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In The Name Of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu
So Called"Islamic Democracy" is Forbidden
Shura
Is Not Democracy
Democracy is government by the people ,Rule of majority.With majority
votes ruler is elected,with majority votes the ruler is ruled
throughout i.e the people are rule via majority vote. In Islam,the ultimate authority doesn’t belong to people; it
belongs to Allah alone. That means that both the ruler and the ruled in
Islam are subject to a higher criterion for decision-making, that is,
divine guidance. If the people—the rulers and the ruled—are truly
believers, the final say in the interpretation or understanding of these
divine laws would have to be within those laws. So the ruler made by man
can never overide the rules set by Allah subhanawatala. Previous
religious communities took their religious leaders [for their lords
beside Allah (At-Tawbah 9:31).Islam does not permits this.
Man is Allah’s vicegerent or representative on earth (Al-Baqarah 2:30)
The political system of Islam is based on the three principles of
Tawheed (Oneness of Allah), Risalah (prophethood) and khilafah (humans’
responsibility).
Tawheed means that Allah (God) alone is the One and Only Creator,
Sustainer and Master of the universe. The system of life will be lead
according to his laws . Worship and obedience are due to Him alone.
Hence, it is not for us to set the ruling ,ethical or moral codes or
invent our frames of reference.The risalah is the message of the prophets. Islam is the deen and the
Qur’an is the last testament. Muslims believe in the previous messengers
and the books sent to them which no longer exists authentic . The Qur’an lays down the broad principles on which human life should be
based universally, as it is the last revealed message from Allah, and
Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, established a model system of Islamic
life in accordance with these principles. The combination of these two
elements — Tawheed and risalah — is called the Shari ‘ah (Law).
Khilafah means representation. according to Islam, Humans — both men and
women —are the representatives of Allah on earth, His vicegerents. When
it comes to ruling then only Man is the Khalifah because Allah
subhanawatala said Men are the protectors and maintainers of women.A
Khalifah protects and maintains the ummah in the name of Allah under the
law of Allah subhanawatala.
4:34. Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allâh has
made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support
them) from their means. ........
The State system is built upon eight pillars:
1. The Khalif.
2. The delegated assistants.
3. The executive assistants.
4. The Amir of Jihad.
5. The Judges.
6. The governors of the provinces (Wilayat).
7. An administrative system.
8. The consultative assembly (majlis ash-shura).[They given definite
majority decisions on aspects asked by Khalifah and these aspects does
not include foreign policy,economy,Jihad/war etc.They can question the
government on all acts,any adult muslims can become member ,non-muslims
can also become members but they can only voice their complaints.
Today we hear a new concept which was never followed by Khulafa e
rashideen /pious Caliphs nor later rulers since 1400yrs.Misintepreting
few verses on consultation,few people think that rule of majority is
allowed in Islam ,they think Khalifah can be elected by majority votes
of the general public and with majority votes by people's
representatives administration will run .They say they'll follow all shariah laws and no
amendment will be done in the following..
1.Religious practices i.e 5 pillars,[a].Testimony/Shadahah, [b].prayer/Salah,
[c]charity/Zakat,[d] Fasting/saum,[e].Hajj/pilgrimage
2.Social [a].Rights and duties of citizens,[b] education,[c]Family
laws,[d] Obligations towards old,women & children
3.Military-Jihad both in defence & in offence
4.Economic,Interest free economy, No capitalism,Halaal food
5.Judicial laws [a]All capital punishments,no
alcoholism,gambling,bribery,theft,adultery [b]Moral police
And in rest of the rule ,majority will have their say.With majority
votes the Khalifah will be appointed and with majority votes he will
work throughout.Majority amongst muslims only as non-muslims are not allowoed
to vote because they reject Allah ,they cannot vote for khalifah .
Al Bukhari's chapters reads: If the ruler makes a decision that is
contrary to that of people of knowledge, his decision is to be rejected.
Verses of shura-Consultation
has been mistakenly taken as democracy voting and democratic rule.
Shura is the verbal noun of the verb “shawara,” or consulted. It
means seeking an opinion from the one who is consulted. The Khalifah or any lawful authority can undertake the Shura.
Shura can only Legislate in the Permissable (al Mubah)Matters
Mubah is defined as communication from the Lawgiver concerning the
conduct of the individual which gives him the option to do or not to do
something. As al-Ghazali explains, it is established in the express
permission of the Almighty God which renders the commission or ommission
of an act permissable either
in religious terms or in respect of a possible benefit or harm that may
accrue from it in this world. Al Mubah is one of the five varieties of
divine rules
(hokm shar'i), the others being: the obligatory (wajib, fard),
recommended (mandub), abominable, i.e.,disliked (makruh), and the
forbidden (haram).
