Abduh, had criticized the Wahhabis and their religious ethos for running counter to the intellectual and social objectives of Islamic modernism. Although the Wahhabis originally declared their intention to wipe off the dust of "taqleed", 'Abduh argued that they ended up being more narrow-minded and disgruntled than the blind imitators. According to him, they were no friends of science and civilization. Rida on the other hand, was a staunch defender of Wahhabis and attempted their rehabilitation in the wider Islamic World. And unlike Abduh, Rida identified as a Salafi in creed and relied heavily on transmitted reports("naql"). But as a balanced reformer, Rida still upheld notions of rationality and progress.