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Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement
An essential history of Wahhābism from its founding to the Islamic State
In the mid-eighteenth century, a controversial Islamic movement arose in the central Arabian region of Najd that forever changed the political landscape of the Arabian Peninsula and the history of Islamic thought. Its founder, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, taught that most professed Muslims were polytheists due to their veneration of Islamic saints at tombs and gravesites. He preached that true Muslims, those who worship God alone, must show hatred and enmity toward these polytheists and fight them in jihād. Cole Bunzel tells the story of Wahhābism from its emergence in the 1740s to its taming and coopting by the modern Saudi state in the 1920s, and shows how its legacy endures in the ideologies of al-Qāʿida and the Islamic State.
Drawing on a wealth of primary source materials, Bunzel traces the origins of Wahhābī doctrine to the religious thought of medieval theologian Ibn Taymiyya and examines its development through several generations of Wahhābī scholars. While widely seen as heretical and schismatic, the movement nonetheless flourished in central Arabia, spreading across the peninsula under the political authority of the Āl Suʿūd dynasty until the invading Egyptian army crushed it in 1818. The militant Wahhābī ethos, however, persisted well into the early twentieth century, when the Saudi kingdom used Wahhābism to bolster its legitimacy.
This incisive history is the definitive account of a militant Islamic movement founded on enmity toward non-Wahhābī Muslims and that is still with us today in the violent doctrines of Sunni jihādīs.
In the mid-eighteenth century, a controversial Islamic movement arose in the central Arabian region of Najd that forever changed the political landscape of the Arabian Peninsula and the history of Islamic thought. Its founder, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, taught that most professed Muslims were polytheists due to their veneration of Islamic saints at tombs and gravesites. He preached that true Muslims, those who worship God alone, must show hatred and enmity toward these polytheists and fight them in jihād. Cole Bunzel tells the story of Wahhābism from its emergence in the 1740s to its taming and coopting by the modern Saudi state in the 1920s, and shows how its legacy endures in the ideologies of al-Qāʿida and the Islamic State.
Drawing on a wealth of primary source materials, Bunzel traces the origins of Wahhābī doctrine to the religious thought of medieval theologian Ibn Taymiyya and examines its development through several generations of Wahhābī scholars. While widely seen as heretical and schismatic, the movement nonetheless flourished in central Arabia, spreading across the peninsula under the political authority of the Āl Suʿūd dynasty until the invading Egyptian army crushed it in 1818. The militant Wahhābī ethos, however, persisted well into the early twentieth century, when the Saudi kingdom used Wahhābism to bolster its legitimacy.
This incisive history is the definitive account of a militant Islamic movement founded on enmity toward non-Wahhābī Muslims and that is still with us today in the violent doctrines of Sunni jihādīs.
408 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 15, 2023
A good effort on author’s end to put a book out there which isn’t difficult to read nor hard to understand. But I think the way it is written is weird. Like why would you need to use Arabic words after every other sentence of line? What’s the use of them when you can clearly add them as the notes.
Second thing which make this book not a 5 star read for me is how it lacks the dept when it comes to the 20th century and onward. Like the author summarize huge things in few pages whereas he took dozens of pages just to make point about ibn tamiyah and wahab. It could be better.
Second thing which make this book not a 5 star read for me is how it lacks the dept when it comes to the 20th century and onward. Like the author summarize huge things in few pages whereas he took dozens of pages just to make point about ibn tamiyah and wahab. It could be better.
January 24, 2025
Buku pertama selesai dibaca untuk 2025. Sudah lama tidak memulakan bacaan awal tahun dengan buku tebal, biasanya lebih memilih buku tipis tapi penting yang boleh disudahkan sehari atau beberapa hari pertama tahun baharu.
Namun, buku penting ini tidak boleh dibiarkan begitu sahaja selepas membelinya di Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Selangor (SIBF) yang hasrat memperolehnya sudah lama. Ia mula diterbitkan rasanya kurang dua tiga bulan selepas Book Depository ditamatkan - sumber buku yang relatif sangat murah berbanding 'saudara tirinya', Amazon.
Apa yang istimewa pada buku Wahhabism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement ini adalah buku ini menyusuri sejarah merah pemikiran yang paling kontroversi dalam dunia moden (dibaca dalam konteks maksud modenisme dalam sejarah kebudayaan dan pemikiran Barat, bukan moden dalam kefahaman penggunaannya secara literal pada masa kini) bersumberkan tulisan primer pengasas aliran berkenaan, Muhammad Abdul Wahab (Ibnu Abdul Wahab) dan ulama-ulamanya sama ada daripada keturunannya, Aali Sheikh mahupun yang lainnya termasuk sejarawan penting mereka seperti Ibnu Bishr dan Ibnu Ghannam.
Malah, ia juga bersumberkan karya-karya dikarang oleh ulama Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah (ASWJ) yang membantah, mengkritik dan menjawab pemikiran serta tindak-tanduk Ibnu Abdul Wahab dan ulama selepasnya. Tentangan dan kritikan ini bukan hanya daripada ulama mazhab Hambali seawal abangnya sendiri, iaitu Sulaiman Ibnu Abdul Wahab, bahkan daripada mazhab lain terutama Syafie dan Maliki termasuk dari Makkah dan Madinah. Selain itu, pengarang turut menggunakan sumber pengembara dan pegawai dari Barat yang sudah mula 'melintas' Semenanjung Arab.
Ini kerana apa diserukan Ibnu Abdul Wahab bukan sahaja kontroversi, bahkan mencetuskan fitnah besar dari sudut akidah kerana konsep tauhid dibawanya, sikap keras termasuk mengkafirkan umat Islam yang didakwa syirik kerana mengagung-agungkan wali, menziarahi makam auliya', melakukan amalan tawasul dan istighasah. Hakikatnya, ASWJ tidak mudah menjatuhkan hukum kafir dan syirik kepada ahli kiblat, iaitu umat Islam, apatah lagi dalam isu bersifat khilafiyah yang jumhur ulama mengharuskannya, bahkan menganggapnya baik.
Oleh itu, berlaku wacana hebat dengan kedua-dua belah saling menghasilkan kitab yang mengkritik dan menjawab kritikan, manakala pada masa sama hubungan simbiosis antara Ibnu Abdul Wahab dengan keluarga Saud mula berlaku yang kemudian membawa kepada peluasan kekuasaan sekurang-kurangnya kepada tiga fasa, iaitu kerajaan Saudi pertama antara 1741 hingga 1818; kerajaan Saudi kedua (1823-1887) dan kerajaan Saudi ketiga yang bermula pada 1902 membawa kepada penubuhan Arab Saudi pada 1932.
