Book Talk: A Philosophical Treatise on Muslim Politics: Wisdom and Governance by Ayatollah Professor Mehdi Hairi Yazdi
Dr. Daryoush Mohammad Poor/ The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London
This is a translation of Mehdi Hairi Yazdi’s حکمت و حکومت (Ḥikmat wa Ḥukūmat) which provides a philosophical critique of the theory of the guardianship of the jurist.
This theory is currently the governance theory in Iran and Mehdi Hairi Yazdi’s treatise provides a critique based on both philosophical and traditional arguments. It asks numerous questions, such as: ‘Is the governance of jurists philosophically coherent, rational and efficient?’ and ‘How can Muslim communities have their own forms of governance in such a manner that their faith commitments are met while living in their own time without clashing with universal values of governance?’ and debunks the key foundation of the guardianship of the jurist.
The present translation makes accessible, for the first time, the text of this critique in English, and provides a competing narrative based on his theory of joint public ownership in political theory.
This book:
· Presents the first complete publication of Ḥikmat wa ḥukūmat in English
· Debunks the core foundation of the guardianship of the jurist
· Offers a competing narrative based on Hair Yazdi's theory of joint public ownership in political theory
This is a translation of Mehdi Hairi Yazdi’s Ḥikmat wa Ḥukūmat, providing a philosophical critique of the guardianship of the jurist.
About the translator:
Dr. Daryoush Mohammad Poor is an Associate Professor in the Department of Academic Research and Publications and the Interim Head of the Constituency Studies Unit at the Institute of Ismaili Studies. His first monograph, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (2014), engages theoretically with contemporary institutions of the Ismaili imamate. His most recent IIS book, Command and Creation: A Shi‘i Cosmological Treatise, is a Persian edition and English translation of Muhammad al-Shahrastani’s Majlis-i maktūb (2021). He has authored several chapters and articles in Ismaili studies and political philosophy. His latest work, A Philosophical Treatise on Muslim Politics: Wisdom and Governance (2022), is an English translation of Mehdi Hairi Yazdi’s Ḥikmat wa ḥukūmat. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and Editor of the Ismaili Heritage Series.
Dr. Mohammad Poor's academic background is in mathematics, and he completed his postgraduate studies in the UK in International Relations and Contemporary Political Theory, followed by a PhD in Political and Social Studies focusing on authority and leadership. Over the past two decades, he has served in various roles within community institutions and has taught extensively for IIS graduate students and other educational programs offered by the IIS. His areas of specialization include intellectual history, Ismaili studies, and Ismaili philosophy. His publications span multiple disciplines, including Ismaili studies, contemporary political theory, the politics of the Muslim world, Persian literature, poetry, and mysticism. He is currently working on a new English translation of Muhammad al-Shahrastani’s al-Milal wa al-nihal, alongside a Persian edition of the oldest known translation of al-Shahrastani’s work rendered by Nizari Ismailis during the Alamut era. He also regularly contributes to Persian media, including BBC Persian, on current political affairs in Iran.
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