Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab
- Died
- 1206 AH
- Born in
- Al-Uyaynah
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1115–1206 AH / 1703–1792 CE) was a Najdi Hanbali scholar and religious reformer whose teachings called for the revival of Islamic monotheism (tawhid) and the eradication of devotional innovations and saint veneration . His pact with Muhammad ibn Saud laid the religious foundation for the establishment and expansion of the First Saudi State .
Lineage and Early Life
He was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid ibn Barid ibn Muhammad ibn Barid ibn Musharraf, belonging to the Musharraf branch of the Al Wahbah clan of the Banu Tamim tribe . He was born in the town of al-Uyayna in Najd in 1115 AH (1703 CE), though an alternate report records his birth in 1111 AH .
He was raised in a prominent family of scholars and judges; his grandfather, Sulayman ibn Ali, served as judge of al-Uyayna and was the leading Hanbali jurist and mufti of Najd in his day, while his father, Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman, served as a Hanbali jurist and judge in al-Uyayna and later in Huraymila . He memorized the Quran before reaching the age of ten and studied Hanbali jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis, and hadith under his father and his uncle Ibrahim ibn Sulayman . His father appointed him to lead congregational prayers around the age of twelve, arranged his marriage around the same time, and granted him permission to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca .
Education and Travels
After performing the pilgrimage, he traveled to Medina, where he studied hadith and legal disciplines under scholars including Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi and Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf al-Shammari, as well as the latter's son Ibrahim al-Shammari . He traveled to Basra, studying under Muhammad al-Majmu'i, and received licenses of transmission from scholars including Isma'il al-Ajluni and Ali Afandi al-Daghastani . In Basra, he began publicly condemning practices he deemed contrary to monotheism, which caused opposition and led to his departure . He also visited al-Ahsa, taking knowledge from its scholars, before returning to Najd .
Reformist Mission and Alliance in Diriyah
Upon his return, he joined his father in Huraymila, where he engaged in study and began his preaching . Following his father's death in 1153 AH (1740 CE), his public calls against religious innovations intensified . After surviving an assassination attempt by local factions in Huraymila, he relocated to his birthplace, al-Uyayna, where the town's ruler, Uthman ibn Hamad ibn Mu'ammar, welcomed him and supported his reforms . In al-Uyayna, he married al-Jawhara bint Abd Allah ibn Mu'ammar and began enforcing legal penalties and leveling domed tomb shrines . However, under pressure and threats from the ruler of al-Ahsa, Sulayman ibn Muhammad ibn Ghurayr of the Banu Khalid, Uthman withdrew his protection and requested his departure .
In 1158 AH (or 1157 AH according to another report), he relocated to Diriyah, initially staying in the home of Muhammad ibn Suwaylim al-Urayni . There, he met the emir of Diriyah, Muhammad ibn Saud; the two established an alliance pledging mutual support to establish religious rule, spread the teachings of tawhid, and enforce Islamic law . Diriyah subsequently became the political and intellectual capital of the nascent state, attracting students and followers from across the region .
He composed concise doctrinal and educational texts to articulate his theology and refute saint veneration, most prominently Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book of Monotheism) and Kashf al-Shubuhat (Unveiling the Doubts) .
Students
A large number of scholars studied under him in Diriyah, including his sons Husayn, Ali, Abd Allah, and Ibrahim, all of whom became prominent religious authorities . Other prominent students included the Saudi ruler Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz, his grandson Hamad ibn Nasir, and Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah al-Husayn .
Death
He died in Diriyah in 1206 AH (1792 CE) . Sources record his death on a Monday in late Shawwal, while Ibn Bishr states that he died at the end of Dhu al-Qi'dah of that year, at the age of approximately ninety-one or ninety-two . He was eulogized in elegies by contemporary scholars, including Husayn ibn Ghannam and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani .
Answer updated
List of Works
This treatise on Islamic legal purity, also known as Kitab al-Tahara or Kitab Ahkam al-Tahara, examines the legal rulings governing ritual purification within Islamic jurisprudence. It defines purity across three aspects—purification from impure substances, corrupt deeds, and ritual states preventing worship—before presenting the standard technical definition of ritual cleansing and the removal of physical filth. The work covers practical jurisprudence chapters including water, vessels, cleansing after relieving oneself, ablution, major ritual baths, and menstruation.
Ahadith fi al-Fitan wa al-Hawadith (Traditions Concerning Tribulations and Events) is a thematic hadith compilation dedicated to prophetic reports regarding tribulations, social upheavals, and eschatological signs. Comprising two hundred hadiths arranged under thematic headings, the collection draws from authoritative Sunni compendia to address imminent trials, early historical crises in the Muslim community, directives on adhering to the community and leadership, and the portents of the Day of Resurrection without reproducing extended chains of transmission.