Justeru, perdebatan dan perseteruan dalam bentuk wacana penulisan itu disorot pengarang bersama-sama dengan aspek politik, perang dan perluasan atau pengunduran wilayah kekuasaan yang turut menyaksikan bukan sahaja pedang digunakan sebagai senjata, bahkan takfir (mengkafirkan) dan tab'id (membidaahkan) melukakan umat Islam. Memang, ulama Wahabi bertegas mereka tidak mengkafirkan umat Islam tetapi hakikatnya mereka boleh menggunakan alasan itu kerana mereka sudahpun menjatuhkan hukum syirik yang membawa kepada kedudukan musyrikin kepada umat Islam yang memuliakan wali (tabaruk), menziarahi makam auliya dan melakukan tawasul dan istighasah. Ini bermakna maksud 'tidak mengkafirkan umat Islam' adalah mereka tidak mengkafirkan penduduk Najd terutamanya yang mengikuti fahaman dan aliran mereka.
Selain polemik dan wacana dengan ulama ASWJ, pengarang turut menyorot pertembungan dalaman ulama Wahabi sesama mereka yang dianggap pengarang sebagai pandangan (kelihatan) 'moderat' terutama dari segi hukum bermusafir ke negara/negeri Musyrikin (malangnya, kategori ini sebenarnya tidak ditujukan ke Eropah, sebaliknya kepada wilayah yang berada di bawah kekuasaan Uthmaniyah, ya khilafah Islam yang menjadi antara contoh penting termasuk kepada Islamis pada masa kini dianggap kekuasaan Musyrikin).
Pertembungan dalaman ini juga menjadi lebih kritikal pada fasa kerajaan Saudi kedua kerana ketika itu berada dalam keadaan lemah dan berlaku perang saudara dalam keluarga Saud yang berebut singgahsana hingga pada masa berbeza, setiap pemimpin Saud dalam kalangan adik-beradik cuba meminta bantuan daripada Uthmaniyah. Pertembungan dalaman juga semakin getir ketika era peralihan antara kerajaan Saudi kedua dengan ketiga, iaitu kerajaan Rashid yang meskipun tidak bersikap ofensif terhadap Wahabi, ia lebih toleran termasuk menerima kedatangan umat Islam yang sebelum ini dianggap musyrik oleh golongan Wahabi.
Pada fasa ketiga inilah, kita dapat saksikan kerajaan Saudi ketiga yang kini memerintah Semenanjung Tanah Arab termasuk Hijaz dengan dua kota suci, iaitu Makkah dan Madinah. Berbeza dengan fasa pertama, Abdul Aziz Ibnu Abdul Rahman as-Saud atau lebih dikenali sebagai Ibnu Saud tidak terlalu keras dengan berpegang kepada fahaman Wahabi seperti fasa pertama, sebaliknya lebih bersifat politikal dan realis dengan pelbagai faktor. Pertama, Ibnu Saud menjalinkan hubungan dengan Inggeris yang termasuk dalam garis merah tidak boleh dilangkahi dalam aliran Wahabisme. Kedua, Ibnu Saud tidak menjadikan 'redha' ulama Wahabi suatu kemestian untuk melakukan sesuatu yang besar. Ketiga, Ibnu Saud memerlukan pengiktirafan daripada umat Islam di seluruh dunia yang ketika itu bermusuh dengan aliran Wahabisme seperti dapat dilihat daripada karya-karya tulisan ulama ASWJ. Kelima, kehadiran golongan modenis di bawah Rashid Redha, iaitu anak murid kepada Sheikh Muhammad Abduh dilihat dapat 'menjinakkan' golongan Wahabi yang sebelum ini sangat keras termasuk dalam isu berkaitan dengan penggunaan teknologi moden seperti telegraf dan televisyen.
Dalam fasa ketiga inilah, kita juga dapat membaca bagaimana golongan Ikhwan, iaitu masyarakat Arab Badwi yang sebelum ini hidup secara nomad, tetapi melalui proses 'urbanisasi' dengan hidup secara tetap di beberapa kawasan serta menjadi tentera ketika Ibnu Saud melebarkan wilayahnya. Golongan Ikhwan ini juga diindoktrinasikan dengan fahaman Wahabi yang sangat kental oleh ulama Wahabi hingga mereka boleh menjadi tentera yang sangat berkesan kepada misi politik Ibnu Saud. Tidak hairanlah, mereka ini ditanam dengan fahaman jihad meskipun ia dilancarkan kepada umat Islam itu sendiri sama ada ASWJ mahupun Syiah, hingga kita didedahkan sendiri oleh sejarawan Wahabi terhadap kekerasan mereka termasuk menjadikan harta umat Islam sebagai rampasan perang. Bagaimananpun, Ibnu Saud yang sudah menjalinkan persefahaman dengan Inggeris terpaksa menghentikan 'jihad' dilancarkan golongan Ikhwan ini kerana wilayah seperti Jordan dan Iraq tidak boleh dicerobohi. Kesannya, pemberontakan Ikhwan meletus hingga Ibnu Saud dengan bantuan Inggeris terpaksa menumpaskannya.
Inilah kesannya indoktrinasi fahaman keras termasuk takfir yang akhirnya menjadi senjata cuba makan tuan hingga golongan Ikhwan ini beranggapan bukan sahaja raja, bahkan ulama yang mengajar mereka pun sudah terkeluar daripada jalan yang benar. Malah, senjata makan tuan ini kembali pula pada dekad 1970-an, apabila Juhayman al-Utaibi yang berketurunan golongan Ikhwan ini bersama-sama pengikutnya termasuk adik iparnya, Muhammad Abdullah al-Qahtani yang diisytiharkan sebagai 'al-Mahdi' merampas Masjidil Haram dan menjadikan jemaah di dalamnya sebagai tebusan selama dua minggu, sekali gus menumpahkan darah dan nyawa di rumah Allah itu. Sejarah yang berlaku kepada Ikhwan, berulang kembali kerana mereka juga dididik oleh ulama Wahabi yang kemudiannya menganggap guru-guru mereka terlalu bertolak-ansur dengan kerajaan yang dianggap melakukan perkara mungkar, iaitu menerima kemajuan modenisme Barat yang turut mengubah budaya ketika itu.
Membaca buku ini sebenarnya dapat menyedarkan kita mengenai kedudukan sebenar fahaman Wahabisme dan bagaimana pegangan, tindak-tanduk serta sikap mereka yang sudah bermula secara keras dan gasang pada awalnya, mengalami naik turun dari segi skala kekerasan berdasarkan kedudukan kerajaan semasa. Tidak hairanlah ulama ASWJ sejak awal lagi sudah mengkritik dan berhujah dengan mereka secara tulisan sama ada dalam bentuk manuskrip atau bercetak kemudiannya.
