A Salafi () is a Muslim who emphasises the ''Salaf'' ("predecessors" or "ancestors"), the earliest Muslims, as model examples of Islamic practice. The term has been in use since the Middle Ages but today refers especially to a follower of a modern Sunni Islamic movement known as the Salafiyyah, which is related to or includes Wahhabism, so that the two terms are sometimes erroneously viewed as synonymous. Salafism has become associated with literalist, strict and puritanical approaches to Islamic theology and, in the West, with the Salafi Jihadis who espouse violent jihad against civilians as a legitimate expression of Islam. Academics and historians use the term to denote "a school of thought which surfaced in the second half of the 19th century as a reaction to the spread of European ideas," and "sought to expose the roots of modernity within Muslim civilization."

Just who, or what groups and movements, qualify as ''Salafi'' remains in dispute. In the Arab World, and possibly even more so now by Muslims in the West, it is usually secondary to the more common term ''Ahl-as-Sunnah'' (i.e., "People of the ''Sunnah''") while ''Ahl al-Hadith'' (The People of the Tradition) is more often used in the Indian subcontinent to identify adherents of Salafi orthodoxy, a term used more in Arabic academia to indicate scholars and students of Hadith. All are considered to bear the same or similar connotation and have been used interchangeably by Muslim scholars throughout the ages, ''Ahl al-Hadeeth'' possibly being the oldest recorded term used to describe the earliest adherents while ''Ahl as-Sunnah'' is overwhelmingly used by Muslim scholars, including Salafis as well as others, such as the Ash'ari sect, leading to a narrower use of the term "Salafi". The Muslim Brotherhood includes the term in the "About Us" section of its website while others exclude that organisation in the belief that the group commits religious innovations. Other self-described contemporary salafis may define themselves as Muslims who follow "literal, traditional ... injunctions of the sacred texts" rather than the "somewhat freewheeling interpretation" of earlier salafis. These look to Ibn Taymiyyah, not the 19th century figures of Muhammad Abduh, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, and Rashid Rida.

According to the 2010 German domestic intelligence service annual report, Salafism is the fastest growing Islamic movement in the world.

The Salaf[link]

The first generations of Muslims are collectively referred to as the "Pious Predecessors" (''as-Salaf as-Saleh''), and include the "Companions" (''Sahabah''), the "Followers" (''Tabi‘un'') and the "Followers of the Followers" (''Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in''). These are revered in Sunni Islamic orthodoxy and their example used in understanding the texts and tenets of Islam by Sunni theologians since the fifth Muslim generation or earlier, sometimes to differentiate the creed of the first Muslims from subsequent variations in creed and methodology (''see Madhab''), to oppose religious innovation (''bid‘ah'') and, conversely, to defend particular views and practices.

This veneration is based on a number of records of the sayings of Muhammad who said, "I am the best ''Salaf'' for you" and, as narrated in the ''Sahih al-Bukhari'' of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar, a companion of Muhammad; "The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them and then those who will come after them..."|''Sahih al-Bukhari'' collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari Other narrations indicate that there will follow people who will bear false witness of Islam,.

Tenets[link]

Salafis view the ''Salaf'' as an eternal model for all succeeding Muslim generations in their beliefs, exegesis, method of worship, mannerisms, morality, piety and conduct: the Islam they practised was pure, unadulterated and, therefore, the ultimate authority for the interpretation of the Sunnah. This is not interpreted as an imitation of cultural norms or trends that are not part of the legislated worship of Islam but rather as an adherence to Islamic theology. Salafis reject speculative theology (''kalam'') that involves discourse and debate in the development of the Islamic creed. They consider this process a foreign import from Greek philosophy alien to the original practice of Islam. The Imam, Al-Dhahabi (d. 748H / 1348) said:

Salafism holds that the Qur'an, the Hadith and the consensus (''ijma'') of approved scholarship (''ulama'') are sufficient guidance for the Muslim. As the Salafi ''da'wa'' is a methodology and not a ''madh'hab'', Salafis can come from the Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali or the Hanafi schools of Sunni jurisprudence and accept teaching of all four if supported by clear and authenticated evidence from the Sunnah. Their interpretation is based on a strict form of Athari theology and they are generally opposed to imitation (''taqlid'') of a religious authority's rulings in matters of law.

Salafism condemns many common practices as polytheism (''shirk'') and impermissible intercession of religious figures, such as venerating the graves of Islamic prophets and saints. They maintain that many other practices are ''bid‘ah'' or innovation, beliefs or actions of worship are totally without sanction. Salafis believe that Islam's decline after the early generations results from religious innovations and from an abandoning of pure Islamic teachings; that an Islamic revival will only result through emulation of early generations of Muslims and purging of foreign influences.

