Abstract

Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, numerous qualitative changes have occurred in Afghanistan’s domestic and regional influence. The Taliban have reinvented their The Islamic Emirate idea of national governance. The hasty withdrawal of the U.S. and other international forces in August 2021 took place amidst a monopolizing power strategy of the Taliban and efforts by national and regional spoilers to destabilize the peace process. In this context, the paper will comprehensively analyze the power structure of the “Taliban”, interpretation and regional policies in framing their governmental policies and authorities in more than 34 months of their government. In exploring this interaction, this research paper will attempt to answer the questions, «How much are Taliban correct in representing the Hanafi Jurisprudence and Deobandi interpretation of Islam, and how much are profound in influencing the regional economic and religious?». To respond to this question, the paper will initially provide a theoretical foundation describing political Islam and traditions in Afghanistan’s political history. The article provides a historical account of the Islamic governments in Afghanistan and their different interpretation throughout history and its code of conduct. Then, the paper will apply these perspectives to comparatively analyze and understand the political performance of these Islamic codes in the view of the Taliban’s governance in two eras: First Islamic Emirate from 1996 to 2001 and then the return of the Islamic Emirate since August 15, 2021, in Afghanistan.