https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-05660-4_14

Heritage exists in both natural and cultural forms, and the understanding of this dichotomy is a major step in coming to terms with its importance both in historical and contemporary discourses. The demarcation has been well clarified in articles 1 and 2 of the World Heritage Convention of 1972 adopted in Paris. For instance, article 1 considers cultural heritage to include monuments, groups of buildings and sites inherited from past generations, maintained in the present for the benefit of future generations, while article 2 classifies natural heritage as including geological and physiographic formation, natural features, and natural sites (UNESCO, 1972). Thus, it is obvious that while natural heritage occurs as a gift of nature to humanity with little input from man, cultural heritage is a manifestation of human ingenuity, creativity, and practices. While the two are particularly important to humanity, cultural heritage has, however, attracted more attention because it has come under more serious and sustained attacks in recent times. Therefore, discourses on heritage preservation have tended to focus more on cultural forms.

Cultural heritage comes in tangible and intangible forms. While the tangibles are the physical manifestations such as buildings, sites, monuments, paintings, sculptures and manuscripts, the intangibles are found in customs, mores, myths, values, and practices that define a people or society and have evolved over several generations. Cultural heritage is crucial to humanity because of its “existential, ideological, commercial and educational” values (Nilson & Thorel, 2018). It is basically a manifestation of the past and encompasses unique treasures of inestimable value bequeathed to humanity by ancient civilisations. As a legacy, it connects the present with the past and projects into the future. Heritage has proven to be part of the wealth of a nation and thus crucial to human existence, identity, and memory.

M. SO IF EWS DONT LIKE PRACTCES, AND WRE GENUINE WHEN THEY CLAOM THAT THEY WD PRESERVE THE SITE IF IT WERENT FOR THE PRACTICES, THEN THEY WOULD SEPARETE THE PRACTICES FROM THE SITE, AND END THE PRACTICES, NOT END THE SITE AND PRACTICES.

M. AS WITH MANY THINGS IN LIFE, A BAD MINORITY IS NOT ALLOWED TO DICTATE HOW THE MAJORITY ARE TREATED...

However, the destruction of monuments has featured across time and space because, in the words of Rachel Bokkem (2017) “destruction of physical or intangible artefacts that embody the ideas, beliefs, and characteristics of past societies is a well-tested means of control and power”.



Justifying Destruction

Curiously, there are virtually no Quranic texts that directly sanction the destruction of cultural artefacts. There are, however, examples of traditions of the Prophet and his immediate followers regarding cultural artefacts, concerning which two major references can be made. The first says: “Shun the abomination of idols and shun the world that is false” (Holy Quran, 2021, 22:30). This verse is more of an admonition to believers to avoid idol worshipping. It did not outrightly sanction the destruction of such objects. However, it has become one of the means of justification for modern-day militants to destroy statutes.

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The second reference in the Quran contains the story of how Prophet Ibrahim destroyed idols in his father’s temple. The story goes that Prophet Ibrahim launched an overnight raid on his father’s shrine, axed every statue, except the biggest one upon which he hung the axe. By daybreak, he was confronted, and the following exchanges ensued:

… He said to his father and his people: ‘What do you worship? They said, ‘We worship idols, and to them we are ever devoted.’ He said: ‘Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they benefit you or do they harm you?’ They said: ‘Nay but we found our fathers doing so (Holy Quran, 2021, 26:69–74)

Again, the Abraham story can be interpreted as more of a message for people to stop worshipping idols. However, the audacity of Abraham to confront his father and the entire leaders of the religion of the time, albeit successfully, has become a source of inspiration to modern-day militants in the Muslim world.

In the tradition of the Prophet, there is evidence of the outright removal of idols from society. The most popular of these Prophetic actions was the removal of idols and images from the Kaaba after the conquest. The story goes that upon the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ordered the removal and destruction of all idols that were kept in the Kaaba (Fachrudin, 2015). Although this was done to prove monotheism and prevent idol worshipping in what was considered a sacred place, it has become a major reference point for militants.

To the ews, the destruction of statues is justified on the pretence of preventing idolatry and worshipping of other deities. It is also, in their estimation, a way of purifying Islam.... to them the management and sustenance of traditional monuments, artefacts, traditional medicine, and other forms of traditions are considered acts of paganism and idol worship. They equally preach against tourism to historical sites on the grounds that they encourage social vices like fornication, adultery, and corruption (Bello, 2020). To the extremists, ancient manuscripts, shrines, and tombs also represent mixing pre-Islamic beliefs with Islam, which is a heresy that must be stopped.

m. Clearly the Saudi gov does not agree, as it has allowed many things which ews want forbidden...

Evidence of Heritage Preservation

Evidence from the preceding section suggests a strong aversion and rejection of any statues, monuments and images because they are regarded as symbolizing idols. However, in the Islamic world, there are monuments, beliefs and practices of cultural values that have been preserved and even become central parts of the Islamic religion. These tend to nullify or modify the provisions of the verses and the tradition quoted above. Some of these include the following:

(iv) The Death and Preservation of the Pharaoh’s Body

The death and preservation of the Pharaoh’s body is another example of heritage preservation in Islam as stated in the Quran thus: 10 verses 90–92 as follows:

We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he [Pharaoh] said: "I believe that there is no god but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believes. I am one of the Muslims”; "What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today we will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs (Holy Quran, 2021, 10:90–92).

According to Maurice Bucaille (2003), the body of the Pharaoh was recovered from the sea in 1908 and kept in an Egyptian museum. According to Hossam Mahdy (2019), the Pharaoh’s preservation and recovery were not only to serve as signs and proof of past civilisations but also to drive home the importance of archaeology as a means of authenticating history, which explains cultural heritage preservation.

(vi) Preservation of Al-Hijri pre-Islamic Site

In 2008, the al-Hijri archaeological site became listed as a World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia. This follows long years of Saudi Arabia’s preservation of the place. The significance of this is that the site is a pre-Islamic site, which was mentioned in the Quran as quoted below:

Surely the people of al-Hijr⁴⁵ also rejected the Messengers, calling them liars. We also gave them Our Signs, yet they turned away from them. They used to hew out houses from the mountains⁴⁶ and lived in security. Then the Blast caught them in the morning and whatever they had been earning proved of no avail (Holy Quran, 2021, 15:80–84).

According to the above reference, al-Hijri site is considered to belong to people who were regarded as enemies of God because they rejected messengers sent to them during their time on earth (Mahdi, 2019). The site is not considered a place of worship in Islam, but it was preserved by Saudi Arabia, the seat of the religion of Islam, which illustrates the compatibility of Islam with heritage preservation.

Towards Countering the Narratives of Destruction

The preceding two sections demonstrated the apparent contradiction in the theory and practice of cultural heritage preservation in Islam. Section three presented clear Quranic and Prophetic directives against the making and veneration of statues and monuments. Section four highlighted evidence of the preservation of some monuments and objects as part of Islam. How do we reconcile the contradiction? One way to do this, which is lost to the ews, is to adopt Aziz Fachrudin’s argument that a distinction exists between timthal (mere statutes for decoration) and sanam (statutes for worship). Echoing the views of reformists like Muhammad Jadul-Haq (former Grand Sheikh of Al-Azrar Mosque in Egypt) and famous Muslim thinker Muhammed Umara, Fachrudin argues that statues for decoration are allowed, provided they are not worshipped (Fachrudin, 2015). This seems to be the reason why monuments like the Pyramid and the Sphinx were allowed to stand even when Egypt was conquered by the Muslims. The same reason explains the presence of numerous ancient monuments in the Middle East and other Muslim-dominated areas, even long after the entrenchment of Islam in those areas.

