Revisiting the Political Thought of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Its Relation to Religious Democracy

The purpose of this article is to revisit the political thought of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and examine its relation to the concept of religious democracy. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, one of the most prominent figures of the Ahl al-Hadith, with his emphasis on three elements—legitimacy of the caliphate, political quietism, and the authority of religious scholars—not only exerted considerable influence in transforming political stances into official doctrines of Sunni Islam, but also established a distinctive political theology within the Sunni political system. On the other hand, religious democracy, as a modern political theory, seeks to provide legitimacy and justification for governance through both methodological and value-based interpretations, in contrast to traditional approaches. Accordingly, the central question of this study is: what relationship exists between Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s political thought, as the representative of Sunni traditionalism, and the system of religious democracy? By employing descriptive and analytical methods, this article not only analyzes the political ideas of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and the framework of religious democracy, but also elaborates on the points of convergence between Ahmad’s views and the principles of religious democracy in contemporary political discourse. The findings indicate that a proper rereading of Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s political thought, with close attention to the concepts of jamaʿah (community), legitimacy, the necessity of a ruler, and the obligatory nature of government—which together constitute the geometric foundations of his political theology—creates the conditions for religious democracy to emerge as both a form of government and a method of governance. This highlights the intellectual potential within Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s thought to address the contemporary needs of Muslim societies, including the principles of religious democracy.
The conclusion of this research suggests that analyzing these two intellectual frameworks within the paradigm of tradition and modernity not only enriches Islamic political literature but may also serve as a theoretical model for the development of political thought in modern Islamic states. Such an approach fosters a balance between religious principles and the fundamental needs of contemporary humanity.