The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2677 page)

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A
MAD SIR-HIND
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Wahh
b
ya
.

An ultra-conservative, puritanical Muslim movement adhering to the
anbalite
law, although it regards itself as
ghair muqallid
n
, non-adherent to parties, but defending truth. It arose in Najd in the Arabian peninsula during the 18th cent. Its founder, Mu
ammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahh
b (1703–87 (AH 1115–1201)) found a champion in the tribal leader Mu
ammad ibn Sa‘
d of the Dar‘iya region, and from then on the Saudis became the main supporters of the movement. They believe that the Muslims have abandoned their faith in One God (tawhid) and have distorted Islam through innovations (
bid‘a
) which run counter to pure Islam. The Wahh
b
s accept only the
Qur’
n
and the authentic
Sunna
, and all Muslims who do not accept their creed are regarded as heretics, especially the
Sh
‘a
, who are considered as archenemies of Islam.
During the 19th cent., the Wahh
b
s in alliance with the Sa‘
d family began to expand territorially. Within the new kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Wahh