نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 استادیار، گروه معارف، دانشگاه اصفهان، اصفهان، ایران
2 گروه معارف، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، اصفهان، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
This study seeks to analyze the historical and discursive roots of Takfiri ideology within the Islamic world through Michel Foucault’s methods of archaeology and genealogy. Takfiri groups, through violent behavior, literalist and dogmatic interpretations of religious texts, excommunication (takfir) of other Islamic sects—particularly Shiites—and instrumental use of media to showcase brutality, pose not only a security threat to societies but also necessitate a critical re-evaluation of their ideological foundations. Drawing upon Foucault concepts such as the power–knowledge nexus, historical discontinuities, and the discursive construction of the subject, this research aims to elucidate the process by which early doctrinal notions were transformed into a dominant Takfiri discourse. The theoretical framework of this article is rooted in Foucault’s genealogy and archaeology. Genealogy, in contrast to linear historical narratives, conceives history as a field of ruptures, oppositions, and discursive reconstructions, wherein power and knowledge are intricately intertwined. From this perspective, truth is not an immutable entity but a construct that emerges within power relations and is stabilized through discourse. Archaeology, meanwhile, delves into the latent layers of discourse to trace how peripheral ideas, under specific historical conditions, evolve into dominant formations. Together, these approaches allow for a discursive mapping of the emergence of Takfiri ideology, from its conceptual origins in Islamic history to its contemporary manifestations in groups such as ISIS. Key Foucault tools such as episteme (the knowledge system of a given era), subject (the individual constituted through discourse), and regime of truth (a system legitimized by its capacity to produce knowledge) offer powerful analytical means to understand the nature of Takfiri movements. These groups construct rigid boundaries between the "self" and the "other," producing idealized subjects that exclude any difference from the realm of "truth." A genealogical investigation of Takfiri thought leads back to the teachings of Ibn Taymiyah (7th–8th centuries A.H), who emphasized a return to the righteous predecessors and rejected interpretive readings of religious texts. His rigid identity boundaries categorized intellectual opponents—such as Shiites and Sufis—as heretics, legitimizing violence against them. Although his ideas were largely marginalized in his own time, they endured as a form of "subjugated knowledge" within the collective memory of parts of the Muslim world. In the 18th century, Moḥammad ibn ʿAbdol-Wahhab, by reviving Ibn Taymiyah’s doctrines and allying with the Saudi dynasty, brought the Takfiri discourse from the margins into the center of political power. Relyng on literalist interpretation of monotheism, he considered all cultural manifestations after the righteous predecessor (such as visiting graves and supplication) to be polytheistic, obligating his followers to eradicate these "deviations." This fusion of religion and politics laid the groundwork for the Saudi state and established Wahhabism as the dominant discourse in the Arabian Peninsula. In the 20th century, several factors contributed to the reproduction of the Takfiri discourse. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of colonial powers undermined the Islamic Caliphate, fragmenting the Muslim world into modern nation-states and precipitating an identity crisis. Takfiri groups exploited this vacuum by promising to restore a unified Islamic community. Western and Saudi support for jihadist forces in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union lent legitimacy to networks such as al-Qaeda. Groups like ISIS weaponized violent media representations to propagate fear and, by constructing a heroic narrative of jihad, transformed marginalized youth into obedient subjects of their discourse. Drawing on Wahhabism and an even more radical reading of Ibn Taymiyah, these groups employed takfir as a tool for silencing dissent. By denying the religious legitimacy of other sects, they positioned themselves as the sole representatives of "pure Islam," framing any engagement with non-Islamic political systems as betrayal. Their violence is not merely tactical; it is a symbolic performance asserting the dominance of their own regime of truth over the Islamic world. From Foucault’s perspective, human subjects are not autonomous agents but products of discourse and power relations. Takfiri groups, by constructing a network of concepts—such as jihad, caliphate, and takfir—forge subjects who define their identity through the annihilation of the "other." These subjects, having renounced critical rationality in favor of blind obedience to their leaders, become instruments for the perpetuation of violence. In effect, Takfiri groups do not merely destroy bodies; by redefining "truth," they colonize the very consciousness of society. The findings of this study indicate that Takfiri ideology is a historically constructed phenomenon emerging at the intersection of religion, power, and identity crises. While such discourse reproduces itself in the short term through violence, its inherent contradiction—the denial of Islam’s intrinsic pluralism—poses a fundamental challenge to its sustainability. Confronting this phenomenon requires relegating the Takfiri ideology to the margins through critical historical re-readings and the promotion of alternative discourses grounded in reason and tolerance.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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