The Arab Gulf

The human species is inherently social; every individual is naturally disposed toward social life. Therefore, societies have existed since the dawn of humankind on this earth. Definitions of the concept of “society” vary, yet they generally converge on the idea of a group of individuals living within a specific geographical area, bound together by certain ties. Islam has paid great attention to organizing the affairs of society based on sound natural principles, endowing it with characteristics and features that stem from the creed and are founded upon solid moral values.

This research examines the evolution of political relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey following the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an event that caused severe tension due to divergent positions on regional and security issues. At the beginning of 2021, signs of renewed rapprochement emerged, driven by mutual strategic and economic needs, leading to the normalization of relations through high-level visits and the signing of cooperation agreements.
The study sheds light on the trajectory from escalation to partnership, based on an analysis of political and regional contexts. It concludes with the necessity of consolidating bilateral dialogue to enhance regional stability and mutual interests.

The establishment of the Dar al-Fonun School in 1851 marked a significant event and a major turning point in Iran’s educational system, culture, and political awareness. As the first modern educational institution—and essentially the first university in Iran—the school successfully prepared an informed and cultured elite who later managed the country’s affairs and institutions according to the modern methods practiced in European countries. These individuals became influential figures in Iranian society, adopting progressive political ideas opposed to Qajar despotism. They played a major role in raising awareness among various segments of Iranian society, being more cognizant of the nation’s political and social conditions than other classes due to their exposure to the political systems, reforms, and laws of European states. They had also studied works on the history of the French Revolution and other writings imbued with progressive, liberating ideas.

Amid the challenges faced by the Safavid state in the 18th century, certain figures emerged who sought to preserve the cohesion of its vast empire. Among the most prominent was Fath Ali Khan Daghestani, who exemplified leaders originating from non-Turkic peripheries contributing to decision-making. During his tenure, he encountered grave challenges, alongside efforts to reform the Safavid administrative system, which was plagued by declining efficiency and widespread corruption. However, his conflicts with the Safavid court entourage rendered his period in office short-lived and fraught with turmoil.

Civilization, in its broad sense, encompasses the political, social, economic, and urban systems of an urbanized society, in terms of its life aspects, development, and prosperity.
In ancient Yemen, the tribe represented a social unit with significant influence on the social structure in all its dimensions. The roots of tribal organization trace back to the days of the Sabaean Kingdom, which held substantial power in Yemen. Distinct tribal divisions emerged, the most notable being the Makaribah class, considered the highest stratum of Yemeni society at the time. Subsequently, other tribal unions and confederations appeared, referred to as “kingdoms” in Musnad inscriptions, including the Kingdoms of Saba, Qataban, Ma‘in, and Hadramawt.
This study, despite the scarcity of available information on the history and evolution of the Sam‘i tribe, aims to shed light on its role and civilizational contributions in ancient Yemeni history, as it was one of the important Arab tribes inhabiting the southwestern Arabian Peninsula and belonging to the group of South Arabian tribes.
Its civilizational contributions manifested in various fields. In agriculture, it innovated advanced irrigation techniques, leading to improved agricultural output. In trade, it played a pivotal role as an intermediary in exporting incense and spices between ancient Yemen and neighboring countries. In architecture, it established distinctive structures, including palaces and temples. These contributions illustrate how the Sam‘i tribe was an integral part of ancient Yemeni civilization.

The holy shrines are among the most significant religious and cultural landmarks for Muslims in general and for Shi‘ites in particular, especially in Iraq. This study examines the Al-Kadhimayn Shrine through the lens of Dwight Donaldson’s book The Shi‘ite Religion. The importance of this research lies in its focus on the history of this sacred site, which houses the graves of Imam Musa ibn Ja‘far al-Kadhim and his grandson Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad (peace be upon them), as recorded by Donaldson.
The study concentrates on several key aspects: defining the term “holy shrines” linguistically and technically; providing a brief biographical note on the orientalist Donaldson and an overview of his book; examining the legitimacy of visiting sacred sites; and, finally, addressing the major challenges faced by the Al-Kadhimayn Shrine throughout history.

