Risala Muhimma lil-Imam al-Mujahid al-Allama Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud
- Author died
- 1218 AH
- Editions
- Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, State of Qatar
Risala Muhimma lil-Imam al-Mujahid al-Allama Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud is an epistolary theological treatise composed by the ruler of the First Saudi State, Imam Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud (d. 1218 AH / 1803 CE), outlining the theological foundations of the Salafi reform movement and clarifying the nature of monotheism (tawhid) and polytheism (shirk) .
Background and Addressees
The treatise was composed as an open epistle directed to Muslim scholars and judicial figures across the Islamic world . In its opening address, the author states that the letter is sent:
"From Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud to whomsoever among the scholars and judges in the Two Holy Sanctuaries (Mecca and Medina), al-Sham, Egypt, Iraq, and the rest of the scholars of the East and the West."
The epistle was designed to articulate the theological teachings of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab directly to religious authorities outside Najd and to refute allegations and misconceptions circulated against the nascent Saudi state and its associated religious doctrine . In later bibliographical literature, such as Siddiq Hasan Khan's Abjad al-Ulum, the work is also referred to as al-Risala al-Diniyya fi Ma'na al-Ilahiyya ("The Religious Treatise on the Meaning of Divinity") .
Contents and Arguments
The author begins the treatise by emphasizing the primary purpose of creation, citing the Quranic verse: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْأِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ("And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me") . The text establishes that divine retribution and reward are inevitable realities conveyed by all revealed scriptures and prophets .
The substantive body of the work covers several fundamental creedal topics:
- The Definition of Worship and Tawhid: It defines the worship exclusive to God alone (tawhid al-uluhiyyah), demonstrating that devotion, invocation (du'a), seeking refuge (istighatha), and sacrifice (dhabh) must be directed solely to God without partners .
- Distinction of Rights: It delineates the boundaries between the exclusive rights due to God and the reverent status due to His prophets and righteous allies (awliya'), warning against elevating created beings into objects of supplication .
- Intercession and Intermediation: It addresses contentious issues regarding intercession (shafa'ah) and intermediaries (wasitah), clarifying that legitimate intercession occurs only with God's permission and for those with whom He is pleased, while refuting the practice of calling upon the deceased to alleviate distress or fulfill worldly needs .
- Responses to Opponents: It systematically addresses the specific points of criticism leveled against the reform movement, demonstrating their alignment with the Quran, the prophetic Sunnah, and the consensus of early Muslim scholars (al-salaf al-salih) .
Publication History
The treatise was preserved and published within major compendia of Najdi scholarly writings as well as in standalone editions:
- It was included as the opening text in al-Hadiyya al-Sunniyya, a collection of five major Najdi treatises compiled by Sulayman ibn Sahman, which was published with annotations by Muhammad Rashid Rida at al-Manar Press in Egypt (1344 AH / 1926 CE) and later reprinted in Mecca (1393 AH / 1973 CE) .
- It was published as a standalone monograph under the title Risala Muhimma lil-Imam al-Mujahid al-Allama Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud in Riyadh by Matabi' al-Offset al-Ahliyya, sponsored by Prince Bandar ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, featuring introductory essays by Sheikh Salih al-Bulayhi and Sheikh Salih ibn Abd al-Aziz Al al-Shaykh .
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