Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) order for Iqamat-as-Salât. [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakât and they enjoin Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allâh rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures). (Al-Qur’ān 22:41)
This is the political manifesto for us, Muslim Ummah, as prescribed by Allah.
On getting closer to the Qur’ān we find that Allah is referred to as “king” five times in the Qur’ān. “He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god; the King…” [Sūrah al-Hashr: 23]; “So exalted be Allah, the True King!” [Sūrah TāHā: 114]; “…the King of humanity, the God of humanity.” [Sūrah al-Nās: 2]; “Lo! the righteous will dwell among gardens and rivers, in the seat of honor with a Mighty King.” [Sūrah al-Qamar: 54-55]
Secondly, the word for “owner” (mālik) is closely related to the word “king” (malik), Allah is referred to by this related name “Owner” in other verses, including: “Owner of Judgment Day.” [Sūrah al-Fātihah: 4]. Also: “Say: O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty!” [Sūrah Āl `Imrān: 26] Allah is “the owner of sovereignty”. Indeed, He is the King of Kings, since the lives and destinies of all earthly kings are in His hands. It is as Allah says: “Blessed is He for whom sovereignty is in His hand.” [Sūrah al-Mulk: 1] And thus He is the “True King” who has “sovereignty of the heavens and the Earth”.
Allah’s sovereignty is absolute. It has no limit. Human beings can be described as possessing “sovereignty”, but theirs is transient and it is limited in scope. We say that someone is king of a particular country. We likewise say that someone is the owner of a field or a vehicle. These types of sovereignty and ownership are limited in their timeframe – the duration of a person’s lifetime at most, often less – as well as in the scope of what is being possessed or being ruled.
All over the world, we can see artefacts and monuments left behind by past civilisations: mighty castles, great estates, the ruins of Egypt, Greece and Rome. They attest to those who once possessed great power but then passed on into the annals of history. They held sway for a period of time over a part of the globe. Then Allah decreed that their rule would come to an end. Thus it becomes clear to us that true sovereignty belongs to Allah alone, whereas human sovereignty is fleeting and whimsical, restricted and incomplete.
All who rule do so over a limited domain for a limited time. Allah has made it the norm throughout the ages that nations, kings, and powers would contended with one another. He says: “And if not Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the Earth would indeed be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds.” [Sūrah al-Baqarah: 251]. No human being has ever possessed the whole of the Earth or has been able to govern all of its affairs. Consider, then, how small a part the Earth is of Allah’s vast universe.
Allah, indeed, is the True King in every way. He gives to His servants when they beseech Him, and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) informs us that in the Paradise, Allah will bestow “what no eye has yet seen, no ear ever heard, and no mind ever imagined.” [Sahīh al-Bukhārī (3244) and Sahīh Muslim (2824)]
Moreover, Allah says: “And no soul knows what delights of the eye have been kept hidden in store from them as a reward for what they used to do.” [Sūrah al-Sajdah: 17]
Also, Allah tells us in the Qur’ān: “Say: O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty! You give sovereignty unto whom You will, and You snatch sovereignty from whom You will. You exalt whom You will, and You abase whom You will. In Your hand is the good. Lo! You are able to do all things. You cause the night to pass into the day, and You cause the day to pass into the night. And You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living. And You give sustenance to whom You choose, without measure.” [Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān: 26-27]
Consider the choice of word “snatch” here. This is because when a human being possesses something of value, he or she is very reluctant to part with it. It is not parted with peacefully. We as human beings may comb the Earth for our sustenance. We may work with might and main to our utmost strength, producing, stretching our creativity and our intellects to the limit. Nevertheless, we will forever be the subjects to our Lord, the possessions of the One Who created us. We should know that this servitude to our Creator is the greatest station of liberty, for the servant of Allah acts from free conviction and free desire.
Our belief that Allah is King benefits us. It increases our desire to turn to Allah and seek from His bounty. We increase our supplications to the one whom we know is the true Owner of all things. This belief also frees us from the thrall of what we see other people possessing. We do not debase ourselves before those people or compromise our human dignity in hopes of their favour. Instead, we apply our own energies and God-given talents to aspire to be the best we can be, placing our reliance and trust in Allah alone.
