Islamic concept of democracy pdf

International institute of islamic thought pakistan. Islam ic law, according to the provisions of some verses from the holy quran encourages democracy but not liberal democracy like that of the western world. Islamic constitutionalism and the concept of democracy. However, compatibility does not mean identicalness. Democracy is a commonly known word all over the world. Some of these islamists believe that democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and secular reformers upon muslim societies. The concept of democracy in islam jammu and kashmir. Jan 07, 2015 this is a very widely known concept, and many islamic scholars have advanced the islamic concept of shura as evidence for islams democratic credentials. Shoora has to do with new matters that arise or with matters that are not explained in detail in the texts of the quran or sunnah. Islamic constitutionalism and the concept of democracy azizah y. The term democracy comes from the greek language and means rule by the simple people. Most of the political movements in the world have made it their goal to establish this system in their respective countries. Secondly, everyone is subject to the sharia law including the leaders. Democracy is an enemy to the soverignty of allah swt.

Key words, democracy, politics, dissent, mass media, democratization process. Secular islam was created by the center for inquiry to collect the writings, thoughts, and speeches of secular muslims, exmuslims, believers, doubters, and unbelievers, brought together by a great struggle, not between the west and islam, but between the free and the unfree. In western democracy the people are sovereign, in islam soveignty is vested in. The islamic concept of democracy is quiet similar to that of. Looking solely at authentic islamic doctrine, it is clear that islam is not only compatible with democracy but is one of its strongest proponents. Oct 23, 2014 whats the difference between an islamic state and secular democracy. It has provided guidance in every sphere of life, from individual cleanliness, rules of trade, to the structure and politics of the society. I 3544 includes index isbn 1565640799 hc isbn 1565640802 pb i. It is shown by i islamic history of the days of the holy prophet and of the four pious caliphs khulfaerashideen, ii by the teachings of islam, iii by the theory of khalifa and iv by the theory of sharia. An important element of this is the ummah the community of muslims as a whole. Islam is patriarchal and lacks any concept of citizenship and freedom, since its belief in gods. The concept of democracy it is difficult to reach a consensus on the definition of democracy.

Aug 29, 2003 i noticed in the article major principles in islamic governance that muslim umma are waiting for the right to participate in a democracy. Based on this and other concepts, islam would be closer to democratic values than huntington suggests. In other words, islamic tradition indeed the presence of equal opportunities and rights. This is a mistaken notion for many reasons, including the following. The conflict between western world and islam 5 though both countries are islamic and adopted islamic semantic, they do not make islamic politics as they did not cooperate. People in islamic societies tend to have a propensity towards democracy but what makes it less possible for them to achieve democratic political governance is the nature of the over stated, overblown and over stretched state structure and the heavyhanded authoritarian regimes in. Democracy is the most popular and accepted political system in the modern world. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the. I have not gotten what you are asking for impatiently the torment. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq. Islam upholds democracy as the only rightful form of state and government. Brothers, democracy is in total contradiction with islam. Islam, democracy, and social movements the prevailing media and intellectual circles in the west perceive islam at the root of the authoritarian polity in the muslim middle east. The islamic concept of sovereignty differs from the western principles of international custom and law established by the treaty of westphalia.

Ddeemmooccrraaccyy iinn iissllaamm by hassan taha the aware center is a nonprofit ngo that offers facilities and services related to kuwaiti, gulf, arab and islamic culture. Concept of democracy in islam the education of islam. We may compare the turns and upheavals faced by the british in the centuries it took to establish their democracy with the difficult and painful progress of iran in establishing an islamic republican government. According to encyclopedia britannica, democracy literally means. This is a very widely known concept, and many islamic scholars have advanced the islamic concept of shura as evidence for islams democratic credentials. Islamic monotheism, but you deny the truth that has come to me from allah. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract.

People in islamic societies tend to have a propensity towards democracy but what makes it less possible for them to achieve democratic political governance is the nature of the over stated, overblown and over stretched state structure and the heavyhanded authoritarian regimes in most cases in power at present. Typically, islamic scholars must take great steps to prove that islamic doctrine contains all types of contemporary social and political thought and action, such as the nature of democracy, social justice, secular society and equality of human being. Democracy islamic democracy democratic notions shura ijtihad bayah. Nowadays the application of the islamic law sharia identifies a state that is islamic. In this paper, dedicated to islam and democracy, we will give voice to the early islamic. The islamic republic of iran is confronted with an unprecedented legitimacy crisis. This concept is central to what we may call islamic democracy. What is the status and character of democracy in islam. Islamic democracy or democracy in islam semantic scholar. Part of theinternational law commons this article is brought to you for free and open access by the student journals at case western reserve university school of law scholarly commons.

Whats the difference between an islamic state and secular democracy. The decision is only for allah, he declares the truth, and he is the best of judges. They interpret the islamization of democracy on the basis of a modern reinterpretation of several key islamic political concepts mainly khil. There is a striking similarity between the ideas expressed in dr. The theodemocracy concept of maulana maududi looks very similar to.

