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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
During his first two years in al-Diriyyah, besides lecturing and
teaching, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab stepped up his campaign of writing to
other scholars and rulers to join the call and the new state. Some of his
letters turned out to be quite fruitful. Huraimila and Manfoohah (just
south of Riyadh) seemed ready to join with al-Diriyyah. However,
other city-states refused. At that time, people started to call him a
sorcerer, accuse him of innovations, accuse him of lying and so forth,
just like they did with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him). 1
Al-Uthaimeen notes that the religious content of the call must
have played a great role in who was rejecting or accepting his call.
Undoubtedly, many must have been convinced by his teachings and
were therefore ready to join him. Others did not accept his message
and therefore refused to participate with him. 2 However, there must
have been other important reasons leading some to reject or accept the
call. One can never discount the allure of power and wealth in such
discussions. Many who refused the call must have seen that joining
with al-Diriyyah under the leadership of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab and ibn
Saud would probably imply a loss of one’s own power, independence
and prestige.
after the Friday Prayer, Uthmaan was assassinated in al-Uyainah. As soon as
ibn Abdul-Wahhaab heard that news, he immediately traveled to al-Uyainah to
calm the situation and appoint a new governor. He arrived three days after
Uthmaan’s death. He consulted with the people concerning the new governor.
Those who were well aware of Uthmaan’s intrigues were completely against a
new governor from the family of Muammar. However, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
convinced them that such would be best and appointed Mushaari ibn
Muammar governor. See ibn Ghannaam, vol. 1, pp. 97-98; Ibn Bishr, vol. 1, pp.
55-56. According to Abdullah ibn Khamees in his work Mujam al-Yamaamah,
ibn Abdul-Wahhaab himself was not pleased at all with the assassination of
Uthmaan and it was done without his foreknowledge. Furthermore, al-Jaasir
attempts to show that many of Uthmaan’s deeds were misinterpreted by the
historians and that his position toward the call of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab may not
have been as deceiving as depicted. See al-Jaasir, vol. 1, pp. 172-181.
1 Ibn Bishr, vol. 1, p. 38.
2 Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh Muhammad, p. 57.
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