Wahhabism

Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism ) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab ( 1703 – 1792 ). It has become an object of increased interest because it is the major sect of the government and society of Saudi Arabia . Wahhabism is an offending synonym for one form of Salafism .

Wahhabi ( الوهابية) or Wahhabism is a conservative Sunni Islamic sect based on the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab , an 18th century scholar from what is today known as Saudi Arabia , who advocated to purge Islam of what he considered innovations in Islam. Wahhabism is the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia . It is often referred to as a " sect " or "branch" of Islam, though both its supporters and its opponents reject such designations. It has developed considerable influence in the Muslim world through the funding of mosques , schools and other means from Persian Gulf oil wealth. The primary doctrine of Wahhabi is Tawhid , or the uniqueness and unity of God . Ibn Abdul Wahhab was influenced by the writings of Ibn Taymiyya and questioned medieval interpretations of Islam, claiming to rely on the Qur'an and the Hadith . He preached against a "perceived moral decline and political weakness" in the Arabian Peninsula and condemned idolatry , the popular cult of saints, and shrine and tomb visitation. The term "Wahhabi" ( Wahhābīya ) was first used by opponents of ibn Abdul Wahhab. It is considered derogatory by the people it is used to describe, who prefer to be called " unitarians " ( Muwahiddun ). The terms "Wahhabi", " Salafi " (and also sometimes Ahle Hadith ) are often used interchangeably, but Wahhabi has also been called "a particular orientation within Salafism", an orientation some consider ultra-conservative. The named reference "global" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page ). Fitnat-ul-Wahhabiyyah: Proofs for tawassul.

Wahhabism ( , Wahhābiya(h) ) or Wahhabi mission ( / w ə ˈ h ɑː b i , w ɑː -/ ; , ad-Da'wa al-Wahhābiya(h) ) is a religious movement or branch of Sunni Islam . It has been variously described as "orthodox", "ultraconservative", "austere", "fundamentalist", "puritanical" (or "puritan"); as an Islamic "reform movement" to restore "pure monotheistic worship" ( tawhid ), by scholars and advocates and as an "extremist pseudo-Sunni movement" by opponents. Adherents often object to the term Wahhabi or Wahhabism as derogatory, and prefer to be called Salafi or muwahhid . Wahhabism is named after an eighteenth-century preacher and scholar, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792). He started a revivalist movement in the remote, sparsely populated region of Najd , advocating a purging of practices such as the popular "cult of saints", and shrine and tomb visitation, widespread among Muslims , but which he considered idolatry , impurities and innovations in Islam . Eventually he formed a pact with a local leader Muhammad bin Saud offering political obedience and promising that protection and propagation of the Wahhabi movement would mean "power and glory" and rule of "lands and men." The movement is centered on the principle of tawhid, or the "uniqueness" and "unity" of God . The movement also draws from the teachings of medieval theologian Ibn Taymiyyah and early jurist Ahmad ibn Hanbal . The alliance between followers of ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud's successors (the House of Saud ) proved to be rather durable. The house of bin Saud continued to maintain its politico-religious alliance with the Wahhabi sect through the waxing and waning of its own political fortunes over the next 150 years, through to its eventual proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, and then afterwards, on into modern times. Today Mohammed bin Abd Al-Wahhab's teachings are state-sponsored and are the official form of Sunni Islam in 21st-century Saudi Arabia. Estimates of the number of adherents to Wahhabism vary, with one source (Michael Izady) giving a figure of fewer than 5 million Wahhabis in the Persian Gulf region (compared to 28.5 million Sunnis and 89 million Shia). With the help of funding from petroleum exports (and other factors ), the movement underwent "explosive growth" beginning in the 1970s and now has worldwide