by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamopedia, June 27, 2011
The Islamic state is a civil one, like other governments in the modern world and the only difference is that it makes Islamic Shari’a its reference. We would like to highlight, in this chapter, that the Islamic state is based on the Shura Council, allegiance, free choice of the nation to its ruler, advice to him, accountability of him, obedience to him, break of his allegiance if he commands sin, and the nation’s right to dismiss him if he insists on straying and deviation. This approach makes the essence of the Islamic state close to the democratic one.
By democracy we mean political democracy. As economic democracy is concerned, it means capitalism and it has its advantages and disadvantages, so we have been conservative about it while the social democracy means liberalism holding the absolute freedom, and we have been conservative about it too. Capitalism (of Qaron, a king of the past) is unacceptable to us since it is based on an idea of wealth refused by the Holy Quran. As Qaron said about his wealth, “I have been given it according to my knowledge”(stories: 78). Or as people said to Prophet Shoaib, “Does your prayer command us to leave what our fathers worshiped or that we do in our money what we want (Hud: 87).
According to Islamic thought, human being are heirs to the wealth of God. The Quran said: spend of that He made you heirs in it (Iron: 7). The true owner of the wealth is Allah while the rich man is trustee of this wealth and agent of the real owner. So ownership is bound with some duties and obligations as it is constrained in consumption, investment, distribution and circulation. Also, the giving of alms (Zakat) is imposed on the wealthy as one of the pillars of Islam. And usury, monopoly, fraud, injustice, extravagance, luxury, treasuring and other transactions are prohibited to the owners. With these admonitions and law, we could dull the dangerous nail of the capitalism, so as to achieve social justice, care for vulnerable groups in society such as orphans, the needy and the wayfarers, and work on a better distribution of the wealth “in order not to be the circulated among the rich of you” (al-Hashr: 7).
We also reject the liberalism that means absolute freedom for there is no absolute freedom in the world. Every freedom has its restrictions and borders. Among these restrictions are the rights of others, including the rights of the individuals, religious restrictions, concerning the right of God, and ethical constraints. The ships in vast oceans are bound by the well-known routes and determined by a map and compass, so it is the case with aircraft in the sky since they cannot go right and left according to pilot’s wishes, but follow the line without deviation. What concerned us with democracy is the part related to the politics. The core of democracy is that the people choose who rules and leads them in their way so long as the rulers do not cause their dismay.
Such (democracy) is established by Islam through the command of Shura Council, the pledge of allegiance, criticism of arrogant Pharaonic behaviors, selection of the man of power, credit, protection of the knowledge, and following the the majority. Allah’s hand is with communion. The Prophet said to Abu Bakr and Umar: “If you both agree with a view on which I did not oppose you, then two voices will be over one.” It is the right of every citizen to advise the ruler encouraging him the right and forbidding him the wrong with observance of the proper courtesy, to obey him in righteousness and reject obedience to him in the sin explicitly rejected by all since there is no obedience to any creature in disobedience to the Creator.
What we like to gain from democracy is its safeguards and mechanisms that prevent falsification and misleading the people with wickedness. How many countries are considered to be democratic while tyranny overwhelms from top to bottom? How many presidents won ninety-nine per cent of votes while being hated by all of their people. The real mechanism overall is the way of elections and the weighting by majority vote, which leads at last to democracy. It should be protected and preserved from liars, hypocrites and frauds. Though inevitable from misgivings, it is more safe and perfect than the other mechanisms. To the claim of some religious people that democracy opposes the rule of Allah because it is rule by the people, we would like to say: the meaning of the rule by the people here means that it opposes the complete autocracy, a dictatorial rule. It does not mean to oppose the rule of Allah.
Democracy and its relationship with Islam
It is better for us, on the occasion of our discussion about democracy, to recall here the position of Islam toward the democracy. We have seen that the people who talk about democracy and its relation with Islam can be categorized into different groups:
For the rest of this article, click here.
For the original Arabic version, click here.