Imam al-Riḍā (PBUH) and Cultural Justice

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Justice Studies, Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Social justice in the modern state is among those concepts whose essence and implementation are difficult to trace historically, particularly in Islamic history and the conduct (sīra) of the Infallibles. Understanding concepts such as the state, democracy, and social justice from religious foundations is itself a formidable task. The challenge becomes even greater when this complex notion of social justice is further subdivided into more specific domains, such as cultural justice, and examined through the lens of the conduct. This study aims to analyze Imam al-Riḍā’s activism in promoting cultural justice through a descriptive-analytical method. His engagement appears to be explicable across three main areas. First, the debate between agency and structure within justice studies can be specifically traced in Imam al-Riḍā’s conduct. Notably, he not only advanced justice through individual actions but also created structural opportunities, having directly entered existing structures. Second, cultural diversity—recognized as a pillar of cultural justice—is evident in his practice. Third, in the tension between teleology and deontology within cultural justice, teleology holds a distinguished position in Imam al-Riḍā’s conduct. This article elucidates these three dimensions.

Keywords

References

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