Islamic foreign policy

In foreign policy, imperatives refer to the factors and conditions that compel a country to act in specific ways or make particular decisions in the international arena. One significant category of imperatives in foreign policy, particularly for Islamic societies, is jurisprudential imperatives—the fundamental principles, rules, and values derived from Islamic law to guide international relations. According to the Holy Quran and Islamic narrations, Islam provides the sole path for humanity to attain true happiness, both worldly and eternal, on individual and societal levels. To achieve this ideal goal within an Islamic society, the foreign policy actions of an Islamic state must align with imperatives rooted in Islamic law. These imperatives are informed by core Islamic objectives such as the pursuit of justice, peace, preservation of human dignity, and the promotion of the public interest. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method and utilizing reliable jurisprudential sources, considering the issues affecting Islamic countries , identifies and explains the most important jurisprudential imperatives of foreign policy that have a special impact on the numerous and important foreign policy choices of countries in facing contemporary challenges. Within this framework, the study identifies key jurisprudential imperatives for foreign policy, including adherence to principles such as the fulfilment of the obligation, reciprocity, peaceful coexistence, caution in dealing with adversaries, rejection of domination, invitation , and the rules of capability and expediency. The findings underscore that Islamic jurisprudence offers vital solutions to contemporary challenges in international relations, strengthening the effectiveness of Islamic systems on the global stage.

Diplomacy and negotiation are considered key instruments for achieving national interests and strategic objectives of states in the contemporary era. Islam, as a comprehensive system of life, has provided specific frameworks and principles for international interactions. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical method and relying on documentary and historical sources, this research elucidates the theoretical foundations and practical principles of Islamic diplomacy. The primary research question is: What are the requisites of an Islamic character for foreign relations and international negotiations within the political discourse of Islam? The findings indicate that Islamic diplomacy is founded upon fundamental principles, which include: the principle of Negation of Domination (Nafi al-Sabil), the primacy of peace-seeking, observance of mutual respect, consolidation of the status of the Islamic governance, weakening the front of enemies, optimal utilization of power components (hard and soft), leveraging post-agreement opportunities, strategic flexibility in negotiation, preliminary dialogues for confidence-building, defining responsibilities centered on justice and equity, and emphasis on absolute adherence to commitments. These principles, extracted through the analysis of the Prophetic tradition (Sira) and Quranic teachings, can serve as an effective, ethical, and strategic model for the foreign policy of Islamic countries in the present era, providing an independent framework distinct from dominant Western paradigms.