Wahhābī Islam Facing the Challenges of Modernity : Dār Al-Iftā in the Modern Saudi State

This book focuses on the history and work of the Saudi Dār al-Iftā, one of the most central modern Islamic official religious institutions. The study was undertaken from two perspectives: (1) Dār al-Iftā creation, power structure, functions and the sociopolitical environment in which it operates; and (2) The actual work of this institution, mainly the mechanisms by which modern Saudi state muftis cope with clashes between Wahhābī idealism and the reality of an evolving society. This is a critical work which updates the readers' grasp of contemporary law and society in the modern Saudi state, in particular, and in Islamic jurisprudence in general. Biographical note Muhammad K. Al Atawneh, Ph.D. (2004) in modern Islamic Studies, Ben Gurion University, is senior lecturer at Ben Gurion University. He has published extensively on Islamic law and society in contemporary Arab and Islamic worlds with an emphasis on Wahhāb Islam. Readership This book is primarily intended for researchers in Islamic studies, but will also interest non-specialists who want to learn about modern Islamic society. Reviews "[...] Muhammad Al Atawneh presents a convincing study informed by original sources like, among many others, Umm al-Qura newspaper and royal decrees. Many examples, a general index, and a number of useful appendices (translations of analyzed fatwas, organizational chart of Saudi ifta', glossary of Arabic terms) round off this insightful book." Jens Kutscher for H-Soz-u-Kult, May 2012. Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Map of Arabia 11 Introduction 13 Chapter One Muftīs and Fatwās in Saudi Arabia Background 23 The Genealogy of Wahhābī Muftīs 25 Iftā' Institutional Manifestations 28 The Early Fatwās and the Formation of Wahhābī Islam 32 Chapter Two Dār Al-Iftā' Today 39 The Board of the Senior 'Ulamā' (BSU) 39 The Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Legal Opinion (CRLO) 46 The Grand Muftī 52 Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azīz Ibn Bāz 53 Chapter Three Muftīs, State and Society 57 Muftīs and King in Tandem 57 Wulāt al-Amr: 'Ulamā', Umarā' and the Question of Authority 59 Muftīs and Politics 64 Muftīs in Society 73 Chapter Four Modern Wahhābī Jurisprudence 77 Salafīsm as the Spirit of Wahhābī Legal Thought 77 Legal Theory 79 Ijtihād 86 Taqlīd and the School of Law 93 Methodology: Tarjīḥ and the Evaluation of Evidence 99 Chapter Five Bid'a Vis-à-Vis Sunna: The Limits of Change 105 Bid'a in Islamic Law 106 Bid'a in Wahhābī Thought 109 The Limits of Change: The Prohibited 115 1. Exalting Islamic Historical Sites 115 2. Celebration and Remembrance 116 3. Women in Saudi Society 121 4. Leisure Time and Entertainment 129 Chapter Six Wahhābism Applied: Flexibility Towards Change 137 Flexibility towards Change: The Permissible 137 1. Visual Media 137 2. Financial Matters 143 3. Medical Issues 156 Conclusions 169 Appendix A: Translated Decisions of BSU 173 1. Wife’s Disobedience 173 2. Population Control 175 3. Autopsy 176 4. Limiting Dowries 177 5. Cornea Transplants 179 6. Sighting the Crescent Moon [of Ramaḍān] at Observatories 180 7. Drug Smuggling and Trafficking 181 8. Terrorism 183 Appendix B: Translated Fatwās of CRLO 185 1. Islamic Mystic Sects and Movements 185 2. Celebrations and Remembrance 186 3. Modern Science and Technological Innovations 189 4. Financial Matters 192 5. Women’s Issues 195 Appendix C: Āl al-Shaykh—Genealogy of Prominent Muftīs 202 Appendix D: Modern Sa'ūdī Institution of Iftā' 203 Glossary of Arabic Terms 205 Bibliography and Sources 211 Index 225 This book focuses on the history and work of the Saudi Dar al-Ifta, one of the most central modern Islamic official religious institutions. The study was undertaken from two perspectives: (1) Dar al-Ifta creation, power structure, functions and the sociopolitical environment in which it operates; and (2) The actual work of this institution, mainly the mechanisms by which modern Saudi state muftis cope with clashes between Wahhabi idealism and the reality of an evolving society. This is a critical work which updates the readers' grasp of contemporary law and society in the modern Saudi state, in particular, and in Islamic jurisprudence in general. -- Back cover This book examines Dar al-Ifta, the official Saudi religious establishment for issuing fatwas, between 1971 and 1999. Specifically, it explores the challenges that this scholarly body encountered when applying Wahhabi interpretations of the Shari'a to late twentieth-century modernity.