Views of Jurisprudential Schools on Excommunication of other Denominations

Takfir (Excommunication) is among the issues discussed in Jurisprudence. Misconception and misapplication of this topic has caused numerous conflicts in Islamic societies, especially in Takfir (declaring infidelity) against the followers of other denominations. Therefore, in recent years many denominations have accused other denominations, especially Shia sect, of having Takfiri tendencies; and the mode of interaction with them has been set thereupon. The first step in criticism of Takfiri Fatwas (excommunicative verdicts) and such allegations against Shia is to assess them in quality and quantity-such assessment has often been neglected. Therefore, this study aims to fundamentally assess the size of Takfiri fatwas in different books of Zaydiyya, Imami Shia and Four Sunni Schools of Jurisprudence, and how they were received in respective sects. It has been argued that in discussing the issue of Takfir in itself and regardless of its application on actual cases, jurisprudential schools regard the followers of other denominations as Muslims; however, the very opposite denominations have been excommunicated by both Zaydiyya and four Sunni schools of Jurisprudence in the process of applying Takfir as a general rule on its particular cases. Likewise, whenever Shia scholars have been accused of having Takfiri attitudes, it is either by an author who tries to depict Shia as such by fragmentation, omission or negligence of textual and contextual surroundings; or by someone who misconstrued the words of Shia scholars; for many of these words -that have been interpreted as excommunicating all Sunnis- are in fact about the excommunication of Nasibis (individuals with hostility toward the Ahlulbayt (pbuth)) or those who deliberately confront the truth, not all Sunnis. And in terms of the size of Takfiri Fatwas, it was revealed that the excommunication carried out among different denominations -rather than Twelver Shia- is much more than the size for which Shia has been accused of having Takfiri attitudes. Thereupon, Shia has been discharged from such Takfiri allegations. It was also proven that the size of Takfiri Fatwas (excommunicative verdicts) against Shia is larger than Takfir against any other denomination. Such Fatwas are often issued by Salafis -especially later figures- and Hanafis -especially Deobandis-; hence, Shia is the most noticeable victim of Takfir throughout history.