Univerisity of Qom Comparative Studies on Islamic and Western Law 2476-4213 12 4 2025 12 22 Evaluating the Legitimacy of Legal Intervention in the Right to Adult Literacy from the Perspective of Islamic Law and International Human Rights Instruments Evaluating the Legitimacy of Legal Intervention in the Right to Adult Literacy from the Perspective of Islamic Law and International Human Rights Instruments 144 169 3526 10.22091/csiw.2025.11500.2598 FA Mahdiyeh Ghanizadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and the Fundamentals of Islamic Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran. Journal Article 2024 10 23  Adult literacy, as a manifestation of the right to education, is considered one of the fundamental human rights. Given that compulsory enforcement is generally not associated with the right to education except in specific cases such as primary education the issue raised in the context of the illiteracy crisis is whether a duty-based approach to the right to literacy and the legitimacy of legal intervention in this domain can be justified. Despite the necessity of examining this matter, no independent study has addressed it so far. Therefore, this article, using a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to explain the legitimacy of legal intervention in the right to adult literacy based on Islamic law and international human rights instruments.The findings of this research indicate the following: First: In Islamic law, the legitimacy of legal intervention relies on principles such as lā ḍarar (no harm), the precedence of public interest, nafy al-sabīl (no domination), and the obligation to preserve the social order. Second: Although an incentive-based approach is preferable in addressing illiteracy, assuming that the government has provided a suitable environment, a duty-oriented view of literacy and the adoption of a punitive approach can be religiously justified. Third: In international human rights instruments, the text of Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the implications of provisions such as Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4 of the same Covenant, and Article 15 thereof indicate the permissibility of legal intervention in the matter of literacy  Adult literacy, as a manifestation of the right to education, is considered one of the fundamental human rights. Given that compulsory enforcement is generally not associated with the right to education except in specific cases such as primary education the issue raised in the context of the illiteracy crisis is whether a duty-based approach to the right to literacy and the legitimacy of legal intervention in this domain can be justified. Despite the necessity of examining this matter, no independent study has addressed it so far. Therefore, this article, using a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to explain the legitimacy of legal intervention in the right to adult literacy based on Islamic law and international human rights instruments.The findings of this research indicate the following: First: In Islamic law, the legitimacy of legal intervention relies on principles such as lā ḍarar (no harm), the precedence of public interest, nafy al-sabīl (no domination), and the obligation to preserve the social order. Second: Although an incentive-based approach is preferable in addressing illiteracy, assuming that the government has provided a suitable environment, a duty-oriented view of literacy and the adoption of a punitive approach can be religiously justified. Third: In international human rights instruments, the text of Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the implications of provisions such as Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4 of the same Covenant, and Article 15 thereof indicate the permissibility of legal intervention in the matter of literacy https://csiw.qom.ac.ir/article_3526_bb5dcd308df56c5009f6cf8aa1e69e6d.pdf