Mutul Consultation
Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam was commanded to consult
,and the final say used to be only his decision.His final decisions
overided their
opinions even if they are in majority.
"And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been
severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so
pass over (their faults), and ask (Allâh's) Forgiveness for them; and
consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put
your trust in Allâh, certainly, Allâh loves those who put their trust
(in Him)."(The Holy Qur'an 3:159)
*Note:Al-Tabari in his tafseer of this verse says that "Allah ordered
His Prophet to consult his companions in certain matters so that the
community knows about
it, and follows this principle by consulting among themselves when they
are faced with calamities". And in al Razi' interpretation of this verse
it is
reported that al-Hassan and Sufyan bin Uyaynah as saying "Allah ordered
the prophet to consult his companions, so that others may follow him and
thus it
would become a tradition for the community".
Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam did not followed opinions
of people always because his is the final say.The final decision rested
upon him.
49:7 And know that among you is Allah's Apostle: were he in many matters
to follow your (wishes) ye would certainly fall into misfortune: but
Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has made it beautiful in your
hearts and He has made hateful to you unbelief wickedness and rebellion:
such indeed are those who walk in righteousness
8 A grace and favor from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and
Wisdom.
Islam lays great stress on consultation ,this proves that the rule of
the Khalifah can never be like that of a dictator.Consultation and
decision making are to different aspects.And decision making belongs to
Khalifah.
42:38. And those who answer the Call of their Lord [i.e. to believe that
He is the only One Lord (Allâh), and to worship none but Him Alone], and
perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and who (conduct) their affairs by
mutual consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them;
In democracy, the majority opinion is always binding.Islam’s verdict on Shura
is different.
There are three types of Shura, the first individual Shuraa, the
second group Shuraa, and the third public Shuraa.
1) Shura is never considered in Religious beliefs and practises
2) The expert/specialists opinion is taken who are experts in
the field, regardless of the majority or
minority, in matters where an intellectual judgement is required
about some subject which is not already decided by
Quran,Sunnah,Ijma,Qiyas.
3) The opinion of masses is asked in aspects which directly involves
actions .Ex-health,education etc.Here consultation (shura) constitutes the
seeking of views,and the majlis as-shura seeks to arrive at the
definitive view. Only here the issues that are the legitimate concern of the majlis are decided on the basis of the majority opinion, irrespective of
whether it is considered to be correct or not.
In all other matters of
consultation the correct opinion is sought, whether it be a minority or
majority held opinion.If the majority is not pleased which the final decision of Khalifah then they can take the issue to the Judicial court to question
the government on all actions it carries out, to express dissatisfaction
in the governors and assistants to the Khalifah.
Shuraa is no more than a procedure of making decisions. It can thus be
defined as the procedure of making decisions by consultation and
deliberation among those who have an interest in the matter on which a
decision is to be taken, or others who can help them to reach such a
decision.
Shura can include matters like worldly affairs ex: war, politics and
the general interests of the people.
This is because the two verses that have been revealed on the subject of
shura are general in scope i.e ., in the language of Islamic
jurisprudence `Amm. 'Amm may be defined as as a word which applies to
many things,not limited in number, and includes everything to which it
is applicable. This is established by the
linguistic patterns of words and the style of speech and grammar, in the
particular case of shura the verses are general proclamations which are
not specified or limited by other verses of the Qur'an.
Shafi'i expressed in his book Al
Risala, Al-Imam Qurafi is of the same opinion which he expressed in his
book Al Ahkam p79: "If the ruler were a mujtahid
(jurisprudent), he should rule only by the opinion which he believes
outweighs others".
Choosing The
Easiest
The Book Pertaining to the
Excellent Qualities of the Holy Prophet (may Peace be upon them)
and His Companions (Kitab Al-Fada'il)
Muslim :: Book 30 : Hadith 5754
'A'isha reported: Never did Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) make a choice between two things but adopting the easier
one as compared to the difficult one, but his choice for the
easier one was only in case it did not involve any sin, but if
it involved sin he was the one who was the farthest from it
amongst the people.
work in cooperation and mutual
understanding
Judgments (Ahkaam) Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 89 :: Hadith 284
Narrated Abu Burda:
The Prophet sent my father and Mu'adh bin Jabal to Yemen and
said (to them), "Make things easy for the people and do not put
hurdles in their way, and give them glad tiding, and don't let
them have aversion (i.e. to make people to hate good deeds) and
you both should work in cooperation and mutual understanding"
Abu Musa said to Allah's Apostle, "In our country a special
alcoholic drink called Al-Bit', is prepared (for drinking)." The
Prophet said, "Every intoxicant is prohibited. "
The Community is the Source of Power
The Muslims are responsible for the implementation of the Islamic laws.
