The Safavid era marks a turning point in the history of Shiʿism and in the relations between religious scholars and political power. The central question of this study is how Mullā Muḥsin Fayḍ Kāshānī (d. 1091 AH), who lived during the reigns of four Safavid kings — Shah ʿAbbās I, Shah Ṣafī, Shah ʿAbbās II, and Shah Sulaymān — actually engaged with Safavid rule. Fayḍ accepted the office of Friday prayer leadership (imāmat-i jumʿa) and intervened in judicial and petition-related matters, yet he consistently preserved his intellectual independence in critiquing policies. The study employs a historical-analytical method and qualitative content analysis of primary sources, particularly Fayḍ's autobiographical writings. The findings suggest that, on the basis of an analytical reconstruction of the sources, Fayḍ's relationship with Safavid power can be formulated in five stages: rejection of Shah Ṣafī's invitation; conditional acceptance of Shah ʿAbbās II's invitation; reformist activity at court; a crisis of conscience and resignation; and finally a gradual disengagement, which this study terms "responsible seclusion" (ʿuzlat-i masʾūlāna). The conclusion is that Fayḍ's political conduct can be interpreted within the analytical framework of "critical engagement" — a concept formulated by the authors for this study, rather than a theory already established in political science literature. This framework moves beyond the simple dichotomies of "cooperation or confrontation" and can serve as a useful model for analyzing religion–state relations in Iranian history and contemporary Shiʿi societies.