Some Random Thoughts on Islamic State

The Concept of Statehood. The concept of statehood in Islam transcends the

geographical boundaries and shrouds around the whole Muslim community living anywhere in the world therefore, Quran terms the global Muslim community as Ummatu-Matwasta (the core nation or justly balanced community1). Even in case when a classical Islamic state doesnt exist, or Muslims divide themselves in numerous geographical boundaries, the Islamic statehood principles would still be applicable, which in fact is the pre-requisite for a state to be termed as Islamic in real sense. It must be remembered that a state cannot become Islamic or can be termed as Islamic, merely on the basis that a sizeable Muslim community resides within its confines. A state would only become an Islamic once the principles as elucidated by the Quran and Sunnah are implemented and the state legislation becomes subordinate to the divine injunction. Moreover, the politics in Islam means welfare and provision of basic necessities to the masses by the ruling class. In other words the caliph in Islam is actually the servant of Allah holding the responsibility of serving the state and the masses at the same time. Purpose of an Islamic State. The foremost purpose of an Islamic state is to lead a

life according to the commandments of Allah in state of a perpetual peace for purifying oneself and creating opportunities for others, so as to achieve a successful status in the hereafter. According to Quran the sole purpose of creation is the subordination to God2 which can only be possible once a state has been established on the principles as laid down by the Creator and His messenger. Foundations of an Islamic State. An Islamic state is primarily founded on four

fundamental pillars, Equality, Justice, Community Welfare and any infringement of these principles or an act which becomes detrimental to the obligatory peace in an Islamic state is required to be punished according to divine law, called as Sharia. Equality means that all citizens of an Islamic state are equal and answerable to God and those with more responsibilities (e.g. the rulers and position holders in the state) are answerable to society as well. There are no special privileges for the public office holders or the rulers; rather they are assigned with added responsibilities as was witnessed during the period of rightly guided Caliphs or the Kulfha-e-Rashdoon, which is termed as the era of a classical Islamic state. The speedy and across the board dispensation of justice regardless of any bias and/or racial, political, social, ethnic or religious prejudices is one of the most fundamental pillar of an Islamic state, aprinciple

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2:143, Thus we have made you an ummah justly balanced so that you might be witness over the other nations.. 51:56, And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.

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which has been emphasised repeatedly in the Quran. The Community Welfare is another very important and cardinal pillar of statehood in Islam. The community welfare concept originates from a family and extends to near and far relatives, neighbours and ultimately to the whole Muslim community thus making it a one monolithic society. Cultural Aspects of an Islamic State. Islam has neither any specific culture nor

any symbolic dress. Any culture or dress which is not inimical to the basic Islamic values can very conveniently be absorbed within the realms of an Islamic society. This common and collective standard has thus enabled Muslims to display a universal commonality in their social and cultural behaviour and this collective reflection often is characterized as Islamic Culture. Therefore the complete Muslim community displays a unique similarity in their social and cultural behaviour despite belonging to different social and cultural backgrounds. Spirit of an Islamic State. The notion prevalent in the world that, Islam based on

politics or politics based on Islam is not permissible is an inaccurate and imprudent argument. The spirit of an Islamic state resides in the concept that the state legislation would not be divorced from the divine law whatsoever.3 Thus the connotation in Islam that religion and politics are inseparable, simply implies that there cant be a legislation which is either contradictory to the divine injunction based on Quran or Sunnah or which altogether ignores it. Therefore, the concept prevailing in Pakistan regarding politics in the name of Islam or Islam for sake of politics is absolutely an alien concept with regards to true Islamic philosophy. It has been repeatedly stressed and emphasised that the purpose of Prophet Muhammad was to implement and exemplify Islam in a realistic manner so as to enable others to follow it in true letter and sprit. Therefore, he is called as the excellent model to follow4 and repeatedly it has been reiterated that he must be followed entirely5 not only while asserting to implement the Islamic principles in a state but in our individual lives and social behaviour as well which has repeatedly been reiterated in Quran.6 So what happens to a Muslim community once it rejects to implement the divine order as maybe the case in Pakistan? The result is that a state not only suffers from an intellectual comma but rather earns wreath of the Creator due to the arrogance and self-conceit which subsequently creates an anarchic situation in a state. Unfortunately, Muslims in general and Pakistanis in

5:44, ..And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then those are the disbelievers. 33:2, There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent model for everyone 3:32, 3:132, 8:20, 24:52, 64:12, 4:80, 33:71, 59:7, 4:64 and numerous other verses commands that the Prophet must be followed and obeyed. 6 61:8-9, They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it. It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it to prevail over all religions, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.
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particular are suffering from the same phenomenon but still living in a state of denial. However, this annoyance of the Creator can be witnessed in shape of lawlessness, terrorism, chaos, water shortages, joblessness, corrupt and cruel rulers besides numerous other social evils and crimes as have already been foretold in Quran.7 Secularism versus Pluralism. Another drastic omission or wilful malicious

rhetoric from the liberals and seculars is regarding the states ideology, which according to them should be based on secularism. This argument is either based on a profane ideology or a complete failure to comprehend the effects of secularism which means that the state legislations would not be based on any religious principle whatsoever and rather should be founded on consensus of the community or society. One of the most profound contributions of any divine religion to a society is the standard of morality. Morality in humanistic or secular societies is a relative concept. The extramarital relations, pornography, incest, homosexuality, individual obligations (towards parents, society and elders etc) can only be explained through the religious principles. The custodians of secularism have never tried to answer that if they confront such a problem within their family, where any of their offspring or spouse insists on maintaining such relations with a person not associated to him or her, would they consider it as normal and acceptable? Surely most would answer in negative. However, those who consider it as normal should actually be considered out of the sphere of Islam even if they believe themselves to be the member of community. Therefore, a noble individual cant think of living in a secular society. Thus secularism preaches that state cant have legislations based on religious principles and rather these should be devised through collective wisdom of the community. This implies that either Gods wisdom is inferior to the collective wisdom of society or God doesnt have the foresight and ability to give community a viable code of life. If a society agrees to the idea of secularism then this implication of secularism can ouster the complete society from the religion of Islam which actually means submission of ones will to the Allah Almighty. Same was the basis of defiance by Iblis (commonly known as Lucifer) once he challenged God, because he considered it too hard to submit to Allah on the issue that humans were being bestowed upon with a great honour by appointing them as vicegerent of God8 and thereby by superseding him (Satan). However, God has made it absolutely clear that no other religion except for Islam (submission to God) would be an

