Wahhabism and the Rise of the New Salafists

Namira Nahouza is based in Birmingham where she teaches Arabic and Religious Studies. She completed her PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter and has an MA in European Studies, jointly awarded by the University of Exeter and the Institute of Political Sciences, Rennes. She is the recipient of the Entente Cordiale Scholarship delivered by the British Council of Paris and the Prince Al-Waleed Al-Saud Furthering Understanding Scholarship.

• Abstract Acknowledgements Table of contents Table of figures Notes on transliteration, translation, abbreviation and links INTRODUCTIONOutline of the bookDefinition of 'Salaf'•Definitions taken from Arabic dictionaries, the Qur’an, and Hadith•Salaf as: the first three generations after the Prophet•Salaf: central notion in constructing orthodoxyThe Salaf, the Salafists, and the issue of the Attributes of GodLimitations of the bookGlossary of some theological concepts used in the book:CHAPTER One:Introduction to Islamic theological issuesThe origins of the main theological schoolsThe importance of the issue of the Attributes of GodSummary of Ash‘ari theological arguments“God exists without a place”Ambiguous verses and hadithsCHAPTER Two:Historical perceptionsThe Salaf and the Attributes of God: perceptions of scholars towards a consensus on the position of the salafPresentation of the sources•al-Bayhaqi (d.1066)•al-Juwayni (d.1085)•al-Nasafi (d.1114)•al-Shahrastani (d.1153)•Ibn al-Jawzi (d.1200)•al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam (d.1262)•al-Nawawi (d. 1277)•Ibn Khaldun (d.1406)•Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (d.1449)•Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d.1567 )•al-Qari (d.1605)•al-Bayadi (d. 1686)•al-Murtada al-Zabidi (d.1791)Perceptions of opponents to the consensusPresentation of the sources•Abu Ya‘la (d.1066)•Ibn al-Zaghuni (d.1133)•Ibn Taymiyya (d.1328)•al-Dhahabi (d.1348)CHAPTER Three:Wahhabism: a historical overviewWahhabism : a short historyIs there a pre-Wahhabi and post-Wahhabi era?The naming of his movement: from Wahhabis to Salafis and to SalafistsA typology of SalafistsWhat was the position of the Wahhabis on the issue of the attributes of God?CHAPTER Four:Modern approaches since the rise of WahhabismSince the rise of Wahhabism: a consensus on the position of the SalafPresentation of the sources•al-Subki al-Azhari (d.1932)•al-Dujwi (d.1945)•al-Zurqani (d.1947)•al-Quda’i (d.1956)•al-Dusuqi (d.?)•Diyab (d?)•Ibn Marzuq (d.1970)•Ibn ‘Ashur (d. 1973)•al-Harari al-Habashi (d.2008)•al-Buti (d.2013)Recent opposition to this consensusPresentation of the sources•Ibn Baz (d.1999)•Muhammad al-‘Uthaymin (d.2001)•al-Fawzan (b.1933)•al-Hawali (b.1954 )•al-‘Awda (b. 1955)•al-Khudayri•al-Dumayji•‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-Khaliq (b.1939)•IS literature•Abdullah al-Faisal, a supporter of ISCHAPTER Five:A vision of history opposed to Sunni IslamThe “traditional” vision of Islamic history•Two theological schools, four legal schools•A long continuum of scholars•Representing the majority of MuslimsThe Salafists’ specific vision of history•Ash‘arism as a misguidance rejected by al-Ash‘ari himself•Notions of rupture•Numeric superiority is not decisiveReferring to “Sunnism” : a word of cautionCHAPTER Six:Case studies on the debate around the attributes of God and its consequencesPresentation of the Cyber Islamic Environments used for these case studiesDebates on the reality of God in sunni islam and on anthropomorphism•Salafists recuse the accusation of anthropomorphism•The Sunni Answers blog•The Era of YouTube preachers: the example of Abdul Rahman HassanSome consequences of this debate•The Khalas blog•A Christian response to salafist theology•The theology of IS and some of its supportersConclusion: Scholarly and Strategic implications of the StudyFor a redefinition of the theology of the Salafists and of sunnismTheology and counter-terrorismA need for more exploration of classical Islamic sources and conceptsAPPENDIX : t