Religion-Politics Relationships and the Caliphate’s Position in Islamic Political Thought: A Proposed Conceptual Framework

The nature of the imamate/caliphate, one of the central concepts in Islamic political thought, is a contentious issue, as different definitions have been proposed based on different political and ideological positions. Similarly, the trajectory of the relationship between religion and politics in the Islamic tradition—both how it has evolved and how it should evolve—has been a subject of debate throughout history and in contemporary academic discourse. These issues are plagued not only by intellectual disagreements but also by conceptual confusion. This article aims to contribute to resolving this confusion by proposing an explanatory conceptual framework, based on classical and modern perspectives, that addresses both the meaning of the caliphate and its position within mainstream Islamic political thought, as well as the relationships between religion and politics. Grounded in the tripartite distinction of “shar'ī (revealed)-religious-worldly,” this framework will argue that the imamate/caliphate is neither a “metaphysical-spiritual” nor a purely “political-secular” institution, but rather an authority of a “religious-political” nature.

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