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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
pillars of Islam, then such was definitely the case for the majority of
the people at that time; if, however, what is meant by deviation from
Islam is a complete disavowal of Islam and all of its outward
manifestations, then to that extent it was most likely among the
minority of the population. Most people still had an emotional
attachment to and pride in Islam and some practices that demonstrated
some attachment to Islam, even though they were ignorant of its
teachings. 1
This description of Najd brings up an important question: How
is it that there were scholars and religious knowledge in Najd and yet
such incorrect practices were so widespread? This is a question that is
very relevant to the current situation among Muslims—and is another
issue concerning which contemporary Muslims can learn from the life
of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. In general, the small presence of
scholars and knowledgeable people is not enough to stop the masses
from following customs and practices that are dear to them, even if
they be in contradiction to Islamic law. (In fact, this author knows of
many Imams in the United States who have complained that they are
not able to change the people’s wrong practices.) On one hand, many
of the masses are ignorant as to the rulings of these practices and, on
the other hand, the social pressures to engage in such practices from
fellow Muslims is often great. This points to the need for more
respected scholars who can clarify the truth and convince others to
follow what is correct. But something more is truly needed. Many
mosques may have knowledgeable people yet they are not able to stop
the wrong practices or wrong beliefs, no matter how many sermons or
lectures they may give on such topics. One also needs the power and
influence to “persuade” people to change. In other words, one needs
the knowledgeable people who both have the knowledge to recognize
the wrong that exists and the will to attempt to change it. Thus, al-
Fauzaan notes that there were scholars in Najd but they either
1 Abdul-Muhsin ibn Baaz, vol. 1, pp. 63-67. Abdullah al-Ajilaan’s views are very
similar to those of Abdul-Muhsin ibn Baaz. See Abdullah al-Ajilaan, Harakah
al-Tajdeed wa al-Islaah fi Najd fi al-Asr al-Hadeeth (Riyadh 1989), pp. 28-35.
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