Dear Friends:

I read with interest the essay published in the Saudi American Forum "Being a Woman in Saudi Arabia," by Sally Al-Turki. Her essay touched me with its sincerity and honesty. She noted there are many areas in Saudi society that people would like to see changed, many areas that we are pleased with and many misconceptions we would like to see corrected. Her article gave me pause to think and inspiration to write about my personal feelings on another important misunderstanding..

On Christmas Eve, I was in Riyadh visiting old friends, some of whom I had not seen for the past ten years. With the exception of myself, educated in Britain, my friends were all graduates of United States universities. Our conversations touched a number of areas that night, however September 11th and its ramifications were central issues.

One of my friends, Dr. Suliman Al-Hattlan, currently working on his post-doctoral at Harvard, related this story. "I have been repeatedly asked about the Wahhabis, and whether or not the Wahhabis have distinguishing marks that identify them as they walk about in streets and malls." This distinguishing marks fallacy, a joke to us Saudis, is a myth manufactured 300 years ago by the Ottomans and continued through others who disseminated and exaggerated it. This was used to discredit the reform movement of Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab in eighteenth century Arabia.

For Saudis the reform movement was a rescue mission that extricated us from backwardness, disunion and fear. It led us to become one of the most modern, united, stable and secure countries in the region. However, ironically, for some of our Muslim brothers the reform movement was seen as a way for the west to control the Arab world.

Their open loyalty to Islam's enemies is a fact requiring no further proof. It is now clear to all that the Wahhabis are subservient to the West more than any other faction. As a result of this blind loyalty, the invading Zionist and imperialist forces have found it easy to penetrate Islamic countries and to destroy or plunder their resources and subjugate their populations. The Wahhabis have given these foreign powers all the support they needed to realize their selfish objectives. This support has also made possible the establishment of the Zionist entity in the heart of the Muslim nation, and they continue to give it direct and indirect support. The Wahhabis have also consistently helped pro-West regimes to put down liberation movements and to suppress the Islamic reawakening movement which has given them and other unpopular regimes a strong cause for worry.

Hamid S Atiyyah 
The Wahhabi Movement: The True Image

Some western friends, Americans in particular, see the Wahhabi movement as an inspiration for terrorism. They accuse its members of supporting Islamic extremism and using an "extremist" interpretation of the Quran and the Prophet's Tradition.

In fact, my fellow Muslims and western friends need to view the reform movement more objectively, and study the movement and its contribution to Saudi society over the past three centuries.

Between these two extreme judgments is a Saudi society that views with pride the remarkable contributions the reform movement of Abdul Wahhab gave to the country. In fact, Saudis are indebted to the movement and its alliance with Al-Saud for the unprecedented development in Saudi Arabia. Prior to the movement, Arabia was one of the most backward and ignorant regions in the Muslim world. Education was non-existent. Lack of political stability, the spread of wars and conflicts between the warring tribes of Arabia, and a general sense of insecurity were prevalent between neighboring and even far distant tribes. Blind loyalty to ones tribe or town was the norm. Individualism replaced collectivism, division replaced unity and ignorance prevailed in Arabia. Ignorant and superstitious "leaders" ruled the poor masses and controlled their lives and minds. The material spoils of war had become a source of honor and status, while humbleness and righteousness were degraded and despised. Animosity ruled, instead of cooperation and tribal co-existence, with no common goal to adhere to. Religion had no role in society and the forces of evil armed with superstitions and ignorant followers fiercely fought righteous individuals.

Tribulations were common as tribal and community loyalties fueled wars between tribes, and the principle of good and evil were absent from the lives of people of Arabia. Applying religious principles to daily lives was not a priority as everyone thought only of himself, his town, and his tribe. Ignorance, antagonism, violence and wars destroyed the socio-religious foundation of life in Arabia. Life had become intolerable.

Out of this darkness, sprung the reform movement of Abdul Wahhab. He was determined to initiate a comprehensive reform movement encompassing socio-political, economic and spiritual. His reform movement relied upon the following principles:

• Reform religion through wisdom and peaceful means.

• Fight the destructive loyalties to the town/tribe as well as deviant superstitions. 

• Revive "Ijtihad", or innovation in Islam. 

• Abide by the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. 

• Respect the Imams and Islamic schools of thought: Imam Malik Al-Shaf'I, Abu Hanifa, and Ibn Hanbal. 

• Establish an undisputed political entity.

Abdul Wahhab believed in the importance of obedience to rulers, just and unjust, as long as they did not promote disobedience to God. In fact, Abdul Wahhab followed the Sunnah of the Prophet who ordered Muslims to obey authority.

Obedience to political authority in the Saudi Arabia later on provided the Kingdom with political stability, security and prosperity. Furthermore, stability not only contributed mightily to Saudi development and progress, but also contributed to world economic stability and prosperity. Let us imagine for a second that the largest oil-producing country in the world was turbulent with military coups, regional wars and perpetual violence. What would the ramifications be locally, regionally and globally?

What is the legacy of Wahhabism? Did Abdul Wahhab leave us a new Islamic sect, or did he leave us the tools to guide ourselves in our quest to understand and practice our religion in a better way? Abdul Wahhab did not create an Islamic sect, rather, he attempted to guide us to return to our religion as presented by Prophet Muhammad, and his companions.

We are indeed mistaken to think there is a continuity of Wahhabism as a sect; rather there is a continuity of the results and the fruits of the reform movement of Abdul Wahhab. Such positive consequences reflect themselves not only on the first Saudi State, but also the second and the third Saudi States over the past three hundred years.

What we witness in Saudi Arabia today is a return of the people of Arabia to their religion as revealed to the Prophet and not a return to the so-called "Wahhabism." What we see in Saudi Arabia is the positive contributions of the reform movement of Abdul Wahhab, which has facilitated the greatest modernization initiative in modern times, rather than "a group of Wahhabis with distinguishing marks walking in streets and malls."

Thank you for allowing me to express myself on this issue and for taking the time to read my views.  Please accept my very best wishes and my deepest respect.

In friendship,
Abdalla Musa Tayer Mohammed

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abdalla Musa Tayer Mohammed is a friend of the Saudi-American Forum.