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Al-Ahbash
Leader	Hussam Qaraqira
Founded	1983 Beirut, Lebanon
Headquarters	Various
Ideology	Religious Ash'ari Apolitical Anti-Wahhabi
Religion	Sunni Islam (Ash'ari, Sufi)
Website
www.aicp.org

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Al-Ahbash (Template:Lang-ar / al-aḥbash / Template:Lang-en), also known as the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (AICP) (Template:Lang-ar / jam'iyyat al-mashari' al-khayriyya al-Islamiyya) is a Sufi religious movement which was founded in the mid-1980s. The group follow the teachings of Ethiopian scholar Abdullah al-Harari. The AICP claims to run its Islamic schools being affiliated with Al-Azhar, a claim which has been denied by Al-Azhar. Due to the group’s origins and activity in Lebanon, the Ahbash have been described as the "activist expression of Lebanese Sufism". Their leader Shaykh ^Abdullah said : "We are a group of Muslims among the 1,6 billion Muslims who do not follow a new scheme or an idea that was innovated 50, 200, or 600 years ago. The scheme innovated 50 years ago is that of Sayyid Qutb and Taqiyyud-din an-Nabahaniyy; the one innovated 200 years ago is that of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab; and the one innovated 600 years ago is that of Ibn Taymiyah, from which Ibn Abdul-Wahhab took some of his ideas.

History

The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects was founded in the 1930s by Ahmad al-Ajuz, According to Gary Gambill the AICP arrived in Lebanon in the 1950s, where he says "they blended Sunni and Shi'a theology with Sufi spiritualism into a doctrinal eclecticism that preached nonviolence and political quietism". The AICP remained without a leader until the 1980s when Abdullah al-Harari became the nominal head of the organization. and was taken over by Al-Ahbash in 1983. The AICP strives to teach Islam and spread the true teachings of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam (may peace and blessings be upon him) as asserted by the Imams of the four schools of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jama^ah which is the way of the majority of the Muslim nation throughout time.

Al-Ahbash was founded in the suburb of Bourj Abu Haidar, in West Beirut, as a small philanthropic and spiritualist movement among the Sunni lower classes. From there they spread throughout Lebanon to Tripoli, Akkar and Iqlim Al-Kharrub in the Chouf, where they founded educational and religious institutions. Beginning in the 1990s, Ahbash propelled from a minority group to the largest Sunni religious organization in Lebanon mainly due to Syrian government backing—having close links to Syrian intelligence. The Syrians supported and promoted the Ahbash in order to limit the influence of radical and fundamentalist Sunni movements in Lebanon. There growth was also aided by the forcible seizure and control of many prominent mosques in West Beirut in the early 1980s, despite the protests of Dar al-Fatwa (the official body for Lebanon's Sunni Muslims). At the end of the 1990s there were close to 250,000 Ahbash members worldwide, according to a high-ranking Ahbash activist. The

Several public figures became Ahbash members when it emerged in France beginning in 1991, such as rapper Kery James or Abd Samad Moussaoui.

In 1995, members of a Salafi jihadi group called "Osbat al-Ansar" killed the leader of Al-Ahbash, Sheikh Nizar Halabi. His murder led to a heavy-handed Syrian response—concluding with the gruesome public execution of his assassins in 1997.

Religious beliefs

Al-Ahbash beliefs are an interpretation of Islam combining elements of Sunni Islam and Sufism. Their religious ideology is very much in line with the traditional Sunni doctrines, although the groups sometimes unrestrained use of takfir has brought them under discension by the wider Islamic community. Al-Ahbash follows the Shafi school and Ash'ari theology, their Sufi aspect is derived from the Rifa'i brotherhood. The group rejects Islamist figures such as Ibn Taymiyyah, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Sayyid Qutb. It advocates Islamic pluralism, and opposition to political activism (its slogan is "the resounding voice of moderation"). It also promotes its beliefs internationally through a major internet presence and regional offices, notably in the United States.

Doctrinal aspects

Syncreticism

Shaykh Habashi's syncretic teachings draw upon a conflation of different branches of Islamic theology, and thereby elude unambiguous classification. In an address to his followers, Shaykh Habashi stated that "e are Ash'aris and Shafi'is. The Ash'ariyya is the basis of our belief, and the Shfi'iyya is our daily code." According to Thomas Pierret, Ahbash's ideology "can be termed "neo-tradionalist", in that it aims to preserve the Islamic heritage of the Ottoman era - which they consider themselves to be the inheritors."

