Wahhabism (Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية, Wahabism) is a branch of Sunni Islam practised by those who follow the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, after whom the movement is named. Ibn Abdul Wahhab, who reintroduced Shariah (Islamic) law to the Arabian peninsula, was influenced by the writings of scholars such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Taymiyya. This theology is the dominant form found in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as some pockets of Somalia, Algeria, Palestine and Mauritania.
The term "Wahhabi" (Wahhābīya) is rarely used by the people it is used to describe. Some use Wahhabism and Salafism interchangeably, though "Wahhabism" is considered derogatory. Others consider Wahhabism to be an ultra-conservative form of Salafism. Ingrid Mattson, a professor of Islamic Studies from Hartford Seminary, calls Wahhabism a reform movement, rather than a sect.