Sufism in Saudi Arabia Since 1979: The Politics of Orthodoxy in Contemporary Islam - Besnik Sinani- Üsküdar Akademi- Apr 29, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/live/UM01MjLlFGE?si=9C7oib0pyrF-tgub

Amazon: Sufism in Saudi Arabia Since 1979: The Politics of Orthodoxy in Contemporary Islam - Besnik Sinani https://www.amazon.com/Sufism-Saudi-Arabia-Since-1979/dp/9004697101

A groundbreaking study of Sufism in Saudi Arabia since 1979, this monograph explores the complex interplay between Saudi Sufism and state-driven Wahhabi orthodoxy. Essential reading for scholars of contemporary Islam, Middle Eastern politics, and religious reform.

Brill: Sufism in Saudi Arabia Since 1979: The Politics of Orthodoxy in Contemporary Islam - Besnik Sinani 

https://www.degruyterbrill.com/

About this book
This is the first full-length monograph to explore Sufism in Saudi Arabia since 1979—a groundbreaking journey into a rarely seen side of the kingdom’s religious life. Drawing on rich fieldwork, in-depth interviews with Sufi practitioners, and archival research, the book brings readers deep into the spiritual networks that persist beneath the surface of state-enforced Wahhabi orthodoxy. It traces a century of scholarly life in the Hejaz, follows transnational ties—especially those of the Ba ʿAlawi order—and uncovers stories of persecution, such as that of Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki. Timely and vivid, it also examines the profound religious shifts unfolding under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman.
Author / Editor information
Besnik Sinani, PhD (2020), is AIWG Research Fellow at the Center for Islamic Theology at Tübingen University. Before working in Tübingen, he taught and conducted research at the Freie Universität Berlin and the Leibniz – Center for the Modern Orient.

 Besnik Sinani: Biography: University of Oxford

https://crsi.theology.ox.ac.uk/people/besnik-sinani

Besnik Sinani: Biography: ACOR Jordan

https://acorjordan.org/besnik-sinani/

Besnik Sinani: Biography: Konak Institute

https://www.konak.org/besnik-sinani-bio

Article: Post-Salafism: Religious Revisionism in Contemporary Saudi Arabia. Besnik Sinani
Center for Islamic Theology, Tübingen University, 72074 Tübingen, Germany

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/4/340

Article pdf:The Future of Sufism in Saudi Arabia Under Salafi–Sufi Polemics and Vision 2030’s Adoption of Wasaṭiyya:

 Khalid S. Al Nassar MA Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD Theology and Religious Studies School of Critical Studies College of Arts University of Glasgow MARCH  2025 

https://theses.gla.ac.uk/85207/4/2025alnassarphd.pdf