Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab: His Call (Da’wah) and Biography

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and may peace, blessings, and salutations be upon His servant, His messenger, the best of His creation, our master, our leader, Muhammad bin Abdullah, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow them.

To proceed: O honorable brothers, O dear sons, I present this brief lecture to you to enlighten minds, clarify truths, offer sincere advice for the sake of Allah and His servants, and fulfill a part of the duty owed regarding the subject of this lecture. The title of this lecture is: “Sheikh Imam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab: His Call and His Biography.”

Since speaking about reformers, callers [to Islam], and renewers—remembering their conditions, commendable traits, glorious deeds, and explaining their biographies that demonstrated their sincerity and truthfulness in their call and reform—since speaking about these aforementioned reformers, their morals, deeds, and biographies is something souls long for, hearts find comfort in, and every person zealous for the religion and desirous of reform and calling to the path of truth loves to hear, I have seen fit to speak to you about a great man, a major reformer, and a zealous caller. He is none other than the renewer of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the twelfth century of the Prophetic Hijrah: Imam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab bin Sulaiman bin Ali At-Tamimi Al-Hanbali.

People have known this Imam, especially their scholars, leaders, dignitaries, and notables in the Arabian Peninsula and abroad. Many people have written about him—some briefly and others at length—and many have dedicated standalone writings to him. Even orientalists have written extensively about him, and others have written about him in the course of their writings on reformers and in their writings on history. The fair-minded among them described him as a great reformer, as a renewer of Islam, and as being upon guidance and light from his Lord, and listing them all would be quite difficult.

And among them is the great author, Abu Bakr Sheikh Hussein bin Ghannam Al-Ahsa’i, who wrote about this Sheikh, excelling and providing immense benefit. He recounted his biography, his military expeditions, elaborated extensively upon them, and wrote down many of his letters and his derivations [of rulings and lessons] from the Book of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic.

And among them is also Sheikh Othman bin Bishr in his book Unwan Al-Majd, where he wrote about this Sheikh, his call, his biography, the history of his life, his military expeditions, and his jihad.

And among them, from outside the Peninsula, is Dr. Ahmed Amin in his book Zua’ma’ Al-Islah (Leaders of Reform), where he wrote about him and was just.

And among them is the great Sheikh Masoud Al-Nadwi, who wrote about him and named him: The Oppressed Reformer, writing about his biography and excelling in doing so.

Others have also written about him, including the great scholar Prince Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Sanani, who was a contemporary of his and aligned with his call. When the Sheikh’s call reached him, he rejoiced over it and praised Allah for it.

And similarly, the great scholar Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali Al-Shawkani, the author of Nayl al-Autar, wrote about him and eulogized him with a magnificent elegy. A group other than these—known to readers and scholars—has also written about him.

Given that the condition, biography, and call of this man may be obscure to many people, I saw fit to contribute to clarifying his condition, the exemplary conduct he followed, his righteous call, and his sincere jihad, and to explain a little of what I know about this Imam so that anyone who harbors any ambiguity, confusion, or doubt regarding this man, his call, and what he stood for may gain clear insight into the matter.

This Imam was born in the year 1115 AH—this is the most well-known year for his birth, may Allah have mercy upon him. It has also been said that he was born in the year 1111 AH, but the first view is the recognized one: that he was born in the year 1115 AH, upon the migrant of which be the best of prayers and the most complete salutations.

And he studied under his father in the town of Al-Uyaynah. This town is his birthplace, may Allah have mercy upon him, and it is a well-known village in Al-Yamamah in Najd, northwest of the city of Riyadh, at a distance of about seventy kilometers from Riyadh. He was born there, may Allah have mercy upon him, grew up in a righteous upbringing, memorized the Quran at an early age, and applied himself diligently to studying and acquiring jurisprudence under his father, Sheikh Abdul-Wahhab bin Sulaiman, who was a great jurist, an accomplished scholar, and a judge in the town of Al-Uyaynah.

Then, after reaching the age of puberty, he performed the Hajj and headed to the Sacred House of Allah, taking knowledge from some of the scholars of the Holy Sanctuary. Afterward, he traveled to Medina—upon its resident be the best of prayers and peace—where he met with its scholars, stayed there for a period, and studied under two major and renowned scholars in Medina at that time:

• Sheikh Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Saif Al-Najdi, originally from Al-Jamma’, who is the father of Sheikh Ibrahim bin Abdullah, the author of Al-Adh-B Al-Faid fi Ilm Al-Fara’id.
• The great Sheikh Muhammad Hayat Al-Sindi in Medina.

These two scholars are among those whom it is well-known the Sheikh studied under in Medina, and perhaps he studied under others whom we do not know.

And the Sheikh traveled to Iraq in pursuit of knowledge, heading to Basra, where he met with its scholars, acquired whatever Allah willed of knowledge from them, and openly proclaimed the call there to the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid). He called the people to the Sunnah, made it clear to them that it is incumbent upon all Muslims to take their religion from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, upon him be prayers and peace, and he debated, discussed, and argued with the scholars present there.

