Riyadh > Ar-Riyad Ar-Riyad Saudi Arabia
632 CE
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The Great Crossroads
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Al-Khansa’, who has gained fame for her elegiac compositions mourning the death of her brothers, meets the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, in 629 and converts to Islam.
Born into a wealthy family of Najd, her brother Muʿawiyah had been killed in 612 by members of another tribe.
Al-Khansa’ had insisted that her brother, Sakhr, avenge Muʿawiyah's death, which he did, but, wounded in the process, had died of his wounds a year later.
Khalid moves to Najd against the rebel tribe of Banu Tamim and their Sheikh Malik ibn Nuwayrah.
At Najd, getting the news of Khalid's decisive victories against apostates in Buzakha, many clans of Banu Tamim hasten to visit Khalid, but the Banu Yarbu', a branch of Bani Tamim, under their chief, Malik ibn Nuwayrah, hangs back.
Malik is a chief of some distinction: a warrior, noted for his generosity, and a famous poet.
At the time of Muhammad, he had been appointed as a tax collector for the tribe of Banu Tamim.
As soon as Malik heard of the death of Muhammad, he gave back all the tax to his tribespeople, saying, "Now you are the owner of your wealth."
His riders are stopped by Khalid's army at the town of Buttah.
Khalid asks them about the signing of pact with Sajjah; they said it was just because they wanted revenge against their terrible enemies.
When Khalid reaches Najd he finds no opposing army.
He sends his cavalry to nearby villages and orders them to call the Azaan (call for prayers) to each party they meet.
Zirrar bin Azwar, a squadron leader, arrests the family of Malik, claiming they had not answered the call to prayer.
Malik avoids direct contact with Khalid's army and orders his followers to scatter, and he and his family apparently move away across the desert.
He refuses to give zakat, hence differentiating between prayer and zakat.
Nevertheless, Malik is accused of rebellion against the state of Medina.
He is also to be charged for his entering in an anti-Caliphate alliance with Sajjah, a self-proclaimed prophetess.
Malik is arrested along with his clansmen, and is asked by Khalid about his crimes.
Malik's response is "your master said this your master said that" referring to Abu Bakr.
Khalid declares Malik a rebel apostate and orders his execution.
Khalid bin Walid kills Malik ibn Nuwayra.
In Medina, ‘Umar told Khâlid: “You enemy of Allâh!
You killed a Muslim man and then rape his wife.
By Allâh, I will stone you".
Khalid had taken Malik’s wife, Layla bint al-Minhal.
Shias claim that Islamically, Khalid would have had to wait for her to complete the waiting period iddah (three menstrual cycles) before Khalid would have been able to marry her.
Sunnis believe that since Malik and his tribe were judged apostates, they were taken captives and Idda rules do not apply to apostates.
Shias also claim that Abu Qatada Ansari was so shocked at Malik's murder by Khalid that he immediately returned to Medina, and told Abu Bakr that he would not serve under a commander who had killed a Muslim.
The death of Malik and Khalid's taking of his wife Layla creates a controversy.
Some officers of his army—including a prominent companion of Muhammad, Abu Qatadah—believe that Khalid killed Malik to take his wife.
After the pressure exerted by Umar—Khalid's cousin and one of Caliph Abu Bakr's main advisors—Abu Bakr calls Khalid back to Medina to explain himself.
Muhammad bin Saud manages to bring a few parts of central and eastern Arabia under more or less effective Wahhabi rule.
His son, 'Abd al-'Aziz, is largely responsible for this extension of his father's realm by his exploits as commander in chief of the Wahhabi forces.
Riyadh, however, stubbornly resists the Wahhabi movement.
Muhammad ibn Saud's son and successor, 'Abd al-'Aziz, continues after 1765, to work in complete harmony with Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, who virtually controls the Saudi realm's civil administration.
'Abd al-'Aziz himself, in cooperation with his warlike son, Sa'ud, applies himself to expanding his empire.
Riyadh finally succumbs in 1782 to the steady pressure of the new movement known as Wahhabism.
Abdul Aziz, in a large public gathering in 1787 chaired by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, forms a new type of inherited authority (Wilayat ul-A'hed) based on the Wahhabi views and, in direct opposition to the Khaleef, or Caliph, in Istanbul, declares himself leader of the Muslims.
'Abd al-'Aziz then appoints his son Saud as the Khalifah designate after him.
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab agrees to this authority and passes a Fatwah of Jihad against the Ottomani Khilafah.
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab dies in 1792 at the age of eighty-nine.
His son succeeds him as the spiritual leader of the Wahhabi Movement.
Sa'ud's father is assassinated in 1803, soon after the return of his son from the capture of Mecca, by a Shi'ite in the mosque of Ad-Dir'iyah in revenge for the desecration of Karbala'.
Although these campaigns are mostly police actions against recalcitrant tribes, the rulers describe them as holy wars (jihad), which they conduct according to religious principles.
The tribute that the Al Saud demand from those under their control also is based on Islamic principles.
Towns, for instance, pay taxes at a rate established by Muslim law, and the troops that accompany the Al Saud on raiding expeditions return one-fifth of their booty to the Al Saud treasury according to sharia (Muslim law) requirements.
The collection of tribute is another indication of the extensive influence the Al Saud derive because of their Wahhabi connections.
Turki proceeds from the ruins of Ad Diriyah to Riyadh, another Najdi city, which eventually becomes the new Al Saud base.
Forces under Turki's control reclaim the rest of Najd in 1824.
Turki's relatively swift retaking of Najd shows the extent to which the Al Saud-Wahhabi authority has been established in the area over the previous fifty years.
The successes of the Wahhabi forces had done much to promote tribal loyalty to the Al Saud, but the Wahhabi principles of the Al Saud rule are equally compelling.
After Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab's death in 1792, the Al Saud leader had assumed the title of imam.
Thus, Al Saud leaders are recognized not just as shaykhs or leaders, but as Wahhabi imams, political and religious figures whose rule has an element of religious authority.