THE FOREGOING ALTHOUGH LARGELY TRUE
IS NOT ALL TRUE
THE WAHHABIS RELY HEAVILY ON A 13TH CENTURY SHAYKH
IBN TAIMIYYA
AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE WROTE:
KITAB IQTIDA' AL-SIRAT AL-MUSTAQIM WA MUKHALAFAT ASHAB
AL-JAHIM
IN IT IBN TAIMIYYA WROTE SOMEWHAT DISPARAGINGLY OF THE
AVERAGE MUSLIM BELIEVER—THE COMMON PEOPLE
“EXCEPT FOR A VERY FEW WHOM GOD WISHES TO GUIDE,
ALL OR MOST COMMON PEOPLE—AND BY COMMON PEOPLE—
I MEAN THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM.”
HIS WORDS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT “A VERY FEW” HAVE BEEN
GRACED TO TRULY KNOW “THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM.”