CURRENTLY ON AIR ⇒
  • Alternate Radio
    Sunday, 5:05 pm - 6:00 pm
    [ - ]

feedback@radioislam.org.za

logo


((( Listen Live )))))
Radio Islam Logo


Islam and Democracy – Part 4

What is Islamic Democracy? Is it a secular democracy in which Islamic leaning parties come to power and Islamic identity influences policy choices, or is it, a theo-democracy in which Islam and Islamic values are constitutionally privileged and mandated, and where elections serve merely to elect the executive while the legislative function remains subordinate to Islamic law – The divine Shariah?

The Three Cs of Islamic Democracy
The key features of Islamic governance are Constitution, Consent, and Consultation. While these principles need to be explored and articulated in the specific socio-cultural context of different Muslim societies, it is important to understand that they are essential.

Constitution
The compact, or constitution, of Madinah that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ adopted provides a very important occasion for the development of Islamic political theory. After Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, he established the first Islamic state. For ten years, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not only the leader of the emerging Muslim community in Arabia, but also the political head of the state of Madinah. As the leader of Madinah, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ exercised jurisdiction over Muslims as well as non-Muslims. The legitimacy of his sovereignty over Madinah was based on his status as the Prophet of Islam ﷺ, as well as on the basis of the compact of Madinah.

As Prophet of Allah ﷺ, he had sovereignty over all Muslims by divine decree. But Muhammad ﷺ did not rule over the non-Muslims of Madinah because he was the messenger of Allah ﷺ. He ruled over them by virtue of the compact that was signed by the Muhajirun (Muslim immigrants from Makkah), the Ansar (indigenous Muslims of Madinah), and the Yahud (several Jewish tribes that lived in and around Madinah). It is interesting to note that Jews were constitutional partners in the making of the first Islamic state.

Consent
An important principle of the Constitution of Madinah was that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ governed the city-state of Madinah by virtue of the consent of its citizens. He was invited to govern, and his authority to govern was enshrined in the social contract. The constitution of Madinah established the importance of consent and cooperation for governance.

The process of bayah, or the pledging of allegiance, was an important institution that sought to formalise the consent of the governed. In those days, when a ruler failed to gain the consent of the ruled through a formal and direct process of pledging of allegiance, the ruler’s authority was not fully legitimised. Just as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had done, the early Caliphs of Islam (RA), too, practiced the process of bayah after rudimentary forms of electoral colleges had nominated the Caliph, in order to legitimise the authority of the Caliph.

Consultation
The third key principle of Islamic governance is consultation, or Shura in Arabic. This is a very widely known concept, and many Islamic scholars have advanced the Islamic concept of Shura as evidence for Islam’s democratic credentials. Indeed, many scholars actually equate democracy with Shura.

وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ
And take counsel with them in all matters of public concern; [Quran 3:159]

The Prophet ﷺ himself left behind a very important tradition that emphasised the importance of collective and democratic decision making. He said that “the community of Muhammed will never agree upon error.” Consultative governance, therefore, is the preferred form of governance in Islam, and any Muslim who chooses to stay true to his faith sources cannot but prefer a democratic structure over all others to realise the justice and wellbeing promised in Islamic sources.

ADVERTISE HERE

Prime Spot!!!

Contact:
advertisingadmin@radioislam.co.za 

Related Articles

End-of-Year Fatigue

End-of-Year Fatigue

What is End-of-Year Fatigue It’s that time of the year again. No, I am not talking about “lovely braais in the cool summer evenings,” or the “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” feeling. I’m talking about the time of the year when many of us are trying to get...

read more
Duaas to be learnt and Read

Duaas to be learnt and Read

Allah says in the Holy Quraan: وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ “And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you'” [Ghafir 40: 60] Before you even begin studying, or sitting for an exam, it is essential that you connect yourself spiritually to...

read more
General Tips

General Tips

THINK POSITIVELY: Be optimistic with regard to your classmates, and do not be affected by their anxiety or fear just before the exam, for anxiety is a contagious disease. Instead, make them feel optimistic by saying good words as prescribed in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ was...

read more
Preparations Part 3

Preparations Part 3

Around the subject of studying, here are a few core beliefs (And they are NOT random quotes): •           Don’t just study to clear an exam. Study to learn and empower yourself with knowledge. •           Rely heavily on the power of Duaa for exams. •           Tell...

read more
The Parenting Plan

The Parenting Plan

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 30 October 2024 5-minute read Put into place in cases where parents’ divorce or separate, the parenting plan protects the rights of both children and parents from such families. But attorney Farhana Ismail says that the admin...

read more
Preparations

Preparations

Exams can be extremely stressful. Being fully prepared is important to succeed! Anything done in accordance with Allah's Law and the Sunnah (way) of His Beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ is classified as Ibadah (worship)! A Muslim student puts his trust in Allah ﷻ when...

read more

Subscribe to our Newsletter

0 Comments