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Wahhabi

A mosque that follows Wahhabism.
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Wahhabi (Arabic: الْوَهَابِيَّةُ) or Wahhabism is a conservative form of Sunni Islam that is practiced in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It derives its origins in Salafism, which aims to imitate the Salaf (the three first generations of Muslims, which it considers the best) as much as possible.[1] The name 'Wahhabi' or 'Wahhabism' comes from Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, an 18th century scholar, who popularised a form of Islam that calls for the return to the Qur'an and Hadith as the basis of an Islamic way of life.[2]

Its followers do not like the name Wahhabism and prefer to be called Al-Muwahhidun (“The Monotheists”).[3]

In the 18th century, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab made an alliance with Muhammad ibn Saud Al Muqrin, a local ruler. Their partnership helped spread Wahhabism across Arabia and later led to the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.[4] Wahhabism became the official form of Islam in the country.

Today, Wahhabism is still practiced, but its influence is slowly decreasing as the Saudi government is making changes to modernize the country.[5]

Some definitions or uses of the term Wahhabi Islam include:

  • "a corpus of doctrines, but also a set of attitudes and behaviour". Gilles Kepel, a French specialist of jihadism[6]
  • "pure Islam that does not deviate from Sharia law in any way and should be called Islam and not Wahhabism". Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the governor of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.[7]

Names and definition

Wahhabism is a religious movement in Islam that is named after its founder, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792), an 18th-century scholar from the Najd, a region that is now in Saudi Arabia.[8] His followers do not call themselves “Wahhabis” but prefer to be called Al-Muwahhidun (“The Unitarians”). This shows their focus on the oneness of God, known as tawhid.[9]

Wahhabism is defined as an 18th-century Arabian reform movement that aimed to purify Islam by returning to its original teachings: the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is generally considered to be a strict movement within Sunni Islam, which is centered on the concept of tawhid (absolute oneness of God). Wahhabis believe that many common Islamic practices, such as visiting shrines or praying at tombs, are wrong. They call them shirk (associating partners with God).[10]

Beliefs

Wahhabism believes that the Qur'an and the Sunnah, which is the sayings of Muhammad, must be followed to the fullest extent. It also forbids the building of shrines and other similar structures[11] since shrines are seen as a way in which forms of polytheism are performed.[12] Wahhabism discourages taqlid, unjustified conformity of one person to the teaching of another, if it is out of a person's desires to do something.[13]

History

Early years

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was born in the region of Najd in 1703. He studied Islam in different cities and believed that their religious practices, which included tombs and shrines, were not part of true Islam and violated its core principles.[14][15] For those reasons, he wanted to bring people back to original Islam to focus only on worshipping God and following the Qur’an and Muhammad's teachings.

First Saudi State established after Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud formed an alliance
Diriyah Agreement (1744)

Alliance with Muhammad ibn Saud

In 1744, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab created important an agreement with Muhammad ibn Saud Al Muqrin, the local ruler of the small town of Diriyah. They agreed to work together and formed a pact under which Muhammad ibn Saud would militarily and politically support Wahhabism.[16] In return, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers would legitimize and support Muhammad ibn Saud's rule religiously.[17] Together, they began to take control of parts of Arabia; spread Wahhabism; and destroyed shrines, tombs, and other places that they considered as un-Islamic.

Detailed map showing the first Saudi State (1744-1818)

First Saudi State (1744-1818)

This alliance led to the creation of the First Saudi State. Centered on Diriyah (1744-1818),[18] it was also called the Emirate of Diriyah. Many Muslims, especially those who followed Sufi traditions, did not agree with Wahhabism and saw it as too strict and harsh.[19]

The Ottoman Empire, which ruled most of the Muslim world during the 18th and the 19th centuries, saw the rise of the Wahhabism as a threat to its religious and political authority.[20] The Wahhabis expanded their influence across the Arabian Peninsula and captured the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which alarmed the Ottoman leadership.[21] In response, they instructed the commander Muhammad Ali Pasha in Egypt to take military action. In 1811, he sent his son Ibrahim Pasha to crush the movement. Egyptian forces destroyed Diriyah in 1818, which ended the First Saudi State.[20]

Second Saudi State (1824-1891)

Second Saudi State (1824-1891)

A few years after the fall of the First Saudi State, the Saudis returned to power and established the Second Saudi State (1824-1891).[22] It was also known as Emirate of Nejd, centered on the city of Riyadh.[23] The Second Saudi State was smaller and weaker than the First Saudi State, but it still followed Wahhabi beliefs. The religious scholars from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s family, known as Al ash-Sheikh, played a key role in leading Wahhabism.[24] However, the Second Saudi State faced many challenges. After internal conflicts and wars with rival tribes such as Rashids, the Second Saudi State collapsed in 1891.[22]

Portrait of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1932-present)

In the early 1900s, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, a descendant of earlier Saudi rulers, started to reclaim territories and restore his family’s rule. In 1902, he successfully took over Riyadh.[4] By 1932, Abdulaziz had unified most of the central and western parts of Arabia and created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[4] Wahhabism became the official form Islam in the country. Religious leaders from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's family were given power in courts and schools. They helped guide the country’s laws and education based on Wahhabi teachings.[25]

