Wahhābis << wah HAH beez >> are followers of an Islamic movement that seeks religious reform. The movement is named for its founder, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhāb, who lived in Arabia from 1702 to 1792. Wahhābis desire a return to the purity they see reflected in the first generations of Muslims (followers of Islam). Wahhābis believe that these early Muslims correctly understood and followed the Qur’ān and the sunna (example) of the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’ān is the sacred book of Islam, and Muslims consider Muhammad to be God’s last messenger. Wahhābis believe in a strict notion of tawhīd—that is, the absolute oneness and uniqueness of God. They reject many interpretations of Islam from about the 900’s to 1400’s, during the Middle Ages, as innovations. Wahhābis are in favor of Muslim government based on their interpretation of Islamic law.
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhāb founded the movement because he believed Muslims had departed from their roots. He sought to prevent people from venerating (showing deep respect for) anyone but God, including heroes, imāms (Muslim leaders), or saints. He claimed that such acts suggested polytheism (belief in more than one god). The Wahhābi movement spread throughout Arabia in the late 1700’s with the support of the powerful Ibn Saud family. The movement became the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia after that country was established in 1932. Followers of Wahhābism also can be found elsewhere throughout the Islamic world.
