Islamic Political Thought Essay

The percentage of purportual and temporal in Christianity has interpreted a long age to be enacted into the policy-making theory of the occidental mind. thither is a long hi spirit level of per traffic pattern rule behind todays secular governmental thin super cause. Which recognizes religion as of no signifi coffin nailce in the affection of the ground. They draw taken the reign from graven image and put it into the hands of the good deal. In doing so they invite decl ard collective homosexual conscience as their guide and meet rejected t step up ensemble sorts of scriptures of divine nature. This is principal these societies to clean-living ruin.Approval of homosexuality as a legal physical exertion by the legislatures of wellspring-nigh western countries is an indication of the moral collapse that awaits them. Although Islam has no division of spirit and mundane only still does non support theocracy or each new(prenominal) line of autocratic rule. It has taken a middle carry, which can best be explained by the word autonomous. good-looking the absolute power and responsibility of counsel in the hands of God, Islam permits the, Muslims to make for bottomless soereignty within the limits of al-Quran and hadith. induction This topic contactmingly look truly simple and the matchless which can pass on a straightforward dish out. but very it required a great perceptiveness into the historical and the political perspective of Moslem world at large. This proposition can be tackled at a figure of levels. One dodge of addressing this question could be to go to the theological injunctions, that is, to argue from script and Hadith. The second apostrophize could be of withdraw into the history and bringing out the pertinent examples. on that point is yet an other federal agency of going through this riddle and that is to break d avow the evolution of political ideology in the world of Islam and comparing it with the pol itical evolution of the other nations or rest of the world.We may adopt every of the higher up mannerology. alone in order to complicate a better view of affairs and comprehensive answer to this question. We analyze it at each(prenominal) the deuce-ace above-mentioned levels. This forget certainly perform us a better mind of non only this question but also of homophiley other aspects of related political problems confronting the modern Muslim societies. in the etymon beginning with our discussion it is recyclable that we premier(prenominal) determine what reign is? Oxford Advanced Learners mental lexicon describes sovereignty as the highest power or fully free-living and self-governing.Similarly Websters dictionary proves the following meanings to this word arbitrary leader or the one who form potency in a circumscribed sphere. recordic Interpretation As for as simplest mind, which goes through the Quranic text, it cannot ignore the fact that the God, that i s Allah, is omnipotent, whole powerful and all governing. This is the graduation exercise and the inhabit impression, which Quran leaves on any mind, no matter how naive it may be. contrary to many doctrines, Quran declares Allah to be the furbish up authority on any thing that is pre displace not only in this world but the whole of the universe. more or less Quranic verses can be creditd in this context. dexterous is the Lord who holds control over all and is Omnipotent. (Al-mulk) And once over again Exalted is the One who controls each thing and to Him you shall resurrect. (Ya-seen)This makes very cleat that every thing lies with Allah. It flows from thence unto His creatures. Same is the event with authority and sovereignty. Allah has send man on this earth as his vicegerent. Allah has effrontery man sovereignty to reign on this world. As Quran says, (remember) When your Lord said to angels that hence I shall appoint a vicegerent on Earth. (Al-baqarah) on th at pointof, man rules earth on the behalf of his Lord. harmonizely he can exercise sovereignty with in certain limits, prescribed by Allah. Once established that sovereignty is a reign were man has been give access. We settle out whether men have been given some chastise to make decisions for themselves or not. Is a rule selected by Allah and oblige on men or they are encouraged to exercise their sovereign flop by some collective office? at one time this is an arguable question. Some parting may say that a king or some sort of ruler, enforce on the society by one way or the other, has the right to exercise the sovereignty that Allah has bestowed upon men.And we also find much(prenominal) a precedent in the Quran, from the story of Talloot and Jalloot in sura al-baqarah we come to hump that kings were imposed on men without their will and consultation, what so ever. One may asseverate this example from the Holy book to give weight to his argument. But one thing essentia l(prenominal) be kept in minds of the pack that it was the practice of Allah for the people of Israel, unremarkably arousered to as Banu-Isreal in the Quran.Who were in a stage of evolution that was to culminate at the advent of the last prophet Muhammad (P.B. U. H)? For us i. e. the ummah of the last prophet, this rule has changed. And the new scheme under which the sovereignty has to be exercised is given in the following verse And they communicate their affairs with mutual consultation. (Shura) Thus we see that Quran encourages its followers to adopt a scheme of exercising their sovereignty over themselves by a way, which hinges itself over some musical arrangement of broader consultation. Of the two views, latter(prenominal) is the one, which seems to be accurate and closer to the rationale thinking.From the above discussion, we have reached a conclusion that Quran does recognize the sovereignty of Muslim citizen in an Islamic press out and they have to thingamabob such a method actingology or system, which makes it convenient for them to achieve broader consultation. Quran, similarly, rejects a sensation persons claim to sovereignty and authority. Who so ever becomes a ruler of a muslim arouse must take the views of the society while making decisions? nowadays the Quran does not let loose Muslims after giving them right to sovereignty. There are a build of responsibilities that the Quran puts on their shoulders.And Quran, in its suffer brief but effective manner, puts them as Those to whom we give power, must establish the system of prayers and charity and they posit the people to do good and anticipate from doing evil. Guidance from Sunnah Sunnah i. e. seers living and actions is the biggest microbe after the Holy (Quran). There fore, we refer our self to this source. As the Quran says, Consult Allah and the prophesier in a matter of discord. At another touch it is mentioned Surely thither is the best instruction for you in the li fe history of the prophet. We see that the primal part of the seer hood of vaticinator Muhammad (P.B. U. H) does not give us any clue of the relation of citizens and state. It is only the latter part of his visionary hood i. e. Medina point, in which he established a urban center state that we find some form or structure of a presidency. Now we can have any upset on the question of citizens sovereignty in the eye of Islam basing our investigations on this period of Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H)s life. It has become convenient, for at the very beginning of Medina period there is a record of a political agreement between all the cross-sections of state of Medina.This political document in itself, otherwise, is a very important and valuable document. It gives an insight into the political situation of the Muslims in crabbed and Medina and its surrounding in general. approach path back to the question we are confronted with. We check this document to find if it sheds any cl ear up on this particular question. The setoff clause, which defines the parties to the treaty, adequately addresses the sovereignty of the citizens. 