The Phenomenon of Jihadist Thought in the 20th and 21st Centuries: From Ideological Foundations to Armed Brutality

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of jihadist thought across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, analyzing its evolution from ideological foundations to brutal manifestations of armed violence. It argues that jihadist ideology cannot be reduced to isolated acts of terrorism or seen merely through a security lens; rather, it constitutes a complex intellectual and political system shaped by religious texts, political frustrations, historical grievances, and social crises. The research adopts a genealogical and comparative approach to trace jihadism’s development from early theorists like Sayyid Qutb to the operational strategies of organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. The study identifies key phases in the evolution of jihadist movements: from Qutb’s revolutionary reinterpretation of Islamic concepts like jahiliyya and hakimiyya, through the globalized militancy of al-Qaeda, to ISIS’s experiment in proto-state governance marked by extreme brutality and sophisticated propaganda. It demonstrates how jihadist thought transformed from revivalist protest to a doctrine of nihilistic violence, with theological justifications evolving alongside geopolitical opportunities, such as the chaos following the Arab Spring and the exploitation of failed states. Further, the research examines how jihadist movements adapted structurally, shifting from hierarchical to decentralized, networked models, leveraging digital technologies to expand their ideological reach and operational capacity. It highlights the persistent tension between global jihadist ambitions and local dynamics, as well as the growing emphasis on virtualization and asymmetric warfare. Ultimately, the study concludes that jihadist thought has evolved into a hybrid ideology—part religious, part revolutionary, part nihilistic—that continues to exploit global grievances and identity crises. Combating its persistence requires not only security measures but also intellectual and theological efforts to reclaim Islamic discourse from extremist distortions and to promote alternative narratives grounded in peace, justice, and human dignity.