7 2:85, ..So you believe in one portion of the scripture while rejecting the other portion? Then what can be the recompense for those who do that among you except that they meet disgrace in worldly life; and the severest of punishment on the Day of Resurrection. Also, 7:182, Those who deny our revelations, we will progressively lead them to destruction without their realization of the fact even. 8 7:17, Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them obediently grateful. 6:116, And if you obey the majority dwellers of the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow nothing except for conjecture and they do nothing except for falsifying.

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acceptable way of life9 and thus secularism cannot be adopted in an Islamic state, whatsoever the circumstances may be. If the quest of seculars or liberals for a secular society is due to minorities subjugation then they should be cognizant of the fact that Islamic society is otherwise a classical pluralistic society where rights of minorities are not only protected but they also enjoy absolute religious freedom. Other than some selected top most appointments like head of the state, Judiciary, defence and education, in an Islamic state, citizens of other religious communities are eligible for all kind of state positions and appointments. Islam as a Personal Business. Some people consider religion a personal affair.

This concept is not applicable in an Islamic society as in Islam enormous emphasis has been laid on community welfare and enjoining other for righteousness while preventing them from iniquity. Thus Islam becomes a community affair and not an individual or personalized matter. Numerous incidents have been quoted in Quran where those people were also destroyed along with the sinners, who remained aloof of the sinful practices of others although believing them as bad.10 Islam might be a personal business as far as rituals are concerned (which in fact are very few) like celebrating Eid, circumcisions, aqiqqah (a party after the birth of children) and marriage etc. The obligations in Islam like salah, fasting, and zakat etc are not considered as a personal business but these have been placed under the collective responsibility of the state and society in order to create environments where people encourage others to perform good deeds and avoid evil. Some obligatory issues like collection of Zakat and Usher etc are even done by application of force if individuals refuse to pay them, but certainly use of force is only the privilege of the state11 and not the individuals or individual groups. Theocracy in Islam. The normal concept that theocracy has no place in Islam can

be right and wrong at the same time. If by theocracy we mean the power held by religious clergy, then the impression holds good that in Islam, the religious clergy cant have hegemony similar to that of papacy witnessed in the medieval Europe. However, if by religious theocracy we mean that the religious principles as defined in the Quran and Sunnah will have the supreme authority over the state affairs then the perception of theocracy being alien to Islam is not correct. In an Islamic state the ultimate defining and deciding authority is held with God and subsequently delegated to his Prophet.

9 3:85, And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. Also see 5:3. 10 7:164-165, also, 3:104, And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful 11 During the times of Caliph Abu-Bakar, some Muslims refused to pay Zakat so Hazrat Abu Bakar sent a force for collection and did Jihad against them.

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However, other matters which are not forbidden by Quran or Sunnah would be decided in a democratic manner.12 The Concept of Ijtahad. With the religious secular divide deepening in the Muslim

societies, the debate over ijtahad is also heating up. But unfortunately most Muslims have a very twisted concept of ijtahad and while using the term they imply to reform and modernize Islam so as to make it in conformity to the western values. As for the concept of ijtahad, firstly it cant be done to reverse some existing order of Quran or Sunnah, because ijtahad can only be done to find a solution to a problem which has not been elucidated in Quran or Hadith. Secondly, it can only be done by a team of established religious scholars who possess sufficient knowledge of the Quran, Hadith, global environments and the Islamic jurisprudence as well. Thirdly the basis of ijtahad would be Quran, Sunnah and examples from Companions of Prophet rather than the norms of other societies or cultures. The prevailing desire of carrying ijtahad to reform Islam is not only malicious but immoral as well which has no religious standing whatsoever. Divide of Un-Islamic versus Non-Islamic. The divide of non-Islamic and un-

Islamic is also often confused by most of the Muslims as the dividing lines usually remain very blur most of the times. In an Islamic state everything is permissible until and unless it has been proved to be otherwise is the light of Quran or Sunnah. NonIslamic practices mean that Islam neither encourages such practices to be adopted nor restricts from them mostly being cultural or social in nature. However, none of these norms were prevalent during the times of Prophet or the rightly guided Caliphs. On the other hand, if there is some practice which is inimical to basic Islamic principles it becomes un-Islamic. Like celebrating ones birthday is non-Islamic but once it becomes too extravagant it violates one of the principles of Islam and thus becomes un-Islamic. Similarly celebrating Prophets Birthday by one odd individual at personal level is nonIslamic but the moment the occasion takes form of a religious event at the societal level, it becomes a form of innovation which is un-Islamic. Similarly dress is a non-Islamic issue. The only principle which needs to be adhered in case of dress is that it must cover the body and should not make body contours visible or prominent. Mostly, people terms un-Islamic as non-Islamic and non-Islamic as un-Islamic which creates an impression that anything which was not there in the Prophets time is un-Islamic which is not true and accurate. Written and compiled by Shams Zaman smszmn@hotmail.com, smszmn72@yahoo.com

12 3:159, also, 42:38, ..whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend