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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s son Abdullah explained their position
the best when he stated, “We are not deserving of the level of absolute
ijtihaad 1 nor does any of us claim it. But concerning some issues [of
our Hanbali school], if there is a clear definitive text from the Book or
the Sunnah which is not abrogated, particularized or in conflict with
any stronger evidence and it is followed by one of the four Imams,
then we follow it and we leave the view of the Hanbali school.” 2 Thus,
as al-Uthaimeen writes, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab and his followers
avoided both extremes when it comes to ijtihaad. They avoided the
extreme that states that ijtihaad is always and under all circumstances
permissible by virtually anyone. They also avoided the opposite
extreme that states that the door to ijtihaad is now closed and is not
permissible for anyone. 3 It should also be noted that they avoided the
extreme that places so many conditions upon the one making ijtihaad
that, as ibn Abdul-Wahhaab himself stated, “one may not even find all
those qualities in Abu Bakr or Umar.” 4
Also on the question of taqleed (“blind obedience”), ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab avoided the prevalent extreme of his time as well as
the opposite extreme that has become somewhat prevalent in the
current age. In general, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab and his followers
attached themselves to the Hanbali school of fiqh. However, it is not
obligatory, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab argued, for an individual to
one occasion, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab quoted his opponents as saying, “It is not
allowed for us to act upon the Quran, nor by the statements of the Messenger
nor by the statements of the earlier scholars. We do not follow anything save
what is stated by the later scholars.” (See Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab,
Muallifaat, vol. 7, p. 38 and p. 157.) Elsewhere, he quoted them as saying,
“Whoever acts upon the Quran has committed disbelief and the Quran is not to
be interpreted.” (See ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 7, p. 89.) Hence, ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab resorted to a book that Sulaimaan respected, al-Iqnaa, to
demonstrate to Sulaimaan that certain actions were acts of shirk and disbelief.
Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab ended his response with the words, “This book of yours
declares you to be disbelievers.” However, even that did not change
Sulaimaan’s stance. Cf., Abdul-Muhsin ibn Baaz, vol. 1, pp. 350-351;
Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 7, p. 126.
1 The level of “absolute ijtihaad” is that of the four Imams (Malik, Abu Hanifah,
al-Shafi’ee and Ahmad). Other scholars who have not reached that level are
still able to make ijtihaad on a partial basis, such as on secondary issues not
touched upon by earlier scholars.
2 Quoted in Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh, p. 134.
3 Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh, p. 134.
4 Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 1, p. 396.
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