Rating: 
Summary: High time
Review: It's high time that ppl started revealing these puritanicals as the whackos they really are. Their version of Islam is very weakly rooted in the true understandings of Islam and in fact a corruption of the religion.
Rating:
Summary: High time
Review: It's high time that ppl started revealing these puritanicals as the whackos they really are. Their version of Islam is very weakly rooted in the true understandings of Islam and in fact a corruption of the religion.
Rating:
Summary: A short but complete history of Wahhabism
Review: Prof. Algar should be congratulated for writing this timely book. For readers who do not know about this ideology, it is sufficient to tell them that Talibans are "Wahhabis". If you want to know what Taliban believed and why they did not represent the real Islam - YOU MUST READ THIS GEM. Two quick points - It is a misconception specially in the minds of western scholars that Wahhabism started as a reform movement. Wahhabism was/is just a plot to befool ordinary devout muslims to capture power and that is how Saudi Arabia (the most extremist "muslim" country) is under the control of these power hungry dictators. Secondly, Wahhabis are mostly characterized as "extreme" or as "conservative" Sunnis with adjectives such as "stern" or "austere" (though saudis are not austere by any standard!) added for good reason. It has, however, been observed by knowledgeable Sunnis since the earliest times that Wahhabis do not count as part of "Sunnis" for almost all the practices, traditions and beliefs denounced by the Wahhabis have been historically integral to Sunni Islam, enshrined in a vast body body of literature and accepted by the great majority of muslims. To know more about this tension between traditional "Sunnism" and Wahhabis you should refer to:
Beliefs: Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine, Vol. 1
by Muhammad Hisham Kabbani which is available at Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: Prof. Algar should be congratulated for writing this timely book. For readers who do not know about this ideology, it is sufficient to tell them that the illegitimate rulers of Saudi Arabia are the propagators of Wahhabism and most of the internal confusion within Islam can be attributed to them. The Talibans and Osama bin Laden follow this ideology and they do not represent the real Islam. Two quick points - It is a misconception specially in the minds of western scholars that Wahhabism started as a reform movement. Wahhabism was/is just a plot to befool ordinary devout muslims to capture power and that is how Saudi Arabia (the most extremist "muslim" country) is under the control of these power hungry dictators. Secondly, Wahhabis are mostly characterized as "extreme" or as "conservative" Sunnis with adjectives such as "stern" or "austere" (though saudis are not austere by any standard!) added for good reason. It has, however, been observed by knowledgeable Sunnis since the earliest times that Wahhabis do not count as part of "Sunnis" for almost all the practices, traditions and beliefs denounced by the Wahhabis have been historically integral to Sunni Islam, enshrined in a vast body body of literature and accepted by the great majority of muslims. To know more about this tension between traditional "Sunnism" and Wahhabis you should refer to:
Beliefs: Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine, Vol. 1
by Muhammad Hisham Kabbani which is available at Amazon
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks objectiveness and truthfulness
Review: The author like so many Muslims and non-Muslims fails to make a distinction betweeen the Wahhabis (*properly called the Salafis) and the 'Khawaarij' (the likes of the takfiris, jihadis, surooris, qutubis, ibn-ladinis, etc.) Someone with the most basic understanding of the authentic creed and methodology in Islaam not to mention historical facts would know that Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, whom the author slanders and villifies, was actually against the khawaarij and sought to bring about people's understanding in ther religion by studying the Qur'an and authentic narrations during a time when the majority of people who called themselves monotheistic muslims were actually performing idolatrous acts of worship directed towards religious men, graves, and relics. For a more accurate portrayal please read 'The Wahhabi Myth' by James Haneef Oliver. It is on sale at Amazon and it has earned excellent reviews. Also, for the truth on what Islamn says about war and terrorism, see another book 'In Defense of Islam in light of the events of September 11' as well as 'Islamic Condemnation of Terrorism, Suicide Bombings, and Hijackings'. These are written by scholars and students who follow Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and at the same time completely oppose terrorism and warn against the likes of ibn laden and al-qaaida using authentic narrations of the Prophet Muhammad an his companions (peace and prayers be upon them).
Rating:
Summary: A bright gem
Review: This book is a bright gem sparkling with the true light of Islam in the darkness. It carefully and conscientiously makes the case, so obvious to orthodox and normal muslims, that the Wahabbis "have seriously distorted fundamental teachings of Islam" "vilified Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'i, as non-Muslim and shed their blood; introduced or exacerbated division and strife wherever they have gone" and "destroyed a significant part of the cultural patrimony of all Muslims" p 69. This last point is a reference to the destruction of homes and tombs of the saints of Islam, and if Sheikh Kabbani of the Naqshbandi Order is to be believed, continues with the current destruction of the home the Prophet Muhammad was born in to make way for a royal Saudi library. A caveat: this book is written for Muslims, so if the terms bid'a, shirk, tauhid, 'ulama or Haramayn are unfamiliar, be prepared for a bit of study, or at least have a good introduction to Islam handy.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading on the founder of Wahhabisim
Review: This book is a must read for anyone unaware of the movement of Wahhabisim and desire to know more about the origins of this movement. Hamid Algar (author) gives a very concise background of Muhammad B. Abd al-Wahhab (founder of Wahhabisim) as well as the relationship between the Saudi Family & Muhammad B. Abd al-Wahhab. The book contains the many plots and turmoil that resulted from this relationship and extensive references for readers whom would like to do further reading on the events revolving around the birth/growth of Wahhabisim.I also recommend the book: Wahhabisim by Ja'far Subhani, which refutes the Wahhabi's arguments regarding things which are 'shirk'.
