A study of the attitudes and positions of the Saudi ulama towards Shi'ism

Abstract

The Saudi ulama are known for their strong opposition to Shia theology, Shia communities in Saudi Arabia and external Shia influences such as Iran and Hezbollah. This strong 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 lies behind the positions of the ulama and there is a significant gap in the literature dealing with the polemics directed at the Shia by the Saudi religious establishment. Accordingly, this research looks behind the discourse of the Saudi ulama in respect of Shiism and various Shia communities, both inside and outside of Saudi Arabia. The study seeks to explain the attitudes of the ulama by analysing their sermons, lectures, publications and religious rulings. It finds that the ulama are not only governed by their theological convictions against the Shia, but are also motivated by the political circumstances involving Shia communities within the Saudi state and abroad. It also discovers that political events affect the intensity and frequency of the rhetoric of the ulama. Show more