India, July 15 -- 'Kitab al-Tawheed' - How a book on monotheism turned into the bedrock of extremism, and why sufism is its antidote

Kitab al-Tawheed(The Book of Monotheism), authored by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the 18th century, is a seminal text in Wahhabi ideology, emphasising a strict, literalist interpretation oftawheed(Islamic monotheism). It is revered in Salafi circles as a revivalist canon, leading to its direct linkage with the ideological foundations of violent extremist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda.

This article explores howKitab al-Tawheedhas been co-opted and manipulated to justify radicalism, violence, and the recruitment of young Muslims by the groups mentioned above and a plethora of their spin-offs.

Kitab al-Taw...