The Root Cause of Our War with Islam; Salafi Jihadism or Wahhabism

[JimBowie1958]

There is a core driving element to Jihadism that was not common prior to 1960 and that is a movement known by many as Salafi Jihadism. If I offend any Muslims, other than the Salafi Jihadists themselves, it is not intended to offend but to explain, as best I can with the limited knowledge of Salafism and the Quran that I have. If I bore to tears any Westerners from the dense verbiage, well, learn to focus better, lol.

Salafism has many versions, and the one generating the most press today is the Saudi form known as 'Wahhabism'. Salafis generally consider the name 'Wahhabism' to be derogatory, so be sure to use it, lol. The Saudis have promoted Wahhabism for centuries, as it is their national brand of Islam. Like many such religious faiths that are used to prop up a secular power structure, Wahhabism dismisses all other forms of Islam as heretical or Kafir.

This is largely due to several things; first the fact that Wahhabis regard praying at a shrine to a prophet to be Shirk or idolatry. This alienates most of them from other Sunnis.

Secondly they strictly forbid Bid'ah or innovation in a very broad sense of the term with regard to religion.

Thirdly they forbid Ijtihad or 'independent reasoning'. They are more 'conservative' in religious terms than even the Catholic Inquisition of the Middle ages.

Thus Wahhabis forbid reasoning and progress as driving forces within Islam, despite the vast history of these things done in Islamic civilization for centuries, to the blessing of the West. They also have a different system of Abrogation, which gives a different spin to the Quran than has been generally understood in the past Islamic scholarship.

So women having equality with men is Bid'ah and forbidden. Trying to find common ground with the Wahhabi's theologically is Ijtihad, and also forbidden. Gay marriage is cause for stoning to death the participants, etc.

The Salafi movement in general is very conservative, or fundamentalist, in a very conservative religion. The Wahhabi form of Salafism is beyond mere conservatism, but is reactionary in every sense of the term, and they mean it, lol. The Big Fish of Abrogation Wahhabi revision is Surat (chapter of the Quran) 9:5 where Mohamed enjoined his followers to 'fight and slay the Pagans wherever you may find them. For most of Muslim history after the Mecca exile, this verse was considered to be limited in the scope of its abrogation, and was abrogated in a limited way itself by other verses that encouraged peace with the Jews and Christians. So they basically re-interpreted the Quran to be more war like than it already was for twelve centuries.

So really the struggle we have with the Jihadis is not with all of Islam, but with a very increasingly popular form of Islam today called Salafi Jihadism that is waging war not only against the rest of the world but also with many Muslims as well.

 

[Sunni Man]

Where is your to the anti-muslim site this article came from?

 

[JimBowie1958]

Where is your to the anti-muslim site this article came from?

I wrote it myself, and why do you regard it as anti-Muslim? There are links embedded in the red colored words, if that helps.

I am trying to draw a distinction between Salafi Jihadism and the rest of Islam; how is that anti-Muslim?

 

[Sunni Man]

Then I apologize for my accusation.......and thank you for your effort. ....

 

[charwin95]

Where is your to the anti-muslim site this article came from?

I wrote it myself, and why do you regard it as anti-Muslim? There are links embedded in the red colored words, if that helps.

I am trying to draw a distinction between Salafi Jihadism and the rest of Islam; how is that anti-Muslim?

You wrote it yourself. Coming from an anti human like you sure mean a lot. Your opinion doesn't count.

 

[Sunni Man]

This is largely due to several things; first the fact that Wahhabis regard praying at a shrine to a prophet to be Shirk or idolatry. This alienates most of them from other Sunnis.

Sorry, but you are wrong........ all sects of Sunni muslims consider praying to a shrine, statue, or grave, to be "Shirk" and thus forbidden.

 

[Sunni Man]

Secondly they strictly forbid Bid'ah or innovation in a very broad sense of the term with regard to religion.

Incorrect: ....... "Bid'ah" (innovation) is strictly forbidden by all sects of Sunni muslims.......not just Salafi's or Wahhibi's.

 

[Sunni Man]

Thirdly they forbid Ijtihad or 'independent reasoning'. .

Actually, the Salafi's and Wahhabi's are big supporters of"Iijtihad"......even Osama bin Laden believed in the concept.

 

[LogikAndReazon]

As if modern civilisation need care about their backwards, heathen beliefs..........

