The Origin of Despotism in the Islamic World from the Perspective of Muhaqqiq Naini

One of the most common causes of the backwardness of Islamic countries compared to other societies is the despotism of some rulers in these countries. Therefore, examining the nature of despotism, its roots, and ways to overcome it has been a serious issue for some Islamic thinkers, such as Muhaqqiq Naini. The aim of this article is to analyze despotism, its roots, and ways to overcome it based on the ideas of Muhaqqiq Naini in his book ‘Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Millah.’ The analysis is structured according to Thomas Spragens' methodology, which proposes four stages for resolving a crisis: "observing the crisis," "understanding its roots," "envisioning a crisis-free situation," and "identifying solutions to the crisis." One of the most important findings of this research is that, from Naini's perspective, factors such as "public ignorance," "misinterpretation of religion," and "division among people" have led to the despotism of some rulers in Islamic countries. The most effective solutions to overcome this crisis are "public awareness," "correct interpretation of religion," and "unity of speech."

Keywords:

despotism , Religious Despotism , Naini , Islamic world , Backwardness of Muslims