Salafis, similar to adherents of most other Islamic denominations, place great emphasis on ritual - not only in prayer but in every activity in daily life. Many are careful to always use three fingers when eating, drink water in three pauses with the right hand while sitting and make sure their ''jellabiya'' or other garment worn by them does not extend below the ankle so as to follow the example of Muhammad and his companions.

History[link]

From the perspective of Salafis the history of the Salafi dawah starts with Muhammad himself. They consider themselves direct followers of his teachings as outlined in the Qur'an and ''Sunnah'' (prophetic traditions), and wish to emulate the piety of the first three generations of Islam (the Salaf). All later scholars are merely reviver's (not 'founders') of the original practices. Modern scholars may only come to teach (or remind) Muslims of the instructions of the original followers of Islam, who based their beliefs and actions on the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Landmarks claimed in the history of Salafi da'wah are Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d.240 AH / 855 AD) who is known among Salafis as ''Imam Ahl al-Sunnah'', and one of the three scholars commonly titled with the honorific ''Sheikh ul-Islam'', namely, Taqi ad-Deen Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728 AH / 1328 AD) and Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751 AH / 1350).

Early examples of usage[link]

Some scholars, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, have noted: "There is no criticism for the one who proclaims the ''madh'hab'' of the Salaf, who attaches himself to it and refers to it. Rather, it is obligatory to accept that from him by unanimous agreement because the way of the Salaf is nothing but the truth."

The term ''salafi'' has been used to describe to theological position of particular scholars. Abo al-Hasan Ali ibn Umar al-Daraqutuni (d. 995 C.E., 385 A.H.) was described by al-Dhahabi as: "Never having entered into rhetoric or polemics, instead he was ''salafi''."

Also, al-Dhahabi described Ibn al-Salah, a prominent 12th century hadith specialist, as: "Firm in his religiosity, ''salafi'' in his generality and correct in his denomination. [He] refrained from falling into common pitfalls, believed in Allah and in what Allah has informed us of from His names and description."

In another of his works, ''Tadhkirat al-huffaz'', al-Dhahabi said of Ibn al-Salah: "I say: He was ''salafi'', of sound creed, abstaining from the interpretations of the scholars of rhetoric, believing in what has been textually established, without recourse to unjustified interpretation or elaboration.

In his book, ''Tabsir al-Muntabih'', Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned the ascription ''al-Salafi'' and named Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdillah ibn Ahmad Al-Sarkhasi al-Salafi as an example of its usage. Ibn Hajar then said: "And, likewise, the one ascribing to the ''salaf''."

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also used the term, ''salafi'' to describe Muhammad ibn al-Qaasim ibn Sufyan al-Misri al-Maliki (d. 966 C.E., 355 A.H.) He said that al-Malaiki was: "''Salafi al-madh'hab'' – ''salafi'' in his school of thought."

In the book ''Al-Ansaab'' by Abu Sa'd Abd al-Kareem as-Sama'ni, who died in the year 1166 (562 of the Islamic calendar), under the entry for the ascription ''al-Salafi'' he mentions an example or more of people who were so described in his time. In commenting upon as-Sama'ni, Ibn al-Athir noted; "And a group were known by this epithet."

Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab[link]

Many today consider Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab as the first figure in the modern era to push for a return to the religious practices of the ''salaf as-salih''. His evangelizing in 18th century Arabian Peninsula was a call to return to the practices of the early Muslims. His works, especially ''Kitab at-Tawhid'', are still widely read by Salafis around the world today, and the majority of Salafi scholars still reference his works frequently. After his death, his views flourished under his descendants, the Al ash-Sheikh, and the generous financing of the House of Saud and initiated the current worldwide Salafi movement.

Some Salafis reject the Wahhabi label because they consider it unfounded, an object of controversy, holding that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab did not establish a new school of thought but restored the Islam practisced by the earliest generations of Muslims. Followers of Salafiyyah consider it wrong to be called "Wahhabis" as the 16th Name of God is ''al-Wahhab'' ("the Bestower") and to be called a "Wahhabi" they see as being equal to Allah, which they strictly prohibit. Wahhabism has been called a "belittling" and derogatory term for Salafi, while another source defines it as "a particular orientation within Salafism," an orientation some consider ultra-conservative, and yet another describes it as a formerly separate current of Islamic thought that appropriated "language and symbolism of Salafism" until the two became "practically indistinguishable" in the 1970s.

