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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
III
The Salient and Revivalist Teachings of
Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Islam since the Time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him)
The true “golden era” of Islam was during the lifetime of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his
Companions. At that time, both the state and the individual were
virtually completely guided by the light of the revelation from Allah.
Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself
said,
�ﻢ�ﻬ�ﻧﻮﹸﻠ�ﻳ �ﻦﻳ�ﺬﱠﻟﺍ �ﻢﹸﺛ �ﻢ�ﻬ�ﻧﻮﹸﻠ�ﻳ �ﻦﻳ�ﺬﱠﻟﺍ �ﻢﹸﺛ ﻲﹺﻧ�ﺮﹶﻗ ﻲ�ﺘ�ﻣﹸﺃ �ﺮ�ﻴ�ﺧ
“The best of my Nation are my generation, then those who come after
them and then those who come after them.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari
and Muslim.)
At the same time, though, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) had informed his Nation that division and
deviation would definitely occur. Thus, he said, for example,
ﹶﺔـﱠﻠ�ﻤﹾﻟﺍ �ﻩ�ﺬـ�ﻫ ﱠﻥﹺﺇ�ﻭ ﹰﺔـﱠﻠ�ﻣ �ﲔ�ﻌ�ﺒ�ﺳ�ﻭ ﹺﻦ�ﻴ�ﺘ�ﻨ�ﺛ ﻰﹶﻠ�ﻋ ﺍﻮﹸﻗ�ﺮ�ﺘﹾﻓﺍ ﹺﺏﺎ�ﺘ�ﻜﹾﻟﺍ ﹺﻞ�ﻫﹶﺃ �ﻦ�ﻣ �ﻢﹸﻜﹶﻠ�ﺒﹶﻗ �ﻦ�ﻣ ﱠﻥﹺﺇ ﻻﹶﺃ
ﹸﺔ�ﻋﺎ�ﻤ�ﺠﹾﻟﺍ �ﻲ�ﻫ�ﻭ �ﺔ�ﻨ�ﺠﹾﻟﺍ ﻲ�ﻓ ﹲﺓ�ﺪ�ﺣﺍ�ﻭ�ﻭ ﹺﺭﺎ�ﻨﻟﺍ ﻲ�ﻓ ﹶﻥﻮ�ﻌ�ﺒ�ﺳ�ﻭ �ﻥﺎ�ﺘ�ﻨ�ﺛ �ﲔ�ﻌ�ﺒ�ﺳ�ﻭ �ﺙﻼﹶﺛ ﻰﹶﻠ�ﻋ �ﻕﹺﺮ�ﺘﹾﻔ�ﺘ�ﺳ
“Verily, the People of the Book who were before you divided into
seventy-two sects. And this community shall divide into seventy-three
sects. All of them will be in the Hell-fire save one and that is the
jamaah [the group that adheres to the truth].” 1
1 Recorded with this wording by Abu Dawood. According to al-Albaani, this
hadith is hasan. According to Abdul-Qaadir al-Arnaaoot, its chain is sahih. See
Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood (Riyadh:
Maktabah al-Maarif, 2000), vol. 3, pp. 115-116; Abdul-Qaadir al-Arnaaoot,
footnotes to al-Mubaarak ibn al-Atheer, Jaami al-Usool fi al-Ahadeeth al-
Rasool (Maktaba al-Hilwaani, 1971), vol. 10, p. 32.