The Ahbash Community in the Context of “Exclusive Discourse” and Criticism of Contemporary Islamic Movements
The Ahbash community (Jamaah), established in Lebanon in the second half of the 20th century under the leadership of Abdullah al-Habeshi, has achieved an important place in many fields of Lebanese social life in a short period. It established a bond with the traditions of Ahl as-Sunnah, and their in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Arabic |
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Istanbul University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Darulfunun Ilahiyat |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/080E8A5D6DF34187BE732B41D00AD125 |
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| Summary: | The Ahbash community (Jamaah), established in Lebanon in the second half of the 20th century under the leadership of Abdullah al-Habeshi, has achieved an important place in many fields of Lebanese social life in a short period. It established a bond with the traditions of Ahl as-Sunnah, and their intense interaction with the Sufi environs contributed to the kind reception of the community, especially that of the Lebanese Sunni community. When radical discourses were on the rise, the Ahbash community considered itself a representative of a moderate and flexible interpretation of Islam standing against violent movements. Conversely, some academic studies on the Ahbash community claim that the community, without distinction, pursues an exclusionary discourse against almost all Islamic movements, which sometimes comes close to committing blasphemy. The contradiction between these two discourses constitutes the main question this article seeks to answer. Throughout this study, the author detected that the Ahbash community, contrary to what many claimed, only pursues its exclusionary discourse toward Islamic movements that try to be active within Lebanon. Others emphasize that the polemics and debates they engaged in with these movements actually led to the emergence of the harsh and exclusionary attitude in the discourse of the congregation over time. The consensus is that the motivation for the congregation to maintain this exclusionary discourse in a limited environment stems from the struggle for influence within the Lebanese Sunni community. |
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| ISSN: | 2651-5083 |