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The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
disbelievers and fighting against them. 1 On another occasion, he stated
that except for these two issues, his opponents recognized the truth of
his explanation of the religion. However, he made it clear that the goal
is not to declare others disbelievers or to fight against them. The goal
is to get them to practice what they recognize as the truth. 2 (Al-
Uthaimeen notes that everyone may have agreed with ibn Abdul-
Wahhaab that tauheed is obligatory and that one must avoid shirk.
However, they may not have agreed with him concerning what
constitutes shirk. Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab himself noted that some of his
opponents consider his definition of tauheed to be an innovation.
Obviously, the question of fighting certain people is directly related to
what one considers shirk. There is a three-prong process that must be
agreed upon. The opponent must first agree on what is shirk. After
that, the other party must also agree that the conditions for declaring a
person an unbeliever have been met. Only then can he agree to fight
against the ones who have been declared disbelievers. 3 Although what
al-Uthaimeen noted may be true, the main issues of concern for ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab were issues that are agreed upon by the different fiqh
schools. 4 Hence, even if one accepts al-Uthaimeen’s reasoning for the
opposition to Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, in reality, the
opponents did not have much to stand on even from the perspective of
their own schools.)
Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab was well aware of the conditions that
must be met before anyone could be declared a disbeliever. 5 For him,
the first thing that everyone must know or be taught is the true
meaning of monotheism (tauheed). No one can be declared a
disbeliever until tauheed is explained to him and then if, after that
exposition, the person obstinately insists on following the deeds of
1 Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh, p. 117.
2 Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh, p. 118.
3 Al-Uthaimeen, Al-Shaikh, p. 118.
4 When discussing those who do not pray, fast, pay zakat or perform hajj, ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab noted that there was a difference of opinion over whether such
lack of performance is disbelief. Then he stated, “We do not declare such people
disbelievers… We only declare people disbelievers on those issues in which
there is complete agreement among the scholars.” Quoted in Al-Uthaimeen, Al-
Shaikh, p. 122.
5 In his reply to Sulaimaan ibn Suhaim, ibn Abdul-Wahhaab blames him for
making a general statement declaring all the Qadariyyah disbelievers. See
Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, Muallifaat, vol. 7, p. 88.