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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Mahmood Shukri (1857-1924 A.H.) was a great defender of ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab, author of Tarikh Najd (“The History of Najd”), a
commentary on ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s work Masaail al-Jaahiliyyah,
and two books refuting opponents of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab (one
refuting ibn Jarjees and the other refuting al-Nabahaani). 1
Al-Shaam (“Greater Syria”) 2
In 1793, the forces of Abdul-Azeez ibn Muhammad ibn Saud
were able to conquer a portion of “Greater Syria”. By 1791, some of
the Bedouin tribes had accepted the rule of the followers of ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab. Some of these are the same tribes that Burckhardt later
visited and noticed the influence of the “Wahabbi” teachers, judges
and leaders. After 1806, according to Jumuah, the followers of ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab had preachers and scholars entering the main cities of
Syria and propagating their message. 3
One of the most influential of the salafi scholars in Syria was
Jamaal al-Deen al-Qaasimi (1283 A.H./1866 C.E.-1332 A.H./1914
C.E.). He was already a prominent Imam and scholar by the time he
visited Egypt and Madinah. (In addition to having visited Madinah, he
and other Syrian scholars were in contact with the Iraqi scholars and
strong supporters of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab of the al-Aloosi family. 4)
Upon his return to Syria, he was accused of attempting to start a new
school, al-Madhhab al-Jamaali, and arrested in 1313 A.H. The main
accusations against him were a tendency to ijtihaad (“juristic
reasoning”), support of the “Wahhabis” and membership in the Arab
Nationalist Assembly. However, being accused of being a “Wahhabi”
was the greatest accusation one would ever have to face in front of the
Ottoman/Turkish authorities.
Other influential religious leaders who gave their support to
and spread the salafi and “Wahhabi” teachings in that area at that time
were Abdul-Razzaaq al-Bitaar, Taahir al-Jazaairi, Muhammad Kaamil
1 For more on the Aloosi family, see al-Zuhaili, vol. 3, p. 335-336; Jumuah, pp.
183-193.
2 “Greater Syria” would include portions of what are today Palestine, Jordan,
Lebanon and Syria.
3 Jumuah, p. 124.
4 See Jumuah, p. 131; Commins, p. 53.