Sufism in Saudi Arabia Since 1979

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 Biography

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.