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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
understood fully well that it is not something that is to be done in a
haphazard manner nor is everyone qualified to fulfill this important
role. There are certain principles that must be followed in the ordering
of good and eradicating of evil. Similarly, there are certain qualities
that are musts for the one who undertakes this important job.
Throughout ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s writings one can extract the
most important qualities that he emphasized for the people who
undertake this important role. 1 These qualities include, among others,
the following:
(1) Ikhlaas or the quality of performing a deed purely and
solely for Allah’s sake: This is a quality that ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
stressed for all deeds. Indeed, he stated that one of the conditions for
one’s testimony of faith to be acceptable and pleasing to Allah is that
one must make that testimony purely for the sake of Allah. While
deriving points from the story of Adam and Iblis, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
noted that one point is the well-known point that any deed in which
Allah’s pleasure is not the goal is a vain and void deed. 2 In his letter to
the Shareef of Makkah Ahmad ibn Saeed, during al-Husayyin’s first
delegation, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab wrote, “It is obligatory upon everyone
of us and you that he intends by his knowledge the pleasure of
Allah.” 3 This is particularly true for the one who is considering
himself a worker for the sake of Allah—calling others to Islam,
ordering good, eradicating evil, teaching and so forth. In
contemporary times, this point is often forgotten as sincere Muslims
get so involved in groups and organizations that they begin working
and calling to their group or Shaikh rather than calling for the sake of
Allah. In Kitaab al-Tauheed, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab alluded to this
disease when, in the chapter on calling to the testimony of faith and
while noting the importance of ikhlaas, he wrote, “Many are there
who, even though they are calling to the truth, are actually calling to
themselves.” 4 In addition, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab warned his followers
about anyone who may not be completely sincere in his actions and he
advised them as to how to deal with them. In one of his letters, he
stated, “If one of you fears that his brother may be acting with an evil
1 For more details, see Usrah, pp. 131-181.
2 Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 5, p. 93.
3 Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 7, p. 312.
4 Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 1, p. 21.
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