ISIS and Salafism: A Debate on ISIS's Ideology

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 4 April 2024 Some Muslims are increasingly believing that Western and Zionist powers are using ISIS and other terrorist groups for their agendas, questioning why ISIS hasn't attacked Israel despite its proximity in Syria, and Russian analysts suggesting the US and Britain have been using terrorism as a strategy against Russia since the Ukraine war. Nonetheless, it is indisputable that ISIS is a product of the Salafist doctrine, as discussed in this article. It is imperative for Muslims to distance themselves from or refute the ideology that gives rise to ISIS. Main Points 1. Sheikh Kalbani, a former Grand Mosque imam and Salafi, believes ISIS is a product of Salafism and should be addressed transparently. 2. ISIS lacks doctrine, morality, and scruples, making them pure mischief, according to Mr. Naseer Ahmed, who also blames ISIS's unexpected activity in Moscow on the group's mercenary nature. 3. Notable Islamic scholars argue that ISIS adheres to a Salafist ideology, which is vulnerable to radicalization and can be exploited to justify extreme terrorist groups. 4. Muslims have faced challenging circumstances as a result of Salafist ideology, with Zionists and Islamophobic propagandists profiting the most from the Salafist ideology. 5. Salafi preachers in Syria and other regions urge followers to adopt the path of Jihadism, with Ibn Taymiyyah, their Sheikh of Islam, central to their lives. 6. In the late 20th century, violent Islamist groups in the Arab Middle East emerged, with Sayyid Qutb as their main inspiration for radical, revolutionary Islamist activism. 7. Sheikh Usama Al-Sayed Al-Azhari explains that the central idea of extremist Islamist movements was the idea of Hakimiyyah, which is the root on which their intellectual system was established. ----- Representqtive Photo ------- An article on newageislam.com argues that Sheikh Kalbani, a former Grand Mosque imam and Salafi, believes ISIS is a product of Salafism and must be addressed with transparency. Mr. Naseer Ahmed provided the following comment below the referenced article: “Have you ever wondered why ISIS has suddenly become active? If it had anything to do with ideology, they would be consistent. They have become mercenaries for hire and were hired to carry out the strike in Russia. They are likely to carry out smaller strikes in Europe and the USA that will provide an excuse for these countries to ban the pro-ceasefire protests in their countries before the full-scale assault on Rafah. Just before the general elections, which party will gain the most if they threaten strikes in India? Outfits like ISIS must be physically liquidated. They have no ideology, no morals, and no scruples. They are pure mischief.” [End of quote] Mr. Naseer Ahmed has produced some really excellent and noteworthy write-ups in refutation of ISIS; however, there is a point of debate because several pieces of evidence clearly show that ISIS adheres to the Salafist ideology, and hence ISIS does not lack an ideology. It is important to remember that Salafism is a minority group among Muslims and that most of its followers follow a nonviolent path. Nevertheless, this ideology is highly vulnerable to radicalization, and many Salafist principles can be exploited to justify the extremes observed in Islamist terrorist groups. For Muslims, this ideology has caused problems ever since it was first introduced. Muslims all around the world have never profited from the Salafist ideology. Throughout their lengthy history, Muslims have faced challenging circumstances as a result of the Salafist and Wahhabi ideology, especially after the fall of Ottoman Empire. Zionists and Islamophobic propagandists who enjoy seeing Muslims suffer are undoubtedly the ones who have profited the most from the Salafist ideology. That being said, it is concerning that Salafi Muslims have not been able to disassociate themselves from Salafism. A number of Salafi preachers in Syria and other regions urge followers to adopt the path of Jihadism, with Ibn Taymiyyah, their Sheikh of Islam, regarded as central to their lives. In the late 20th century, violent Islamist groups in the Arab Middle East, influenced by Muslim Brotherhood activism and Salafi exclusivism, emerged, with Sayyid Qutb as their main inspiration for