A prominent figure among his teachers there was a man known as Sheikh Muhammad Al-Majmu’i. However, some of the evil scholars in Basra turned against him, and he and his aforementioned teacher suffered some harm as a result. Because of this, he left, intending to travel to the Levant (Al-Sham), but he was unable to do so due to a lack of sufficient funds.

Consequently, he departed from Basra to Al-Zubair, and from Al-Zubair he headed to Al-Ahsa, where he met with its scholars and discussed matters concerning the fundamentals of the religion with them.

Then, he headed to the town of Huraymila—and Allah knows best—in the fifth decade of the twelfth century. This was because his father had been a judge in Al-Uyaynah, and a dispute arose between him and its emir, causing him to move away from it to Huraymila in the year 1139 AH. Sheikh Muhammad arrived to join his father in Huraymila after his move there in the year 1139 AH, meaning his arrival in Huraymila was likely in the year 1140 AH or shortly thereafter.

He settled there, remaining continuously engaged in knowledge, teaching, and calling [to Islam] in Huraymila until his father passed away in the year 1153 AH. Following this, some evil individuals from among the lowlifes of Huraymila plotted evil against him, intending to assassinate or harm him. It was said that some of them scaled his wall, but some people became aware of them, so they fled. Following that incident, the Sheikh migrated to Al-Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy upon him.

And the reasons for these lowlifes’ anger toward him were that he used to command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and he would urge the rulers to punish the criminals who transgressed against the people by way of robbery, looting, and causing harm—those lowlifes referred to as the “slaves” there. When they realized that the Sheikh was against them, that he did not approve of their actions, and that he was inciting the rulers to penalize them and curb their evil, they became angry and plotted to assassinate him, but Allah protected and guarded him.

Then, he moved to the town of Al-Uyaynah, whose emir at that time was Othman bin Nasir bin Mu’ammar. He settled there, and the emir welcomed him, saying: “Proceed with calling to the people to Allah, and we are with you and will support you.” The emir showed him goodness, affection, and agreement with what he stood for.

And so the Sheikh became busy with teaching, guidance, calling people to Allah the Almighty, and directing both men and women toward goodness and the love of Allah. His matter became well-known in Al-Uyaynah, his fame grew, and people came to him from neighboring villages.

One day, the Sheikh said to Amir Othman: “Let us demolish the dome over the grave of Zaid bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, for it was founded upon other than guidance, and Allah, the Majestic and Exalted, is not pleased with this action. Furthermore, the Messenger, upon him be prayers and peace, forbade building over graves and taking them as places of worship. This dome has caused tribulation for the people, altered beliefs, and led to shirk; therefore, it must be demolished.”

The Amir replied: “There is no objection to that.”

The Sheikh said: “I fear that the people of Al-Jubailah will revolt”—Al-Jubailah being a nearby village close to the grave.

Consequently, Othman set out with an army numbering six hundred fighters to demolish the dome, accompanied by the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him. When they drew near the dome, the people of Al-Jubailah came out upon hearing the news, intending to defend and protect it. However, when they saw Amir Othman and those with him, they desisted and turned back. Thereupon, the Sheikh proceeded directly to demolish and remove it, and Allah the Almighty caused it to be eradicated at his hands, may Allah have mercy upon him.

Let us now mention a brief overview of the condition of Najd prior to the rise of the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, and the reasons behind his emergence and his call.

Before the Sheikh’s call, the people of Najd were in a condition that no believer could approve of. Major polytheism (shirk al-akbar) had grown and spread to the extent that domes, trees, stones, and caves were worshipped, and people were worshipped who claimed sainthood while being mentally disabled. People besides Allah were worshipped who claimed guardianship while being mad, deranged individuals devoid of reason.

Sorcerers and soothsayers became prominent in Najd, along with consulting them and believing them, and wrongdoing was ubiquitous except where Allah willed otherwise. People were overwhelmingly consumed by worldly desires and lusts, and those standing up for Allah or aiding His religion were few.

Likewise, in the Two Holy Sanctuaries and in Yemen, polytheism was widespread, along with building domes over graves, supplicating to saints, and seeking relief from them. In Yemen, there was a vast amount of this, and in the towns of Najd, it was countless—ranging from graves, caves, and trees, to deranged and mad individuals who were invoked besides Allah and sought for relief alongside Him.

Furthermore, what was known and widespread in Najd was the invocation of jinns, seeking their aid, sacrificing animals for them, and placing them in the corners of houses in the hope of receiving their help and out of fear of their evil.

When the Sheikh and Imam saw this polytheism and its prevalence among the people, the absence of anyone denouncing it, and the lack of anyone standing up to call people to Allah regarding it, he rolled up his sleeves in earnest. He persevered in his call, knowing that jihad, patience, and enduring harm were inevitable.

He exerted himself vigorously in teaching, guidance, and calling to Allah while in Al-Uyaynah, and in writing to scholars about the matter, discussing it with them in the hope that they would stand with him to support the religion of Allah and strive against this polytheism and these superstitions.

Many scholars of Najd, the Two Sanctuaries, Yemen, and elsewhere responded to his call and wrote back expressing their agreement. Others, however, opposed him, criticized what he called to, condemned it, and turned away from him. They fell into two categories: either ignorant traditionalists who knew nothing of the religion of Allah or the Oneness of Allah, knowing only the ignorance, misguidance, polytheism, innovations, and superstitions inherited from their fathers and grandfathers—just as Allah the Almighty said regarding the likes of them: “Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps guided” (Al-Zukhruf: 22).

