No compatibility between Wahhabism and Sunni Islam

Some Iranian Sunni clerics in an interview with Mehr News Agency have stressed the incompatibility of Wahhabism with many Sunni Fiq’h principles among them building of tombs or shrines for top religious figures, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

MOlavi Abdul Rahman Toranjzar, Friday prayer leader of the Sunni community in Chabahar, said,” Wahhabism, in many Fiq’h issues, performs in full contrast with the Sunni community and one of them is to destroy tombs and shrines.”

He stressed special respect maintained for tombs and graves of the senior religious figures and said, ”People are highly esteemed both during and after life and he who wages hostility with Islamic luminaries is in fact challenging God Almighty.”

The cleric banned any disrespectful behavior towards graves of all Muslims and said pilgrimage of religious sites is performed with the same philosophy of Hajj which is a principle in Islam.

He criticized the destruction of holy tombs in Saudi Arabia saying that,” In Saudi Arabia only the holy shrine of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have been kept and the only reason for that is Al Saud’s fear of a chaos in Muslim world.” Adding,” Wahhabism is a minority and Muslims do not confirm their ideology.”

Abdul Jalil Farahmand, professor at Golestan seminary also stressed importance of safeguarding the graves of saints and top religious figures and said to build a tomb for the graves of prophets is in fact a reference to their exemplary and unique status.

He referred to Wahhabi performance in regards to holy shrines and tombs of imams and said,” An objective of Wahhabism is to secure US and Zionist demands calling Wahhabism as an innovation of the west rather than a religious product.

Sunni cleric urged all Muslim scholars to introduce the high character of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his companions.

He stressed protection of the younger generation from any ideological deviation since it is impossible to save a young mind from Wahhabi thoughts once he is polluted.

Essam el Din Googalan, Sunni religious expert referred to the special respect of Islamic luminaries and quoted Wahhabi’s rejection of building and visiting graves of religious figures saying,” It is not correct that we worship a grave because people visit these holy sites to learn from the lifestyle of antecedents.”

8th of Shawwal (tenth month in Muslim lunar calendar) is the anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s destruction of Imams’ tombs in al-Baqi’ cemetery in Medina, a move which deeply hurt those loyal to ahlul Bayt (AS), household of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).