Shi`a Pajoohi

Shi`a Pajoohi

A Comparative Study of Qur'anic Political Rationality in the Discursive System of the Islamic Revolution with Jihadi Fundamentalism in Contemporary Takfiri Movements

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
sadeq zahraiy 1
ali rajabzadeh 2
enayat sharifi 3
abdolmotaleb abdollah 4
1 PhD Candidate in Theology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
4 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The present study, entitled "A Comparative Study of Qur'anic Political Rationality in the Discursive System of the Islamic Revolution with Jihadi Fundamentalism in Contemporary Takfiri Movements," seeks to analyze how the political teachings of the Qur'an are interpreted and applied within two opposing and competing readings of contemporary political Islam. The significance and necessity of this research arise from the fact that the discursive encounter between these two rationalities is not merely an intellectual or theological dispute, but rather a field of strategic contestations over the identity of the Islamic ummah, the regional political order, and the legitimate interpretation of the Qur'an in the contemporary era, particularly in light of the expansion of extremism and the instrumental misuse of Qur'anic verses by Takfiri movements to justify violence and instability in Muslim societies. The research method employed is descriptive-analytical. The findings indicate that Qur'anic political rationality within the intellectual framework of the Islamic Revolution is grounded in three pillars: ijtihad-based rationality, monotheistic human-centeredness, and resistance-oriented civilization-building. It seeks to present a reading of political Islam that harmonizes tradition and modernity, adapting to the exigencies of the time and the needs of Islamic societies. In contrast, Takfiri jihadi rationality, by excluding collective reason, denying historical ijtihad, and emphasizing rigid literalism, has created a fertile ground for structural violence and the rejection of any dissenting opinion, effectively becoming an ideological instrument of domination and chaos in the region. Thus, the comparative analysis of the two discourses reveals not only a contradiction in epistemological foundations but also divergences in political objectives, the role of humanity, the approach to adversaries, and the hermeneutics of the verses on jihad and wilayah. The present study endeavors to demonstrate that the Qur'an, contrary to the violence-laden interpretation of Takfiri currents, can provide a foundation for rational, ethical, and democratic order in the contemporary world. The discourse of the Islamic Revolution, by harnessing this interpretive capacity, has taken a significant step toward the reconstruction of Islamic civilization, whereas jihadi fundamentalism constitutes a dangerous deviation from Qur'anic rationality—one that, rather than representing a return to authentic Islam, is better understood as a radical reaction to modernity and the failures of Islamic states.
Keywords
Political Rationality
Qur'anic Discourse
Islamic Revolution
Takfiri Movements
Jihadi Fundamentalism
Religious Democracy
Coercive Caliphate
Political Hermeneutics of the Qur'an
Subjects
References
 
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