influence. Wahhabism has been accused of being "a source of global terrorism", and for causing disunity in the Muslim community by labeling Muslims who disagreed with the Wahhabi definition of monotheism as apostates ( takfir ), thus paving the way for their bloodshed . It has also been criticized for the destruction of historic mazaars , mausoleums , and other Muslim and non-Muslim buildings and artifacts. The "boundaries" of what make up Wahhabism have been called "difficult to pinpoint", but in contemporary usage, the terms Wahhabi and Salafi are often used interchangeably, and considered to be movements with different roots that have merged since the 1960s. But Wahhabism has also been called "a particular orientation within Salafism", or an ultra-conservative, Saudi brand of Salafism. The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . A neutral observer could define the Wahhabi mission as the religious reform movement associated with the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792). He and his followers believe that they had a religious obligation to spread the call (in Arabic, da'wa ) for a restoration of pure monotheistic worship. It is an austere form of Sunni Islam that insists on a literal interpretation of the Quran . Wahhabis believe that all those who don't practice their form of Islam are heathens and enemies. Critics say that Wahhabism's rigidity has led it to misinterpret and distort Islam, pointing to extremists such as Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Wahhabism's explosive growth began in the 1970s when Saudi charities started funding Wahhabi schools (madrassas) and mosques from Islamabad to Culver City, California. Phillip London, C.A.C.I., Inc – 2008, "wahhabism is considered in particular an ultra-conservative orientation". "Saudi Arabia and the Rise of the Wahhabi Threat" . meforum . The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . Thus, the mission's devotees contend that 'Wahhabism' is a misnomer for their efforts to revive correct Islamic belief and practice. Instead of the Wahhabi label, they prefer either Salafi , one who follows the ways of the first Muslim ancestors ( salaf ), or muwahhid , one who professes God's unity. The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . The Wahhabi religious reform movement arose in Najd, the vast, thinly populated heart of Central Arabia. The New Encyclopedia of Islam . A sect dominant in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, at the beginning of the 19th century it gained footholds in India, Africa, and elsewhere. Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam . This show of international power, along with the nation's astronomical increase in wealth, allowed Saudi Arabia's puritanical, conservative Wahhabite faction to attain a preeminent position of strength in the global expression of Islam. Journalists and experts, as well as spokespeople of the world, have said that Wahhabism is the source of the overwhelming majority of terrorist atrocities in today's world, from Morocco to Indonesia, via Israel, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya. [JON KYL, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OHIO] Commins, David (2006). [T]he pivotal idea in Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's teaching determines whether one is a Muslim or an infidel. The Muslim World After 9/11 . Council on Foreign Relations . It is the undisputed case that the Taliban justification for this travesty [the destruction of the buddha statues at Bamiyan] can be traced to the Wahhabi indoctrination program prevalent in the Afghan refugee camps and Saudi-funded Islamic schools (madrasas) in Pakistan that produced the Taliban. ...In Saudi Arabia itself, the destruction has focused on the architectural heritage of Islam's two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, where Wahhabi religious foundations, with state support, have systematically demolished centuries-old mosques and mausolea, as well as hundreds of traditional Hijazi mansions and palaces. Leiden University 's ISIM Review, Spring 2008, #21. (Salafism has been termed a hybridation between the teachings of Ibn Abdul-Wahhab and others which have taken place since the 1960s) Stephane Lacroix, Al-Albani's Revolutionary Approach to Hadith .