Put on Conclusion

In the same vein, Gharib argues that the built environment is part of Islamic tradition and that its preservation is part of the necessities of Islamic law (Gharib, 2017). Furthermore, in the opinion of Yusuf al-Qaradawi (cited in Gharib, 2001), a deliberate violation of the environment also constitutes a crime against the principles of Islam. Thus, the ews’ arguments for violence against the built environment are erected on fraudulent foundations, and the ews, according to Mahmud Shahbanaz (2016, p.1), are nothing but “isolated extremists dreaming up their own versions of Islam”.

It should be noted that SDG 11 is focused on making cities resilient and sustainable. The heritage sites are important components of the environment. Extremism has emerged as one of the greatest threats to heritage preservation in many human environments in the contemporary world and particularly in Muslim societies. In line with SDG 11, ensuring the sustainability of cultural heritage is of urgent importance. There appears to be a concerted effort to obliterate the long-cherished heritage from Islamic cities and settlements. This is a threat to history, identity and the economy of these areas.

There is a strong relationship between religion and cultural heritage. The relationship is both symbiotic and adversarial. While religion has assisted in the creation of monuments and artefacts of cultural value, it has also been employed to launch vicious attacks on monuments. Therefore, the current onslaught on cultural heritage by some people laying claim to the Islamic religion represents an instance of religion playing an adversarial role in the cultural heritage discourse.

Even though some texts endorse the destruction of statues and monuments, Islamic tradition also shows evidence of the preservation of some of these icons, some of which have been incorporated into the Islamic religion.

This chapter shows that extremists operating in the Muslim world can be effectively checkmated by amplifying the evidence of heritage preservation in Islam. This will dissuade people from being recruited into the extremist fold because many believe they are adopting extremist beliefs for religious purposes.

New Paragraph

Saudi Arabia’s destruction of historic Islamic holy sites and heritage sites represents an ideologically-driven mission of erasure of non-Wahhabi and Shi‘i presence in the Middle East

This damage is “intentional,” undertaken with the express purpose of the “erasure of [the] cultural identity of the Yemeni people”.36 The destruction of Yemeni heritage is part of Saudi Arabia’s “archaeology of power”: destroying history and culture that is non-Saudi and non-Wahhabi purposely.

m. Saudis, preserve the Quran hadith, their Saudi traditions, their historic non-Muslim sites, their way of dress .... they preserve and commemorate events important to them, history, aspects of Islam  via books, exhibitions, museums, conservation Diriya.

Besides holding an Islamic worldview, Muslims are instructed to respect various local traditions as long as they do not conflict with Islamic principles (The Qur’an 7:199).

The body of literature on authentication within Islamic intellectual heritage is huge and highly sophisticated. It influences Muslims’ approach to history and to assessing the authenticity of sources of information for different purposes. However, the assessment of authenticity by conservation professionals within an Islamic context doesn’t acknowledge fourteen centuries of Islamic intellectual heritage on authentication. 

https://www.getty.edu/publications/heritagemanagement/part-two/9/

So saudis overlook 1400 years of thought and the waqaf concept which are pro-preservation.

Waqf

Waqf is a formidable mechanism for the conservation and management of cultural heritage in Islamic contexts. The great majority of Islamic historic buildings standing today are tied to a waqf arrangement, and were not demolished or greatly altered throughout their long history thanks to shari’ah rules regarding waqf.

Waqf is an Islamic system of endowment, initiated by the Prophet as early as the first years of Islam. Like any other endowment system, waqf implies that financial resources are secured to establish a revenue-generating investment dedicated to the management, maintenance, and upkeep of an institution or building for public benefit and/or charitable causes. However, it is important to understand waqf within the Islamic worldview in order to comprehend its meaning and the way it works within a Muslim community. Muslims’ motivation to create and to respect a waqf arrangement is due to the Islamic concept of sustainable charity, meaning a charitable deed that continues to serve the community well beyond its initiator’s lifespan (Amin 1980, 16).

For example, a Muslim philanthropist may build a hospital within a waqf arrangement, which means also allocating resources for an investment such as agricultural lands, shops, hotels, et cetera, the revenue of which secures the management and maintenance of the hospital. Thanks to the waqf, Qalawun’s hospital in Cairo continued to function for centuries after the death of Qalawun himself, until modernization plans were implemented in mid-nineteenth-century Egypt according to a European model and in conflict with Islamic shari’ah.

According to shari’ah, a waqf deed is considered a contract with God, meaning that once the waqf document is written and registered by the judicial system, no one, not even the initiator-patron, has the legal power to make any changes (Mahdy 1991, 32). Once resources are allocated to a waqf arrangement, their ownership becomes God’s, and their management is to be overseen by the judge or the judicial system. It is this strict legal concept that gives the waqf system its efficiency and sustainability. Muslims’ respect for waqf is so great that even in times of armed conflicts, waqf arrangements are respected. For example, when the Ottomans defeated the Mamluks of Egypt in the early sixteenth century, the first decree that the Ottoman Sultan issued upon entering Cairo victoriously was that all waqf deeds were to be respected (Amin 1980, 341).

The waqf is a legally binding document that secures the preservation and performance of a building or institution. It is also a management plan specifying how it should be managed, maintained, and revitalized when needed. Waqf documents describe in great detail how the revenue should be spent to secure the performance of the institution and how would it function, including personnel, tools, and other relevant issues. Furthermore, a waqf document sets the criteria for appointing the administrators who should execute it under the supervision of the local legal system.

The absence of waqf from professional theory and practice in Islamic contexts today is perhaps the most damaging consequence of the lack of awareness and acknowledgment of the Islamic worldview. Despite historians’ testimonies regarding the crucial role that waqf played in the conservation and management of cultural heritage, it remained outside the domain of modern conservation debate and practices.

The Qur’an instructs Muslims to reflect on the material remains of previous peoples, cultures, and civilizations as “signs” or proofs, as in the verse explaining that Allah recovered the body of the Pharaoh, who was chasing Moses and the Israelites and drowned in the process:

So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! (The Qur’an 10:92)

From the Islamic point of view, should recycling and archaeological research conflict, the utmost priority would be given to archaeology, as the importance of authenticating history is central to shari’ah, and thus supersedes other aspects and values.

THE QURAN REPEATEDLY REMINDS OF PAST EVENT AND PAST PEOPLES AS AIDS TO INCU;CATE IT TEACHINGS, AND THEN TO REMIND OF THESE LESSONS. THE PHYSICAL SITES OF PAST EVENTS AND PEOPLES PERFORM THE SAME ROLE, BUT PERHAPS IN SOME WAYS, MORE EFFECTIVELY DUE TO THE EFFECTS ON THE MINDS OF BEING PRESENT WHERE THE HISTORY TOOK PLACE..

IF EWS WERE SERIOUS ABOUT PRESERVING THE BUILDINGS AND FINDING A SOLUTION, THEY WOULD HAVE:

Concluding Remarks and Recommendations

The identification of roots and causes for conflicting attitudes within Islamic contexts is a step toward bridging the gap between conservation professionals and local traditional communities and stakeholders. Actually, such identification is also valid as a general approach in other non-Western contexts. Differences in values may cause conflicting attitudes, and such differences should not be taken lightly, or be viewed superficially or with the assumption that they are due to carelessness or lack of education on the part of local communities and stakeholders. Investigations should dig deeply into the understanding of local cultures to find sources of differences. Should differences be due to different worldviews, consensus-building methods and tools should be applied to bridge the gap. Every effort should be made to explain relevant concepts for both “sides” in a cultural divide, including explanations of terms, concepts, and values within their cultural, social, and historical contexts.

Tools, mechanisms, and methods of identifying and assessing the integrity and authenticity of heritage that were developed throughout the long history of Islamic civilization should be studied, respected, and when applicable implemented, such as the waqf system. Another example is the conservation of built heritage as a means for wise and sustainable management of the environment. Accordingly, conservation and/or revitalization of built heritage are valued as environmentally friendly recycling efforts.