"O ye who believe stand out firmly for justice..". [Al-Nisa:135];
"O ye who believe fulfill (all) obligations" [
Al-Maida:1];"The believers, men and women, are protectors one of
another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is
evil" [al-Tauba:71]and many other verses place the responsibility of
upholding Islam on the shoulders of the nation, ie.,
the Muslims as a whole.
To discharge this responsibilty the nation, which
possesses the power or authority, selects a leader to
manage the affairs of the nation in accordance with
the Islamic law. The Khalifah is only empowered to
rule by the Muslims giving him bayah, i.e., a pledge
of allegiance, through an offer and acceptance.
Democratic Election
Is Forbidden,Neither is shura a democratic desicion
Choosing the Khalifah
1. By selection (bay'ah) from people of power/influence/nusrah whom the
majority trusts.
2. By nomination from people of power/influence/nusrah whom the majority
trusts or by previous Khalifah.
3. By force if the ruler is unjust and openly profess kufr.
4. By divine text such as Iman mahdi
Abu bakr r.a was chosen by people of power/influence.Omar r.a was
nominated by Abu bakr r.a and elected by council of members.Uthman r.a
was elected, 6 people were asked to choose among themselves. Ali r.a was
elected by few members of power.Abdullah bin zubair by force proclaimed
himself Khalifah against unjust ruler and ruled for few years.Mahdi will
be chosen on divine text as people will verify him with the description
given in hadiths.
Majority voting by the ummah to elect Khilafah is not to be found in
shariah nor is traced back to Islamic history neither any text regarding
present in Quran and Sunnah.In Islam a selected few chooses their leader.Not all people participate
in voting to elect the Khalifah.And that selected few are chosen by the
people,the leader takes decisons with their consultation but he has the
final say in all matters.
In the absence of a Khalifah like our present times,the selected few i.e
people of nusrah/power who are accepted by people choose the khalifah.
In the presence of a Khalifah,he takes majority vote of selected few to
appoint another Khalifah near his death.
In the presence of a leader,to choose the selected few,a leader selects
few people who represent the majority.
If a person give allegiance to a man, as ruler, without
a consultative approval of the Muslims, ala ghayri maShuraati-n min al
muslimeen, then neither he nor the man to whom he gave allegiance should
be followed (Bukhari, al Muharibeen)
Consultation to
choose Khalifah is essential:Quraysh even though they were in minority
decided to rule ,they have that acceptability
Punishment of Disbelievers at War with Allah and His Apostle
Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 82 :: Hadith 817
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
I have been informed that a speaker amongst you says, 'By Allah, if 'Umar
should die, I will give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such
person.' One should not deceive oneself by saying that the pledge of
allegiance given to Abu Bakr was given suddenly and it was successful.
No doubt, it was like that, but Allah saved (the people) from its evil,
and there is none among you who has the qualities of Abu Bakr. Remember
that whoever gives the pledge of allegiance to anybody among you without
consulting the other Muslims, neither that person, nor the person to
whom the pledge of allegiance was given, are to be supported, lest they
both should be killed.
And no doubt after the death of the Prophet we were informed that the
Ansar disagreed with us and gathered in the shed of Bani Sa'da. 'Ali and
Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the emigrants
gathered with Abu Bakr. I said to Abu Bakr, 'Let's go to these Ansari
brothers of ours.' So we set out seeking them, and when we approached
them, two pious men of theirs met us and informed us of the final
decision of the Ansar, and said, 'O group of Muhajirin (emigrants) !
Where are you going?' We replied, 'We are going to these Ansari brothers
of ours.' They said to us, 'You shouldn't go near them. Carry out
whatever we have already decided.' I said, 'By Allah, we will go to
them.' And so we proceeded until we reached them at the shed of Bani
Sa'da. Behold! There was a man sitting amongst them and wrapped in
something. I asked, 'Who is that man?' They said, 'He is Sa'd bin 'Ubada.'
