The Concept of Leadership in Political System of Islam | ||
The Concept of Leadership in Political System of Islam By Mir Alireza Daryabegi (PhD) Part 1 To present a true image of ideological leadership in society, the Holy Quran does not use the common words of ruler, king, sovereign, sultan, shepherd, boss, and the like. It has used the word Imam instead of all those words. On the other hand, to refer to the people or a nation, the Holy Quran has used the word ummah instead of such words as nation, tribe, clan, family, kin, class, society, generation, citizen, the masses, and the like. The two words of Imam and Imamate have the common root of “Um” which means origin or the constituting part of other things. The root also means point of return, destination, chief, pillar, middle, central piece of the song, and departure. All these meanings have something in common, i.e. the intention to move based on a conscious decision. This distinguishes the two words of Imam and Imamate from apparently similar and synonymous words. In Islamic culture the basic and sacred link among the people (known as Naas in the Quran which is a more simple but palpable derivative from the word Insan or man) is not determined according to commonalities in blood and race, territory or geographical boundaries, joint aspiration and ideals (of any kind), or congeniality in labor and its tools, or similarity in social ranks and living standards, or partnership in the fight against joint enemy or even common interests in social privileges. The fundamental factor for unity and social affinity is the unified motion of the people or Naas on a direct and specific path that has been chosen wakefully for certain ends. Common leadership is the prerequisite for this type of social unity and affinity. In this sense, the two words of Imam and ummah are indispensable or logically related. It is like the two words of father and son that are indispensable in meaning. According to the potential meaning of ummah which signifies rhythm, motion, choice, awareness and destination, leadership in Imamate does not mean managing the social affairs and the nation; rather, it means guiding, leading and achieving a goal (as the holy Quran states: And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command). Administration of social affairs is called politics in Greek. Politics in the West refers to government system as well. According to this definition, government and leadership are obligated to establish law and order in society in order to create a happy and comfortable life for the citizens. However, educating human beings, intellectual guidance of people and human perfection go beyond the responsibilities of government and politics. However, politics has a broader definition and application. It was chiefly used for training horses in the past. This is why in definition of administration, it is used today in association with upbringing, training, guiding and correcting the people. According to its principal meaning, politics is to serve the citizens and society. Undoubtedly, politics can change into treason when it is devoid of merits for upbringing, guidance and moral sublimation. This is while, administration, associated with leadership, guidance, upbringing, and moral sublimation is a kind of public service, although it may fail to meet the welfare of the citizens in the beginning. Extremism in politics has made a number of Western thinkers reintroduce the concept of reformation and guidance to the leadership of the society in the form of a revolutionary ideology known as proletariat. In this scheme too, the goal is meeting the welfare of the society. Ultimately maximum (wealth, social prestige, family, sufficient income and promising future) is pitched against minimum (minimum livelihood, house, job and the like). Leadership in the Paradigm of Imamate In Islamic culture, leadership – meaning Imamate – is the kind of politics according to which Divine ideology governs all aspects of human relationships. Under such leadership, foundations, institutions, social relations, opinions, beliefs, culture, ethics, insights, traditions, demands, and in general, the values in human society are employed for human perfection and development of society, where human intellectual development and building of ummah has priority over statesmanship, human cherishing and public administration. This type of leadership and politics results in better welfare, but the opposite is not true at all. In Islamic culture, ummah is not attributed to a society in which material welfare, comfort and idle life are ideals. In an ummah, the standards of living are not irresponsibility, passiveness, consumerism and vain welfare. Similarly Imam is not the kind of leader who protects people and their material gains, unspiritual social life, and unrestricted freedom in fulfilling whims. Imam is a perfect, committed and responsible leader whose rule is based on a school of thought and whose goal is to bring about great changes and lead individuals and the entire society towards desirable human perfection. Imam should feel the responsibility from the heart and be an example to all. The basic element for understanding the concept of Imam is the good conduct coming from a rich school of thought and a strong faith personified in ours deeds, otherwise, unity of deed and creed will not be sufficient for establishing an ummah and creating a sound relation between Imam and ummah. Also the quest for a leader or hero that is practiced in some countries at certain epochs of history out of an inevitable need for a movement or revolution is very much different from the comprehensive, sustainable and dynamic revolutionary concept of Imamate. This is why excluding the personality of Imam from the circle of human potentialities means cutting the rational and human relationship of Imam with ummah which will ultimately end in deprival of ummah from the Imam. Imam is a person who leads the ummah in observing the religious law and acting upon Divine orders, who runs the social, political and military affairs of his ummah based on Divine law, who enforces the programs and decrees of Islam and who is a perfect example of religion himself. Dr. Daryabegi is an Academic Board Member, Islamic Azad University – Central Tehran Branch. | ||
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