And another faction among those who ascribe to knowledge rejected him out of stubbornness and envy, so that the common people would not say: “How is it that you did not object to this for us? Why did Ibn Abdul-Wahhab come and stand upon the truth while you are scholars and did not denounce this falsehood?!”

Thus, they envied him, felt ashamed before the common people, and displayed stubbornness toward the truth, preferring the immediate present over the Hereafter and imitating the Jews in their preference for the worldly life over the Hereafter—we ask Allah for well-being and safety.

As for the Sheikh, he persevered and exerted himself earnestly in his call. He was encouraged by those who supported him among the scholars and notables within the Peninsula and abroad, so he resolved upon the matter and sought the help of his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic.

Before that, he had devoted himself entirely to the Book of Allah, possessing a profound grasp of the exegesis (tafsir) of the Book of Allah and the extraction of rulings from it. He also devoted himself to the biography (seerah) of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the biography of his companions, applying himself diligently and gaining deep insight into them until he attained from that what aided him and firmly established him upon the truth. Consequently, he rolled up his sleeves in earnest, resolved upon his call to spread it among the people, and wrote to the rulers and scholars regarding it, letting whatever would happen, happen.

Thus Allah fulfilled his good aspirations, spread the call through him, supported the truth by means of him, and provided him with supporters, assistants, and helpers until the religion of Allah became prominent and the word of Allah was elevated.

The Sheikh continued his call in Al-Uyaynah through teaching and guidance, and then he rolled up his sleeves to take action and remove the traces of polytheism in practice. When he saw that preaching alone was not having sufficient effect, he undertook practical action to remove with his own hand whatever traces of polytheism were possible and accessible.

The Sheikh said to Amir Othman bin Mu’ammar: “We must demolish this dome over the grave of Zaid.” Zaid bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was the brother of Omar bin Al-Khattab, the Commander of the Faithful, may Allah the Almighty be pleased with them all.

He was among the martyrs in the battle against Musaylimah the Liar in the 12th year of the Prophetic Hijrah, being among those killed there. A dome was built over his grave, according to what they mention—though it may be the grave of someone else, yet they mention it as his.

Othman agreed with him, as previously mentioned, and the dome was demolished—praise be to Allah—and its trace has vanished to this day, all praise and gratitude belonging to Allah. The Most Majestic and Exalted caused it to perish when it was demolished with a righteous intention, an upright purpose, and support for the truth.

There were also other graves, including a grave said to be that of Dirar bin Al-Azwar, over which there was a dome that was likewise demolished. There were other shrines that Allah the Almighty eradicated, as well as caves and trees that were worshipped besides Allah, the Majestic and Exalted; these were removed, eradicated, and the people were warned against them.

And the point is that the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, continued his call through both word and deed, as previously mentioned.

Then, a woman came to the Sheikh and confessed before him to adultery multiple times. He inquired about her mental state and was told that she was of sound mind and perfectly fine. When she insisted upon her confession, did not retract it, and claimed neither coercion nor any mitigating doubt—while she was a Muhsanah (a married woman)—the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, ordered that she be stoned, and she was stoned by his command while he was serving as a judge in Al-Uyaynah.

Following that, his renown spread further due to the demolition of the dome, the stoning of the woman, his magnificent call to Allah, and the migration of emigrants to Al-Uyaynah.

And the news of the Sheikh reached the Emir of Al-Ahsa and its dependencies from the Banu Khalid, Sulaiman bin Urair Al-Khaledi—that the Sheikh was calling to Allah, demolishing domes, and executing legal punishments (hudud).

This bedouin emir took the matter of the Sheikh very hard, because it is the habit of the bedouins—except those whom Allah guides—to rush into injustice, bloodshed, plundering of wealth, and violation of sanctities. He feared that this Sheikh’s influence would grow and that he would strip away the power of the bedouin emir.

Consequently, he wrote to Othman, threatening him and ordering him to kill this religious scholar (mutawwa) who was with him in Al-Uyaynah, saying: “We have received such and such reports about the scholar who is with you! Either you kill him, or we will cut off your tribute that is with us.”

Othman had a tribute of gold due to him from that emir. The matter weighed heavily on Othman, and he feared that if he disobeyed him, the emir would cut off his tribute or wage war against him.

Therefore, Othman said to the Sheikh: “This emir has written to us saying such and such, and it is not proper for us to kill you, yet we fear this emir and are unable to fight him. If you would see fit to leave us, please do so.”

The Sheikh replied: “What I am calling to is the religion of Allah, realizing the statement La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), and fulfilling the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Whoever holds fast to this religion, supports it, and is truthful in doing so, Allah will support him, grant him victory, and place him in authority over the lands of his enemies. If you remain patient, steadfast, and accept this goodness, then take glad tidings: Allah will grant you victory, protect you from this bedouin and others, and Allah will soon place you in authority over his land and his tribe.”