RE-USE OLD SBUILDINGS, OR INCORPORATE THEM WITH NEW BUILDINGS, ...HYBRID BUILDINGS

https://dash.harvard.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/3ad95166-6289-4f57-bbc4-5df9c31c4ef2/content

Saudi Arabia claims that the destruction of heritage sites protects religious pilgrims from weak structures in danger of falling, and protects adherents whose faith is weak from the danger of committing shirk (associating others with God—a form of unbelief). I contend that in reality such destruction has no religious basis but rather reflects what suits the Saudi state, which in this case is financial gain.

If the motivation for such destruction were solely religious, many heritage sites in Saudi Arabia would not exist today. These sites existed for centuries, maintained by previous Muslim rulers, and the government is enjoined to preserve them by both the Quran and the Sunnah, according to non-Wahhabi ulama. As such, although there is a need to accommodate an increasing number of pilgrims, there are several ways the state could safeguard not only the pilgrims but the historically relevant heritage sites, while still moving forward toward a modernized Saudi state. 

During the early Islamic conquests of the seventh century, Caliph Umar’s (634- 644) peace treaty with Jerusalem stated:

This is the assurance of safety which the servant of God, Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, has granted to the people of Jerusalem. He has given them an assurance of safety for themselves, for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick and the health of the city, and for all the rituals that belong to their religion. Their churches will not be inhabited [by Muslims] and will not be destroyed. Neither they, nor the land on which they stand, nor their crosses, nor their property will be damaged. They will not be forcibly converted. (Hamblin, 2001) 

In Muslim culture, the prohibition against destroying religious sites, even those of enemies, has ancient roots. The terms of the seventh century peace treaty referenced above suggest that Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second Sunni caliph and a senior companion of Prophet Muhammad, not only “oversaw major expansion of the Islamic empire, and transmitted numerous hadith” (sayings or actions of the Prophet Muhammad) but was also “considered a particularly authoritative source” on Islamic law (Umar ibn, n.d.). Umar believed that religious sites should be preserved, and that people of other religions should not be forced to convert to Islam. If Prophet Muhammad’s own trusted companion and the second caliph in Islam refused to destroy non-Muslim places of worship, then a crucial contradiction arises as the world watches the destruction of Islamic cultural heritage being perpetrated in the name of Islam today. 

This raises the question: is the destruction of historic Islamic sites permitted or even condoned within the context of Islam? According to those who carry out such destruction, the answer lies within the ultra-conservative branch of Islamic thought known as Wahhabism, an eighteenth-century revival and reform movement begun by Islamic religious and legal scholar Muhammad Ibn Abd al Wahhab. He declared that preserving such Islamic heritage sites leads to shirk (associating other beings with God), which occurs when a person venerates such sites in addition to venerating God. It is viewed as a type of idolatry, and defies a core Islamic tenet of tawhid (there is one God, and He has no partners associated with Him) (Shirk, n.d.). Shirk is considered the ultimate sin one can commit in Islam. 

[M.  IBN BAZ ADOPTED THIS AND ATERED IT:]

 The next few paragraphs review the fatwas of contemporary Wahhabi ulama in Saudi Arabia, specifically fatwas by Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz. Ibn Baz was not only the mufti (a jurist appointed by the state and serving on advisory councils) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999, and President of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Fatwa, but he was also Head of the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia (Bin Ali, 2016, p. 277). He issued several fatwas in his lifetime, which had considerable leverage in the Wahhabi community. Below are some of his rulings on taswir (picture, image, painting, drawing, sculpture, statue) (see Table 1) and other rulings for masjids and graves (see Table 2), specifically about visiting them and building mosques on them based on hadith. Since some of the fatwas convey similar ideas, only a few are provided below; the list is not exhaustive. 

.Fatwas on Taswir and Surahs 

“The basic rule states the prohibition of taswir of living beings. But, if the objects containing the pictures are given menial value or torn, it is permissible to use such objects such as carpets, etc.” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 7857, n.d.).

 “Taswir of beings with a soul is not an act of major kufr; it is however one of the major sins because it can lead to major shirk” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 6541, n.d.). “Making images of beings with a soul is prohibited, whether it is in the form of a sculpture or a painting on a wall, cloth, or paper, or embroidery because it is emulating Allah’s creation (Permanent Committee Fatwa sculpture, n.d.). 

“Making images of beings with a soul is prohibited, whether it is in the form of a sculpture or a painting on a wall, cloth, or paper, or embroidery because it is emulating Allah’s creation (Permanent Committee Fatwa sculpture, n.d.).

“There is no difference between surahs of humans and other beings with souls and the surahs of kings, scholars, etc. In fact, the degree of prohibition regarding the surahs of kings, scholars, and other influential people is severe, because the fitnah (dissent; chaos) that might be caused by them is greater” (Fatwa of ibn Baz on Taswir, n.d.). 

Fatwas on Masjids and Graves

“It is not permissible to build masjids (mosques) above the graves or bury the dead in masjids. Moreover, it is not permissible to perform salah (prayer) in masjids which are built over graves” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 7353, n.d.).

“It is not permissible to perform salah in a masjid where one person or more are buried. This grave or graves should be dug up and moved to the public graveyard” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 6425, n.d.). 

”It is prohibited to include the grave or any part of the cemetery in the masjid” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 7095, n.d.).

“If they (masjids) are built on them (graves), the Muslim rulers should demolish them, provided that this will not cause any fitnah which cannot be overcome” (Permanent Committee Fatwa no. 3201). 

To summarize, these fatwas mainly target two issues: first, the prohibition on creating, having, or venerating a taswir, whether of human or animal; and second, the forbidding of building mosques on graves or building elaborate grave sites, as both of these lead to shirk because a fundamental Islamic tenet states that a Muslim should not venerate anything or anyone but the one true God. 

Saudi Government Actions

These government statements show a desire to protect Saudi national heritage according to sharia law, which means they would be aligned with proclamations made by the ulama in the form of the fatwas. However, actions taken by the Saudi government contradict the proclamations made by both the government and the Wahhabi ulama. For example, in Madain Saleh, there are 131 tombs dating from the first century A.D., and instead of leveling these tombs per Wahhabi principles, the SCTH website boasts of the government’s efforts to register it as one of four heritage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Aarts & Roelants, 2015, p. 5; SCTH, “Saudi Sites,” 2018). This location also has twenty shrines in good condition with statues of winged lions with human heads (SCTH, “About Madain Saleh”, 2014). At a location in Hail, there is rock art that is also on the World Heritage List. The rock art, spread across two locations, which together form the Jubbah site, is one of the largest and oldest rock art sites in the Saudi kingdom. Additionally, there is another site, the Rata and Al Manjor, which “include anthropomorphs and bovine figures, along with numerous representations of human figures” (SCTH, “Rock Art”, 2015; SCTH, “Jubbah Site”, 2015; SCTH, “Rata and Al Manjor Site”, 2015). These sites raise the question: why have they not been destroyed according to the Wahhabi creed? If the government follows sharia guidelines as far as ancient sites are concerned, then these sites should have been destroyed. 

Another instance of Saudi rulers not following sharia and going against the Wahhabi principles relates to pictures. The fatwa prohibiting taswir is not limited solely to statues and pictures of animals. The prohibition regarding the taswirs of kings, scholars, and other influential people is in fact more severe because revering them leads to shirk. So it’s intriguing to note for instance, the centennial celebration, designed to mark 100 years of Al Saud rule. This celebration created opportunities for the Saudi government to develop “an ancestor cult around Ibn Saud” in which Ibn Saud, the deceased ruler, was venerated for his accomplishments; he became a symbolic figure, and things related to him became icons portraying his many attributes (Al Rasheed, 2002, p. 209). The Ministry of Information “captured all these in pictures and portraits of the King,” encouraging “a sense of his immortality, an omnipotent symbolic ancestor” (Al Rasheed, 2002, pp. 209, 211, 214). 

