Religious Government in the Views of Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine religious government and the manner of legitimacy and acceptability in the political views of Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari. The main question of this article seeks to answer: What is Shabestari’s thought and perspective regarding religious government? The research hypothesis is that temporal and spatial conditions, along with differing ideologies, have led to a distinct interpretation of religion and religious government in Shabestari’s view. The findings of the study show that, from Shabestari’s perspective, legitimacy and acceptability are obtained through the people’s choice and the exercise of the rights of all members of society. He regards democracy as a form of lawful governance, yet he considers legitimacy and acceptability to be derived from the divine legislator, and he accepts the notion of Islamic democracy. Furthermore, he believes in the existence of velayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) within society. The present research is conducted using Quentin Skinner’s intentional hermeneutic method. The method of data collection in this study is documentary and library-based.