Iran and France share a long history of relations across various fields, particularly in modern history, notably during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who stood at the apex of Iranian authority. His era was characterized by generally positive relations with the West, owing to his pursuit of reforms in the country modeled after Western systems. France played a role in that process, particularly in its technical and economic dimensions.
For Iran, its enduring importance stemmed from its geostrategic location at the crossroads of three worlds—the Slavic, the Turkic, and the Arab—as well as from its natural resources, which have long been coveted by Western states. Between 1969 and 1979, Iran emerged as a regional power, while France was a medium-ranked global power. Consequently, relations between the two countries developed gradually during this period. An agreement was reached to exchange Iranian oil for French nuclear technology and agricultural food products, prompting France to compete with its European, American, and Japanese partners to benefit from Iran’s burgeoning consumer market.

This study examines the Fadak Sermon of Lady al-Zahra (peace be upon her) through a reading of its doctrinal themes. The sermon encompassed multifaceted dimensions across political, social, doctrinal, and devotional aspects of life. It represented a comprehensive revolution reflecting the ideas that occupied the mind of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) and the profound memories she carried from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These memories inspired her to raise her voice and declare her readiness to confront, aiming to correct the course and prevent the realization of anticipated grave consequences.
The ultimate goal of her movement, in all its dimensions, was to alert the Muslim nation—its leaders, individuals, and masses—to the dire dangers awaiting them should they persist in that direction. Her outcry was for the preservation of the Islamic experience, ensuring its authenticity and purity.

The political activism of the Umayyads had a negative impact on the Islamic provinces, foremost among them Basrah, which became a fertile arena for political contention, marked by the diversity of Islamic factions ranging from supporters and advocates of Umayyad policies to those resentful of their corruption, injustice, and intimidation. The latter group endured the full force of the Umayyads’ hostility and oppression for their loyalty to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), prompting them to organize themselves and unite ranks in confronting this Umayyad recklessness and disregard.
The Shi‘a of Basrah, in their resistance and rejection of Umayyad rule, drew upon their well-known history of hostility toward Imam Ali (peace be upon him)—a hostility inherited from the enmity and battles waged against him. This animosity persisted toward his sons, the two Imams Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them), and manifested in the intrigues and conspiracies they did not hesitate to orchestrate. Their motives were fueled by the grudges from the Battle of Badr, in which the sword of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib, brought humiliation upon them, cutting down their elders with Dhu al-Fiqar and sending them to their fate in the fire.

The fāṣilah (verse-ending) in the system and discourse of the Qur’anic text constitutes a fundamental dimension firmly rooted in the divine design of Almighty Allah, mirroring the depth of the innate Arabic sensibility of the time, penetrating the recesses of the human soul, activating the signals of the intellect, probing the depths of thought, striking the melodic chime of the spirit, and captivating minds with the sweetest of rhythms.
From this premise, the present study focuses on examining the aesthetic elements—without delving into rhetorical analysis and its related fields—that shape the fāṣilah in Sūrat al-Takwīr, considering the architectural design of its structure, the arrangement of its sequence, and the harmony of its selection with the meanings of the sūrah, the meaning of each individual verse, and the meaning of each group of verses sharing a unified fāṣilah. This unique alignment justifies its exclusive selection for this study, as the sūrah is distinguished by the divine precision in depicting major events and monumental transformations occurring on the Day of Resurrection—its proceedings, outcomes, and consequences—which bring about a complete and radical change in two grand spheres of creation perfected by Almighty Allah: the sphere of the cosmos with all its non-sentient entities, and the sphere of humankind with all its intellectual faculties.
The transformations encompass the alteration and replacement of both the cosmic and human orders, manifesting the absolute power and will of Allah over all things, and the role of His Noble Messenger, embodying the truth that shatters falsehood and annihilates Satan. These thematic considerations, ordered in the sequence of the fawāṣil of the verses in Sūrat al-Takwīr, are distributed into three sections that determine the sūrah’s structural composition. The fāṣilah aligns partially with words and sentences, and fully with clauses and the broader context.
The study undertakes a critical aesthetic analysis, aiming to identify the secrets behind the formation of the architectural elements of the fāṣilah and the value of its aesthetic structure.