The future of Sufism in Saudi Arabia under Salafi–Sufi polemics and vision 2030’s adoption of Wasaṭiyya

Al Nassar, Khalid S. (2025) The future of Sufism in Saudi Arabia under Salafi–Sufi polemics and vision 2030’s adoption of Wasaṭiyya. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

In the aftermath of the poor reputation acquired by the government-supported Salafi establishment as the principal source of political Islam’s fundamentalist ideology behind Islamic terrorism, the Saudi government was compelled to rethink its internal socioreligious policies and imposition of the austere Salafism on the heterogenous Saudi society. Societal pluralism was promoted when different groups within society, Sufis, Shīʿa and liberal modernists, were all invited to participate in national dialogue forums. These forums were precursors to major socioreligious reform, as expressed in the country’s Vision 2030.

Pluralism is sought in the controversial Qurʾanic concept of wasaṭiyya (middle way), hoping to provide a solid Islamic foundation for the unprecedented socioreligious change of attitude. Wasaṭiyya would achieve two premises, as advanced in this thesis. First, it would instil an intraIslamic and societal pluralism within the heterogeneous composition of Saudi society. Second, it would promote public acceptance of harmonious coexistence across cultural and religious worlds. The prevailing Salafi establishment’s definition of wasaṭiyya is not conducive to fulfilling the two premises mentioned above. Instead, this thesis proposes that an alternative Sufi-defined wasaṭiyya, grounded in taṣawwuf’s two principles of sulūk (behaviour; conduct) and akhlāq (ethics), would better fulfil the two premises. Yet, in a country known for its deeprooted Salafi abhorrence of taṣawwuf (Sufism), Sufism’s approach to wasaṭiyya cannot be addressed outside the context of the Salafi‒Sufi polemical relationship.

Through a review of the literature and multimedia sources, a comparative analysis was conducted, and Salafi‒Sufi refutations and counter-refutations were identified. The research revealed that the Sufi interpretation of wasaṭiyya was inclusive, promoting pluralistic intraIslamic and a disposition towards modernist schools of thought. Taṣawwuf’s wasaṭiyya underlines a new comprehensive approach to an Islamic philosophy for life that naturally fulfils the two premises of the socioreligious-cum-political aspect of Vision 2030. Although the state of taṣawwuf in Saudi Arabia is far from widely accepted, government-supported intellectual efforts and official public media programmes about taṣawwuf target the country’s intelligentsia. This highlights the intellectual acknowledgement of true Sufism, in contrast to pseudo-Sufism, as essential to Islamic ethics. Consequently, this thesis advocates including Sufism’s two principles, sulūk and aklāq, in the country’s religious education system.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Ridgeon, Professor Lloyd
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85207
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 18 Jun 2025 09:15
• Last Modified: 18 Jun 2025 09:17
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85207
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85207