The Salafī Notion of al-Walā’ wa-l- Barā’ (Loyalty and Disavowal) and its implications on Interfaith Dialogue in Nigeria

Authors : Mujahid Hamza Shıtu

Pages : 139-172

Doi:10.54659/ulum.1668525

View : 80 | Download : 276

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The Wahhābī/ Salafī outreaches in the second half of the 20th century brought about a new dimension to Muslim-Christian relations in Nigeria. Researchers who studied the phenomenon, seldom make in-depth examination of this characteristic, nonetheless, writers ascribed fundamentalism to the Izala Movement which represents the Wahhābī ideology. It is however, noteworthy that the Salafī canon was not well articulated in Nigeria at that time to influence interreligious crisis, though it instigated intra-Muslim conflicts, since its primary aim is to purify Islam from within. The return of hundreds of Nigerian scholars from Middle Eastern universities, and more specifically from the Islamic University of Medina, popularised heated debates about the Salafī canons. One of the notions that is generating controversies is inter-faith dialogue with the Christian co-citizens of Nigeria. Many have branded participation in the encounters as outright disbelief and have castigated Muslim dialoguers as promoters of a new religion. The bottom line is that it negates al-Walā’ wa-l- Barā’. This research analyses the countering arguments of the Muslim exponents and opponents of inter-faith dialogue in Nigeria who based their opposition on the Salafī canon, and its implications on harmonious coexistence among Nigerians irrespective of religious affinity.
Keywords : İslami Mezhepler, Selefizm, Dinlerarası Diyalog, Nijerya, el-Velâ ve, Müslüman-Hristiyan İlişkileri

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