Islamic Studies

Front Matter

Editorial Team — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

On the Reception of al-Māturīdī and the Māturīdiyyah among the Deobandīs

Jamal Malik — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

This article asks howMuḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Māturīdī (d. 333/944) and the Māturīdiyyah are received within the Deobandi milieu—whether as a tradition of kalām, as a curricular background, or as a marker in theological demarcation and explicit theological self-definition. It first reconstructs the channels through which Māturīdī patterns of reasoning were transmitted and institutionalized in South Asia, especially through Ḥanafī scholarly networks and the Naqshbandiyyah-Mujaddidiyyah. It situates these trajectories within the dars-i niẓāmī. The latter is shown to treat kalām largely as a necessary minimum embedded in a broader ma'qūlāt-profile, rather than as an autonomous arena of sustained debate. Accordingly, the article is concerned less with reconstructing a comprehensive Deobandi kalām system than with tracing how Māturīdī belonging appears across textual legacy, curricular presence, and communal self-ascription. The core of the article then turns to Deobandi self-articulation: a reading of al-Muhannad (1907) and Muḥammad Ṭayyib Qāsimī's (d. 1983) programmatic account of “Diyōbandiyyat” highlights how Deoband asserts Ḥanafī affiliation while making Māturīdī belonging especially visible in programmatic formulation of identity and the marking of Sunni belonging, rather than through sustained systematic elaboration of doctrine. In conclusion, the article argues that Māturīdī identification gains its sharpest contours where modern Salafi polemics compel explicit theological positioning.

From Azerbaijan to Anatolia

Hasan Kerim Güç — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

This article provides a systematic comparative analysis of Khalwatī devotion to ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib (d. 40/661), showing how the order developed a distinctive and sustained model of Ahl al-Bayt veneration within Sunni Sufism. In Khalwatī discourse, ‘Alī appears not only as the fourth caliph but as a supreme spiritual figure: the gateway to esoteric knowledge, the exemplar of futuwwah ethics, and a central authority in Sufi chains of transmission, endowed with divine secrets and an enduring spiritual legacy. The study compares the image of ‘Alī in the writings of Sayyid Yaḥyā Shirvānī (d. 870/1466), the second master of the Khalwatiyyah, with Anatolian Khalwatī texts produced between 1550 and 1800. Read against the backdrop of Ottoman-Safavid confessional polarization, it examines how Anatolian Khalwatīs mobilized ‘Alī’s authority to claim spiritual legitimacy. While centred on the Khalwatiyyah, the article also situates its argument within the wider Ottoman Sufi landscape by noting comparable Sunni forms of Ahl al-Bayt devotion in other orders, most notably the Mawlawiyyah (and related currents such as the Malāmiyyah), during the same period. The research traces key epithets and roles ascribed to ‘Alī, “the last of the four caliphs,” “the heir of the Muhammadan truth,” “the seal of the saints,” “the guardian of the world of secrets,” “the exemplar of futuwwah,” and “the chief of Sufi chains of transmission.” The findings show a consistent spiritual perception of ‘Alī across centuries and regions, and clarify, through the Khalwatī case, the broader significance of Ahl al-Bayt devotion within Sunni Sufism.

Exploring Interreligious Dialogue Encounters of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama in the Sri Lankan Context

Mohamed Arkam, Fathima Afra — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

This study investigates the intricate dynamics of interreligious dialogue encounters within the Muslim minority context of Sri Lanka, focusing on the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), a body of Muslim theologians. Amid historical tensions and conflicts among diverse religious groups in the region, the ACJU plays a pivotal role in fostering understanding and collaboration among religious communities. This study aims to examine the Muslim minority's efforts to preserve their religious identity and promote harmonious relationships with other religious communities through an in-depth investigation of their experiences, drawing on a range of primary and secondary sources. Using qualitative methodology, the research investigates the dynamics of interreligious discourse initiated by the ACJU through interviews and textual analysis. The study applies descriptive, analytical, and critical methods throughout. By exploring the perspectives of religious leaders, community members, and scholars engaged in these dialogues, the research offers insights into the challenges, achievements, and growth of interreligious exchanges in this socio-religious context. It also examines how the ACJU carefully balances between retaining Islamic identity and actively participating in interreligious endeavours. The findings highlight the importance of these programmes in reducing religious tensions, encouraging cooperation, and contributing to the peaceful coexistence of Sri Lanka's multireligious fabric.

From DDR to DDVE

Khuram Iqbal, Malik Waleed — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

The first- and second-generation Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of the United Nations were thought to be inadequate in responding to the changing nature of the post-9/11 wave of global terrorism. Therefore, member states confronting the threat are implementing country-specific CVE interventions as a part of their non-kinetic responses. Pakistan, a country ranked second in 2025 in the global list of worst-hit countries, has adopted a combination of non-kinetic CVE measures, including de-radicalization, rehabilitation, and counter-narrative. The paper critically examines these interventions in light of the DDR-CVE convergence model presented by Richard and recommends combining these state-led initiatives with the third-generation UN DDR programmes for a futuristic Demobilization and Disengagement of Violent Extremism (DDVE) framework, tailored specifically to the local context.

A Qualitative Content Analysis of Community-Led and Socio-Religio-Academic Narratives in Countering Extremism in the UK and Pakistan

Toaha Qureshi, Rafaqat Ali Akbar — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

This research paper is a qualitative content analysis of a community-led model with a socio-religio-academic mentoring approach for countering violent extremism (CVE) in the United Kingdom and Pakistan. The primary role of the research was to determine the elements of the Socio-Religio-Academic Mentoring (SRAM) strategy in the community-led model. The analysis of content was employed to identify primary components of the SRAM approach and included social, religious, and academic mentoring to develop critical thinking, resilience as an identity, and empowerment within the community. The comparative results enlighten policymakers and practitioners to adopt ethical, inclusive, and adaptive interventions in both Western and Muslim majority societies. This study would be recommended to improve the implementation of the Socio-Religio-Academic Mentoring (SRAM) approach in academic institutions in Pakistan, where community and religious leaders should be incorporated into the curriculum planning so that mentoring-based modules could be integrated with traditional classroom delivery of content, increasing its relevance to specific contextual factors and value-based learning.

Back Matter

Editorial Team — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

Michael Cook. A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity.

Naser Dumairieh — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500

Rashid b. Ali al-Balushi. Khuliqa al-Insān Bāḥithan (Humans were Created as Researchers).

Mohammed al-Ghafri — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0500