Shaykh Habashi in his books and lectures blends elements of Sunni and Shi'a theological doctrines with Sufi spiritualism by supporting the legitimacy of Imam Ali and his descendents while condemning Mu'awiyya, the caliph and governor of Damascus, and his son Yazid as "seditious" thus adopting Shi'ite tradition whereas setting apart from some other Sunni jurists. Although not explicitly stated, Sufism plays also an important role in al-Ahbash's doctrine as demonstrated by the practice of several Sufi traditions such as the pilgrimage to holy men's tombs (Ziyarat), mystical dancing sessions, use of musical bands in religious ceremonies and the support of three Sufi Tariqas. The contention that it is a primarily Sufi movement, however, has been disputed.

Moderation

Mustafa Kabla and Haggai Erlich identify "moderation" as the key word in al-Ahbash's "necessary science of religion" and instance the group's twelve-goal platform whose second item calls for "reaching moderation and good behavior as ways of implementing religious principles, while combating extremism and zeal.". This position is also reflected in the groups's decided opposition to the Salafist movement and radical Islamist thinkers, namely Sayyid Qutb, Muhammed ibn 'Abd-al-Wahhab, and Ibn Taymiyyah.

Rejection of anthropomorphism

One further critical cleavage is al-Ahbash's strict rejection of any form of anthropomorphism of God which they accuse Wahhabis of. Consequently, Shaykh Habashi holds that "it does not befit God to speak like that, and his word is not a voice or letters" and that therefore, the Qu'ran contains the word of God but could be written only after "Gabriel listened to His word, understood it, took it from the Guarded board, and then passed it on to the prophets and the angels." This is a highly controversial point of view within Islam which is not fully compatible with the consensus of Sunnis, and Wahhabis accuse Ahbash of doubt regarding the origin of the Qur'an. Another famous example regards the interpretations of the Qur'anic sentence describing God seated on his throne after creating the world. According to Wahhabi texts, this means that he literally sat on his throne; however, according to Shaykh Habashi, following the Asharite school of thought, it meant that he took control of the Throne.

Separation of religion and state

The arguably most important split, however, is the question of the relation between religion, politics, and the state. Departing from most Islamic writings on this topic, al-Ahbash advocates a separation of religion and state and thereby rejects the idea of an Islamic state. Consequently, the group repeatedly emphasized the need for Muslim-Christian co-existence and tolerance towards other religious groups in Lebanon.

Takfir

The tolerant stance in Al-Ahbash's public rhetoric is doubted by some Muslim groups, orthodox Sunni in particular. They accuse the group of an excessive use of Takfir - the act of declaring another Muslim an unbeliever - and thereby of the provocation of inner-Islamic tensions. Al-Ahbash has mainly used takfir against Wahhabi and Salafi leaders. According to Tariq Ramadan, Al-Ahbash "adherents carry on a permanent double discourse: to Western questioners, they claim to support the emancipation of women and laicism to oppose the "fundamentalists" (all the issues they know are sensitive and useful for getting them recognized). However, within Muslim communities, they carry on an extremely intransigent and closed discourse, usually treating many of the deviant ulama as kuffar *by which they mean "unbeliever,' "impious people"). They base their teachings on interpretations recognized as deviant by wahhabi schools of thought and all other scholars of note (for example, they follow the understanding of Abu Hanifa about the singular understanding of the meaning of the name of God, or their assertion that the Qur'anic Text was read by the angel Gabriel, or the practice of praying to the dead).

Political positions

As a political party, when al-Ahbash ran for the 1992 Lebanese parliamentary elections, this constituency enabled its candidate, Adnan Trabulsi, to win a seat in a Beirut district after the Ahbash and Hezbollah concluded an undeclared alliance in Beirut that assured the election of their respective candidates. However, Trabulsi lost in the subsequent 1996 elections.

Resources

The Ahbash (AICP) follow sunni ash'ari and maturidi scholars. Ahbash chose Sayings and Books of the most famous and great scholars of Islam such as Imam ash-Shafi^iy, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanfiah and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. And other great scholars such as:

Abu Ishaq al-Isfarayiniyy, Abu Nu^aym al-Asbahaniyy, ^Abdul-Wahhab, Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Juwayniyy, ^Abdul-Malik Abul-Ma^ali al-Juwayniyy Abu Mansur at-Tamimiyy, al-Isma^iliyy, al-Bayhaqiyy, ad-Daraqutniyy, al-Khatib al-Baghdadiyy, Abul-Qasim al-Qushayriyy and his son Abun-Nasr, Abu Ishaq ash-Shiraziyy, Nasr al-Maqdisiyy Imam al-Ghazaliyy, Al-Farawiy, Abul-Wafa' Ibn ^Aqil al-Hanbaliyy, The Hanafiyy judge: ad-Damghaniyy.

