Jurnal Asy-Syukriyyah
Vol. 27 No. 1 (2026): Jurnal Asy-Syukriyyah

POLITICAL PRAGMATISM IN THE CONTEXT OF ISLAMIC LAW: THE RELEVANCE OF IBN TAYMIYYAH'S THOT TO MERITOCRACY AND THE INTEGRITY OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS

Ali Rif'an (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)
Asila Maysa Fatihah (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)
Agus Nilmada Azmi (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Jun 2026

Abstract

Islamic political discourse frequently ignores the practical aspects of governance itself in favor of normative discussions about the ideal structure of the state. Taqiyuddin Ahmad ibn Taimiyah’s ideas provide a radical yet practical viewpoint amid the contemporary crisis of leadership and public official morality. The purpose of this article is to reconstruct Ibn Taimiyah’s idea of Siyasah Syar’iyyah, with a focus on the doctrine of the “strong and capable leader” (al-qawiy al-amin) as opposed to the “pious but weak leader.” This study examines Ibn taimiyah’s masterpiece, As-Siyasah as-Syar’iyyah fi Ishlah ar-Ra’i wa ar-Ra’iyyah, using a qualitative method with a historical hermeneutics approach. The finding show that Ibn Taimiyah desacralized the caliphate institution; according to him, a leader’s legitimacy is based on two meritocratic factors: technical skill (quwwah) and moral integrity (amanah), rather than just Quraysh ancestry or the formality of allegiance. This idea, which emphasizes that the state’s objective is the enforcement of legal justice rather than just religious symbolism, is highly relevant as a critique of transactional politics and nepotism in modern democracies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

Asy-Syukriyyah

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

The scope of topics that are most interesting to Asy-Syukriyyah Journal Islamic Studies readers include the following Islamic Education, Islamic Economics, Religious Philoshopy, Islamic Studies, Quranic Science and Interpretation, Sociology of Religion, Tafsir Hadits, Management of Islamic ...