WAHA'BEES, a. Mussutman sect, of which the founder was a learned Arabian, named Abd el Wah4b, who became per suaded of the corruption, both of doctrine and practice, prevalent among the pro fessors of Islam, especially the Turks. Ills daughter married Mohammed Ibn Saorid, the principal person of the town of Dera-yeh, who became his first convert and leader of the sect, about 1760. Like the original prophet of their faith, Saidid and his followers propagated their doc trines at once by persuasion and arms. Abd el Aziz and ihn Saoild, the son and grandson of the first Saoild, carried their arms to the utmost extremities of Arabia, and, conformably with the old Moham medan principle, established a spiritual and temporal leadership united in their persons. The Bedouins, or wandering tribes, formed the bulk of their converts. They acknowledged the Koran and the Sunne, or orthodox tradition, and they professed adherence to the liberal tenets of both ; but they accused the other Mo hammedans of an idolatrous veneration for the prophet and other saints, and de nied the intercession of saints altogether. Like the early Protestants of Europe, their favorite taste was the destruction of the cupolas and tombs of saints. To this the mob of Wahabys added a strong aversion to the rich dress of the Turks, and to the practice of smoking tobacco, which had bean prohibited by Abd el WalMb much on the same bold principle which had induced Mohammed himself to condemn the use of wine. The province of
Neiljd became the chief seat of the Waba by power. Under the last Saofid (a very handsome man, whom the Arabs called Abou Shewareb, or the Father of Mus taches,) it reached its greatest extent. Like the early caliphs, he administered justice in person to great part of Arabia. The Wahabys, in the first twenty years of this century, extended their plunder ing expeditions to Syria, Irak, and Mes opotamia. In 1803 they took Mekko, and soon conquered the llidjah. In 1809 Mehemet Ali began hostilities in Arabia ; and in 1812 the llidjah was restored, and the caravans of pilgrims once more ar rived with their usual pomp at Mekka ; but for some years afterwards the Waha bys maintained HAr superiority in the rest of Arabia. Saoeul died in 1814, and was succeeded in his political and relig ious authority by his son Abdallah, under whom the Wahabys were finally subdued by Mehemet Ali ; but we pogsess no au thentic account of their conquest, or their present condition.