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

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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
particular to the closing the door of ijtihaad (a topic that shall be
discussed in some detail below).
The next important seat of the caliphate was the Ottoman
Empire, which was still a dominant but greatly weakened force by the
time of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. However, the “seats” of the caliphate did
not prevent other smaller governments from appearing in various
lands. Thus, along with Ottomans, during the time of ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab, one finds the Shiite Saffavid dynasty in Persia and the
Moghul Empire in India.
Some say that the state of the Muslims began to steadily
decline after the seventh century Hijri (after the fall of Baghdad). By
the time of ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Islam had reached its lowest state in
history on a number of fronts. Politically speaking, the Ottoman
Empire had lost much of its authority and prestige. Many areas had
become semi-independent. Ignorance spread throughout the lands.
Furthermore, the Europeans were becoming formidable opponents and
were extracting great favors through pressure on the Sultans.
Religious speaking, since the time of the Abbasids, when
foreign “sciences” and philosophies were being translated into Arabic,
the deviation from the pure Islamic teachings became greater and
greater. The influence of Greek, Indian and Persian thought became
greater, effecting the beliefs and practices of common Muslims.
Hence, new schools of belief developed, heresies became widespread
and non-Islamic mystical practices began to hold sway. At the same
time, the true fiqh schools became dormant and ineffective, as many
scholars claimed that the door to ijtihaad had become closed.
One can get a glimpse of the state of affairs in Vassiliev’s
words. Speaking about a time shortly after ibn Abdul-Wahhaab’s
death about the state of affairs of Ottoman lands: “Since 1803 the
Wahhabis had put all kinds of obstacles in the way of pilgrims from
the Ottoman empire, particularly those from Syria and Egypt… The
pilgrims were accompanied by musicians, playing tambourines, drums
and other instruments [such as flutes]. Many pilgrims brought alcohol
with them and it was not unusual to find groups of prostitutes in the
caravans. All this could not fail to provoke the Wahhabis’ hostility
because of its incompatibility with their religious and moral