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

7
The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
II
The Life of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Najd from the Time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) until the Time of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab1 Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab hailed from the land known
as the Najd of al-Yamaamah. There is a difference of opinion
concerning the exact limits of this Najd. Most commonly, though, it is
described as being bordered by the Mountains of Shammar or by the
Great Nafood Desert to the North, Hijaaz to the West, the desert land
known as the “Empty Quarter” to the South and al-Dahnaa and al-
Ahsaa to the East. 2
Two other terms of note concerning that area are al-Aaridh and
al-Yamaamah. (1) The term al-Aaridh ( ﺽﺭﺎـﻌﻟﺍ) has an old and a new
meaning to it. The old meaning is that it refers to the Mountain of al-
Yamaamah (Tuwaiq) lengthwise, which stretches from the North of
Najd to its south, more than one thousand kilometers. The more
modern usage is the area of al-Shuaib in Huraimilaa to the North until
al-Kharaj or Riyadh and its surrounding areas to the South. This is the
meaning of it when used by Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. Hence,
it is simply one portion of Najd.
(2) Al-Yamaamah ( ﺔـﻣﺎﻤﻴﻟﺍ) is the heart of the entire Arabian
Peninsula. Najd forms only a part of it. It includes what is currently
called Najd as well as the land of Sudair (which includes al-Ghaat and
al-Zilfi), the land of al-Washm, the land of al-Hautah and al-Hareeq,
the land of al-Aflaaj and the land of Waadi al-Duwaasir. 3 (In previous
times in Islamic history, this term included even more area than that.)
1 The religious situation in Najd at the time of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
will be dealt with in detail in the following chapter.
2 Abdul-Muhsin ibn Baaz, Rasaail al-Imaam Muhammad ibn Abdil-Wahhaab al-
Shakhsiyyah: Diraasah Daawiyyah (Riyadh:Daar Ishbeeliyaa,2000),vol.1,p. 36.
3 See Abdul-Muhsin al-Baaz, vol. 1, pp. 39-40.