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Abdu l-Wahhab
Arabic:
¢abdu l-wahhāb
(Uyayna 1703- 1792) Founder of the Islamic school of the muwahhiduns, also known as Wahhabism.
He studied in Madina with teachers of the Hanbali school, as defined by Ibn Taymiya. Abdu l-Wahhab spent many years of his life travelling: He lived 4 years in Basra, 5 years in Baghdad, 1 year in Kurdish areas, 2 years in Hamadan, and 1 year in Esfahan around the mid-1730's. Here he studied philosophy and Sufism before continuing to Qom.
After Qom, Abdu l-Wahhab returned to Uyayna, and started to preach his message. He also wrote the book 'Book of Unity' (Arabic: kitābu l-tawhīd) This met with more opposition than interest, and after some time here, he was forced to flee to the medium-sized town of Dar'iya, whose cheiftain Muhammad Ibn Sa'ud, gave him protection.
According to sources that were very close to the court of Ibn Sa'ud, the two made an arrangement, through which Abdu l-Wahhab would be religious leader, leaving the secular power in the hands of Ibn Sa'ud.
In 1765 Ibn Sa'ud died, but his successor, Abdu l-Aziz, also chose Abdu l-Wahhab as a religious guide. In 1766, the doctrines of Abdu l-Wahhab won recognition among the scholars of Mecca.
As the area under the power of Abdu l-Aziz increased, the number of doctrines from Abdu l-Wahhab also increased.
Abdu l-Wahhab died a natural death at the age of 89.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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