Adab al-Mashy ila al-Salah (The Manners of Walking to Prayer), also known as Kitab al-Ibadat, is a legal manual on acts of worship. Named after its opening section on the proper etiquette of proceeding to the mosque, the work covers essential practical knowledge and legal rulings concerning prayer, funerals, zakat, and fasting, along with related manners such as greetings and seeking permission. The text derives its rulings from the Quran, the Sunnah, scholarly consensus, and juristic deductions, presenting an accessible guide stripped of weak positions.
Tafsir Ayat min al-Quran al-Karim (Interpretation of Verses from the Noble Qur’an), also known in manuscript traditions as Istinbat al-Quran, is an exegetical work gathering commentaries, reflections, and thematic deductions on select chapters and passages of the Qur’an. Rather than providing an exhaustive verse-by-verse commentary of the entire text, it offers focused expositions on specific surahs and verses, drawing out legal, moral, and spiritual lessons while highlighting core theological principles and monotheism.
Mukhtasar Sirat al-Rasul (Abridgment of the Messenger's Biography) is a historical treatise summarizing the prophetic biography and the early history of the Muslim community. Primarily an abridgment of Ibn Hisham's al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, the text begins with the pre-Islamic era and the prophetic mission, proceeding chronologically through the Prophet's military campaigns, the Rightly Guided Caliphate, selected years of the Umayyad Caliphate, and the Abbasid Caliphate up to the reign of al-Ma'mun, emphasizing creedal themes and analytical deductions.
al-Rasail al-Shakhsiyya (The Personal Letters) is a collection of epistolary writings and correspondences published as the sixth volume within a broader compilation of works. The volume gathers communications addressed to rulers, scholars, tribal leaders, and local communities to elucidate theological doctrine, respond to queries, and refute accusations.
Mufid al-Mustafid fi Kufr Tarik al-Tawhid is a theological and jurisprudential treatise addressing the legal rulings of apostasy (ahkam al-riddah) and the specific excommunication (takfir al-mu'ayyan) of individuals who abandon monotheism.
Ba'd Fawa'id Sulh al-Hudaybiyya is a short treatise examining theological, legal, and spiritual lessons derived from the historical event of the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyya.
Adab al-Mashi ila al-Salat (The Etiquette of Walking to Prayer), also designated as Kitab al-Ibadat (The Book of Acts of Worship), is a legal treatise covering the rulings and manners associated with acts of worship.
Mana La Ilaha Illa Allah is a short creedal treatise written to explain the precise meaning, conditions, and core theological implications of the Islamic testimony of faith.
Fadail al-Quran (Virtues of the Quran) is a treatise devoted to the merits of reciting, learning, and teaching the Quran.
Usul al-Iman (The Fundamentals of Faith) is a theological treatise and hadith collection on the core tenets of Islamic creed according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah.
Kashf al-Shubuhat (Unveiling the Doubts) is a theological treatise written to clarify Islamic monotheism and refute arguments raised in defense of saint veneration and invoking intermediaries.
Mabhath al-Ijtihad wal-Khilaf (Inquiry into Legal Reasoning and Scholarly Disagreement) is a short legal treatise that abridges discussions on jurisprudence from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in.
Ahadith fi al-Fitan wa al-Hawadith (Traditions Concerning Tribulations and Portents) is a hadith compilation that collects prophetic traditions on future trials, civil strife, and eschatological signs.
Fatawa wa Masa'il (Fatwas and Legal Inquiries) is a compilation of juridical answers, legal rulings, and doctrinal clarifications. The work brings together rulings covering Islamic creed, Quranic interpretation, and standard branches of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).
Manasik al-Hajj (The Rites of Hajj) is a concise legal treatise on pilgrimage rituals. The work provides a direct and simplified guide to performing both the major and minor pilgrimages (Hajj and Umrah) in accordance with the prophetic Sunnah.
al-Jawahir al-Mudiyya li-Mujaddid al-Dawa al-Najdiyya, also titled al-Jawahir al-Mudiyya fi Bayan Aqidat Ahl Najd al-Salafiyya, is a theological work and collection of epistolary treatises that outlines creed and doctrinal teachings, articulating positions on monotheism and addressing contemporary accusations.
Usul al-Iman (The Fundamentals of Faith) is a theological treatise on Islamic creed compiled to outline the core tenets of faith according to the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah through Quranic and Prophetic scriptural proofs.
Thalathat al-Usul wa Shurut al-Salah wa al-Qawaid al-Arba (The Three Principles, the Conditions of Prayer, and the Four Rules) is a compendium bringing together three foundational instructional treatises covering essential Islamic creed (aqidah) and key legal rulings governing ritual prayer (salah).
Masa'il al-Jahiliyya (Issues of the Pre-Islamic Era) is a theological treatise that enumerates specific practices, beliefs, and customs of pre-Islamic peoples rejected by Islamic teachings. Arranged as a consecutive list of numbered points without formal chapter divisions, it presents concise formulations alongside citations from the Quran and hadith to identify the ways of pre-Islamic populations opposed by the Prophet Muhammad.
