درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This article explores key verses from the Old and New Testaments to formulate a Biblical view of leadership focused on service, justice, and the common good. Drawing upon texts from Genesis, Deuteronomy, the Books of Samuel, Psalms, the Books of the Maccabees, and several New Testament texts (including Matthew, Luke, Mark, and 1 Peter), the study contrasts positive models of servant leadership (such as Moses, David, Solomon, and St. Joseph) with negative models (such as Antiochus IV Epiphanes). The article argues that the Bible consistently describes legitimate authority as being characterized by accountability to God, humility, care for the vulnerable, and the promotion of communal flourishing. It further connects this Biblical ideal to the concept of the common good within Catholic Social Teaching (citing, for example, the papal encyclical Laudato si’), suggesting that the leader's primary role is to create social conditions that enable the integrated growth of individuals and communities. The implications of this vision for contemporary political and ecclesiastical leadership include prioritizing justice, protecting distinct communal identities, and fostering participatory structures for public prosperity.

Semantics investigates the transformation of word meanings within discourse. "Proximity to God" is one of the central Qur’anic concepts, and its semantic analysis is of particular importance for organizing the semantic network of Qur’anic vocabulary and for understanding the Book of Revelation's discourse on the relationship between human beings and God. Using a descriptive–analytical method, the present study seeks to identify and systematize the vocabulary related to proximity ( Qurb ) and to explain the process of semantic expansion of this term within the framework of paradigmatic relations. The concept of proximity, in addition to reflecting the human–divine relationship, encompasses a wide range of meanings, including spatial, temporal, kinship-based, rank-related, protective, and power-related proximity. The findings indicate that the direct derivatives of the root ( q r b) , such as Aqrab , Qarīb , Qurbān , and Qurbāt , are predominantly employed within the semantic orbit of drawing near to God, whereas words related to Qurb in non-religious meanings function as expressions of nearness in non-divine contexts. Among the conceptual substitutes for Qurb , terms such as Dunuww , Ḥaḍar , Walī , Zulfā , and Muḥīṭ were identified, which respectively cover the domains of physical/spatial proximity, legal and social proximity, proximity in the occurrence of events, rank and status, and encompassing. Furthermore, a group of Qur’anic terms can be regarded as indirect substitutes for Qurb and classified among expressions related to the path of attaining proximity to God.

SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The appointment of executive and administrative officials constitutes one of the most critical and necessary duties of an Islamic government, as the persistence of a system and government is contingent upon the competency of its agents. Should organizations be led by competent managers, the quality of organizational activities will be enhanced, given that appointing competent managers significantly influences the promotion of societal behavior and Islamic values, fosters trust between the populace and the rulers, and facilitates the resolution of social problems. METHOD & FINDING: Reflecting to both the internal and external competencies of managers during their selection is imperative. This study seeks to elucidate the concept of competency, models of competency, and the significance of meritocracy within Islamic management. Furthermore, it analyzes the criteria for appointing competent managers with reference to the letters of Imām ʿAlī  to His agents, employing a descriptive-analytical methodology and utilizing Spencer’s model. This process culminated in the design of a logical model of managerial competency derived from Imām ʿAlī’s  teachings. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that managerial competencies, from the perspective of Nahj Al-Balāghah's letters, can be categorized into five components based on Spencer and Spencer's model: knowledge, skill, self-concept dimensions, personal traits, and motivation. These competencies were subsequently classified into two dimensions: hard and soft. Hard competencies encompass experience and expertise, reasoning, discipline, consultation, creating welfare, and communication with people.  Soft competencies, characterized by an internal aspect in management, include self-control, justice, control and supervision, patience, humility, trustworthiness, honesty, adhering to the rights, and serving.