Origins and authorship
Shaykh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan was the Chief Mufti of Mecca during the Ottoman period, a distinguished scholar, and a key figure in the traditional Sunni scholarly landscape.
Conversely, proponents of the Salafi movement view the book with heavy skepticism. Critics argue that Zaini Dahlan was politically motivated due to his loyalty to the Ottoman state, which was actively warring with the Saudi state. They claim his theological arguments misunderstood the true intent of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab's call for puritanical monotheism, and that some of the historical accounts were exaggerated due to wartime propaganda.
It serves as a direct primary source reflecting 19th-century Ottoman-Meccan perspectives on religious reform. kitab fitnatul wahabiyah pdf
Due to the strong historical ties between Southeast Asian Shafi'i scholars and Mecca, the book is highly popular in Indonesia and Malaysia, often translated under the title Kitab Fitnah Wahabiyah .
: The book details the rise of the Wahhabi movement in Najd and its subsequent expansion into the Hijaz (Mecca and Medina) during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Dahlan heavily criticizes the movement for its practice of takfir (excommunicating other Muslims). He argues that declaring mainstream Muslims to be disbelievers based on theological disagreements violates core Islamic principles. Origins and authorship Shaykh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan was
Reception, controversies, and impact
He served as the Grand Mufti of the Shafi'i school of Islamic law in Mecca.
: Dahlan, writing from his position of authority in Mecca, argued that the new movement’s strict interpretations were causing unnecessary bloodshed and dividing the Ummah (community). The Journey to the Digital Age They claim his theological arguments misunderstood the true
The primary theological contention centers on the definition of Tawhid (the oneness of God) and Shirk (polytheism). Dahlan argues against the Najdi classification of certain traditional practices as major idolatry. He defends practices common in the Ottoman world, such as:
Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah fi al-Radd ala al-Wahhabiyyah (The Pure Pearls: A Refutation of the Wahhabis)
The text is widely available in its original Arabic across public digital libraries, archive repositories, and academic networks. Due to the global spread of traditional Islamic seminaries (madrasas) in South Asia and Southeast Asia, the book has also been translated into multiple languages, including:
You can find and download the text from several open-access repositories: Full Text (English/Arabic) : Available for download on Sufi Manzil (English translation) and Archive.org Academic Versions : A 26-page version is hosted on Academia.edu Indonesian Analysis : For those looking for a modern breakdown, the book "Sejarah Hitam Kaum Wahabi" serves as a contemporary study of Dahlan's original work. STIQ Amuntai or a more detailed theological breakdown of the arguments used in the book?