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

The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
The Death of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab died in Shawwal
1206 A.H. (1791/1792 C.E.). He lived some ninety-two years. When
he died, though, he did not leave behind any wealth. Nothing was
distributed to his heirs. Even though it is well known that the jihad
brought forth a good deal of war booty for his followers, all of the
wealth that he had received was spent for the cause and in assisting
others.
By the time of his death, he had seen his teachings spread
throughout all of Najd and much of al-Ahsaa. Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
had also already seen the first signs of its potential against the leaders
of the Hijaaz.
After the death of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, the call
and teachings continued to spread and the strength of the new state
continued to grow for some time. By 1793 C.E. all of al-Ahsa was
under the control of Saud ibn Abdul-Azeez. By the late 1790s,
military engagements began with the Pasha of Baghdad and the Saudi
state were quite successful in many of those encounters. In 1803 C.E.,
they peacefully conquered Makkah. However, after suffering from
diseases, they fell to the Ottoman forces in July of 1803 C.E.. Later
that year, Abdul-Azeez was assassinated in al-Diriyyah. It is not clear
who assassinated him, although many theories have been presented.
Saud, his son and military leader, returned to al-Diriyyah and received
the pledge of allegiance from its people. In 1805 and 1806 C.E.,
Saud’s forces once again conquered the Hijaz. The new state also
spread its influence into Oman, putting it into a direct collision course
with British colonial interests in the area. Years of famine, drought
and cholera epidemics in Arabia up to 1809 C.E. greatly weakened the
new state and left it open for attack. Saud died in 1814 C.E. and was
followed by his son Abdullah, although this choice met with some
internal opposition in al-Diriyyah. By this time, the Albanian
Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, was well on his
way to recapturing the lands taken by the state in al-Diriyyah. In 1811
C.E., Muhammad Ali started to move across the Hijaz, defeating the
followers of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. In April 1818 C.E., Muhammad
Ali’s son Ibraaheem had reached al-Diriyyah. Abdullah sued for peace
and he finally surrendered in September, after six fierce months of
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