| Descripción y Comentario
Book DescriptionWahhabism, a peculiar interpretation of Islamic doctrine and practice that first arose in mid-eighteenth century Arabia, is sometimes regarded as simply an extreme or uncompromising form of Sunni Islam. This is incorrect, for at the very outset the movement was stigmatized as aberrant by the leading Sunni scholars of the day, because it rejected many of the traditional beliefs and practices of Sunni Islam and declared permissible warfare against all Muslims that disputed Wahhabi teachings. Nor can Wahhabism be regarded as a movement of “purification” or “renewal,” as the source of the genuinely revivalist movements that were underway at the time. Not until Saudi oil money was placed at the disposal of its propagandists did Wahhabism find an echo outside the Arabian Peninsula. The author discusses the rise of Wahhabism at the hands of Muhammad b. `Abd al-Wahhab, a native of Najd in the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula, the doctrines he elaborated to serve as the basis of the Wahhabi sect, and the alliance he concluded with the Saudi family, then rulers of the principality of al-Dir'iya. An early result of this union was a creeping conquest of the Arabian Peninsula, misnamed as jihad; it culminated in the sacking of Taif and the occupation of Mecca in 1803. This first Wahhabi occupation was short-lived but Wahhabism triumphed anew with the foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1925. Among the extensions of Wahhabism beyond Arabia must be accounted the perverse and brutal regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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Comentarios del público
 good understanding of Wahhabist thought
A good short read for understanging the difference between the Wahhabist sect and the rest of the Islamic world. All the Arabic words and names slow the reader down quite a bit if you don't speak at least some Arabic, but this is unavoidable.
Fecha: 2007-05-17
 Biased, but informative
The subtitle ("A Critical Essay") is misleading. It should be "An Insulting Essay". The author is a Muslim who hates the Wahhabis. His bias is obvious, but just in case you're dense, he admits to not liking them in the last few pages. So it's an honest essay.
According to Algar, Wahhabism is an insufferably self-righteous, intellectually impoversihed, and violence-prone sect that came out of the Arabian wastelands without pedigree or promise. It could never have made an impact on its own (it has nothing of value to offer) and would've died in infancy if it weren't for its alliance with the Saud family and their Western connections (money and weapons first from the British, then the Americans).
Algar hates the Wahhabis for killing Shi'ites, questioning/denying the faith of other Muslims, destroying important architecture, and generally being jerks. The book's main use lies in highlighting points of disagreement among Muslims. In other words, it points to the internal diversity, complexity and richness of Islam. (Or, if you want to put a negative spin on it, you can read it as evidence that Islam has just as bad a history of factional violence and mean-spirited discourse as Christianity does).
It's a quick and relatively easy read. However, there are some 15-20 recurring terms that the ordinary reader might not be familiar with. I knew some (hadith, ulama) from various college courses and other reading, and had to figure others (shirk, tauhid) out as I went along. The book should really have had a glossary. A single page is all it would've taken to make the essay more accessible.
Fecha: 2007-05-07
 Snapshot of a religious movement over time
The small size of this book fools the prospective readers into thinking that it is going to cover a very small patch of ground, when in reality it whisks one from the origins of the Wahhabi movement all the way to present day Saudi Arabia. This is considered a must in understanding the Wahhabi perspective, as well as a quick fact book that moves at a very fast clip, largely due to the writer's subject-matter expertise.
Fecha: 2006-11-10
Exposed
Quite simply, this is the most accessible and most reliable primer on Wahhabism. Easy to read and very well documented, Dr. Algar's essay offers plenty of material to expose the Wahhabis for who they are, from where they came, and debunks their claim as bearers of the torch of Islam. I would highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in Islam, especially those who are interested in the fanatical strains and idiocy done in the name of the religion. As a Muslim who lives in the West and often finds himself having to explain and apologize for the actions of the idiot fringe, this is the perfect companion. I would recommend the book whole-heartedly. Certainly a must-read.
Fecha: 2006-03-05
Entry Level Book
First off this book is short. It is not meant to be a through analysis of the regional history, person or movement. It is, as the author says: A critical ESSAY. As such, it performs well. The author does a decent job of providing Abdul Wahab's educational/political background. The book also provides a history of the Western influence, the ties to Saudi family, their perpetrations and quite obviously the author's personal views on all the aforementioned.
The book, in my opinion, falls on the right side of judging the entire movement, without burdening the reader with tedious excerpts, citations, or lengthy analysis; it merely picks out the accepted facts of history and presents them for the reader. If you are looking for the smoking gun you will NOT find it here. This book should be the first of many books for you to read to get a complete and comprehensive view on why and how the Saudi family's history is intertwined with Western politics, and why control of Islam's epicenter - Mecca, is vital to that effort, all under the banner of reform and while using religious edicts from a so called reformist.
The book is recommended for the narrow band of people who know SOME Islam, SOME regional political history and are interested in answering: Why the political control and definition of Islam is vital to regional security. This book will BEGIN to answer that question. It is an entry level book and serves well to that purpose.
Fecha: 2005-08-22
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