Islam and the Contemporary World

Islam and the Contemporary World

The Role of Sovereignty (Ḥākimiyya) in Islamic (Qutbian) Thought: A Comparison with Christian (Hobbesian) Tradition

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author
Nuzhat Khurshid
Ph.D. Graduate in Political Science, Department of Politics, York University, Toronto, Canada
10.22034/icwj.2024.448660.1017
Abstract
This essay will examine the theological basis of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and whether or not such a politico-religious framework is amenable to a conceptualization of an Islamic state. To proceed with this comparison, I will discuss points of similarities and differences between Hobbes’ Christian Commonwealth and the articulation of Islamic government in the writings of Sayyid Qutb, especially through an analysis of their use of the concept of Sovereignty (or Ḥākimiyya), or the Sovereign. Sayyid Qutb was an Islamic theorist and author who lived in the 20th century and presented a modern perspective on the social and political role of Islam. Thomas Hobbes lived during the English Civil Wars in the 17th century and was inspired by the idea of a Christian Commonwealth that could yield the power to unify all Christians and prevent more violence. Both Hobbes and Qutb provide comprehensive frameworks for what a Christian or Islamic polity could look like, and can thus be put in conversation with each other.
Keywords
Thomas Hobbes
Sayyid Qutb
sovereignty
political theory
religious state
Subjects
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