20th century

Oil Industry in Saudi Arabia, 1970s

In the 20th century, especially after oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, the country became very wealthy. During the oil boom in the 1970s, the Saudi government used its money to spread Wahhabism to other parts of the world[26] and built mosques, schools, and printed religious books. Wahhabism spread to many countries, especially in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Today

Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha, Qatar

Wahhabism is still practiced today, mainly in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. However, in recent years, the Saudi government has reduced the power of the Wahhabi religious leaders. It is also trying to modernize the country by changing the schools, allowing women to drive, and opening it up to tourism and entertainment.[5] The government is also giving less financial support for religious projects than before and is focusing on its economy and national identity. [5]

Wahhabi Media

  • Islamic miniature depicting Ahmad ibn Hanbal

  • An 18th century map of the Arabian Peninsula circa. 1740s

  • Portrait of a musketeer from the First Saudi State (Emirate of Diriyah).

  • Salafi scholar Muhammad Rashid Rida (Arabic: محمد رشيد رضا; AH 1282–1354) made vital contributions in the rehabilitation of Wahhabism across the Arab World during the early 20th-century

  • Photo of a marketplace in the town of Al-Hasa c. 1922

  • Open air mosque in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

  • Muwahhidun (Wahhabi) movement is highly influenced by the doctrines of the classical Hanbali theologian Ibn Taymiyya (Template:Died-in)

  • Soldiers of the third Saudi State, 1920s

  • Compilation of ibn Mu'ammar's treatises and legal verdicts published by Sayyid Rashid Rida in 1925–AD/CE

Other websites

References

  1. ↑ Wahhabism vs Salafism: Difference and Comparison (in en-us) (2022-01-19). Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  2. ↑ Political islam: context versus ideology. SOAS Middle East issues (2010). London: Saqi [u.a.]. p. 48, 49. ISBN 978-0-86356-659-2.
  3. ↑ ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz, Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt Mutanawwiʿah, vol. 1, pp. 246–248; Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, Liqaʾ al-Bāb al-Maftūḥ, no. 3.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 al-Rasheed, Madawi. A History of Saudi Arabia (2010). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 9-38. ISBN 052176128X.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Saudi Arabia seeks religious reset as clerical power wanes. DAWN (20 June 2021). Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Kepel, Gilles. The war for Muslim minds (2004)Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 157. ISBN 9780674015753.
  7. ↑ Mahdi, Wael (March 18, 2010). "There is no such thing as Wahabism, Saudi prince says". The National. http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/there-is-no-such-thing-as-wahabism-saudi-prince-says. Retrieved 12 June 2014. 
  8. ↑ Bayram, Aydın. THE RISE OF WAHHABI SECTARIANISM AND ITS IMPACT IN SAUDI ARABIA. Atatürk Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (42) (2014). p. 248.
  9. ↑ Malbouisson, Cofie D.. Focus on Islamic Issues (2007)Nova Publishers. p. 22. ISBN 1600212042.
  10. ↑ Ungvarsky, Janine. Wahhabism. EBSCO (2025). Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Never-ending destruction of historical sites in Mecca and Medina, cradle of Islam. ArabAmericanNews (2021-05-15). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  12. ↑ Building shrines on graves. islamweb.net. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  13. ↑ Was there consensus on the permissibility of absolute taqleed of one of the four madhhabs? - Islam Question & Answer (in en). islamqa.info. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  14. ↑ Bayram, Aydın. THE RISE OF WAHHABI SECTARIANISM AND ITS IMPACT IN SAUDI ARABIA. Atatürk Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (42) (2014). p. 248.
  15. ↑ Commins, David. The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia (2006)I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 12. ISBN 1845110803.
  16. ↑ Dallal, Ahmad. The Origins and Objectives of Islamic Revivalist Thought, 1750-1850. Journal of the American Oriental Society 113 (3) (1993). p. 349.
  17. ↑ The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought (2013). Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0691134847.
  18. ↑ Hadrovic, Ahmet. The Historical Riyadh City In Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications (IJMRAP) 6 (8) (2024). p. 145-146.
  19. ↑ Ibrahim, Hassan Ahmed. Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb and Shāh Walī Allāh: A Preliminary Comparison of Some Aspects of their Lifes and Careers. Asian Journal of Social Science 34 (1) (2006). p. 106-108.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Al-Wais, Ismail Mohammed Hassan. Political and Military Conditions in the Najd and Hejaz (1745–1914). European Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 2 (2) (2025). p. 162.
  21. ↑ Winder, Richard Bayly. Saudi Arabia in the Nineteenth Century (2015)Springer. p. 6. ISBN 1349817236.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Knauerhase, Ramon. Saudi Arabia: A Brief History. Current History 68 (402) (1975). p. 75.
  23. ↑ Choksy, Carol E. B.. THE SAUDI CONNECTION: Wahhabism and Global Jihad. World Affairs 178 (1) (2015). p. 26.
  24. ↑ Fahadayna, Adhi C.. Stable Autocracy in Saudi Arabia: The Failure of Arab Spring Democratisation. Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional 26 (1) (2024). p. 71-72.
  25. ↑ Obaid, Nawaf E.. The Power of Saudi Arabia's Islamic Leaders. Middle East Quarterly 6 (4) (1999). p. 51-58.
  26. ↑ Kepel, Gilles. Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam (2002). Harvard: Harvard University Press. p. 51. ISBN 0674010906.


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