Mukhtasar al-Insaf wa al-Sharh al-Kabir is a Hanbali legal compendium that summarizes and combines two major commentaries on Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah's al-Muqni': al-Sharh al-Kabir and al-Insaf fi Ma'rifat al-Rajih min al-Khilaf. Arranged by standard jurisprudence chapters, each section presents an abridged summary of legal discussions from al-Sharh al-Kabir followed by additional notes and rectifications drawn from al-Insaf.
Fadl al-Islam (The Virtue of Islam) is a doctrinal treatise that outlines the defining characteristics of Islam, its religious merit, the obligation of adhering to it fully, and the prohibition of religious innovations. Organized into thematic chapters headed by descriptive titles, it compiles relevant Quranic verses, prophetic hadiths, and statements from early authorities to demonstrate the sufficiency of following the Quran and Sunnah.
Mukhtasar Zad al-Maad is an abridgment summarizing Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's foundational work on prophetic biography and jurisprudence, Zad al-Ma'ad. It distills the life of the Prophet Muhammad, his normative practice, and his legal and practical judgments across various religious and worldly matters, serving as an accessible handbook of prophetic guidance.
Ahkam Tamanni al-Mawt (Rulings on Wishing for Death) is a legal and hadith treatise compiled as a collection of prophetic hadiths and traditions concerning death, the grave, and the intermediate realm (al-barzakh). It consists of an unchaptered compilation of narrations opening with the hadith of Anas ibn Malik regarding wishing for death in times of harm.
Thalathat al-Usul (The Three Fundamental Principles), also known as al-Usul al-Thalathah and Thalathat al-Usul wa-Adillatuha, is an introductory treatise on Islamic creed. The work outlines the fundamental religious knowledge incumbent upon every Muslim concerning God, the religion of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad.
al-Qawa'id al-Arba' (The Four Rules) is a short theological treatise on Islamic creed that outlines four fundamental principles distinguishing monotheism (tawhid) from polytheism (shirk).
Usul al-Din al-Islami ma Qawaidihi al-Arbaa (The Fundamentals of the Islamic Religion with Its Four Principles) is an Islamic theological work that combines an exposition of foundational Islamic tenets with four guiding rules on the nature of monotheism and polytheism.
Majmu'at Rasa'il fi al-Tawhid wa al-Iman (Collection of Treatises on Monotheism and Faith) is a compilation of short creedal and theological epistles. It is published within the first volume, dedicated to creed and Islamic ethics, of the comprehensive collected works project Mu'allafat al-Shaykh al-Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab issued by Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh.
Majmu'at al-Hadith 'ala Abwab al-Fiqh ("Collection of Hadith Arranged by Chapters of Jurisprudence") is a compendium of legal traditions compiled to provide the scriptural hadith evidence underlying various areas of Islamic jurisprudence.
Shurut al-Salah wa Arkanuha wa Wajibatuhha (The Conditions of Prayer, Its Pillars, and Its Obligatory Elements) is a concise legal treatise on the rules of ritual prayer and ablution. Designed as an introductory educational text, it outlines the essential prerequisites, core components, and obligations of Islamic prayer alongside their scriptural evidences.
al-Kaba'ir (The Book of Major Sins) is a treatise on major sins and prohibitions in Islam. Relying on scriptural evidences, the work aims to enumerate and define major sins under specific chapter headings to warn Muslims against committing them, citing relevant Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and early scholarly narrations.
Mukhtasar Tafsir Surat al-Anfal (Abridgment of the Exegesis of Surah al-Anfal) is an exegetical treatise covering the commentary on Surat al-Anfal and the Quranic verses revealed regarding the Battle of Badr, exploring their historical context and circumstances of revelation.
al-Risala al-Mufida (The Useful Treatise), also known in some editions as al-Risala al-Mufida al-Muhimma al-Jalila, is a concise theological treatise outlining the foundational categories of monotheism (tawhid), polytheism (shirk), disbelief (kufr), and hypocrisy (nifaq) in Islamic theology.
Arba Qawaid Tadur al-Ahkam Alayha wa Yaliha Nubdha fi Ittiba al-Nusus ma Ihtiram al-Ulama is a short legal-methodological work that outlines four foundational legal principles governing religious rulings alongside the proper methodology for addressing juristic disagreements while respecting scholarly authority.
Masa'il Lakhkhasaha al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab min Kalam Ibn Taymiyya is an abridgment extracting concise theological, legal, and exegetical points from the writings of Ibn Taymiyya.
Risala fi al-radd ala al-Rafida is a polemical theological treatise that critiques the doctrines, historical narratives, and legal practices of Twelver Shia and Rafidi traditions.
al-Khutab al-Minbariyya is a collection of Islamic pulpit speeches comprising Friday addresses and seasonal exhortations.
Kitab al-Kabair is a treatise on Islamic ethics and major sins that classifies and warns against major transgressions in Islam, relying entirely on direct proofs from the Quran, prophetic hadith, and early scholarly traditions.
Kitab al-Tawhid is a theological treatise focusing on Islamic monotheism (tawhid) and the refutation of polytheistic practices (shirk).