Yasser Al-Habib

Sheikh Yasser al-Habib (Arabic: ياسر الحبيب‎ born 20 January 1979) is a Kuwaiti Twelver Shia Muslim cleric, and the head of the London-based Khoddam Al-Mahdi Organization, as well as Al-Muhassin mosque in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire. Al-Habib attempts to express his religious views and his investigations and conclusions in the Islamic history, based upon Shia and Sunni sources. Is the writer of The Lady of Heaven.[1]

Sheikh

Yasser al-Habib
ياسر يحيى عبد الله الحبيب
TitleSheikh, Hujjat al-Islam
Personal
Born (1979-01-20) 20 January 1979
ReligionIslam
NationalityStateless (formerly Kuwaiti)
EthnicityArab
SchoolShia
Alma materKuwait University
InstituteKhoddam al-Mahdi
Founder ofFadak (TV channel)
Muslim leader
TeacherAyatollah Mohammed Reza Shirazi
Websitehttps://fadak.tv/


Al-Habib started his religious activities in Kuwait, starting off as a member of the Dawah Party, later he founded a non-profit religious organization named Khoddam Al-Mahdi Organization, and he also expressed his religious views regarding Abu Bakr and Umar, and criticized them sharply, which led to anger the mainstream Sunnis in Kuwait and other Arabic-speaking Sunni communities, and finally led to the arrest of Al-Habib. Later, in February 2004 he was released under an annual pardon announced by the Emir of Kuwait on the occasion of the country's National Day, but his rearrest was ordered a few days later. Al-Habib fled Kuwait before he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years imprisonment,[2] and spent months in Iraq and Iran before gaining an asylum in United Kingdom which is his current place of residence.

Early life

Al-Habib was interviewed by Elaph, a well-known Arabic online newspaper, where he stated that he was born in a religious Kuwaiti family, and started his education in the Kuwaiti governmental schools, before joining Kuwait University and graduating from its Political sciences faculty. Besides his secular studies, Al-Habib stated that he studied the traditional Islamic sciences under the guidance of his teacher Ayatollah Mohammed Reza Shirazi.[3]

In 2001, he founded Khoddam Al-Mahdi Organization at Kuwait.

Imprisonment

He was abducted on a Kuwait City street on the afternoon of 30 November 2003 by unknown individuals and taken away in an unmarked vehicle. His family was not informed that he had been detained by security forces until the following day. Al-Habib was reportedly arrested in connection with an audio cassette recording of a lecture he gave to an audience of 10 to 20 people in a closed environment on Islamic historical issues. His research is believed to have relied heavily on Wahhabi references and texts, and is said to have angered hardline Wahhabi groups who have used their influence within the establishment to bring about the maximum punishment against al-Habib. On 20 January 2004, he was reportedly convicted of “questioning the conduct and integrity of some of the ‘companions’ of the prophet Muhammad” in a lecture he had delivered, and sentenced to 10 years in prison in Kuwait. He has reportedly been subject to several orchestrated violent attacks in prison by Wahhabi inmates.[4]

However, his imprisonment was cut short in 2004 by a royal pardon on the occasion of the country's National Day, but his rearrest was ordered a few days later as his name was included in the royal pardon through a clerical error. He fled the country first to Iraq, then to Iran. Then he went to London where Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Shirazi, younger brother of Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi, has lived for forty years. Finally he could get asylum in Britain.[5]

Now he lives in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, and had started his religious and political activity such as founding Al Muhassin Mosque and setting up Fadak (TV channel).[6]

Views

He recorded two lectures in English titled: Who killed the Prophet Muhammad and Why do Shiites hate Umar Ibn al-Khattab.[7] Sunni Al-Sha'ab newspaper described Sheikh al-Habib as a traitor and apostate in its main page, at the time that Al-Habib cursed Abu Bakr and Umar.[8]

Wahhabism

Al-Habib said:

Wahhabism is a criminal and violent ideology, founded by a mentally ill man named Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab about three centuries ago. Its main principle is that all Muslims who perform Tawassul and visit their graves are regarded as apostates and infidels. Therefore, the seizure of their life, property and women would, like that of the infidels, be religiously lawful and permissible![9]

Views on Sunnis

Sheikh al-Habib refers to Sunnis as Bakris, meaning the followers of Abu Bakr. He says that the real Sunnis (Ahlul Sunnah) are the ones who follow the Sunnah of Muhammad, that is Shia Muslims. He continues that Sunnis today follow the Sunnah and teachings of Abu Bakr instead, having rejected Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ahlulbayt. He explains in one of his lectures titled Bakris think they are Sunnis, but in reality are not that when people wanted to distance themselves from the Shia, and follow Muawiyya, they started calling themselves the Jama'ah. He explains that the reality behind why people called themselves Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama'ah only began after the Umayyad ruler Umar bin Abdul Aziz forbade the Sunnah (tradition) of cursing Ali ibn Abi Talib publicly (as previously invented by Muawiyah). It was upon then that people protested to this new prohibition, declaring that Umar bin Abdul Aziz had prohibited the Sunnah of cursing Ali ibn Abi Talib. Thus they began calling themselves Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama'ah; stressing that they adhere to the Sunnah of cursing Ali ibn Abi Talib, and that they are the Jama'ah of Muawiyah.

