TOC: Shia Political Thought

Shia Political Thought

Introduction

Chapter 1
Islam and Politics

-What is a “Religious Government”?

-Rejection of Islamic Government

-The First Argument

-Second Argument

-The Third Argument

-Categorizing Social Alterations

-Flexibility of the Islamic Legal System

-Rational Management versus Juristic Management

-Objectives of an Islamic State

-Implementation of the Shari’ah

-To Enjoin the Good and Forbid the Evil

-To Protect True Freedom of Human Beings

-Spheres of Islamic Political Thought

i) Political Theology

ii) Political Philosophy

iii) Political Ethics

-iv) Political Jurisprudence

Chapter 2
What is Wilayat al-Faqih?

-The Concept of Imamate

-Imam as “Wali”

-The Theory of Caliphate

-The Meaning of Wilayat al-Faqih

1. Wilayat al-Qaraba

2. Wilayat al-qada’

3. Wilayat al-Hakim

4. Wilayat al-Mutlaqa (The Absolute Authority)

5. Wilayat al-Usuba

i) Making a Decree (Al-Ifta)

ii) To Judge (Al-Qada)

-Hisbiya Affairs (Al-Umur al-Hisbiya)

1- Political- Devotional (Ibady) Orders and Prayers

2-Legal Punishment (Hudud)

3 - Islamic Taxes

4 - Jihad (Holy War) and Defense

Some Misconceptions

-The Historical Background

-Multiplicity in Wilayat

-The Dominion of the Wali al-Faqih

-Al-Wilayat al-Mutlaqa

i) Divine Laws (Al-Hukm as-Shari’)

-Wilayat al-Faqih and other Ideas of Guardianship

Chapter 3
Why Wilayat al-Faqih?

-Traditional Evidences for Wilayat al-Faqih

-A Signet Letter (Tuqih) from the Absent Imam

-Maqbula of Umar ibn Hanzala

-The Tradition of Abu Khadija

-The First Tradition: The Sound Transmission of Qadah

-The Second Tradition: Saduqs’ Morsala

-The Third Tradition: The Fuqaha are the Trustees of the Prophets

-The Fourth Tradition: The Ulema are the Rulers

-The Fifth Tradition: Imam Hussain’s Sermon

-The Sixth Hadith: The Fuqaha are the Fortress of Islam

-Wilayat al-amma as Hisbah

-The Rational Argument

-The Characteristics of Wali al-Faqih and the Problem of ‘A‘lamiya’

-Ijtihad (Proficiency in Islamic Jurisprudence)

-Prudence, Trustworthiness, Administrative Facilities, and Courage

-The External Justification

-Criticism of Guardianship

Chapter 4
Islam and Democracy

-What is Democracy?

-Democracy and Liberalism

-Benefits of Democracy

-Foundations of Democracy

-Intrinsic Equality

-Priority of the Will of the Majority over Rightness

-General Freedom

-Limited Democracy versus Pure Democracy

-What is the Conception of a ‘Religious Democracy’?

-Smoothing the Path to Religious Democracy

-Religious Democracy is Paradoxical

-Usurpation of God's Sovereignty

-The Problem of Legal Equality

-Reconciling Islam and Liberal Democracy

Chapter 5
Final Word

Chapter 6
Bibliography