The characteristics of religious democracy in Ayatollah Mahdavi kani's memories and Friday prayer speeches

Document Type : Science - Research (Islamic Politic)

Author

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I.R.Iran.

10.30497/pkn.2025.247142.3217

Abstract

Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani was one of the great jurists who had a great contribution in the formation of the Islamic Revolution and its consolidation, and also created new models in Islamic management by managing political and revolutionary institutions. Apart from this, he has had a high position in the advancement of religious knowledge in recent decades in Iran and with the management of Imam Sadiq University, he has played an important role in the link between humanities and religion. According to these issues, it is necessary to know the different aspects of his thinking. Based on this, one of the most important topics that has been important in his intellectual field is the issue of religious democracy or, in his own words, popular theocracy. Since the Islamic system has always sought to realize the model of religious democracy, it is important to know the dimensions of this concept from the perspective of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani. This research, using the method of content analysis, seeks to discover the dimensions of this issue in his political memories and statements in Tehran's Friday prayers. The findings of this research indicate that Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani's approach to the concept of religious democracy in the examined documents was an inclusive and comprehensive approach. In this sense, the concept of religious democracy in his thought, apart from including religious and political dimensions, also included popular and social dimensions. These dimensions have shown themselves in the form of various elements. For example, he has considered obedience to the Velayat-e Faqih as part of the religious foundations of religious democracy. Also, the consultation and criticism of the rulers has been considered in the political field of this concept and it has considered the people's cooperation with the system from the social dimensions of religious democracy. It is obvious that such an attitude can be one of the practical models for the realization of religious democracy in Iran, and it can provide new fields for understanding religious democracy.

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  • Receive Date: 10 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 28 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 28 January 2025