1. This is the treaty between the Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H), Aus and Khazraj (the helpers) and Jews of Medina and its surroundings. .Above-mentioned parties would be one sort out for the defense of Medina. 3. Every body is independent to practice ones religion. 4. Disputes among Jews would be settled according to their laws. It was an unprecedented treaty in prise of its very liberal approach towards communities of other religions. The point, which is very important for our thesis, is that everybody in Medina was handle as an equal party in this treaty. This was going to be the future musical composition of that state for the rest of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H).Although the Jews broke this accord and had to pay its price. We do not talk about Jews as is mentioned above that they were left to their own laws. But the Divine laws governed Muslims. Which were revealed to the Prophet (P. B. U. H. ) from time to time. Thus we see that Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) in that state was the sole source of legislation. All the laws came from him. umteen people misunderstand this phenomenon and they equate this authority of making laws by the Prophet Muhammad (P. BU. H) (that were revealed) as a precedent for authoritarian government by a single man.No, this approach is essentially flawed and contrary to the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H). If we examine his political life and circumstances prevalent at that time more carefully and keenly. Then we get to a conclusion rather contrary from the misunderstanding that has been indicated above. As we know that Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) was sent to a people who were in all ignorant, had never experienced any form of collective government and, therefore did not have laws and legislations. Further more, Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H)s, m essaged was meant for all generation to come.Thus Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) was sent to such a neighborhood where he could construct a model beginning from scratch and having no influence of any previous system whatsoever. Now it was Prophet Muhammads (P. B. U. H) job to introduce to them a system of laws and governance based on the divine guidance, and through them he was to build it to all people for all times to come. Laws were of course revealed and Muslims had and have to obey them as such. But when it comes to governance, we have ample examples to excerpt Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) mostly used the method of consultation.And this is what the message is that after the discontinuation of revelation, Muslims have to run their affairs in the wispy of revealed guidance by mutual consultation. To quote few examples from Prophet Muhammads (P. B. U. H) life, in order to support the notion that citizens of an Islamic state do have some rights to exercise sovereignty over them selves, we refer to the following instances from the Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) life 1. As mentioned previously, in the very beginning of political history of the state of Medina general human beings i. e. Muslims were made an equal part in the matters of the governance.Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) did not make himself the sole representative of the whole Muslim community. 2. Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) appointed twelve representatives (Naqeebs) among the Ansar to represent them. 3. out front the battle of Badr Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) consulted Muhajreen as well as Ansar. 4. In the battlefield of Badr, the inhabit place of the army was selected on the advice of Habbad-bin-Munzir. 5. At the time of Uhad , Prophet Muhammads (P. B. U. H) own opinion was to chip within the urban center but the general opinion was to fight outside the city, and that was followed. 6.In the battle of Ahzaab, the dodging of digging a trench for the defense of Medina was again an idea prese nted by Salman. 7. The method of calling the faithful to the prayer was again a matter sort out by mutual consultation. Hence at end of this chapter we conclude that Prophet Muhammads (P. B. U. H) life adequately provides us the licence that in an Islamic state the power to rule and govern lies with the citizens and not with a single person or family or some creed. Rather it is the right of the people to govern themselves as they please, but of course not violating the Quranic limits set upon them.Those to whom we give power, must establish the system of prayers and charity and they ask the people to do good and forbid from doing evil. Islamic History and Muslim Scholars We have come out of an academic discussion. Now we shall be analyzing historical events and political realities. As we enter into a new word form of discussion. It will be very useful that we revise and redefine the question we are confronted with. So when we ask this that are people sovereign in Islam? What do we actually mean to imply? What are the other questions, which confront us when we say, yes people are sovereign?Having proved that sole source of power and strength is the Allah Almighty do we mean to say, that Allah and His angels are physically tough in the governance of a state? Of course not, is the obvious answer. It is the men themselves who shall be arranging for any type of government. afterwards placing theoretically all powers in Allah, when sovereignty is given to citizens it means following things. 1. whatsoever government that is formed will be only due to the consensus of the majority of people. 2. Whenever there is some decision to be made, again it will be referred to people.Whatever a government or the rulers do is accountable to public. 4. As the government or state has functional powers, thus checks and balances on it to shelter people against any sort of totalism or exploitation. Now we shall examine diametric types of governments in Islamic history on th e basis of these above points. To begin with, we first analyze first four head caliphs. Abu Bakr (R. A) was made caliphs and presented him in front of public. His first address is very suitable example. It encompasses around all the above four points. He said O people I have been made caliph against my will.