بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِNew book. Mūsā: The Interlocutor of God, by Shaykh Azhar Nasser.Learn more
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Free for 3 daysHistory & the Ahl al-Bayt

Religion and the State

Explore the relationship between religion, authority, and governance in Shia Islam, from classical perspectives on rulers and justice to the role of Shia scholars and Ayatullah Khomeini’s theory of Guardianship of the Jurist.

With Shaykh Azhar Nasser

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About this course

Consider the relationship between religion, authority and governance in Shia Islam. The study begins with the foundations of political authority, establishing the questions that shape its discussion of rulers, justice and religious responsibility.

The next lessons examine justice and the issue of serving unjust governments, then turn to Islamic perspectives on migration and citizenship. These subjects connect the foundations of political authority with questions about participation in government and membership in a wider political community.

What you’ll explore

  • Foundations of political authority in Shia Islam
  • Justice and serving unjust governments
  • Islamic perspectives on migration and citizenship

Curriculum

  1. 01
    Print-Ready Course Notes

    Course Notes: Print Edition (PDF)

  2. 02
    Foundations of Political Authority in Shiʿi Islam

    Notes (PDF)Recommended reading

  3. 03
    Justice, Political Authority, and Serving Unjust Governments

    Notes (PDF)Recommended readingQuiz (lessons 1–2)

  4. 04
    Islamic Perspectives on Migration and Citizenship

    Notes (PDF)Recommended reading

  5. 05
    The Guardianship of the Jurist

    Notes (PDF)Recommended readingQuiz (lessons 3–4)

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