Muhammad bin Saud


Muhammad I ibn Saud ibn Muhammad ibn Muqrin Al-Maridi, also known as Ibn Saud, was the emir of Ad-Diriyyah and is considered the founder of the First Saudi State and the Saud dynasty, which are named for his father, Saud ibn Muhammad ibn Muqrin. Ibn Saud's family traced its descent to the tribe of Banu Audi and Hanifa tribes but, despite popular misconceptions, Muhammad ibn Saud was neither a nomadic bedouin nor was he a tribal leader. Rather, he was the chief of an agricultural settlement near modern-day Riyadh, called Diriyah. Furthermore, he was a competent and ambitious desert warrior.

Alliance with Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab

The initial power base was the town of Ad-Diriyyah, where he met Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab, who came to Ibn Saud for protection. Muhammad ibn Saud granted him entry into Diriyah. They formed an alliance in 1744 which was formalized by the wedding of Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab's daughter to Abdulaziz, son and successor of Ibn Saud. Thereafter, the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud and the descendants of bin Abdul-Wahhab, the Al ash-Sheikh, have remained closely linked.
Ibn Abdul-Wahhab provided Ibn Saud with the military backing for the House of Saudi. helped establish the House of Saud among other forces in the Arabian peninsula.

First Saudi State

Whilst under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Ibn Saud is considered the founder of what later became known as the First Saudi StateThe way he set up his government has served as the model for rulers of the House of Saud to the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled until his death in 1765 and afterwards his son, Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad, became the second ruler of the First Saudi State.

Legacy

As a forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University is named after him.