Ahbash-West Connection: Who is their enemy, the “Wahhabiyya” or Islam itself?

By Ubah Abdusalam Seid

Tracing to the background of its founder (Sheikh Abdullah Al-Harari) and its inner interest, I wondered why the group called “Ahbash” blaspheme and curse Muslim revivalists such as Sayyid Qutb, Rashid Rida, Jamaluudin Al-Afghani and their followers. I say this because in the teachings of these Islamic revivalists, you can’t see a direct clash with the tenets of Ahbashi’s interests (remember that Ahbash’s main interest is to protect their own version of Islam which is highly mixed with polytheism/shirk and superstition).  They don’t emphasize “Aqidah” or what nullifies one’s Aqidah. In their writings, they also don’t mention about “grave worshiping” to which the “Ahbash” are highly symphatic. It’s really confusing to know the reason. But as you study the Ahbashi’s inclination to the secularists and especially to the western governments, you would know the reason. I state it according to a minor study of mine.

For long years, the westerns were searching a group which marches against “Militant Islamism” (in the western words) from within Islam itself. They found that “Ahbash” is against the formation of Islamic state (in any form, be in a Caliphate form or an Islamic Republic). Further, they learned that “Ahbash” doesn’t allow Muslims to participate in politics and form a political party. They assed the case from different angles and they are satisfied when they realized the “Ahbash” objective is to form moderate Muslims who hold Islam to the minimum. That is, for Ahbash, it’s enough to say “great achievement” if they create a Muslim who hold his religion only for ceremonial purposes- for example a Muslims who goes to the mosque only on Jum’a/Friday and in Ramadan .

The westerns, as heard its emergence and approached it in Beirut in 1980- early 1990s, were very delighted by the stand of Ahbash. But it was hard for them to split it from Syria (Ahbash’s patron state at the time). Latter, as the Hezbollah was growing higher, Syria started to neglect Ahbash and turn its face to Hezbollah. So the poor Ahbash lost its ground and rush to take refuge to the west. It was accepted warmly and equipped with what it needed (I think the staff of the American University of Beirut served to form this West-Ahbash negotiations). The Ahbash then, to make the westerns please more, starts blaspheming past scholars whom it thought “the architects of militant Islamism”. The story goes then, and with the September 11/2001 attacks, Ahbash got the greatest chance where it would have to win a big trophy from the west for being “the true Muslims who can live with west in the future world”. This was the clue as to why Sayyid Qutb and other revivalists became the chief enemies of Ahbash jama’a in addition to their old enemies like Sheikhul Islam ibn Teymiyyah and Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab.

So, I definitely believe that the rumor of “Ahbash-west connection” is not only a rumor. It’s one piece of the group’s involvement in multi million conspiracy projects. The target is not to demolish the group called “Wahhabiya” whom the west and “Ahbash” accused as “the proponents of Militant Islam”.  But it is Islam itself.

Today, what makes us sad is not the enmity of the west. It is Ahbash’s being the only groups who call themselves “Muslim” but serve the western interests. Since the westerns singled out Islam as their “fierce enemy”, the Muslims of the world (both Sunni and Shi’a) have come close to each other to voice against the aggressors. But “Ahbash” is entering to all Muslim communities and making them to fight each other, then through, fulfilling the interest of the west. The Ahbashi’s dictation of the word “Wahhabiya… Wahabiyya…” has no other objective except serving the interest of the west and keeping their version of Islam in place. So what is the solution?

Allah knows the solution but be sure that He protects His religion and His Party (Muslims).