The political struggle of Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr against the despotic regime (1968-1980) in Iraq

Abstract

The significance of this research lies in highlighting the concept of "political jihad" as understood by the Islamic thinker and religious authority Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (1935-1980) in his confrontation with the Ba'athist regime in Iraq during the period from its seizure of power in 1968 until al-Sadr's execution in 1980. The research aims to deconstruct al-Sadr's concept of "political jihad," which transcends the traditional notion of armed struggle to encompass integrated intellectual, organizational, social, and political dimensions. Research Methodology،The research methodology adopted the historical-analytical approach, through an examination of al-Sadr's writings, pronouncements, and positions, analyzing them within their historical and political context. The descriptive, analytical, and historical approach was also employed in this research, as it relies on a precise and detailed description of the political struggle of the religious authority, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. The research concluded that al-Sadr's political struggle was based on three main axes: First, intellectual struggle, which was embodied in building a comprehensive Islamic epistemological system (our philosophy, our economics, the logical foundations of induction) capable of confronting prevailing secular ideologies such as communism and capitalism, and presenting Islam as a comprehensive civilizational alternative. Second, organizational struggle, which was manifested in his foundational and theoretical role in the Islamic Dawa Party and the "Group of Scholars," with the aim of creating conscious cadres and an organized popular base capable of bringing about change. Third, The activist jihad, which manifested itself in direct confrontation with the regime through the issuance of political fatwas such as the prohibition of membership in the Ba'ath Party, support for popular movements like the Safar Uprising of 1977, and unequivocal support for the Islamic Revolution in Iran—all of which the regime considered an existential threat—concludes that al-Sadr's project was a bold attempt to revitalize the role of religious authority as an active force in the public sphere. His martyrdom did not mark the end of his project; rather, it transformed him into a symbol of the Islamic revival in Iraq and inspired subsequent reform movements.