The Confrontation Between Wahhabis and Ahl al-Sunnah on Establishing Tawḥīd al-Rubūbiyyah for the Polytheists in the Verses “Laʾin Saʾaltahum”
Document Type : Original Article
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Abstract
The verses beginning with “Laʾin saʾaltahum” (“If you were to ask them…”) refer to the polytheists’ acknowledgment of God’s creatorship (khāliqiyyah), providence (rizq), and lordship (rubūbiyyah). However, the interpretation of these acknowledgments and their relation to the concept of tawḥīd represent a serious point of contention between Wahhabism and other Islamic schools of thought. Wahhabism, relying on the apparent meaning (ẓāhir) of these verses, maintains that the polytheists did not associate partners with God at the level of lordship (rubūbiyyah), and that the prophetic mission was directed toward affirming divine unity in worship (tawḥīd al-ulūhiyyah) rather than in lordship. In contrast, Sunni exegetes and scholars argue that these acknowledgments do not establish tawḥīd al-rubūbiyyah for the polytheists. They contend that such confessions were often accompanied by doubt or practical associationism in lordship, or that they merely reflected a heedless, instinctive admission lacking genuine commitment. Moreover, the continued worship of idols indicates their failure to substantively affirm the exclusive lordship of God.
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