Defining and Understanding the Religious Philosophy of jihādī-Salafism and the Ideology of Boko Haram
This article examines the deep epistemological and theological roots of the religious philosophy of jihādī-Salafism and its role in the construction of the ideology of Boko Haram. To achieve this, four aspects are considered: first, the core theological doctrines of jihādī-Salafism on the subject of...
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
2015
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In: |
Politics, religion & ideology
Year: 2015, Volume: 16, Issue: 2/3, Pages: 173-200 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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Summary: | This article examines the deep epistemological and theological roots of the religious philosophy of jihādī-Salafism and its role in the construction of the ideology of Boko Haram. To achieve this, four aspects are considered: first, the core theological doctrines of jihādī-Salafism on the subject of takfīr and ḥukm bi-ghayri mā anzala Allāh; second, the sacred texts and Islamic scriptures that have been adroitly exploited to support the jihādī-Salafīs' idealization, theological legitimization and meta-justification for divinely sanctioned jihād; third, the ideologues of jihādī-Salafism, and how their readings of Islamic history and theology have provided a stamp of approval for the legitimization of jihād against the political rulers in the Muslim world; and fourth, an explanation of why the jihādī-Salafīs diverge from the interpretation of the quietist Salafīs despite their unified common understanding about following the model of the Prophet and his companions. These four aspects serve as a matrix that helps to explain the enduring relationship between the religious philosophy of jihādī-Salafism and the ideology of Boko Haram. In what follows, this article shows that the theological doctrines of jihādī-Salafism and the cultural framing of the historical tradition of tajdid in northern Nigeria - specifically the distinctive trans-generational discourses, Islamic traditions and jihādī legacy established by the eighteenth-century Islamic reformer Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio - have played a greater role in Boko Haram’s legitimization of jihād than has hitherto been acknowledged. |
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ISSN: | 2156-7697 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Politics, religion & ideology
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21567689.2015.1074896 |