I asked, 'What is wrong with him?' They said, 'He is sick.' After we sat
for a while, the Ansar's speaker said, 'None has the right to be
worshipped but Allah,' and praising Allah as He deserved, he added, 'To
proceed, we are Allah's Ansar (helpers) and the majority of the Muslim
army, while you, the emigrants, are a small group and some people among
you came with the intention of preventing us from practicing this matter
(of caliphate) and depriving us of it.'
When the speaker had finished, I intended to speak as I had prepared a
speech which I liked and which I wanted to deliver in the presence of
Abu Bakr, and I used to avoid provoking him. So, when I wanted to speak,
Abu Bakr said, 'Wait a while.' I disliked to make him angry. So Abu Bakr
himself gave a speech, and he was wiser and more patient than I. By
Allah, he never missed a sentence that I liked in my own prepared
speech, but he said the like of it or better than it spontaneously.
After a pause he said, 'O Ansar! You deserve all (the qualities that you
have attributed to yourselves, but this question (of Caliphate) is only
for the Quraish as they are the best of the Arabs as regards descent and
home, and I am pleased to suggest that you choose either of these two
men, so take the oath of allegiance to either of them as you wish. And
then Abu Bakr held my hand and Abu Ubada bin Abdullah's hand who was
sitting amongst us. I hated nothing of what he had said except that
proposal, for by Allah, I would rather have my neck chopped off as
expiator for a sin than become the ruler of a nation, one of whose
members is Abu Bakr, unless at the time of my death my own-self suggests
something I don't feel at present.'
And then one of the Ansar said, 'I am the pillar on which the camel with
a skin disease (eczema) rubs itself to satisfy the itching (i.e., I am a
noble), and I am as a high class palm tree! O Quraish. There should be
one ruler from us and one from you.'
Then there was a hue and cry among the gathering and their voices rose
so that I was afraid there might be great disagreement, so I said, 'O
Abu Bakr! Hold your hand out.' He held his hand out and I pledged
allegiance to him, and then all the emigrants gave the Pledge of
allegiance and so did the Ansar afterwards. And so we became victorious
over Sa'd bin Ubada (whom Al-Ansar wanted to make a ruler). One of the
Ansar said, 'You have killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' I replied, 'Allah has
killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' Umar added, "By Allah, apart from the great
tragedy that had happened to us (i.e. the death of the Prophet), there
was no greater problem than the allegiance pledged to Abu Bakr because
we were afraid that if we left the people, they might give the Pledge of
allegiance after us to one of their men, in which case we would have
given them our consent for something against our real wish, or would
have opposed them and caused great trouble. So if any person gives the
Pledge of allegiance to somebody (to become a Caliph) without consulting
the other Muslims, then the one he has selected should not be granted
allegiance, lest both of them should be killed."
Lets see whether we have a history of democracy or not.
"The rule is to none but Allah" [6:57] so there is no room for democracy
Caliph/Khalifah representation is the one who has the right to adopt the
divine rules, aimed at protecting the Deen and ruling the world (Dunia)
with it. The establishment of the deen and implementation of the divine
law cannot be achieved unless the Khalifah possesses the authority to do
so.Islam only recognises power in the hands of individual.Be it
Khilafah/caliphate or Kingdom.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5378 Narrated byHudhayfah ibn al-Yaman
An-Nu'man told on Hudhayfah's authority that Allah's Messenger (peace be
upon him) said, "Prophecy will remain among you as long as Allah wishes
it to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a
caliphate according to the manner of prophecy as long as Allah wishes it
to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a
distressful kingdom which will remain as long as Allah wishes it to
remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a proud
kingdom which will remain as long as Allah wishes it to remain, then
Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a caliphate according
to the manner of prophecy." Then he stopped. Habib said: "When Umar ibn
AbdulAziz became caliph I wrote to him, mentioning this tradition to him
and saying, "I hope you will be the commander of the faithful after the
distressful and the proud kingdoms." It pleased and charmed him, i.e.
Umar ibn AbdulAziz."
Ahmad and Bayhaqi, in Dala'il an-Nubuwwah, transmitted it.
*Note:Caliphate according to the manner of prophecy means Khilafah upon
the way of Prophethood.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4590 Narrated byIrbad ibn Sariyah
AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad
ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was
revealed:"Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided
with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you." We
greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain
benefit from you. Al-Irbad said: One day the Apostle of Allah (peace be
upon him) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy
exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A
man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell
exhortation, so what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin
you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian
slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement.
