Landmarks of Moderation in the Creed of Maghrebi Mālikism and Its Role in Combating Extremism: Issues of Faith as a Model .

Abstract

This paper explores the doctrinal architecture of the Mālikī school in the Maghreb as a coherent and integrated system that brings together transmitted tradition (athar) and contextual application (tanzīl), thereby grounding a principled form of moderation (wasatiyyah) in matters of faith (īmān). Mālikī scholars have consistently maintained that faith is a composite of affirmation, conviction, and practice; it admits of increase and decrease, while the question of exception (istithnāʾ) is carefully regulated through a distinction between what is doctrinally acceptable and what is not. They further hold that the perpetrator of a major sin remains a believer by virtue of his faith, yet is deemed sinful on account of his grave act—without being declared an unbeliever—in order to preserve the unity of the community.

The paper also examines the Mālikī critique of both Murjiʾite and Khārijite tendencies, highlighting their sustained historical efforts to counter doctrinal deviation in the Moroccan context. What emerges is a close interweaving of theoretical grounding and practical application in the construction of a balanced theological discourse. This moderate approach has played a significant role in fostering intellectual security and in curbing both forms of extremism: excommunicative (takfīrī) and antinomian or laxist.

The study concludes that Mālikī moderation constitutes a robust and effective scholarly model for safeguarding societies against ideological excess.