The emir responded: “O Sheikh, we are not able to fight him, nor do we have the patience to oppose him.”

And so the Sheikh departed at that time, moving from Al-Uyaynah to the town of Al-Diriyah. He arrived there walking on foot, according to what they mention, reaching it at the end of the day after having left Al-Uyaynah at the beginning of the day on foot, without Othman providing him with a mount.

He entered the home of one of the virtuous men in the upper part of the town named Muhammad bin Suwaim Al-Urayni, and he stayed as a guest with him. It is said that this man became fearful of the Sheikh’s stay with him, felt that the earth with all its vastness had grown narrow for him, and was afraid of the Emir of Al-Diriyah, Muhammad bin Saud. However, the Sheikh reassured him, saying: “Take glad tidings of goodness, for this which I am calling the people to is the religion of Allah, and Allah will soon make it prevail.”

Shortly thereafter, the news of Sheikh Muhammad reached Muhammad bin Saud.

And it is said that the one who informed him was his wife. Some righteous person came to her and said: “Inform Muhammad [bin Saud] about this man, encourage him to accept his call, and urge him to support and assist him.” She was a righteous and good woman.

When Muhammad bin Saud, the emir of Al-Diriyah and its dependencies, entered her presence, she said to him: “Take glad tidings of this immense bounty! This is a bounty that Allah has driven right to you: a caller inviting to the religion of Allah, inviting to the Book of Allah, inviting to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, upon him be prayers and peace. What a magnificent bounty! Hasten to accept him, hasten to support him, and never hesitate in this.”

The Amir accepted her advice. Then, he hesitated as to whether he should go to the Sheikh or invite the Sheikh to come to him. It was suggested to him—and it is said that the woman, along with a group of righteous people, was also the one who suggested this—saying: “It is not fitting that you invite him to you; rather, you should go to his residence, visit him yourself, and show utmost respect for knowledge and the caller to goodness.”

He complied with this, given the happiness and goodness that Allah had destined for him, may Allah have mercy upon him and grant him an honored abode.

So he went to the Sheikh at the house of Muhammad bin Suwaim, greeted him, spoke with him, and said: “O Sheikh Muhammad, take glad tidings of support, security, and assistance.”

The Sheikh replied to him: “And you, take glad tidings of support, empowerment, and a commendable outcome as well. This is the religion of Allah; whoever supports it, Allah will support him, and whoever aids it, Allah will aid him, and you will soon see the effects of that.”

The Amir said: “O Sheikh, I will pledge allegiance to you upon the religion of Allah and His Messenger, and upon jihad in the way of Allah. However, I fear that if we support and aid you, and Allah makes you prevail over the enemies of Islam, you might desire a land other than ours and move away from us to another land.”

The Sheikh answered: “No; I pledge allegiance to you upon this: I pledge to you that blood is for blood, and destruction is for destruction; I will never leave your town.”

Thus, Amir Muhammad bin Saud pledged allegiance to him for support, for remaining in the town, and that the Sheikh would stay with the Amir to assist him and strive alongside him in the way of Allah until the religion of Allah became manifest. The pledge of allegiance was successfully completed upon these terms.

People flocked to Al-Diriyah from every place—from Al-Uyaynah, Arqah, Manfuha, Riyadh, and other neighboring towns. Al-Diriyah remained a place of migration to which people migrated from everywhere. People heard news of the Sheikh, his lessons in Al-Diriyah, his call to Allah, and his guidance, so they came in groups and individually.

The Sheikh established himself in Al-Diriyah honored, supported, beloved, and victorious. He organized lessons in Al-Diriyah covering Islamic creeds (aqeedah), the Noble Quran, exegesis (tafsir), jurisprudence (fiqh), Hadith and its terminology, Arabic sciences, history, and other beneficial branches of knowledge.

And people flocked to him from every place, and young men and others studied under him in Al-Diriyah. He arranged numerous lessons for both the general public and the elite, spreading knowledge throughout Al-Diriyah and persevering in his call.

Then he began the jihad, writing to people to enter this arena and eradicate the polytheism present in their lands. He started with the people of Najd, writing to its emirs and scholars—he wrote to the scholars of Riyadh and its emir, Daham bin Dawwas; the scholars of Al-Kharj and its emirs; the scholars of the southern lands, Al-Qassim, Hail, Al-Wusham, Sudair, and others.

He continued writing to them, to their scholars and emirs, as well as to the scholars of Al-Ahsa, the scholars of the Two Holy Sanctuaries, and scholars abroad in Egypt, the Levant (Al-Sham), Iraq, India, Yemen, and elsewhere. He never ceased writing to the people, establishing proofs, and reminding them of the polytheism and innovations that the majority of creation had fallen into.

This does not mean that there were no supporters of the religion at all; rather, supporters did exist, for Allah the Exalted has guaranteed that this religion will inevitably have defenders, and a group from this nation will remain upon the truth and victorious, as the Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace, stated. Thus, supporters of the truth existed in many regions. However, the discussion here centers on Najd, which contained a level of evil, corruption, polytheism, and superstitions that none could enumerate except Allah the Almighty, even though there were some scholars within it who possessed goodness, but they were not enabled to exert themselves in the call or undertake it as it ought to have been done.