Religious movement within Sunni Islam Wahhabism ( , al-Wahhābiyah ) is an Islamic doctrine and religious movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab . It has been variously described as "ultraconservative", "far-right" "austere", "fundamentalist", or "puritan(ical)"; as an Islamic "reform movement" to restore "pure monotheistic worship" ( tawhid ) by devotees; and as a "deviant sectarian movement", "vile sect" and a distortion of Islam by its detractors. The term Wahhabi(sm) is often used polemically and adherents commonly reject its use, preferring to be called Salafi or muwahhid , claiming to emphasize the principle of tawhid (the "uniqueness" and "unity" of God ) or monotheism, dismissing other Muslims as practising shirk (idolatry). It follows the theology of Ibn Taymiyyah and the Hanbali school of jurisprudence , although a small minority of Hanbali leaders renounced ibn Abd al-Wahhab's views due to Ottoman influence. Wahhabism is named after an eighteenth-century Islamic scholar , theologian , preacher and activist, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792). He started a reform movement in the remote, sparsely populated region of Najd , advocating a purging of such widespread Sunni practices as the veneration of saints and the visiting of their tombs and shrines , that were practiced all over the Islamic world, but which he considered idolatrous impurities and innovations in Islam ( bid'ah ). Eventually he formed a pact with a local leader, Muhammad bin Saud , offering political obedience and promising that protection and propagation of the Wahhabi movement meant "power and glory" and rule of "lands and men". The alliance between followers of ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud's successors (the House of Saud ) proved to be a durable one. The House of Saud continued to maintain its politico-religious alliance with the Wahhabi sect through the waxing and waning of its own political fortunes over the next 150 years, through to its eventual proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, and then afterwards, on into modern times. Today Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab's teachings are the official, state-sponsored form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia. With the help of funding from Saudi petroleum exports (and other factors ), the movement underwent "explosive growth" beginning in the 1970s and now has worldwide influence. The US State Department has estimated that over the past four decades concerns in Riyadh have directed at least $10bn (£6bn) to select charitable foundations toward the subversion of mainstream Sunni Islam by Wahhabism. (As of 2017 changes to Saudi religious policy by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman have led some to suggest that "Islamists throughout the world will have to follow suit or risk winding up on the wrong side of orthodoxy". ) The "boundaries" of Wahhabism have been called "difficult to pinpoint", but in contemporary usage, the terms Wahhabi and Salafi are often used interchangeably, and they are considered to be movements with different roots that have merged since the 1960s. However, Wahhabism has also been called "a particular orientation within Salafism", or an ultra-conservative, Saudi brand of Salafism. Estimates of the number of adherents to Wahhabism vary, with one source ( Mehrdad Izady ) giving a figure of fewer than 5 million Wahhabis in the Persian Gulf region (compared to 28.5 million Sunnis and 89 million Shia). The majority of Sunni and Shia Muslims worldwide disagree with the interpretation of Wahhabism, and many Muslims denounce them as a faction or a "vile sect". Islamic scholars , including those from the Al-Azhar University , regularly denounce Wahhabism with terms such as "Satanic faith". Wahhabism has been accused of being "a source of global terrorism", inspiring the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and for causing disunity in Muslim communities by labelling Muslims who disagreed with the Wahhabi definition of monotheism as apostates ( takfir ) and justifying their killing . It has also been criticized for the destruction of historic shrines of saints , mausoleums , and other Muslim and non-Muslim buildings and artifacts. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). Encyclopedia of Global Religion . It is an austere form of Sunni Islam that insists on a literal interpretation of the Quran . Wahhabis believe that all those who don't practice their form of Islam are heathens and enemies. Critics say that Wahhabism's rigidity has led it to misinterpret and distort Islam, pointing to extremists such as Osama bin Laden and the Taliban . Wahhabism's explosive growth began in the 1970s when Saudi charities started funding Wahhabi schools ( madrassas ) and mosques from Islamabad to Culver City, California . "Saudi Arabia and the Rise of the Wahhabi Threat" . meforum . The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . The majority of mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims worldwide would strongly disagree with the interpretation of Wahhabism outlined above. Rather than see Wahhabism as a reform movement, many Muslims would reject it in the strongest terms as firqa, a new faction, a vile sect. Wahhabism has become [...] a blanket term for any Islamic movement that has an apparent tendency toward misogyny, militantism, extremism, or strict and literal interpretation of the Quran and hadith Commins, David (2009). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . Thus, the mission's devotees contend that 'Wahhabism' is a misnomer for their efforts to revive correct Islamic belief and practice. Instead of the Wahhabi label, they prefer either Salafi , one who follows the ways of the first Muslim ancestors ( salaf ), or muwahhid , one who professes God's unity. Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). Michael Sells , Professor of History and Literature of Islam and Comparative Literature at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago (22 December 2016). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia . The Wahhabi religious reform movement arose in Najd, the vast, thinly populated heart of Central Arabia. The New Encyclopedia of Islam . A sect dominant in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, at the beginning of the 19th century it gained footholds in India, Africa, and elsewhere. Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam . This show of international power, along with the nation's astronomical increase in wealth, allowed Saudi Arabia's puritanical, conservative Wahhabite faction to attain a preeminent position of strength in the global expression of Islam. The reactionary branch of Islam said to be 'the main source of global terrorism' " . (Salafism has been termed a hybridation between the teachings of Ibn Abdul-Wahhab and others which have taken place since the 1960s) Stephane Lacroix, Al-Albani's Revolutionary Approach to Hadith . Offline, ulema, such as those at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo (the Oxford University of the Sunni Muslim World) similarly, regularly denounce wahhabism as 'a satanic faith which has led to division, debate, dishonesty and mistrust of muslims'. Journalists and experts, as well as spokespeople of the world, have said that Wahhabism is the source of the overwhelming majority of terrorist atrocities in today's world, from Morocco to Indonesia, via Israel, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya. The Rise of Islamic State: ISIS and the New Sunni Revolution. [T]he pivotal idea in Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's teaching determines whether one is a Muslim or an infidel. The Muslim World After 9/11 . Council on Foreign Relations . It is the undisputed case that the Taliban justification for this travesty [the destruction of the Buddha statues at Bamiyan] can be traced to the Wahhabi indoctrination program prevalent in the Afghan refugee camps and Saudi-funded Islamic schools (madrasas) in Pakistan that produced the Taliban ... In Saudi Arabia itself, the destruction has focused on the architectural heritage of Islam's two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, where Wahhabi religious foundations, with state support, have systematically demolished centuries-old mosques and mausolea, as well as hundreds of traditional Hijazi mansions and palaces.

Fundamentalist movement within Sunni Islam Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab . It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other parts of the Arabian Peninsula , and was the official policy of Saudi Arabia until 2022. Despite being founded on the principles of Sunni Islam, the Hanbalite scholars Ibn Taimiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim in particular, Wahhabism may also refer to doctrinal differences distinct from other forms of Sunni Islam. Non-Wahhabi Sunnis also have compared Wahhabism to the belief of the Kharijites . The Wahhabi movement staunchly denounced rituals related to the veneration of Muslim saints and pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines , which were widespread amongst the people of Najd. Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab and his followers were highly inspired by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328 CE / AH 661–728) who advocated a return to the purity of the first three generations ( salaf ) to rid Muslims of bid'a (innovation) and regarded his works as core scholarly references in theology. While being influenced by Hanbali school, the movement repudiated Taqlid to legal authorities, including oft-cited scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim ( d. 1350 CE /AH 751). Wahhabism has been characterized by historians as "puritanical", while its adherents describe it as an Islamic "reform movement" to restore "pure monotheistic worship". Socio-politically, the movement represented the first major Arab -led revolt against the Turkish, Persian and foreign empires that had dominated the Islamic world since the Mongol invasions and the fall of Abbasid Caliphate in the 13th century; and would later serve as a revolutionary impetus for 19th-century pan-Arab trends. In 1744, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed a pact with a local leader, Muhammad bin Saud , establishing a politico-religious alliance with the Saudi monarchy that lasted for more than 250 years. The Wahhabi movement gradually rose to prominence as an influential anti-colonial reform trend in the Islamic world that advocated the re-generation of the social and political prowess of Muslims . Its revolutionary themes inspired several Islamic revivalists , scholars, pan-Islamist ideologues and anti-colonial activists as far as West Africa . As of 2017, changes to Saudi religious policy by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have led to widespread crackdowns on Islamists in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world . By 2021, the waning power of the religious clerics brought about by the social, economic, political changes, and the Saudi government's promotion of a nationalist narrative that emphasizes non-Islamic components, led to what has been described as the " post-Wahhabi era " of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's annual commemoration of its founding day on 22 February since 2022, which marked the establishment of Emirate of Dir'iyah by Muhammad ibn Saud in 1727 and de-emphasized his pact with Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in 1744, has led to the official "uncoupling" of the religious clergy by the Saudi state. A neutral observer could define the Wahhabi mission as the religious reform movement associated with the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792)" Bunzel, C. Vereinigtes Königreich: John Murray Press., chapter: Summary "Grand Imam of al Azhar: "Salafis are not Sunnis" " . 8 September 2016. The Encyclopedia of Islam . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).