Author: Muhammad Bilal

Muhammad Bilal, a Madrasa graduate from Pakistan, is pursuing his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at Vienna University. His research focuses on Islamic religious education, intellectual history, and global jihadist movements. Bilal holds a master's degree in History from Central European University, having written his thesis on 19th-century jihad movements in North Africa.

Deobandi ʿulamāʾ and Violence in Pakistan (part 2 of 2)

In the second part of his contribution Muhammad Bilal keeps to emphasize that confining Deobandi thought to a philosophy of violence is too simplistic. Taking the events of 9/11 as a starting point, the author emphasizes the cultural, social and especially realigious context in which Deobandi thought developed.

Deobandi ʿulamāʾ and Violence in Pakistan (part 1 of 2)

The Islamic theological school of the Deobandi is seen in many discussions as the spiritual precursor of Islamist terrorism. In his contribution, Muhammad Bilal uses the example of Pakistan to give an introduction to the complex historical background of this movement and shows that the truth is, as so often, more complex.