You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs.
Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is
an innovation, and every innovation is an error.
Again rule of a single man i.e king is mentioned.
2:246. Have you not thought about the group of the Children of Israel
after (the time of) Musâ (Moses)? When they said to a Prophet of theirs,
"Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allâh's Way." He said,
"Would you then refrain from fighting, if fighting was prescribed for
you?" They said, "Why should we not fight in Allâh's Way while we have
been driven out of our homes and our children (families have been taken
as captives)?" But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away,
all except a few of them. And Allâh is All-Aware of the Zâliműn
(polytheists and wrong-doers).
247. And their Prophet (Samuel ) said to them, "Indeed Allâh has
appointed Talűt (Saul) as a king over you." They said, "How can he be a
king over us when we are better fitted than him for the kingdom, and he
has not been given enough wealth." He said: "Verily, Allâh has chosen
him above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature.
And Allâh grants His Kingdom to whom He wills. And Allâh is
All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower."
Shura is not democratic government,it is only consultaion
irrespective of minority or majority opinion
Al-Tirmidhi
HadithHadith 5368 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "When your commanders are
your best people, your rich men are your generous people and your
affairs are conducted by mutual consultation, the surface of the earth
will be better for you that its interior. But when your commanders are
your worst people, your rich men are your niggardly people and your
affairs are in the hands of your women, the interior of the earth will
be the better for you than its surface."
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.
Muslims are a single ummah/nation ,not the ummah of majority.
2:143 Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be
witnesses over the nations and the Apostle a witness over yourselves;
and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used only to test those
who followed the Apostle from those who would turn on their heels (from
the faith). Indeed it was (a change) momentous except to those guided by
Allah. And never would Allah make your faith of no effect. For Allah is
to all people most surely full of kindness Most Merciful.
Lets see what is rest of the rule remaining?Everything is included in
above categories only in broader sense.In depth what goes into the hands
of majority is as follows.
1.Religious-building mosques,religious instituations will go into the
hands of the majority.
2.Social laws-cultural influence depending upon the majority
view,educational benefits,hostitals,allowances to weak members of the
society will go into the hands of the majority.
3.economically -increase in privatisation,utility of Zakat
money,bussiness transactions,industrial management,apropriate
distribution of wealth,jobs will go into the hands of the majority
4.Foreign policies will effect,according to the likes and dislikes of
majority foreign trade will run,majority's verdict on Jihad,involvement
of majority on security issues will go into the hands of the majority.
If all these goes into the hands of majority then who will take care of
minority?Who will speak on behalf of minority?
With this division will appear amongst muslims .A division of
deprivity.Unjust means mainly for worldy gains .The ruler will have no
power,but will be mere puppet of majority.Islam does not recognises
majority as head,leader or leading force.Too many chefs spoil the broth.
If Majority becomes the decision makers then larger nations and larger
tribes will make decisions depriving the rights of smaller ones .This
may lead to despising eachother.
49:13 O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a
female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other
(not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in
the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah
has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
Consultation in Matters of governance
The prophet or the Caliph has two groups of advisors,Its their choice to
accept or reject their advices.So the ultimate head is the Prophet
[peace be upon him ]after his death its the Khalifahs/Caliphs.This shuns
the majority rule theory.
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 9.306 Narrated byAbu Said Al Khudri
The Prophet said, "Allah never sends a prophet or gives the Caliphate to
a Caliph but that he (the prophet or the Caliph) has two groups of
advisors: A group advising him to do good and exhorts him to do it, and
the other group advising him to do evil and exhorts him to do it. But
the protected person
(against such evil advisors) is the one protected by Allah."
Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam's Consultation
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) consulted with the majority
of the people of Madina in the question of leaving Madina to fight the
enemies at Uhud. He said to the people of Madina "Give me your
suggestions". He wanted to know from them whether they wanted to fight
the enemy inside or outside the city of Madina.
This consultation can be with the masses or representatives of the
masses. The Prophet (SAW)consulted the two Sa'ads, Sa'ad bin Mu'az and
Sa'ad bin Ubadah in connection with the compromise with the tribe of
Ghatfan in return for one third of the fruit crops of Madina, on
condition that they would retreat from fighting against the Muslims in
the battle of the Ditch. The two said, "If it is an order from the
heavens, please comply with it. If it is a matter in which you you are
not ordered by Allah, and you wish it so, we obey you. But if it is an
opinion, then they have nothing from us except the sword. The Prophet
(SAW) accepted their opinion and abandoned the topic of compromise with
Ghatfan. The two Sa'ad's were the leaders of their people, being the
chiefs of the Ansar.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) consulted
with the majority of the people of Madina in the question of leaving
Madina to fight the enemies at Uhud. He said to the people of Madina
"Give me your suggestions". He wanted to know from them whether they
wanted to fight the enemy inside or outside the city of Madina.
