Ahmad Qabil, a reason to believe and the New Religious Thinking in Iran

Ridgeon, L. (2020) Ahmad Qabil, a reason to believe and the New Religious Thinking in Iran. Middle Eastern Studies, 56(1), pp. 1-15. (doi: 10.1080/00263206.2019.1643330)

Abstract

hmad Qabil (d. 2012) was a mid-ranking seminarian who achieved considerable fame in Iran due to his foregrounding of reason in his jurisprudential writings, his opposition to both the strict ‘literalist’ version of sharica law propounded by the authorities in the Islamic Republic and the authoritarian regime of Ayatollah Khamenei, and for his 2004 fatwa which permitted women the choice about head covering (hijab). His commitment to reason and justice meant that his political and jurisprudential compositions and activities cannot be divorced from each other; rather, they developed in symbiotic fashion. Largely ignored by Western scholars, this article examines Qabil’s contribution to the so-called ‘New Religious Thinking’ movement in Iran. His writings and activities are significant because the reason-driven approach reflects an attempt to navigate a path based on sources within the Islamic jurisprudential tradition towards ‘universal’ standards that are common in the West, and thereby avoid the accusations of ‘cultural erosion’ through intellectual borrowing from the West.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ridgeon, Dr Lloyd
• Authors: Ridgeon, L.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Journal Name: Middle Eastern Studies
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0026-3206
• ISSN (Online): 1743-7881
• Published Online: 21 August 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in Middle Eastern Studies 56(1):1-15
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy