Post-Wilāyat al-Faqīh: The civil state (Dawla Madaniyya) in contemporary Arab Shiʿi intellectual discourse

This article examines how contemporary Arab Shiʿi intellectuals engage with the concept of the “civil state” (dawla madaniyya), a model of governance that seeks to balance religious values with civic principles. While research has largely focused on Sunni contexts, this study foregrounds how Shiʿi thinkers, drawing on Sunni precedents and distinctive Shiʿi traditions, grasp and deploy the concept in response to political and doctrinal tensions. Through thematic analysis of writings from Iraq, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, the article traces the civil state’s emergence as a counter-model to wilāyat al-faqīh, a critique of sectarianism, and a framework for post-theocratic reform. It further explores intra-Shiʿi contestations, revealing efforts to redefine the Shiʿi approach to governance, community, and the public role of religion. The findings underscore the contribution of Shiʿi political thought to broader debates about religion and pluralism in the Arab world and highlight growing processes of mutual influence and cross-sectarian intellectual fertilization between Sunni and Shiʿi reform discourses.