And there were also in Yemen and elsewhere callers to the truth and supporters who recognized this polytheism and these superstitions, but Allah did not decree for their call the same level of success that He decreed for the call of Sheikh Muhammad, due to many reasons, including:

• The lack of a readily available helper and supporter to assist them.
• The lack of patience among many callers and their inability to endure harm in the way of Allah.
• The inadequacy of knowledge possessed by some callers, which prevented them from guiding people using appropriate methods, fitting expressions, wisdom, and good exhortation.

And among them are other reasons besides these. Because of these numerous correspondences, letters, and jihad, the Sheikh’s matter became renowned, the affair of the call became manifest, and his letters reached scholars both within the Peninsula and abroad. A vast multitude of people were influenced by his call—in India, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Africa, Morocco, and likewise in Egypt, the Levant, and Iraq.

There were many callers there who had knowledge of the truth and the call to it, but when the Sheikh’s call reached them, their activity increased, their strength multiplied, and they became well-known for their call. The Sheikh’s call continued to become famous and manifest throughout the Islamic world and beyond.

Then, in this latter era, his books and letters—as well as the writings of his sons, descendants, supporters, and helpers among the Muslim scholars within the Peninsula and abroad—were published. Likewise, books authored regarding his call, his biography, and the conditions of his supporters were published, until it became famous among the people across most regions and lands.

And it is well-known that every blessing has an envier, and that every caller [to the truth] has many enemies, as Allah the Almighty stated: “And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy—devils from mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent.” (Al-An’am: 112)

When the Sheikh became famous for his call, wrote numerous correspondences, authored valuable books, published them among the people, and corresponded with scholars, a large group of his enviers and opponents appeared, along with other enemies.

His enemies and adversaries fell into two categories:

• A group that opposed him in the name of knowledge and religion.
• A group that opposed him for political reasons but concealed themselves behind knowledge and the guise of religion, exploiting the enmity of those scholars who opposed him and claimed he was upon falsehood, saying such-and-such about him.

Meanwhile, the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, continued his call—dispelling doubts, clarifying proofs, and guiding people to the truths as they are found in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, upon him be prayers and peace.

At times they would say: “He is from the Khawarij.” At times they would say: “He breaches consensus (ijma), claims absolute independent reasoning (ijtihad), and does not care about the scholars and jurists who preceded him.” At other times they would hurl other accusations at him.

This was due to nothing other than a lack of knowledge in one faction of them; another faction blindly followed others and relied on hearsay; and yet another faction feared for their positions, thus opposing him for political motives while cloaking themselves in Islam and religion, relying upon the statements of the superstitious and the misguiding.

And the opponents are, in reality, three categories:

• Superstitious scholars who view truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth. They believe that building over graves, taking them as places of worship, supplicating to them besides Allah, seeking relief from them, and the like constitute religion and guidance. They believe that whoever denies this has shown hatred toward the righteous and the saints, and is an enemy against whom jihad must be waged.

• Another group among those ascribed to knowledge who were ignorant of the reality of this man and did not know the truth to which he called. Instead, they blindly followed others, believed what the misguiding superstitious folk said about him, and thought they were upon guidance in what they attributed to him regarding hating the saints and prophets, showing enmity toward them, and denying their miracles. Consequently, they blamed the Sheikh, criticized his call, and turned people away from him.

• And a third group: Those who feared for their positions and ranks, and thus opposed him out of fear that the hands of the supporters of the Islamic call would reach them, strip them of their positions, and take over their lands.

The verbal war, debates, and poetic or literary exchanges continued between the Sheikh and his opponents—he would write to them and they would write to him, he would debate them and refute them while they refuted him. Likewise, this continued between his sons, descendants, and supporters on one side, and the opponents of the call on the other, until a vast collection of letters and numerous refutations accumulated as a result.

These messages, fatwas, and refutations were collected, amounting to several volumes, and most of them have been published, praise be to Allah.

The Sheikh continued in his call and jihad, and Amir Muhammad bin Saud, the Emir of Al-Diriyah and the founder of the Saudi royal family, assisted him in that. The banner of jihad was raised, and the jihad began in the year 1158 AH, carried out through the sword, speech, proofs, and arguments. The call then continued alongside jihad with the sword.

It is well-known that when a caller to Allah the Almighty lacks a force to support the truth and enforce it, his call quickly fades, his renown is extinguished, and his supporters dwindle. It is also well-known what a profound impact weapons have in spreading the call, suppressing opponents, supporting the truth, and crushing falsehood.

Allah the Almighty spoke the absolute truth in His statement—and He, may He be glorified, is truthful in everything He says: “Verily, We sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Scripture and the Balance that mankind may keep up justice. And We brought forth iron, wherein is mighty power, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help Him and His messengers in the unseen. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.” (Al-Hadid: 25)

Thus, He, may He be glorified and exalted, explained that He sent the messengers with clear proofs—which are the brilliant arguments and evidences by which Allah clarifies the truth and repels falsehood—and sent down with the messengers the Scripture, which contains elucidation, guidance, and clarification. He sent down with them the Balance, which is justice through which the oppressed is vindicated against the oppressor, the truth is established, guidance is spread, and people are dealt with in its light with truth and equity.

