A lot of people are asking about the intra-Sunni dynamics in future Syria
What will happen to the local Ash‘aris? What is the new government's own leanings? Will they force anything on the public? Etc.
I will try my best to explain it in this thread
What will happen to the local Ash‘aris? What is the new government's own leanings? Will they force anything on the public? Etc.
I will try my best to explain it in this thread
Syria was historically always Ash‘ari (and of course "Sufi" by extension). Starting with the Seljuks, then Zengids, Ayyubids, Mamluks, and finally Ottomans
Before that was the Abbasids where we start entering into the contested zone of history which both sides claim
Before that was the Abbasids where we start entering into the contested zone of history which both sides claim
This didn't change after the Ottomans fell. Look no further than the undisputed Syrian authority, Shaykh al-Sham Badr al-Din al-Hasani
Shaykh Badr (himself a major figure in the Syrian revolution against the French) had a large network of students that dominated the scene
Shaykh Badr (himself a major figure in the Syrian revolution against the French) had a large network of students that dominated the scene
His students were the likes of Shaykh Hasan Habannakah, Shaykh Abd al-Karim al-Rifa‘i, Shaykh Ali al-Dakr, and countless others
This introduction is important because it takes us to the following issue:
Did Hafez Assad قاتله الله strengthen and give rise to the Ash‘aris?
This introduction is important because it takes us to the following issue:
Did Hafez Assad قاتله الله strengthen and give rise to the Ash‘aris?
Hafez took the country by coup in 1970
Shaykh Badr died in 1936, 30 years before that. But his students were still around
How did Hafez treat the [Ash‘ari] Syrian scholars (Shaykh Badr's students)? They were killed, exhiled, imprisoned, harassed
This requires a 🧵 of its own
Shaykh Badr died in 1936, 30 years before that. But his students were still around
How did Hafez treat the [Ash‘ari] Syrian scholars (Shaykh Badr's students)? They were killed, exhiled, imprisoned, harassed
This requires a 🧵 of its own
To say Hafez propped up the Ash‘aris is nothing more than a blatant lie
The enemies of Hafez were the Ash‘aris
The Ikhwan of Hama he massacred in 1982? Ash‘aris. The scholars he jailed and exhiled? Ash‘aris
You may ask: How then did they survive until today under Ba‘th rule?
The enemies of Hafez were the Ash‘aris
The Ikhwan of Hama he massacred in 1982? Ash‘aris. The scholars he jailed and exhiled? Ash‘aris
You may ask: How then did they survive until today under Ba‘th rule?
Scholars of Syria reacted in various ways to the Ba‘th Party
Some chose armed opposition, some chose vocal rejection, some chose silence, some chose to negotiate
These different methods formed a mesh that allowed Muslim scholars to keep their head above the water until today
Some chose armed opposition, some chose vocal rejection, some chose silence, some chose to negotiate
These different methods formed a mesh that allowed Muslim scholars to keep their head above the water until today
There is a lot (trust me, a lot) to add to the past points but it should do as a summary
Fast forward to today, January 2025 without the Ba‘th and without Bashar
How will the new Syrian administration lead by Ahmad al-Shar' deal with this situation?
Fast forward to today, January 2025 without the Ba‘th and without Bashar
How will the new Syrian administration lead by Ahmad al-Shar' deal with this situation?
HTS has obvious Salafi roots and leanings (as a group and religious backing, not necessarily on an individual basis)
I will not discuss the various rebel groups and their different ideological leanings, but they are a wide spectrum. From Sufi Ash‘aris to "Jihadi" Salafis
I will not discuss the various rebel groups and their different ideological leanings, but they are a wide spectrum. From Sufi Ash‘aris to "Jihadi" Salafis
Ssome people mistakenly assume Idlib is 90s Saudi
Look up al-Imam al-Nawawi Institution. Shafi‘i-Ash‘ari Shar‘i school with over 60 branches across Greater Idlib
For the people afraid of Mawlid stopping in Damascus, Mawlid never even stopped in Idlib
Look up al-Imam al-Nawawi Institution. Shafi‘i-Ash‘ari Shar‘i school with over 60 branches across Greater Idlib
For the people afraid of Mawlid stopping in Damascus, Mawlid never even stopped in Idlib
Is Ahmad al-Shar' a Salafi? He doesn't talk about it but we can assume so
Will his government proselytize and superimpose this, choking the Ash‘aris of Syria? No they won't
A close study of al-Shar's history and how he ran Idlib shows this. Listen to his words here x.com
Will his government proselytize and superimpose this, choking the Ash‘aris of Syria? No they won't
A close study of al-Shar's history and how he ran Idlib shows this. Listen to his words here x.com
al-Shar' and the new Syrian government will not interfere with the individual religiosity of any component of Syria, especially not Sunnis
These different components will coexist under the new government
There will be no ethnic cleansing, and no forced conversions
These different components will coexist under the new government
There will be no ethnic cleansing, and no forced conversions
The days of tyranny are gone. The tyrant won't be replaced by another tyrant
I have shared a lot of footage in the past weeks showing the new growing ties between the local scholarly fabric and government
This was a long important meeting between them
x.com
I have shared a lot of footage in the past weeks showing the new growing ties between the local scholarly fabric and government
This was a long important meeting between them
x.com
This is an old important post I wrote on my telegram channel about Syrian Salafism which is relevant today
Expect a rise of this strand of Salafism (meaning within Salafi circles, not by conversion)
t.me
Expect a rise of this strand of Salafism (meaning within Salafi circles, not by conversion)
t.me
al-Shar' knows extreme Salafism cannot exist in Syria without causing catastrophes, which is why he went on a campaign to moderate (or at least keep in check) the extreme ideological and militant groups in Idlib over the last years. And he was majorly successful
The Salafism that will become a part of the Syrian fabric (as it was) is the Salafism of the Syrian scholars
In the image: The Shaykh of the Sufiyyah, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghuri, sitting next to his friend, the Shaykh of the Salafiyyah, Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Arna’ut x.com
In the image: The Shaykh of the Sufiyyah, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghuri, sitting next to his friend, the Shaykh of the Salafiyyah, Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Arna’ut x.com
So no, the government will not repress scholars. The opposite is true, the scholarly scene will see a huge revival Inshallah
x.com
(Caption is wrong, correction under it)
x.com
(Caption is wrong, correction under it)
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