Wahhabism

• Formation: Eighteenth century
• Founder: Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab

Overview

Wahhabism is a strict sect of Islam based on a literal interpretation of the Koran. In addition to enforcing very specific rules for behavior and beliefs on its followers, Wahhabism considers those who do not follow the rules to be infidels and calls for them to be punished or even killed. The sect has existed since the eighteenth century and gained influence in the late 1970s, when Wahhabi clerics created a standoff with the Saudi royals that led to an agreement allowing for official sanctioning of the Wahhabi practices in Saudi Arabia.

The ultra-strict practices adhered to by Wahhabi followers and the emphasis on the need to remove those who do not follow their rules—the infidels—are considered to be the basis of beliefs held by radical groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which have been behind many terror attacks around the world.

History

The founder of Wahhabism was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Born in al-Uyayna in Nejd, part of present-day Saudi Arabia, and educated in Iraq, Wahhab became a Muslim cleric in the Salafi tradition. This tradition centers on interpretations of the Koran that are in line with those from the time of the prophet Muhammad. Salafi Islam considers acts such as blasphemy and adultery to be not just sins but crimes that justify punishments such as flogging, beheading, and stoning.

Wahhab believed strongly that the Muslim practices of his day had grown too lax and that reform was needed. After he ordered a woman who confessed to adultery to be tied down and publically stoned in 1740, local officials became concerned about the power Wahhab wielded. He was banished from his hometown but struck a deal with Sheikh Muhammad al-Saud, the ruler of the neighboring town of Dr'iyyah. Saud would allow Wahhab to proselytize and enforce his strict form of Islam in exchange for Wahhab's political support for the Saud family. As part of the 1744 deal, the Saud's oldest son married Wahhab's daughter. A number of those who have held power in the Saudi government into the twenty-first century can trace their ancestry to this marriage.

Together, Saud and Wahhab were able to conquer neighboring groups, gaining enough power for Saud's family to become the ruling family of Saudi Arabia and forcing those they conquered to adhere to Wahhabi practices. From that time to the present, Wahhabism has agreed to submit to the royal family, noting that even unjust rulers should be obeyed, while religious leaders hold great sway in government affairs with the full support of Saudi officials.

The influence of Wahhabism intensified in 1979 when some Islamic clerics who held Wahhabi views decided that Saudi Arabia was becoming too Westernized and led a band of insurgents in occupying the Grand Mosque in Mecca. This worried the Saudi leaders, who immediately set about calming the situation by addressing the clerics' concerns. They stepped up enforcement of offenses against the strict Islamic rules and closed down theaters and other businesses seen as cultural contaminants.

The rulers then took things further and agreed to help spread the strict Wahhabi form of Islam around the world if the militants who joined with the clerics remained peaceful in Saudi Arabia. Many experts see this as the start of the proliferation of extreme forms of Islam around the world, leading to the development of many extremist groups and the jihad, or holy war, against infidels who do not hold these same extreme beliefs.

Beliefs & Practices

Wahhab's beliefs were puritanical and generally limited to the practices in place when the prophet Muhammad was alive. Practitioners of Wahhabism use a strict interpretation of the Koran and do not allow many Islamic practices that arose later, such as praying for the dead, visiting tombs or other sites of religious significance (including the tomb of the prophet Muhammad), celebrating Muhammad's birthday, listening to music in praise of the prophet, or making any religious pilgrimages. They also believe that other rules of Islam, such as requiring coverings for women and obedience to rules about blasphemy (speaking ill of Allah) and apostasy (abandoning or changing one's religion), as well as rules such as those prohibiting adultery, must be strictly enforced.

A core concept of Wahhabism is the principle that religious beliefs should be enforced by political means. Unlike Christianity, where such acts as blasphemy and adultery are considered sins against the faith and are dealt with by the church, the Islamic faith and the government are linked in the Wahhabi view. Acts against the faith are considered crimes and are punished as such. In addition, those who do not hold these same views, be they Christian, Jewish, atheist, some other faith, or even a less stringent form of Islam, are considered infidels. Infidels are not to be tolerated but are to be converted or eliminated.

The followers of this sect consider themselves to be true Muslims. Therefore, they do not refer to themselves as Wahhabi but say they are Islam, or Muslim. All others they consider to be infidels.

Their strict beliefs and enforcement by government officials have led to several accusations against Wahhabism and against the Saudi government as well. Some detractors have said that the textbooks and other materials provided to Saudi youngsters in government-sponsored schools so thoroughly support the Wahhabi beliefs that children are indoctrinated to hate individuals of other faith traditions. It has also been alleged that by supporting these extreme beliefs that can be seen as intolerant of all other beliefs around the world, the Saudi government and others who support Wahhabism are spreading terrorism. Saudi leaders contend that Islam is a peaceful religion and have reportedly taken steps to adjust the school curriculum to encourage tolerance. In particular, when Mohammad bin Salman was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in 2017, he announced plans to reform the conservative religious policy of the kingdom. Into the mid-2020s, Saudi Arabia has implemented reforms meant to modernize its society and limit ultra-conservative interpretations of Islam. These reforms have included limits on the power of religious police and introduced various aspects of culture that would have been forbidden under Wahhabism.

Bibliography

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