Trevor Stanley states that, while the origins of the terms Wahhabism and Salafism "were quite distinct" – "Wahhabism was a pared-down Islam that rejected modern influences, while Salafism sought to reconcile Islam with modernism" – they both shared a rejection of "traditional" teachings on Islam in favor of a direct, more puritan reinterpretation. Stéphane Lacroix, a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris, also affirmed a distinction between the two: "As opposed to Wahhabism, Salafism refers here to all the hybridations that have taken place since the 1960s between the teachings of Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab and other Islamic schools of thought. Al-Albani’s discourse can therefore be a form of Salafism, while being critical of Wahhabism."

The migration of Muslim Brotherhood members from Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Saudi King Faisal's "embrace of Salafi pan-Islamism resulted in cross-pollination between Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab's teachings on ''tawhid, shirk'' and ''bid‘ah'' and Salafi interpretations of the sayings of Muhammad.

Contemporary Salafism[link]

Salafism is attractive because it underscores Islam's universality. It insists on the literal truth of Muslim scripture and what might be called a very confined and narrow brand of sharia or religious law.

In recent years Salafis have come to be associated with the jihad of Al-Qaeda and related groups that advocate the killing of civilians, which are opposed by most other Muslim groups and governments, such as Emir Khattab an islamist revolutionary from Saudi Arabia who died fighting in Chechnya and has often been quoted denouncing violence against non-combatants. Debate continues today over the appropriate methods of reform, ranging from violent "Qutubi jihadism" to lesser politicized proselytizing. A majority of Salafi scholars stand firmly with the present-day manifestations of jihad, particularly as it relates to terrorism and the killing of civilians and innocents. They hold their opinion against as: The spread of Salafism has prompted political leaders in the Middle East to accommodate a greater role for jihadist in public policy.

Salafist jihadism is a school of thought of Salafi Muslims who support jihad. The term was coined by scholar Gilles Kepel to describe Salafi who began developing an interest in jihad during the mid-1990s. Practitioners are often referred to as Salafi jihadis or Salafi jihadists. Journalist Bruce Livesey estimates Salafi jihadists constitute less than 1 percent of the world's 1.9 billion Muslims (c. 10 million).

Despite some similarities, the different contemporary self-proclaimed Qutubi groups often strongly disapprove of one another and deny the other's Islamic character.

Salafism in China[link]

Salafism is intensely opposed by the Hui Muslims in China, by the Hanafi Sunni Gedimu and Sufi Khafiya and Jahriyya. So much so that even the Yihewani (Ikhwan) Chinese sect, which is fundamentalist and was founded by Ma Wanfu who was originally inspired by the Salafis, condemned Ma Debao and Ma Zhengqing as heretics when they attempted to introduce Salafism as the main form of Islam. Ma Debao established a Salafi school, called the Sailaifengye (Salafi) menhuan in Lanzhou and Linxia, and it is a completely separate group than other Muslim sects in China.

Salafis have a reputation for radicalism among the Chinese Gedimu and Yihewani groups. The Sunni Muslim Hui avoid Salafis, even if they are family members, and they constantly disagree.

The amount of Salafis in China is so insignificant that they are not included on percentage lists of Muslim sects in China.

The Kuomintang Sufi Muslim General Ma Bufang, who backed the Yihewani (Ikhwan) Muslims, persecuted the Salafis, forcing them into hiding. They were not allowed to move or worship openly. The Yihewani had become secular and Chinese nationalists, and they considered the Salafiyya to be "heterodox" (xie jiao), and people who followed foreigners' teachings (waidao). Only after the Communists took over were the Salafis allowed to come out and worship openly again.

In contrast to his treatment of Salafis, General Ma allowed polytheists to openly worship, and Christian missionaries to station themselves in Qinghai. General Ma and other high ranking Generals even attended the Kokonuur Lake Ceremony where the Chinese "God of the Lake' was worshipped, and during the ritual, the Chinese national anthem was sung, all participants bowed to a portrait of Kuomintang party founder Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and the God of the Lake was also bowed to, and offerings were given to him by the participants. Ma Bufang invited some Kazakh Muslims to attend the ceremony honoring her god. Ma Bufang received audiences of Christian missionaries, who sometimes gave him the Gospel. His son Ma Jiyuan received a silver cup from Christian missionaries.

Comparison with other forms of Islamism[link]

Salafism differs from the Islamic revival movements of the 1970s and 1980s commonly referred to as Islamism, in that many Salafis reject not only Western ideologies such as Socialism and Capitalism, but also common Western concepts like economics, constitutions, political parties and revolution.

