Followers of the history of Islam would be surprised at the transition from widespread Sufi Islam to widespread Salafist Islam. However, they are less surprised when they notice that the rise of religious extremism has coincided with a cognitive shift, as Sufism by nature rejects extremism. Salafist ideology, meanwhile, often bases its religiosity on extremism.

Political and social factors have helped set the stage for Salafist expansion in the face of Sufism. Moreover, the legacies of the colonial era in the Muslim world and the establishment of the State of Israel — which led to ongoing opposition in the Islamic world against the West — have provided fertile soil for revolutionary Islam in general.

Revolutionary ideology has been reflected in both leftist and nationalist circles during the last century. As the left and the nationalist parties failed to establish stable states in the Middle East, political Islam in the form of Salafism rose.

The tendency toward the Salafist ideology is the result of dogmatism, as well as hostility toward the other. This ideology thrives in unstable conditions and amid political and social crises.