Foundations of international relations: an Islamic Sufi approach

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -International relations are involved in an undesirable order at the present time. It is emphatically necessary to propound firm principles to regulate the relationships among states and nations, and new laws and regulations are to be enacted at the international level. The purpose of this paper is to enumerate some of the main guide stones for development of Islamic thoughts in the fields of international humanities. Design/methodology/approach -The authors enumerate the principles of Sufi foundations of international relations in Islam by introducing the theosophical standpoints of Islamic Sufism. Findings -The paper introduces 95 principles in three categories of public international law, foreign policy, and diplomacy. Research limitations/implications -As long as the essence of all religions has a unique root which is their spiritual paths and understandings based on their mystical views. To popularize and internationalize this proposition, comparative researches in other religions' Gnosticism will be essential. Practical implications -Putting several principles forward, on the next phases, they can be used as the basis for many applied debates in the field and may be ended to a new international declaration/law. Social implications -Delicateness, truthfulness, and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, which is the gist of thoughts of humankind's elites who are divine messengers/guardians during millenaries, may turn the attentions of scholars and researchers to this viewpoint, and consequently a new set of thoughts/doctrines for regulating international relations to be defined and codified. Originality/value -International relations scholars have not touched the topic from a Sufi point of view. This paper brings this approach to a new challenging arena for those who are engaged in international relations related subjects of laws, politics, institutions, and organizations.

A declaration for international relations (based on Islamic Sufi teachings)

“…To compose this draft, we extracted a set of principles from the Quran, different exegeses and Islamic Sufism resources. Extended explanations of the principles are available in Bidabad (2011aBidabad ( , 2011bBidabad ( , 2012aBidabad ( , 2012bBidabad ( , 2012cBidabad ( , 2012d2014a, 2014b, 2015Bidabad and Tabatabaei, 2012) and other commentary references cited at the end of this paper.…”

Public international law principles: an Islamic Sufi approach – Part II

“…That is to say, if there be a war among two or more states, other states must fight with the aggressor until it seeks the armistice and then by negotiation, make an equitable peace among them. This principle could have an important role in public international law, to prevent transgression of states towards each other (His Excellency Hājj Dr Tābandeh, 2003; His Excellency Hājj Tābandeh, 1975; His Excellency Hājj Tābandeh, 1986; His Excellency Hājj Beydokhti Gonābādi, 1967; Otfried Höffe, 1995; Rashid, 1974; Arsanjāni, 1963; Ālādpūsh and Tūtūncheeyan, 1993; Dūstkhāh, 1982; Bidābād, 2003, 2005a, b, 2009a, b, c; Bidābād and Harsini, 2003a, b; Churchill and Lowe, 1988b; Seidl‐Hohenveldern, 1999; Shahābi, 1990; Safdari, 1961a; Qā'im Maqām Farāhāni, 1988b; Mohaqiq‐Dāmād, 2000; Muhammad, 1977).…”

Public international law principles: an Islamic Sufi approach – Part I

“…International law has been silent on this subject matter so far. Therefore, to maintain the rights of the persons who are not the native in the place, the case should be open to discussion until governments think it over and make new solutions for their benefit (Rashid, 1974; Ālādpūsh and Ali‐Reza, 1993; Arsanjāni, 1963; Bidābād, 2003a, b, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009a, b, c; Bidābād and Harsini, 2003, 2005; Bidābād and Harsini, 2003; Churchill and Lowe, 1988; Ghaem Magham Farahani, 1988; Jalil, 1982; Mohaqiq‐Dāmād, 2000; His Excellency Hajj Sultān‐Muhammad Beydokhti Gonābādi, 1977a, b, c; His Excellency Noor Ali‐Shah the second, 1967; His Excellency Hajj Dr Nūr‐Ali Tābandeh, 2003; Otfried Höffe, Politische Gerenchtigkeit, 1995; Qā'im Maqām Farāhāni, abd‐ol‐Majid, 1988; Safdari, 1961; Seidl‐Hohenveldern, 1999; Shahābi, 1990; Sultān Hussein Tābandeh, 1986; His Excellency Hajj Sultan Hussein Tabandeh Gonabadi, 1975; His Excellency Hajj Sultān‐Muhammad Beydokhti Gonābādi, 1967/1972).…”

“…Rashid (1974), Ālādpūsh and Ali‐Reza (1993), Arsanjāni (1963), Bidābād (2003a, b, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009a, b, c), Bidābād, Abdol‐Reza (2003, 2005), Bidābād and Harsini (2003), Churchill and Lowe (1988), Ghaem Magham Farahani (1988), Jalil (1982), Mohaqiq‐Dāmād (2000), His Excellency Hajj Sultān‐Muhammad Beydokhti Gonābādi (1977a, b, c), His Excellency Noor Ali‐Shah the second (1967), His Excellency Hajj Dr Nūr‐Ali Tābandeh (2003), Otfried Höffe, Politische Gerenchtigkeit (1995), Qā'im Maqām Farāhāni, abd‐ol‐Majid (1988), Safdari (1961), Seidl‐Hohenveldern (1999), Shahābi (1990), Sultān Hussein Tābandeh (1986), His Excellency Hajj Sultan Hussein Tabandeh Gonabadi (1975), His Excellency Hajj Sultān‐Muhammad Beydokhti Gonābādi (1967/1972).…”

“…The details of reasoning and Qur'anic, exegesis, dialectics and juristic debates of Sufi scholars have been written in a separate book, and in fact, this paper is a summary of its public international law chapter (Bidābād, 2005)[1].…”