Excommunication of the People of Qibla: Between Denial and Affirmation, A Report on Several Texts from the Timurid and Safavid Periods

The history of the discussion on " Excommunication of the people of Qibla" dates back to the early Islamic centuries when differences between the Mu'tazilites, Kharijites, and Murji'ites were pronounced. This theological issue persisted both theoretically and practically as governments and sects engaged with it. During the seventh to ninth centuries, as the Islamic world experienced relative tranquility, the escalating Safavid-Ottoman conflicts brought the matter back to the forefront. During this period, some Sunnis vehemently advocated for the Excommunication of the people of Qibla, asserting its plausibility. However, moderate Sunni scholars sought to narrow the scope of this concept and create grounds for rejecting the takfir of the people of Qibla. This article introduces and examines some unpublished texts on this subject, as well as reports on some lesser-known printed works from the Safavid era.