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.
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.
Acknowledgements
A Note on Conventions
Introduction
1. The significance of the 'ulama': a historical overview
2. Origins: the Shi'a faith
3. The theological convictions of the Saudi 'ulama' towards the
Shi'a
4. The Saudi 'ulama' and the internal Shi'a threat
5. The Saudi 'ulama' and the external Shi'a threat: the case of
Iran
6. The Saudi 'ulama' and the external Shi'a threat: the case of
Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen
Conclusion
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Raihan Ismail is based 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.
"Ismail gives an in-depth...view of the Saudi 'Wahhabi' clerics on
Shi'ism from the founding of the first Saudi state in the 18th
century until the present day..."--Middle East Journal
"Ismail has written a ground-breaking study on one of the key
issues in the contemporary Islamic World: The attitude of Saudi
clerics towards non-Sunni Muslims. Based on a close reading of
sermons, books, and online discussions in Arabic, Ismail shows how
Saudi clerics have embraced anti-Shiism as a cornerstone of their
campaign to impose Wahhabi religious orthodoxy on Muslims around
the world. An essential reading for anyone interested in the root
causes of
the religious conflicts that are reshaping the Middle East." --Toby
Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in the International Relations
of the Middle East, The Middle East Centre, St. Antony's
College
"Raihan Ismail's work presents, for the first time in English,
comprehensive coverage of portrayals of Shiism in Saudi religious
thought and preaching for both establishment and non-establishment
'ulam?'. An examination of both theological and political
influences upon portrayals of Saudi Sh?'a and their interactions
with other Sh?'a in Iran, Bahrain, Iraq, and Yemen, Ismail's book
is a welcome addition to the corpus of work on Saudi religious
thought and
practice." --Natana J. DeLong-Bas, Editor-in-Chief, The Oxford
Encyclopedia of Islam and Women
"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." --Frederic Wehrey, author of Sectarian Politics in
the Gulf: From the Iraq War to the Arab Uprisings
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