Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab (born 1114 AH / 1703 AD in Uyaynah; died 1206 AH / 1792 AD) was an influential Sunni Muslim scholar.
in 1703 and to have been a member of the Arab tribe of Banu Tamim
. He was thought to have started studying Islam
at an early age, primarily with his father ('Abd al-Wahhab), as he was from a line of scholars of the Hanbali
school of jurisprudence
. To the disappointment of his father, who sent him to study with the Mufti the Hanbali madhab, Ibn Humaydi, of Mecca. While there is some consensus over these details, there is not a unanimous agreement over the specifics and some minority opinions do exist in regard to his place and date of birth. Seemingly his recognition with the Banu Tamim tribe thought is in line with the justification by some scholars of being the inheritor of the teachings of Taqi-Al Din Ibn Taymiyyah.
(in southern Iraq
), and it is reported that he traveled to the Muslim
holy cities of Mecca
and Medina
to perform Hajj
and study with the scholars there, before returning to his home town of Uyayna in 1740. Official sources on ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's life put his visits to these cities in different chronological order, and the full extent of such travels remains disputed among historians.
Almost all sources agree that his reformist ideas were formulated while living in Basra
, where he became somewhat famous for his debates with the Islam
ic scholars there. Dates are missing in a great many cases, thus it is difficult to reconstruct a chronology of his life up until his return to 'Uyayna.
Like most scholars in Najd
at the time, Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab was a follower of Ibn Hanbal's school of jurisprudence
.
After his return to 'Uyayna
, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab began to attract followers there, including the ruler of the town, Uthman ibn Mu'ammar. With Ibn Mu'ammar's support, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab began to implement some of his ideas for reform. First, he persuaded ibn Mu'ammar to remove the cementation and bricks from the grave of Zayd ibn al-Khattab
, a companion of the Muslim prophet Muhammad
whose grave was revered by locals, citing Islam
ic teachings that forbid grave worship. Secondly, he ordered that all adulterors and adultresses be stoned to death, a practice that had become uncommon in the area. These actions gained the attention of Sulaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Ghurayr of the tribe of Bani Khalid
, the chief of Al-Hasa
and Qatif
, who held substantial influence in Najd. Ibn Ghurayr threatened Ibn Mu'ammar that he would not allow him to collect a land tax for some properties that he owned in al-Hasa if he did not kill ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab. Ibn Mu'ammar declined to do this, but ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab was forced to leave.
). Two of Ibn Saud's brothers had been students of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Uyayna, and are said to have played a role in convincing Ibn Saud to take him in. Ibn Saud's wife is also reported to have been an adherent to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's cause. Upon arriving in Diriyya, a pact was made between Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, by which Ibn Saud pledged to implement Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's teachings and enforce them on his and his neighboring towns. Beginning in the last years of the 18th century Ibn Saud and his heirs (The House of Saud
) would spend the next 140 years mounting various academic and military campaigns to seize control of Arabia and its outlying regions, finally taking control of the whole of modern day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. This provided the movement with a state.
and Shaikh Uthaymeen
of Saudi Arabia
, Shaikh Muqbil of Yemen
, and Shaikh Albani
of Albania
.
by returning Muslim
s to what he believed were the original principles of Islam
, as typified by the Salaf
and rejecting what he regarded as corruptions introduced by Bid'ah
and Shirk
.
Although all Muslim
s pray to one God, Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab was keen on emphasizing that no intercession with God was possible without God's permission, which God only grants to whom He wills and only to benefit those whom He wills, certainly not the ones who invoke anything or anyone except Him, as these would never be forgiven. Specific practices, such as celebrating the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
, were also deemed as innovations based on the fact that there is no supportive text from the Quran or hadith sanctioning such a practice; and furthermore, the companions did not practice it either. He is hence considered by his followers to be a great revivalist of Islam
, and by his opponents as an innovator and heretic. In either case, Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab's impact on Islam
has been considerable and significant.
Muhammed bin 'Abd al-Wahhab also revived interest in the works of the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiya
, who in turn called for the revival of the methodology of the Sahabah / companions, the scholars of the tabi'een / followers and the methodologies of the Imams of the madhhabs, such the Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas
, Al-Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
.