As an ideology, Wahhabism disparages commemorative history because such festivities represent a form of bida (innovation). Likewise, Wahhabism denounces saint worship so the staging of the centennial spectacle illustrates how the Saudi royal family overrules the ulama and their Wahhabi doctrine by celebrating the deceased king with god-like devotion (Al Rasheed, 2002, p. 215; Hameed, 2015). The array of portraits of the king and of senior princes, which were created and distributed in a country where statues, images, and even paintings of human figures are banned due to Wahhabi ideology, showed the power that the Saudi government wields over its ulama and the reality of how negligible the ulama’s power has become since the first Saudi emirate (Al Rasheed, 2002, p. 217). 



What is not readily understood is why some sites are placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list while others are destroyed—when all of these sites, according to Wahhabi doctrine, should be destroyed. 

Yet if these are the steps taken—under the guidance of Wahhabism, by the Saudi government within and outside of the Saudi Kingdom—then why did the Saudi government allow the preservation of structures in Jubbah, Rata, and other similar sites? Why has the Saudi government paid to erect the Faysal Mosque in Pakistan, which shows elements of classical Ottoman style such as a dome surrounded by tall minarets (Rizvi, 2015, pp. 28, 90)? Unlike the whitewashed interiors of “restored” mosques in Bosnia, the inside walls of the Faysal Mosque are covered in rich blue and gold calligraphic tiles. The minbar, from which the imam gives his sermon, is decorated with large circular medallions of cut lapis lazuli mosaic. The platform for the muezzin (the person who calls out prayers) is embellished with an immense abstract mural. Breaking from traditional Saudi ideology, the mosque also has on its grounds the tomb of a military leader credited with spreading Wahhabi-inflected Islam in Pakistan (Rizvi, 2015, p. 91-92). It is ironic that the mosque has so many embellishments and that it commemorates both a military leader (via construction of the tomb) and a King (by naming the mosque in his honor) given that Wahhabism strongly renounces erecting memorials of any sort in the belief that they might lead Muslims to shirk. The differences between the simple whitewashed mosques in Kosovo and the elaborate and intricately decorated mosque in Pakistan, or the preservation of historic sites registered on the World Heritage List compared to the destruction of heritage sites related to Prophet Muhammad’s life, reveals clear contradictions as to how Saudi Arabia practices Wahhabi concepts.

Scholarly Perspectives on the Destruction of Heritage Sites

It is apparent that although the Wahhabi ulama would like the Saudi state to follow the principles of Wahhabism and destroy such historically relevant heritage sites, Saudi rulers in fact apply those principles where they deem necessary, leading to inconsistencies, especially when it comes to shirk. In contrast, global non-Wahhabi Muslim scholars are of the opinion that such destruction is not allowed by Islam. 

 Abd al Wahhab’s brother, who was a judge like their father, also opposed Wahhab’s teachings. Citing the same scholars on whom Abd al Wahhab relied to support his position, the brother contradicted Abd al Wahhab’s perspectives on several issues, including the matter of intercession (Commins, 2006, p. 23). Even in the face of such opposition, however, Abd al Wahhab’s ideology survived not because he made stronger arguments, but through the sheer force of the Saudi military establishment with which he had formed an alliance (Commins, 2006, p. 24). 



Opposition to Wahhabi Ideology in the Twenty-First Century 



 I focus on the significance of these scholarly statements as they pertain to destruction caused by Saudi Arabia specifically. While this might be construed as overly generalized, the Quranic verses and Hadiths cited in the next few pages hold the same authority whether they are applied to ....... If the act of destruction is condemned by the Quran or the Sunnah, the outcomes remain the same, whether such destruction is undertaken by ...... or by legitimate states such as Saudi Arabia; the guidance remains unchanged. 

Non-Wahhabi Scholars’ Perspectives

The first denunciation by an assemblage of experts for the destruction of historical sites occurred in 2001 at the Doha Conference of Ulama on Islam and Cultural Heritage, shortly after the Taliban demolished the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. The next major statement was issued in 2014, when scholars collaborated on a letter critiquing and condemning Islamic State’s destruction of Muslim and non-Muslim sites in Iraq and Syria. In both instances, specialists in Muslim law and religion employed Islamic jurisprudence, both Quranic verses and Islamic history, to condemn these acts of destruction. The scholars called attention to three things: (1) the evolution of Islam and how it has historically accommodated diversity; (2) the use of history to acquire knowledge and learn lessons from ancient sites and people; and (3) the fact that many historical sites have been deliberately preserved by Islamic rulers for centuries. Each of these is discussed in more detail below. 

Diversity in Islam

The 2001 Doha Conference emphasized that civilizations are not formed in a vacuum but rather as a result of contributions made by diverse peoples, religions, and creeds (UNESCO, 2001, p. 19). Furthermore, Islamic civilization was formed by amalgamating various pre-existing civilizations, cultures, and features that were in tune with the basic principles of Islam (p. 24). According to the Quran, “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Lo! herein indeed are portents for men of knowledge” (Pickthall, Quran 30:22). In the opinion of Abdul Hamid Al Ansari, Dean of the Faculty of Sharia, Law and Islamic Studies at University of Qatar, who gave the keynote paper at the Doha Conference: 

God supports the diversity of nations, religious laws, faiths, and civilizations. No single belief or religion can be universally imposed, nor can the human race be subjected to a single religious authority or any one particular civilization. It should be understood that jihad in Islam was prescribed solely in order to protect such diversity and guarantee freedom of choice for all. Islam prescribes freedom of choice in regard to belief and the practice of worship and religious rites. The diversity of religions, the difference in religious laws and the variety of methods share common origins in that they all acknowledge God. (UNESCO, 2001, p. 28)

The Quran says: “Had Allah willed, He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works” (Pickthall, Quran 5:48). Similar sentiments of diversity appear in other places in the Quran: “And if thy Lord had willed, He verily would have made mankind one nation, yet they cease not differing” (Pickthall, Quran 11:118). What these Quranic verses and Ansari himself suggest is an argument for the value of diversity in Islam. Such an argument enables Muslims to embrace the fact that while Islam was introduced to newly conquered peoples (e.g., Persians, Armenians, Kurds, Abyssinians) the conquering Muslims amplified and embraced some of the characteristics from these other lands and cultures (UNESCO, 2001, p. 58). 

Scholars believe that the value Islam places on diversity should teach Muslims to be less severe about practices such as visiting graves or preserving historical sites. God says in the Quran, “Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant” (Pickthall, Quran 7:199). Non-Wahhabi ulama state that “the more severe opinion should not be considered more pious, religious or sincere to God. Even the Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Be gentle, and beware of violence and foul language”’ (“Letter to Baghdadi,” 2014). However, this perspective runs counter to what Wahhabi scholars preach. The point is that although many countries and provinces were conquered by Muslim forces, the conquered people were never forced to convert. Dawah (an invitation to join Islam) was offered with fairness and gentleness, not with violence (“Letter to Baghdadi”, 2014). The Quran says: “And if thy Lord willed, all who are in the earth would have believed together. Wouldst thou (Muhammad) compel men until they are believers?” (Pickthall, Quran 10:99) “There is no compulsion in religion” (Pickthall, Quran 2:256). “Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve” (Pickthall, Quran 18:29). In all these verses, the Quran states that people must not be forced to accept a certain creed—unlike what the Wahhabi ulama assert. Since none of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad forced their beliefs on those they conquered, it is apparent that any assault or destruction due to fear of shirk leads to what is wrong, not right, and “If God wanted this, He would have obliged them over the minutest details of His religion” (“Letter to Baghdadi,” 2014). 

