Berger, L 2012, 'Wahhabism' , in: Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia , SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

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Abstract

The term ‘Wahhabism’ is derived from the name of Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-92) who lived and worked as a religious reformer in the heartland of the Arabian Peninsula. Many of those Muslims who are generally referred to as Wahhabis reject that term which for them implies that they confer a similar status to a human individual as they do to the one God. Given their particular concern with all forms of idolatry that could unduly distract from the worship of the one God they find the description as Wahhabis particularly insulting. Since ‘tawhid’, i.e. professing the oneness and uniqueness of God, is the central element of their thought, many Wahhabis thus prefer the term ‘muwahhidun’, i.e. the ones who profess God’s oneness.

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