Analysis of Innate Human Nature (Fiṭrah) and Its Individual-Social Consequences in the Thought of Ḥakīm Shāhābādī

Document Type : Biannual Journal

Author

PhD in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Imam Sadiq University, Women's Campus, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/cw.2026.54979.2187
Abstract
The recognition of authentic human identity and the delineation of the path toward attaining an ideal society have long been fundamental concerns of Islamic thinkers. Among these, the intellectual system of Ḥakīm Muḥammad ʿAlī Shāhābādī offers a novel framework for addressing this issue, owing to its integrative approach and its simultaneous employment of philosophical demonstration, mystical wayfaring, and revelatory teachings. This article, employing an analytical-descriptive method, seeks to examine, on the basis of his innate anthropological theory (fiṭrah-based anthropology), the implications of this perspective in both the individual and social spheres. The findings of the research indicate that Shāhābādī defines "fiṭrah" as the self-conscious and loving essence of the human being, which constitutes the core of all perfection-seeking inclinations. In the individual dimension, the flourishing of fiṭrah leads to "existential self-awareness," "infinite perfectionism," and "the revival of conscious servitude," liberating the human being from the veils of nature and self-conceit. In the social dimension, the collective manifestation of this fiṭrah gives rise to a society based on the "Throne of Brotherhood" (ʿArsh-e Ukhuwwat), the pillars of which are: intimacy (uns), perfection (kamāl), dignity (ʿizzat), and mutual assistance (ʿawn). This society serves as the groundwork for the realization of a Qur'anic, justice-oriented civilization grounded in Wilāyah (divine guardianship). The conclusion is that Shāhābādī's thought, by explicating the indissoluble link between the "individual journey" and the "social journey," presents an effective model for the recovery of the lost identity of contemporary Islamic society. Its most significant achievement is the depiction of a believing community in which the divine fiṭrah of the human being serves as the axis of all developments and structures.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 November 2026