Caspian Report - Issue: 07 - Spring 2014

traction in places where they can
train new recruits. Failed states such
as Somalia and Syria provide fertile
ground. If Afghanistan becomes a
safe haven for Jihadi Salafists once
again, this would be especially significant,
because Al-Qaeda (as the
spearhead for Jihadi Salafism) began
here. If Jihadi Salafism is understood
as the common denominator of Al-
Qaeda and the Taliban, the potential
danger here is clear.
Jihadi Salafism
The Arabic term Salaf literally means
predecessors. Salafism claims that
“true Islam” is based on (i) a literalist
interpretation of the Quran and Hadith,
the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad;
(ii) a puritanical approach
to traditional Islamic practices, rejecting
them as bid’a, cultural innovations,
that adulterate “pure” Islam
(e.g. celebrating the birth of Prophet
Muhammad and visiting the tombs
of Sufi masters); and (iii) an exclusivist
conception of religious truth
and salvation. Salafists claim that
only their interpretation of Islam can
bring salvation. They often quote the
hadith, sayings of Prophet Muhammad
according to which Muslims
will divide into seventy factions at
the end of days, and only one group
will be saved. They believe they are
this group.
Salafism calls on followers to purge
Islam of cultural and mystical traditions
and to reassert tawhid, the
unity of God. The Salafist conception
of tawhid is pitted against Sufi
emphasis on the role of a master to
guide one’s spiritual journey to God.
The puritanical practice of Salafism
The uncertainty in Afghanistan’s
future brings global as well as
national challenges because of
the affinity among Jihadi Salafism,
Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.
is based a rejection of all Islamic
interpretations and practices that
are not based on direct, literal references
to the Quran and Hadith. These
rejected practices are known as
bid’a, innovations, that lead Muslims
astray. They are particularly critical
of Sufism, which involves mystical
rituals, sometimes music, and guidance
by spiritual masters. This is
considered shirk, a violation of God’s
unity. The Salafists are exclusivist
because they reject all other interpretations
of Islam. This exclusivism
ranges from calling themselves “Ahl
al-najat” (People of Salvation), indicating
they are the only group that
will be saved on Judgment Day, to
outward rejection of all who do not
follow their path as apostate, takfir.
The literalist, puritanical, and exclusivist
Salafist discourse provides
a “simple and straightforward” understanding
of Islam, which comforts
those seeking certitude without
questioning at the expense of
other Muslims, considered to be
misguided at best, and apostates at
worst. The Salafists underline the
differences in their discourse with
the other Islamic interpretations in
order to recruit more followers from
other Islamic organizations. On the
one hand, this attitude wins them
new followers because they appear
non-compromising and “authentic”
with their emphasis on learning Arabic
and dress code, which includes
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CASPIAN REPORT, sprIng 2014