All Praise is due to Allaah (Azza wa Jall) who sent his Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) with guidance and the true religion so that it may become manifest over all other religions. May the Salaat and Salaam of Allaah be upon the last and noblest of All the Prophets, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), on the family of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and upon the noble companions (ra) and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until the last day.

It is the habit of the people of today that they label as anyone who calls to Tawheed and warns against all forms of shirk a Wahabbi. So since this has become prominent amongst some of the Muslims, who call themselves Sunnis then we should refer back to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah upon the understanding of the first three generations in order to ascertain what is the truth.

(1) Firstly Al-Wahabb is one of the beautiful names of Allaah (Azza Wa Jall) meaning the all-giver and so how can anyone twist this beautiful name, Aoudhoubillah.

(2) The usage of 'Wahabbi' comes from a scholar who lived some time ago by the name of Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahaab, who called to Tawheed and defended it and warned against Shirk and fought its people. So if these people were truthful they would use the term 'Muhammadi' since Abdul-Wahaab was the name of his father.

(3) Alllaah (Azza Wa Jall) has prohibited us from insulting using nicknames as He (Azza Wa Jall) says:

"And do not insult by nicknames" Al Hujuraat 49:11

(4) The people of the past accused Imaam Shafiee of being a Rafidee and he replied with:

If Rafd is loving the Family of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) Then the humans and Jinns witness that I am a Rafidee.

So we refute with what a poet said:

If the follower of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) is a Wahabbi Then I affirm that I am a Wahabbi

(5) It is the duty of the Muslims to call to Tawheed and warn against Shirk:

Allaah (Azza Wa Jall) says: "And we have sent to every nation a Messenger saying Worship Allaah alone and avoid the Taghoot " [An Nahl 36]

The Taghoot is anything that is worshipped besides Allaah (Azza Wa Jall).

The call to Tawheed is the call of all the Messengers:

Allaah (Azza Wa Jall) says: "To Aad (We sent) their brother Hud. He said: 'Oh my people, worship Allaah, you have no other Illah except Him, will you not fear (Allaah) " [Al Aa'raaf 7:65]

And He (Azza Wa Jall) says: "To Thamud we sent their brother Salih. He said: O my people worship Allaah You have no other Illah except Him " [Hud 11:61]

So see how the dawah to Tawheed is the dawah of all the Prophets and the battle between Tawheed and Shirk is long standing.

But today if you make this call you are labelled a Wahabbi. But this call existed long before Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahabb was born. The evidences of Tawheed existed long before the birth of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahabb. The collection of hadeeth like Bukhari and Muslim existed hundreds of years before even the great great grandfather of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahaab was born. So if we quote hadeeth from Bukhari and Muslim as evidences for Tawheed and we are Wahaabis then was Imaam Bukhari a Wahaabi or Imaam Muslim.

(1) If you read the ayah in the Qur'aan:

"You alone do we Worship and you alone do we seek help from " [Fatihah 1:4]

Then are you a Wahabbi?

(2) If you mention the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Abbas (ra) found in An-Nawawis Fourty Hadeeth:

The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "When you ask, then ask Allaah, and when you seek help seek help from Allaah alone " Are you a Wahabbi?

(3) Or maybe if you mention the hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam):

"Whoever dies while calling upon other than Allaah shall enter the Hell fire " [Bukhari]

(4) Or maybe you are a Wahabbi if when told that the Awliyah know the unseen you say But Allaah (Azza wa Jall) says:

"With him are the keys of the unseen, none knows them but He " [Al An'aam 6:59]

(5) And perhaps you are a Wahabbi if you expose Ibn Arabi for his kufr statements such as:

"The Lord is the Slave and the Slave is the Lord
Oh I wish I knew who was the one in authority"