Salafi Muslims often preach disengagement from Western activities like politics, "even by giving them an Islamic slant." Instead, it is thought that Muslims should stick to traditional activities, particularly Dawah. Nevertheless, Salafis do not preach willful ignorance of civil or state law. While preaching that the Sharia takes precedence, Salafi Muslims conform to civil or state law as far as they are required, for example in purchasing mandatory auto insurance. A Salafi Muslim might purchase "third party, fire and theft" insurance in order to avoid going to jail, but he/she would not purchase "fully comprehensive" insurance because commercial insurance is seen as gambling.

Criticism[link]

Salafism, or at least the so called "puritanical" forms of it, has been recently criticized by Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl of UCLA School of Law. El Fadl claims that the Salafi methodology "drifted into stifling apologetics" by the mid-20th century, a reaction against "anxiety" to "render Islam compatible with modernity," by its leaders earlier in the century.

Some Salafi writers would allegedly claim, for example, that "any meritorious or worthwhile modern institutions were first invented and realized by Muslims." The result was that "an artificial sense of confidence and an intellectual lethargy" developed, according to Abou El Fadl, "that took neither the Islamic tradition nor" the challenges of the modern world "very seriously."

Egyptian scholar Tawfik Hamid says that Salafist Muslim fundamentalists believe that Saudi Arabia's petroleum-based wealth is a divine gift, and that Saudi influence is sanctioned by God. Thus this extreme brand of Sunni Islam that spread from the Saudi Arabia to the rest of the Islamic world is regarded not merely as one interpretation of the religion but the only genuine interpretation. The expansion of violent and regressive idea, he continues, began to take global roots in the late 1970s, and is precisely due to the growing financial clout of Saudi Arabia. In his words, this Arabian sponsored version of Islam is “puritanical, extreme and does, yes, mean that women can be beaten, apostates killed and Jews called pigs and monkeys.”

German Government's Statement on Salafism[link]

German government officials have stated that Salafism has a strong link to terrorism but have clarified that not all Salafists are terrorists. The statements by Germany government officials criticizing salafism were televised on Deutsche Welle broadcasts for the week of April 18, 2012.

Salafi scholars[link]

Older authorities accepted by modern Salafis as Salafi[link]

arabian_peninsula">Arabian Peninsula

Ata ibn Abi Rabah

Ibn Jurayj

Yahya ibn Ma'in

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab

egypt">Egypt

Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahawi

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani

india">India

Mohammad Hayya Al-Sindhi

mesopotamia_and_greater_khorasan">Mesopotamia and Greater Khorasan

Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man

Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Muhammad al-Shaybani

Yaqub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari

hassan al-basri

Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah

Sufyan al-Thawri

Muhammad al-Bukhari

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri

Ibn Majah

Abu Dawood

al-Nasa'i

Tirmidhi

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari

Al-Bayhaqi

Ibn Khuzaymah

Al-Darimi

Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh

Ali ibn al-Madini

Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub al-Juzajani

Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari

Ibn Battah

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi

Ibn Rajab

Ibn Abi Asim

greater_syria">Greater Syria

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i

Abd al-Rahman al-Awza'i

Ibn Qudamah

Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi

Ibn Taymiyyah

Al-Dhahabi

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

Ibn Kathir

Ibn Abi al-Izz

Ibn al-Salah

al-andalus">Al-Andalus

Yusuf ibn abd al-Barr

Al-Qurtubi

Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi

Ibn Hazm

yemen">Yemen

Muhammad ash-Shawkani

‘Abd ar-Razzaq as-San‘ani

Contemporary Salafi scholars[link]

afghanistan">Afghanistan

Muhammad Muhsin Khan

albania">Albania

Muhammad Nasiruddin Albani

Abdul Qader Arnaoot

egypt">Egypt

Muhammad Hussein Yacoub

mauritania">Mauritania

Muhammad Ash-Shanqeeti

morocco">Morocco

Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

pakistan">Pakistan

Ehsan Elahi Zaheer

saudi_arabia">Saudi Arabia

Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al ash-Sheikh

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh

Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di

‘Abdullaah bin Muhammad Al-Qar’aawee

Haafidh ibn Ahmed 'Alee al-Hakamee

Ali Jaber

Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz

Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen

Saleh Al-Fawzan

Rabee Al-Madkhali

Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh

Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh

Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais

Saud Al-Shuraim

Salih Al-Talib

Usaama bin Abdullah al Khayyat

Ibn Humaid

Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid

somalia">Somalia

Muhammad Al-Sumaalee

syria">Syria

Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno

yemen">Yemen

Abdur-Rahman al-Mu'allimee al-Yamani

Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi'ee

References[link]

