prior to Sept. 11, few Westerners had heard of Wahhabism. this day, it's a loved ones be aware. often pointed out in organization with Osama bin weighted down, Wahhabism is portrayed by means of the media and public officers as an illiberal, puritanical, militant interpretation of Islam that demands the wholesale destruction of the West in a jihad of worldwide proportions. within the first examine ever undertaken of the writings of Wahhabism's founder, Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1702-1791), Natana DeLong-Bas shatters those stereotypes and misconceptions. Her analyzing of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's works produces a revisionist thesis: Ibn Abd al-Wahhab used to be no longer the godfather of up to date terrorist pursuits. really, he was once a voice of reform, reflecting mainstream 18th-century Islamic inspiration. His imaginative and prescient of Islamic society used to be dependent upon a monotheism within which Muslims, Christians and Jews have been to take pleasure in peaceable co-existence and cooperative advertisement and treaty kin. Eschewing medieval interpretations of the Quran and hadith (sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad), Ibn Abd al-Wahhab known as for direct, traditionally contextualized interpretation of scripture by way of either men and women. His knowing of theology and Islamic legislation was once rooted in Quranic values, instead of literal interpretations. a powerful proponent of women's rights, he referred to as for a stability of rights among men and women either inside marriage and in entry to schooling and public area. within the such a lot finished learn of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's interpretation of jihad ever written, DeLong-Bas info a imaginative and prescient during which jihad is precisely constrained to the self-defense of the Muslim neighborhood opposed to army aggression. modern extremists like Osama bin weighted down should not have their origins in Wahhabism, she exhibits. The hallmark jihadi concentrate on a cult of martyrdom, the stern department of the area into unavoidably opposing spheres, the wholescale destruction of either civilian lifestyles and estate, and the decision for worldwide jihad are fullyyt absent from Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's writings. in its place, the militant stance of latest jihadism lies in adherence to the writings of the medieval student, Ibn Taymiyya, and the 20 th century Egyptian radical, Sayyid Qutb. This pathbreaking publication fills an immense hole within the literature approximately Wahhabism by way of returning to the unique writings of its founder. absolute to be arguable, will probably be most unlikely to ignore.