David Commins
Biographic Data
| ID | 3698892 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David Commins |
| GIVEN NAMES | David |
| FAMILY NAME | Commins |
| SIGNATURE | COMMINS D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Dickinson College |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1986 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Saudi Arabia: A Modern History
Wahhabism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement, written by Cole M. Bunzel
Charity in Saudi Arabia. Civil Society under Authoritarianism, written by Nora Derbal
Mecca Uprising: An Insider's Account of Salafism and Insurrection in Saudi Arabia
On 20th November 1979, the Salafi Group, led by a charismatic figure named Juhaiman al-Utaibi, seized control of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in the Muslim World. The Salafi Group was not trying to establish an Islamic state. Instead, its members believed they were players in a prophetic script about the End of Time. After a two-week siege, the Saudi government recaptured the mosque, threw the survivors into prison, and had them p…
Military Adventures among the Ummah
When the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, it seemed to Americans that they had not only prevailed in the Cold War but were on the edge of a new phase of history, or perhaps even the end of history. A quarter century later, history continues to unfold and Americans are at a loss over what to do about a part of the world that did not get the message about a new world order—the greater Middle East (stretching the traditional definition of the…
The Mission and the Kingdom: Wahhabi Power Behind the Saudi Throne
In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden's attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative interpretation of Islam that is the official creed of Saudi Arabia as an unorthodox innovation that manipulated a suggestible people to gain political influence. David Commins’ book questions this assumption. He examines the debate on the nature of Wahhabism, and offers original findi…
Toby Matthiesen. The Other Saudis: Shiism, Dissent and Sectarianism
Saudi Arabia’s dominant religious tradition, known as Wahhabism, has long drawn the attention of scholars because it legitimizes the Saudi dynasty and plays a controversial role in the Muslim world as a source of intolerance toward other Muslims, especially Shiʿa. Toby Matthiesen delves into the modern political history of Saudi Arabia’s Shiʿa minority, which is concentrated largely in the oil-rich eastern region along the Persian Gulf. The quest…
From Wahhabi to Salafi
Naming the doctrine preached by Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab has never been a simple matter. Early foes classified it as a Kharijite sectarian heresy. The name that stuck, Wahhabi, stigmatized the doctrine as the ravings of a misguided preacher. Naturally, Ibn `Abd al-Wahhab and his disciples preferred other names for themselves and their movement: at first, the folk who profess God's unity (ahl al-tawhid and al-muwahhidun), later, the Najdi call …
Mouline Nabil, Les clercs de l’Islam: Autorité religieuse et pouvoir politique en Arabie Saoudite, xviiie-xxie siècle, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2011, 400 p
The Gulf States: A Modern History
The geopolitical importance of the Gulf region is a source both of great interest and great tension. David Commins here provides an in-depth narrative of the modern political history of the Gulf States, providing a comprehensive and accessible account of their recent development and strategic importance. Focusing primarily on economic, cultural, religious and social themes from the 14th century to the present, 'The Gulf States' covers key topics …
Wahhābī Islam Facing the Challenges of Modernity: Dār al-Iftā in the Modern Saudi State
Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia: Wahhabism and the State
What is Wahhabism? What is its relationship with the Saudi state? Does it play a part in Islamist terrorist threats? These are among the complex questions tackled in Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia. Moving from the historical, social, and political contexts in which Wahhabism originated and flourished to its current internal divisions and its impact on Saudi-US relations, the authors offer thought-provoking, cutting-edge research that helps…
The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia
This book reveals the theories that inspire al-Qaeda. There is no other accessible book on the subject. This is the sect that threatens the stability of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Wahhabism has been generating controversy since it first emerged in Arabia in the 18th century. In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden’s attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative in…
Arabs and Young Turks: Ottomanism, Arabism, and Islamism in the Ottoman Empire, 1908-1918
Social Criticism and Reformist Ulama of Damascus
Les reformateurs religieux de Damas contemporains d' 'Abduh et Ridā critiquent fermement les gens les plus opulents de la ville. Afin de degager la signification de cette critique sociale, l'A. s'attache au contexte social dans lequel evoluent les reformateurs. Le contexte est celui des changements qui interviennent dans les status des ulama de Damas ainsi que dans les relations internes aux ulama. Ceux-ci vont bientot etre subordonnes aux elites…
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria
A Reply to M. Hakan Yavuz
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria.
