Naturally...

Naturally, because we believe in ma’sum Prophets, we say (as the Quran and ahadith have guided us) that the successors of the Prophet (S) too should be ma’sum. (For our arguments and proofs for the ‘ismah of the Prophets and Imams see my books, “Prophethood” and “Imamate”, available from the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.) But the Wahhabis believe in a Prophet who was liable to commit major and minor sins. Naturally they believe in fallible and non-ma’sum persons as his successors.

Further on the unknown author writes: “Shah Waliullah Dehlavi in his book “Tafheemat e Ilahiyah” (p. 224) unveils the curtain by saying, “Actually they do not believe in the Finality of Prophethood of Muhammad (S).

Although they do not believe in the Finality of Prophethood of Muhammad (S), they vehemently profess it.” It is true that Shah Waliullah Dehlavi claimed that the Shi’a belief was batil (false) because they considered their Imams were ma’sum, although they believe that Muhammad (S) was the last of the Prophets.

Much can be said about the book, At-Tafhimatu ‘l-Ilahiyah, and its grandiloquent claims which reflect on the egotistic nature of its author; but this is not the place to go into this subject. If one reads the said book, he will see that the Shah’s self-aggrandizing pronouncements are no less outrageous than those of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. But the Shah was clever enough to cover his claims under the mask of tasawwuf. However let us come back to the present topic.

Shah Waliullah’s claim that Shi’a madhhab was batil is understandable. Everyone from among the 73 sects of lslam believes that only his madhhab was the true one and the other 72 sects were false (batil). But the Muslims do not say that other sects are kafir. Even Shah Waliullah refrained from using this word for the Shi’as. His famous son, Shah ‘Abdu ‘l-’Aziz says that someone enquired of his father (Shah Waliullah) whether the Shi’as were heretics.

His father reiterated the different views of the Hanafi jurisconsults on the subject. The man was not satisfied and urged the Shah to give his own ruling. On getting the same reply, he went away filled with rage and is said to have declared that Shah Waliullah himself was Shi’a.[^3] Shah Waliullah, Shah ‘Abdu‘l-’Aziz, Muhyiddin Ibn Al-’Arabi And Others Believe In Ismat Of The 12 Imams Be as it may.