The Trajectory of Wahhabism: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad

Abstract

Abstract Ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s narrow and restricted discussion of jihad raises an important question: how do contemporary movements whose proclaimed goal is to carry out unlimited, global jihad against unbelievers derive inspiration from Ibn Abd al-Wahhab? If, as was argued in the previous chapter, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab sought to limit the scope and involvement of the Muslim community in jihad as holy war, how can contemporary extremists like Osama bin Laden use Ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s ideology to justify their global jihad against the United States and American interests? Is contemporary extremism part of a long historical tradition or is it a recent phenomenon that has developed due to particular contextual circumstances? Answers to these questions require a comparison of Ibn Abd alWahhab’s writings on jihad with writings of other Muslim scholars, both past and present, in order to clarify his context and interests in addressing the topic. The contextualization of his thought on jihad in the broader Islamic tradition combined with an appreciation for the changing environment in which Wahhabism developed over time provides clues as to how his writings have been reinterpreted and even distorted in the contemporary era in order to justify activities that were not part of his world.