What is Jihadi-Salafism and how does it relate to classical Islam? Scholars of Terrorism Studies argue that 'Jihadism' and Salafism are derivatives of Wahhbism and lie on the ideological margins of the Islamic tradition. This book challenges this narrative, demonstrating that concepts associated with the terms including 'divine sovereignty', 'jihad' and 'the caliphate' are utilised by Salafi Ulama in connection with the following disparate classical Islamic traditions: Shfiite legal theory during the Mongol invasions; Ottoman and Indian anti-colonial anafite thought; Mlikite and Shfiite 'political jurisprudence'; and the literalism of the Yemeni luminary Muammad al-Shawkn (d. 1834).

This is the first book to disaggregate linear histories of Jihadi-Salafism by shifting the focus from Wahhbism to Sunnism, including Mturdite and Asharite doctrinal schools and the 'four schools' of law. Based on archival research and interviews, it examines the thought of diverse Ulama, ranging from Abdullah Azzm to Ab Muammad al-Maqdis. It highlights their profound commitment to the classical Islamic sciences, as well as their distinct interpretations of historical crises that befell the premodern Umma, ultimately articulating a vision for its future.