Was Abu Ismail Al-Harawi's approach to creed in line with the methodology of the Salaf, or was he an extremist Sufi who believed in Wahdat al-Wujud (unity of existence)?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Al-Harawi was upon the creed of the righteous predecessors, innocent of the doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and the extreme sayings of the Sufis. The claim of the Sufis that he agreed with them is a lie, for Al-Harawi upheld wahdat ash-shuhud (unity of witnessing) not wahdat al-wujud. He viewed fana' (annihilation) as an absence from witnessing what is other than God, not the obliteration of otherness in external reality. Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Dhahabi, and Ibn Rajab all exonerated him from the accusation of believing in wahdat al-wujud.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/987
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- Original fatwa ID
- 987
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy