Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab

Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab ibn Sulayman at-Tamimi (1703-1792 CE / 1115-1206 AH) was a Hanbali scholar and reformer from Uyaynah in the Najd region of central Arabia. He studied in Medina under prominent scholars including Muhammad Hayat as-Sindhi and Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf, and traveled to Basra and other cities seeking knowledge before returning to Najd to begin his call to the purification of tawhid (monotheism).

Ibn Abdul-Wahhab's central message was a return to pure monotheism as practiced by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early generations. He opposed practices he deemed innovations and forms of shirk (polytheism), such as making supplication to the dead, building elaborate tombs, and various superstitious customs that had become widespread. His most famous work, Kitab at-Tawhid (The Book of Monotheism), systematically presents the Quranic and Prophetic evidence for pure monotheism and identifies practices that contradict it. He also authored Kashf ash-Shubuhat (Clarification of Doubts), Thalathah al-Usul (Three Fundamental Principles), and other creedal works.

His alliance with the ruler Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744 CE established a political-religious partnership that led to the formation of the first Saudi state and the spread of his reformist movement. His teachings drew on the methodology of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim and emphasized adherence to the Quran and authentic Sunnah. His movement had a lasting impact on Islamic thought and practice, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, and his works on tawhid continue to be studied widely in Islamic institutions.