Issues Pertaining to Religious Extremism and Steps to Address them to Ensure National Harmony

Current ideological trends, such as extremist beliefs, have become widespread among certain quarters of the Muslim community in Malaysia, and this development has led individuals to act hugely unabated in religious matters. These groups are responsible for various issues that have generated confusion about true Islamic teachings and threaten national stability and harmony. This study aimed to identify the polemics arising from religious extremist doctrines and relevant measures required to address them, thus ensuring that Muslims remain on the right path in accordance with the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah. This qualitative study collected data from historical documents and current scholarly materials. Content analysis was carried out using inductive, deductive and comparative methods to produce the study’s findings. Findings reveal several crises triggered by extremist groups, including exclusivism and fundamentalism, misunderstanding of the jihad concept, radical attitudes and fanaticism, inclination toward terrorism and militancy, textualist tendencies, rejection of established religious interpretations, adherence to the tawhid doctrine (three categories), accusations of innovation (bid‘ah) in matters of scholarly disagreement (khilafiyyah), takfiri attitudes, and intolerance. Findings also reveal that efforts to curb extremist ideologies require the involvement of all relevant parties, including individuals, families, communities, religious bodies, preachers and leaders. Each entity must play its respective role in its area of responsibility to ensure the well-being, safety, unity and protection of the Islamic faith and lives of Muslims.

takrifi, extremism, religion, initiative

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