The Unconditionality of the Balance of Power in the Legitimacy of Preemptive Defense in Security Jurisprudence

PoorAli, Yasin; Mohammadi, Mohammad Javad

doi:10.30497/sj.2026.250600.1585

The Unconditionality of the Balance of Power in the Legitimacy of Preemptive Defense in Security Jurisprudence

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Yasin PoorAli ¹

Mohammad Javad Mohammadi ²

¹ Religious Researcher, Imam Sadiq University Teacher, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran

10.30497/sj.2026.250600.1585

Abstract

Defense in Islamic jurisprudence, especially in the realm of defensive jihad, refers to repelling aggression and protecting religion, life, territory, and public security. In the modern conditions of international relations, where threats are often a priori, networked, and based on remote means such as missile attacks, organized terrorist operations, and cyber attacks, the issue of preemptive defense - as a defensive measure before an actual attack occurs, assuming there is credible evidence of imminent aggression - has gained special importance. The fundamental question is whether, in the absence of a balance of power and a tangible superiority of the enemy, such defense is legitimate from the perspective of security jurisprudence, or is it considered an example of inducing oneself into danger and lacking religious validity due to the imbalance of power. This research argues that in security jurisprudence, the absence of a balance of power does not in itself prevent the legitimacy of preemptive defense, and the mere superiority of the enemy does not justify the title of danger. The jurisprudential evidence and rules governing defense, including the verses of the Quran, the definitive traditions and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), indicate that in the event of an imminent threat, the principle of defensive action is not dependent on the realization of a balance of power.

Keywords

Balance of power

security jurisprudence

defensive jihad

preemptive defense

deterrence