These writings suggest that God gave humanity choices and freedom. He could have written out every detail for pious Muslims to follow yet he did not, thereby encouraging freedom of choice. The destruction of heritage sites underscores an excessive harshness, raising questions of whether the Wahhabi ulama in Saudi Arabia are forcing their uncompromising views on Muslims in apparent opposition to the faith itself. In a letter sent to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, non-Wahhabi scholars declared that although they disagree among themselves on the subject of graves, they do agree that where there is disagreement the best option is to be more merciful and to avoid harshness. The scholars believe:

It is not permissible to blow up the graves of Prophets and companions and disinter their remains, just as it is not permissible to burn grapes under the pretext that some people use them to make wine. The Prophet said: I had previously prohibited you from visiting graves. Permission has been granted for Muhammad to visit his mother’s grave, so visit them [i.e., graves] for they remind one of death and the hereafter. (“Letter to Baghdadi,” 2014) 

In summary, then, do not destroy grave sites in fear that it might lead to shirk; rather, go to these graves so that Muslims are reminded that death comes to all at some time.

Where fatwas and sharia laws are concerned, scholars talk about “practical jurisprudence”: 

What is meant by “practical jurisprudence” is the process of applying sharia rulings, and dealing with them according to the realities and circumstances that people are living under. This is achieved by having an insight into the realities under which people are living and identifying their problems, struggles, capabilities and what they are subjected to. Practical jurisprudence considers the texts that are applicable to people’s realities at a particular time, and the obligations that can be postponed until they are able to be met or delayed based on their capabilities. Religious edicts (fatwas) change with the change of time, place, customs and circumstances, and all of this is from the religion of God. (“Letter to Baghdadi,” 2014) 

M. SO IF PEOPLE VISIT A SITE, AND ACT NOT ACCORDING TO EWS VIEWS, THEY SHOULD BE EXCUSED, DEALT WITH GENTLY,

Hence, decisions are best made in the context of circumstances at the time, and flexibility is needed to ensure one does not endorse an overly severe position simply to be perceived as more pious, religious, or sincere to God. Similarly, since fatwas may change with time, place, and circumstances, it is best not to consider these religious opinions as written in stone.

Diversity enables mutual connection and cooperation and is a source of joy and happiness. It encourages the exclusion of harshness and generates knowledge. Without diversity, knowledge would be hollow, and instead of enlightenment, darkness would overcome. According to Abdelouahed Belakziz, former Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), “For Muslims, faith is associated with knowledge, and the Quran and hadith contain so many passages which emphasize the importance of knowledge” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 25). In this line of Islamic thought, diversity strengthens knowledge, enhances life, and encourages human progress through the process of writing and discussions among civilizations and cultures.

Utilizing History to Acquire Knowledge and Learn Lessons

Numerous verses of the Quran focus on the idea of heritage and past civilizations as one way to acquire knowledge, given that all human history is connected (UNESCO, 2001, p. 28). In many verses, the Quran states that “antiquities should be contemplated and lessons drawn from the indications which they provide as a way of remembering the feats of earlier nations” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 31). Thus, preserving the past in order to gain present knowledge is encouraged.

Both the Sunnah and the Quran endorse the pursuit of knowledge and suggest that lessons can be learned from history and heritage. The Prophet said: “He who desires life in this world must seek knowledge and he who desires the afterlife must seek knowledge. And he who desires life in this world and the afterlife must seek knowledge” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 57). The Quran relates the story of Pharaoh to serve as a warning: “But this day We save thee in thy body that thou mayst be a portent for those after thee” (Pickthall, Quran 10:92). With this story, the Quran teaches that history offers lessons, and for this reason we should preserve and study history, since the Prophet has said; “The pursuit of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 62; “Letter to Baghdadi,” 2014). 

The Quran and the Sunnah both advocate obtaining knowledge, so much so that in the quest for knowledge, if a Muslim has to travel, he/she should do so. The Quran says: “Have they not travelled in the land to see the nature of the consequence for those who disbelieved before them? They were mightier than these in power and (in the) traces (which they left behind them) in the earth” (Pickthall, Quran 40:21). It also says: “Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they dug the earth and built upon it more than these have built” (Pickthall, Quran 30:9). In this way, Muslims are enjoined to learn from history and avoid repeating the mistakes of their ancestors, even if it means one travels far and wide to do so. 

The Quran discusses “education and learning through exploration of the universe and recommends travel on land and even on the seas with the clear objective of seeking lessons from history. It encourages believers to travel in order to understand the reasons for the rise and fall of earlier civilizations” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 50). Muslims are to learn from the histories of earlier nations by scrutinizing their experiences, cultures, and heritage in order to improve their own understanding. The Quran says: “Travel in the land, and see the nature of the consequence for those who were before you” (Pickthall, Quran 30:42). It describes a believer as one who travels through the land for the purpose of gaining knowledge from past civilizations that have been left behind by previous generations (UNESCO, 2001, p. 66). When learning from past nations, the Quran says: “Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny” (Pickthall, Quran 3:137); also: “Say (unto the disbelievers): Travel in the land, and see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters” (Pickthall, Quran 6:11). These verses suggest that it is important to preserve the cultural heritage of the past so we can see what lessons might be obtained from the mistakes of our ancestors. In the absence of such histories, we may repeat their mistakes and fall prey to the same fates as our predecessors (UNESCO, 2001, p. 66). Even the former Mufti of Egypt, Nasr Farid Wasil, states that for the ancient forefathers, “antiquities were preserved on account of the examples and lessons which they provide” (UNESCO, 2001, p. 31). 

Neither the Quran nor the Sunnah advocate limits on the study, preservation, or examination of heritage. Rather, the excerpts quoted here focus on the idea that to seek knowledge, it is necessary to study and analyze past civilizations and their heritage (UNESCO, 2001, p. 62). Islam recognizes the value of cultural heritage, including historical monuments. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, an Islamic scholar and peace activist, expresses this point: 

According to Islam, historical monuments are indeed worthy of preservation as indispensable records of the past. If such records were not maintained, future generations would lose authentic sources of knowledge, which would be an irremediable loss. Islam is a religion of nature. Everything which is in accordance with nature and reason is regarded as important in Islam. One important and accepted principle of the Islamic sharia holds that all things are essentially lawful if they are not forbidden. Viewed in the light of this principle of sharia, the preservation of a cultural heritage is certainly lawful in Islam, for nowhere in the Quran or the Sunnah are we commanded not to preserve our cultural heritage. (UNESCO, 2001, p. 65) 

In his view, the preservation of heritage is lawful and worthy for it not only connects the present to the past but allows knowledge to be extrapolated from the past for the benefit of the future. 

