The Salafis in America
The Rise, Decline and Prospects for a Sunni Muslim Movement among African-Americans
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6085663 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shadee Elmasry |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 217-236 |
| Publication date | 2010-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0266-6952 • E-ISSN: 1469-9591 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13602004.2010.494072 |
| OpenAlex | W1986108337 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
This paper examines the rise of the first African-American Sunni Muslim group, the Salafis, who identify with the Wahhabi interpretive tradition. The Salafi movement arrived in America in the early 1990s when the resurgence of Black Consciousness coincided with the recruitment mission undertaken by the University of Madina in Saudi Arabia. The main element of their program is the revival of the sunnah of the Prophet by promoting hadith study and the suppression of innovations or bida'. In America, the movement operated through two key communities in East Orange, New Jersey and in Northern Virginia. By the mid 1990s the Salafis could claim to be arguably the largest, most vibrant Islamic da‘wah group in the U.S. However, the ensuing competition and rivalry among the new leadership and the negative energy borne out of condemning others turned inward and the movements’ members began excommunicating each other. The backlash of 9/11 administered a severe blow on “a movement that at one time was the source of much hope”. However, a decade has since passed and the Salafiyya has displayed a surprising degree of resiliency. It continues to grow, and lately has garnered significant attention through the conversion of popular rappers who converted to Islam and Salafism. The future will tell whether or not the leadership has learned from the errors of the past
Islam · Political economy · Political science · Rivalry · Sociology · Education and Islamic Studies · Gender Studies · History
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,75 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |