
The first of two volumes of the renowned and comprehensive text on Islamic political theory by Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi, dealing with the importance of recognizing Islam as the basis of any just political theory, methods of implementing such a theory by the government, and comparing and contrasting this Islamic system with the system predominant in most Western ans secular nations.
- Islamic Political Theory (Legislation): Volume 1
- Preface
- Introduction
- Session 1: The Most Important Questions in the Realm of Islamic Policy
- Introduction
- Islam and Political Theorizing
- Islamic Political Theory being “founded” by Islam
- The Nature and Essentials of Islamic Government
- The form of Islamic government and the scope of prerogatives and duties
- The role of people in Islamic government and some other questions
- Methodology of discussing Islamic political theory
- Session 2: Importance and Exigency of Discussing Islamic Political Theory
- How the East and the West confront the Islamic Revolution
- The youth and the long-term cultural plot
- The triple axis of the cultural plot
- 1. Promotion of the Notion of Separation of Religion and Politics
- 2. Denial of Wilayah al-Faqih
- 3. Concern about the form of Wilayah al-Faqih
- Our responsibility vis-à-vis the triple axis of the enemy’s plot
- The need to choose suitable methods to foil the enemy’s plot
- The Definition and Jurisdiction of Religion
- The need to know religion through its sources
- Session 3: Station of Politics in Religion (Part 1)
- Session 4: Station of Politics in Religion (Part 2)
- Separation of religion and politics an extra-religious outlook
- Close-knit connection between this world and the hereafter
- Ideological baptism of actions in this world
- Radiant capability of intellect in discerning value of actions
- Jurisdiction of Religion
- Relationship between Religion and Government
- Universality of Religion
- Session 5: Freedom in Islam (Part 1)
- Private realms of Knowledge and Religion
- Skepticism on alleged contradiction between religious rule and freedom
- Propagating the above skepticism through a religious tune
- Replying to the above skepticism
- Reason behind the uniqueness of the Qur’anic approach
- Propagating the skepticism through an extra-religious approach
- Hume’s skepticism and the first reply to the above skepticism
- Second reply—absoluteness and limitlessness of freedom
- Skepticism on alleged contradiction between government authority and man’s divine vicegerency (khilafah)
- Reply to the above skepticism
- Session 6: Freedom in Islam (Part 2)
- Session 7: Freedom, Its Limits and Boundaries
- Islamic political theory and skepticism on alleged restriction of freedom
- Different outlook on concept of freedom
- Freedom as not absolute and rejection of freedom’s predominance over religion
- Need to observe the values and sanctities of every society
- Illegitimate motives in exercising freedom
- Limits of freedom of expression
- Need to explain concept and manifestation of terms
- Session 8: An Elucidation of the Structure and Form of Government
- Status of elemental and evidential definition
- Islam and theory of separation of powers
- Skepticism on alleged impotence of Islam in social administration
- Types of laws and necessity of enacting variable laws
- Meaning of Islamic nature of laws
- Process of legislation in the Islamic government
- Legal status delegated in the Islamic government
- Session 9: An Examination of the Status of Laws in the Religious System
- Principles of Islamic political theory
- Need to acknowledge essentials of religion
- Islam’s fixed principles and precepts
- Fixed essential laws and decisive concepts of the Qur’an
- Removing skepticism on the existence of contradictory interpretations of Islam
- Questioning Islam’s capability of meeting all human needs
- Session 10: Law and the Difference in Outlook and Origin
- Exigency of discussing law at the present stage
- Two contradictory views determining domain of laws
- Status of law in democratic systems
- Basis of credibility of human rights
- Real, intrinsic laws and status of man’s freewill
- Legislative and divine laws that guarantee man’s felicity and perfection
- Difference between legal and moral laws
- Difference between Islamic and liberal approach
- Session 11: Criterion of Credibility of Law
- Exigency of delving into major political issues
- Scope and criterion of credibility of law
- Objection to the first view
- Superiority of Islamic laws
- Inapplicability of the second view
- Defects of the third view and extent of needs according to Islam
- The Islamic Revolution and superior station of spiritual interests
- Session 12: The Different Views of Islam and the West on Values
- The best law according to Islam and the danger of eclecticism
- Intellectual eclecticism in realm of religious thought
- Concept of religious pluralism
- Magnificence of servitude to God and its conflict with absolute freedom
- The West and elimination of alleged contradiction between science and religion
- Station of people’s will in liberalism and Islam
- Democracy and legislative authority in Islam and the West
- An admonition to the youth
- Session 13: Fundamental Difference in the Approach to Law between Islam and the West
- Relationship between law and individual freedom
- Law in the humanist and liberal approach
- The onslaught of Western culture and its confrontation with Islamic culture
- The clergy and structural framework of Islamic culture
- Nature of law and its special function in Islam and liberalism
- Relativity of legitimate freedom
- Tension between Islam and liberalism
- Legislation in Islam and democracy
- The binding law in the Islamic government
- Session 14: The West’s Materialistic Approach to Law
- A review of the previous discussions
- Natural law school
- Scope of human rights in the West
- Emergence of contradictions on scope of freedom
- Scope of freedom in human rights
- Problems of categorizing freedom in the West
- Islamic law’s concern for spiritual and material interests
- Preeminence of spiritual and religious interests over material interests
- Difference between conditions and scope of freedom in Islam and liberalism
- Session 15: The Islamic Government, Challenges and Cultural Plots
- A review of the previous discussions
- The clergy and its crucial duty of guidance
- Promotion of destructive Western freedom in the national press
- “Islamic Protestantism” as a conspiracy against Islam
- Real meaning of natural right
- Traditional interpretation as the only authentic interpretation of Islam
- Legitimate freedom
- Religion and law as restrainers of freedom
- Necessity of restraining freedom
- Session 16: Difference between Divine and Atheistic Culture in the Realm of Law and Freedom
- Role of choice, awareness and observance of law in attaining the goal
- Difference between moral and legal laws
- Divine and atheistic cultures and their different perspectives on law
- Three pillars of Western culture
- Fundamental conflict between Western and Islamic culture
- Difference in approach between Islam and the West on determining scope of freedom
- Session 17: Relationship between Religious Legislative Lordship (rububiyyat-e tashri‘i), and Sovereignty and Legislation
- Session 18: Requisites of Legislation and Its Station in Islam
- Legislator’s qualifications as exclusive to God
- Objection on the necessity of legal authorities’ plurality
- Reply to the first objection
- Second objection: absence of God’s will in legislation
- Reply to the second objection
- Man’s mastery over his destiny
- Lack of contradiction between mastery of man and sovereignty of God
- Session 19: Distinctive Feature of Islam in the Realm of Politics and Government
- Session 20: A New Perspective on the Station of Law and Government
- Session 21: Islam and Democracy (Part 1)
- Session 22: Islam and Democracy (Part 2)
- Session 23: An Examination of the Essence of Unity in Humanity and the Citizenship of Citizens