In his book “Traditional Islam in the Modern World,” Nasr explained the Shi’ah and Sunni thoughts about politics and government after the prophetic era and underlined that Shi’ahs believe in the government and authority of just 12 Imams and in their absence they regard that there to be no legitimacy for other rulers. He said that Sunnis accept traditional Caliphs and, in their absence,they recognize a kingly government or king theory.
He also said: The Traditionalist view in the political field always insists on realism which is in accordance with Islamic paradigms. This view, in the Sunni world, accepts traditional Caliphs and in their absence recognizes other political systems like kingdom, which has been common for centuries. But this view never intends to ruin the traditional political system of Islam. Traditionalist view in Shi’ah Islam always insists on the final authority of 12 Imams and believes no government could be perfect in their absence.
The Traditionalist view, in both factions, is aware of the danger of human corruptibility that ruins Islam and substitutes modern and Western foundations in its stead.
However, Seyyed Hossein Nasr doesn’t appear to have clearly explained his view about the form of Shi’ah government during Imam Zaman’s absence, and it is not clear what form of Shi’ah government he believes in, as distinct from traditional Caliphs.
The Heart of Islam is among Dr.Nasr’s notable books, which is about the Islamic denominations including Shi’ah Islam.
In this book he wrote about Shi’ahs, their thoughts and opinions. He also wrote about Mahdism and factions supporting it.
He defined Shi’ahs in the following way: The Twelver Shi’ah believe in the dynasty of Imams concluded by Imam Mahdi (as).
They believe that God has bestowed mysteriously long life on the 12th Imam but he is in absence. He is alive like Ilias who is believed, by the Jews, to be alive in the sky.
Since Traditionalists, including Seyyed Hossein Nasr, are interested in mysticism and the esoteric aspect of religions, he says, concerning Mahdism, that the 12th Imam is the hidden master of the world and can appear to those who are spiritually prepared to meet him.
He will appear before the end of days, when oppression and injustice would be widespread, to resurrect justice and peace on earth and prepare the situation for Jesus’ second coming, which is firmly expected by Muslims and Christians. Since in Western conventional literature, Messianism is interpreted as eschatological expectation or as apocalyptic thought, he is of the opinion that this thought doesn’t belong specifically to Shi’ah Islam and is shared among other religions as well.
‘This eschatological expectation is called Messianism and does not specifically belong to Shi’ah Islam. Sunnis believe this as well. But Shi’ahs believe that they know Imam Mahdi and would recognize him, while Sunnis just wait for the appearance of a person with this name.’
Dr. Nasr also compared Muslims’ belief in Mahdism with the messianic Christian belief in resurrection. He said that the Christian Messianists view of a savior is an exclusive issue particular to a special group or party.
Those in this particular group are saved and those who are out of it are damned and accursed while, in Islamic thought, Mahdism and the coming of the reformer at the end of days is not solely for a specific faction or religion, but he will come to guide the whole world.
Dr. Nasr also said: Although resurrection theory is mentioned in Islam, its role is different from what is common among the Christians of today, especially from the commonality among the general media Christian Messianists in America, because they have made controversial interpretations regarding the revelation of St. John, and have likewise made other Christian sources too commercial.
In Nasr’s opinion, Islam doesn’t consider Mahdism a journalistic and missionary issue and, except for some false claimants, who intended to take advantage of the subject, no one considers it a factional method for guiding a special group.
He said, concerning this: In the Islamic world, in spite of the belief in the Mahdi’s (as) second coming, there haven’t been many programs about it in the mass media, especially on TV, and no emphasis has been placed on establishing an exclusive club for the saved members or considering the ones out of this club as accursed and damned.
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Also read this article:Traditionalists and Mahdism
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