Civil Society in Arab and Islamic Political Thought Between Acceptance and Rejection: A Critical Study

The research studies the fact that civil society is one of the concepts that have had the focus of interest in recent decades. It has gained great importance in Arab political thought and many thinkers have discussed and researched it, and the position on it has been characterized by rejection and acceptance. Civil society is one of the essential institutions in the state. It plays several roles in all fields, whether political, economic, social, and cultural. These institutions are represented by federations, trade unions, parties, associations, and other institutions that have a major role in assisting the state. The significance of the research lies in the fact that the establishment of civil society in any country aims to serve the state and society, get rid of the abuse of power, and give a role to informal institutions to carry out services that are in the interest of the state or the individuals, provided that they are under the supervision of the state and abide by its laws. The research was divided into three sections, the first one dealt with the concept of civil society in language and terminology, as well as the emergence of civil society and its historical evolution. The second section included the position towards civil society between the dismissive and the supportive trends. The third section involved the criticism of civil society in Arab political thought.