Rating:
Summary: Necessary expose of Wahhabism--the ideology of terrorism.
Review: This book is a timely effort. Traditional Muslim scholars fought against this heresy disguising itself in the garb of Islam from the time of its inception by the infamous Ibn Abd al Wahhab al-Najdi who is detailed in this book. Indeed, his own brother, Shaykh Sulayman ibn Abdul Wahhab refuted him as did the great Muslim scholars all over the world; and they are still doing. This movement is extremely crude and cultish and rejects almost all of the traditional teachings of Islam which do not fit into its narrow black and white views: any Muslim who disagrees with them is considered a non-believer! They are only about 2% of the world's Muslims but because of Saudi petro-dollars their beliefs have spread far and wide amongst the disenchanted youth. They have an especial hatred for Sufism--the heart of Islam and because they can offer nothing spiritual to their followers, Wahhabism is the first step to becoming angry with the rest of the world and leads to terrorism. All the Muslim terrorist organisations are Wahhabi in creed or sympathetic to Wahhabism. This book therefore is excellent for allowing misinformed Western Muslims and non Muslims to differentiate between the religion of Islam (respresented by the Sufis in its highest form and scholars like Imam Ghazzali (12th century), Imam Abu Hanifa (8th) and Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (20th) to name just three from different centuries of Islamic history) and Wahhabism.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Place to Start
Review: This essay refutes the exlusivist sect called Wahabiyyah. Abdul Wahab (founder) and the gloomy desert puritanism he created can be credited for much of the extremism plaguing the Muslim world today. Since the bloody and treacherous exploits of Abdul Wahab and ibn Saud (his partner in crime) there has opened within Islam a cancerous tendency which seeks to claim for itself the title 'orthodoxy'. Today the Saudi crime family rules Arabia with impunity, and having bought up several publishing houses worldwide, propagates its doctrines far and wide. The Wahabi doctrine maintains that only those who agree with the theology and creed of its founder can be called 'Muslim' and that those who fail to see his vision of Islam should be put to the sword. The Saudi's themselves legitimize their rule by propagating the supremist ideology and doctrine of Abdul Wahab to the masses of disenfranchized Muslims.
Abdul Wahab was, by comparison to his contemporaries, an amateur scholar and general under-achiever. His wild views regarding Islam and the objectives of shari'ah were refuted by all of the reputed jurists of his day; even his own father and brother (both of whom were trained jurists). The dark interpretation he gave to Islam has taken a position disregarding the rich intellectual and spiritual tradition which developed as a result of centuries of brilliant minds working together to codify the teaching on all levels. By adopting the shallow and exclusivist interpretation of Abdul Wahab, many persecuted Muslims, starved and humiliated by Western colonialism and hostility have succeeded in undermining the moral and spiritual integrity of the Islamic tradition.
Western powers have been in bed with the Saudi family since the seventies, transforming the desert bedouins into billionaires. As a result of this alliance the Saudis have dedicated themselves to propagating this nonsense all over the world (various publishing houses such as 'Dar-us Salaam Publishing' and 'Hiddayah Press' to name only a few). It mostly attracts disenfranchised youths who grow up in oppressive regimes.
In America it generally attractes those African-American Muslims who grew up in poor urban communities or became Muslim in jail. This ugly form of Islam has taken on many names and its influence reaches far and wide. This essay highlights its claims and details its development. It is not a book of ranting and raging. The authors axe is grinded with authority. The only problem I have is that the author, Hamid Algar, is an advocate of the Shi'ite doctrine of 'Walayat al-Faqih' which is almost as authoritarian as Wahhabiyyah. Anyway, its a good book on the gross and crude in Islam.
Rating:
Summary: To the point.
Review: Unsympathetic as Algar is to Wahhabism, his essay offers a nice brief account of the history and core ideology of the sect. Algar also argues that Wahhabism is independent of some other movements and thinkers that other analysts often lump together with it. Notably absent is any explicit analysis of the extent of the relationship between Wahhabism and al Qaeda; this is unfortunate, since the nature of that relationship probably is what most readers picking up a book on Wahhabism are likely to be interested in.
|
