Imam Ali ΄s Studies

Analytical investigation of the conflict of the narration "But the religion of the people... is from the nation" with the verse "And if most of the people in the earth are obedient, they will stray from the path of God"

Document Type : .

Authors

ali jalaeeyan 1
Seyyed Mahmoud Marviyan Hosseini 2
mohammad ali alipoor 3

1 Faculty member of Razavi University of Islamic Sciences and graduate of Khorasan Seminary

2 Faculty Member at Razavi University

3 Student studying abroad at Khorasan Seminary

10.30465/alavi.2025.51802.2724
Abstract
The narration "Indeed, the foundation of religion is the majority of the nation," a passage from Letter 53 of Nahj al-Balagha emphasizing the necessity of trust and reliance on the people in society, appears to conflict with the verse "And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah" (Quran 6:116), which rejects obedience to the majority. Although various interpretations have explained the verse, they have not addressed its apparent contradiction with reliance on the people and obedience to the majority. This study aims to analyze this contradiction using a descriptive-analytical method. The article concludes that the narration "Indeed, the foundation of religion" pertains to social matters, highlighting the importance of popular participation in governance and resistance against enemies, enabling officials to utilize this capacity to achieve logical and religious goals supported by a devout and loyal populace. In contrast, the verse "And if you obey most of those upon the earth" relates to religious and doctrinal issues, warning against blind imitation of the majority—both disbelievers and unaware believers—and cautions officials not to forsake divine commandments or obey the people merely to please them.

Keywords

Trust in people
consultation with people
trust in God
social capital
social participation

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