Islamic Governance and Wicked Problems: A Reflection on the Position of the People

Wicked problems are known as complex challenges of modern governance, which, with characteristics such as uncertainty, conflicting values, and unpredictable consequences, have played a pivotal role in challenging politicians in various fields. The paper, while examining the nature and characteristics of this type of problem, analyzes common Western approaches such as adaptive, participatory, and confrontational governance in dealing with them, and then examines Islamic solutions to managing these challenges. In the Islamic approach, governance is based on principles such as justice, consultation, cooperation, spirituality, and people-centeredness. By emphasizing the real and continuous role of the people, Islam provides a powerful framework for solving multidimensional and dynamic problems. This paper, using qualitative content analysis and a descriptive-analytical approach, answers the question of how the Islamic governance model can function effectively in dealing with wicked problems and what is the role of the people in this process? The findings show that Islamic governance, with a divine view of the people and the true owners of the government, considers their role in identifying, designing, and implementing solutions to wicked problems to be vital. Facing the complex nature, value divergence, and high level of uncertainty in wicked problems, with the active and meaningful presence of the people as beneficiaries and true owners of Islamic governance, can pave the way for the emergence and manifestation of the endless talents and abilities of the people; provided that the necessary institutional mechanisms are provided for effective interaction, removal of barriers to participation, transparency of processes, and systematic accountability.