First: the intellectual structure

The study of the "thought" of the Yemeni Islah Party and its "political determinants" requires studying the party's first intellectual roots, places of influence and influence in its intellectual and political career. Also after that, the political determinants of the party can be studied clearly during and after the adoption of political and partisan pluralism; with the declaration of the Yemeni Unity on 22 May 1990.

Yemeni Islamic Movement

"Islah Party represents the natural extension of the modernized Yemeni reformist movement, which at the same time represents the final formulation of the contemporary Islamic movement in Yemen." (1)

This paragraph refers to the book "Islah: The Thought and the Path", which appeared in 1998, by Mr. Muhammad Abdul Rahman al-Maqrami, and the introduction of this book was written by the Chairman of the Supreme Authority of the Yemeni Islah Party - now - Mr. Muhammad Abdullah al-Yadumi. Although the Islah has benefited from many Islamic schools in the Islamic world and has been influenced by them at certain moments - as will be mentioned later -, the Islah remains Yemeni, like many Yemeni, Arab and Islamic political parties and movements, who are influenced by their surroundings at certain political moments, and no problem in that, if the idea has not exposed to melting or gotten out of its basic framework.

Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Wazir

The roots of the contemporary Yemeni regenerative reformist school refers to the era of the emergence of the modernizer Imam Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Wazir (775 AH - 840 AH), who was described as an undisputed innovator of his time and the holder of the banner of anti-imitation. The scholars of his time describe him that he was proficient in the sciences of Arabic, Qur'an, Sunnah, history, and other machine sciences, and made a great difference in his time and after his departure.

Imam al-Shawkani praised him by saying: He is one of those that the pen cannot define his case. And how can the pen explain the status of a person who competes the imams of the four schools in the diligence. He was equivalent to the imams of Al'ashearia and the Mu'tazila in their articles. In his speech, he was quoting the words of his prominent imams and he was keeping most of the texts by heart, as well as his knowledge of the time, place and cases of men. He was profound in all the mental sciences to the extent that we cannot describe him.

Imam al-Shawkani adds: "He is one of the prominent figures who received the features of their thinking from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. His knowledge of the Sunnah and its sciences has made him the most prominent of his scholars in his time without question. He transformed from his Zaydi doctrine, which he grew up on, to the work by the evidences of the Qur'an and the correct Sunnah, leaving the imitation behind, and calling others to put the words of men, which have no proofs or a touch of science, and moving to the source of Allah's Book (Qur'an) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him).

This new position, which initiated by Imam ibn al-Wazir, pushed the traditional scholars of his era, especially his Shekh Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-Qasim, to oppose and declare war against him. They even declared defamation against him, accusing him of violating the consensus of the Al-Bayt in many matters and inciting the common sense against him, but he had endured many difficulties for the sake of his innovative positions.

Because of his fame and profusion of knowledge, many of his works were interpreted by the Imam al-Shawkani, al-Sahkawi, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and the owner of the book of (Mtalla al-Badur), and al-Wajih al-Atab al-Yemeni and al-Sharif al-Fassi al-Maliki in his book "al-Eqd al-Thamin." Narrated by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar and he was impressed with him when he was young. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said in the book of ('Inba' al-Ghumr): "He was inclined to engage in al-Hadith (the Sunnah)." The owner of the book of (Mtalla al-Badur): "He interpreted his book of (al-Tawayif), and acknowledged his (al-Mualif wa al-Makhalafa)."

If I say: Yemen did not have a child like him, I am right, and in this description there are many things that are required in addition to things that exist in other books."(2)

The idea of Imam Ibn Al-Wazir opened the door wide to the emergence of eminent scholars after him. He was able to open a window of light in the moments of total darkness, which arose in the Islamic world because of the prevalence of the doctrines and the mere imitating them only and influenced the emergence of other scholars in various fields of religious knowledge. And because his fame has not been known for many reasons, they preferred safety in confrontation with the bosses of tradition.

The Ibn al-Wazir thought in the schools of Islah

The books and ideas of the Ibn al-Wazir had a central and pivotal role in the educational schools of the Yemeni Islamic Movement and will be included in the educational curricula after the Unity, especially in the institutions that were supervised by the Yemeni Islah Party such as Scientific Institutes. His books will be widely published and will be found in most of the party's offices, mosques and public libraries. They will be reprinted in thousands of copies and will be supervised by libraries and publishing houses that follow the Party or close to it directly or indirectly.