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

The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
and accept ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. She told her husband, “This man
coming to you is a bounty sent to you by Allah, so honor him, respect
him and benefit by supporting him.” 1 Muneer al-Ajilaani, the
specialist on Saudi history, discounts this narration. He argues that it
is inconceivable that a person of such fame could have entered the city
without the Ameer knowing about it and that he would be visited by
some of the leaders of the city secretly. In fact, al-Ajilaani concludes
that Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab moved to al-Diriyyah at the
invitation of Muhammad ibn Saud. 2 Furthermore, al-Uthaimeen has
come across a monograph written by the Najdi historian ibn Laboon
that states explicitly that ibn Abdul-Wahhaab moved to al-Diriyyah at
the invitation of its Ameer Muhammad ibn Saud. 3
Al-Uthaimeen states that, regardless of whether ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab was invited to al-Diriyyah or not, the story as given by ibn
Bishr is definitely weak, given what is known about the environment
at that time. However, he notes that both ibn Bishr and ibn Ghannaam
finally agree that the Ameer Muhammad ibn Saud did go to the house
of ibn Suwailim and welcomed ibn Abdul-Wahhaab there, promising
him support and protection. Ibn Saud told him, “Have glad tidings of a
land better than your land. Have glad tidings of honor and strength.”
Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab replied to him, “And I give you glad tidings of
honor and being established in the land. As for the statement, ‘There is
none worthy of worship except Allah,’ whoever adheres to it, abides
by it and supports it will then have authority over the land and the
people.” 4 At that point, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab explained to the Ameer
the principles of his teachings. He explained to him what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions were
following, that every heresy is misguidance, that Allah honored the
believers through jihad and that much of what the people of Najd were
following at that time was nothing but shirk, heresies, oppression and
wrongdoing. The two agreed to work together to spread those noble
principles. 5
1 Ibn Bishr, vol. 1, p. 34.
2 Cf., al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh Muhammad, p. 54; Abdul-Muhsin ibn Baaz, vol. 2,
p. 691.
3 For the details of this report, see al-Husain, p. 187.
4 Ibn Bishr, vol. 1, p. 35.
5 Both Burckhardt and Palgrave stated that Muhammad ibn Saud was the first
one who accepted the call of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. This is clearly a
36