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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
similar in nature to ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s. However, the first one to
explicitly spread ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s teachings in Algeria was the
historian Abu Rawaas al-Naasiri. He and others from North Africa
had met with some of the students of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab in Makkah
and were convinced of his teachings.
However, it was later when ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s teachings
made a much stronger impact, during the first half of the thirteenth
Hijri century. Although the French occupiers tried valiantly to fight
the presence of Islam, they were not able to put an end to the Hajj,
which gave an opportunity for many from Algeria to go to the Hijaz
and study ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s teachings.
The most noted and famous of the salafi scholars 1 of Algeria
was Abdul-Hameed ibn Badees (1305-1359 A.H.). In 1908, he went to
complete his studies at the Zaitunah University in Tunis, wherein he
was greatly influenced by two salafi scholars, Muhammad al-Nakhli
(d. 1924 C.E.) and Muhammad al-Taahir ibn Ashoor. These were the
two, as ibn Baadees himself stated, who made him realize the
difference between Sunnah and heresies. He made the hajj and
remained in Madinah for a while, learning from the Salafi scholars
there. He returned to Algeria and established the “Organization of
Muslim Scholars of Algeria.” They sought to correct the beliefs, strive
against heresies and open the door to ijtihaad. One of their slogans
was, “Islamic beliefs from the Quranic verses and hadith of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” Bin Baadees
was certain that the key to reform was the revival of the correct
Islamic beliefs. He stated, “We shall begin with faith, by purifying our
beliefs from shirk, our behavior from lewdness and our actions from
acts contrary [to the Shareeah].” 2 Of course, this pitted him against the
Sufis of North Africa, whose practices were contrary to what he was
calling for. To make matters worse, the Sufis collaborated with the
French in their struggle against the Salafis of North Africa. In the end,
though, this organization became very influential in fighting against
the French until Algeria gained independence in 1382 A.H. 3
1 That is, scholars calling to the way of the early generations of Muslims.
2 Quoted in Uwais, p. 23.
3 For more on the influence of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab in Algeria, see Abdul-Haleem
Uwais, Athar Dawah al-Imaam Muhammad ibn Abdil-Wahhaab fi al-Fikr al-
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