Historical Sites Preserved

Islamic tradition has long accommodated the cultural heritage of previous civilizations by respecting and preserving historical monuments for future generations. These sites were viewed as an inheritance that belonged to the entire human race, serving as an important source of knowledge and posing no threat to the sanctity of Islam (UNESCO, 2001, p. 27). Sheikh Muhammad Abdu, a modern master of the mujtahidin (those who formulate independent judgments) states: 

Look at the figure of the Sphinx, next to the Great Pyramid, and you either see the lion as a man or the man as a lion. Preserving these monuments is, in fact, to preserve knowledge and pay recognition to the creativity of the workmanship. What does the sharia have to say about such figures if they are meant to depict the psychological reactions or physical states of the human being? On the whole, the Islamic sharia is most unlikely to prohibit one of the best media of knowledge, having ascertained that it poses no threat to the religion in terms of either belief or action. (UNESCO, 2001, p. 30) 

Abdul Muti Bayumi, former Dean of the Faculty of Religious Principles at Al Azhar University writes: 

Why didn’t the companions who were the first conquerors, destroy the idols found in Egypt, Persia and Afghanistan? It was because they realized that they were no longer graven images, having instead become nothing more than a token of the past. They did not overlook the historic value of these monuments because they tell the story of the development of the human mind. (UNESCO, 2001, p. 31) 

Similarly, Fahmi Huwaydi, a Muslim intellectual, states: 

The Muslims conquered the lands of Persia and Egypt and arrived in India, a country which harbors some of most ancient temples and statues in the entire world. . . . Nevertheless, no one has ever been known to regard these statues as idols, nor has it ever been known for the Muslims to declare war on them. It should be borne in mind some of these conquests took place in the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and that those who led the Muslim armies were mostly companions or followers of the Prophet, whose commitment to and understanding of Islam no one can doubt. (UNESCO, 2001, p. 32)

Each of these scholars believes that the preservation of historical monuments is an embedded tenet within Islam, for these sites have existed for many years suggesting that the companions of the Prophet and the pious ancestors that followed all intentionally preserved these historical sites for the future generations so they might gain knowledge and learn from previous civilizations and cultures about heritage and diversity. 

On the subject of the Prophet’s companions, the ulama at the Doha conference spoke about how the early followers of Islam, such as the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, acted in accordance with the Prophet Muhammad by following his example. For instance, Abu Bakr instructed his commanders to have regard for the freedom and culture of the peoples and lands they captured (UNESCO, 2001, p. 58). Another example is the fact that Abu Bakr prayed in the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, which contained many images and statues—a testament to the Islamic tradition of tolerance toward non-Muslim cultural and religious heritage (UNESCO, 2001, pp. 52, 58). If Abu Bakr, who is considered by the Wahhabis as an example to be followed by all Muslims, can pray in a church with images and statues, then domes above mosques or embellishments within and outside of a mosque or on a grave should not be associated to leading one to shirk. 

The non-Wahhabi scholars present at the Doha conference also drew attention to the tolerant nature of Islam. They highlighted the fact that Islamic tradition “requires respect for the human heritage in general, whatever its sources, forms or manifestations” (p. 7). Muslims have preserved a diverse range of historical monuments and cultural heritage so that future generations can learn from the past. The fact that the Islamic world has preserved such a huge part of world heritage lends support to the idea that Muslims traditionally preserved ancient monuments; otherwise, most of that heritage would already have been lost or destroyed. “The position of Islam regarding the preservation of the cultural heritage is a firm position of principle which expresses the very essence of the Islamic religion” (pp. 7-8). 

Other Voices

The scholars at the Doha conference are not the only experts on Muslim law and religion to condemn the destruction of historical monuments such as mosques and gravesites. Other independent scholars have given their thoughts on this issue, further corroborating what the scholars at the Doha conference and the signatories of the Letter to Baghdadi expressed. 

At the 2007 Proceedings of the International Conference of International Scientific Committee on Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration (ICOMOS), Secretary General Mehr Azar Soheil highlighted the idea that when Islam underwent a period of expansion, it absorbed the ancient cultures of conquered lands and adapted itself to them (p. 63). Soheil (2007) cites Quranic verses that state, “Is it not a guidance for them (to observe) how many generations We destroyed before them, amid whose dwelling places they do walk” (Pickthall, Quran 32:26). The Quran calls attention to the fact that these ancient sites, as well as previous civilizations and cultures, are a testament to lost glories left behind to guide future generations (Soheil, 2007, p. 67). Additionally, Soheil reveals, similar to what other non-Wahhabi scholars touched on previously, how the Quran invites the reader to travel the earth, see the ancient sites and learn from them, because the past is connected to the present and future. For example, the Quran says “Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers)” (Pickthall, Quran 3:137). Soheil continues by stating that the Quran grants awareness to ancient nations and their heritage, and underscores the need to study their histories. This implies that past cultures are a great source of guidance and knowledge, and that preservation of cultural heritage is a duty upon the Muslim community (p. 68). 

Remah Gharib (2017a), Assistant Professor of Urban Design and Architecture in Muslim Societies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, makes similar points to those already presented in regard to how Islam expanded to far regions of the world: it inserted itself within communities and civilizations, integrating with existing history and heritage (p. 44). Gharib echoes many of the same Quranic verses presented earlier while also referring to similar scholarship on the preservation of heritage. Gharib cites comments made by Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi stating that preserving built heritage not only secures the future of the city but the future of the next generation, for it provides diversity for the city and knowledge for the coming generation (p. 45). Gharib points out that in 1903, Sheikh Mohamed Abdu of Egypt, issued a fatwa entitled ”Figures and statues, their advantage and the ruling in their regard,” (quoted earlier) which emphasizes how little threat the Sphinx poses to the practice of Islam (p. 45). Gharib (2017b) states that “Islamic jurisprudence toward the built environment relies on a general rule of do no harm and cause no harm and this is captured from a famous speech of the Prophet which states that: There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm” (p. 372). 

According to Gharib, Abdel al Latif al Baghdadi, a thirteenth-century philosopher, insisted that earlier Muslim leadership accepted the value of historical monuments and heritage, and therefore curbed their destruction (2017b, p. 373) Al Baghdadi wrote: “And still the Kings take into account the survival of this built heritage and prevent damaging it” (Gharib, 2017a, p. 44; Gharib, 2017b, p. 374). This demonstrates that Islamic principles before and during the thirteenth century protected and preserved ancient heritage, whether in the form of buildings, monuments, or sculptures (Gharib, 2017a, p. 44; Gharib, 2017b, p. 374). According to Islamic scholar Yusuf al Qaradawi, “the intent of the Islamic law is strongly related to preservation and conservation. Islam is driven by the strategic objectives extracted from the Quran and the Sunnah and the intent and objectives of the Islamic law is to sustain God’s creation” (Gharib, 2017b, p. 375). 

M. IN ADDITION TO THIS, IS THE PRACTICE AND BELIEF SYSTEM IN EBERY OTHER mUSLIM NATON, WHOSE ULEMA AND GOVRNMENTS BELIEVE THAT PRESERVATION OF ISLAMIC HERITAGE SITES IS NOT ONLY PERMITTED BY RECOMMENDED STRONGLY.

Although most of the previous commentary by Muslim scholars focuses on acts of destruction by jihadist Salafis such as the Taliban and Islamic State, some scholars have directed their commentary directly toward Saudi Arabia. For example, Abdul Wahhab Abu Sulaiman, a historian, researcher, and Islamic educator, presented a sharia ruling on development in and around Mecca, asserting that historical sites such as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad should be protected under Islamic law (Al Alawi, 2015). Other scholars indicated concerns about such destruction after reading a 61-page document prepared by a faculty member at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. That cleric proposed that the Prophet Muhammad’s remains be moved to the nearby Baqi cemetery. In 2014, in response to this proposal, the Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister asked the Saudi ambassador for clarification on this issue. In reply, the ambassador assured the Minister that the report was false. Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nhadlatul Ulama (NU), issued a strong criticism when it heard the news that the Prophet’s remains might be moved from their current location. The chairman of NU’s executive council, Slamet Effendi Yusuf, equated the plan with “stupidity and ignorance” and stated that “NU would be in vanguard of opposition to it” (Woodward, 2014). Even Indonesian Salafi organizations, such as Muhammadiyah and Persatuan Islam, both of which oppose tomb veneration, condemned that news. The Correct Islamic Faith Foundation, an Indian foundation linked to over 300 Sunni traditionalist organizations, issued similar strong condemnation upon hearing the news and called upon all Muslims of the world to unite and stand against such an act (Woodward, 2014). 