And He brought down iron, wherein is mighty power, strength, deterrence, and reprimand for those who oppose the truth. For the one whom argument does not benefit and whom clear proof does not influence, iron is the suppressor.

And whoever said the like of this has excelled:

It is naught but revelation or the edge of a flashing blade, Whose sharp edges remove the jugular veins of every deviant. This is the remedy for the disease of every ignorant person, And this is the remedy for the disease of every stubborn opponent.

Thus, the rational person with a sound innate disposition benefits from clear proof and accepts the truth based on its evidence. As for the oppressor who follows his desires, nothing deters him except the sword.

The Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, exerted himself earnestly in the call and jihad, and his supporters from the Al Saud family—may Allah perfume their resting places—assisted him in that. They continued in jihad and the call from the year 1158 AH until the Sheikh passed away in the year 1206 AH. Thus, the jihad, the call, struggle, and debates in defense of the truth continued for nearly fifty years—clarifying what Allah and His Messenger stated, inviting people to the religion of Allah, and guiding them to what the Messenger of Allah, upon him be prayers and peace, legislated.

As a result, the people committed to obedience, entered into the religion of Allah, demolished the domes they had, removed the mosques built over graves, ruled by the Sharia, submitted to it, and abandoned the customs, laws, and traditions of their fathers and grandfathers that they used to rule by. They returned to the truth, and the mosques were filled with prayers and circles of knowledge. Zakat was paid, the people fasted Ramadan just as Allah the Almighty legislated, the good was enjoined, and the evil was forbidden.

Security prevailed across cities, villages, roads, and the deserts. The bedouins were put in their place, and they entered into the religion of Allah and accepted the truth. The Sheikh spread the call among them, sending guides and callers out into the deserts and badia, just as he dispatched teachers, guides, and judges to the towns and villages.

This immense goodness and manifest guidance encompassed all of Najd, the truth spread throughout it, and the religion of Allah the Almighty became manifest.

Then, after the passing of the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, his sons, descendants, students, and supporters continued in the call and the jihad.

At the forefront of his sons were:

• Sheikh Imam Abdullah bin Muhammad
• Sheikh Hussein bin Muhammad
• Sheikh Ali bin Muhammad
• Sheikh Ibrahim bin Muhammad

Among his descendants were:

• Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hasan
• Sheikh Ali bin Hussein
• Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad
• And a group of others.

Among his students were:

• Sheikh Hamad bin Nasir bin Mu’ammar
• Along with a vast assembly of the scholars of Al-Diriyah and others who continued in the call and jihad, spreading the religion of Allah the Almighty, writing letters, authoring compositions, and striving against the enemies of the religion.

There was nothing whatsoever between these callers and their opponents except that these callers invited people to the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid), sincere devotion of worship to Allah the Almighty, steadfastness upon that, the demolition of mosques and domes built over graves, calling for the governance of the Sharia and steadfastness upon it, commanding what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and establishing the legal punishments (hudud). These were the reasons for the conflict between them and the people.

In summary: They guided people to the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid), commanded them to practice it, warned people against polytheism (shirk) along with its means and pretexts, and bound the people to the Islamic Sharia.

Whoever refused and persisted in polytheism after the call, clarification, exposition, and proof had been established, they waged jihad against him for the sake of Allah the Almighty, seeking him out in his own land until he submitted to the truth and turned back to it, or until they compelled him and the people of his town to accept it by force and the sword.

Likewise, they warned people against innovations (bid’ah) and superstitions that Allah has sent down no authority for—such as building over graves, erecting domes upon them, seeking judgment from false deities (taghut), consulting sorcerers and soothsayers, believing them, and the like. Thus, Allah eradicated all of that at the hands of the Sheikh and his supporters, may Allah have mercy upon them all.

And the mosques were populated with the teaching of the Great Book, the Pure Sunnah, Islamic history, and beneficial Arabic sciences. The people engaged in scholarly discussions, knowledge, guidance, calling [to Islam], and direction, while others busied themselves with matters concerning their worldly life, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and the like.

Knowledge, work, call, guidance, worldly life, and religion went hand in hand: a person would study and discuss knowledge while simultaneously working in his agricultural field, trade, or craft. At times they dedicated themselves to their religion, and at times to their worldly affairs—acting as callers to Allah and guides to His path, while at the same time engaging in the various flourishing industries of their lands, thereby earning enough to make them self-sufficient and independent of what lay outside their countries.

And after the callers and the Al Saud completed [their work] in Najd, their call extended to the Two Holy Sanctuaries and the southern part of the Peninsula. They had corresponded with the scholars of the Two Holy Sanctuaries both previously and later.

When the call did not find a response and the people of the Two Holy Sanctuaries persisted in what they were upon regarding the veneration of domes, erecting them over graves, the presence of polytheism around them, and supplicating to those buried within them, Imam Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad—eleven years after the passing of the Sheikh—headed toward the region of the Hijaz. He besieged the people of Taif and then targeted the people of Makkah.

