Wahhabism

Wahhabism
Alex Sergeev (www.asergeev.com) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Wahhabism
Founder	Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab
Founded date	18th century
Founded place	Najd
Theology	Salafism (subset), Hanbali school
Language	Arabic
Regions	Saudi Arabia, Gulf Cooperation Council, Sudan, Pakistan, Indonesia

Wahhabism Wahhabism is a Sunni Islamic movement originating in 18th‑century Najd associated with the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It emphasizes a particular reading of tawhid and a rejection of practices viewed as innovation, influencing political and religious institutions across the Arabian Peninsula, parts of Africa, and South Asia. The movement has intersected with major actors such as the House of Saud, transnational networks, and international debates over reform, extremism, and religious orthodoxy.

Origins and Historical Development

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed an alliance with Muhammad bin Saud in Diriyah during the creation of the First Saudi State, impacting the balance between tribal rulers like the Al Rashid and the emerging House of Saud. The alliance precipitated campaigns against shrines and practices contested by contemporaries including scholars from Mecca and Medina tied to institutions such as Masjid al-Haram and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi. The fall of Diriyah to forces of the Ottoman Empire via the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1811–1818) and the later rise of the Second Saudi State and Third Saudi State shaped the institutionalization of the movement within the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Encounters with colonial powers like the British Empire and regional actors such as the Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz influenced the legal and educational consolidation in institutions like Al-Azhar University debates and reforms attributed to figures linked to Ibn Saud.

Doctrinal Beliefs and Practices

The movement draws on Hanbali jurisprudence and a literalist hermeneutic similar to strands within Salafism while engaging with texts associated with scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. Core emphases include a strict monotheism traced to concepts in classical works such as critiques of tawassul and intercession debated against traditions upheld in Damascus and Cairo. Practices include opposition to veneration associated with sites like the Shrine of Imam Husayn and ritual forms at local shrines contested in regions such as Karbala and Najaf, and the endorsement of puritanical norms codified in religious rulings produced by jurists linked to institutions like the Council of Senior Scholars (Saudi Arabia). Legal opinions from clerical networks influenced family law and public morality codes administered in courts like those in Riyadh and regulated in ministries such as the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.

Relationship with Saudi State and Political Influence

The pact between the movement’s leadership and the House of Saud created an enduring fusion of religious legitimacy and dynastic authority, informing governance under kings including Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, King Saud, and King Abdullah. Religious institutions such as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and educational bodies like Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University have mediated state policy on social norms and foreign patronage. Saudi oil wealth and agencies like the Saudi Fund for Development and charities tied to private donors enabled religious infrastructure internationally, intersecting with strategic foreign policy interests in relations with states such as the United States, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey. Periods of reform and contestation involved actors from the royal family, security services including the National Guard (Saudi Arabia), and opposition movements like the Ikhwan (Saudi Arabia).

Global Spread and Movements Affiliated with Wahhabism

Patronage and missionary activity disseminated its doctrines through organizations and networks operating in cities like Islamabad, Khartoum, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, and New York City. NGOs, mosque endowments, and seminaries funded by Saudi entities established curricula in madrasas and centers connected to groups in Bangladesh, Somalia, Nigeria, and Morocco. Transnational currents brought interactions with movements and actors such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Ikhwan al-Muslimun critics, and diverse Salafi organizations including those in France and Germany. Conflicts in theaters like Afghanistan, the Soviet–Afghan War, and the Iraq War created milieus where doctrinal overlaps and divergences with jihadi groups emerged, influencing debates in international forums involving the United Nations and national legislatures in Canada and Australia.

Criticism, Controversies, and Reforms

Critics from scholarly centers such as Al-Azhar University, the Council of Senior Scholars (Al-Azhar), and figures like Muhammad Abduh or contemporary reformers in Cairo and Beirut have challenged literalist readings, gender policies, and approaches to heritage in places like Jerusalem and Damascus. Allegations linking export of ideology to radicalization prompted scrutiny from governments including France, Germany, and the United States Department of State leading to policy shifts, de-radicalization programs, and changes in foreign funding practices after events involving actors like Osama bin Laden and organizations associated with transnational militancy. Internal debates within the Saudi polity, reforms under rulers such as Mohammed bin Salman, and initiatives by institutions like King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue and ministries overseeing religious discourse have produced curtailments of certain religious police powers and reassessments of curricula at universities including King Saud University. Academic critics in journals and research centers—many located in Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Georgetown University—have argued for nuanced distinctions between doctrinal positions and political uses, while activists and minority communities in Bahrain, Qatar, and Lebanon continue to contest social policies tied to the movement.

Category:Islamic movements