This book examines Syria's religious, intellectual, and political history during the period of transformation before World War I. Focusing on an attempt to reform Islamic belief and practice at the turn of the century, Commins shows how the reformers used debates over the religious law of Islam to advance their visions of a progressive Islamic state. Based on a wide variety of previously unpublished sources, the book will shed new light on a peri…
Taq? Al‐d?n Al‐nabhān? And the Islamic Liberation Party
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria
This book examines Syria's religious, intellectual, and political history during the period of transformation before World War I. Focusing on an attempt to reform Islamic belief and practice at the turn of the century, Commins shows how the reformers used debates over the religious law of Islam to advance their visions of a progressive Islamic state. Based on a wide variety of previously unpublished sources, the book will shed new light on a peri…
Abd Al‐qādir Al‐jazā'ir? And Islamic Reform
Religious Reformers and Arabists in Damascus, 1885–1914
The literature on the genesis of Arab nationalism in Syria often mentions a group of religious reformers who influenced the first generation of Arab nationalists. The relationship between reformers and nationalists, however, has not been explored, perhaps because sources mention the influence of liberal sheikhs without suggesting where the sheikhs came from or what they signified. This study traces the social origins and ideological import of the…
Taq? Al‐d?n Al‐nabhān? And the Islamic Liberation Party
Religious Reformers and Arabists in Damascus, 1885–1914
The literature on the genesis of Arab nationalism in Syria often mentions a group of religious reformers who influenced the first generation of Arab nationalists. The relationship between reformers and nationalists, however, has not been explored, perhaps because sources mention the influence of liberal sheikhs without suggesting where the sheikhs came from or what they signified. This study traces the social origins and ideological import of the…
Religious Reformers and Arabists in Damascus, 1885–1914
The literature on the genesis of Arab nationalism in Syria often mentions a group of religious reformers who influenced the first generation of Arab nationalists. The relationship between reformers and nationalists, however, has not been explored, perhaps because sources mention the influence of liberal sheikhs without suggesting where the sheikhs came from or what they signified. This study traces the social origins and ideological import of the…
Abd Al‐qādir Al‐jazā'ir? And Islamic Reform
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria
This book examines Syria's religious, intellectual, and political history during the period of transformation before World War I. Focusing on an attempt to reform Islamic belief and practice at the turn of the century, Commins shows how the reformers used debates over the religious law of Islam to advance their visions of a progressive Islamic state. Based on a wide variety of previously unpublished sources, the book will shed new light on a peri…
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria.