## ##

Additionally, ibn Saud laid the base for installation of Wahhabism by reinstating the Al al Sheikh, descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, as the religious leaders in Saudi Arabia (Commins, 2006, p. 71).

According to the official Saudi government website, all preservation works are executed under sharia laws respecting Islamic faith and principles because the country, since its establishment by King Abdul Aziz, has been based on sharia laws, the Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah, and the pure faith of Islam (SCTA, 2017).

 Second, these construction projects are all undertaken to ensure that worshippers will not commit shirk by revering structures with ties to the Prophet and his family (“Mecca’s Changing Face”, 2014; Peer, 2012). Thus, in the twenty-first century, the argument for destroying sites such as graves and mosques is two-fold: first, that it will protect and accommodate worshipers, and second, that it will keep Muslims from committing shirk. 

M. SO WHEN OTHER OUNTRIES DESTROY SITES FOR THE SAME REASONS AS THE EWS , THE EWS CRITICISE THEM, BUT WHEN THEY DO IT,

Although many scholars have commented on the destruction wrought by jihadist groups such as the Taliban and Islamic State, the sources they cited to criticize the terrorists’ action—the Quran and the Sunnah—can also be employed to criticize Saudi Arabia as well. Both the Quran and the Sunnah advocate a path that requires a pious Muslim to first, appreciate diversity and freedom instead of coercion; second, preserve such heritage sites so as to learn lessons from their history; and third, appreciate the fact that previous rulers—some of which were the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and early Muslim ancestors, the Salaf—did not destroy such historically relevant heritage sites. 

Although I accept that religion, specifically Wahhabism, may have been the main (if not the only) argument used during the first Saudi emirate, the pre-Saudi state, the current regime’s motivation for such destruction is not motivated solely by religion or security. I believe that the justifications behind the current wave of destruction, specifically around the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, are in response to economic motivations focused specifically on (1) real estate, and (2) tourism. 

Before I explore these justifications, I will suggest reasons why this destruction could not be solely based on religion, in this case Wahhabism. One reason was provided earlier, in Chapter Two: the fact that the Saudi government allowed not only the preservation of 131 tombs dating from the first century A.D. but going one step further and registering the site on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Aarts & Roelants, 2015, p. 5; “Saudi Sites,” 2015). Furthermore, the government also tolerated the Rock Art of Hail, with its anthropomorphs, bovine figures, and numerous representations of human figures, rather than leveling the tombs or erasing the art in deference to Wahhabi principles (SCTH, “Rock Art”, 2015; SCTH, “Jubbah Site,”2015; SCTH, “Rata and Al Manjor Site,”2015). If the government were in fact following Wahhabi doctrine as its main motivation, then the tombs and art should have been destroyed. 

It is also interesting to note that the Kingdom has a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting visual art such as paintings and sculptures. The organization, named Painting & Patronage, was established in Riyadh in 1999 by Prince Khalid Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, who is not only the Governor of Mecca Region but also the Adviser to King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, custodian of the two holy mosques,. The fact that there are several fatwas against visual arts such as paintings and sculptures,[and yet the Saudi rulers have dedicated a non-profit for the sole promotion of such art, is another example of how the current rulers of Saudi Arabia are demonstrably not bound by Wahhabism or influenced by its ulama (Al-Saud, 2009). 

Another example is the fatwas issued by the ulama to prohibit taswir. Whether of rocks or in the form of a picture, the prohibition against taswir is severe because revering such objects in any way leads one to shirk. Yet, the centennial celebration designed to mark one hundred years of Al Saud rule created opportunities for the Saudi government to develop “an ancestor cult around Ibn Saud,” in which he was venerated by capturing all his accomplishments in pictures and portraits, encouraging a perception of immortality (Al Rasheed, 2002, pp. 209, 211, 214). As an ideology, Wahhabism disparages the commemoration of history because such festivities represent a form of bida, and as such the tradition denounces saint worship (Al Rasheed, 2002, p. 215; Hameed, 2015). Even Shaykh Abd al Aziz ibn Baz issued a fatwa in which he declared that the centennial celebration was an imitation of non-believers. Therefore, had the Saudi rulers strictly followed Wahhabism, these events would not have occurred (Al Rasheed, 2002, p. 205). 

WHILE SUNNI ISLAM ALLOWS THESE CELEBRATIONS, SO THE SAUDIS, DONG THEM, ARE FOLLOWING SUNNI ISLAM

Another reason this destruction cannot be associated primarily with religion is a Wahhabist concept called al wala wal bara (hereafter referred to as WB) which translates as “loyalty and disavowal”: wala means loyalty to the Muslim community, bara means rejection of the non-Muslim and their culture. Wahhabis believe that WB safeguards them from bida and strengthens unity among true believers of Islam. WB requires that Muslims not imitate non-Muslims in their dress, language, morality, or culture. Similarly, a true Muslim refuses to take part in celebrations or festivities invented by non-Muslims. The only celebrations a Muslim can participate in are the two Eids: one that marks the end of Ramadan, and one that marks the pilgrimage season; any other festival or celebration is bida (Bin Ali, 2016, pp. 136-141), and celebrating the Al Saud centennial is in direct violation of al wala wal bara. 

In the nineteenth century, followers of ibn Abd al Wahhab accused the Ottomans of corrupting Islam and were labeled as heretics as only Arabs were deemed worthy Muslims because they believed in tawhid and stayed away from bida. However, if one looks at what now occupies the current sites that were destroyed to protect Muslims from bida and shirk, it is apparent that religion was not the basis for such destruction. For example, a Hilton hotel and a Burger King, both symbols of Western capitalism, stand on the site where the house of the Prophet’s closest companion and Islam’s first Caliph, Abu Bakr, once existed (Power, 2014; Hameed, 2015). Surrounding the holy site in Mecca are shopping plazas filled with designer fashions, food courts, luxury hotels, parking lots, helipads, and much more, all promoting Western capitalism and conveying the feel of New York or Las Vegas rather than a place to venerate the one true God (Peer, 2012; Al Alawi, 2015). Thus, the pious Muslim is being pulled away from God by flagrant capitalism. The construction of hotels and shopping malls goes against the concept of al wala wal bara because it allows an otherwise pious Muslim to easily access the culture of non-Muslims by living and dressing like them. 

Is it reasonable to argue then that such destruction is not for religious reasons 

As part of this quest, the evidence I have cited points to two main motivations for the destruction of historical religious sites: real estate and tourism. 

Up to this point, I have focused on tourism as it relates to pilgrimages to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina (“Saudi Arabia to Open,” 2017; “Saudi Crown Prince,” 2017). However, the Crown Prince’s Vision 2030 economic reform program views religious tourism as one way to expand and diversify the economy away from oil, hoping that pilgrims will visit not only the holy cities but eventually spend their money at luxury resorts, food courts, and designer fashion stores that surround these holy cities (“Islamic Tourism,” 2017). 

Had the Saudi government been serious about following the fundamental teachings of Wahhabism, it would have destroyed or closed Mount Uhud, the Cave of Thawr, and Hira Cave, since visiting these sites would lead many of the pilgrims to venerate them due to their connection to the Prophet Muhammad, eventually leading the pilgrims to bida and shirk. However, these sites are not only open to visitors and pilgrims, but the Kingdom highlights these sites and plans to rehabilitate the historic mountains to appeal to pilgrims and encourage them to visit the sites. An example of this is when in 2016, the SCTH investigated the erasure “of historic writing[s] on Uhud Mountain near the graveyards of the martyrs,” submitting a report to the President of SCTH, Prince Sultan bin Salman, and Saleh Abbas, the Director of the SCTH’s branch in Medina, recommending preservation of the writings on rocks (“Tourism Body Probes”, 2016). 

