Abū al-Hudā al-Ṣayyādī and Islamic Conservatism During the Reign of Abdülhamid II (1878-1908)

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of Abū al-Hudā al-Ṣayyādī (1847–1909) in shaping Islamic conservatism during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876–1909). Through an analysis of his writings, networks, and political influence, it explores how al-Ṣayyādī and other conservative Sufi figures contributed to the consolidation of Hamidian ideology and the sultan-caliph’s legitimacy. Contrary to historiographical narratives that emphasize Islamic modernist thought, this study highlights an alternative intellectual current rooted in traditional Sunni epistemology and Sufi conservatism. It argues that Ottoman conservatism was not merely reactionary but an active and strategic response to the political and ideological challenges posed by nationalism, reformist movements, and European imperial encroachment. By engaging with themes such as obedience to the sultan-caliph, the theological foundations of Islamic universalism, and the instrumentalization of Sufism for state legitimacy, this dissertation provides a reassessment of the Hamidian era's political and intellectual landscape. In doing so, it challenges dominant historiographical paradigms and contributes to a broader understanding of the dynamics between tradition and reform in the late Ottoman Empire.