The Problem of Political Legitimacy in Contemporary Islamic Thought and its Applications in Iraq after 2003

Abstract

The issue of political legitimacy is one of the most important, if not the most important, issues that has preoccupied contemporary Islamic thought. It revolves around the question of where political authority derives its legitimacy: from religious, popular, or political sources? Historically, Islamic thought based its legitimacy on the concepts of consultation (shura), allegiance (bay'ah), and the caliphate, viewing the ruler as a representative of the nation and the Prophet in implementing Islamic law. Contemporary Islamic legitimacy attempts to reconcile Islam and democracy, considering political legitimacy to be based on the will of the nation through elections, but within the framework of Islamic values. After 2003, Iraq entered a phase of rebuilding its political system with multiple sources of legitimacy, including religious (religious authority) and electoral (constitution and parliament). This has created a dilemma regarding the relationship between religion and the requirements of the modern state, as attempts are made to reconcile religious and democratic legitimacy. The research hypothesis stems from the fact that the problem of political legitimacy in Islamic thought is due to the existence of a discrepancy between the requirements of the modern (civil) state and religious authorities, which has resulted in a multiplicity of sources of legitimacy with difficulty in achieving a consensus between them. In this context, Iraq after 2003 is an important model for studying the problem of political legitimacy, as it witnessed transformations in the political structure following the fall of the former regime and the emergence of a pluralistic democratic system based on free elections and the constitution. However, this transformation was accompanied by profound challenges represented by the multiplicity of sources of legitimacy between religious, constitutional and international. Accordingly, the research seeks to shed light on the problem of political legitimacy, especially in the Iraqi case after 2003.