Wahhabism
Strict Islamic puritanism
Wahhabism is a strict, puritanical form of Sunni Islam originating in 18th-century Arabia.
Founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, it emphasizes literal interpretation of religious texts and rejects practices it considers idolatrous, including veneration of saints and elaborate tombs.
Wahhabism became the official doctrine of Saudi Arabia and has influenced modern Islamist movements.
Critics use the term pejoratively; adherents typically prefer "Salafi" or simply consider themselves practitioners of authentic Islam.
Severely simple and unadorned
- puritanicalExcessively strict about morals
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- rigorousExtremely thorough and careful
ascetic · dogmatic · zealous · exclusionary · intolerant · hardline · reformist · revivalist
Saudi Arabia's capital
- MeccaIslam's most sacred city
- MedinaSacred Arabian burial site
- oil wealthFortune from petroleum extraction
- mosqueIslamic house of worship
madrasa · theocracy · state religion · hajj · religious establishment
Islamic struggle, inner or outer
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- radicalizationShift toward extreme ideology
- terrorismIntimidation through targeted violence
- Al-QaedaIslamist militant organization
ISIS · Taliban · insurgency · mujahideen · violent extremism · September 11 · sectarian violence · foreign fighters
Islamic doctrine of oneness
- monotheismBelief in one god
- shariaMuslim canonical jurisprudence
- creedStatement of belief
- literalismExact meaning only
textualism · orthodoxy · jurisprudence · Islamic law · fatwa · shirk · proselytism · religious reform
austere
Severely simple and unadorned
- puritanicalExcessively strict about morals
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
rigorous · ascetic · dogmatic · zealous · exclusionary · intolerant · hardline · reformist · revivalist · iconoclastic
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's capital
- MeccaIslam's most sacred city
- MedinaSacred Arabian burial site
- oil wealthFortune from petroleum extraction
mosque · madrasa · theocracy · state religion · hajj · religious establishment
jihad
Islamic struggle, inner or outer
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- radicalizationShift toward extreme ideology
- terrorismIntimidation through targeted violence
Al-Qaeda · ISIS · Taliban · insurgency · mujahideen · violent extremism · September 11 · sectarian violence · foreign fighters · recruitment
tawhid
Islamic doctrine of oneness
- monotheismBelief in one god
- shariaMuslim canonical jurisprudence
- creedStatement of belief
literalism · textualism · orthodoxy · jurisprudence · Islamic law · fatwa · shirk · proselytism · religious reform · puritanism
Arabian Peninsula
Southwest Asian landmass
- eighteenth centuryYears 1701-1800
- clericsOrdained religious officials
- Middle EastIraq, Baghdad, Cairo, Iran, Jordan
- religionsChristianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism
- Abrahamic faithsJudaism, Christianity, Islam, Abraham, God
- IslamAllah, Quran, Muhammad, Mecca, Ramadan
- fundamentalismfundamentalism, inerrancy, literalism, dogmatism, strict interpretation
- Saudi ArabiaRiyadh, Mecca, Makkah, Medina, Madinah
Wahhabismreligious pluralism
Multiple faiths holding validity