Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies

Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies

Exploring Murtaḍā Muṭahharī's Critical Examination of Economic Schools of Thought

Document Type : Scholary

Authors
Roohollah Kohanhoosh Nejad 1
Sayyad Mahdi Pakzat 2
1 Department of West Asian and African Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Energy and Climate Governance, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jcis.2025.382787.1394
Abstract
This study critically examines the economic thought of Ustād Shahīd Murtaḍā Muṭahharī as presented in his recently published work Darāmadī bar Iqtiṣād Taṭbīqī (An Introduction to Comparative Economics). Comprising two volumes of dialogues held between 1978 and 1979 with economists and students at Tehran University, these discussions engage with classical Western economic schools including physiocratic, classical, and heterodox socialist theories. Muṭahharī’s analysis uniquely integrates Islamic philosophical and ethical frameworks, offering a distinctive normative critique that highlights the interplay between religion and economics. This paper explores his nuanced perspectives on ownership, value, and economic justice, contrasting them with dominant capitalist and socialist paradigms. Furthermore, Muṭahharī’s approach bridges empirical economic theories with Islamic normative ethics, enriching the discourse on Islamic economics by emphasizing moral accountability, social justice, and communal responsibility. The study contributes to filling a gap in literature on Muṭahharī’s economic thought, situating his insights within both historical and contemporary economic debates and proposing a moral-economic synthesis relevant to Muslim societies.
Keywords
Murtaḍā Muṭahharī
Economic Schools
Islamic Economics
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Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies
Volume 9, Issue 1
Winter & Spring
January 2027
Pages 15-32