The place of Rationality in the Political Thought of Sheikh Hadi Najmabadi with Emphasis on the Analysis of the Book of Tahrir al-Aqla

Sheikh Hadi Najmabadi is one of the prominent Iranian thinkers of the Constitutional Era who, through the integration of reason, religion, and tradition, presents a novel depiction of religious rationality. This study, using a qualitative approach and Quentin Skinner’s historical-interpretive discourse analysis method, seeks a conceptual rereading of Najmabadi’s rationalist thoughts in his book Tahrir al-‘Uqala (The Treatise of the Wise). Research data were collected through a complete textual analysis of the book using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was carried out across four conceptual layers: historical concepts, intentional concepts, oppositional concepts, and textually constructed concepts. These layers ultimately led to the construction of a conceptual model of rationality.The findings reveal that, in Najmabadi’s thought, the essence of rationality is none other than tawhid (monotheism). Rationality is rooted in tradition, historical context, authorial intention, and the reformist needs of society. Within this framework, rationality is characterized by four features: it is historical, interpretive, political, and critical. Accordingly, a “critical religious rationality discourse” emerges—one in which legitimate criticism of government becomes possible, religion transforms into a source of justice and freedom, and rationality is viewed as a tool for both religious and political reform. This study is an effort to bridge the rational heritage of Islamic thought with discourse-generating horizons in contemporary politics.