Deconstructing extremist narratives for contemporary religious pluralism context: a Maqasidi critique of the classical interpretations of Al-Walāʾ wa-al-Barāʾ

This study critically re-evaluates the concept of Loyalty and Disavowal (Al-Walāʾ wa-al-Barāʾ), considering contemporary religious pluralism through the lens of MaqaṢid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law). Traditionally understood as a moral-theological principle that governed religious loyalty, WB has undergone reinterpretations, particularly in post-Ibn Taymiyyah and Wahhābīsm thought, leading to exclusionary ideologies that have shaped modern Islamist and jihadist movements. Employing comparative textual and historical analysis, this article examines how groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Boko Haram, and ISIS have transformed WB into a political doctrine that undermines plural citizenship and justifies sociopolitical violence. In contrast, the study highlights the governance model of the Prophet Muhammad in Madinah as a normative counter-framework, where early Islamic political practice embraced contractual pluralism, legal equality, and interreligious cooperation. By embedding WB within the overarching objectives of Islamic law-justice (ʿadl), public welfare (maṢlaḥah), human dignity (karāmah), and social order (ḥifẓ al-niẓām)-the paper argues that extremist interpretations of WB violate these higher maqasid goals, rather than representing a continuation of classical Islamic thought. The findings call for a maqasid-centered reconfiguration of WB that redefines loyalty through ethical integrity and civic responsibility, offering a theological basis for Muslim participation in pluralistic democratic societies.