Ma`rifat Siyasi

The phenomenon of Takfir of Shi'ism in some contemporary Deobandi works is considered one of the important sectarian challenges in the Islamic world. The main issue of this research is to explain why and how the Deobandi discourse transitioned from a cautious approach in excommunicating the people of the Qiblah to issuing takfiri rulings against the Shiites. Using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on the content analysis of original Deobandi sources, including the works of the founders of this school, and the writings and fatwas of later radicals, this research was conducted. The findings have shown that the early Deoband scholars adhered to the principle of "caution in declaring the people of the Qiblah as infidels" and did not consider Shia to be outside of Islam. On the contrary, in recent works, the Takfiri discourse has been strengthened in parallel with contemporary political developments, such as the rise of Shia power in the Safavid era, the political reinterpretation of the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate, and especially the geopolitical consequences of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The results of the research have shown that at this stage, "takfir" has acquired a political-identity function and has become a tool for curbing Shiite political influence, weakening the discourse of Islamic unity, and eliminating competitors in the power structure, especially in Pakistan.