Mawardi and Ghazali's understanding of imamate

ABSTRACT Politics, which can be defined as the art of governing people, is a phenomenon central to human and social life. Politics has occupied a significant place in Islamic society since its earliest periods, and it has been a subject through which Muslim scholars, both in theology and jurisprudence, have expressed their opinions on the subject of the head of state (imāmate/caliphate). Mawardi and Ghazali are two important thinkers of the Islamic world, and they are names that influenced the period in which they lived and the subsequent periods with their works and ideas about politics in general and the imamate in particular. Mawardi, a prominent Shafi'i jurist who lived in the first half of the 11th century, addressed "Political Theory and State Administration," a topic previously considered partly a matter of theology. He addressed this issue independently and systematically for the first time in Islamic history in his famous work, "Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya." Mawardi, who evaluated politics, one of the most fundamental problems of past and present society, taking into account his experiences in government positions, has also influenced the institutionalization of modern states, particularly in the area of public law. Without ignoring the political problems of his time, Ghazali was interested in the current state of politics. He also engaged in intellectual and scientific struggles against movements like Batinism, which were detrimental to Islamic society and engaged in divisive activities. He was a defender of Sunni thought in matters of religion, politics, and creed, while also striving to achieve Muslim unity. This study examines the views, lives, scholarly personalities, and works of two influential figures in the Sunni tradition: Mawardi and Ghazali. It also discusses the scholarly traditions that informed and influenced their thought and ideas, and focuses on the views of prominent sects on the imamate/caliphate. Keywords: Mawardi, Ghazali, imamate, caliphate, head of state, politics