Between Deobandism and Salafism: A Geopolitical and Jurisprudential Anatomy of the Taliban
Introduction: The Illusion of Ideological Classification The Taliban remains one of the most debated geopolitical phenomena within the study of radical Islamic movements. A primary oversight among analysts lies in superficial attempts to fit the movement into a single conceptual box: either grouping it with Sufism based on certain devotional practices, or labeling it a Salafi-Wahhabi entity due to its governance style and literalist implementation of sharia. A rigorous examination of Taliban doctrine reveals a hybrid structure. The movement is a direct product of the "Deobandi" school originating in the Indian subcontinent—a tradition that constructed a stern Hanafi orthodoxy with an uncompromising enforcement mechanism. This approach brings the Taliban's political and social output close to Salafi-Hanbali ideology, all while retaining its underlying Hanafi and Maturidi roots. I. Historical Roots and the Deobandi Paradox The Deobandi school was founded in 1866 following t...