radical, revolutionary Islamist activism. Qutb, a controversial figure in the Brotherhood, criticised hypocrites and apostates in Egypt, aiming to overthrow established governments and replace them with Islamic states. Sheikh Usama Al-Sayed Al-Azhari writes: “The central idea on which the rest of the concepts of extremist Islamist movements were founded is the idea of Hakimiyyah. It is the root on which their intellectual system was established, with all its sayings, concepts, and branches. It is from this idea that Sayyid Qutb and his brother Muhammad Qutb extracted the concepts of Shirk al-Hakimiyyah and Tauheed al-Hakimiyyah. This idea gave rise to the necessity of “al-Usbah al-Muminah” (‘a selected body of Jihadist believers’) and the idea of divine promise [of victory] for this ‘Usbah Muminah’. It declared that the common Muslims are living in the state of Jahiliyyah (ignorance). This also led to the idea of separation and subliminal distinction between the two groups (Muslims and West), the idea of dominance of ‘Usbah Muminah’ over the people of Jahiliyyah, the idea of inevitable clash between the two groups at the time of Sayyid Qutb so as to establish the caliphate, and the idea of ‘tamkin’ associated with all other concepts that emanate from the concept of Hakimiyyah and that consists of a comprehensive theory integrated within the mind of these extremist movements.” (Sheikh Usama Al-Sayed Al-Azhari, Al-Haqq Al-Mubin Fi al-Radd Ala Man Tala’ab bi Al-deen (The Lucid Truth in Refutation of Those Who Manipulate the Religion) This is how Hakimiyyah is interpreted by Salafists. Both Sayyid Qutb and his brother Muhammad Qutb are regarded as the pioneers of modern Salafism. Following in their footsteps, the radical movements interpreted the term "Hakimiyyah" to signify that "the Muslims living in the state of Jahiliyyah" should be subjugated and that Jihad should be directed towards them. According to Sheikh Al-Azhari, Sayyid Qutb's books "Fi Zilal al-Quran" (In the Shade of the Quran) and "Ma'alim fi al-Tariq" are where such interpretations of Hakimiyyah originated. Dr. Yusuf Qardawi also believes that the underlying idea of the Muslim practice of Takfir today comes from writings like "Al-‘Adalah al-Ijtimaiyyah fi al-Islam" and "Fi Zilal al-Quran," rather than just from "Ma’alim fi al-Tariq." (Y. al-Qaradawi, Ibn al-Qarya wal-Kuttab, Malamih Sira wa-Masira, vol. 3, p. 69, Dar al-Shuruq, Cairo 2008) Salih Sirriya calls the common Muslim population the Jahiliyyah community and declares their state to be "Dar al-Harb" in his book "Risala al-Iman." He also performs the takfir of the Muslim rulers. He says, "The current governance in all Muslim countries is definitely the governance of infidels, and the communities in all these countries are Jahiliyya (ignorant)." Sayyid Qutb's "Fi Zilal al-Quran" is regarded as the source of this work. Sayyid Qutb's "Fi Zilal al-Quran" served as an influence for Shukri Mustafa and his Islamist group "Al-Takfir wal Hijra," which evolved into a contemporary form of the Kharijites. Al-Farida al-Ghaiba is a brief book written by Mohammad Abdul Salam Farag, a prominent figure in extremism and Jihadism and a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, to support his "Jihadist movement" against the contemporary Muslim state. Salam Farag drew a lot of inspiration from "Fi Zilal al-Quran" by Sayyid Qutub. "Fi Zilal al-Quran" by Sayyid Qutb served as an influence for the modern Kharijite organisation "ISIS." Regarding this topic, Turki ibn Mubarak al-Binali wrote a book named "Al-Lafz al-Sani fi Tarjimat al-Adnani" about Abu Muhammad al-'Adnani, the second leader of ISIS. Within this volume, al-Binali pens: “Adnani took influence from Sayyid Qutb’s book of Tafsir, “Fi Zilal al-Quran,” which was one of his favourites. He studied it systematically for twenty years. During one of the lessons, he went through the Tafsir of the Quranic verse, “Whoever does not judge with what Allah has revealed, those are the infidels” (Surah Maidah: 44). He asked one of his colleagues, what are the sources of the Syrian constitution? What is the legislative authority? What are the executive and judicial authorities? When the colleague replied, Adnani then asked, so our government is infidel? The cleric left. That was his way of debating issues." Adnani later joined ISIS and became one of its leading spokesmen. Sheikh Al-Azhari further writes, “Following in the footsteps of Sayyid Maududi, Sayyid Qutb established the concept of Hakimiyyah as a result of the wrong understanding of the Divine statement “Whoever does not judge with what Allah has revealed; those are the infidels” (Surah Maidah:44)." From this verse, Sayyid Qutb deduced the meaning that the person who does not implement the Islamic Laws is a Kafir, even though he believes in the creed of righteousness of Islamic laws based on the Divine revelation and even though he is unable to implement them for any reason whatsoever.” (Al-Haqq Al-Mubin Fi al-Radd Ala Man Tala’ab bi Al-deen, Arabic, p. 27). In his book “Al-Adalah al-Ijtimayyiah (Social Justice),” Sayyid Qutb writes, “Islamic society today is not Islamic in any sense of the word. We have already quoted a verse from the Quran that cannot in any way be honestly applied today: “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed is a Kafir (5:44).” In one of his comments, Mr. Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor of New Age Islam, writes, “Even Sayyid Qutb was inspired by Maulana Maududi’s work on Hakimiyyah and his concept of Iqamat e Deen as an essential religious duty for Muslims. He used terms like Taghut and Jahiliyah too, which have both become very popular in Islamist extremist circles. He forced the secular modern state of Pakistan to say Shahada through the objective resolution that was largely the fruit of his writings. He considered Irtidad (apostasy) as treason because he considers Islam a state. For him, Islam and the state are synonymous. He became so influential that even a Shia society like Iran converted its state to Islam. Never before Pakistan and Iran has there been a tradition in Islamic history of calling a state Islamic. Now this demand is being made even in Malaysia and Indonesia quite vigorously.” The article "Salafism: From a Religious Movement to a Political Force" by Juan Carlos Antunez Moreno emphasises how deeply ingrained Salafism is in ISIS. ISIS consistently uses Salafist interpretations of the Quran and Hadith in its publications. He opines that, like al-Qaeda, ISIS is affiliated with the Jihadi-Salafist movement in Islamic political theory, also referred to as Jihadism. The leaders of the group openly support this drive. The foundation of Jihadi-Salafism is an extreme and minoritarian interpretation of Islamic scripture that is also rigorous in terms of textual analysis, firmly anchored in a premodern theological tradition, and richly expounded by a respected group of religious authorities. Jihadi-Salafi scholars offer scriptural exegeses that offer a theological justification for the extremists' acts of violence. Salafism: From a Religious Movement to a Political Force These reports fully support the assertion made by Sheikh Kalbani that ISIS is a product of Salafism and must be addressed with transparency. However, some Muslims increasingly believe that the Western powers and Zionists are using ISIS and other terror organisations in Muslim countries to achieve their own goals. In the wake of the most recent terror attack in Moscow, this impression has once again increased. Numerous scholarly articles, particularly those written by Russian experts, have discussed that. More significantly, Alexander Nazarov claims in his piece "Moscow Terror Attack: ISIS, Anglo-Saxons, or Ukraine?" that since the start of the war in Ukraine, the United States and Britain have chosen terrorism as one of their main strategies against Russia. These and other statements give some Muslims good grounds to think that ISIS's ultimate objective must be to serve the objectives of anti-Islamic factions. It is yet unclear, though, if this assertion can resolve concerns and problems of Muslims. Telling Muslims that ISIS lacks an ideology would likewise not help them overcome their problems. As such, it is imperative to disassociate from or refute the ideology that gives rise to ISIS. We Muslims cannot ignore this problem by stating that ISIS is working to forward the agendas of the Zionists and other Western nations. We will need to put up some effort to disprove the theological excuses that ISIS and other terror organisations exploit or abuse. URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/salafism-debate-isis-ideology/d/132076 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism