*Sheikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab*

*A Famous Revivalist and a Great Reformer*


*His Birth and Lineage:* Sheikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab was born in 1115 AH in the city of Uyainah, seventy kilometers northwest of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He belonged to a very respected and learned family.


*Education:* Sheikh-ul-Islam received his primary education in his ancestral place from his respected father and was brought up under his guidance. He was so intelligent that he had memorized the Qur’an by the mere age of ten. He studied books of Tafsir, Hadith, and Fiqh. From the beginning, he had great interest in studying the works of early scholars, especially Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his great student Allamah Ibn Qayyim.[exegesis]


*Condition of Najd:* In those days, the people of Najd were badly involved in polytheistic acts and non-Islamic practices. They were completely overwhelmed by polytheism. Graves, tombs, trees, stones, caves, evil spirits, and mad people were regarded as deities.


*Mission of Da‘wah:* The Sheikh began his mission. He invited people to Tawhid [Islamic monotheism] and directed them to the Qur’an and Sunnah. He urged the scholars to strictly follow the Qur’an and Sunnah and to derive issues directly from them. Many scholars of Makkah, Al-Madinah, and Yemen accepted his invitation and supported him. But besides them, there were also ignorant and selfish scholars who criticized him and kept themselves aloof.


*Arrival in Uyainah:* There were many graves, tombs, caves, trees, etc., which Muslims used to worship. With the help of Amir Uthman bin Mu‘ammar, most of them were destroyed by the Sheikh. He was engaged in purifying the people of Uyainah and its surrounding areas from polytheistic and heretical rituals.


*Exit from Uyainah and Entry into Dir‘iyah:* The people of Dir‘iyah knew the Sheikh very well and were also aware of his mission. When Amir Muhammad bin Sa‘ud, the ruler of Dir‘iyah, learned about the Sheikh’s arrival in his territory, he was very pleased and went to his house. Muhammad bin Sa‘ud belonged to a pious family and was himself a practicing Muslim.


*Dir‘iyah, the Center of Da‘wah:* At this time the Sheikh found himself in a peaceful environment, most suitable for his work of Da‘wah. He took advantage of this golden opportunity and began educating the people. People from Dir‘iyah and its surroundings came to him for the teachings of Islam. Amir Muhammad bin Sa‘ud, along with his family members, presented himself before the Sheikh as a student of Islam. Dir‘iyah became filled with people coming to learn. The Sheikh began teaching the people, preaching, and inviting them to Allah. The crowds of people and the far-reaching impact of his mission made him very famous, which caused his enemies to become jealous. They began false propaganda against the Sheikh and even accused him of blasphemy. He also debated with his opponents in the best manner and with humility. This attitude proved very effective and turned his opponents into his supporters.


*Correspondence with Rulers:* The Sheikh drew the attention of the rulers and scholars of each region to the polytheism and heresy in which people were involved, and invited them to eliminate it. For this purpose, he resorted to correspondence. He wrote letters to the rulers, nobles, and scholars of Najd, Riyadh, Kharj, the towns of the southern region, Qasim, Ha’il, Washm, Sudair, etc. He also wrote letters to the prominent scholars of Ahsa, Makkah, and Al-Madinah.


*Death:* He breathed his last on the last day of the month of Dhul-Qa‘dah in 1206 AH [1792 CE].


*Impact of Da‘wah:* People abandoned the worship of graves, tombs, shrines, trees, etc., and above all, they renounced all of them and followed the pure faith of Islam.


*Some of His Works:* Despite the fact that Sheikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was a reformer and a man of Da‘wah, he was also engaged in writing. Some of his famous works are as follows:

1. Kitab at-Tawhid

2. Kitab al-Kaba’ir

3. Kashf ash-Shubuhat

4. Mukhtasar Sirat ar-Rasul

5. Masail al-Jahiliyyah

6. Usul al-Iman

7. Fada’il al-Qur’an

8. Fada’il al-Islam

9. Majmu‘ al-Ahadith

10. Mukhtasar al-Insaf wa ash-Sharh al-Kabir

11. Al-Usul ath-Thalatha

12. Adab al-Mashi ila as-Salat, and others.

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