Spektrum Iran

Abstrakt This study undertakes a comparative analysis of the foundations and components of spiritual education in social interactions from the perspective of Imam Ali (AS), within the framework of virtue ethics. While most studies on spiritual education in Islamic contexts have primarily focused on individual dimensions such as worship, piety, and self-purification, this paper seeks to present a coherent account of the influence of spiritual education on human interactions, drawing on Nahj al-Balagha and the philosophical structure of virtue ethics. The theoretical basis of this research is virtue ethics, which emphasizes the cultivation of virtuous character, gradual moral development, the internalization of virtues, and the role of practical reason in discerning moral situations. Employing a comparative-analytical method, the study explores principles such as theocentrism, belief in innate human goodness, freedom and responsibility, eschatological awareness, and the role of emotions in social interactions. It demonstrates that these principles manifest in Imam Ali’s (AS) educational system as social virtues such as cooperation, justice, tolerance, and accountability. The findings suggest that the social ethics of Imam Ali (AS) are not only intelligible within a religious framework but also align with the foundations of virtue ethics and can serve as an integrated model for reconstructing contemporary social ethics.Ultimately, the study concludes that, from Imam Ali’s (AS) perspective, spiritual education is an internal, gradual, and socially oriented process through which the moral transformation of both the individual and society can occur simultaneously. This approach offers a viable model for addressing ethical crises and rethinking human relationships in the modern world.