Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

Governmental Jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Hukūmah) and Its Foundations in Al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya and Risālat al-Ḥuqūq by Imam al-Sajjad (AS)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ali Qobadian 1
Fahmieh Mostahsen 2
1 Ph.D. in Criminal Law and Criminology, Associate Professor at Al-Mustafa International University, Head of Jurisprudential Studies Department at the Judiciary Research Institute
2 Researcher at the Judiciary Research Institute, Level 4 Student in Family Jurisprudence, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) Seminary, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jis.2025.243125
Abstract
Governmental jurisprudence is a governance-oriented approach to jurisprudential issues. Based on the principle of “the inseparability of religion from politics,” it clarifies the duties of a jurist (faqīh) toward individuals and society, and even defines foreign relations within the framework of a religious government, and outlines the relationship between rulers and the people. The methodology for engaging with governmental jurisprudence is rooted in Qur’anic verses and encompasses all aspects of human life—individual and social. As stated in Surah Āl-ʿImrān (Q 3:7. “And none knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge”, its exposition lies with “those firmly grounded in knowledge” (al-rasikhūn fi’l-ʿilm). Among the prominent figures in this field is Imam al-Sajjād (AS. who, during the oppressive Umayyad era, utilized the medium of supplication (duʿa) to outline a system of individual and social life based on Qur'anic objectives and the true felicity of humanity. Within these supplications, he explicitly affirmed the absolute sovereignty of Allah and the principle of Wilāyat al-Faqīh (sovereignty [or guardianship] of the jurist. which is itself derived from Qur'anic foundations. Addressing the various dimensions of governmental jurisprudence is crucial because the establishment of a religious government is an inevitable necessity, as clearly inferred from the teachings of the Infallibles (AS). This research employs a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library-based studies, to extract the foundations of governmental jurisprudence from the supplications of Imam al-Sajjād (AS) in Al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya and the rights he articulated in Risālat al-Ḥuqūq. The findings indicate that due to the alignment of numerous passages from these two sources with the principles of governmental jurisprudence, multiple foundational elements of this field can be derived from the perspective of Imam al-Sajjād (AS).
Keywords
governmental jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Hukūmah. foundations
Imam al-Sajjad (AS. Al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya
Risālat al-Ḥuqūq
The Holy Qur’an
Nahj al-Balāgha
Al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya
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Journal of Imamiyyah Studies
Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21
September 2025
Pages 279-312