The Ruling Personality and Its Scholarly Impact during the Almoravid Era

Abstract

Abstract: This research examines the concept of the ruling personality in Islamic political thought through two main axes. First: The linguistic and terminological definition. The term "ruler" (ḥākim) derives from the root ḥ-k-m, which denotes prevention, precision, and settling disputes with truth, being the opposite of corruption. The term "personality" refers to the distinct, visible self that leaves an impact. Combining both, the ruling personality is linguistically defined as "the self whose effect appears in society through its possession of the power of governance and the right of enforcement." Terminologically, it is the individual who assumes the highest authority in the state, bears responsibility for managing its political, administrative, and military affairs, and influences the course of the state and society through his decisions, combining justice and competence while fulfilling the objectives of Sharia. Second: The historical application in the Almoravid State (453–541 AH / 1061–1147 CE). The research highlights the role of ruling personalities (Yusuf ibn Tashfin, Ali ibn Yusuf, Tashfin ibn Ali, Ibrahim ibn Tashfin, and Ishaq ibn Ali) in building a close strategic alliance with Maliki jurists. The Almoravids relied on scholars for religious legitimacy after emerging from the desert, in exchange for granting them wide influence in judiciary, fatwa, consultation, and administration. The study reviews the relationships of these princes with prominent scholars such as Abu al-Walid al-Baji, Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, Abu al-Walid ibn Rushd (the grandfather), Qadi Iyad, Abu al-Qasim ibn Hamdin, and others. It shows how jurists participated in decision-making, held high positions, and received material and moral support, in return for issuing supportive fatwas, consolidating the Maliki school, and confronting external (Crusader) and internal (Almohad) challenges. The research demonstrates that this alliance was a structural, interdependent one that contributed to the state’s stability and scientific flourishing in certain periods, but later became part of the dynamics of its decline.