Page 32 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

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dominant among the Bedouins, who were for the most part ignorant of even
the most rudimentary elements of Islam.147 Finding the intellectual sources in
his hometown very limited and seeing that his words were going unheeded, the
young Hanball followed the usual practice of Muslim students by travelling
widely to broaden the horizons of his knowledge; he journeyed first to
Makkah, and then to al-Madlnah, where he acquainted himself with some
scholars who became his teachers. These men shared his dissatisfaction and
discontent at seeing what they considered un-Islamic deeds being practised by
Muslims even at the mosque of al-Madlnah, the very centre of the religion of
Islam, and stressed the urgent need for religious reform.148
After completing his courses at al-Madlnah, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab crossed
Najd to al-Basrah. From there, he hoped to make his way to Damascus, where
Hanbalism had been very active despite the supremacy of Hanafi law. He
settled in al-Basrah, which was still an active centre of Islamic culture; he
remained there for a fairly long period, studying under several teachers, but
especially with Muhammad al-Majmu‘T, a native of the nearby village of
Majmu‘ah. While in al-Basrah, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab publicly denounced the
tradition of saint cults among the Muslims, criticising such practices for their
association of men with God. His call for their elimination drew mixed
reactions from the public, until he was finally required to leave al-Basrah by a
number of disquieted scholars. From there, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab proceeded to
al-Hasa, where he remained as a guest in the house of the Shafi‘I scholar, ‘Abd
Allah b. ‘Abd al-Latlf.149 Shortly thereafter, he departed for Huraymila’ in
Najd, where his father had moved to while he was travelling.
Having fulfilled his desire for education and obtained a broader conception
of the state of Muslim affairs in various parts of Arabia, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab
began to strongly protest the superstitions prevalent in certain parts of Najd,
appealing to those in authority to support his views. In the meantime, he
engaged in teaching and publicizing ideas of reform in a book called Kitab
al-Tawhid. In this major work, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab concentrated mostly on
theological issues; he vehemently condemned any kind of innovation, and
insisted that the association of anything with God was improper and even
heretical. Those who turn to figures other than God by seeking the intercession
of saints or sacred objects are, in fact, worshipping creatures and not the
Creator. Therefore, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab argues in his work, members of saint
cults are not true Muslims. Although his activity in Huraymila’ won a few
adherents there and in neighbouring towns, it provoked the hostility of the
antagonistic majority. Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab was consequently prompted into
leaving for his home town, al-‘Uyaynah, in the hope that he would find a more
favourable climate for his teachings there.
The new amir of al-‘Uyaynah, ‘Uthman b. Mu‘ammar, admired Ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab, and gave him his aunt in marriage. Having accepted Ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab’s views and put them into practice, ‘Uthman b. Mu‘ammar tried to
base his own power on the new teachings.150 Subsequently, venerated trees
were uprooted, the domes constructed over certain tombs in the neighbouring
districts were demolished, and a woman who had confessed to adultery was
stoned to death. News concerning these actions was relayed by certain Najdl
detractors to the chief of the Banu Khalid and ruler of al-Hasa. In al-Hasa, the
propaganda against the seemingly puritanical movement found fertile ground,
especially among the ShI‘Is, who saw in the movement a direct threat to their

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