The Theoretical bases of Extremism, Takfir and Religious Violence in Islamic World (With an emphasis on Jihadist-Salafism)

One of the most crucial predicaments facing the Islamic world nowadays is the phenomenon of extremism, Takfir, and religious violence. In the current situation of the Islamic world, the Jihadist-Salafism movement plays the major part in generating insecurity and violence in Islamic countries as well as the spread of Islamophobia throughout the world. The fundamental issue of this study is what theoretical basics support the mentioned movement to execute extremism, Takfir, and religious violence? The accurate cognition of theoretical basics of extremism, Takfir, and religious violence in the policy of this movement would pave the way for cultural confrontation and scientific criticism of the mentioned movement. The main sources for Jihadist-Salafism are the ideas of Abul A’la Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, Mohammed Abdul-Salam Farag, Saleh Sirriyya, Shukri Mustafa, Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, Abu Musab al-Sur, Abu Mohammad Moghaddasi, Abu Qatada al-Filistini, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and some others. Studying and scrutinizing the writings and speeches of these people indicates that the most crucial theoretical basics of this movement that has led to extremism, Takfir, and religious violence among them are four main principles: the current leaders of Islamic countries are atheists and apostates. Islamic countries and communities are Jahiliyyah and Dar al-Harb. The only way to constitute an Islamic government is armed jihad. Democracy is atheism and polytheism and the only legitimate model of government is The Islamic Caliphate. Any one of the mentioned people has considered and accentuated a part of these principles and in consequence of their ideas besides each other Al-Qaeda and ISIS has emerged. The mentioned basics were first reported and explained and then criticized and examined as far as time and ability allowed. With the result that according to Sunni principles of fiqh and kalam all the four discussed principles are flawed and may come in for criticism as they cannot be ascribed to Kitab and Sunnah. The methodology of this research is descriptive-analytical and the Geographical territory includes mostly Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.