The concept of democracy in islam is best understood that islam is practised at two levels the infaradiindividual level and the lslamayee collective level. Shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal. Every person in an islamic society enjoys the rights and powers of the caliphate of god and in this respect all individuals are equal. However, the main idea of democracy is widely accepted to have originated from athens in the 5 th century bc. The modern concept of secularism and islamic jurisprudence. The most notable of those who have accepted the theory of islamic democracy is probably irans leader, ayatollah ali khamenei, who mentions islamic democracy as mardomsalarie dini in his speeches. Is islam compatible with democracy and human rights. Yet the power of the democratic idea has prevailed through a long and turbulent history, and democratic government. This paper outlines the basic principles of the islamic political system, including. The moderate islamic view stresses the concepts of maslaha public interest. Islamic values, behave as khalifatullah fi alarvicegerent of allah on earth,14to serve as witnesses to truth and noble conducts. Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused at a time when dictators, singleparty regimes, and military coup leaders alike assert popular support by claiming the mantle of democracy. Political islam and democracy in the muslim world lynne rienner. Indeed, many scholars actually equate democracy with shura.

This form of democracy seeks to apply islamic law to public policies, while simultaneously maintaining a democratic framework. I noticed in the article major principles in islamic governance that muslim umma are waiting for the right to participate in a democracy. The debate over the relationship between democracy and islam and its sociopolitical concepts and institutions, values, positive features and notions has continued for a long time and has gained an impetus from the final decades of 20th century. The islamic political order is based on the concept of tawhid and seeks it flowering in the form of popular vicegerency khilafa operating through a mechanism of shura, supported by the principles of equality of humankind, rule of law, protection of human rights including those of minorities, accountability of rulers, transparency of political processes and an overriding concern for justice. Islam and democracy united states institute of peace. The perennial problem of interpretation means that muslim scholars have differed over the exact nature of an islamic democracy and, even more fundamentally, whether islam is ultimately compatible with democracy. Presented is an extensive look into islam and democracy from ibn warraqs book, why i am not a muslim. Is it true, as some claim, that democracy is basically a western concept and ideology and therefore fundamentally at odds with the values and principles of islam.

So, in contains certain concepts that are relatively helpful in brief, no definition of democracy can embrace the vast understanding the islamic perceptions of democracy. In western democracy the people are sovereign, in islam soveignty is vested in god and the people are his caliphs or representatives. It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925. This article, highlighting the heterodox character of irans theocratic ideology, stresses the tectonic social and cultural changes that have resulted in societys estrangement from the state over the past forty years in a reaction against this ideology. Democracy in islam focuses on government and rulers. Islamic concept of education islam has presented the concept of accountability of deeds in hereafter and the universal philosophy of life.

Democracy is completely against islam if it override the law of allah and his propeht saw. Some people think that the word democracy is equivalent to shoora consultation in islam. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the two can coexist inside one functional government. Evidently, the concept shura or consultation is valued in islam and democracy alike. They all aim at the reinstauration of the islamic might in the world. Pdf it is frequently argued that because many muslim states are monarchies or dictatorships or because of certain events that have taken place within. Islam is the solution, islam is religion and government and islam is the constitution and the law.

Since the final decades of 20 century ce and especially in post 911 world, the question of th compatibility between islam and democracya hotly debated and discussed issuehas gained an impetus and has highly intensified. The idea and concept of islamic democracy has been accepted by many iranian clerics, scholars and intellectuals. Presently, afghanistan, iran, mauritania and pakistan are the only examples of an islamic state in the form of islamic republics. The relationship between islam and democracy is strongly debated among the people who identify with the islamic resurgence in the late twentieth century and the beginning of the twentyfirst. Since the final decades of 20 century ce and especially in post 911 world, the question of th compatibility between islam and democracy a hotly debated and discussed issuehas gained an impetus and has highly intensified. Indeed, if we define islam in qutbian terms there can be no islamic democracy, only gods rule. Pdf democracy from islamic law perspective researchgate. At the individual level, a person is free to adopt the manner of worship he likes etc. In democracy if majority of people vote to pass law against allah and his prophet saw then they can override the authority of allah because of majority even if the majority is wrong. What are the different types and forms of democracy. Based on that, in democracy legislative authority is given to someone other than allah, may he be exalted. Islam is the discipline or religion created by allah. Islam, iran, liberal democracy, khomeini, view of governance. Reflection and discussion continue on many more aspects from the micro level to the global issues.

It has provided guidance in every sphere of life, from individual cleanliness, rules of. Democracy is a system that is contrary to islam, because it gives the power of legislation to the people or to those who represent them such as members of parliament. Therefore, scholars of political islam have reconciled islam and democracy with the evolving concept of islamic democracy esposito. The first is the definition of islam as an absolutely. Therefore, scholars of political islam have reconciled islam and democracy with the evolving concept of islamic democracy esposito and voll 1996 or spiritual democracy. The notion of democracy in islam can be best defined as functioning at two levels. Islamic values and codes of morality are not always identical to western values and ethics. Of special importance among these is the classical islamic concept of supreme sovereigntyelective, contractual, in a sense even consensual and revocable. What distinguishes islamic democracy from western democracy is that while the latter is based on the concept of popular sovereignty the former rests on the principle of popular khilafat. Islamic concept of s ocial, pol itical and economic justice system. Xxx in theory and concept, islamic democracy is, at the beginning of the twentyfirst century, quite well developed and persuasive. Principles of the islamic political system by tanveer. The theo democracy concept of maulana maududi looks very similar to. Whats the difference between an islamic state and secular.

This state of affairs is not acceptable at any cost. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among. History and definition of a concept mehdi mozaffari. Sep 25, 2014 the perennial problem of interpretation means that muslim scholars have differed over the exact nature of an islamic democracy and, even more fundamentally, whether islam is ultimately compatible with democracy.