Wahhabi Islam

From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam
Cover of the book Wahhabi Islam by Natana J. Delong-Bas, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Natana J. Delong-Bas ISBN: 9780199883547
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: July 15, 2004
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Natana J. Delong-Bas
ISBN: 9780199883547
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: July 15, 2004
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Before 9/11, few Westerners had heard of Wahhabism. Today, it is a household word. Frequently mentioned in association with Osama bin Laden, Wahhabism is portrayed by the media and public officials as an intolerant, puritanical, militant interpretation of Islam that calls for the wholesale destruction of the West in a jihad of global proportions. In the first study ever undertaken of the writings of Wahhabism's founder, Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1702-1791), Natana DeLong-Bas shatters these stereotypes and misconceptions. Her reading of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's works produces a revisionist thesis: Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was not the godfather of contemporary terrorist movements. Rather, he was a voice of reform, reflecting mainstream 18th-century Islamic thought. His vision of Islamic society was based upon a monotheism in which Muslims, Christians and Jews were to enjoy peaceful co-existence and cooperative commercial and treaty relations. Eschewing medieval interpretations of the Quran and hadith (sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad), Ibn Abd al-Wahhab called for direct, historically contextualized interpretation of scripture by both women and men. His understanding of theology and Islamic law was rooted in Quranic values, rather than literal interpretations. A strong proponent of women's rights, he called for a balance of rights between women and men both within marriage and in access to education and public space. In the most comprehensive study of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's interpretation of jihad ever written, DeLong-Bas details a vision in which jihad is strictly limited to the self-defense of the Muslim community against military aggression. Contemporary extremists like Osama bin Laden do not have their origins in Wahhabism, she shows. The hallmark jihadi focus on a cult of martyrdom, the strict division of the world into two necessarily opposing spheres, the wholescale destruction of both civilian life and property, and the call for global jihad are entirely absent from Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's writings. Instead, the militant stance of contemporary jihadism lies in adherence to the writings of the medieval scholar, Ibn Taymiyya, and the 20th century Egyptian radical, Sayyid Qutb. This pathbreaking book fills an enormous gap in the literature about Wahhabism by returning to the original writings of its founder. Bound to be controversial, it will be impossible to ignore.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Before 9/11, few Westerners had heard of Wahhabism. Today, it is a household word. Frequently mentioned in association with Osama bin Laden, Wahhabism is portrayed by the media and public officials as an intolerant, puritanical, militant interpretation of Islam that calls for the wholesale destruction of the West in a jihad of global proportions. In the first study ever undertaken of the writings of Wahhabism's founder, Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1702-1791), Natana DeLong-Bas shatters these stereotypes and misconceptions. Her reading of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's works produces a revisionist thesis: Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was not the godfather of contemporary terrorist movements. Rather, he was a voice of reform, reflecting mainstream 18th-century Islamic thought. His vision of Islamic society was based upon a monotheism in which Muslims, Christians and Jews were to enjoy peaceful co-existence and cooperative commercial and treaty relations. Eschewing medieval interpretations of the Quran and hadith (sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad), Ibn Abd al-Wahhab called for direct, historically contextualized interpretation of scripture by both women and men. His understanding of theology and Islamic law was rooted in Quranic values, rather than literal interpretations. A strong proponent of women's rights, he called for a balance of rights between women and men both within marriage and in access to education and public space. In the most comprehensive study of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's interpretation of jihad ever written, DeLong-Bas details a vision in which jihad is strictly limited to the self-defense of the Muslim community against military aggression. Contemporary extremists like Osama bin Laden do not have their origins in Wahhabism, she shows. The hallmark jihadi focus on a cult of martyrdom, the strict division of the world into two necessarily opposing spheres, the wholescale destruction of both civilian life and property, and the call for global jihad are entirely absent from Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's writings. Instead, the militant stance of contemporary jihadism lies in adherence to the writings of the medieval scholar, Ibn Taymiyya, and the 20th century Egyptian radical, Sayyid Qutb. This pathbreaking book fills an enormous gap in the literature about Wahhabism by returning to the original writings of its founder. Bound to be controversial, it will be impossible to ignore.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book American Routes by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Orbán by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Developmental Influences on Adult Intelligence by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Hope, Hype, and Reality of Genetic Engineering by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Brought to Bed by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Voice of the Past by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Overflowing Brain by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Friction by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Navigating Policy and Practice in the Great Recession by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of the Italian Economy Since Unification by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Future of Imprisonment by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book The Coldest Place on Earth - With Audio Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Freedom from Fear:The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945 by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Revolution Stalled by Natana J. Delong-Bas
Cover of the book Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Movement by Natana J. Delong-Bas
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy