In the barren desert of Najd in Central Arabia, Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab perceived the superstitions, grave visitations and sinful lifestyles around him as no different than the pre-Islamic, polytheist Arabs that Muhammad had battled. The alliance he formed with the ruling Saud family in the town of Dir‘iyya, known as the ‘Muwahhid’ movement, or those calling for restoring Tawhid (called ‘Wahhabis’ by their detractors), engaged in a violent conquest of Central Arabia that forced their revivalist message on the tribes they defeated.
