Investigating and Understanding the Islamic Principles of Cultural Policymaking Based on the Prophet's Ruling Method

Cultural policy is the intersection point of public policy and culture, to which scholars and thinkers have paid great attention because of its growing importance. This research has noticed this theoretical issue from an Islamic approach. Focusing on Prophet Muhammad’s Seerah, as the best symbol (Osvat-alhasanah), this research is intended to extract and present the principles of the Islamic policymaking through an Islamic approach. In other words, the main question of this research regards the issue of practical implications of the Prophet’s (PBUH) ruling method in cultural policymaking. For this reason, a collection of sources regarding the Seerah of the Prophet was gathered purposefully. The data was analyzed and coded through thematic analysis. The indicators were categorized and refined in the form of themes. By developing the scope of the study, more evidence were collected and analyzed in relation to the main themes. Referring to the content of the traditions and sermons of the Prophet (PBUH), still more evidence were provided to confirm the main themes. The seven main themes derived from the analysis of the Prophet’s Seerah include guidance, cultural comprehensiveness, gradualism, promoting social unity and solidarity, mosque-orientedness, promoting the position of families and women, and the development of knowledge and consciousness. These seven main themes comprise the seven principles of cultural policymaking based on the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).