Muhammed bin Abd al-Wahhab's descendents are known today as Al ash-Sheikh
("The family of the Shaykh"). The family of Al al-Shaykh has included several religious scholars, including the former grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad ibn Ibrahm Al al-Shaykh, who issued the fatwa calling for the abdication of King Saud in 1964. Both the current Saudi minister of justice and the current grand mufti
of Saudi Arabia are also descendents of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
Many of them can be found here: http://abdurrahman.org/scholars/AbdulWahab.html
who died in 1811, was the only historian to have observed the beginnings of Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's movement first-hand. His chronicle ends at the year 1797.
Ibn Bishr's chronicle, which stops at the year 1854, was written a generation later than Ibn Ghannam's, but is considered valuable partly because Ibn Bishr was a native of Najd
and because Ibn Bishr adds many details to Ibn Ghannam's account. A third account, dating from around 1817 is Lam' al-Shihab, written by an anonymous Sunni author who respectfully disapproved of Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab's movement, regarding it as a bid'a (innovation). It is also commonly cited because it is considered to be a relatively objective contemporary treatment of the subject. However, unlike Ibn Ghannam and Ibn Bishr, its author did not live in Najd
and his work is believed to contain some apocryphal and legendary material with respect to the details of Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab's life.
Childhood and Early Life
Some details have been pieced together via the work of numerous historians. Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab is generally acknowledged to have been born in 'Uyayna'Uyayna
Al-'Uyayna is a village in central Saudi Arabia, located some 30 km northwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Al-Uyayna was the birthplace of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, whose followers are known as the Salafis. Today, Uyayna is a small village and forms together with its neighbor al-Jubayla the...
in 1703 and to have been a member of the Arab tribe of Banu Tamim
Banu Tamim
Banī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
. He was thought to have started studying Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
at an early age, primarily with his father ('Abd al-Wahhab), as he was from a line of scholars of the Hanbali
Hanbali
The Hanbali school is one the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. The jurisprudence school traces back to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal but was institutionalized by his students. Hanbali jurisprudence is considered very strict and conservative, especially regarding questions of dogma...
school of jurisprudence
Madhhab
is a Muslim school of law or fiqh . In the first 150 years of Islam, there were many such "schools". In fact, several of the Sahābah, or contemporary "companions" of Muhammad, are credited with founding their own...
. To the disappointment of his father, who sent him to study with the Mufti the Hanbali madhab, Ibn Humaydi, of Mecca. While there is some consensus over these details, there is not a unanimous agreement over the specifics and some minority opinions do exist in regard to his place and date of birth. Seemingly his recognition with the Banu Tamim tribe thought is in line with the justification by some scholars of being the inheritor of the teachings of Taqi-Al Din Ibn Taymiyyah.
Reforms
Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab spent some time studying with Muslim scholars in BasraBasra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
(in southern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), and it is reported that he traveled to the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
holy cities of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
to perform Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
and study with the scholars there, before returning to his home town of Uyayna in 1740. Official sources on ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's life put his visits to these cities in different chronological order, and the full extent of such travels remains disputed among historians.
Almost all sources agree that his reformist ideas were formulated while living in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, where he became somewhat famous for his debates with the Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic scholars there. Dates are missing in a great many cases, thus it is difficult to reconstruct a chronology of his life up until his return to 'Uyayna.
Like most scholars in Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
at the time, Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab was a follower of Ibn Hanbal's school of jurisprudence
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
.
After his return to 'Uyayna
'Uyayna
Al-'Uyayna is a village in central Saudi Arabia, located some 30 km northwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Al-Uyayna was the birthplace of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, whose followers are known as the Salafis. Today, Uyayna is a small village and forms together with its neighbor al-Jubayla the...
, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab began to attract followers there, including the ruler of the town, Uthman ibn Mu'ammar. With Ibn Mu'ammar's support, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab began to implement some of his ideas for reform. First, he persuaded ibn Mu'ammar to remove the cementation and bricks from the grave of Zayd ibn al-Khattab
Zayd ibn al-Khattab
Zayd ibn al-Khattab was a sahaba of Muhammad and the brother of the second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, also known as Omar the Great.In the battle against Musaylimah, Zayd ibn al-Khattab called out to the forces:...
