Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792)
Born 1703 CE, died 1792 CE.
Shaykh al-Islam al-Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman al-Tamimi al-Najdi (1703–1792 C.E., 1115–1206 A.H.) was an Arab Muslim scholar, theologian, preacher, activist, religious leader, jurist, and reformer, who was from Najd in the Arabian Peninsula and is considered as the eponymous founder of the Wahhabi movement. The label "Wahhabi" is not claimed by his followers. Born to a family of jurists, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's early education consisted of learning a fairly standard curriculum of jurisprudence according to the Hanbali school, which was most prevalent in his area of birth. He promoted strict adherence to Islamic law, proclaiming the necessity of returning directly to the Quran and Hadith literature rather than relying on traditional interpretations, and insisted that every Muslim – male and female – should personally read and study the Quran.
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