Drivers of Wilāya-based Governance from the Perspective of Imam Ali in Nahj al-Balagha

Leadership and the administration of societal affairs constitute a process that, in recent centuries, governments have pursued in interaction with the people and civil institutions, referring to this process as governance. Various theories of governance have been proposed, most of which are rooted in Western humanistic thought. Among them, the theory of good governance has become the prevailing theme of governance research. Defining the governance system within the Islamic school of thought—and modifying its dimensions and aspects—is a necessity that must be pursued for the administration of Islamic societies, particularly Shiite society. This article provides an account of the progressive model of governance in the Shiite school—termed Wilāya-based governance. A key aspect of the topic of governance is drivers. Drivers are stimulating and accelerating factors in governance, which are addressed in this article. These drivers play a significant role in advancing the objectives of governance and are highly dependent on the values of each governance system. Therefore, examining the drivers of governance from an Islamic perspective is a serious necessity, as they must align with religious values. On the other hand, the conduct and words of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) offers an unparalleled source for political and managerial thought in society. In this study, the narrative statements (hadiths) of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) have been examined using a descriptive-analytical method. Nahj al-Balagha is the most important source referenced in this article. The drivers in this research are categorized and explored within three broad domains: cognitive, motivational, and behavioral. A comprehensive system of governance drivers is presented—one that has no equivalent in conventional research. Additionally, a precise structure of the concept of governance is provided, which serves as the foundation for this study.