Thus, with the Qur’ān and Sunnah serving as the primary sources of Islamic law, Islam provides the democratic principles of Shura (consultation), Ijma (consensus) and Ijtihad (legal independent interpretation of problems not precisely covered in the Qur’ān), as secondary sources of Islamic law. Sovereignty is Allah’s alone and a Muslim ruler has to govern within the limits set by Allah and examples demonstrated by the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).
Islam recognises that a ruler must be selected with the acceptance of the people hence it gives people the fundamental right to elect a representative who would dispense the divine ideals of justice in serving the people. The reality is that Islam upholds core democratic values; in fact, a truly Islamic democracy would do away with the negatives that are often accompanied by secular/western style democracies and establish a welfare state where everyone is treated according to the law.
Islamic governance has three core features, based on the Qur’ānic vision and guidance on one hand and the experience under the Noble Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs on the other.
1. CONSTITUTIONAL: An Islamic government is essentially a “constitutional” government. The constitution is the agreement of the governed to govern by a set of clear and agreed upon terms. The source of the constitution is the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, and anything that is deemed relevant, effective, as long as it is not inconsistent with Islam.
2. PARTICIPATORY: An Islamic political system is participatory. From establishing the institutional framework to implementing it, the process is participatory. It means that the leadership and the policies will be conducted on the basis of participation. This principle is the Islamic doctrine of Shura.
3. ACCOUNTABLE: The leadership and the holders of authority are accountable to people. Above all, the leaders, like all other Muslims, are accountable to Allah and His divine guidance. The leader must present himself for any accountability demanded by the people.
The key characteristics of a truly Islamic state would therefore be as follows:
Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone.
In matters of faith, Allah has compelled nobody to believe; the ways of good and evil have been clearly indicated. Anyone may believe or disbelieve and in doing so will be responsible for the consequences. There must not be any compulsion, in the matter of faith. Everybody in the Islamic state must be free to follow their religion/belief system, provided his/her conduct is not detrimental to others.
Non-Muslims can live peacefully as citizens of a Muslim realm.
There shall be no racial discrimination. People become high or low only because of their character.
All avenues of economic exploitation must be stopped so that wealth does not circulate only in the hands of the few. There can be no room for riba (interest) and the economy must be free of this evil.
A person shall be free to earn as much as he/she can by legitimate means, without exploitation or fraud. However, beyond a certain minimum, there will be a tax on capital.
Women shall enjoy an independent economic status. All their inherited wealth and their personal earnings shall be their own property.
A truly Islamic State can never be a monarchical state. It must be a democratic republic in which the Head is elected by a vote of the community on the basis of his capability and character.
It is incumbent on the ruler to have a council of advisers and consultants for purposes of legislation or major decisions. They shall be selected purely on merit.
There shall be no special class of priests in an Islamic society, though persons leading [a] better religious life and possessing better knowledge of religious affairs have a legitimate claim to honour. They will enjoy no special privileges.
There shall be perfect equality of opportunity and equality before the law. The law shall make no distinction between a Muslim and a non-Muslim, either in civil or in criminal cases.
The judiciary must be independent of the executive.
These are the fundamentals of an Islamic constitution that are mandatory. No ruler or no majority can change this as it is based on Divine laws.
An Islamic democracy could differ in its pattern from some of the modern democracies. However, it is un-Islamic that parliamentary government should run on a party basis. The chief purpose in party politics is not the welfare of the people, but to focus on the status of the party or weaken the position other parties.
This world has been created by Allah to test human beings who have been gifted with free will. This test covers all aspects of our lives be it at an individual level or at a collective level. Allah has given us the principles for governance and when Muslims followed these golden rules they not only prospered but also gained respect and dignity in the world of nations. The sad state of affairs that plague the Muslim world today can be reversed if truly Islamic principles of governance are adopted as they had been in the system run by Truly Guided Caliphs.
Even the opponents of Islam like H G Wells, in his book A Concise History of the World has written: “Although the sermons of human fraternity, equality and freedom were said before also but it must be admitted that the social order based on these principles was for the first time in the whole history of mankind was established by Mohammad (SAW).”
Lastly, how difficult and impossible it may seem in today’s world to establish a system and state based on the fundamentals as mentioned above but we must as Muslim Ummah, should pray, think, try, strive and do whatever we may within our own limitations. And we must always remain close to the Qur’ān (our real guide and advisor) and Sunnah. Who knows when and how with HIS hidayat, rahmat and maghferat Allah turn things our way. It may be a distant dream for us but for Allah Kun fayakun is enough.