The destruction of historically relevant sites has not come about solely because of Wahhabism; rather, given the evidence cited in this thesis, the Saudi state appears to have two agendas behind its actions. One is to make way for modernization in the state that will increase its financial resources, as exemplified by the luxury hotels that surround Mecca. The other is to maintain its religious hegemony by placating the Wahhabi ulama, allowing them some authority in matters of religion, similar to what was done in Kosovo. Had the motivations for destruction been solely religious, many of the locations mentioned previously would not exist today. 

 In due course, it became clear to the ulama that if they wished to have a role in the new Kingdom, they had to accept the subordination of religion to politics. 

With the ulama’s role constrained, the Saudi government pursued the following actions, which it deemed necessary for the Kingdom’s and the Saud family’s welfare, even if that meant going against Wahhabi teachings:

● the preservation and listing of the Rock Art of Hail on the UNESCO World Heritage List,

● the creation of a non-profit specifically to promote visual arts,

● the centennial celebration of Al Saud rule by venerating ibn Saud’s legacy, and

● allowing Western capitalism to surround the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. 

Each of these actions points to a country that has changed over time, focusing more on its economy and future modern state rather than its religious ideology.

Although the Saudi government might claim that removing heritage sites affiliated with the Prophet Muhammad and his family, and expanding the area surrounding the holy city of Mecca, were done not only to accommodate pilgrims but also to stop pilgrims from committing shirk, the fact is that the destruction of relevant historic sites did not come about solely because of Wahhabism. Rather, the Saudi state demonstrates by its actions, often in contradiction with its statements, two objectives behind the destruction: 

1. to make way for modernization in the state that will move it forward financially, for example, by removing the house of Abu Bakr, Prophet Muhammad’s companion and Islam’s first Caliph, and replacing it with luxury hotels and shopping malls. 

2. to keep religious hegemony intact by appeasing the Wahhabi ulama by allowing them some control in matters of religion, such as replacing Ottoman-styled mosques in Kosovo with whitewashed plain mosques devoid of decorations and embellishment. 

Most non-Wahhabi Muslim scholars are of the opinion that Islam does not condone such acts, which is why it is not possible to assign culpability to Islam. According to many non-Wahhabi scholars, the Quran, the Sunnah, and many examples throughout history highlight the importance of preserving ancient heritage sites. Scholars advocate a path that requires a pious Muslim to first appreciate diversity and freedom instead of coercion; second, preserve such heritage sites so as to learn lessons from their history; and third, appreciate the fact that previous rulers such as Prophet Muhammad’s companions and the early Muslim ancestors, the Salaf, did not destroy such historically relevant heritage sites. M. FOURTHLY, MOST MUSLIM NATIONS PRESERVE.

Several possible courses of action could be considered by the Saudi state to stop further destruction of these sites. For example, hotels and other commercial structures could be built several miles from holy sites and roads constructed to accommodate the pilgrims (Atassi, 2015). Emphasis could be placed on improving services, such as hospitals and fire departments, if pilgrims are truly the main concern of the Saudi state (Hameed, 2015). The state could limit the number of pilgrims that arrive each year, which would profoundly lower the number of negative incidents involving pilgrims. The Saudi government has sufficient resources that it could manage a smaller crowd without having to create more room by expanding the mosques in Mecca or Medina or destroying ancient heritage sites to build luxury hotels. To avoid veneration by the visiting pilgrims, the state could simply block off sites that have a connection to the Prophet and his family instead of leveling them off. Such sites could be transformed into museums or libraries for Muslims to visit and expand their knowledge—something emphasized by both the Quran and the Sunnah. 

Destroying historically relevant heritage sites in an effort to comply with Wahhabist philosophies occurred during the formation of the first Saudi state. But as time passed and the Wahhabi ulama lost their power over religious affairs in Saudi Arabia, it became obvious that religion was no longer influencing Saudi society. These religious sites have been around for centuries, maintained by previous caliphs and sultans, each of whom was enjoined by both the Quran and the Sunnah to preserve them. While there is a need to accommodate ever-increasing numbers of pilgrims, I have highlighted the need to preserve these historically relevant heritage sites even as the country moves toward a modern Saudi state. 

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The wish cherished by Shaikh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, the late Wahhabi cleric, “we hope one day we’ll be able to destroy the green dome of the Prophet Muhammad” does not stop merely at destroying the dome but also foresees levelling the three graves. This has as its argument the Fatwa of 1994 by Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz who considered the veneration of historical sites to be a form of idolatory. They confuse admiration for veneration.

 In this context it is worthwhile to remind ourselves the respect and love that had governed the souls of the builders and artisans.

In an interesting article (Gujarat Today, 10-17 April, 2013) Musa Maru narrates his visit to Topkapi Museum in Istanbul where several relics of the Prophet (pbuh) and Sahaba (rah) are preserved in silver caskets, golden frames and diamond studded cases. These include a footprint of the Prophet (pbuh), his mortal remains such as hair, tooth and the stone in his ring. He narrates the adoration and veneration the people of Turkey attach to these relics by pointing out that even the dust collected from these chambers is separately “treasured’ and is buried when a faithful dies in his grave.

Another interesting fact is recalled by Mufti Ashraf of Darul Uloom Ratanpur (distt. Kheda), Gujarat. The rulers of Turkey who got the holy Prophet’s Mosque built during their rule did not merely assign it to a renowned contractor but prior to that ensured that each artisan was a Hafiz-e Qur’an. Lest the chiselling of stones should disturb the calmness of the place and peace of the entombed, the job was undertaken at a place 8-10 kilometres away from the city. During the entire period of chiselling and stone laying, the artisans used to recite verses from the Qur’an.

The Istanbul museum has, among several relics, the footprint of the Prophet (pbuh) on a stone. Though the stone is damaged, it has been meticulously framed in a golden frame. A diamond studded casket treasures the soil where the Prophet (pbuh) was laid to rest. In a silver box are preserved his nails and hair. A few hair can be seen with the help of magnifying glasses in which these are preserved. In a green velvet case is the Yemeni Aqiq which used to adorn the Prophet’s (pbuh) ring. Musa Meer recalls that he visited several shops in Mecca and Madina to find a stone of this kind but in vain. In an another box are treasured the Prophet’s teeth.

In the third instalment of his article (Gujarat Today, 24 April, 2013), Musa Maru narrates about a beautiful dome in which is preserved the letter that the Prophet (pbuh) had dispatched to the ruler of Egypt. The letter is in a golden frame. Since it is in Kufi script, a copy in the modern script has also been kept by its side. The same hall has the old covering frame of the Black Stone weighing 35 kgs. It has now been replaced by a new one sent by the Saudi government. On a table is kept the cup from which the Prophet (pbuh) used to drink. Two red coloured arrows which he had used are preserved in a wooden frame. Two swords that he had used are also encased in sheaths whose handles are studded with gems. In a silver box are kept objects of day to day use. In a golden box are preserved a few pieces of clothes used by him. These cotton clothes resemble the bark of a tree.

Needless to say that thousands of such relics have been treasured in various Islamic cities and continue to command respect and love. Even India has a shrine in Kashmir where the hair of the Prophet (pbuh) is preserved. These relics revive nostalgia and help bring a sense of the glory and grandeur of the past - specially the immense trust the Sahaba (rah) had in the Prophet (pbuh) and the sacrifices they had together made for preserving Islam. It would be unwise to dismiss this as mere sentiments. Faith, without sentiment, is like a body without soul.

One does not visit these places for seeking blessings nor for gaining virtues but to have a peep into the past which helps in assessing our own strength of faith — an occasion for self-introspection. As long as we seek inspiration from the history of Islam we cannot ignore the immense contribution of those warriors of faith who nursed the sapling with their blood. The modern iconoclasts are trying to justify their love for the gold of the multinationals in a discourse of shirk.