He also refers to those people who claim to be Shi'a but fail to disassociate themselves from the likes of Abu bakr, Omar ibn khattab, Aisha and other controversial historical personalities such as Khalid ibn Walid, as Batris.

He described Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah (the Lebanese marja who died on 4 July 2010)[10] as Batri. Al-Habib said that Fadlallah left a great number of doctrinal deviations, ignorant views and bad conduct which he introduced to the religion of Islam.[11]

Celebrating Aisha's death anniversary and its reaction

In September 2010, Sheikh Yasser al-Habib angered the Sunni Muslims by calling Aisha, "an enemy of God" which led Kuwait to revoke his citizenship accusing him of trying to stir up discord among Muslims.[12][13][14]Kuwait strips hard-line Shiite activist of citizenship after claims of blasphemy - 9-20-2010 12737 PM Newser[15][16]


In October 2010, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tried to calm tensions between Shias and Sunnis by issuing a fatwa against insulting Muhammad's companions and wives.[17]

Cursing the wives of the prophets and the wives of the Great Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is one of the taboos and prohibitions.[17]

Criticism

After Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued the fatwa outlawing the insult of Sunni Dignitaries (Aisha, Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattāb),[18] Al-Habib responded by calling the Islamic Republic of Iran "oppressive". He continued by referring to Khamenei as "so-called Ali al-Khamenei – who pretends to be a Shia scholar". His reasoning for naming the Iranian government as "oppressive" was because the "regime in Iran today unjustly arrests anyone who celebrates the occasion of Farhat-ul-Zahra and prevents people from visiting the tomb of Abu Lulu".[19]

Senior Iranian cleric Naser Makarem Shirazi has referred to Al-Habib as a "hired agent or a mad man"[20] and stated: "Recently, an illiterate fool non clergy U.K citizen in the name of Shia has insulted sacred matters of Sunni Muslim brothers".[21]

Al-Habib has been criticized by several figures and leaders who speak in the name of Shiism including Ammar Nakshawani, leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, Ali Khamenei (who also issued a fatwa against cursing of Muhammad's companions) and Naser Makarem Shirazi.

Response

Yasser maintains that all he does is teach Islam as it was and should be, something that was historically disordered by Sunnis and Iran since 1979, especially under the Khamenei.

Books by Al-Habib
  • Obscenity: The Other Face of Aisha. Khodam Al Mahdi Organisation. 2010. ISBN 095662300X. Arabic: ٱلْفَاحِشَة ٱلْوَجْهُ ٱلْآخَرُ لِعَائِشَة‎ Alfahisha, Alwajh Alakhar Liaisha.
  • How was Islam Hijacked?. 2015. ISBN 1517514983. Arabic: كَيِفَ زُيِّفَ ٱلْإِسْلَامُ؟‎ kayf zuyyifa Al-Islam?

References
  1. "Is "The Lady of Heaven" true in its claim?". Tehran Times. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  2. "International Religious Freedom Report 2004 - Kuwait". Amnestyusa.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  3. ياسر الحبيب: هذه قصة خروجي من السجن.. والمستقبل للتشيع (in Arabic). Elaph. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. "Writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib sentenced to one year in prison; reports of ill-treatment in prison". IFEX. 9 February 2004.
  5. Omar Shahid and Tamanna Ali (10 May 2013). "Meet the Controversial Cleric Threatening to Turn UK Muslims Against Each Other". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  6. Milmo Chahal (24 June 2011). "Sunni vs Shia... in Gerrard's Cross: New mosque highlights growing tensions among British Muslims". The independent.
  7. "The drop, Office of Sheikh Al-Habib in London - Video Youtube". Alqatrah.net. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  8. "القطرة - موقع رؤى ومحاضرات الشيخ الحبيب - الطائفة البكرية تفتح النار على الشيخ الحبيب بالأكاذيب والافتراءات في وسائل الإعلام". Alqatrah.net. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  9. "The drop, Office of Sheikh Al-Habib in London - Answers - What do Wahhabis believe in". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  10. "Politics - Tuesday official mourning day for Fadlallah". The Daily Star. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  11. "The drop, Office of Sheikh Al-Habib in London - Sheikh al-Habib Hails our Great Scholars' Refusal to pay tribute to Fadlullah". Alqatrah.net. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  12. "Financial Times". ft.com. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  13. "Reuters". reuters.com. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  14. "Federal News Radio". wtop.com. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  15. "Revoking Al-Habib's citizenship premature Safar KuwaitSamachar". www.kuwaitsamachar.com.
  16. "Kuwait strips Shiite activist of citizenship". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  17. "Fatwa closes the doors in front of any sedition between the Sunnis and the Shiites". Islam Times. 9 October 2010.
  18. "Tehran Times". tehrantimes.com. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  19. "The drop, Office of Sheikh Al-Habib in London - Sheikh al-Habib takes an oath to 'publicly' voice opposition to the enemies of Ahlul Bayt and warns al-Khamenei". Alqatrah.net. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  20. "The drop, Office of Sheikh Al-Habib in London - Sheikh al-Habib remarks on Naser Makarem Shirazi's statement". Alqatrah.net. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  21. Staff writer (5 October 2010). "Grand Shia Cleric Calls "Yaser Alhabib" a Fool". ABNA.
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