Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab

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Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
Full name Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
Born 1703
Died 1792
Era Modern era
Region Islamic scholar
School Salafi
Notable ideas Views on innovation (bid'a) and polytheism (shirk)

Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid al-Tamimi[1] (1703–1792) (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الوهاب التميمي‎) was an Islamic scholar born in Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Using proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah, Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid al-Tamimi believed that those who practice innovation in Islam are Kufr and Shirk. Moreover he believed that innovation is practiced in Sufism and mostly in Shia Islam. The Shia accuse him of Takfir using proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah as well. [2][3][4]

For this reason, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab destroyed the shrines that were erected over graves and was also considering destroying the dome above the grave of the Prophet Muhammad, out of fear that it might be worshipped.[2][5]

Contents

[edit] Legacy

Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab considered his movement an effort to purify Islam by returning Muslims 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 Muslims pray to one God, ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab was keen on emphasizing that no intercession with God was possible without His permission, which He 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,[6]. Specific practices, such as celebrating the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were also deemed as innovations. 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, ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's impact on Islam has been considerable and significant.

Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab also revived interest in the works of the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiya.

The followers of this revival (see Salafism) are often called Wahhabis, though most reject the usage of this term on the grounds that ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's teachings were the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, not his own[citation needed]. Thus, most generally refer to themselves as Salafis (also due to the fact that Al-wahab is one of the 99 names of Allah and to use 'Wahhabi' as a label of human beings would constitute takfir), while during his lifetime they often referred to themselves muwahhidin ("monotheists").

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's descendents are known today as "Al al-Shaykh" ("House 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.

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[edit] Works

  • Usuulu Thalaatha (The Three Fundamental Principles)
  • Al Qawaaid Al ‘Arbaa’ (The Four Fundamental Principles)
  • The Six Fundamental Principles
  • Adab al-Mashy Ila as-Salaa (Manners of Walking to the Prayer)
  • Usul al-Iman (Foundations of Faith)
  • 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)
  • 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-‘Asqalani).
  • 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)

[edit] Family

Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab had four sons; Hussain, Abdullah, Ali and Ibrahim and a fifth son 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..[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "WAHABISM EXPOSED!"
  2. ^ a b The Destruction of Holy Sites in Mecca and Medina[dead link]
  3. ^ Nibras Kazimi, A Paladin Gears Up for War, The New York Sun, November 1, 2007
  4. ^ John R Bradley, Saudi's Shi'ites walk tightrope, Asia Times, March 17, 2005
  5. ^ http://www.sunnah.org/arabic/mawldhouse/past_desecrations.htm
  6. ^ Kashfu sh-Shubuhaat (Removal of the Doubts)
  7. ^ "WAHABISM EXPOSED!"

[edit] 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, Yasir. 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.

[edit] External links

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