Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (b. 1703 'Uyyainah, Najd, Arabia - d. 1792 al-Dir'yah) is the most famous scholar of the fundamentalist movement within Islam known as the Wahhabi movement and after whom the movement is named. He considered this movement an effort to purify Islam by returning all Muslims to what he believed were the original principles of Islam, as typified by the as-salaf as-saliheen, the earliest converts to Islam, by rejecting what he regarded as corruptions introduced by Bida (innovation) and Shirk (idolatry).
He also revived interest in the works of Ibn Taimiyyah; those who follow the "revival" that he advocated are often referred to as Salafis.
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.
Alliance with Ibn Saud
An alliance between Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud caused Wahhabbism 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 the Wahhabi sect of Islam. Saudi Arabia's official religion is Islam according to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's interpretation.
Resources
See also: Islam, Islamist
