Review of David Commins, Islam in Saudi Arabia

Excerpt

In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744. The book then describes the role of Wahhabism and its interpretation of Islam as it has been applied to everyday life in Saudi Arabia as the Islamic legitimization of everything. …