The Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (b. 1703 'Uyyainah, Najd, Arabia - d. 1792 al-Dir'yah) a theologian, and preacher of a puritanical, fundamentalist form of Islam known as the Wahhabi movement. He touted this theology as a "purified" form of Islam, which attempted to return all Muslims to what he believed were the "true" principles of Islam.

Biography

Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab was educated in Medina (part of modern Saudi Arabia), and travelled in Iraq and later, Iran. It was in Iran that he began preaching against the Sufi Muslims then predominant in the region.

After his return to Medina he wrote his Kitab at-tawhid (Arabic, "Book of Monotheism", 1736), which became a reference text for the Wahhabi sect of Islam. His teachings led to a controversy which resulted in him being expelled; he moved onto the city of Ad-Dir'iyah (Saudi Arabia).

Alliance with Ibn Saud

An alliance between Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud caused Wahabbism to spread in areas that bin Saud conquered.

Beliefs and Practices

See Wahhabism for details.

Influence and Legacy

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab is viewed as a reformer by those who follow his interpretation of Islam. Saudi Arabia's official religion is Islam according to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's interpretation.

Resources

• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
• Ibn Abdul Wahhab, his life and mission - by Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz
• The Movement of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab
• Relationship between Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Abdul Wahhab - from a sympathetic site
• Wahhabi article in 1911 Encyclopedia
• Full Text of Kitab Al Tawhid by Ibn Abdul Wahhab

See also: Islam, Islamist

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