The territory of Al Saud was still surrounded by enemies. The Rashidi to the north, although disunited at home, were still hostile to the House of Saud and still enjoyed Turkish support. Hijaz, to the west, was in effect a Turkish province. In the East, the Turks held al-Hasa and the eastern seaboard.
Nevertheless, it was from inside Nejd, not from outside, that the next challenges to Ibn Saud's authority came.
Faisal Ad-Dawish, chieftain of the Mutair tribe, led a revolt against Ibn Saud. He was defeated at the battle of Majma'a. Ibn Saud pardoned him, but he rebelled again and was defeated once more at a battle near Buraidah.
In general, Ibn Saud showed considerable magnanimity towards those who rebelled against his authority. Although such rebels must have expected a death sentence, on most occasions Ibn Saud pardoned them. It was a policy which combined mercy with political acuity. If he had executed every rebel, he would have laid the foundations for many blood feuds which inevitably would have made his ambition of unifying his Kingdom far more difficult. The policy also must have made surrender more tempting than continued resistance, since there was always a chance of clemency.