Hakikatnya, fahaman yang membawa kepada sikap dengan mudah mengkafirkan umat Islam dalam soal fiqh dan bersifat khilafiyah ini sangat berbahaya kerana sifat ekstrem itu boleh menumbuhkan cabang yang lebih keras seperti kita saksikan kewujudan kelompok jihadis pada alaf lalu dalam skala yang kecil seperti di Mesir mahupun pada alaf ini dengan skala sebesar al-Qaeda dan Daesh atau Islamic State (IS) yang melipatgandakan fahaman keras yang ada pada zaman Ibnu Abdul Wahab dan sesudahnya kepada aliran yang sanggup menumpahkan darah manusia termasuk umat Islam dengan cara tidak terjangkau akal rohani kita.
Namun, buku penting ini tidak boleh dibiarkan begitu sahaja selepas membelinya di Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Selangor (SIBF) yang hasrat memperolehnya sudah lama. Ia mula diterbitkan rasanya kurang dua tiga bulan selepas Book Depository ditamatkan - sumber buku yang relatif sangat murah berbanding 'saudara tirinya', Amazon.
Apa yang istimewa pada buku Wahhabism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement ini adalah buku ini menyusuri sejarah merah pemikiran yang paling kontroversi dalam dunia moden (dibaca dalam konteks maksud modenisme dalam sejarah kebudayaan dan pemikiran Barat, bukan moden dalam kefahaman penggunaannya secara literal pada masa kini) bersumberkan tulisan primer pengasas aliran berkenaan, Muhammad Abdul Wahab (Ibnu Abdul Wahab) dan ulama-ulamanya sama ada daripada keturunannya, Aali Sheikh mahupun yang lainnya termasuk sejarawan penting mereka seperti Ibnu Bishr dan Ibnu Ghannam.
Malah, ia juga bersumberkan karya-karya dikarang oleh ulama Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah (ASWJ) yang membantah, mengkritik dan menjawab pemikiran serta tindak-tanduk Ibnu Abdul Wahab dan ulama selepasnya. Tentangan dan kritikan ini bukan hanya daripada ulama mazhab Hambali seawal abangnya sendiri, iaitu Sulaiman Ibnu Abdul Wahab, bahkan daripada mazhab lain terutama Syafie dan Maliki termasuk dari Makkah dan Madinah. Selain itu, pengarang turut menggunakan sumber pengembara dan pegawai dari Barat yang sudah mula 'melintas' Semenanjung Arab.
Ini kerana apa diserukan Ibnu Abdul Wahab bukan sahaja kontroversi, bahkan mencetuskan fitnah besar dari sudut akidah kerana konsep tauhid dibawanya, sikap keras termasuk mengkafirkan umat Islam yang didakwa syirik kerana mengagung-agungkan wali, menziarahi makam auliya', melakukan amalan tawasul dan istighasah. Hakikatnya, ASWJ tidak mudah menjatuhkan hukum kafir dan syirik kepada ahli kiblat, iaitu umat Islam, apatah lagi dalam isu bersifat khilafiyah yang jumhur ulama mengharuskannya, bahkan menganggapnya baik.
Oleh itu, berlaku wacana hebat dengan kedua-dua belah saling menghasilkan kitab yang mengkritik dan menjawab kritikan, manakala pada masa sama hubungan simbiosis antara Ibnu Abdul Wahab dengan keluarga Saud mula berlaku yang kemudian membawa kepada peluasan kekuasaan sekurang-kurangnya kepada tiga fasa, iaitu kerajaan Saudi pertama antara 1741 hingga 1818; kerajaan Saudi kedua (1823-1887) dan kerajaan Saudi ketiga yang bermula pada 1902 membawa kepada penubuhan Arab Saudi pada 1932.
Justeru, perdebatan dan perseteruan dalam bentuk wacana penulisan itu disorot pengarang bersama-sama dengan aspek politik, perang dan perluasan atau pengunduran wilayah kekuasaan yang turut menyaksikan bukan sahaja pedang digunakan sebagai senjata, bahkan takfir (mengkafirkan) dan tab'id (membidaahkan) melukakan umat Islam. Memang, ulama Wahabi bertegas mereka tidak mengkafirkan umat Islam tetapi hakikatnya mereka boleh menggunakan alasan itu kerana mereka sudahpun menjatuhkan hukum syirik yang membawa kepada kedudukan musyrikin kepada umat Islam yang memuliakan wali (tabaruk), menziarahi makam auliya dan melakukan tawasul dan istighasah. Ini bermakna maksud 'tidak mengkafirkan umat Islam' adalah mereka tidak mengkafirkan penduduk Najd terutamanya yang mengikuti fahaman dan aliran mereka.
Selain polemik dan wacana dengan ulama ASWJ, pengarang turut menyorot pertembungan dalaman ulama Wahabi sesama mereka yang dianggap pengarang sebagai pandangan (kelihatan) 'moderat' terutama dari segi hukum bermusafir ke negara/negeri Musyrikin (malangnya, kategori ini sebenarnya tidak ditujukan ke Eropah, sebaliknya kepada wilayah yang berada di bawah kekuasaan Uthmaniyah, ya khilafah Islam yang menjadi antara contoh penting termasuk kepada Islamis pada masa kini dianggap kekuasaan Musyrikin).
Pertembungan dalaman ini juga menjadi lebih kritikal pada fasa kerajaan Saudi kedua kerana ketika itu berada dalam keadaan lemah dan berlaku perang saudara dalam keluarga Saud yang berebut singgahsana hingga pada masa berbeza, setiap pemimpin Saud dalam kalangan adik-beradik cuba meminta bantuan daripada Uthmaniyah. Pertembungan dalaman juga semakin getir ketika era peralihan antara kerajaan Saudi kedua dengan ketiga, iaitu kerajaan Rashid yang meskipun tidak bersikap ofensif terhadap Wahabi, ia lebih toleran termasuk menerima kedatangan umat Islam yang sebelum ini dianggap musyrik oleh golongan Wahabi.
