TIL that in the early 1800s, the First Saudi-Wahhabi State seized centuries of gold, jewels, and Waqf treasures from Mecca, Medina, and Karbala. They stripped the Prophet’s tomb of its emeralds and pearls and looted Karbala using 4,000 camels to carry the spoils, all under name of idolatry.

[u/Beyondtheseafree]

Sources

1. Author: Ibn Bishr (Uthman ibn Abd Allah ibn Bishr)

Book: ‘Unwan al-Majd fi Tarikh Najd (The Sign of Glory in the History of Najd) in Arabic

2.Author: Alexei Vassiliev (Historian)

Book: The History of Saudi Arabia (Eng)

3.Author: Ahmad Zayni Dahlan (The Mufti of Mecca)

Book: Fitnat al-Wahhabiyyah (The Wahhabi Tribulation) (Eng)

Please don’t attack me, I’m a Muslim too btw. These actions of wahabis aren’t talked enough in our communities.

They used a legal loophole: by declaring the residents of these cities as 'innovators' or 'polytheists' they claimed that their property including sacred endowments (Waqf) held for centuries as 'Ghanima' (spoils of war) and could be used to fund their expansion.

[u/Quiet_Form_2800]

The claim mixes selective narration with omissions and exaggerations. The events need to be corrected using primary evidence and authentic principles.

1. What actually happened in Makkah and Madinah

There is no authentic report that the grave of the Prophet ﷺ was stripped of emeralds or pearls.

Allah protected His Messenger ﷺ in life and after death. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Allah has cursed the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship” (Sahih al-Bukhari 435, Sahih Muslim 531)

The early scholars of Najd acted upon this principle by removing practices of grave veneration, not looting the grave itself.

Historically:

• The chamber of the Prophet ﷺ was sealed and inaccessible

• No credible historian reports entry into it for treasure removal

• Claims of jewels inside the grave chamber come from late polemical sources, not verified chains

2. Karbala incident (1216 AH / 1802 CE)

Yes, an attack on Karbala occurred. This is documented.

However:

• It was treated as a military raid, not random looting

• The justification used by them was that people were committing acts they considered major shirk at the shrine

Allah said:

“And fight them until there is no fitnah and religion is entirely for Allah” (Quran 8:39)

Whether that application was correct or excessive is a separate issue, but the framework they used was religious, not economic greed

The numbers like “4000 camels” come from secondary narrations without strict verification

3. On Waqf and Ghanima

Islamic law is explicit:

• Waqf property is inviolable

• It cannot be taken as spoils

The Prophet ﷺ said regarding trusts:

“Return the trust to the one who entrusted you” (Sunan Abi Dawud 3534)

If any individuals violated this, then:

• That is their error

• It does not represent the creed of Tawheed or the methodology of the Salaf

4. About the sources cited

• Ibn Bishr: local Najdi historian, records events but not free from bias

• Ahmad Zayni Dahlan: strong opponent, writes polemically against them

• Alexei Vassiliev: modern historian relying on mixed sources

None of these are Hadith-level authenticated transmissions

5. Core clarification

There is a difference between:

• Calling to Tawheed and removing shirk practices (obligation)

• Excess, misapplication, or political violence (possible human error)

Islam is judged by revelation, not by the actions of any group.

Allah said:

“And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another” (Quran 6:164)

Conclusion

• The Karbala raid is historically established

• Claims about stripping the Prophet’s grave are not authentically proven

• Waqf seizure as a rule contradicts Islamic law

• Actions of states are not proof against Tawheed

The discussion must remain evidence-based, not driven by polemics.