The basis on which democracy is established they are two:
1- Sovereignty is for the people.
2- The people are the source of authority.
As for Islam, sovereignty is for the Shar’a and not for the Ummah. Allah _
is the only Legislator; the Ummah, the whole of it, does not possess the right
to legislate even one single rule. If all the Muslims met and agreed to permit
usury (Riba) so as to revive the economic situation; or if they agreed to allow
special places for fornication so that it does not spread among the people; or
if they agreed to abolish private property or the obligation of fasting to
enable an increase in production; or if they agreed the adoption of general
freedoms which leave the Muslim with the freedom to believe in the creed he
wants, and leave him to increase his wealth using all the means of growth,
including the prohibited means, and which allow him the personal freedom
to enjoy his life however he wishes in terms of drinking alcohol and
committing fornication. This agreement of the Ummah would have no value
and would not be equal, in the view of Islam, even to the wing of a gnat. If
a section of the Muslims undertook any of this, then they would be fought
until they reverted from this. Thus, the Muslims are restricted in all actions of
life to the commands and prohibitions of Islam. It is not allowed for them to
do any actions which contradict the rules of Islam, just as it is not allowed
for them to legislate even a single rule. Therefore, Allah _ is the only
Legislator. He _ said:
“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Iman (faith), until they make you the judge in
all disputes between them” [TMQ: An-Nisa: 65]
“Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent
down to you, and that which has been sent down before you, and they wish to go for
judgement (in their disputes) to the Taghut (false judges) while they have been ordered to
reject them?” [TMQ: An-Nisa: 60]
Referring for judgement to the Taghut constitutes referring for judgement
to other than what Allah has revealed, i.e. it is referring to the rules of Kufr
made by man.
Islam gave the Muslims the task of implementing the commands and
prohibitions of Allah _. Implementation of the commands and prohibitions
of Allah _requires an authority to implement them. Therefore, the authority
has been given to the Ummah i.e. the right to choose the ruler so that he
may implement the orders and prohibitions of Allah _. This is taken from
the Ahadeeth of the Bai’ah which gave the right of appointing the Khaleefah
to the Muslims through the pledge on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of
the Messenger _. He _ said:
“Whosoever dies without a Bai’ah on his neck he will die the death
of Jahiliyyah”; it is narrated on the authority of 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr, who
said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah _ say:
“He who pledged his Bai’ah to an Imam giving him the clasp of
his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can,
and if another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of
that man.”' It has been narrated that 'Ubaadah b. as-Saamit said:
'We gave Bai’ah to the Messenger of Allah _ to hear and obey in
weal and woe'.
There are many other Ahadeeth which clarify that the Ummah
is the one who appoints the ruler via the Bai’ah on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger
Even though the Shar’a gave the authority to the Muslims to delegate
someone to rule them via the pledge (Bai’ah), it did not give them the right to
remove the ruler as in the democratic system. This is due to the presence of
authentic Ahadeeth which oblige the obedience to the Khaleefah even if he is
unjust, but as long as he does not order a sinful action. It is narrated by Ibn
'Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah _ said:
'If anybody sees in his Amir something which displeases him, he
should remain patient, for he who separates himself from the authority
of Islam (Sultan) by even so much as a handspan and dies thereupon,
he dies the death of the days of ignorance.' It is narrated by 'Awf b.
Maalik, who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah _ say:
'And the worst of your Imams are those whom you hate and they
hate you and you curse them and they curse you.' We asked: 'O
Messenger of Allah, shall we not then declare war on them?' He _
said: 'No! As long as they establish prayer among you. If anyone were
to be ruled by a Wali and saw him committing a sin, let him abhor
the sin committed against Allah, but let him not withdraw his hand
from obeying the ruler.'” Establishing the prayer means ruling by Islam, by
mentioning part of Islam (Salah), but meaning all of it.
It is not allowed to rebel against the ruler except when he displays Kufr
Buwaah (clear Kufr) as mentioned in the Hadeeth of 'Ubaadah b. as-Saamitregarding Bai’ah, which said that:;
“The Messenger of Allah _ invited us so we pledged our Bai’ah to
him to hear and to obey, in weal and woe, in ease and in hardship and
evil circumstances and that we would not dispute with the people in
authority, unless you witness flagrant Kufr of which you have a
conclusive proof from Allah.”
The body that possesses the right to remove the Khaleefah is the court of
unjust acts (Mahkamatul Mazaalim
what is permitted for the Muslims to adopt
from the other nations and peoples and what is forbidden to be adopted,
according to what the Shar’a texts and rules indicate.
All actions coming from man and all things related to the actions of
man, the origin in these matters is to follow the Messenger and to be
restricted by the rules of his Message. The generality of the Ayah of Ahkaam
indicate the obligation of referring to the Shar’a and adhering to the rules of
the Shar’a: Allah said:
“Whatever the Messenger brought to you take it, and whatever he forbade you, leave it.”
[TMQ: Al-Hashr: 7]
'But no, by your Lord, they can have no Iman, until they make you the judge in all
disputes between them.' [TMQ: An-Nisa: 65]
'And if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it Allah and His Messenger .'
[TMQ: An-Nisa: 59]
And the Messenger of Allah said in the Hadeeth narrated by Bukhari
and Muslim:
Whosoever does an action and it is not from our matter/Deen then
it is rejected.'