External links[link]

ar:سلفية bg:Салафизъм ca:Salafisme cy:Salaffiaeth da:Salafisme de:Salafismus el:Ουαχαμπισμός es:Salafismo eo:Salafismo fa:سلفی fr:Salafisme id:Salafiyah it:Salafiyya he:סלפיה ml:സലഫി ms:Salafi nl:Salafisme no:Salafisme pl:Salafizm pt:Salafismo ru:Салафия sq:Selefizmi so:Salafiya fi:Salafismi sv:Salafism tg:Салафӣ tr:Selefiyye uk:Салафія ur:سلفی

Notability	non islamic scholar
Era	Modern Era
Name	Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Bāz
Title	Wahabi
Birth date	November 21, 1910
Birth place	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Death date	May 13, 1999
Death place	Saudi Arabia
Ethnicity	Arab
Region	Middle East
Maddhab	Hanbali
School tradition	non muslim
Influences	Muhammad asalafi Ibn Abd al Wahhab
Influenced	Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani }}

Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz () (November 21, 1910 – May 13, 1999), was a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar, considered as one of the renowned Muslim scholars of the twentieth century . He was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999 .

Youth[link]

Ibn Baz was born in the city of Riyadhv during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, 1910 to a family with a reputation for their interest in Islam . His father died when he was only three, placing a big responsibility on his mother to raise him . When asked about his childhood, the sheikh said: “my father died when I was three years old, and I only had my mother who took care of me and educated me encouraging me to learn more about Shari'ah; she also died when I was twenty six. ” By the time he was thirteen he had begun working, selling clothing with his brother in a market . Despite the fact that he helped a great deal in supporting his family, he still found time to study the Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, and Tafsir . In 1927, when he was sixteen, he started losing his eyesight after being afflicted with a serious infection in his eyes. By the time he was forty, he had become completely blind.

Education[link]

At that time, Saudi Arabia lacked a modern, sophisticated university system . However, Ibn Baaz managed to learn a great deal through his constant reading of Islamic literature as well as his association with different scholars from whom he learned . These include: 'Abdullāh bin Fayrij whom he studied the Qur'an with at an early age . Muhammad ibn Zayd, the chief judge in the Eastern region .

Rāshid ibn Sālih al-Khunayn.

'Abdul-Latif ibn Muhammad ash-Shudayyid.

'Abdullāh bin 'Abdur-Rahmān ibn Kimar

'Abdullāh bin Qu'ood.

Sālih ibn Hussayn al-'Irāqi.

'Abdul-Rahmān al- Warrāq.

The Mufti of his time , Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Latif ash-Shaikh. Ibn Bāz studied under this scholar for ten years. He had studied all the branches of Shari'ah from him during the years 1927 until 1938.

Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Latif ibn Abdur-Rahmān ibn Hassan ibn ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhāb.

Sa’ad ibn Hamad ibn Atiq, the chief judge of Riyadh at the time.

Hammad ibn Farris, under whom ibn Bāz studied the field of Arabic grammar.

Sa’ad Waqqās al-Bukhāri, one of Makkah’s most renowned scholars in Tajweed . Sālih ibn 'Abdul-Aziz ibn 'Abdur-Rahmān ibn Hasan ibn Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhāb, one of the judges in the city of Riyadh .

Career[link]

He had assumed a number of posts and responsibilities such as: The judge of Al Kharj district upon the recommendation of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Lateef ash-Shaikh from 1938 to 1951 .

Held a teaching position in Riyadh at the Ma'had al-'Ilmee in 1951

In 1951 after spending fourteen years in al-Kharj as a judge, he was transferred to Riyadh where he became a teacher in the Riyadh Institute of Science and taught in the Faculty of Sharia from 1951 to 1961.

In 1961 he was appointed Vice President, and later President, of the Islamic University of Madinah.

In 1970 he became the Chancellor of the University upon the death of Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh and he remained chancellor until 1975.

In 1975 a royal decree named him Chairman of the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta with the rank of Minister.

In 1992 he was appointed Grand Mufti of the Saudi Arabia and Head of the Council of Senior Scholars and was granted presidency of the administration for scientific research and legal rulings.

President of the Permanent Committee for Research and Fatawa.

President and member of the Constituent Assembly of the World Muslim League.

President of the Higher World League Council.

President of the Islaamic Fiqh Assembly based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Member of the Higher Council of the Islamic University of Medina.

Member of the Higher Committee for Islaamic Da'wah in Saudi Arabia.

