Foundations of Monotheism and Polytheism: The Core of the Disagreement between Wahhabism and Shi‘ism

The disagreement between Wahhabism and Shi‘ism is often discussed in terms of issues such as the Imamate, tawassul (seeking mediation), istighathah (seeking aid), tabarruk (seeking blessings), and visiting graves. However, these disagreements are rooted in more fundamental theological premises. Adopting an analytical-comparative approach, the present study examines the principal source of disagreement between Wahhabism and Shi‘ism in the domains of monotheism and polytheism. The findings demonstrate that the fundamental disagreement between the two perspectives does not lie merely in specific practices such as tawassul and istighathah, but rather in their differing definitions of concepts such as lordship, worship, divinity, and the criteria for distinguishing monotheism from polytheism. From the Wahhabi perspective, certain extraordinary acts and attributing such acts to anyone other than God are considered forms of polytheism, even when divine permission is assumed. From the Shi‘i perspective, however, the principal criterion of tawhid al-rububiyyah is the denial of any independent and intrinsically self-sufficient agency in ownership and causation. Likewise, with regard to tawhid al-‘ubudiyyah, mere submission or the performance of acts such as supplication and seeking assistance does not constitute worship or polytheism unless it is accompanied by belief in the lordship and independence of a being other than God. On this basis, the article concludes that many disputes over particular practices and accusations of polytheism stem from a fundamental disagreement over the underlying principles of monotheism and polytheism. Therefore, before addressing secondary and specific issues, a critique of Wahhabi thought requires an examination and critical assessment of these foundational principles.