Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran
2
M.A in the History of Islamic.
Abstract
In the context of Islamic civilization building and advancing the goals of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic, it is essential to define the duties and responsibilities of various segments of society to achieve the objectives of the Islamic Revolution and civilization building. Clerics play a constructive role in this transition, and thus the main goal of this research is to find a model to explain the role of clerics in Islamic civilization building. Fourteen capable professors, researchers, and seminary scholars were purposefully selected as samples, and data were collected through in-depth interviews. The final results were presented in the form of a model based on grounded theory. The final model showed that clerics, due to their scientific position as scholars of Islam, have a valuable role in achieving Islamic civilization building. By implementing strategies such as increasing insight, structuring, demanding, program development, discourse creation, and strategic supervision and control as a set of actions and reactions, it is possible to achieve outcomes such as spreading Islamic culture, helping to achieve the goals of the revolution, increasing interaction with the world, cooperation and synergy of revolutionary institutions, increasing the unity of the Islamic Ummah, cultural independence, and ultimately achieving the goals related to the Islamic-Iranian lifestyle in the direction of modern Islamic civilization building.The necessity of interacting with various segments, gaining government support, creating and spreading a culture receptive to changes, and most importantly, spreading the spirit of demanding among the people as the main owners and builders of Islamic civilization with a new approach, play a very fundamental role in the success of clerics and their role in modern Islamic civilization building.
Purpose: The present research aims to explain the duties of clerics in achieving the new Islamic civilization. This study focuses on the reasons and necessities for the clerics' role in Islamic civilization building, the enabling factors, obstacles, strategies, and ultimately the expected outcomes of this role.
Methodology: This research selected the construction of a grounded theory model to define the role of clerics in new Islamic civilization building as its objective. It aims to explain the causal conditions, enabling factors, intervening conditions, and strategies for achieving the goals associated with their role in new Islamic civilization building. The paradigmatic model of the research illustrates the flow of processes and activities within the context of the study and is presented as one of the main elements of the grounded theory method. This model consists of five parts: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and outcomes. The process of this research strategy includes three stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. In the open coding stage, the analyst identifies categories and their properties, and subsequently attempts to determine how categories change along specified dimensions. In the axial coding stage, categories are systematically developed and linked with subcategories. In the third stage, selective coding and the presentation of the research paradigmatic model occur.
Findings: The role of clergy in modern Islamic civilization-building is articulated through initial coding to identify and explain categories, which encompass four main categories: creating the grounds for role fulfillment, study and research, identifying and elucidating responsibilities, and continuous monitoring and supervision. The causal conditions that provide the main reasons for achieving the model's goals include four categories: primary duties of religious scholars, the necessity of clerical interaction with various social groups, adherence to the directives of leadership and religious mandates in fulfilling responsibilities, and the necessity of utilizing the capabilities of clerics in disseminating Islamic culture.
The category of outcomes includes results that will be achieved through implementing the proposed strategies. In this research, the outcomes involve: dissemination of Islamic culture, contributing to the realization of revolutionary goals, increasing engagement with the world, collaboration and synergy among revolutionary institutions, enhancing the unity of the Islamic community, cultural independence, and finally, achieving objectives related to the Islamic-Iranian lifestyle. The intervening conditions for religious scholars include the relationship between religious seminaries and universities, the performance of relevant state officials, civil and cultural institutions, and the roles of men and observers. Clerics, as intervening conditions in the field of scientific and educational institutions, engage with academic and research centers, aiming for transformation in educational structures and the expansion of technology. Regarding the performance of managers and cultural institutions, the main approach of clerics is to interact in order to enhance the objectives of the system and increase knowledge and self-awareness among the populace.
In the strategic categories, clergy pay attention to essential principles of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic values such as raising awareness, establishing structures, advocating for demands, formulating plans, fostering discourse, and strategic oversight and control, which they consider fundamentally important. To implement their basic strategies, clergy require environments, conditions, and approaches such as governmental support and their own commitment to realizing a new Islamic civilization through attention to cultural infrastructures. Furthermore, the attitude of officials towards the necessity of civilization-building and their positive perspective on disseminating Islamic culture and supporting the directives of leadership is crucial. Ultimately, the culture of society regarding the necessity and importance of promoting Islamic civilization and attention to its foundations is fundamentally aimed at fostering a collective and national resolve to enhance the system.
Conclusion: An appropriate model for the role of clergy in Islamic civilization-building is one that, considering the inherent and necessary reasons for the presence of clergy in achieving the goals of the Islamic system, identifies facilitators and obstacles. Utilizing strategies such as raising awareness, establishing structures, advocating for demands, formulating programs, fostering discourse, and strategic oversight and control, this model can facilitate a series of actions and reactions that lead to outcomes such as: dissemination of Islamic culture, contributing to the realization of revolutionary goals, increasing engagement with the world, collaboration and synergy among revolutionary institutions, enhancing the unity of the Islamic community, cultural independence, and ultimately achieving objectives related to the Islamic-Iranian lifestyle.
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