 

[bucs90]

 

[LogikAndReazon]

"Root cause"...... Lol

Institutional white oppression no doubt

 

[JimBowie1958]

This is largely due to several things; first the fact that Wahhabis regard praying at a shrine to a prophet to be Shirk or idolatry. This alienates most of them from other Sunnis.

Sorry, but you are wrong........ all sects of Sunni muslims consider praying to a shrine, statue, or grave, to be "Shirk" and thus forbidden.

I was speaking of praying *at* a shrine, not to the shrine, and yes that would be idolatry.
BTW, I appreciate your critique of what I am writing. Most of all I want to get this right, consistent with Muslim beliefs as pertaining to the people who actually practice the faith.

This link gives more details about the Western perception of the differences between majority Sunni and Wahhabi practices and beliefs.
Difference Between Sunni and Wahabi

The major difference between them is that Wahabis believe that Prophet Muhammad should be praised only as a human being whereas Sunnis show extra special care and respect towards the Prophet of Islam.

Sunni Muslims celebrate the birthday of the Holy Prophet and arrange Meelaad. Meelaad is a form of gathering in which the Sunni Muslims get together and praise the Holy Prophet. The birthdays of Sufi saints are also celebrated with much dedication and enthusiasm. The day of their deaths are commemorated in the form of Urs. Wahabi Muslims do not believe in celebrating and practicing all these events which are very strongly rooted in Islam. Wahabis call these practices of events as unlawful and wrongful innovations. Wahabis also believe that this is as close as to shirk or polytheism and Sunnis follow the ways of infidel Hindus.

Sunni Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is Nur and still present in this world. Whereas Wahabis do not believe in using pious individuals as intermediaries when asking Allah as they consider it shirk or polytheism. Sunnis believe in the saints and mysticism whereas Wahabis do not believe in mysticism, intercession and prostration as well. Sunni Muslims visit the tombs of the saints and perform tawassul for the blessings of Allah whereas it is the greatest sin for a Wahabi.

Sunni Muslims believe in four imams of fiqah or Islamic laws such as Hanfi, Hanbli, Malakii and Shaafeyii whereas Wahabi does not follow an Iman in Fiqh. Wahabi Muslims are a group of fundamentalists and have an orthodox version Islam. Wahabis in Saudi Arab do not allow their females to work side by side with their men and they also are not allowed to drive a car. The women are treated as third rate citizens and they are bound to wear a long abayaa or garment to cover them from head to toe. Sunni Muslims are moderate and believe in the equality of women as suggested by Islam.

 

[JimBowie1958]

As if modern civilisation need care about their backwards, heathen beliefs..........

Let's put aside the notion of Christian charity for a moment and look at this with the cold hard eyes of warfare.

To most effectively win, a person needs to understand the mind and heart of his enemy, wouldnt you agree?

Your comment above does not serve even that barbaric goal, much less anything civilized.

BTW, barbarism is not necessarily a bad thing. People do the silliest things due to simplistic concepts such as these.

Our civilization is deeper, broader and more detailed a set of ideas than mere tolerance of another's faith and respect for things you do not know yourself.

 

[LogikAndReazon]

We understand them perfectly well.....

Our tolerance, appeasement and restraint have not served us beneficially....

 

[JimBowie1958]

Thirdly they forbid Ijtihad or 'independent reasoning'. .

Actually, the Salafi's and Wahhabi's are big supporters of"Iijtihad"......even Osama bin Laden believed in the concept.

I can only try to understand the things I read or experience for myself. I have read that the Salafists reject personal interpretations of the Quran and the word Ijtihad represents such things.

Salafist-Takfiri Jihadism: the Ideology of the Caucasus Emirate
In regard to the strict literal interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah, Salafists do not accept
innovations (bida’) in Islam such as worshipping Allah in ways not mentioned in the Quran and
Sunnah or celebrating events that were not celebrated during the time of Muhammad and the
Salaf us-Saalih, the “pious ancestors” who adhered to pure Islam from the period of 610-855
C.E. until the death of Islamic scholar, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the father of the Hanbali school of
fiqh.22 In accordance with this concept, Salafists reject human reasoning (ijtihad) to interpret the
Quran and Sunnah or accepting Islamic schools of interpretation (taqlid) from Islamic scholars
which do not adhere to the literal interpretation practiced by the Salaf us-Saalih.23 Salafists only
accept the Hanbali school of fiqh which advocates the strict literal interpretation of the Quran
and Sunnah, professed by Islamic scholars such as Taqi ad-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah,
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz.24

I found on Wikipedia, lol, a reference to what you describe.

Ijtihad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Present-day Islamists maintain differing stances on the matter of ijtihad. Islamist groups such as the Salafis are major proponents of ijtihad. Salafis believe ijtihad makes modern Islam more authentic and will guide Muslims back to the Golden Age of early Islam. They criticize taqlid and tradition. Salafis assert that such a concept has led to Islam's decline.[22] Similarly, political groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood trace their founding philosophies back to al-Afghani'sIjtihad. The Muslim Brotherhood feels that ijithad strengthens the faith of believers because they have to better familiarize themselves with the Quran and come to their own conclusions about its teachings. Yet, as a political group the Muslim Brotherhood faces a major paradox between ijtihad as a religious matter versus that as a political one. Ijtihad weakens political unity and promotes pluralism. Hence, due to this fact many oppressive regimes reject ijtihad‍ 's legitimacy.[23]

Many Islamist regimes impose harsh restrictions on ijtihad and its modern-day application. These regimes can implement such restrictions by posing limits on individual freedoms. These institutions are against the modification and individual interpretation of Islam to accommodate modernity. They believe this accommodation signifies a surrendering to both westernization and secularization, which is deemed evil. Therefore, oppressive regimes primarily emphasize and promotesharia and taqlid, while ijtihad is regarded as "sinful".[20] Such regimes' strive to promote the authenticity of Islam and the exact teachings of the prophet and word of Allah.[20] Additionally, Osama Bin Laden supported ijtihad. He criticized theSaudi regime for disallowing the "free believer"[23] and imposing harsh restrictions on successful practice of Islam. Thus, Bin Laden believed his striving for the implementation of ijtihad was his "duty" that he must achieve.

I wonder why there is such a difference between the two documents.

Perhaps this restriction on Ijtihad is only a belief of the Salafist-Takfiri in the Caucasus region?

I do not know, and can only stumble around in some one else's darkened room (dark to me anyway, lol).

Thank you again for your help in understanding these things. I want to accurately present these concepts that are part of your faith, assuming that you are genuinely Muslim. Internet things being what they are and all.

 

[JimBowie1958]

We understand them perfectly well.....

Our tolerance, appeasement and restraint have not served us beneficially....

There are sympathetic Muslims who reject the Salafi Jihadism and support free thought and free life to follow God as best one can do so, and I think that they are the majority, despite the impression given by the corporate owned press.

If we stop giving any regard or respect to Islam at all we will unite them against us, and I dont think we want that as it would undermine our war on the extremists.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Secondly they strictly forbid Bid'ah or innovation in a very broad sense of the term with regard to religion.

Incorrect: ....... "Bid'ah" (innovation) is strictly forbidden by all sects of Sunni muslims.......not just Salafi's or Wahhibi's.

Yes, that is my understanding as well, such as it is, but there are wide variations on how to enforce the ban on Bid'ah, and what it is specifically.

From the Wikipedia article I linked to above.....

The criterion that qualifies a particular action as a bid`ah in the religion is a debate amongst Sunni scholars. There are some who argue for a definition that entails anything not specifically performed or confirmed by Muhammad. Arguing for this position, Muhammad ibn Salih al-Munajjid, a famous Saudi Arabia scholar declares:

[H]ow can there be any such thing as bid’ah hasanah (“good innovation”) when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every bid’ah is a going astray and every going astray is in Hell-fire”. So, if anyone says that there is such a thing as bid’ah hasanah, he can only be insisting on going against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).... It (referring to a spontaneous form of dhikr in the prayer by a Companion recorded in the hadith literature) was not even considered to have been a correct action until after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had approved it, and not before. But how on earth could this innovator obtain the approval of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after he has passed away?"

— Muhammad ibn Salih al-Munajjid, Islam-QA: "There is no such thing as bid'ah hasana in Islam"[37]

Calls within Sunni Islam in the modern era have been made for a reassessment of the traditional view, especially by practitioners of Sufism. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah writes:

id‘a could take on various shades of meaning. When used without qualifying adjectives, it tended to be condemnatory, as, for example, in the statement, “bid‘a must be avoided.” Nevertheless, bid‘a was not always something bad. In certain contexts, especially when qualified by adjectives, bid‘a could cover a wide range of meanings from what was praiseworthy to what was completely wrong, as, for example, in the caliph ‘Umar’s statement below, “what an excellent bid‘a is this!”

— Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Innovation and Creativity in Islam, 2