'Whosoever innovates anything in this matter/Deen of ours and it is
not from it then it is rejected.'
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and
chosen for you Islam as your way of life (Deen).” [TMQ: Ma’idah: 3]
All the thoughts relating to science, industry, inventions etc., and all
the material forms resulting from science and its advancement and from
industry and its progress, are allowed to be taken unless they contradict
Islam. When they contradict Islam then it is forbidden to take them.
This is because all these thoughts relating to science, industry and
inventions and all these material forms which result from them do not relate
to belief or to the Shari’ah rules which solve the problems of man in life.
Rather they are from the permitted things which man uses in his life's affairs.
The evidence for that is the general Ayaat mentioned regarding the
permission for man to benefit from all things present in the universe. It is
also due to what has been narrated by Muslim that the Prophet said:
“Indeed I am only a human being like you. When I order you to do
something from the matter of your Deen then take it. And when I
order you about a thing from the matters of the world, I am but a
human being.” It is also due to his saying mentioned in the Hadeeth of
cross pollinating the date palm:
“You are more knowledgeable about the matters of your world.”
It is also due to the fact that the Prophet sent some of his companions
to the Jurash of Yemen to learn how to make swords.
As for the thoughts related to the 'Aqeedahhh and the Shari’ah rules, and
the thoughts related to the culture of Islam and its viewpoint about life, and
the rules which treat the problems of the humans, all of these must be
according to the Shari’ah
“It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by
Allah and his Messenger, to have any option about their decision.”
[TMQ: Al-Ahzab: 36]
“Every action that is not from our matter (Deen) is rejected.”
The culture (Hadharah) of the West is based on the creed of separating
religion from life and separating religion from the state.
Whereas the Islamic culture (Hadharah) is based on the Islamic Creed and
it obliges that the life and state should be run by the commands and
prohibitions of Allah, i.e. the Shari’ah rule.
The Western Hadharah is established on the basis of benefit and it makes
benefit the criterion of all actions. That is why it is a culture (Hadharah) of
pure benefit. It gives no importance to anything other than the beneficial
material value. That is why it has no spiritual, ethical or humanitarian values.
Whereas the Hadharah of Islam is established on a spiritual basis, which is
the belief (Imaan) in Allah, that makes the Halaal and Haraam the criteria of
all actions in life and governs all the actions and values according to the
commands and prohibitions of Allah .
Happiness according to the Western Hadharah is to provide man with the
optimum level of sensual pleasure and the means to achieve it.
Whereas the Islamic Hadharah views happiness as the attainment of
Allah's Pleasure (Ridwaan) and to organise man's instincts and organic needs
in accordance with the Shari’ah rules.
Thus democratic constitutions and laws, and the monarchical and republican ruling
systems, usurious banks, stock markets and world money markets, none of
these are allowed for us to take because they are all systems of Kufr and laws
of Kufr which contradict with the rules and systems of Islam.
It is not allowed to take the Communist Hadharah because it
completely contradicts with the Hadharah of Islam.
This is because the communist Hadharah is established on the basis of the
creed that there is no Creator for this universe, and that matter is the origin
of things and that all things in the universe result from it through the
dialectic materialism.
Whereas the Islamic culture (Hadharah) is established on the fact that Allah
is the Creator of this universe and that all things existent in it are created by
Him. And that He has sent Prophets and Messengers to the whole of
mankind and that He enjoined on them to follow what Allah has revealed to
them in terms of commands and prohibitions.
The sovereign in democracy to which reference is made for judgement on actions and things as pretty (Husn) or ugly (Qabih) is the mind
As for Islam, it is the opposite of this. Islam is from Allah, which He
revealed to His Messenger Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah . He said:
“Nor does he utter of his own desire. It is no less than Inspiration sent down to him”
[TMQ: An-Najm: 3-4]
The sovereign to which reference is made for judgements is only Allah
i.e. the Shari’ah and not the mind. The function of the mind is restricted to
understanding the texts that Allah has revealed. He said:
“Indeed, judgement (Hukm) is only for Allah” [TMQ: Al-Anam: 75]
Islam, it is based on the Islamic 'Aqeedahh which obliges that all affairs of the life and state are directed by
the commands and prohibitions of Allah, i.e. by the Shari’ah rules that
emanate from this creed. Accordingly, man has no right to devise his system,
rather it is incumbent on him to proceed according to the system devised for
him by Allah _.
On the basis of this creed the culture (Hadharah) of Islam has been
established and its viewpoint about life has been determined.
Democracy is the rule of the majority and legislation of the majority.
In Islam the issue is quite different:
Legislative matters do not depend on the opinion of the majority or the
minority. Rather, they depend on the Shari’ah texts because the legislator is
only Allah.
Thus he adopts the rules from the Shari’ah texts
found in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, based on the
strongest evidence through a correct Ijtihaad.
If the Khaleefah refers to the Majlis al-Ummah to take their opinion
regarding rules, which he wants to adopt, the opinion of the Majlis is not
binding on him even, if it is a consensus or majority opinion. The Messenger
_ did not submit to the opinion of the Muslims who opposed the treaty of
al-Hudaybiyyah - and they numbered many - he rejected their opinion and
continued to conclude the treaty
