at a village in Nejd in the year 1691 A.D. The Wahhabis speak of
themselves as Muwahhid--Unitarians; but their opponents have given to them
the name of the father of the founder of their sect and call them Wahhabis.
Muhammad was a bright intelligent youth, of a strong constitution and
generous spirit. After going through a course of Arabic literature he
studied jurisprudence under a teacher of the Hanifi school. He then set out
in company with his father to perform the Hajj. At Madina he received
further instruction in the Law. He spent sometime at Ispahan in the society
of learned men. Full of {102} knowledge, he returned to his native village
of Ayina where he assumed the position of a religious teacher. He was
shocked to see how the Arabs had departed from what seemed to him the
strict unchanging precepts of the Prophet. Luxury in the form of rich
dresses and silken garments, superstition in the use of omens, auguries,
and the like, in the pilgrimages to shrines and tombs seemed to be altering
the character of the religion as given by the Apostle of God. He saw, or
thought he saw, that in the veneration paid to saints and holy men, the
great doctrine of the "Unity" was being obscured. The reason was very
plain. The Quran and the Traditions of the Companions had been neglected,
whilst the sayings of men of lesser note, and the jurisprudence of the four
great Imams had been too readily followed. Here was work to do. He would
reform the Church of Islam, and restore men to their allegiance to the Book
and the Sunnat, as recorded by the Companions. It is true, that the Sunnis
would rise up in opposition, for thus the authority of the four Imams, the
"Canonical Legists" of the orthodox sect, would be set aside; but what of
that? Had he not been a follower of Abu Hanifa? Now he was prepared to let
Aba Hanifa go, for none but a Companion of the Prophet could give an
authoritative statement with regard to the Sunnat--the Prophet's words and
acts. He must break a lance with the glorious Imam, and start a school of
his own.

He said: "The Muslim pilgrims adore the tomb of the Prophet, and the
sepulchre of 'Ali, and of other saints who have died in the odour of
sanctity. They run there to pay the tribute of their fervent prayers. By
this means they think that they can satisfy their spiritual and temporal
needs, From what do they seek this benefit? From walls made of mud and
stones, from corpses deposited in tombs. If you speak to