Pada fasa ketiga inilah, kita dapat saksikan kerajaan Saudi ketiga yang kini memerintah Semenanjung Tanah Arab termasuk Hijaz dengan dua kota suci, iaitu Makkah dan Madinah. Berbeza dengan fasa pertama, Abdul Aziz Ibnu Abdul Rahman as-Saud atau lebih dikenali sebagai Ibnu Saud tidak terlalu keras dengan berpegang kepada fahaman Wahabi seperti fasa pertama, sebaliknya lebih bersifat politikal dan realis dengan pelbagai faktor. Pertama, Ibnu Saud menjalinkan hubungan dengan Inggeris yang termasuk dalam garis merah tidak boleh dilangkahi dalam aliran Wahabisme. Kedua, Ibnu Saud tidak menjadikan 'redha' ulama Wahabi suatu kemestian untuk melakukan sesuatu yang besar. Ketiga, Ibnu Saud memerlukan pengiktirafan daripada umat Islam di seluruh dunia yang ketika itu bermusuh dengan aliran Wahabisme seperti dapat dilihat daripada karya-karya tulisan ulama ASWJ. Kelima, kehadiran golongan modenis di bawah Rashid Redha, iaitu anak murid kepada Sheikh Muhammad Abduh dilihat dapat 'menjinakkan' golongan Wahabi yang sebelum ini sangat keras termasuk dalam isu berkaitan dengan penggunaan teknologi moden seperti telegraf dan televisyen.
Dalam fasa ketiga inilah, kita juga dapat membaca bagaimana golongan Ikhwan, iaitu masyarakat Arab Badwi yang sebelum ini hidup secara nomad, tetapi melalui proses 'urbanisasi' dengan hidup secara tetap di beberapa kawasan serta menjadi tentera ketika Ibnu Saud melebarkan wilayahnya. Golongan Ikhwan ini juga diindoktrinasikan dengan fahaman Wahabi yang sangat kental oleh ulama Wahabi hingga mereka boleh menjadi tentera yang sangat berkesan kepada misi politik Ibnu Saud. Tidak hairanlah, mereka ini ditanam dengan fahaman jihad meskipun ia dilancarkan kepada umat Islam itu sendiri sama ada ASWJ mahupun Syiah, hingga kita didedahkan sendiri oleh sejarawan Wahabi terhadap kekerasan mereka termasuk menjadikan harta umat Islam sebagai rampasan perang. Bagaimananpun, Ibnu Saud yang sudah menjalinkan persefahaman dengan Inggeris terpaksa menghentikan 'jihad' dilancarkan golongan Ikhwan ini kerana wilayah seperti Jordan dan Iraq tidak boleh dicerobohi. Kesannya, pemberontakan Ikhwan meletus hingga Ibnu Saud dengan bantuan Inggeris terpaksa menumpaskannya.
Inilah kesannya indoktrinasi fahaman keras termasuk takfir yang akhirnya menjadi senjata cuba makan tuan hingga golongan Ikhwan ini beranggapan bukan sahaja raja, bahkan ulama yang mengajar mereka pun sudah terkeluar daripada jalan yang benar. Malah, senjata makan tuan ini kembali pula pada dekad 1970-an, apabila Juhayman al-Utaibi yang berketurunan golongan Ikhwan ini bersama-sama pengikutnya termasuk adik iparnya, Muhammad Abdullah al-Qahtani yang diisytiharkan sebagai 'al-Mahdi' merampas Masjidil Haram dan menjadikan jemaah di dalamnya sebagai tebusan selama dua minggu, sekali gus menumpahkan darah dan nyawa di rumah Allah itu. Sejarah yang berlaku kepada Ikhwan, berulang kembali kerana mereka juga dididik oleh ulama Wahabi yang kemudiannya menganggap guru-guru mereka terlalu bertolak-ansur dengan kerajaan yang dianggap melakukan perkara mungkar, iaitu menerima kemajuan modenisme Barat yang turut mengubah budaya ketika itu.
Membaca buku ini sebenarnya dapat menyedarkan kita mengenai kedudukan sebenar fahaman Wahabisme dan bagaimana pegangan, tindak-tanduk serta sikap mereka yang sudah bermula secara keras dan gasang pada awalnya, mengalami naik turun dari segi skala kekerasan berdasarkan kedudukan kerajaan semasa. Tidak hairanlah ulama ASWJ sejak awal lagi sudah mengkritik dan berhujah dengan mereka secara tulisan sama ada dalam bentuk manuskrip atau bercetak kemudiannya.
Hakikatnya, fahaman yang membawa kepada sikap dengan mudah mengkafirkan umat Islam dalam soal fiqh dan bersifat khilafiyah ini sangat berbahaya kerana sifat ekstrem itu boleh menumbuhkan cabang yang lebih keras seperti kita saksikan kewujudan kelompok jihadis pada alaf lalu dalam skala yang kecil seperti di Mesir mahupun pada alaf ini dengan skala sebesar al-Qaeda dan Daesh atau Islamic State (IS) yang melipatgandakan fahaman keras yang ada pada zaman Ibnu Abdul Wahab dan sesudahnya kepada aliran yang sanggup menumpahkan darah manusia termasuk umat Islam dengan cara tidak terjangkau akal rohani kita.
July 17, 2025
Read it for a second time. Here’s the thread.
https://x.com/FaheemAMHussain/status/...
One of few books that reads better 2nd time round.
https://x.com/FaheemAMHussain/status/...
One of few books that reads better 2nd time round.
January 28, 2025
I would recommend this book as essential reading for everyone—not only for those interested in theological thought but also for those curious about why sectarianism will always exist. A remarkable observation by Jonathan Haidt in his book The Righteous Mind is that most of the time, we deem things unfavorable or detestable via a reflexive, pre-analytic act of cognition. It is only after delivering our automatic judgment that reason scrambles to provide justification post hoc. This certainly explains why we still cannot agree on things most of us consider essential, such as universal education and healthcare. There will always be interested stakeholders who provide convincing arguments to sway people who prioritize their automatic, "gut-feeling" justification. Haidt provides numerous social experiments and literature supporting his thesis.
Relating to this book, it helps explain why such an exclusivist and fundamentalist group as the Wahhabis would even exist in the first place. And it is certainly not an isolated occurrence in Islam alone. We have seen an alarming increase in right-wing movements across the world, from the revival of ultra-nationalistic sentiments in France and Germany to the mega-churches of Evangelicals in the USA. People will always find rationalistic justifications for their beliefs, no matter how absurd they may appear.
The author critically compiles the five central doctrines of the Wahhabis after an extensive literature review. The book possesses an incredible range of scope and depth, and I cannot stop recommending it to everyone.
