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'''Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab''' (محمد بن عبد الوهاب, born 1703 in 'Uyaynah; died 1792) was a Muslim scholar from the Najd region of what is today known as | '''Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab''' (محمد بن عبد الوهاب, born 1703 in 'Uyaynah; died 1792) was a Muslim scholar from the Najd region of what is today known as Saudi Arabia, who founded the eponymous Wahhabi branch of the [[Salafism|Salafi]] movement, a movement which he would also be ultimately responsible for popularizing in general.<ref>Cameron Zargar, "Origins of Wahhabism from Hanbali Fiqh," ''UCLA Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law'' 16, no. 1 (2017), 65-114.</ref> | ||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
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Abd al-Wahhab would study the Hanbali works of the famed Ibn Qudamah who was exceptionally renown in the Najd. Islamic orthodoxy allowing for the possibility of miracles at the hands of those considered the ''Awliyah'', or friends (also translatable as "saints") of Allah, many in the Najd had come to attribute miracles to Ibn Qudamah. Similarly accepted in Islamic orthodoxy is the visitation of saintly persons' graves in order to offer prayers for the deceased and benefit from the general blessed aura of the site. This practice is functionally similar to the veneration of shrines. Both the attribution of miracles to miracles as well as the veneration of shrines would, however, appear to Abd al-Wahhab to smack of polytheism, causing him to eventually develop a great distaste and disdain for the interpretive methodologies of the classical madh'habs that would allow such practices. | Abd al-Wahhab would study the Hanbali works of the famed Ibn Qudamah who was exceptionally renown in the Najd. Islamic orthodoxy allowing for the possibility of miracles at the hands of those considered the ''Awliyah'', or friends (also translatable as "saints") of Allah, many in the Najd had come to attribute miracles to Ibn Qudamah. Similarly accepted in Islamic orthodoxy is the visitation of saintly persons' graves in order to offer prayers for the deceased and benefit from the general blessed aura of the site. This practice is functionally similar to the veneration of shrines. Both the attribution of miracles to miracles as well as the veneration of shrines would, however, appear to Abd al-Wahhab to smack of polytheism, causing him to eventually develop a great distaste and disdain for the interpretive methodologies of the classical madh'habs that would allow such practices. | ||
Later traveling to Mecca and then Medina, Abd al-Wahhab would come in contact with a a scholar by the name of Abdullah ibn Ibrahim al-Najdi, a proponent of [[Ibn | Later traveling to Mecca and then Medina, Abd al-Wahhab would come in contact with a a scholar by the name of Abdullah ibn Ibrahim al-Najdi, a proponent of [[Ibn Taymiyyah|Ibn Taymiyyah]]'s (d. 1328) interpretation of the Hanbali madh'hab. Abd al-Wahhab would develop an affinity for al-Najdi and Ibn Taymiyyah through this encounter, as he came to see the two's approach to scripture as more essentially pure and aggressive towards developments in Islam beyond the lifetime of Muhammad and his [[companions]]. | ||
These experiences would later inspire the especially puritanical and anti-classical strain of Salafism that were taught by and became eponymous with Abd al-Wahhab | These experiences would later inspire the especially puritanical and anti-classical strain of Salafism that were taught by and became eponymous with Abd al-Wahhab | ||
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===Takfeer=== | ===Takfeer=== | ||
Abd al-Wahhab went so far as to declare all those who believed in the possibility of intercession with God to be [[Kafir|''kuffar'']], or [[non-Muslims]] (lit. "unbelievers"). This practice of excommunication whereby one declares someone else who self-describes as a Muslim to, in fact, be a non-Muslim, is known as ''[[takfeer]].'' Abd al-Wahhab can be seen as responsible for re-popularizing it until the present time (the practice had been at least somewhat common place prior to the 13th century and especially during the civil wars over Muhammad's [[Caliph|caliphal]] succession much earlier on, but had since died out). | Abd al-Wahhab went so far as to declare all those who believed in the possibility of intercession with God to be [[Kafir (Infidel)|''kuffar'']], or [[non-Muslims]] (lit. "unbelievers"). This practice of excommunication whereby one declares someone else who self-describes as a Muslim to, in fact, be a non-Muslim, is known as ''[[takfeer]].'' Abd al-Wahhab can be seen as responsible for re-popularizing it until the present time (the practice had been at least somewhat common place prior to the 13th century and especially during the civil wars over Muhammad's [[Caliph|caliphal]] succession much earlier on, but had since died out). | ||
In their conquest of the Najd, al-Wahhab's conceptions of ''[[tawheed]]'' and ''[[takfeer]]'' would prove crucial in first excommunicating and determining the apostasy of neighboring Arab tribes such that ''[[jihad]]'' against them could be justified. | In their conquest of the Najd, al-Wahhab's conceptions of ''[[tawheed]]'' and ''[[takfeer]]'' would prove crucial in first excommunicating and determining the apostasy of neighboring Arab tribes such that ''[[jihad]]'' against them could be justified. | ||
Another popular [[Salafi]] commonly attributed to al-Wahhab is [[Love and Hate in Islam|''al-Wala' wal-Bara' li-Allah'']], or the practice of "loving and hating for the sake of Allah". | Another popular [[Salafism|Salafi]] commonly attributed to al-Wahhab is [[Love and Hate in Islam|''al-Wala' wal-Bara' li-Allah'']], or the practice of "loving and hating for the sake of Allah". | ||
===Wahhabism=== | ===Wahhabism=== | ||
Today, followers of al-Wahhab self-Identify more generically as "Salafis" (which merely connotes a focus on the practices of the [[Salaf|Salafs]], or the early Muslim) and are usually only referred to by others, in an almost derogatory manner, as "Wahhabis". In practical discourse, however, the term Wahhabism proves useful, as the Salafi movement is much larger and far more diverse than the followers of al-Wahhab, who only comprise one sub-group. | Today, followers of al-Wahhab self-Identify more generically as "Salafis" (which merely connotes a focus on the practices of the [[Salaf al-Salih (Pious Predecessors)|Salafs]], or the early Muslim) and are usually only referred to by others, in an almost derogatory manner, as "Wahhabis". In practical discourse, however, the term Wahhabism proves useful, as the Salafi movement is much larger and far more diverse than the followers of al-Wahhab, who only comprise one sub-group. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[Salaf]] | *[[Salaf al-Salih (Pious Predecessors)]] | ||
*[[Salafism]] | *[[Salafism]] | ||
*[[Ibn | *[[Ibn Taymiyyah|Ibn Taymiyyah]] | ||
*[[Madh'hab]] | *[[Madh'hab]] | ||
*[[Fiqh]] | *[[Fiqh]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
[[Category:Traditional scholars]] | [[Category:Traditional scholars]] | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Salafism]] | |||
[[Category:Islamic History]] | |||
[[Category:Jihadists]] | |||
[[Category:Jihad]] | |||
[[Category:Preachers]] | |||