The Sunni Schism
Are Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya Kafir Mushriks (disbelieving polytheists) according to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (MIAW)?
Supporters of MIAW claim that he followed Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya in creedal matters. However, this is demonstrably false. According to MIAW’s creed both Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya would be considered kafir mushriks who deserved to be killed for apostasy. I will provide citations to justify this claim, God willing.
MIAW’s Position on Seeking Intercession
In Kashf al-Shubuhat, MIAW states that the pagan mushriks would call upon righteous individuals, prophets, trees, angels, and jinn for intercession. He writes:
"[...] among them were those who would call upon the angels for intercession due to their righteousness and closeness to God. They also called upon righteous people, such as al-Lat, or a prophet such as ʿIsa. [...] Their seeking intercession from the angels, prophets, or righteous individuals, and seeking nearness to God through these means, was what made their blood and wealth lawful. This is the Tawhid that the Messengers called to, which the mushriks refused to accept. And this Tawhid is the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah. For the mushriks considered a deity to be one who is sought for these purposes—whether an angel, a prophet, a tree, a grave, or a jinn."
(Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Kashf al-Shubuhat)
Imam Ahmad’s Views on Calling to Angels and Jinn
In contrast to MIAW, Imam Ahmad explicitly allowed calling upon angels for assistance. His son, ʿAbdullah ibn Ahmad, reports:
"I heard my father say: I performed Hajj five times, twice riding and three times walking. [...] I lost my way during one Hajj while walking, so I began to call out: ‘O slaves of God, show me the way!’ I kept repeating this until I found the road." (ʿAbdullah ibn Ahmad, Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad)
Similarly, Imam Ahmad did not consider calling upon jinn for assistance as shirk. In Kitab al-Adab al-Shar’iyya, Ibn Muflih reports:
"Imam Ahmad was asked about a man who claims to treat the possessed using incantations, and who says that he speaks to the jinn and some of them serve him. Imam Ahmad replied: I do not like anyone to do this; refraining from it is more beloved to me." (Ibn Muflih, Kitab al-Adab al-Shar’iyya)
Even more strikingly, another narration shows that Imam Ahmad believed jinn could serve and obey righteous humans:
"Al-Mutawakkil [the Abbasid Caliph] sent word to Imam Ahmad, asking him to pray for a possessed slave girl. Imam Ahmad took a wooden sandal, handed it to his companion, and instructed him to go to the girl and say:
‘Ahmad says: Will you leave this girl, or shall I strike the other one [the possessing demon] with this sandal?’
The jinn responded: We hear and obey. If Ahmad had commanded us to leave Iraq, we would have done so. He obeyed God, and whoever obeys God, everything obeys him." (Ibn Abi Yaʿla, Tabaqat al-Hanabila)
Ibn Taymiyya’s View on Seeking Help from Jinn
Ibn Taymiyya also permitted calling upon jinn for assistance, as long as it was for permissible matters. In Majmuʿ al-Fatawa, he states:
"One who employs the jinn for permissible matters is like someone who employs humans for permissible matters. If they command the jinn to fulfill obligations or prohibit them from doing what is forbidden, using them in lawful ways, this person is akin to a king who governs similarly." (Ibn Taymiyya, Majmuʿ al-Fatawa)
The Contradiction in MIAW’s Teachings
MIAW explicitly states that calling upon intermediaries such as angels and jinn is shirk and that whoever does not condemn this as shirk is himself a kafir:
"Whoever calls upon intermediaries, asks them for intercession, or relies on them has committed disbelief by consensus. Not declaring polytheists as disbelievers, doubting their disbelief, or validating their beliefs—such a person has committed disbelief by consensus." (al-Durar al-Saniyya, vol.10, p.91)
Thus, according to MIAW’s creed, Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya—who both allowed calling upon angels and jinn—would be considered kafir mushriks deserving of execution.
Was MIAW Ignorant of Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya’s Views?
In reality, MIAW was likely unaware of what Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya actually said about seeking the aid of angels and jinn. The claim that he followed them in creed is therefore an empty claim unsupported by evidence. At most, he followed them nominally without understanding their positions.
Many scholars of MIAW’s time pointed this out. The eminent scholar Ibn al-Amir al-San’ani described him as someone who had a shallow understanding of Islamic scholarship:
"We observed that [MIAW's] behavior was that of a man who had learned a portion of the Shariʿa but did not delve deeply into its study, nor did he learn under someone who could guide him on the path of guidance, direct him toward beneficial knowledge, and properly educate him. Rather, he only read some works of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya and his student Ibn al-Qayyim, and he imitated them without mastery—even though both scholars prohibited blind imitation (taqlid)." (Siddiq Hasan Khan, Abjad al-Ulum)
The Wahhabi Dilemma
In response to the Imam Ahmad narrations, some Wahhabis have attempted to justify calling upon angels and jinn, contradicting MIAW’s explicit rulings. This has led to a major contradiction:
If calling upon angels and jinn is permissible, then MIAW’s ruling that it is shirk is false.
If it is shirk akbar (major polytheism), then Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya were kafir mushriks who left Islam.
Wahhabis have yet to resolve this contradiction. Instead, they evade the issue because it exposes the fundamental flaws in MIAW’s teachings.
So the question remains:
Were Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyya kafir mushrik apostates?
Or was MIAW gravely mistaken?
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that MIAW’s views were inconsistent with those of the scholars he claimed to follow. His rigid and uninformed application of takfir leads to a contradiction that Sunnis have failed to address. For More Info: https://x.com/Haqiqatjou/status/1882172728045916483
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