Shihab al-Din al-Marjan i about Ibn ‘Abd-al-Wahhab and his preaching on the material of the book “Wafi yat al-aslaf”

The article includes the translations of some fragments from the biographical work “Wafi yyat al-aslaf wa tahiyyat al-akhlaf” (“Devotion to the ancestors and greetings to descendants”) of the outstanding Tatar theologian Shihab al-Din al-Marjani (1818–1889), dedicated to the Arabian preacher Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792) and his religious teachings. The texts from the specifi ed source were compared with the other available sources in order to fi nd out which books and which authors Marjani relied on. The author of the article tried to fi nd out Marjani’s assessment of the teachings of Ibn ‘Abd-al-Wahhab and the actions of his followers.  

As a result, it was revealed that the Tatar scholar used such historical works as “al-Ta‘ribat al-shafi yya” (“Convincing translations into Arabic”) by Rifa‘a al-Tahtawi (1801-1873) and “al-Mir’a al-wadhiyya” (“The Clear Mirror”) by Van Dyck Cornelius (1818-1895), theological treatises such as “Sulh al-ikhwan” (“Reconciliation of the brothers”) by Ibn Jirjis (1816-1882) and “Fath al-mannan” (“Disclosure of the Giver”) by al-Hazimi (d. 1866). Presumably, he also relied on “Tarikh ‘ajaib al-athar” (“History of the amazing heritage”) by al-Jabarti (1754-1822) and “Radd al-mukhtar” (“The answer to the bewildered”) by Ibn ‘Abidin (1784-1836). Marjani, assessing the teachings and activities of Sheikh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, kept himself rather restrained and cautious, though he admitted the negative consequences of Abd al-Wahhab preaching that came in the form of Muslims accused of disbelief (takfir) destruction.

1. Garaeva N.G. Istochniki “Wafi yyat al-aslaf wa tahiyyat al-akhlaf” Sh. Mardzhani [Sources of Sh. Mardjani’s “Wafi yyat al-aslaf wa tahiyyat al-akhlaf”]. Mardzhani: uchenyi, myslitel’, prosvetitel’. Sb. statey [Marjani: a scholar, a thinker, an educator. Coll. Works]. Kazan: Tatar book publ; 1990, рр. 91–112. (In Russian)

2. ‘Uthman Mustafa al-Nabulusi. Al-Ru’ya al-wahhabiyya li-l-tawhid wa aqsami-hi: ‘ardh wa naqd [Wahhabi vision of monotheism and its categories: review and criticism]. Amman: Dar al-Nur al-Mubin; 2017. 528 p. (In Arabic)

3. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 3. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 355 p. (In Arabic)

4. Yusupov M.H. Shigabutdin Mardzhani [Shihab al-Din Marjani]. Kazan: Tatar book publ; 2005. 271 p. (In Russian)

5. Marjani kitaphanase: fanni-bibliografi k jyentyk [Marjani Library: scientifi c and bibliographic collection]. Compiled by Mardanov R. Kazan: Milli kitap; 2004. 122 p. (In Tatar)

6. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan al-Jabarti. Tarikh ‘ajaib al-athar fi al-tarajim wa al-akhbar [History of the amazing heritage in biographies and events]. T. 2. Beirut: Dar al-Jayl; n.d. 656 p. (In Arabic)

7. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. T. 1. 336 p. (In Arabic)

8. Ahmad ibn Zayni Dahlan. Al-Durar al-saniyya fi al-radd ‘ala al-wahhabiyya [Shining pearls in the denial of the Wahhabis]. Cairo: al-Matba‘a al-bahiyya; 1299 H./1882. 36 p. (In Arabic)

9. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 6. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 335 p. (In Arabic)

10. Shagaviev D.A. The Image of Sheikh Ibn-Taimiyyah in the Writings of Shihab al-Din al-Marjani. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2019;12(3):775–796. (In Russian)

11. Siddiq Hasan-Khan al-Qinnauji. Al-Hitta fi dhikr al-sihah al-sitta [Neglecting to mention six authentic Hadith collections]. ‘Ali Hasan al-Halabi (ed.). Beirut: Dar al-Jayl; 1405 H./1985. 528 p. (In Arabic)

12. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 2. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 341 p. (In Arabic)

13. Daud ibn Sulayman al-Naqshbandi al-Khalidi al-Baghdadi. Kitab Sulh alikhwan min ahl al-iman wa bayan al-din al-kayyim fi tabriat Ibn-Taymiyya wa Ibnal-Qayyim [A book about the reconciliation of brothers from people of faith and the clarifi cation of Direct religion in the justifi cation of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim]. Baghdad: Nukhbat al-akhbar; 1306 H. 152 p. (In Arabic)

14. Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi. Fath al-mannan tatimmat minhaj al-ta’sis radd Sulh al-Ikhwan [Disclosure of the Giver – Completion of the Basis Method to Refute the Reconciliation of the Brothers]. ‘Umar ibn Ahmad al-Ahmad (ed.). Riyadh: Dar al-Tawhid li-l-nashr; 2009. 416 p. (In Arabic)

15. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 7. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 352 p. (In Arabic)

16. ‘Umar Manzur al-Nu‘mani. Di‘ayat mukaththafa dhidd al-shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab [Oppressive propaganda against Sheikh Ibn ‘Abdal-Wahhab]. Nur ‘Ali al-Amini al-Nadawi (trans. from Urdu to Arabic). Lucknow: Maktabat al-Furqan; 1980. 149 p. (In Arabic)

17. Muhammad Amin Ibn ‘Abidin. Radd al-muhtar ‘ala al-durr al-mukhtar [An answer to the bewildered about the Chosen Pearl]. T. 4. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr; 1992. 604 p. (In Arabic)

18. Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saff arini. Al-Ajwiba al-najdiyya ‘an al-as’ilat al-najdiyya [Supportive answers to Najdian questions]. Mubarak ibn Rashid alHathlan (ed.). Amman: Dar al-Fath; 2015. 142 p. (In Arabic)

19. Muhammad Siddiq Hasan-Khan al-Qinnauji al-Bukhari. Al-Taj almukallal min jawahir maathir al-tiraz al-akhir wa al-awwal [Crown of jewels of the last and of the fi rst value]. Doha: Wizarat al-awqaf wa al-shu’un al-islamiyya; 2007. 559 p. (In Arabic)

20. Kornelius Van Dyck al-Amirikani. Al-Mir’a al-wadhiyya fi -l-kura alardhiyya [A clear mirror on the globe]. Beirut: al-Maktaba al-Islamiyya; 1852. 473 p. (In Arabic)

21. Rifa‘a Badawi Rafi ‘ al-Tahtawi. Kitab al-ta‘ribat al-shafi ya li-murid aljughrafi ya [A book of convincing translations to Arabic for the geographer]. Cairo: Dar al-Tiba‘a al-hadiwiyya; 1254 H./1838. 432 p. (In Arabic)

22. Vasil’ev A.M. Istoriya Saudovskoy Aravii [History of Saudi Arabia] (1745-1973). Moscow: “Klassika plyus” Publ., Knizhnyi dom gazety Trud Publ.; 1999. 672 p. (In Russian)

23. Ashraf Nizar Hasan. Al-Masail al-khilafi yya bayna al-hanabila wa alsalafi yya al-mu‘asira: dirasa naqdiyya [On the disagreement between Hanbalis and Contemporary Salafi s: A Critique study]. Amman: Dar al-Nur al-Mubin; 2018. 109 p. (In Arabic)

24. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Khumayyis. Sharh al-‘aqida altahawiyya al-muyassar [Facilitated interpretation of the Tahawi credo]. Riyadh: Dar al-Watan; 1414 H. 110 p. (In Arabic)

25. Al-Durar al-saniyya fi al-ajwiba al-najdiyya [Glittering pearls in Nadjian answers]. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim (ed.). T. 9. N.p.: n.p.; 1995. 455 p. (In Arabic)

26. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-Latif ibn ‘Abd Allah Al al-Shaykh. Mashahir ‘ulama’ Najd wa ghayrihim [The famous scholars of Najd and others]. Riyadh: Dar al-Yamama; 1394 H. 543 p. (In Arabic)

27. Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Shawkani. Al-Badr al-tali‘ bi-mahasin man ba‘d alqarn al-sabi‘ [The rising moon in the virtues of those who lived after the 7th century AH]. T. 2. Beirut: Dar al-Ma‘rifa; n.d. 375 p. (In Arabic)

28. Mustafa Hamdu ‘Ul’yan al-Hanbali. Al-Sada al-hanabila wa ikhtilafu-hum ma‘a-l-salafi yya al-mu‘asira fi -l-‘aqida wa-l-fi qh wa-l-tasawwuf [Hanbali scholars and their disagreements with contemporary Salafi s in Aqida, Fiqh and Tasawwuf]. Amman: Dar al-Nur al-Mubin; 2017. 840 p. (In Arabic)

29. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 5. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 336 p. (In Arabic)

30. Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. Al-A‘lam [The famous people]. T. 4. Beirut: Dar al-‘Ilm li-l-Malayin; 2002. 334 p. (In Arabic)