From Mourning to Civilization-Building: A Conceptual Modeling of the Transformation of Youth-Centric Hey'ats for the Realization of the New Islamic Civilization

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD in Strategic Cultural Management, Faculty of Strategic Management, National Defense University. Tehran. Iran.

2 PhD, National Defense University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study presents a conceptual modeling framework for transforming youth-centered religious assemblies (hey’ats) into civilization-building hubs in line with the realization of the New Islamic Civilization, with emphasis on the architectural role of youth in Iranian society. Using the grounded theory method and the Straussian structured approach of Strauss and Corbin, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 participants (10 clerics, 8 pioneering youth from hey’ats, and 7 seminary scholars and sociologists). The data underwent open, axial, and selective coding.
Findings identified six core categories:


the hey’at aligned with the Islamic Revolution,


the need for self-grounded civilization-building,


Iran’s social context,


structural challenges,


transformative strategies, and


civilizational outcomes.


The analysis of relationships among these categories shows that revolutionary hey’ats, in a dialectical interaction with society, are influenced by the needs of their era and simultaneously influence them. A three-level conceptual model is proposed: the micro level (youth-centered laboratories of religious innovation), the meso level (local problem-oriented networks), and the macro level (civilizational diplomacy).
Inspired by Shahid Motahhari’s notion of the comprehensiveness of religion and based on field data, the model demonstrates that by transitioning from traditional ritual practices to problem-oriented functions, hey’ats become dynamic ecosystems of “the civilization of lament and reflection.” This transformation turns youths from peripheral ritual participants into architects of the New Islamic Civilization. The experiences of pioneering hey’ats—such as Javad-al-A’emmeh in Tehran and Zeynabiyyah in Ahvaz—affirm the feasibility of this transformation.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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References

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Journal of Interdisciplinary Civilizational Studies of the Islamic Revolution
Volume 4, Issue 16 - Serial Number 16
Winter 2026
January 2026
Pages 163-193

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 04 November 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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