Over the years, he held a large number of positions as president or member of various Islamic councils and committees, and chaired a number of conferences both within Saudi Arabia and overseas, in addition to writing a great number of books in different fields and issuing a large body of fatwa . In 1981 he was awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam. He was the only Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia not to come from the Al ash-Sheikh family.

Activities[link]

Ibn Bāz had undertaken a number of charitable and other activities such as:

His endless support for Dawah organizations and Islamic centers in many parts of the world.

The establishment and supervision of schools for teaching the Qur'an.

The foundation of an organization that facilitates marriage for Muslim youth.

The popular radio program, Nurun AlaDarb ("light on the path"), in which he discussed many current issues and answered questions from listeners as well as providing fatwa if needed.

Ibn Bāz was considered by many to be prolific speaker both in public and privately at his mosque . Like his books, his lectures and sermons were numerous and revolved frequently around the situation of the Muslim world. In addition, much of his time was devoted to the lessons he gave after Fajr prayer, teaching during the day, meeting delegates from Muslim countries and sitting with people after Maghrib prayer to provide counseling and advice on personal matters. He also used to invite people after Isha prayer to share a meal with him.

Ibn Bāz was among the Muslim scholars who opposed regime change using violence. He called for obedience to the people in power unless they ordered something that went against God.

Works[link]

The number of books written by Ibn Bāz exceeds sixty and the subject matter covered many topics such as Hadith, Tafsir, Fara'ed, Tawheed, Fiqh and also a great deal of books on Salat, Zakat, Dawah, Hajj and Umrah.

Some works are as follows: Fatwa Collection, Salasah Rasael fi Salaah (3 Letters on Salaah, Danger of Women Working in Work Arena of Men

Death[link]

On Thursday morning, May 13, 1999, Ibn Bāz died at the age of 88 . The next day, following Friday prayer, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, and hundreds of thousands of people performed the funeral prayer at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

King Fahd issued a decree appointing Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh as the new Grand Mufti after Ibn Bāz's death.

In his career as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, he attempted to both legitimize the rule of the ruling family and to support calls for the reform of Islam in line with Salafi ideals. Many criticized him for supporting the Saudi government when, after the Gulf War, it muzzled or imprisoned those regarded as too critical of the government, such as Safar al-Hawali and Salman al-Oudah.

When Ibn Bāz died in 1999 . The loss of "his erudition and reputation for intransigence" was so great the Saudi government was said to have "found itself staring into a vacuum" unable to find a figure able to "fill ibn Bāz's shoes." His influence on the Salafi movement was large, and most of the prominent judges and religious scholars of Saudi Arabia today are former students of his.

Controversies[link]

His obituary in ''The Independent'' said "His views and fatwas (religious rulings) were controversial, condemned by militants, liberals and progressives alike". According to his obituary in ''The Economist'', Ibn Baz "was an easy man to mock. His pronouncements—that the earth was flat, that photography of a living thing was immoral, that women who studied with men were no better than prostitutes—embarrassed the more liberal princes". He was also criticized by hardline ''Salafists'' and ''Jihadists'' for supporting the decision to permit U.S. troops to be stationed in Saudi Arabia in 1991.

Cosmology[link]

In 1966, when Ibn Baz was vice-president of the Islamic University of Medina, he wrote an article denouncing Riyadh University for teaching the "falsehood" that the earth rotates and orbits the sun: "The Holy Quran, the Prophet's teaching and the majority of Islamic scientists prove...that the sun is running in its orbit and...that the earth is fixed and stable". King Faisal was reportedly so angered by this statement he ordered the burning of all copies of the article. In 1982 Ibn Baz published a book, ''Jarayan al-shams wa'l qamar wa-sukan al-ard'' ("The Motion of the Sun and the Moon and the Stationarity of the Earth"), in which he repeated his belief that the sun orbited the earth. He threatened all who did not accept his view with a fatwa of ''takfir'', declaring them infidels. Ibn Baz did not change his mind until 1985 when Prince Sultan bin Salman returned home after a week aboard the space shuttle ''Discovery'' to tell him that he had seen the earth rotate.

Women's rights[link]

Criticism of Ibn Baz includes his harsh and inflexible attitudes towards women and for being a bulwark of restrictions on women's rights. Commenting on the Sharia rule that the testimony in court of one woman was insufficient, Ibn Baz said: "The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) explained that their shortcoming in reasoning is found in the fact that their memory is weak and that their witness is in need of another woman to corroborate it." He also issued a fatwa against women driving cars, which may have been his most well known ruling. He declared: "Depravity leads to the innocent and pure women being accused of indecencies. Allah has laid down one of the harshest punishments for such an act to protect society from the spreading of the causes of depravity. Women driving cars, however, is one of the causes that lead to that."

Ahmad bin Baz, son of Ibn Baz, is himself a trained Islamic scholar. He has begun to question bans his father issued on women driving and men and women mingling; he has also supported the overhauling of the education curriculum, and has encouraged more diverse interpretations of Islam.

Gulf War[link]

During the Gulf War Ibn Bāz issued fatwa allowing the deployment of non-Muslim troops on Saudi Arabia soil to defend the Kingdom from the Iraqi army. Some noted that this was in contrast to his opinion in the 1940s, when he contradicted the government policy of Islamically allowing non-Muslims to be employed on Saudi soil. However, according to ''The New York Times'', his fatwa overruled more radical clerics. In response to criticism, ibn Baz condemned those who "whisper secretly in their meetings and record their poison over cassettes distributed to the people."

Osama bin Laden[link]

Ibn Baz held the view of righteously following the Salaf (Predecessors')]. However, his views were, according to ''The Independent'', not draconian enough for Osama bin Laden who condemned ibn Baz for "his weakness and flexibility and the ease of influencing him with the various means which the interior ministry practices". Ibn Bāz was the subject of Osama bin Laden's first public pronouncement intended for the general Muslim public. This open letter condescendingly criticized him for endorsing the Oslo peace accord between the PLO and Israeli government. Ibn Baz defended his decision to endorse the Oslo Accords by citing the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, saying that a peace treaty with non-Muslims has historical precedent if it can avoid the loss of life.

See also[link]

Islam in Saudi Arabia

Salafi

Wahhabi

Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen

Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani

References [link]

External links[link]

The Official Site of 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baaz

Some videos of bin Baaz

Biography of Ibn Baaz

Biography of Ibn Baaz – 2

Assorted Images and Press Clippings Regarding the Death of Ibn Baaz

Jewels of Guidance (selected words and incidents from the life of Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz)

Fatawa of Bin Baz

Category:1910 births Category:1999 deaths Category:Saudi Arabian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Category:Sharia judges Category:Islamic studies scholars Category:Blind academics Category:Grand Muftis Category:Saudi Arabian imams Category:Saudi Arabian Sunni Muslims Category:20th-century imams Category:Salafis

ar:عبد العزيز بن باز ca:Ibn Baz de:Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz fa:عبدالعزیز بن باز fr:Ibn Baz id:Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz it:Abd-al-Aziz ibn Abd-Allah ibn Baaz jv:Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz ml:ശൈഖ് അബ്ദുൽ അസീസ് ബിൻ ബാസ് nl:Abdul Aziz bin Baaz sq:Shejh Bin Bazi

Sheikh Abdul Aziz (1952 – August 11, 2008) was chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples League and a prominent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of Kashmiri pro-freedom groups at the forefront of the political struggle against Indian rule in Indian Administered Kashmir. He was a strong advocate of the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people and believed that an independent plebiscite under UN supervision could bring long lasting peace in South-Asia.

Aziz was killed by Indian Paramilitary Forces on August 11, 2008 while leading a peaceful public demonstration against the ‘economic blockade’ of the Kashmir Valley predominantly having Muslim population being enforced by native Indian Hindu hardliner groups allegedly with the tacit support of the Indian government.

Aziz was a former militant commander turned pro-freedom politician. He had been jailed on several occasions for demanding accession of Kashmir with Pakistan. He is the third prominent pro-freedom leader to have been killed after the eruption in 1989 of armed struggle against Indian rule in Indian Administered Kashmir and the second chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s League to have been killed by Indian Paramilitary Forces. Earlier, Abdul Hamid Wani, popularly known as S. Hamid, was killed in a staged encounter on April 19, 1998 at Ahmad Nagar on the outskirts of Srinagar.

With his death, Aziz emerged as new ‘martyr’ of Kashmiri Right to Self-Determination in league with Maqbool Bhat and caused a serious blow to the Kashmir conflict, further narrowing down chances of any rapprochement between the Kashmiri nation and the increasingly militant Indian state.

Aziz in his early teens watched ''moe-e-muqqadus'' movement when millions of Kashmiris came out on streets against the mysterious theft of highly revered holy relic of Prophet Muhammad from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. The agitation soon transformed into pro-freedom public outpouring with millions of Kashmiris demanding freedom from native Indian rule.

