Thread by @Salafiunveiled

𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢?
🖌️⬇️

The first issue is that Shawkani didn’t appear to support MIAW in his lifetime. The date cited in wahhabis evidences (1215AH) is after the death of MIAW. (Plus, Shawkani, along with other Yemini scholars retracted this mistaken support. But that’s a later point.)

The second issue regards his religious identity. It’s very difficult to detach Shawkani from Shia-Zaydiyyah because he was born, raised & educated in this tradition. This is a fact, no matter how much Salafis edit his biography and works to be a staunch Salafi through & through.

It’s quite staggering how most Salafi biographers “Sunni/Salafi-Wash” his life. They mention he “took up a position as ruler” but fail to mention that this was for a Zaydi Shi’i Imamate. It’s actually quite embarrassing. Thankfully, some Salafi scholars are more honest with this

Side note, this wahhabi scholar has been ex-communicated by other Salafis so I wouldn’t know if you would take his opinion (him being a Salafi based on Qur’an and Sunnah) or the opinion of the Salafis that call him khawarij (who are also based on Qur’an and Sunnah).

Shawkani held a political position as chief judge (qadial-qudat) in the Qasimi imamate of the Zaydis for nearly 40 years. Yes, he was critical of many of their views, and he leaned on Sunni texts, but he was very much couched in Zaydi Shia political system.

Shawkani’s Zaydi identity is clearly a concern for some, perhaps more sincere Salafis, as it’s a common question that comes up online, which Salafi “scholars” have to contend with. Not all responses are completely favourable, but as expected, most just lie.

Here is a more honest SALAFI WEBSITE, which, in face of biographical facts that are otherwise hidden or obscured by most Salafi publishers and scholars, clearly defines the Zaydis as a group from the Shia, and defines Shawkani as a Zaydi.

General academics have also pointed out Shawkani’s Zaydism: “It is difficult to say whether al-Shawkani was a Zaydi or Sunni, but his milieu was Zaydi. He was well read, educated in both the Zaydi and the Sunni traditions.” - Mohammed Farid Ali iais.org.my/attach/Al-Shaw…

In Shawkani’s early writings, he even took the position that Ali (ra) was successor to the Prophet ﷺ, inline with the consensus of Zaydi Shia beliefs. But also appeared to adopt a more Sunni-orientated understanding regarding the Companions, and more so later on.

In the same text, “al-'Iqd al-thamin fi ithbat wisayat amir al-mu'minin” Shawkani also REJECTED the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, in Bukhari and Muslim, in which she DENIES that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was assigned as khalifah.

Also, it’s worth noting that when Shawkani refutes the cursing of companions from amongst the more extreme Shia, he does so from Zaydi sources. He generally gave rulings of Zaydi imams well into maturity. It’s clear he saw many Zaydi Imam’s as authorities.

Side point: Shawkani also held positions that were problematic for Salafis. Although he was initially sympathetic to Ibn Abdul Wahhab’s condemnation of “grave-worshipping” (as all Muslims should be), he actually permitted Tawassul not only with Prophet ﷺ but with THE PIOUS.

Al-Albani even concedes that Shawkani permitted Tawassul and grave visitation, but disagrees with him. This might be a less relevant point, again, depending on what kind of Salafi you are. Many, have now conceded that Tawassul is permitted as they’ve decided to join Islam.

Of course, this would make him a kafir according to MIAW. But I wouldn’t know if you thought he was a kafir too, as a result of knowing this. Again, I just can’t tell, and tbh I don’t really care.

Third, and this is a more finer point for the more intellectually astute readers…

Shawkani’s temporary support for MIAW was born out of the context he was in. He was already refuting the extremes of Shia-Zaydi religious positions/practices of his time & place. Thus, in response to blind taqlid to Zaydi imams, he called for a strict return to Qur’an & Sunnah.

Shawkani’s staunch opposition of Taqlid also appeared to be due to his resistance of Mu'tazili kalam discourses which, for the Yemini Zaydis were taking precedence over Qur’an and hadith. He condemned this and considered Zaydi Kalam as “idle talk”.

In fique, he rejected much of the Hadawi (Zaydi) school of Law, which, again, over depended on taqlid to derive legal rulings against textual evidence. This contributed to him having an overall aversion to the scholarly class and madhhabs, so it’s clear why Salafis claim him.

So, the only reason he sympathised with the Wahhabis initially is because SOME of their views correlated with his, FOR COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONTEXTUAL REASONS. So yes, he was like a “Salafi” in his approach, but not because he was a follower of MIAW.

If Shawkani had grown up in a more Sunni-exclusive tradition, I doubt he would have felt the need to have such anti-taqlīd, anti-madhab positions, because, in reality, he was responding the the Shia-Zaydi religious structures and practices of his context and time.

Fourth, and finally, he retracted his support for the Wahhabis along with other Yemeni traditional scholars when he discovered they were extremist takfiris. He did a U-turn on them, resisting them theologically and militarily.

Shawkani was behind a military attack against the Wahhabis on behalf of the Zaydi Imamate. This is recorded by his student and biographer, Muhammad b. al-Hasanal-Shijni in his "Hay-at al-imam al-Shawkani: Kitab al-Tiqsar” pp. 38 - 40.

Shawkani also rejected the key Wahhabi stance on grave visiting, saying that such practices were not kufr, but simply wrong, and that anyone who made this mistake of calling it kufr is in fact a DEVIANT, and likened such people to the KHAWARIJ.

Summary: I must respectfully reject this evidence that Shawkani was a Sunni scholar that supported MIAW in his lifetime because:

I hope you can see that suggesting an ambiguously Zaydi Imam who expressed momentary support after the death of MIAW and later retracted it, comparing them to Khawarij, isn’t a good answer to finding me a Sunni scholar that supported MIAW in his lifetime.

But I am open to other suggestions, because I am here to learn and share. Just bear in mind, I will research it.

Peace be with all of you.

If Shawkani wasn't mistakenly appropriated by Salafis into their Sect by some deceptive Najdi, they'd be calling him a Mushrik, Quburi, Shia Ahl ul-Bida x 1000.

Shawkani's "Creed":
Tawassul with Prophets & Righteous? ✅
Seek help from jinn & angels?✅
"Ya Muhammad"? ✅

All in:

This not only demonstrates a disastrous misappropriation of the Zaydi/Sunni-leaning scholar, Shawkani [d.1834], but also shows the complete hypocrisy of a sect that will happily call Sunnis "mushriks" for merely defending less than what Shawkani actually prescribes and teaches.

Even more reason why Salafis appropriating him like this completely backfires in their faces.