And Imam Abul-Walid al-Bajiyy, Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy, Abul-Qasim Ibn ^Asakir, as-Silafiyy, Al-Qadi ^Iyad al-Malikiyy, Imam an-Nawawiyy, Imam Fakhrud-Din ar-Raziyy, Al-Qurtubiyy, Izzud-Din Ibnu ^Abdis-Salam, Abu ^Amr Ibnul-Hajib, Al-Qadi Ibnu Daqiq al-^Id. Also, Imam ^Ala’ud-Din al-Bajiyy, Taqiyyuddin as-Subkiyy, al-^Ala’iyy, Zaynud-Din al-^Iraqiyy, Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy, Imam Murtada az-Zabidiyy, Zakariyya al-Ansariyy, Baha’ud-Din ar-Rawwas, Waliyyullah ad-Dahlawiyy, Muhammad ^Ulaysh al-Malikiyy, Shaykh ^Abdullah ash-Sharqawiyy, Abul Mahasin al-Qawuqjiyy, Imam Husayn al-Jisr at-Tarabulsiyy, Abdullah al-Harariyy, Salahud-Din al-Ayyubiyy and other astute scholars from the Azhar of egypt. Those are Ahlus-Sunnah, the righteous group that carried the banner of Islam.

Controversy

The group are seen as being controversial within Islam for its anti-Salafi religious stance, as their Sufi and other beliefs are seen as heretical. As a result, they are commonly described by Wahhabis as combining "Sufi polytheism, shirk, with Shi'i covert anti-Sunna tactics". They are also viewed by other Muslims groups as being favoured by the governments of the United States, Europe, and Australia, who "do indeed welcome the Ahbash among their Muslim citizens." Many see them as a valid religious movement.

Jordan

During the 1990s fighting broke out between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Ahbash in what became known as the "war of the mosques". The fighting was started due to the brotherhood believing that Jordan's Ministry of Religious Endowments were giving precedence to Al-Ahbash members being allowed to teach in mosques from which they themselves were banned.

Lebanon

Due to its strong historical links with the Syrian government of the al-Assad family, the Ahbash have often been in conflict with the Lebanese supporters of the anti-Syrian Hariri family and in 2005 at least two of its members were initially implicated—jailed and later released—in the Assassination of Rafic Hariri. The Ahbash also strongly opposed and demonstrated against the Cedar Revolution that was triggered by Hariri's assassination. Ahbash reportedly remains neutral in the Syrian Civil War, despite pressure from both sides.

In 2010, Ahbash and Hezbollah members were involved in a street battle which was perceived to be over parking issues. Both groups later met to form a joint compensation fund for the victims of the conflict. However, despite this instance of violence, the Ahbash have "normal" and "friendly" relations with Hezbollah. The Ahbash have also engaged in bloody clashes in Sidon and Tripoli, in the 1990s, against the rival Sunni Al-Jama'ah Al-Islamiyah.

Australia

Their goals in Australia are

• To announce and disseminate Islamic judgements (Fatwa) which Muslims need in their daily lives.
• To call upon Muslims to oppose extremism and to support and reinforce the views of moderation.
• To represent the interest of all Muslim individuals, groups and associations regardless of their ethnicity at all governmental and non-governmental levels in the capacity of the highest Islamic authority in Australia.
• To construct a clear plan and to have a futuristic vision in-line with that which benefits the Australian Muslim community.
• To hold an annual congress for all Muslim Sheikhs and leaders of the community to discuss national Islamic issues and to determine the direction for Australia’s Muslim community.
• To protect the dignity of Islam and to defend it against unfair representation and negative propaganda and bias.
• To secure the rights of Australian Muslims within the wider Australian community, ensuring no unwarranted discrimination and prejudice.

United Kingdom

Since the 1930s the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects has been educating Muslims and non-Muslims in the practice of the Islamic faith. A non-profit international organisation, we are well-established throughout the world and in all our activities we work towards fostering a Muslim community that contributes to the betterment of society.

North America

The Al-Ahbash pray using the South-east direction in Canada and the United States versus some of the Muslims who pray towards Qiblah using the North-east direction in their mosques. This is because they follow the fatwa of Al-azhar in Egypt.

Worldwide

Their call to Muslims worldwide is Follow Jama^ah and Be Warned from factions. That's our call for the Muslims, to unite and adhere to the Jama^ah of the Muslims. And that would be by adhering to what the scholars of the four schools have deduced from al-Qur'an and Alsunna. We, the team at alsunna.org, set the goal of spreading the true Islamic concepts taken from our Holy Book, al-Quran, and from the sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam, and the doings of his honorable companions and the unanimous agreement of the Muslims, moderately in a simple and easy way away from extremism.

See also

• Politics of Lebanon
• Barelvi
• Nahdlatul Ulama
• Sufi–Salafi relations

References

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External links

• Association of Islamic Charitable Projects official US site

• 1983 establishments in Lebanon
• Islam in Lebanon
• Islamic political parties in Lebanon
• Sufism in Asia
• Sufi organizations
• Al-Ahbash