Ghazali on Ibn Taymiyya 7 Page 1 of 2

MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZALI ON IBN

TAYMIYYA [2]
by Dr. Ahmad Hijazi al-Saqqa
On tasawwuf and salafis
The People who accept or practice tasawwuf (ahl al-tasawwuf) are the vast
majority of Muslims in the world. Indeed they are the Muslims of the
world, whether Sunni or Shi`a... As for the Salafis, their number in the
world according to the highest estimation does not exceed a million
individuals. They are found mostly in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia where a
large number of them are Beduins. The 'sawaad al-a`zam' or vast majority
of the Ahl al-Sunna follow the Ash`ari and the Maturidi Schools, which are
also the ahl al-hadeeth (those who accept and believe in the hadeeth) as
well as the ahl al-tasawwuf.

Therefore, with the exception of the Saudi Kingdom which has bestirred
the school of the Salafis from its sleep at the hand of Muhammad Ibn Abd
al-Wahhab because such a school fits the mentality of the Beduins -- and its
was said: there is no need for the English to undermine al-Azhar, which is
built upon the Ash`ari school -- and with the exception of those who are
propagating the Salafi school in many parts of the world, to whom only a
small number of the uneducated masses respond such as could be counted
on the fingers of the hand, they and the Salafis among the generality of
Muslims -- with the exception of all these, the rest are all following the
sufis (fa al-baaqoona kulluhum mutaSawwifa).

Granted that the books of the Sufis contain many silly things and tales and
reports from the Israelites, whether those books belong to the Ahl al-Sunna
or to the Shi`a. What then, shall we declare unbelievers the Muslims of the
world? Shall we pronounce kufr on millions of Muslims? If we declare
unbelievers the Shi`a and the Ash`ari Sunnis and the Maturidi Sunnis and
the Khawarij and the Mu`tazila, how many of the Muslims masses are left
Muslim? There will only be left the Salafis who follow the school of
Ahmad ibn Hanbal in doctrine (al-`aqaa'id) -- which is the school of the
uneducated (madhhab al-`awamm) -- and the school of the Four Imams in
jurisprudence (fiqh), although concerning the latter's criteria for the
extraction of hadith a Salafi author himself said: "They do not necessitate
that the hadith be devoid of defects or anomalies in order to establish its
soundness." In other words, he considers them to derive their jurisprudence

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 Ghazali on Ibn Taymiyya 7 Page 2 of 2

from the sayings of people and the opinions of people [i.e. instead of the
Prophet (s)].

Those who have criticized the school of the Salafis say of them: They do
not know the Qur'anic verses from which rulings are extracted nor those
whose meaning is obscure. They forbid that either the Qur'an or the
language of Arabs be taken metaphorically. They give Allah a body
without actually coming out and saying that He is a body to the students of
religious knowledge. Rather, they say things like "He is in the heaven (fi al-
sama') in person (bi dhaatihi)," and "He is not on earth (fi al-arD) in person
(bi dhaatihi)," and that "Allah's Attributes are in addition to His Essence
(Sifaat Allah zaa'idatun `ala dhaatih)," and that "Allah descends to the
nearest heaven in sensory terms (nuzulan hissiyyan) and in a way fitting
His Majesty," and they narrate in their books both a meaning and its
contrary, and defend weak narrations attributed to the Prophet (s) when in
fact they were narrated and set down long after his time, and the narrators
forgot certain things, added some, and omitted others, and confirmed some
and denied others.

Therefore, O [Salafi] critic, this is the present state ot Muslims. Which of

them will you declare unbeliever, and which of them will you spare from
such a declaration? Say: "Those claiming to follow the sufi way (al-
mutaSawwifa) are ignorant." Say: "They must be taught." But do not say:
"They are disbelievers (kuffar)"... Gather together, O critic, do not separate.
Teach according to the Qur'an and the Sunna explained, and you shall reap
success. Argue in the best manner, and do not insult those who try to
reform Muslims.

From 'Daf` al-shubuhaat `an al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali' [The

Refutation of False Arguments Made Against the Shaykh Muhammad al-
Ghazali] (Cairo: Maktabat al-kulliyyaat al-azhariyya, 1410/1990) p. 79-80.

Peace and Blessings upon the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions

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