Unmasking the Doctrinal Foundations of Salafism, Wahhabism, and the Muslim Brotherhood
In the first two parts of this series, we explored how Takfiri ideology manifests in the real world: its genocidal campaign against Alawites, its roots in extremist thought, its militant trajectory, and its global trail of terror. In this third part, we delve deeper—into the scriptural and doctrinal sources that have been used to justify this brutality. This includes not only the interpretations of the Qur'an and hadiths but also the structural rigidity of Islamic jurisprudence, which resists reform and fuels absolutist ideologies like Salafism, Wahhabism, Takfirism, and movements like the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Qur’an and the Problem of Literalism
The Qur’an is considered by Muslims to be the eternal, unalterable word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. It is not just a spiritual guide—it is treated as a total blueprint for life, governance, and society. This absolutism makes it difficult to reinterpret or reform.
Several verses in the Qur’an have been central to Takfiri and Salafi thought. Among them:
Surah At-Tawbah (9:5): “Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them…” – A verse frequently cited to justify violence against non-Muslims and those deemed to have deviated from Islam.
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:191): “And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you…”
Surah An-Nisa (4:89): “They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them…”
These verses were revealed in the context of 7th-century Arabia, during a time of tribal warfare. However, groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, and HTS read them literally and timelessly—not as historical artifacts, but as divine commands valid for all time. In their view, these verses sanction violence against “apostates,” “polytheists,” “secularists,” and even moderate Muslims.
Hadiths and the Foundation of Exclusion and Violence
The hadith literature—the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad—are another primary source for Islamic law and behavior. While some hadiths preach mercy and tolerance, others have been cited to justify harsh punishment, violence, and takfir.
Key examples include:
“Whoever changes his religion, kill him.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 3017. This hadith is often cited as the basis for executing apostates.
“I have been commanded to fight the people until they say: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.’” — Sahih al-Bukhari 25. A foundational text for justifying jihad against non-Muslims or those who do not conform.
“There will emerge from the East people who recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats. They will pass through Islam as the arrow passes through its target…” — Often cited in discussions about extremists, ironically used by both sides.
While some Muslim scholars attempt to contextualize or reinterpret these hadiths, Salafis and Wahhabis insist on a strict, literal approach. In their view, divine law is perfect, and human reasoning has no place in questioning or softening it.
The Wahhabi-Salafi Embrace of Violence
Wahhabism, founded in the 18th century by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, declared war on practices he viewed as innovations (bid‘ah) and idolatry (shirk). His alliance with the House of Saud ensured the spread of his doctrine through conquest. His writings specifically targeted Shia Muslims, Sufis, and other minorities as heretics.
Salafism, especially in its modern jihadi form, holds that society must be forcibly restructured to conform to an imagined “pure” Islam. Both ideologies take the Qur’an and hadiths literally, denying the historical, cultural, or philosophical evolution of religious understanding.
Their obsession with “purity” drives the Takfiri impulse—the willingness to excommunicate and kill fellow Muslims over perceived theological deviations.
The Muslim Brotherhood: Political Islam with a Doctrinal Backbone
Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood represents another strand of scriptural rigidity. While it uses democratic language in public, its ultimate aim is the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia. Influenced by the works of Sayyid Qutb, the Brotherhood helped lay the ideological groundwork for violent jihad.
Qutb’s book Milestones openly calls for the overthrow of secular systems and labels secular Muslims as jahili (ignorant, pagan). His interpretation of the Qur’an emphasizes the duty of Muslims to engage in offensive jihad against governments and societies that reject divine law.
Why Reform Is Near Impossible
Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) is based on immutable texts: the Qur’an and the authentic hadiths. Because the Qur’an is seen as the literal, final word of God, reform becomes a near-heretical act. Attempts to reinterpret violent verses are met with fierce resistance from conservative scholars and extremist groups alike.
Unlike Christianity or Judaism, which underwent major reformations and embraced critical scholarship, Islamic orthodoxy punishes reinterpretation—sometimes with death. There is no centralized clergy to initiate change, and blasphemy laws in many Muslim-majority countries criminalize even mild critiques of scripture.
As a result, violent ideologies do not grow in a vacuum—they are cultivated in a theological environment that discourages dissent and deifies the past.
Conclusion: Naming the Roots
Takfirism, Salafism, Wahhabism, and the political Islam of the Muslim Brotherhood all draw legitimacy from the same core texts: the Qur’an and hadiths. These ideologies selectively emphasize certain verses, ignore context, and build an unyielding, supremacist worldview.
To truly confront and dismantle these movements, we must have the courage to scrutinize their scriptural foundations. This does not mean painting all Muslims with the same brush—but it does mean ending the silence around the dangerous interpretations that inspire jihad, genocide, and global terror.
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