The Assertion of Puritanical Tawhid
Tawhid is an expression of Oneness, exemplified by the Shahadah. The majority of Sunnis adhere to the view that anyone who recites the Shahadah is declared a Muslim. In conjunction with point number 2, takfir, the Wahhabis do not accept the recitation of the Shahadah as unconditionally qualifying someone as a Muslim, which contradicts the Prophet's position as seen in the incident involving Usamah bin Zayd. The Wahhabis distinguish two types of expressions of Oneness: tawhid al-rububiyyah and tawhid al-uluhiyyah. Tawhid al-rububiyyah is represented by the pagans of Arabia, who, while believing in a Supreme Lord, still turned to idols for intercession. Tawhid al-uluhiyyah, on the other hand, represents true monotheism, which Ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed applied to himself and his followers. It is important to note that Ibn Abd al-Wahhab employed these terms with the intention of distinguishing the true Muslims (his followers) from the rest of the Muslim world, whom he believed to be largely polytheistic due to his conviction that they worship saints and graves.
Takfir
The author of the book showcases many citations from the primary works of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, illustrating his attempts to deny that he pronounced excommunication on the rest of the Muslim world. However, his understanding of tawhid al-uluhiyyah (point 1) provides ready justification for dismissing the rest of the Muslim world as non-believers, as they do not satisfy his criteria of tawhid al-uluhiyyah. This is evident in his insistence that his followers migrate (hijra) to areas controlled by the Wahhabis, implying his implicit conviction of exclusivity.
Al-Wala' wa'l Bara'
Translated as "loyalty and disavowal," Ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed that a consequence of adopting tawhid al-uluhiyyah was to "...show loyalty to His allies and show enmity to His enemies...". He also mentions, "...Islam is not sound without showing enmity to the partisans of this polytheism. If a person does not show them enmity, then he belongs to them...". His writings ubiquitously assert enmity, hatred, and dissociation toward those he deemed polytheists, similar to how the Prophet antagonized the polytheists of Mecca.
Hijra
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was somewhat elusive on this aspect, as one of the main charges against him by his enemies was that he proclaimed himself a Prophet. However, his sons Husayn and Abdullah asserted, "...if he is able to manifest his religion in front of them (polytheists), dissociating from them and the religion they profess, and manifesting his rejection of them and his enmity for them (then it is permitted to stay in the lands of the unbeliever)... If he is able to perform hijra but unable to do so, and dies among the polytheists (without being able to manifest dissociation and enmity), then we fear that he has died an unbeliever."
Jihad
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab invoked Ibn Taymiyyah's fatwa of jihad against the Muslim Mongols to justify his struggle against the rest of the Muslims, whom he deemed polytheists. Again and again, he employed the story of Abu Bakr’s actions against the withholders of zakat and paraphrased Ibn Taymiyyah's words to insist that, "...they did not act in accordance with religious obligations and manifested things indicating their departure from the Shari'a... and the scholars pronounced takfir on them, fought them, and raided them until God removed them from the lands of the Muslims...". He invoked the imagery of the Mongols and the zakat withholders to align them with the rest of the Muslims.
The movement exists in gradations and does not necessarily reflect its archetypal form today. However, their adoption of these doctrines exemplifies their "gut-feeling" of the need for an almost obsessive, puritanical view of religion, combined with recalcitrant exclusivism and paranoid projections of the world as dangerous, bad, and impure. This justifies their need to manifest enmity and hatred. It certainly does not align with the majority Sunni view and must not be allowed to prosper in our country.
It is concerning that in our country, we face exclusivist movements on all fronts—political, cultural, and religious. These exclusivist movements give rise to reactionary movements, further complicating matters. There are people who believe that the entire multicultural setting of our country is an artificial facade. In their minds, we all live in a paranoid, suspicious world held together only by the rule of law. In reality, we can sit with our backs to others in a mamak stall because we genuinely trust each other without hidden suspicions. On our tables are cuisines from all races, and we do not eat them with contempt. We genuinely appreciate the uniqueness of each cuisine, not despising it.
We also face individuals who firmly believe that the majority of Muslims are grave-worshippers and saint-worshippers. They demonstrate all five points—yes, even the migration aspect (as evidenced by their intention to pay zakat only to the state they believe to be the true land of believers, while viewing the rest as lands of grave-worshippers). On top of this chaos, we now face a new issue: the status of a Muslim can be revoked even if the individual has not uttered or committed anything sacrilegious. This stems from their misunderstanding of the distinction between Muslim and Mukmin, and their refusal to accept the binding and unconditional nature of the Shahadah.
These are indeed times of tribulation, where everything is thrown into confusion. Everyone is trying to sell their own preconceived notions of belief, often without any rational justification. To summarize their comical nature, one of my respected mentors said:
"Diorang ni takut sangat syurga tu sempit kalau ramai-ramai masuk syurga, sebab tu mungkin kena exclude orang supaya dekat syurga tu lapang sikit."
("They’re probably so worried that Heaven will be too cramped if too many people enter it. Maybe that’s why they insist on excluding others—so they can have more space in Heaven.")
Relating to this book, it helps explain why such an exclusivist and fundamentalist group as the Wahhabis would even exist in the first place. And it is certainly not an isolated occurrence in Islam alone. We have seen an alarming increase in right-wing movements across the world, from the revival of ultra-nationalistic sentiments in France and Germany to the mega-churches of Evangelicals in the USA. People will always find rationalistic justifications for their beliefs, no matter how absurd they may appear.
The author critically compiles the five central doctrines of the Wahhabis after an extensive literature review. The book possesses an incredible range of scope and depth, and I cannot stop recommending it to everyone.
The Assertion of Puritanical Tawhid
Tawhid is an expression of Oneness, exemplified by the Shahadah. The majority of Sunnis adhere to the view that anyone who recites the Shahadah is declared a Muslim. In conjunction with point number 2, takfir, the Wahhabis do not accept the recitation of the Shahadah as unconditionally qualifying someone as a Muslim, which contradicts the Prophet's position as seen in the incident involving Usamah bin Zayd. The Wahhabis distinguish two types of expressions of Oneness: tawhid al-rububiyyah and tawhid al-uluhiyyah. Tawhid al-rububiyyah is represented by the pagans of Arabia, who, while believing in a Supreme Lord, still turned to idols for intercession. Tawhid al-uluhiyyah, on the other hand, represents true monotheism, which Ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed applied to himself and his followers. It is important to note that Ibn Abd al-Wahhab employed these terms with the intention of distinguishing the true Muslims (his followers) from the rest of the Muslim world, whom he believed to be largely polytheistic due to his conviction that they worship saints and graves.
