The Stance Of The Imams Of Islam On Religious Extremism And The Sanctification Of Individuals: A Critical Analysis In Light Of The Protection Of The Intellect And Environmental Quality Of Life

Abstract

This study addresses the stance of the Imams of Islam on the phenomenon of religious extremism (Ghulūw) and the sanctification of individuals, presenting an in-depth critical analysis of this phenomenon's impact on the protection of the intellect and the quality of the comprehensive “environmental” life (intellectual, social, and psychological). The research reviews the definition of Ghulūw and reprehensible sanctification and highlights the nature of the phenomenon of Ghulūw since its emergence in early Islam. The research focuses on the positions of the Four Imams (Abū Ḥanīfah, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal), the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, al-Bāqir, and al-Ṣādiq), and major scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, in confronting this phenomenon. The analysis shows how their warnings and disavowals of extremists were not merely creedal reactions but represented a protection of the human intellect from stagnation and blind imitation, and a preservation of the societal quality of life from chaos, takfīr (excommunication), division, and backwardness. The study confirms that the stance of these Imams embodies the principles of Islam in moderation and temperance and provides a model for dealing with intellectual extremism that threatens the stability of the intellectual, psychological, and social environment, which is necessary for the prosperity of societies and the sustainability of their well-being.