Evolution of the Ulama's Training System in Saudi Arabia During the Modernization Period

The article analyses evolution of the ulama’s training system in Saudi Arabia. Russian scholars have paid little attention to the subject while foreign ones preferred either to examine it in terms of development of secular educational system in the Kingdom, or relations between state and religion. As a result, this approach does not give us full perspective of the problem as it ignores an impact of internal factors. From the very beginning, the traditional system of religious training depended on provincial qadis who taught at their homes or town’s mosque so that a student had to travel from one renowned specialist to another, sometimes reaching Syria and India. Due to bureaucratization of the state administrative system the ulama’s training obtained institutional framework. The traditional system was also unable to train qualified specialists in large numbers. Newly created scientific institutes and sharia colleges were based on existing religious training centers, but this wasn’t enough. The transition to university system took two stages. At the first stage, the Islamic University of Medina (1961) was created with experimental purposes. The second one that includes 70-s and 80-s saw reorganization of sharia colleges into Islamic universities, organized in accordance with the European example. The ulama’s training system was integrated into government educational one that caused considerable increase in production of trained religious specialists. The ulama were aware of the need in changes so they did not oppose the government reforms. The lack in workforce, bureaucratization and institualization of the ulama were the main factors.