The Pragmatic, Realistic Vision in Al-Jabri's Political Thought

Abstract

This study examines Mohammed Abed al-Jabri's political perspective on Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, particularly his view of Muawiyah's political experience and his assessment of him as having successfully transitioned the Islamic state from a caliphate model to a political monarchy, even going so far as to consider him the third founder of the Islamic state after the Prophet. Abu Bakr, as the research stops at Al-Jabiri’s reading of the political approach that Muawiyah followed, and what he attributes to him of skill in employing political means to achieve goals, which in some aspects is close to the Machiavellian perspective in the practice of politics. In contrast, the research seeks to reread this vision in light of a number of historical narratives contained in the Islamic cultural heritage, which reveal other aspects of Muawiyah’s policy and practices in managing power, especially those related to consolidating and monopolizing power and using means that raise problems related to the principles of justice and political freedom. Hence, the research turns to questioning the extent to which Al-Jabiri’s reading of Muawiyah’s experience is consistent with the intellectual foundations from which he started in his conception of political practice, especially those related to liberal values ​​and limiting political tyranny. This section examines Muhammad Abed al-Jabri's political perspective on Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, particularly his assessment of Muawiya's political experience and his characterization of it as a successful transition from the Islamic state based on the model of the caliphate to a political monarchical state. Al-Jabri went so far as to regard Muawiya as the third founder of the Islamic state, following the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and Abu Bakr. The section also addresses al-Jabri's interpretation of the political methodology adopted by Muawiya and his attribution to him of considerable skill in employing political means to achieve political ends, an approach that, in certain respects, approximates the Machiavellian conception of political practice. In contrast, this study seeks to re-examine al-Jabri's perspective in light of a number of historical accounts preserved within the Islamic cultural heritage, which reveal other dimensions of Muawiya's policies and in the exercise of power, particularly related to consolidating authority, monopolizing political power, and employing means that raise questions concerning the principles of justice and political freedom. Accordingly, the section proceeds to critically examine the extent to which al-Jabri's interpretation of Muawiya's experience is consistent with the intellectual foundations upon which he based his conception of political practice, particularly those associated with liberal values ​​and the limitation of political authoritarianism.