This book examines Syria's religious, intellectual, and political history during the period of transformation before World War I. Focusing on an attempt to reform Islamic belief and practice at the turn of the century, Commins shows how the reformers used debates over the religious law of Islam to advance their visions of a progressive Islamic state. Based on a wide variety of previously unpublished sources, the book will shed new light on a peri…
Taq? Al‐d?n Al‐nabhān? And the Islamic Liberation Party
A Reply to M. Hakan Yavuz
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Social Criticism and Reformist Ulama of Damascus
Les reformateurs religieux de Damas contemporains d' 'Abduh et Ridā critiquent fermement les gens les plus opulents de la ville. Afin de degager la signification de cette critique sociale, l'A. s'attache au contexte social dans lequel evoluent les reformateurs. Le contexte est celui des changements qui interviennent dans les status des ulama de Damas ainsi que dans les relations internes aux ulama. Ceux-ci vont bientot etre subordonnes aux elites…
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria
Arabs and Young Turks: Ottomanism, Arabism, and Islamism in the Ottoman Empire, 1908-1918
The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia
This book reveals the theories that inspire al-Qaeda. There is no other accessible book on the subject. This is the sect that threatens the stability of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Wahhabism has been generating controversy since it first emerged in Arabia in the 18th century. In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden’s attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative in…
Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia: Wahhabism and the State
What is Wahhabism? What is its relationship with the Saudi state? Does it play a part in Islamist terrorist threats? These are among the complex questions tackled in Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia. Moving from the historical, social, and political contexts in which Wahhabism originated and flourished to its current internal divisions and its impact on Saudi-US relations, the authors offer thought-provoking, cutting-edge research that helps…
Wahhābī Islam Facing the Challenges of Modernity: Dār al-Iftā in the Modern Saudi State
The Gulf States: A Modern History
The geopolitical importance of the Gulf region is a source both of great interest and great tension. David Commins here provides an in-depth narrative of the modern political history of the Gulf States, providing a comprehensive and accessible account of their recent development and strategic importance. Focusing primarily on economic, cultural, religious and social themes from the 14th century to the present, 'The Gulf States' covers key topics …
Mouline Nabil, Les clercs de l’Islam: Autorité religieuse et pouvoir politique en Arabie Saoudite, xviiie-xxie siècle, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2011, 400 p
From Wahhabi to Salafi
Naming the doctrine preached by Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab has never been a simple matter. Early foes classified it as a Kharijite sectarian heresy. The name that stuck, Wahhabi, stigmatized the doctrine as the ravings of a misguided preacher. Naturally, Ibn `Abd al-Wahhab and his disciples preferred other names for themselves and their movement: at first, the folk who profess God's unity (ahl al-tawhid and al-muwahhidun), later, the Najdi call …
The Mission and the Kingdom: Wahhabi Power Behind the Saudi Throne
In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden's attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative interpretation of Islam that is the official creed of Saudi Arabia as an unorthodox innovation that manipulated a suggestible people to gain political influence. David Commins’ book questions this assumption. He examines the debate on the nature of Wahhabism, and offers original findi…
Toby Matthiesen. The Other Saudis: Shiism, Dissent and Sectarianism
Saudi Arabia’s dominant religious tradition, known as Wahhabism, has long drawn the attention of scholars because it legitimizes the Saudi dynasty and plays a controversial role in the Muslim world as a source of intolerance toward other Muslims, especially Shiʿa. Toby Matthiesen delves into the modern political history of Saudi Arabia’s Shiʿa minority, which is concentrated largely in the oil-rich eastern region along the Persian Gulf. The quest…
Military Adventures among the Ummah
When the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, it seemed to Americans that they had not only prevailed in the Cold War but were on the edge of a new phase of history, or perhaps even the end of history. A quarter century later, history continues to unfold and Americans are at a loss over what to do about a part of the world that did not get the message about a new world order—the greater Middle East (stretching the traditional definition of the…
Mecca Uprising: An Insider's Account of Salafism and Insurrection in Saudi Arabia
On 20th November 1979, the Salafi Group, led by a charismatic figure named Juhaiman al-Utaibi, seized control of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in the Muslim World. The Salafi Group was not trying to establish an Islamic state. Instead, its members believed they were players in a prophetic script about the End of Time. After a two-week siege, the Saudi government recaptured the mosque, threw the survivors into prison, and had them p…
Charity in Saudi Arabia. Civil Society under Authoritarianism, written by Nora Derbal
Saudi Arabia: A Modern History
Wahhabism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement, written by Cole M. Bunzel
Political science (17 works) · Law (16 works) · Islamic Studies and History (15 works) · History (14 works) · Islam (13 works) · Politics (13 works) · Philosophy (12 works) · Ancient history (10 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Religious studies (8 works)