Shari'a and Politics in Saudi Arabia

Siyasa Shar'iyya as a Mechanism for Stabilization of Government and Society

Abstract

The religious Islamic nature of the Saudi regime is a well-established fact. Yet, not many researchers have sought to investigate the various and variegated mechanisms, implemented by the regime in order to abate the tensions between the ideals of Islamic law and the social and political reality. In this article I discuss one of the most important mechanisms being used for that purpose: the principle of Siyāsa Shar’iyya. The article first briefly describes the classical Islamic concept of Siyāsa Shar’iyya, and then moves on to examine its implementation in the Saudi context, through the reading and interpretation of fatawa issued by the late sheikh Ibn Baz, head of the religious Saudi establishment until his death a few years ago. I argue that the political Saudi establishment works in cooperation with the religious establishment, in order to apply a modern version of Siyāsa Shar’iyya. The traditional doctrine of Siyāsa Shar’iyya is thus instrumental in both bringing about social and economical changes under the aegis of Islam, and strengthening the religious legitimacy of the Saudi regime.