Prior to Saud, the emir Othman bin Abdulrahman Al-Modhaifi had already headed toward the people of Taif, besieging them with a force sent to him by Imam Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad, the Emir of Al-Diriyah. This was a mighty force composed of people from Najd and elsewhere who assisted him until he seized control of Taif, expelled the emirs of the Sharif from it, proclaimed the call to Allah therein, guided people to the truth, and forbade polytheism and the worship of [the shrine of] Ibn Abbas and others that the ignorant and foolish people of Taif used to worship there.

Then Amir Saud, acting on the order of his father Abdulaziz, headed toward the region of the Hijaz, and armies gathered around Makkah. When its Sharif realized that there was no alternative to surrender or flight, he fled to Jeddah, and Saud and the Muslims with him entered the city without fighting.

They took control of Makkah at dawn on Saturday, the eighth of Muharram in the year 1218 AH. They proclaimed the call to the religion of Allah, demolished the domes within it that had been built over the grave of Khadijah and others, and eradicated all the domes. They proclaimed the call to the Oneness of Allah the Almighty therein, appointed scholarly teachers, guides, and instructors, as well as judges ruling by the Sharia.

Then, after a short while, Medina was opened, and the Al Saud took control of it in the year 1220 AH, about two years after Makkah. The Two Holy Sanctuaries remained under the rule of the Al Saud, who appointed guides and instructors there, manifested justice throughout the land, enforced the governance of Sharia, and showed benevolence to the people, especially the poor and needy. They treated them kindly with wealth, consoled them, taught them the Book of Allah, guided them to goodness, honored the scholars, and encouraged them in teaching and guidance.

And the Two Holy Sanctuaries remained under the rule of the Al Saud until the year 1226 AH. Then, Egyptian and Turkish armies began heading toward the Hijaz to fight the Al Saud and drive them out of the Two Holy Sanctuaries, due to many reasons, some of which have already been mentioned.

These reasons—as previously stated—were that their enemies, enviers, the superstitious folk lacking insight, and certain politicians who wanted to extinguish this call out of fear that it would strip away their positions and put an end to their ambitions, fabricated lies against the Sheikh, his followers, and his supporters. They claimed: “They hate the Messenger, upon him be prayers and peace, they hate the saints, and they deny their miracles,” and they also said they claimed such-and-such of things they alleged were disparagements of the messengers, upon them be prayers and peace.

Some ignorant people and biased individuals believed this, using it as a stepping stone to attack and kill them, and to encourage the Turks and Egyptians to wage war against them. Consequently, trials, tribulations, and fighting ensued.

Fighting broke out between the Egyptian and Turkish soldiers—along with those accompanying them—and the Al Saud in Najd and the Hijaz, going back and forth for a long period, from the year 1226 AH to the year 1233 AH—seven full years of fighting and struggle between the forces of truth and the forces of falsehood.

In summary: This is the reality of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulwahhab, may Allah have mercy upon him. He arose solely to manifest the religion of Allah, guide people to the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid), and denounce the innovations and superstitions that people had introduced into the religion.

He also arose to bind the people to the truth, deter them from falsehood, command the right, and forbid the wrong. This is the essence of his call, may Allah the Almighty have mercy upon him.

Regarding creed (aqeedah), he followed the path of the Pious Predecessors (Al-Salaf Al-Salih):

• He believed in Allah, His names, and His attributes.
• He believed in His angels, His messengers, His scriptures, the Last Day, and the divine decree—both its good and its evil.
• He adhered to the methodology of the Imams of Islam regarding the Oneness of Allah, the sincere devotion of worship to Him, the Majestic and Exalted, and believing in the names and attributes of Allah in a manner befitting Him, the Glorified, without ta’til (denial of attributes) and without tamthil (likening Allah to His creation).
• He believed in the Resurrection, the Gathering, recompense, reckoning, Paradise, Hellfire, and all else.
• He defined faith (iman) just as the Salaf did: that it is speech and action, increasing with obedience and decreasing with disobedience.

All of this constituted his creed, may Allah have mercy upon him. He remained firmly upon their path and creed, both in word and deed, never departing from it in the slightest. He did not invent a separate school of thought (madhhab) or a novel path of his own; rather, he strictly followed the way of the Pious Predecessors—the Companions and those who followed them in goodness.

May Allah be pleased with them all.

And he manifested that in Najd and its surroundings, called to it, and then waged jihad against those who refused, opposed, and fought him, until the religion of Allah became manifest and the truth prevailed.

Likewise, he was upon what the Muslims are upon regarding calling to Allah, denouncing falsehood, commanding the right, and forbidding the wrong. However, the Sheikh and his supporters called people to the truth, bound them to it, forbade them from falsehood, denounced it, and deterred them from it until they abandoned it.

He also exerted himself earnestly in denouncing innovations (bid’ah) and superstitions until Allah the Glorified eradicated them through the means of his call.

Accordingly, the three preceding reasons are the causes of enmity and conflict between him and the people, the first of which is:

• First: Denouncing polytheism (shirk) and calling to pure monotheism (Tawhid).