Takfir
The author of the book showcases many citations from the primary works of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, illustrating his attempts to deny that he pronounced excommunication on the rest of the Muslim world. However, his understanding of tawhid al-uluhiyyah (point 1) provides ready justification for dismissing the rest of the Muslim world as non-believers, as they do not satisfy his criteria of tawhid al-uluhiyyah. This is evident in his insistence that his followers migrate (hijra) to areas controlled by the Wahhabis, implying his implicit conviction of exclusivity.
Al-Wala' wa'l Bara'
Translated as "loyalty and disavowal," Ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed that a consequence of adopting tawhid al-uluhiyyah was to "...show loyalty to His allies and show enmity to His enemies...". He also mentions, "...Islam is not sound without showing enmity to the partisans of this polytheism. If a person does not show them enmity, then he belongs to them...". His writings ubiquitously assert enmity, hatred, and dissociation toward those he deemed polytheists, similar to how the Prophet antagonized the polytheists of Mecca.
Hijra
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was somewhat elusive on this aspect, as one of the main charges against him by his enemies was that he proclaimed himself a Prophet. However, his sons Husayn and Abdullah asserted, "...if he is able to manifest his religion in front of them (polytheists), dissociating from them and the religion they profess, and manifesting his rejection of them and his enmity for them (then it is permitted to stay in the lands of the unbeliever)... If he is able to perform hijra but unable to do so, and dies among the polytheists (without being able to manifest dissociation and enmity), then we fear that he has died an unbeliever."
Jihad
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab invoked Ibn Taymiyyah's fatwa of jihad against the Muslim Mongols to justify his struggle against the rest of the Muslims, whom he deemed polytheists. Again and again, he employed the story of Abu Bakr’s actions against the withholders of zakat and paraphrased Ibn Taymiyyah's words to insist that, "...they did not act in accordance with religious obligations and manifested things indicating their departure from the Shari'a... and the scholars pronounced takfir on them, fought them, and raided them until God removed them from the lands of the Muslims...". He invoked the imagery of the Mongols and the zakat withholders to align them with the rest of the Muslims.
The movement exists in gradations and does not necessarily reflect its archetypal form today. However, their adoption of these doctrines exemplifies their "gut-feeling" of the need for an almost obsessive, puritanical view of religion, combined with recalcitrant exclusivism and paranoid projections of the world as dangerous, bad, and impure. This justifies their need to manifest enmity and hatred. It certainly does not align with the majority Sunni view and must not be allowed to prosper in our country.
It is concerning that in our country, we face exclusivist movements on all fronts—political, cultural, and religious. These exclusivist movements give rise to reactionary movements, further complicating matters. There are people who believe that the entire multicultural setting of our country is an artificial facade. In their minds, we all live in a paranoid, suspicious world held together only by the rule of law. In reality, we can sit with our backs to others in a mamak stall because we genuinely trust each other without hidden suspicions. On our tables are cuisines from all races, and we do not eat them with contempt. We genuinely appreciate the uniqueness of each cuisine, not despising it.
We also face individuals who firmly believe that the majority of Muslims are grave-worshippers and saint-worshippers. They demonstrate all five points—yes, even the migration aspect (as evidenced by their intention to pay zakat only to the state they believe to be the true land of believers, while viewing the rest as lands of grave-worshippers). On top of this chaos, we now face a new issue: the status of a Muslim can be revoked even if the individual has not uttered or committed anything sacrilegious. This stems from their misunderstanding of the distinction between Muslim and Mukmin, and their refusal to accept the binding and unconditional nature of the Shahadah.
These are indeed times of tribulation, where everything is thrown into confusion. Everyone is trying to sell their own preconceived notions of belief, often without any rational justification. To summarize their comical nature, one of my respected mentors said:
"Diorang ni takut sangat syurga tu sempit kalau ramai-ramai masuk syurga, sebab tu mungkin kena exclude orang supaya dekat syurga tu lapang sikit."
("They’re probably so worried that Heaven will be too cramped if too many people enter it. Maybe that’s why they insist on excluding others—so they can have more space in Heaven.")
June 28, 2023
A super informative read!
This is one of the best books I have read about the Wahhabi movement. The author has a clever way of objectively critiquing the movement; giving it its due while simultaneously exposing its true nature of being an exclusionary and militant version of Islam. He thoroughly traces its roots to show that it doesn’t really go past the ideological outlook of Ibn Taymiyyah, and it also outlines where Ibn Abdul Wahhab went beyond Ibn Tamiyyah’s positions by making takfir (excommunication of Muslims from Islam) of the Muslim majority, and using the “cult of saints” as a foundation to (falsely) accuse Muslims of polytheism. The author journeys through the stages of development of the Saudi State and the many changes it underwent, and also how Wahhabism spawned many, if not all of the Islamic terrorist movements. This is a great historical reference.
This is one of the best books I have read about the Wahhabi movement. The author has a clever way of objectively critiquing the movement; giving it its due while simultaneously exposing its true nature of being an exclusionary and militant version of Islam. He thoroughly traces its roots to show that it doesn’t really go past the ideological outlook of Ibn Taymiyyah, and it also outlines where Ibn Abdul Wahhab went beyond Ibn Tamiyyah’s positions by making takfir (excommunication of Muslims from Islam) of the Muslim majority, and using the “cult of saints” as a foundation to (falsely) accuse Muslims of polytheism. The author journeys through the stages of development of the Saudi State and the many changes it underwent, and also how Wahhabism spawned many, if not all of the Islamic terrorist movements. This is a great historical reference.
April 29, 2025
𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐖𝐚𝐡𝐡ā𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐌. 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐳𝐞𝐥
Cole M. Bunzel’s book, Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement, is a very carefully researched and strongly argued study about Wahhābism — a strict Islamic movement started by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhāb in the 1700s in Arabia. This book is one of the most complete and serious works on the subject. It explains in detail Wahhābism’s beliefs, its history, and its complicated relationship with the Saudi government and modern jihadi groups.
𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙨
The biggest strength of Bunzel’s book is how fully and carefully he explains Wahhābism’s ideas and history. He uses many original Wahhābi writings that most other researchers have not used before, like al-Durar al-Saniyya.
Bunzel shows clearly how Wahhābism’s main beliefs come from earlier thinkers like Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. He explains its key teachings:
-a strong focus on tawḥīd (belief in the oneness of God),
-a total rejection of shirk (associating others with God),
-and the idea of al-walāʾ wa-l-barāʾ (loyalty to Muslims and disloyalty to non-Muslims).
Chapters 2 and 3 are especially good. They explain in a clear and organized way how these beliefs led Wahhābism to become militant and exclusive.