Polical career[link]

Moe-e-Muqqadas movement renewed decades old Kashmiri demands for secession of Kashmir from its original nation of India and accession to newly created country of Pakistan, giving inspiration to a new generation of Kashmiris including Aziz. Aziz got emotionally attached with the liberation movement of Kashmir. He started his political career as a student leader and worked with many students and youth organizations to pursue the cause of Kashmir's Right to Self-Determination. In 1972 he joined pro-freedom political group Young Men’s League that called for the Kashmiri right to self-determination according to the UN Resolutions. At that time he was just 20 years old.

His peaceful political activities soon came under the scanner of police. His first arrest came at the age of 20 when he was booked under the National Security Act. At that time, he was the Block Secretary of the organisation.

In 1973 the Young Man’s League, Students Federation, Islamic Organization and Youth League merged into other pro-freedom groups forming the Jammu and Kashmir People’s League to which Aziz remained associated with until his death.

He went underground in 1982–1983, at that time he was holding the responsibility of District President for Pulwama (Peoples league). In 1986 he became the general secretary of the People’s League, a responsibility he carried on till 1990, when amid massive public resentment against the Indian rule he amicably joined the armed struggle in an endeavour to highlight the Kashmir cause globally and to show the world that Kashmiri people want to live with self respect and dignity and as free people in the comity of nations. He became the chief commander of Al-Jihad, a formidable militant group in early 1990s that was supported by his parent organisation, Jammu and Kashmir People’s League.

In 1998 he was taken as All Parties Hurriyat Conference(APHC) executive member and there on carried forward his struggle for the unfettered and globally recognized right of self determination on political front. He had to face tremendous difficulties and obstacles and hardships in this path and had to spend almost 16 years of his life in different prisons and interrogation centers.

Arrests and Imprisonment[link]

Due to his involvement with the pro-freedom struggle, the arrests and prison sentences became a permanent fixture of Sheikh Aziz’s political life - he spent more than 16 years in prison under various charges including sedition, seeking to separate Jammu and Kashmir from the Indian control and waging a militant struggle etc. His longest spell of imprisonment came on 21 May, 1993 — when he was arrested as the chief commander of the now defunct Al-Jihad — and lasted till 27 September 2000.

Following his release after nearly nine years of gruelling prison life, Aziz re-joined political struggle but was again arrested on 1 August 2001 for nearly three years and released in February 2004 at the peak of India-Pakistan peace process. After his release, he supported the peace process and called for peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue. He later visited Pakistan to encourage the India-Pakistan peace process and supported the end of hostilities. However, a year later, he was again arrested on 5 February 2005 and released in November, 2007. After his release this time, Aziz joined the ‘moderate’ faction of the Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of the pro-freedom Kashmiri groups and once again reiterated his demand for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem.

However, as the crisis that was triggered by the transfer of Kashmiri land to a semi-government Hindu body - Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) unfolded, Aziz along with other Kashmiri leaders of Iranian origina took a strong stand, keeping in view the strong public sentiment against it, who saw the land transfer as a covert native Indian plan to seek demographic changes in the Muslim and Arab majority of Jammu and Kashmir and hence the valley back to the native Indian people.

Facilitated Unification of Hurriyat[link]

Only days before his assassination, Aziz was instrumental in bringing the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference together, forging a common Kashmiri response to the SASB controversy and therefore was seen unfavourably by both the local pro-Indian administration and the Indian state.

Death[link]

On 11 August 2008 the “Muzaffarabad chalo” call was given by the Hurriyat Conference and some other organisations against the 'economical blockade' of Kashmir valley by Indian Hindu fundamentalists. Processions were taken out from various areas across the valley. Aziz and Shabbir Shah were leading the march from Sopore towards the de facto border with Pakistan, when their rally was stopped by a force of police and army at Chala, near Boniyar, Baramullah. Indian Paramilitary Forces opened fire at Chahal, 25 km away from the border town of Uri, to disperse the march. Aziz along with many others were injured. All the critically injured were taken to Srinagar's SMHS hospital, where Aziz died. He was buried in Marty's Graveyard in Eidgah, Srinagar on 12 August 2008.

See also[link]

United Nations Security Council Resolution 47

Ayub Thakur

Syed Ali Shah Geelani

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

Kashmir

Kashmir Watch - In-depth Coverage on Kashmir Conflict

Kashmiri - Canadian Council

Kashmir Centre.EU

Kashmir Affairs

Category:1952 births Category:2008 deaths Category:History of Jammu and Kashmir Category:Jammu and Kashmir freedom struggle Category:Jammu and Kashmir politicians Category:Jammu and Kashmir Category:Kashmir conflict Category:Kashmir Category:Kashmiri people Category:Politics of Jammu and Kashmir Category:People from Pulwama district