• Second: Denouncing innovations (bid’ah) and superstitions, such as building over graves, taking them as mosques, and similar practices like celebratory birthdays (mawlid) and the spiritual paths introduced by various Sufi orders.
• Third: He commanded the people to do good (ma’ruf) and compelled them to adhere to it by force; whoever refused the good that Allah has made obligatory upon him was compelled to do it and disciplined if he abandoned it. He also forbade the people from evil (munkar), deterred them from it, enforced its legal punishments, bound the people to the truth, and restrained them from falsehood.

Through this, the truth became manifest and spread, falsehood was suppressed and subdued, and the people lived a righteous way of life and followed a straight methodology in their marketplaces, their mosques, and all their affairs. Innovations were unknown among them, polytheism did not exist in their lands, and open vices did not appear among them.

Indeed, whoever witnessed their lands, their conditions, and what they were upon would be reminded of the state of the Pious Predecessors (Al-Salaf Al-Salih) and what they were upon during the time of the Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace, the time of his Companions, and the time of those who followed them in goodness during the favored generations—may Allah have mercy upon them all.

So the people walked their path, followed their methodology, persevered through that, exerted themselves earnestly, and waged jihad for it.

When some change occurred in the later times—a long time after the passing of Sheikh Muhammad, the death of many of his sons, may Allah have mercy upon them, and the death of many of his supporters—some change took place, and thus trials and testing came through the Turkish and Egyptian states, in fulfillment of His statement, the Mighty and Majestic: “Verily, Allah does not change what is in a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Ar-Ra’d: 11)

We ask Allah the Almighty to make what befell them an expiation for sins, a means of purification, and a source of elevation and martyrdom for those among them who were killed—may Allah be pleased with them and have mercy upon them.

And their call, praise be to Allah, has remained established and widespread down to our present day. For when the Egyptian soldiers wreaked havoc in Najd, killed whoever they killed, and destroyed whatever they destroyed, only a few years passed before the call rose up once again and spread.

The call was revived about five years later by Imam Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud, may Allah have mercy upon him, who spread the call throughout Najd and its surroundings. Scholars scattered across Najd, and he expelled the Turks and Egyptians who were there, driving them out of Najd, its villages, and its towns.

The call consequently spread anew throughout Najd in the year 1240 AH. The destruction of Al-Diriyah and the eradication of the first Saudi state had taken place in the year 1233 AH.

Thus, the people of Najd remained in a state of chaos, fighting, and trials for about five years, from [12]34 until the year 1239 AH. Then, in the year 1240 AH (one thousand two hundred and forty), the unity of the Muslims in Najd was reassembled under Imam Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud. The truth became manifest, the scholars wrote letters to the villages and towns, encouraged the people, and called them to the religion of Allah.

The trials that had broken out among them—following the prolonged wars waged at the hands of the Egyptians and their helpers—were thus extinguished. The fires of the wars and tribulations that occurred in the aftermath of those conflicts died down, the religion of Allah became manifest, and the people subsequently busied themselves with teaching, guidance, preaching, and instruction.

Consequently, the waters returned to their normal streams, and the people returned to their former conditions and the state they were upon during the era of the Sheikh, his students, his sons, and his supporters—may Allah be pleased with all of them and have mercy upon them.

The call has continued from the year 1240 AH down to our present day, all praise belonging to Allah. The Al Saud continue to succeed one another, and the Al Al-Shaykh and the scholars of Najd continue to succeed one another, with the Al Saud succeeding one another in leadership, calling to Allah, and performing jihad in the way of Allah.

And likewise, the scholars succeed one another in calling to Allah, guiding to Him, and directing people to the truth.

However, the Two Holy Sanctuaries remained separated from the Saudi State for a long period, until they returned to its fold in the year 1343 AH, when Imam Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud, may Allah have mercy upon him, took control of the Two Holy Sanctuaries.

And they have remained, all praise belonging to Allah, under the rule of this state down to our present day.

All praise is due to Allah. We ask Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to rectify the remainder of the Al Saud, the Al Al-Shaykh, and all the Muslim scholars in this land and elsewhere; to grant them all success in what pleases Him; to rectify Muslim scholars wherever they may be; to support the truth through them all and forsake falsehood through them; and to grant the callers to guidance wherever they may be success in fulfilling what Allah has obligated upon them.

We ask Him to guide us and them to His straight path; to populate the Two Holy Sanctuaries, their dependencies, and all Muslim lands with guidance, the true religion, the veneration of the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of His Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace; and to bestow upon everyone a deep understanding of both, adherence to them, patience upon them, steadfastness in them, and seeking judgment by them until they meet their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. Verily, He is able to do all things and is most worthy of answering.

This is the end of what was facilitated of clarification and introduction regarding the condition of the Sheikh, his call, his supporters, and his opponents. Allah is the One whose help is sought, upon Him is our reliance, and there is no might and no power except with Allah, the Most High, the Supreme. May Allah bestow His peace, blessings, and prayers upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet and Imam Muhammad bin Abdullah, and upon his family, his companions, and everyone who follows his path and is guided by his guidance. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Source:

Published within the publications of the General Presidency for Scientific Research, Ifta, Da’wah, and Guidance under number 50 in the year 1403 AH (Majmoo’ Fatawa wa Maqalat Al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, vol. 1, p. 354).

الإمام محمد بن عبدالوهاب دعوته وسيرته