, a companion of the Muslim prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
whose grave was revered by locals, citing Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic teachings that forbid grave worship. Secondly, he ordered that all adulterors and adultresses be stoned to death, a practice that had become uncommon in the area. These actions gained the attention of Sulaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Ghurayr of the tribe of Bani Khalid
Bani Khalid
.'Bani Khalid'. is an Arab tribal confederation of eastern and central Arabia. The tribe dominated the eastern region of modern-day Saudi Arabia from 1670 to 1793, and again under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire for a brief period in the early 19th century...
, the chief of Al-Hasa
Al-Hasa
Al-Ahsa is the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, named after Al-Ahsa oasis. The name Al-Ahsa is also given to the biggest city in the region, Hofuf. In classic Arabic, Ahsa means the sound of water underground. It has one of the largest oases in the world with Date Palms of...
and Qatif
Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west...
, who held substantial influence in Najd. Ibn Ghurayr threatened Ibn Mu'ammar that he would not allow him to collect a land tax for some properties that he owned in al-Hasa if he did not kill ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab. Ibn Mu'ammar declined to do this, but ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab was forced to leave.
Alliance with the House of Saud
Upon his expulsion from 'Uyayna, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was invited to settle in neighboring Dir'iyya by its ruler Muhammad ibn Saud in 1740 (1157 AHHijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...
). Two of Ibn Saud's brothers had been students of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Uyayna, and are said to have played a role in convincing Ibn Saud to take him in. Ibn Saud's wife is also reported to have been an adherent to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's cause. Upon arriving in Diriyya, a pact was made between Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, by which Ibn Saud pledged to implement Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's teachings and enforce them on his and his neighboring towns. Beginning in the last years of the 18th century Ibn Saud and his heirs (The House of Saud
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
) would spend the next 140 years mounting various academic and military campaigns to seize control of Arabia and its outlying regions, finally taking control of the whole of modern day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. This provided the movement with a state.
Support
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s brother Sulaiman and his father, 'Abd al-Wahhab, had initially repudiated him for his ideas. Later in life, however, the views of both his brother and father changed significantly, with both of them eventually accepting and agreeing with those of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's. Amongst his modern supporters were the late Shaikh bin BazAbd-al-Aziz ibn Abd-Allah ibn Baaz
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz , was a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar, considered as one of the renowned Sunni Muslim scholars of the twentieth century...
and Shaikh Uthaymeen
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen
Sheikh Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen at-Tamimi an-Najdi was one of the most prominent Sunni Islamic scholars of the latter half of the twentieth century...
of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Shaikh Muqbil of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, and Shaikh Albani
Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani was an influential Albanian Salafi Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of hadith and fiqh. He was also a prolific writer and speaker.-Early life:...
of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
Legacy
Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab considered his movement an effort to purify IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
by returning Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s to what he believed were the original principles of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, as typified by the Salaf
Salaf
A Salaf is an early Muslim of the first three generations of proponents of the religion.-First generation:* See: List of SahabaThe Salaf are the first generation of Muslims, which included Muhammad's companions and followers at the time....
and rejecting what he regarded as corruptions introduced by Bid'ah
Bid'ah
Bid‘ah is any type of innovation in Islam. It linguistically means "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". In contrast to the English term "innovation", in Arabic, the word bid'ah generally carries a negative connotation...
and Shirk
Shirk (polytheism)
In Islam, shirk is the sin of idolatry or polytheism. i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God, or more literally the establishment of "partners" placed beside God...
.
Although all Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s pray to one God, Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab was keen on emphasizing that no intercession with God was possible without God's permission, which God only grants to whom He wills and only to benefit those whom He wills, certainly not the ones who invoke anything or anyone except Him, as these would never be forgiven. Specific practices, such as celebrating the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, were also deemed as innovations based on the fact that there is no supportive text from the Quran or hadith sanctioning such a practice; and furthermore, the companions did not practice it either. He is hence considered by his followers to be a great revivalist of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and by his opponents as an innovator and heretic. In either case, Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab's impact on Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
has been considerable and significant.
