Political Mysticism in the Thought of Najm al-Dīn Rāzī and Mīr Sayyid ʿAlī Hamadānī: A Comparative Study on the Aims and the Ideal Form of Government”

Political mysticism, as a branch of Islamic thought, seeks to link spiritual experience with the organization of collective life. Najm al-Dīn Rāzī and Mīr Sayyid ʿAlī Hamadānī, two influential mystics of the medieval Islamic world, explored in their writings the relationship between mystical ethics and the governance of society. Adopting a comparative approach, this article examines their epistemological foundations, the aims of government, and the characteristics of an ideal polity.

The findings reveal that Rāzī, writing amid the turmoil of the Mongol era, emphasized above all the inner purification of rulers, social justice, and the spiritual safeguarding of the community, viewing politics as a form of “mystical admonition.” Hamadānī, working in the relatively stable context of Kashmir and Central Asia, integrated Sufism with social and economic mechanisms and, in Dhakhīrat al-Mulūk, presented a relatively institutionalized vision of the ideal state. Both thinkers regard government as a means to achieve justice, prosperity, security, and spiritual growth, and they stress qualities such as piety, asceticism, courage, and service to the people as essential for rulers.

The comparative analysis further shows that political mysticism, without institutional support, is vulnerable to passivity or misuse by those in power. Yet when combined with economic and cultural planning and ethical oversight, it can contribute to the emergence of a balanced model of “just and spiritual governance.”

Keywords: political mysticism; Najm al-Dīn Rāzī; Mīr Sayyid ʿAlī Hamadānī ideal government; social justice; moral education