The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ... - IslamHouse.com

The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
While speaking about the alliance between ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab and Muhammad ibn Saud, Schwartz wrote, “Their true aim
was conquest and world domination. For his part, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab
imagined himself a new Prophet who would replace the Ottoman
caliph as the sole theological authority within the global Islamic
ummah.” 1 If, somehow, Schwartz has access to the world of the
unseen and people’s inner intentions, then not much can be said about
this. Otherwise, the man who virtually retired from politics after the
defeat of Riyadh to concentrate on writing and teaching can hardly be
described in the fashion that he described him.
Actually, later Schwartz claims that in 1787, “Ibn Abd al-
Wahhab declared himself leader of the worldwide ummah. This
insanity was backed by a fatwa in which Ibn Abd al-Wahhab ordered
‘jihad’ against the Ottomans.” 2 As has been stressed elsewhere in this
book, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s writings have been meticulously
preserved and readily available. Where can this be found and why is
there no direct quote ever presented from ibn Abdul-Wahhaab in
which he made any such statements?
Finally, it is clear what type of Islam Schwartz and those many
people like him—many of whom are within the Muslim community—
desire. It is not an Islam that is truly rooted in the Quran and
Sunnah—this is clear from Schwartz’s work that contain no verses or
hadith to support his “version” of Islam. Instead, as he states in his
preface, he wants the West to “rally traditional Muslims in a way that
contributes to a new pluralism and stability in the Islamic global
community.” 3 Yes, it is the “traditional Muslims” that he is looking
for. It is not important whether those “traditions” are correct according
to the Quran and Sunnah. From this can be understood the great
enmity and hatred that has filled this man’s heart toward ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab and toward any Muslim who is attempting to apply the
Quran and Sunnah. It is, in fact, people like these with their false and
lie-filled presentations of Islam that are going to produce more harm
than good for the entire world. 4
1 Schwartz, p. 74.
2 Schwartz, p. 79.
3 Schwartz, p. xxii.
4 Unfortunately, it is the twisted and fabricated thoughts of people like Schwartz
that some right-wing Christians—the so-called spreaders of the “message of
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