Muhammed bin 'Abd al-Wahhab also revived interest in the works of the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiya
Ibn Taymiya
Taqi ad-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah , full name: Taqī ad-Dīn Abu 'l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd as-Salām Ibn Taymiya al-Ḥarrānī , was an Islamic scholar , theologian and logician born in Harran, located in what is now Turkey, close to the Syrian border. He lived during the troubled times of...
, who in turn called for the revival of the methodology of the Sahabah / companions, the scholars of the tabi'een / followers and the methodologies of the Imams of the madhhabs, such the Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas
Malik ibn Anas
Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī 'Āmir al-Asbahī is known as "Imam Malik," the "Sheikh of Islam", the "Proof of the Community," and "Imam of the Abode of Emigration." He was one of the most highly respected scholars of fiqh in Sunni Islam...
, Al-Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh...
.
Muhammed bin Abd al-Wahhab's descendents are known today as Al ash-Sheikh
Al ash-Sheikh
The Al ash-SheikhIt is incorrect to use the term the Al ash-Sheikh family as the word Al already means family. See Etymology. It would, in theory, be correct to use the term House of the Sheikh, but, unlike House of Saud, in practice this is rarely done...
("The family of the Shaykh"). The family of Al al-Shaykh has included several religious scholars, including the former grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad ibn Ibrahm Al al-Shaykh, who issued the fatwa calling for the abdication of King Saud in 1964. Both the current Saudi minister of justice and the current grand mufti
Mufti
A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
of Saudi Arabia are also descendents of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
Works
- Usuulu Thalaatha (The Three Fundamental Principles) (downloadable) http://kalamullah.com/Books/Explanation%20of%20the%20Three%20Fundamental%20Principles%20of%20Islaam.pdf
- Al Qawaaid Al ‘Arbaa’ (The Four Foundations of Shirk) (ebook with video explanation) http://www.qsep.com/dvd/fourfoundations.html
- Al Qawaaid Al ‘Arbaa’ (The Four Fundamental Principles) (downloadable) http://abdurrahman.org/tawheed/4basicrules.pdf
- The Six Fundamental Principles (downloadable) http://abdurrahman.org/tawheed/6mightyprinciples.pdf
- Adab al-Mashy Ila as-Salaa (Manners of Walking to the Prayer) http://abdurrahman.org/salah/walkingtoprayer.html
- Usul al-Iman (Foundations of Faith) (downloadable) http://abdurrahman.org/tawheed/fundamentalsofislam.pdf
- Fada`il al-Islam (Excellent Virtues of Islam)
- Fada`il al-Qur’an (Excellent Virtues of the Qur'an)
- Kitab at-Tauhid (The Book of the Unity of God) http://abdurrahman.org/tawheed/KTwahab/beliefs/creed/abdulwahab/frame.html
- Kitab Kashf as-Shubuhat (The Book of Clarification of Uncertainties)
- Majmu’a al-Hadith ‘Ala Abwab al-Fiqh {Compendium of the Hadith on the Main Topics of the Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)}
- Mukhtasar al-Iman (Literally Abridgement of the Faith, means the summarized version of a work on Faith)
- Mukhtasar al-Insaf wa`l-Sharh al-Kabir (Abridgement of the Equity and the Great Explanation)
- Mukhtasar Seerat ar-Rasul (Summarized Biography of the Prophet)
- Mukhtasar al-Sawa`iq (Literally Summary of the Lightning bolt, it is a summary of a criticism of Shi’as written in Palestine by Ibn Hajar al-‘Haythami)
- Mukhtasar Fath al-Bari (Fath al-Bari is a commentary on the Sahih al-Bukhari by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani).
- Mukhtasar al-Minhaj (Summary of the Path, most likely referring to Minhaj al-Sunna by Ibn Taymiyya)
- Kitaabu l-Kabaair (The Book of Great Sins)
- Kitabu l-Imaan (The Book of Trust/Belief)
Many of them can be found here: http://abdurrahman.org/scholars/AbdulWahab.html
Family
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab had six sons; Hussain, Abdullah, Hassan, Ali and Ibrahim and Abdul-Aziz who died in his youth. All his surviving sons established religious schools close to their homes and taught the young students from Diriyah and other places.Sources
There are two contemporary histories of Muhammed bin 'Abd Al Wahhab and his religious movement from the point of view of his supporters: Ibn Ghannam's Rawdhat al-Afkar wal-Afham (commonly known as Tarikh Najd) and Ibn Bishr's Unwan al-Majd fi Tarikh Najd. Ibn Ghannam, a native of al-HasaAl-Hasa
Al-Ahsa is the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, named after Al-Ahsa oasis. The name Al-Ahsa is also given to the biggest city in the region, Hofuf. In classic Arabic, Ahsa means the sound of water underground. It has one of the largest oases in the world with Date Palms of...
who died in 1811, was the only historian to have observed the beginnings of Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's movement first-hand. His chronicle ends at the year 1797.
