Saudi Arabia’s conservative clerics have a new relationship with the government under Mohammed bin Salman

Raihan Ismail: So, the Saudi clerics were significantly involved in the establishment of the Saudi state. That relationship changed significantly with the establishment of the modern Saudi state in 1932 under the leadership of Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. He limited the influence of the Saudi religious establishment and the Saudi religious establishment, or the clerics, were allowed to dictate and control social aspects of Saudi society. So, basically, societal evolution took place within the boundaries established by the clerics, but they were not allowed to comment on politics without the permission of the state. And that lasted until the arrival of Mohammed bin Salman, who tried to reform Saudi society and, in many ways, tried to reform the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia.

Absolutely. The clerics were known to be more conservative. They adhere to a conservative interpretation of Islam. They’re part of the Salafi [or Wahhabi] movement. The Salafi movement, particularly in Saudi Arabia, is seen as more conservative in its approach to social issues, including women’s rights, minority rights, and so on, which is why the Saudi ruling family, in its effort to transform Saudi society, tried to curb the influence of the religious establishment.

The clerics continue to maintain their positions. And in Saudi Arabia, members of the religious establishment continue to issue religious rulings. They continue to deliver Friday sermons. What has changed is the relations between individual clerics with Mohammed bin Salman. So, at the moment, those who are very supportive of his project and those who are willing to act as his cheerleaders are the ones who have a lot of power in Saudi Arabia. So basically, they’re endorsing what the Saudi ruling family is doing, and it is based on their own interpretation of Islam or the Salafi tradition, where loyalty to the state and loyalty to the ruling family is paramount. So, some members of the religious establishment are doing quite well under Mohammed bin Salman, while others, if they used to preach, you know, conservative interpretations of Islam, they have gone very quiet. They don’t say much about social issues, while others are either in jail or operating in exile.

I would say so. What makes Saudi Arabia seem different under MBS is perhaps the creation and the proliferation of liberalized spaces within the kingdom outside the purview of the religious class. So, this doesn’t mean that the religious establishment or the religious class has lost its power, but previously, they enjoyed more authority to prevent and limit the proliferation of liberalized spaces. But having said that, they really don’t have much authority in terms of criticizing the state or the music industry, or criticizing other liberalized spaces in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi society continues to view Islam as an important element of their identity, and Mohammad bin Salman himself might change. So, everything depends on what’s going to happen next. Is he going to be able to deliver? Is his Vision 2030 going to be a successful venture? He might turn conservative himself, so who knows what’s going to happen. One thing that I can perhaps predict is the importance of the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia. I think they will continue to be important in Saudi Arabia, but at the same time, it depends on the influence as well. They will maintain their position, but whether or not they’re going to be able to influence Saudi society is a different question.