Muhammad bin Saud
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Muhammad bin Saud (d. 1765) is considered the first head of the House of Saud, which is technically named for his father, Saud bin Mohammed bin Mukrin. He began his power base from the town of Ad-Dar'iyah, where he met Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. Wahhab came to Saud for protection, and it was granted to him. The two also decided to work together to rid the Arabian peninsula of what they saw as innovations in the practice of Islam by bringing the religion back to its purest form. They formed an alliance, and this was formalized by the wedding of Ibn Saud's son to Abdul Wahhab's daughter.
Using the ideology of Wahhab, Muhammad bin Saud helped establish the House of Saud among other tribes in the Arabian peninsula. The use of religion as a basis for legitimacy differentiated the House of Saud from neighboring tribes and built support.
Thus, Muhammad bin Saud is considered the founder of the First Saudi State. The way he set up his government has served as model for rulers of the House of Saud until the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled from 1744 till his death in 1765.
| Preceded by: — | Heads of the House of Saud 1744-1765 | Succeeded by: Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Saud |