasiyullah is clearly mistaken in his praise of Zakir Naik. A Salafi should recognise that this is an erroneous recommendation, and not call others to follow it.

Look at this list of deviant “orators”. No Salafi should support Naik or his channel:

Look at this list of deviant "orators". No Salafi should support Naik or his channel.

Callers to misguidance given platforms to misguide the masses:

Callers to misguidance given platforms to misguide the masses

Reference: Salafitalk.net

5. The ignorant foolish meandering gibberish cloaked as “logic” of Zakir Naik and his belittlement of Allah, the Most High that cast doubts in the Muslims regarding their Lord so as to “trap” them!

Zakir Naik stated:

“Regarding the second part of the question? That god can do everything? Normally I pose this question to most of the people who believe in God just so that they have better understanding of Allah? I ask them the question that: can God create anything and everything? Most of them will say, yes. Can god destroy anything and everything? All will say, yes. My third question is, can God create a thing which he cannot destroy? And they are trapped? If they say yes, that god can create a thing which he cannot destroy they are going against the second statement that God can destroy everything. If they say no, God cannot create a thing which he cannot destroy that means they are going against first statement that God can create everything? Again they are not using logic? They are trapped? Same way God cannot create a tall short man. Yes, he can make a tall man short but no longer he remains tall. He can make a tall man short. No longer remains tall. He make a short man tall, no longer that man remains short. But you can’t have a tall short man – you cannot… but God can’t make a man who is tall and short at the same time similarly God almighty, Allah cannot make a fat thin man? There are a thousand things I can list which God Almighty can’t do!

Ref: Is Quraan Word of God, from the CD-“Presenting Islam and Clarifying Misconceptions. Lecture series by Dr. Zakir Naik, Developed by AHYA.”

The above are just a few points (out of dozens) showing Zakir Naik’s opposition to the Qur’an and Sunnah and the Salafi Methodology. Every Salafi who comprehended many years ago the deviation of Zakir Naik hoped for the silencing of his daw’ah and his media machine that is developed around gathering numbers and finance, and in opposing the Salafi da’wah. So the Salafi youth should not concern themselves with defending this ignorant opposer of the Salafi da’wah. If a particular shaikh praises him, then we hold his praise to be erroneous and we refer his statements back to the evidences and proofs which show Naik’s disdain and opposition to the Salafi creed and methodology.

Note on Dr Wasiyullāh ‘Abbās

Dr Wasiyullāh ‘Abbās holds that it is permissible to cooperate with the Shi’ah, the Rāfidah, the Jamā’ah of Al-Maududi, the Hizb of Ihyā At-Turāth and other innovated sects to place a Muslim candidate into parliament in certain non-Muslim countries. He also holds it permissible to invite Sufis, Ash’aris and other speakers from Ahlul-Bid’ah to Salafi conferences as long as they do not affect the people with their Bid’ah and corrupt ‘Aqīdah! But if they speak with general beneficial Islamic themes, then there is no harm in inviting them. He holds that it is permissible to cooperate with Ahlul-Bid’ah “in that which we agree” such as the provision of halāl meat or winning seats in parliament and so on. He praised some of the works of Al-Maududi and sees that you should take the good and leave the bad. He sees that funding can be taken from Jam’iyyah Ihyā At-Turāth of Kuwait because he holds it to be a Salafi group. Listen here (Part 9: “The Sitting Between Salafi Publications and Dr Wasīy’ullah”) with his recorded voice along with beneficial clarifications from our brother, Shaikh Abu Hakeem Bilāl Davis. He also has a well-known defence of the innovator, Zakir Naik of India.

2 Comments

  1. May Allah preserve you Ustadh Abu Khadeejah! Another fantastic article highlighting the issues of this deviant that sadly many follow blindly.

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