The Relationship Between the Ulama and the Government in the Contemporary Saudi Arabian ...

273 Pages·2014·7.59 MB·English

Durham E-Theses
The relationship between the ulama and the government
in the contemporary Saudi Arabian Kingdom: an
interdependent relationship?
Marines, Alejandra Galindo
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Marines, Alejandra Galindo (2001) The relationship between the ulama and the government in the
contemporary Saudi Arabian Kingdom: an interdependent relationship?, Durham theses, Durham
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2
The Relationship Between the Ulama and the
Government in the Contemporary Saudi Arabian
Kingdom: An Interdependent Relationship?
Submitted by
Alejandra Galindo Marines
The copyright of this thesis rests with
the author. No quotation from it should
he published in any form, including
Electronic and the Internet, without the
author's prior written consent. All
information derived from this thesis
must he acknowledged appropriately.
For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
University of Durham
Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
2001
1 9 SEP 2
Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between the ulama and the government in
contemporary Saudi Arabia (end of 1970s until 1999). The study contends that the
relationship between the ulama and the government is based on interdependence. The
majority of previous analysis on Saudi Arabia underplays the importance of the role of
the ulama, who indeed no longer have direct access to the government's decision
making. However this study shows how the role of the ulama is paramount for the
legitimacy of the regime, an aspect that defines the nature of the interdependence
between the ulama and the government. Two sets of hypothesis are used to explain how
this relationship oscillates between conflict and cooperation in relation to the creation
and maintenance of the legitimacy of the regime.
An analysis of the historical role of the ulama and examples of their role in current
times has been brought in, to provide an understanding of the development of the role of
both the ulama and the government in Saudi Arabia. The creation and maintenance of
the legitimacy of the political system in Saudi Arabia underscores how and in which
domains the relationship between the parties produces both conflict and cooperation, as
well as how Saudi society participates in the maintenance of the legitimacy. The
ulama'^ role, moderating among the different actors of the society, has been emphasised
through an examination of the contestation of the regime by different groups and
individuals since 1979, and the record of cooperation with the government.
The conclusions of the research show how the ulama are important for the definition of
the mles and values around which Saudi society revolves. However the role of the
ulama is being threatened by the challenges emanating from the access to modern
technology and the implications of the incorporation of Saudi society into the world
economy.
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT i
STATEMENT OF COPYRIGHT v
DECLARATION vi
NOTES ON THE TRANSLITERATION vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii
CHAPTER ONE 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. The Ulama and their Historical Role 2
1.2. The Relationship between the Ulama and the Government in Morocco,
Egypt and Iran 6
1.3. Defining the Relationship of the Ulama and the Government in Saudi
Arabia 14
1.3.1. Hypotheses 20
1.3.2. The fieldwork 22
1.4. Treatment of the Problem 24
CHAPTER TWO 27
THE SAUDI ARABIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM 27
2.1. Authority and Legitimacy 28
2.2. Different Approaches 38
2.2.1. The allocation of values 39
2.2.2. Between functions and structure 42
2.2.3. The duality and the rules 46
2.3. Understanding the Saudi Arabian Political System 53
2.3.1. The regime 56
2.3.2. The political community 63
2.4. Remarks about the Saudi Arabian Political System 66
CHAPTER THREE 68
THE FORMATION OF THE KINGDOM 68
3.1. The First and Second Saudi States 69
3.1.1. The ideological content of the Wahhabi doctrine 76
3.2.2. Authority in the works of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad Ibn
Abdul al-Wahhab 83
3.1.3. The ulama and political authority during the first and second
Saudi states 87
3.2. The beginnings of the Third Saudi Arabian State (King Abdul Aziz ibn
Saud, (1902-1953) 93
3.2.2. The recapture of Riyadh and the establishment of control
over Hasa 97
3.2.2. The configuration of the Kingdom 102
3.3. The Development of King Abdul Aziz's authority 108
3.4. The Ulama in Abdul Aziz period 117
3.5. Authority during Saud and Faysal Period 124
CHAPTER FOUR 136
CREATING AND RECREATING THE NORMS 136
4.1. The Articulation of legality in the Legal System 138
4.2. The Roles of the Ulama and the Government in Society 149
4.2.2 Regulation for women 158
4.3. The Ulama and the Government policies 167
4.3.1. Recreation of the principles of Saudi foreign policy 174
CHAPTER FIVE 187
CONTESTING THE LEGITIMACY 187
5.1. "The Return of the Ikhwan" 188
5.2. The Opposition in the Nineties 195
5.2.1 Defending the country 196
5.2.2. Defending women's role 198
5.3. The Petitions 206
5.3.1. The response of the government 209
5.3.2. "The Memorandum of Advice" 214
111
5.4. The Opposition View of the Ulama and the Government 222
5.4.1 The Committee for the Defence of Legitimate Rights 224
5.4.2 The Movement for Islamic Reform 226
5.4.3 The Shi'a opposition 227
5.4.4. Other opposition groups 229
5.5. The Maintenance of the Regime 230
CONCLUSIONS 236
BIBLIOGRAPHY 246
IV
statement of Copyright
The copy right of this thesis rests with the author. No quotations from it
should be published without their prior written consent and information
derived from it should be acknowledged.
Declaration
No part of this work has previously been submitted for a degree in this or
any other university.
Notes on the Transliteration
Most of the personal names, places and other words are spelled using their current usage
in western literature. Only in the cases when Arabic material was cited was the
transliteration system of the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies was
followed, modifying the accent of diacritics.
Vll