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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
he had supporters (who, it seems, were relatively small in number at
first) and opponents. This would be a pattern that would continue
throughout his life—and still continues today.
It was during this time that some words were exchanged or a
dispute arose between Muhammad and his father. 1 Unfortunately,
none of the sources state the exact nature of this disagreement. Al-
Uthaimeen notes that it probably was not concerning an issue of
aqeedah (beliefs) as Abdul-Wahhaab, Muhammad’s father, did not
lend any support to the saint-cults and other false practices that
existed. 2 One explanation given is that it concerned the payment that
some judges received for solving disputes. Although it is not known
that Abdul-Wahhaab ever accepted such payments, it is clear that he
did not consider it wrong for the other judges to accept payments of
this nature. However, his son Muhammad considered this a type of
bribe that is forbidden in Islam. 3 Perhaps a stronger difference of
opinion between them was concerned with the manner of making
dawah and spreading the true teachings (and not the content of the
teachings itself). In any case, what is certain is that while his father
was still alive, Muhammad, out of deference to his father, was not
overly active and public in his dawah (propagation) efforts as he was
to become after his father’s death in 1153 A.H. 4
Muhammad spent much of this time concentrating on his
studies in fiqh, hadith and tafseer. He wrote Kitaab al-Tauheed during
1 Ibn Bishr, vol. 1, p. 31.
2 For an example of Abdul-Wahhaab’s thinking, see Majmooah al-Rasaail wa al-
Masaail al-Najdiyyah li-bad Ulamaa Najd al-Alaam (Riyadh: Daar al-Aasimah,
1409 A.H.), vol. 1, pp. 523-525. The tone and content is very much similar to
what his son says.
3 Cf., al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh Muhammad, p. 41.
4 Ahmad ibn Hajar Aali-Bootaami says that his father did eventually come
around to ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s way of thinking. See Ahmad ibn Hajar Aali-
Bootaami, Al-Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdil-Wahhaab: Aqeedatuhu al-
Salafiyyah wa Dawatuhu al-Islaahiyyah wa Thana al-Ulamaa alaih (Kuwait:
al-Daar al-Salafiyyah, 1983), p. 26. Furthermore, the French author Jean
Raymond wrote that ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s father was in complete agreement
with his son but he only disclosed that fact to his closest associates that he
could completely trust. Allah knows best the authenticity of that claim.
Raymond is quoted in Muhammad Kaamil Dhaahir, al-Dawah al-
Wahhaabiyyah wa Atharuhaa fi al-Fikr al-Islaami al-Hadeeth (Beirut: Daar al-
Salaam, 1993), p. 47.