The Start of the Asha’irah Creed in Morocco
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Morocco is a Muslim country in North Africa, with a rich heritage and a diverse culture. There you can find some of the most elegant architecture, the tastiest of cuisines and beaches all up and down its boarders. People predominantly come from the Amazigh, or Arab background. The 1st university in the world is in Fes, known as Al-Qarawayeen. This learning institution was founded by a woman known as Fatimah Al-Fahiri.
I was blessed and fortunate to visit Morocco numerous times in my life and even had the chance to study Arabic in Fes, at ALIF in 1998. Sadly to say though, many of their masjids have graves inside of them. Although, this exists there are scholars here who adhere to Tawheed and the Salafi creed. The principles of Salafiyah aren’t something strange to Morocco. In fact, one the greatest scholars of recent times is from there; Shaykh Muhammad Taqiud Deen Al-Hilali.
So, when did things go wrong? When did Sufism and Bid’ah begin to plague Morocco? Ibn Khaldoon said : “The people of Morocco were the furthest of people from following the Asha’irah doctrine. They remained that way until a Shia came there forcing them to abandon the Salafi creed and follow the Asha’irah principles. His name is Muhammad ibn Tumarat. This wicked and evil individual claimed that he was infallible and the Imam Al- Mahdi. He was also a fortune-teller , thus claimed to know the unseen. [1]
Sheehabudeen As-Sallawi Al-Maliky in his history book mentioned that the people of Morocco were followers of Salafiyah. They avoided changing and altering the meanings of Quranic verses and Hadith. They remained in this state until Muhammad ibn Tumarat came back from the west. He went there and studied the Asha’irah creed, then came back to Morocco and began to spread it. He started by having people falsely interpret the verses of Allah, then he had them blindly follow the Imams of Asha’irah doctrine. Muhammad ibn Tumarat used to give Fatawa from this corrupt creed and then later on authored a book titled , “Guidance to Tawheed”. [2]
Muhammad ibn Tumarat used to sternly reject and admonish the people of Morocco for accepting Allah’s attributes as mentioned in the Quran. He even went as far as to deem them disbelievers by saying they likened Allah to creation. This is a principle of Takfir among the Asha’irah. For that reason, he called his group, “The Monotheists”. Regrettably, many people were amazed with this deviant and followed him in his misguidance. [3]
The people of Morocco follow the jurisprudence of Imam Malik. This alone is sufficient evidence to prove the Malaki Jurisprudence is free from the doctrine of Asha’irah . Muhammad ibn Tumarat died in the 6th century at 524H, Abu Hasan Al-Ash’ari died 324H and Imam Malik died 179H. All of Imam Malik’s companions followed his creed. Therefore, how is it possible to attribute the Asha’irah creed to Imam Malik??!! Anyone with a sound heart and intellect can see the falsehood of this doctrine in Morooco. All the historians documented that Morocco before Muhammad ibn Tumarat came was a garden from the gardens of Ahlus Sunnah.
Abu Muhammad Al-Marakkechi Al-Maliki mentioned that the people or Morocco used to consider people who involved themselves in speculative theology disbelievers. The scholars who were close to the Amir of Morocco all agreed that indulging in speculative theology was malicious and that the Salaf all hated it, boycotted its participants while holding it to be an innovation. The Amir was strongly against rhetoric and when Imam Al-Ghazali’s books came to Morocco he ordered them to be burnt. [4]
We ask Allah to return the people of Morocco back to the correct creed and grant them real love for the Nabi.
Translated and arranged by
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Rabat, Morocco 1446©
The five pointed star on the flag represents the five pillars of Islam.
[1] Tareekh Ibn Khaldoon, vol1/117
[2] Al-Mua’jab page 113
[3] ibid
[4] Tareekh ibn Khalddon vol 1/117