The book also gives a strong historical overview, covering the three Saudi states (1741–1818, 1823–1887, 1902–1932). Bunzel describes well how Wahhābism started out very radical, sometimes fought even against other Muslims, and later became less extreme when King ‘Abd al-‘Aziz focused more on building a strong state rather than strict religious purity.
Bunzel also discusses Sulaymān ibn Sihmān, an important but little-studied Wahhābi scholar. This helps show that militant ideas stayed alive into the early 20th century. One of the best parts of the book is Bunzel’s analysis of how ‘Abd al-‘Aziz controlled the Wahhābi scholars to help him modernize Saudi Arabia, balancing religious loyalty with political needs.
The book also connects Wahhābism to today’s world. It explains how modern jihadi groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS have used old Wahhābi ideas to support their violent actions. Bunzel shows this connection clearly through figures like Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisi. This makes the book very important for understanding current global jihadism.
𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨
Even though the book is excellent in many ways, it also has some problems.
First, the writing is very academic and full of Arabic terms. This makes it hard for general readers who are not specialists.
Second, because Bunzel focuses so much on Wahhābism’s religious ideas, he sometimes doesn’t talk enough about the bigger picture, like the role of tribal politics and economics in the spread of Wahhābism. For example, he doesn’t explain much about how tribal alliances in Najd helped create the first Saudi state, and that could have made the story more complete.
Third, Bunzel shows Wahhābism mostly as one continuous, unchanging movement. While he does mention figures like Muhammad ibn Ibrāhīm and ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Bāz, who adjusted Wahhābism for modern times, he treats these changes as exceptions rather than showing them as part of Wahhābism’s diversity. A deeper look at these different voices would have shown that Wahhābism is not always as militant as it first appeared.
Personally, I sometimes lost interest in some chapters because the writing was very dense and repetitive, even when the ideas were actually simple. This made parts of the book feel slow and boring.
Lastly, in the conclusion, Bunzel briefly mentions Saudi Arabia’s recent move toward a "moderate Islam" under Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman. But he does not explore this enough. Since the book focuses so much on the relationship between Wahhābism and Saudi politics, a deeper discussion of these recent changes would have made the book even stronger.
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣
Overall, Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement is an important and impressive study. Bunzel’s deep use of original sources and his connection between old Wahhābism and today’s jihadism make it a must-read for scholars, students, and policymakers interested in Islamic history. However, the book’s academic style and narrow focus might make it less appealing to general readers, and it could have been even better if it looked more at the broader historical and political background.
Still, Bunzel’s work is an honest and critical achievement. It offers a strong and detailed understanding of a movement that continues to shape the Islamic world today.
Cole M. Bunzel’s book, Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement, is a very carefully researched and strongly argued study about Wahhābism — a strict Islamic movement started by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhāb in the 1700s in Arabia. This book is one of the most complete and serious works on the subject. It explains in detail Wahhābism’s beliefs, its history, and its complicated relationship with the Saudi government and modern jihadi groups.
𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙨
The biggest strength of Bunzel’s book is how fully and carefully he explains Wahhābism’s ideas and history. He uses many original Wahhābi writings that most other researchers have not used before, like al-Durar al-Saniyya.
Bunzel shows clearly how Wahhābism’s main beliefs come from earlier thinkers like Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. He explains its key teachings:
-a strong focus on tawḥīd (belief in the oneness of God),
-a total rejection of shirk (associating others with God),
-and the idea of al-walāʾ wa-l-barāʾ (loyalty to Muslims and disloyalty to non-Muslims).
Chapters 2 and 3 are especially good. They explain in a clear and organized way how these beliefs led Wahhābism to become militant and exclusive.
The book also gives a strong historical overview, covering the three Saudi states (1741–1818, 1823–1887, 1902–1932). Bunzel describes well how Wahhābism started out very radical, sometimes fought even against other Muslims, and later became less extreme when King ‘Abd al-‘Aziz focused more on building a strong state rather than strict religious purity.
Bunzel also discusses Sulaymān ibn Sihmān, an important but little-studied Wahhābi scholar. This helps show that militant ideas stayed alive into the early 20th century. One of the best parts of the book is Bunzel’s analysis of how ‘Abd al-‘Aziz controlled the Wahhābi scholars to help him modernize Saudi Arabia, balancing religious loyalty with political needs.
The book also connects Wahhābism to today’s world. It explains how modern jihadi groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS have used old Wahhābi ideas to support their violent actions. Bunzel shows this connection clearly through figures like Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisi. This makes the book very important for understanding current global jihadism.
𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨
Even though the book is excellent in many ways, it also has some problems.
First, the writing is very academic and full of Arabic terms. This makes it hard for general readers who are not specialists.
Second, because Bunzel focuses so much on Wahhābism’s religious ideas, he sometimes doesn’t talk enough about the bigger picture, like the role of tribal politics and economics in the spread of Wahhābism. For example, he doesn’t explain much about how tribal alliances in Najd helped create the first Saudi state, and that could have made the story more complete.
Third, Bunzel shows Wahhābism mostly as one continuous, unchanging movement. While he does mention figures like Muhammad ibn Ibrāhīm and ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Bāz, who adjusted Wahhābism for modern times, he treats these changes as exceptions rather than showing them as part of Wahhābism’s diversity. A deeper look at these different voices would have shown that Wahhābism is not always as militant as it first appeared.
Personally, I sometimes lost interest in some chapters because the writing was very dense and repetitive, even when the ideas were actually simple. This made parts of the book feel slow and boring.
Lastly, in the conclusion, Bunzel briefly mentions Saudi Arabia’s recent move toward a "moderate Islam" under Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman. But he does not explore this enough. Since the book focuses so much on the relationship between Wahhābism and Saudi politics, a deeper discussion of these recent changes would have made the book even stronger.
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣
Overall, Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement is an important and impressive study. Bunzel’s deep use of original sources and his connection between old Wahhābism and today’s jihadism make it a must-read for scholars, students, and policymakers interested in Islamic history. However, the book’s academic style and narrow focus might make it less appealing to general readers, and it could have been even better if it looked more at the broader historical and political background.
Still, Bunzel’s work is an honest and critical achievement. It offers a strong and detailed understanding of a movement that continues to shape the Islamic world today.
Read
August 25, 2023Fifty years on, it is strange to think that Wahhabism began to be mentioned in Western media as long ago as the 1973 oil price rise which followed the Yom Kippur war in October that year. Wahhabism, the form of Islam notionally predominant in Saudi Arabia, was then almost unknown in the West except among a few specialists. Even in 2001, when 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks were revealed to be Saudis, there was little awareness in Western countries about the movement. Since then, academic attention has begun to focus on Wahhabism, but we have had to wait until now for a thorough treatment of its history and theology, which finally appears in Cole Bunzel’s Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement.
