The Transformation of the Status of Caliph and Sultan Based on the Views of Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Farhangian University, Tehran Province

10.22103/jic.2024.23391.1323

Abstract

The titles of Caliph and Sultan have had different applications in the Islamic world over the centuries. In the views of Muslim thinkers, including Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, at times one title has gained prominence in the realms of religion and politics, while at other times the other title has taken precedence. In some cases, they have even been used interchangeably.

This article, conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach and a documentary method, first briefly describes the evolution and transformation of the positions of Caliph and Sultan in the Islamic world, until the revival of the Caliphate becomes a desire, at least in the lands of the Eastern Caliphate. Following this, the role and impact of Imam Fakhr al-Razi's (543-606 AH) views are elaborated upon, as he is considered by the author to be one of the most serious theorists of Islamic kingship and monarchy, supported by documents and sources.

In this article, it is demonstrated that Muslim thinkers generally, according to their times and circumstances, have mixed or swapped the positions of Caliph and Sultan based on expediency aimed at preserving the Islamic community from chaos and legitimizing their own patrons, always viewing the Sultan as subordinate to the Caliph. However, Imam Fakhr al-Razi, influenced by Greek philosophers and his unique interpretations of Islamic jurisprudential and theological principles, regarded the positions of Caliph and Sultan as equal and viewed them in parallel. He seriously paved the way for kingship and monarchy without the presence of a Caliph for later thinkers.

Keywords

References

 
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