asabiyya
Asabiyya is a term from Islamic and Arab sociological thought referring to social cohesion and group solidarity that binds a community, often based on kinship or shared identity. The word derives from a root meaning to bind or tie together, with asabiyya describing a powerful social bond that enables collective action and loyalty.
In Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah (14th century), asabiyya is the central force behind the rise and fall of
The typical theory describes a cyclical pattern: a group with high asabiyya defeats neighbors and forms a
Asabiyya is not identical to modern nationalism or civic virtue. It is often tied to kinship, lineage,
In contemporary usage, the concept appears in political science and anthropology as a way to analyze social