Ibn Khaldun and the Idea of the Ummah. A Study of the Conditions of Social Cohesion and Civilizational Decline
Ibn Khaldun and the Idea of the Ummah. A Study of the Conditions of Social Cohesion and Civilizational Decline

Summary/Abstract: This research investigates the concept of the “Ummah” in Ibn Khaldun’s thought by performing a careful reading of his famous Muqaddimah, and one of the fundamental pillars of historical sociology that modern social scientists rely on. In particular, the research seeks to identify the conditions of social cohesion that Ibn Khaldun considered important for the emergence of states and the viability of civilizations, with the respect to the concepts of asabiyyah (social solidarity), religion, and justice as essential cornerstones of human society. Additionally, the research evaluates the causes of civilizational decline, such as isintegration of social cohesion, unjust actions, and excessive indulgence to describe the cyclical process of emergence and decline that Ibn Khaldun assigned to a meaning-making framework. Lastly, the study will extend the discussion into a contemporary context pointing to the salience of thinkers such as Ibn Khaldun, with respect to understanding the structural crises emerging within modern Arab societies. Overall, our final remarks state that Ibn Khaldun remains a key and critical theoretical reference point for making sense of social and political issues in a contemporary context.

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