The Non-Political Civilization According to Hamid Rabi in Light of the Islamic Concept of the State: the Model of the Rightly Guided Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate الحضارة اللاسياسية عند حامد ربيع في ضوء التصور الإسلامي للدولة: نموذج الخلافة الراشدة والخلافة الأموية

Abstract

The late Egyptian thinker Hamed Rabie categorized Islamic civilization—particularly from the era of the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Abbasid period—within the framework of “non-political civilizations,” distinguishing it from both political and non-political civilizations. Political civilizations, as defined by Rabie, involve a relationship between the ruler and the ruled centered around the rights and accountability of authority. These civilizations ensure political participation for all citizens, where rulers are subjected to oversight and accountability by the people. Non-political civilizations, on the other hand, are characterized by an absolute administrative nature. Here, citizens maintain an attitude of indifference and non-participation toward authority, as these civilizations lack the concept of political dynamics between the ruler and the ruled. Non-political model of civilization, as Rabie uniquely framed, does not reject political participation. Instead, it demands and elevates it to a duty surpassing mere moral commitment. Authority in this model is more complex, transcending daily governance. It intertwines spiritual dimensions with civic life, making the ruler not just a symbol of order but also a vicegerent of God on Earth. This ruler, bound by the same contractual obligations as ordinary citizens, upholds religious and moral values. Meanwhile, citizens are obligated to participate and oversee authority, driven by religious motivations.