Religious Discourse as an Instrument of Propaganda: The Case of the Hejaz Railway

This study examines how religious discourse was used to legitimize support for the Hejaz Railway Project, tracing its historical foundations, its function within Pan-Islamist policy, and the role of the ulama and other religious actors in its production and dissemination. Alongside relevant scholarship, it draws on articles by Muhammad Rashīd Riḍā in al-Manār, the writings of Muhammad Kurd ‘Alī, and treatises by Muhammad ‘Arif al-Dimashqi, Muhammad Shākir, and Sharīfzāda Muhammad Amīn, while press coverage in İkdam, Sabah, and Tercümān-ı Haqīqat is discussed through secondary literature. The railway was associated with mosque construction, ongoing charity (ṣadaqa jāriya), spending in the path of God, and jihad. Muhammad ‘Arif described it as an act of worship and linked support for Abdulhamid II with obedience to the caliph and, by extension, to God. Riḍā warned that the Prophet’s remains might be transferred to the Louvre, framing support for the railway as a religious duty. Shākir and Amīn, for their part, denied the Bedouin opposition any religious legitimacy. This discourse sought to encourage financial support, while documented contributions, particularly from India and Egypt, reflected the transimperial dimension of Pan-Islamist policy. However, the extent to which religious arguments influenced individual contributions remains uncertain.