Saudi Clerics and Shi'a Islam

ISBN-13: 9780190233310 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 328 str.

Raihan Ismail

Opis

The Saudi "ulama" are known for their strong opposition to Shi'a theology, Shi'a communities in Saudi Arabia, and external Shi'a influences such as Iran and Hezbollah. Their potent hostility, combined with the influence of the 'ulama' within the Saudi state and the Muslim world, has led some commentators to blame the Saudi 'ulama' for what they see as growing sectarian conflict in the Middle East. However, there is very little understanding of what reasoning lies behind the positions of the 'ulama' and there is a significant gap in the literature dealing with the polemics directed at the Shi'a by the Saudi religious establishment.

In Saudi Clerics and Shi'a Islam, Raihan Ismail looks at the discourse of the Saudi "ulama" regarding Shiism and Shi'a communities, analysing their sermons, lectures, publications and religious rulings. The book finds that the attitudes of the "ulama" are not only governed by their theological convictions regarding Shiism, but are motivated by political events involving the Shi'a within the Saudi state and abroad. It also discovers that political events affect the intensity and frequency of the rhetoric of the ulama at any given time.

Recenzje

This is an authoritative, richly textured inquiry into Saudi Salafi clerical discourse toward Shiism. It challenges many of our previously-held assumptions about Saudi clerical views on the Muslim 'other'. A great strength of Raihan Ismail's work is her deft handling of clerical primary sources and her illumination of the ways in which religious doctrine is constantly being shaped by political context, personalities, and regional events. A must read for anyone interested in Saudi Arabia, clerical authority, and sectarianism.

O autorze

Raihan Ismail is an Associate Lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. She works on sectarian politics in the Middle East and the dynamics within and between Islamic institutions. She regularly appears in the Australian news media commenting on Middle Eastern politics and Islam.