A cursory glance at the life account of Shaykh Ibn
‘Abd al-Wahhab
In this
section, we deemed it fitting to take a survey of the life of Muhammad ibn 'Abd
al-Wahhab, known as the Shaykh, and Muhammad Sa'ud.
The sons
and grandsons of the Shaykh are still living in the Arabia, some of whom are
known by the family name, “Al ash-Shaykh”. The children of Muhammad Al as-Sa'ud
some of whom are holding the reins of government in Arabia are known as “al
Sa'ud”. The country had been known before as “Hijaz”, but it was changed into
the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” {al-Mamlakah al-'Arabiyyah Sa'udiyyah}
during the reign of King 'Abd al-'Aziz.
Shaykh
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab came from the region of Najd who was born in 1114
AH in one of the cities of Najd named as ”'Ayniyyah”. His father, Shaykh 'Abd
al-Wahhab, was a scholar {'alim} and the judge {qadi} of that
region. As such, the creed of Shaykh Muhammad had been ascribed to his father.
After learning the basics of religion from his father, Shaykh Muhammad went to
Medina and learned from the 'ulama' of that region.
Due to his
personal interpretations of some issues regarding belief and his opposition to
the 'ulama' of Medina, he was expelled from the city. He then went to
Iraq where he stayed in Basrah. In that city he got acquainted with a person
named Shaykh Muhammad Majmu'i and adopted his ideas. Finally, the two believed
in a certain creed.
The other 'ulama'
of Basrah and the believers of the region that were mainly of Iranian origin,
had opposed him and ousted him from Basrah.
When
Shaykh Muhammad was driven out of Basrah, he proceeded to Damascus, which had a
pleasant climate, but because of his unusual belief and difficulties in life he
was unable to remain there. Since he could not return to Medina or Mecca, he
went back to the Najd of his father, Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahhab, who was then still
the 'alim of the region.
The Shaykh
had a brother named Shaykh Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab who was at loggerheads
with him in terms of belief. His brother was the first person to write a book
refuting his doctrines. His father also opposed him and sided with Shaykh
Sulayman. In addition to the opposition of his father and brother, he also
faced the opposition of 'ulama', and this dispute continued until the
death of his father.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab after the death of his
father
After the
death of his father, Shaykh Muhammad enjoyed great freedom in propagating his
doctrines and views. As such, he went to other places and become acquainted
with 'Uthman ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who was then the emir of 'Ayniyyah, and
married his daughter Jawharah. Although it is said that the people there
accepted some of his beliefs, because he went to extremes in opposing their
customs, they expelled him from the region. For instance, he had ordered the
destruction of a dome belonging to Zayd ibn al-Khattab, brother of 'Umar. He
had also issued a decree for an old tree, which was venerated by the people of
the region, to be uprooted.
In sum, on
account of his peculiar doctrines, among which was his disregard for the
leaders of the Ahl as-Sunnah, the Shaykh lost his esteem in the people's sight
and earned their wrath. From there he went to the region of Dar'iyyah.
Nowadays,
pilgrims—Iranian and non-Iranian—can still see the relics related to the rule
of 'Uthman in Arabia such as the holy shrine of the Holy Prophet (s) and the
graves surrounding it, the lanterns of Masjid an-Nabi, and the inscriptions on
that sacred mosque.
The children and students of Shaykh Ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab
Shaykh
Muhammad had a number of sons and daughters and married one of his daughters to
Muhammad ibn Sa'ud, the tribal chief. His sons, Husayn, 'Abd Allah and Ibrahim,
became judges after their father. Even now, his sons, one after another, hold
religious positions in Saudi Arabia.
During his
lifetime, apart from training students, the Shaykh wrote some books which
nowadays have caught the attention of 'ulama' and students of the
region. These books are as follows:
1. Kitab
at-Tawhid; a collection of his doctrines;
2. Kitab
Kashf ash-Shubahat, which is written in defense of his doctrines vis-à-vis
Sunni 'ulama';
3. The
merits and issues of some stories in the Qur'an;
4. Kitab
al-Kaba'ir, which has been written about the major sins;
5. Masa'il
al-Jahiliyyah, in which he compares the pre-Islamic period of ignorance of
Arabia with his own time;
6. Fawa'id
as-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah, which is well-known as Sirat ar-Rasul.
This book examines the entire course of the lives of some Companions of the
Prophet (s), his battles and the prevalent beliefs during that time;
7. Ikhtisar
ash-Sharh al-Kabir; and
8. Adab
al-Mashyi ila's-Salah (These two books have been written about issues
related to jurisprudence and the branches of religion).
These
books are still available at the present.
