Islamic Political Thought

Between two spectrums of foundationalism and anti- foundationalism, ideas called post- foundationalist have emerged in the field of politics. They neither emphasize fixed and unchangeable foundations like foundationalists, nor do they consider everything variable like anti- foundationalists. They seek to reinterpret, in a process of dialogue and exchange, the foundations that have come to them as givens or precipitated in democratic societies, within the framework of temporal changes. In this way, a new experience has opened up for us from Western thought. Now the main question is whether it is possible to find a fixed foundation in this type of thought in which change in that is not recognized? By examining these ideas, and focusing on the thoughts of two important thinkers, John Rawls and Ernesto Laclau, we find that there are dimensions of political ontology among these ideas that are considered as red lines. Dimensions that can be called democratic political ontology. Now, in the next step, we should ask ourselves whether this experience can be used in defining The Islamic Political or not? By examining this type of political thought, we can claim that there is a way to present an Islamic political ontology and ultimately create a concept of The Islamic political. In a way that both religious principles are taken into account and changes in Muslim societies are recognized and, so to speak, channeled. In this article, this possibility is examined and the extraction of the foundations of Islamic political ontology is postponed to another text.

This study explores the conceptual metaphor of GOVERNMENT AS A CAMEL as presented in Nahjul-Balagha, a seminal work of literature attributed to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. Utilizing the framework of cognitive linguistics, specifically the theory of conceptual metaphors, the research examines how the metaphor encapsulates complex ideas related to governance, leadership, and social responsibility. An attempt is made to answer the question: What implications can the semantic domain of "camel" have for the semantic domain of "government"? By analyzing key passages from Nahjul-Balagha, this article infers several conceptual mappings such as the teleological approach to governance, the rebellious nature of power and the necessity of confronting abuse of power, the competence of the leader, meritocracy in offices, etc. The findings suggest that this metaphor not only reflects Imam Ali's views on the hardships and responsibilities of leadership but also provides a lens through which modern readers can understand the intricate relationship between rulers and their communities. Ultimately, the study aims to highlight the relevance of this metaphor in contemporary discussions on governance, emphasizing the continued significance of Imam Ali's insights in addressing current political challenges.

Humanitarian law, along with human rights, is one of the concepts in international relations that has received more attention than ever in recent decades, and many sensitivities and efforts have been made both in the field of theoretical literature and in the field of its implementation. In the meantime, various viewpoints and schools of thought have tried to interpret and interpret the principles and rules of humanitarian law from their own perspective, but it seems that none of them have been completely successful in this regard so far. In this research, an attempt has been made to analyze Islamic approaches to international humanitarian law in order to ultimately extract the nature, basic principles and common rules of international humanitarian law from the perspective of Islam. For this reason, in this research, by using documentary studies and library resources and from a jurisprudential perspective, we have made an effort to understand the nature and Islamic principles in Islamic humanitarian law. Also, according to the studies conducted and the comparison of Western principles of international law and Islamic humanitarian law, it seems that international humanitarian law with an Islamic approach has a greater universality and not only has entered into all aspects of this issue; but also has criteria closer to justice and fairness in the law of war and international conflicts.

The national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of conventional approaches—despite its strengths—suffers from certain deficiencies and potential vulnerabilities. Therefore, it requires scientific research to outline a suitable and necessary theoretical model and to employ an efficient and desirable approach. This would assist policymakers in this field in identifying potential vulnerabilities, addressing existing deficiencies, and presenting strategies that align with the conditions and necessities of Iran and the region, and are consistent with the characteristics of the Islamic Republic of Iran's system. This article has been written with the aim of outlining a theoretical model for the national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on Societal security. The research process is based on a system of questions, formulated in the form of main and sub-questions, and employs the "qualitative meta-synthesis" method, which aligns with the type of research and its requirements. After reviewing the background and literature on the subject, selecting appropriate theories, and combining various approaches to policy and national security policy, and adding the theory of societal security to it, a clear achievement has been presented for improving the national security policy process based on the indicators of the societal security theory. By using this, it is possible to identify the existing weaknesses and potential damages in the national security policy process and to propose strategies that are appropriate to the conditions and correspond to the specialized topics in the field of Iran's national security.

Reflection on Javad Tabatabai's views concerning Iranshahri political thought, along with certain critical remarks, constitutes the central focus of the present article. This article initially addresses the position of the discourse on Iranshahri thought and political thought within the entirety of Tabatabai's research project. Subsequently, following brief references to the characteristics of Iranshahri thought as its foundations, the elements (sing. mofrad) of Iranshahri political thought, based on these foundations, are extracted and inferred from his works. The most significant elements of Iranshahri political thought, according to Tabatabai, can be identified as follows: 1. Ideal kingship possessing divine farr (charisma/glory). 2. The institution of vizierate. 3. The absolute, but not autocratic, nature of Iranshahri monarchy. 4. Realism, expediency, and the precedence of observing justice over Sharia (religious law). 5. Unity in diversity centered on the institution of kingship. 6. Tolerance. 7. The education of princes and future rulers. 8. Law as the will of God, enacted by the royal institution as God's representative on earth. 9. Religion as a part of national affairs and in service of national interests. 10. Emphasis on the disorders of the age as a negative aspect of the rearticulation of Iranshahri political thought in the Islamic era. The ahistorical nature, subjective interpretation (tafsir bi'l-ra'y), imposition of presuppositions onto historical reality, ideological character, and the disregarding or omission of events and ideas contrary to his viewpoint are the most significant shortcomings in Tabatabai's views on Iranshahri political thought.

Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a prominent Neo-Sadraian philosopher and influential political figure in contemporary Iran, has developed significant theories within both philosophical and political domains. This study aims to address the question: "What is the relationship between Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s epistemological views and his political thought?" Employing an analytical-descriptive approach based on Leo Strauss’s text-to-text interpretation method, the research demonstrates that his political ideas—particularly his theories of governance—are grounded in an epistemological framework consisting of four layers: empirical knowledge, rational insight, intuitive awareness, and revelatory understanding. The study hypothesizes that this epistemological foundation shapes his political thinking into an elitist structure. The paper first examines Mesbah Yazdi’s views on the types, value, and means of acquiring knowledge, followed by an overview of his political thought. It concludes that his political outlook is constructively derived from his epistemological principles, underscoring a foundational link between the two.