Early Islam
The early Islamic polity was intensely expansionist, fueled both by fervor for the new
religion and by economic and social factors. Conquering armies and migrating tribes
swept out of Arabia, spreading Islam. By the end of Islam's first century, Islamic
armies had reached far into North Africa and eastward and northward into Asia.
Sunni Islam
Basic beliefs of orthodox Islam, especially as they relate to Saudi Arabia.
Shia Islam
Shia are a minority in Saudi Arabia, probably constituting about 5 percent of the
total population, their number being estimated from a low of 200,000 to as many as
400,000. Shia are concentrated primarily in the Eastern Province, where they
constituted perhaps 33 percent of the population, being concentrated in the oases of
Qatif and Al Ahsa.
Shia Islam
Shia are a minority in Saudi Arabia, probably constituting about 5 percent of the
total population, their number being estimated from a low of 200,000 to as many as
400,000. Shia are concentrated primarily in the Eastern Province, where they
constituted perhaps 33 percent of the population, being concentrated in the oases of
Qatif and Al Ahsa.
Wahhabi Islam
The political and cultural environment of contemporary Saudi Arabia has been
influenced by a religious movement that began in central Arabia in the mid-eighteenth
century. This movement, commonly known as the Wahhabi movement, grew out of the scholarship
and preaching of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence.
Wahhabi Islam
The political and cultural environment of contemporary Saudi Arabia has been
influenced by a religious movement that began in central Arabia in the mid-eighteenth
century. This movement, commonly known as the Wahhabi movement, grew out of the scholarship
and preaching of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence.
Islamic Politics in Saudi Arabia
Factors contributing to the increased attraction of Islamic conservatism included the
problem of impending loss of identity caused by overwhelming Westernization. As
secular education, population mobility, the breakup of extended family households, and
the employment of women have chipped away at cherished institutions of family and society,
religion has become a refuge and a source of stability.
The Hajj (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia
The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, occurs annually between the eighth and thirteenth
days of the last month of the Muslim year, Dhu al Hijjah. The hajj represents the
culmination of the Muslim's spiritual life. For many, it is a lifelong ambition.
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