Bunzel is to be congratulated on his painstakingly thorough research (including accessing manuscripts in private libraries in Saudi Arabia never previously seen by Western scholars), his commanding knowledge of the Islamic and historical background, and his indefatigable pursuit of what will seem to many readers to be arcane theological disputes. Yet this is the kind of theological history that matters immensely because the ideas developed by Ibn Abd al-Wahhab during the 18th century played a major role in inspiring the actions of Osama bin Laden, ISIS and other self-styled jihadi movements. In his conclusion, Bunzel points out how from the 1980s onwards ideas taken from Wahhabism, to a greater extent even than those of Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian ideologue who advocated revolutionary violence within the framework of Muslim Brotherhood teaching, have provided the ideology for these militant movements. He is absolutely right.
The beliefs of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (d.1792) were essentially a popularisation and honing of certain ideas taken from Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) and his closest disciple Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d.1350). Bunzel examines the links between the two 14th-century scholars and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in detail. This is important work, since the study of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers has been the route by which many jihadis have come to these two earlier scholars and their rigid views. As Bunzel points out, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was not Ibn Taymiyya’s intellectual equal, but he may have been a better communicator (and, therefore, a more effective preacher). He was also prepared to declare ‘vast swaths’ of Muslims unbelievers and conduct jihad against them, which Ibn Taymiyya would never have done.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
John McHugo is the author of A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi’is, Syria: A Recent History (Saqi, 2017) and A Concise History of the Arabs, a new edition of which is forthcoming.
Bunzel is to be congratulated on his painstakingly thorough research (including accessing manuscripts in private libraries in Saudi Arabia never previously seen by Western scholars), his commanding knowledge of the Islamic and historical background, and his indefatigable pursuit of what will seem to many readers to be arcane theological disputes. Yet this is the kind of theological history that matters immensely because the ideas developed by Ibn Abd al-Wahhab during the 18th century played a major role in inspiring the actions of Osama bin Laden, ISIS and other self-styled jihadi movements. In his conclusion, Bunzel points out how from the 1980s onwards ideas taken from Wahhabism, to a greater extent even than those of Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian ideologue who advocated revolutionary violence within the framework of Muslim Brotherhood teaching, have provided the ideology for these militant movements. He is absolutely right.
The beliefs of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (d.1792) were essentially a popularisation and honing of certain ideas taken from Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) and his closest disciple Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d.1350). Bunzel examines the links between the two 14th-century scholars and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in detail. This is important work, since the study of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers has been the route by which many jihadis have come to these two earlier scholars and their rigid views. As Bunzel points out, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was not Ibn Taymiyya’s intellectual equal, but he may have been a better communicator (and, therefore, a more effective preacher). He was also prepared to declare ‘vast swaths’ of Muslims unbelievers and conduct jihad against them, which Ibn Taymiyya would never have done.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
John McHugo is the author of A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi’is, Syria: A Recent History (Saqi, 2017) and A Concise History of the Arabs, a new edition of which is forthcoming.
October 16, 2025
A good objective view of the history of Wahhabism, its relationship to the Saudi states and other Islamic polities, and how its thought developed, or didn't develop. The book has a scholarly focus, but still manages to present a compelling narrative, though that wasn't the goal. A good deal of the book focuses on the refutations and counter-refutations of Wahhabi and anti-Wahhabi Islamic scholars. It can be dense on Islamic-Arabic terms. As a Muslim with a good background in Islamic theology and Arabic, I was able to follow along, but someone less versed may require a dictionary or some prior reading.
I myself am not a Wahhabi, but I found the author to be very objective and to be accurate in his characterizations of specific aspects of Islamic creed. He presents the facts of what people believed as is, and avoids moralizing them, which I appreciate, and which many Western scholars of Islam fail to do.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone, Muslim or not, who is interested in modern debates of Islamic theology or the history of modern Islamic thought.
I myself am not a Wahhabi, but I found the author to be very objective and to be accurate in his characterizations of specific aspects of Islamic creed. He presents the facts of what people believed as is, and avoids moralizing them, which I appreciate, and which many Western scholars of Islam fail to do.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone, Muslim or not, who is interested in modern debates of Islamic theology or the history of modern Islamic thought.
November 3, 2025
This book has helped me learned more about the history of the wahhabist movement, and through this, about the history of Saudi Arabia and fundamentalist islam more generally. It's a very detailed and academical work about wahhabist, from its intellectual predecessors to the live of its founder Abd al-Wahhab and the importance of this movement in Saudi history. Personally, I found the last chapters over the role of wahhabism in the creation and growth of the Saudi monarchy particularly interesting. While I understand the book is academical, I have to say that on a few aspects the book is too repetitive, highlighting core ideas over and over again. Overall, however, it's a great resource to learn more about Saudi Arabia and, of course, wahhabism.
April 1, 2025
The first few chapters were incredibly boring. The chapters really did dive deep into the early priesthood of Wahhabism.
The meat does become succulent with aggressive vs defensive jihad and stories of mass murder. If ISIS and the Egyptian Brotherhood seems interesting (which the brotherhood did help Hamas mass murder in the October 7th Israel concert) I honestly would read about it.
But truly, now I feel I'm on some sort of terrorist watchlist after reading about Wahhabism.
The meat does become succulent with aggressive vs defensive jihad and stories of mass murder. If ISIS and the Egyptian Brotherhood seems interesting (which the brotherhood did help Hamas mass murder in the October 7th Israel concert) I honestly would read about it.
But truly, now I feel I'm on some sort of terrorist watchlist after reading about Wahhabism.
April 11, 2025
This book gave me a clear and detailed understanding of Saudi history. I’ve been looking for something that focuses specifically on Saudi Arabia, and this came close. I liked how the author included Latinized Arabic terms like ghurbat al-dīn ("alienation of Islam"), which added a strong sense of cultural and historical context. That said, the book sometimes felt a bit broad and could’ve stayed more focused on Saudi history. Still, it was an informative read.
June 5, 2025
sometimes it seemed like the ai wrote parts of this book
Other then the fact that the book at times seems very dry and know that it does cite a book written by Wahhab which is available online so I would not say that I wasted my money and the discussion of GOD’s attributes is interesting but does not go into enough details!
Other then the fact that the book at times seems very dry and know that it does cite a book written by Wahhab which is available online so I would not say that I wasted my money and the discussion of GOD’s attributes is interesting but does not go into enough details!
September 16, 2025
أجده كتاب مهم عن الوهابية أتمنى ترجمته للعربية
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