The Transcendent School of Security According to Motahari

This article aims to revisit and systematize the security thought of Ayatollah Mortaza Motahari within the framework of the “Transcendent School of Security.” The main problem addressed by the article is the dominance of Western security schools that are grounded in materialist foundations, alongside the very limited contribution of the Islamic world to the production of security literature—despite its rich historical heritage and the inherently normative nature of the concept of security. This shortcoming is particularly noteworthy given the heavy dependence of security studies on indigenous values and contextual foundations. The main question of the study is: On what components and foundations is the Transcendent School of Security in the thought of Ayatollah Motahari constructed, and how can it offer a comprehensive model for security in Islamic society? The objective of this study is to systematically extract and reconstruct the full dimensions of the Transcendent School of Security from within the corpus of Motahari’s works. This objective is pursued by elucidating the key components of this school—such as the concept of security, its dimensions, reference, levels, and methods of provision—in explicit contrast to secular (mundane) security schools. The method employed in this research is “theory analysis.” Using an analytical-descriptive approach, the researcher examines and derives the foundations, concepts, and theoretical framework of the Transcendent School of Security from the entire body of Motahari’s works. This method relies on re-reading his scattered ideas and organizing them into a coherent and integrated security theory.
The most important findings of the research are as follows:

Foundations related to the study of human nature: The Transcendent School of Security is founded on a philosophical-religious understanding of human nature, according to which human beings possess a “divine self” (supernatural innate nature) and an “animal self” (worldly instincts). True security depends on strengthening the divine self and remembrance of God, rather than merely eliminating material threats.
Concept of security: From Motahari’s perspective, security is a “constructed,” “broad” (encompassing both material and spiritual dimensions), and “relative” concept. It is inextricably linked to the “eternal survival” of human beings and refers to a state in which the individual or society is protected from threats so as to attain transcendent values and divine pleasure.
Dimensions of security: In this school, security has extensive dimensions that,
in addition to conventional ones (political, social, economic, familial), place particular emphasis on the spiritual dimension and the inseparable connection between security and faith.
Referent of security: The primary and central referent of security in Motahari’s thought is Islam itself. All efforts and sacrifices are made to preserve and realize the goals of this religion as the ultimate purpose of humanity.
Levels of security: Security is analyzed at two levels—“manifest” (material) and “inner” (spiritual and connected to faith)—with the inner level forming the foundation and basis of the manifest level.
Methods of providing security: Achieving security requires the simultaneous employment of “soft” instruments (such as faith, piety, belief in the Hereafter, knowledge, education, and unity) and “hard” instruments (such as power, jihad, and the fortification of places).
Strategic solutions: At the macro level, this school seeks to “change the existing insecure global order” and offers strategies such as granting primacy to the Islamic Revolution, confronting Zionism as a source of regional insecurity, solidarity with the oppressed (such as the people of Palestine), and belief in Mahdism as means to achieve global security.

Overall, this research demonstrates that Motahari’s Transcendent School of Security transcends materialist approaches, viewing security as a multidimensional and transcendent phenomenon whose true realization depends on faith, justice, and rationality, and is oriented toward human felicity in the Hereafter.