WAHHᾹBĪYAH. An Islamic renewal group established by Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (d. AH 1206/1792 CE), the Wahhābīyah continues to the present in the Arabian Peninsula. The term Wahhābī was originally used by opponents of the movement, who charged that it was a new form of Islam, but the name eventually gained wide acceptance. According to the teachings of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, however, the movement is not a new Islamic school but, rather, a call or mission (daʿwah al tawḥīd) for the true implementation of Islam. The Wahhābīyah often refer to "the mission of the oneness of God" (daʿwat al-tawḥīd) and call themselves "those who affirm the oneness of God," or muwaḥḥidun.

Historical Background and Context

Renewal movements have deep roots in Islamic experience. The...