Ibn Bishr's chronicle, which stops at the year 1854, was written a generation later than Ibn Ghannam's, but is considered valuable partly because Ibn Bishr was a native of Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
and because Ibn Bishr adds many details to Ibn Ghannam's account. A third account, dating from around 1817 is Lam' al-Shihab, written by an anonymous Sunni author who respectfully disapproved of Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab's movement, regarding it as a bid'a (innovation). It is also commonly cited because it is considered to be a relatively objective contemporary treatment of the subject. However, unlike Ibn Ghannam and Ibn Bishr, its author did not live in Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
and his work is believed to contain some apocryphal and legendary material with respect to the details of Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab's life.
See also
- IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
- Islamist
- Salafism
- WahhabismWahhabismWahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
- Wahb (name)Wahb (name)Wahb is a male Arabic given name that means "gift". This name is not to be confused with Al-Wahhab which is one of the 99 names of God.People named Wahb include:*Wahb ibn `Abd Manaf*Wahb ibn Munabbih*Wahb ibn Umayr...
- Muhammad (name)Muhammad (name)Muhammad was a prophet and an Arabic religious and political leader who preached and established Islam.Muhammad may also refer to:*Muhammad , listing people with the given name or surname Muhammad...
- QutbismQutbismQutbism is a strain of Sunni Islamist ideology and activism, based on the thought and writings of Sayyid Qutb, an Islamist and former leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was executed in 1966. It has been described as advancing the ideology of jihadism, i.e...
Further reading
- Abualrub, Jalal. Biography and Mission of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab. Madina Publishers and Distributors, Orlando, FL. 2003.
- Algar, Hamid, ' Wahhabism: a Critical Essay'. Islamic Publications International, Oneonta, New York, 2002
- DeLong-Bas, Natana, Wahhabi Islam From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford University Press, Oxford and NewYork, 2004.
- ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, Sulaymān. Fitnā al-Wahhābiyya. Istanbul: Maktabat al-Haqīqa, 2004.
- Qadhi, YasirYasir QadhiYasir Qadhi , formerly named Yasir Kazi, is an American Muslim writer and Islamic instructor for the Al-Maghrib Institute. He has written a number of books and spoken in lectures about Islam and contemporary issues on Muslims.-Biography:...
. A Critical Study of Shirk: Being a Translation and Commentary of Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab's Kashf al-Shubuhat, al-Hidaayah Publications, Birmingham, UK, 2002. - Qadhi, Yasir. The Four Principles of Shirk of Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab, al-Hidaayah Publications, Birmingham, UK, 2001.
- Rentz, George S. The Birth of the Islamic Reform Movement in Saudi Arabia. London: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 2004.
- Traboulsi, Samer. “An Early Refutation of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb,” Die Welt des Islams, New Series, vol. 42, Issue 3 (2002): 373-415.
- Saint-Prot, Charles. Islam. L'avenir de la tradition entre révolution et occidentalisation (Islam. The Future of Tradition between Revolution and Westernization). Paris: Le Rocher, 2008.
- ibn Abdul Wahab, Muhammad. Kitab at-Tawheed
External links
- Who First Used the Term "Wahhabi"?
- Does Saudi Arabia Preach Intolerance and Hatred in the UK and US?
- Full Text of Kitab Al Tawhid by Ibn Abdul Wahhab
- Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahab by the Liberal Islam Network
- Ibn Abdul Wahhab, his life and mission by Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz
- Relationship between Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Abdul Wahhab – from an Islamic website
- The Wahhabi Myth
- Responding to Stereotypes About Muhammad ibn 'AbdulWahhaab
- Refutation of Sheikh of Najd key concepts in Arabic written in 1851