This consultation can be with the masses or representatives of the
masses. The Prophet (SAW) consulted the two Sa'ads, Sa'ad bin Mu'az and
Sa'ad
bin Ubadah in connection with the compromise with the tribe of Ghatfan
in return for one third of the fruit crops of Madina, on condition that
they would retreat
from fighting against the Muslims in the battle of the Ditch. The two
said, "If it is an order from the heavens, please comply with it. If it
is a matter in
which you you are not ordered by Allah, and you wish it so, we obey you.
But if it is an opinion, then they have nothing from us except the
sword. The Prophet
(SAW) accepted their opinion and abandoned the topic of compromise with
Ghatfan. The two Sa'ad's were the leaders of their people, being the
chiefs of the
Ansar.
Al-Qurtabi in his tafseer
of the Qur'an comments: "It is the duty of the rulers to consult the
scholars on matters not known to them and in religious matters not
clear to them, to consult the leaders of the army in matters related to
war, and leaders of the people in matters related to administration. The
teachers,ministers and governors in matters related to the welfare of the country
and its development".During the preparation for the battle of Badr, the
Prophet (pbuh) consulted with the military expert Habaab al Mundhir.
Follow the three generations.
The Book Pertaining to the Merits of the Companions (Allah Be Pleased
With Them) of the Holy Prophet (May Peace Be Upon Him) (Kitab Al-Fada'il
Al-Sahabah)
Muslim :: Book 31 : Hadith 6159
'A'isha reported that a person asked Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) as to who amongst the people were the best. He said: Of the
generation to which I belong, then of the second generation (generation
adjacent to my generation), then of the third generation (generation
adjacent to the second generation).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to consult
the elders of the Muhaajiroon (immigrants) firstly. Then he would
consult the Ansar, followed by the elders of Quraysh, in this exact
order. If one of these groups agreed on something he would carry it out
because the final say would be carried out by Khalifah Umar r.a .
One-fifth of Booty to the
Cause of Allah (Khumus) Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 53 :: Hadith 386
Narrated Jubair bin Haiya:
'Umar sent the Muslims to the great countries to fight the pagans. When
Al-Hurmuzan embraced Islam, 'Umar said to him. "I would like to consult
you regarding these countries which I intend to invade." Al-Hurmuzan
said, "Yes, the example of these countries and their inhabitants who are
the enemies. of the Muslims, is like a bird with a head, two wings and
two legs; If one of its wings got broken, it would get up over its two
legs, with one wing and the head; and if the other wing got broken, it
would get up with two legs and a head, but if its head got destroyed,
then the two legs, two wings and the head would become useless.
..............excerpts ends.
Umar b. Al-Khattab (ra) consulted the Muslims regarding the
newly conquered lands of Iraq, whether they should be divided
amongst the Muslims as booty, or left in the hands of its people
subject to payment of Kharaj. Bilal (ra), Abdur Rahman (ra) and
Az-Zubayr (ra) thought that the land should be divided in the
same way that the Prophet (saw) divided the land of Khaybar as
booty. Umar, however, made Ijtihad upon some ayat in Surah al
Hashr to deduce that the land should be Kharaji land. once Umar
heard the views and was convinced with his own Ijtihad in
preference to that of the majority, he rejected all other
opinions and followed his own expert understanding of the text.
During Umar’s
Khilafah, he consulted the Sahabah on many issues related
to understanding the rules of Islam for new situations, and he
adopted the strongest opinion and never the majority opinion.
The general consensus of the Sahabah upon this makes it clear
that the Khaleefah can consult until he finds the strongest
opinion. It is the Khaleefah who decides which is correct and no
one else.
The Prophet (saw) followed the opinion of a single expert, Habab
bin Munthir (ra), over the selection of the place of the Battle
of Badr. It was narrated in the Seerah of Ibnu Hisham that,
“when he (saw) camped at the near side of the water of Badr, Al-Habab
b. Al-Munthir was not happy with this place. He said to the
Messenger (saw), ‘O Messenger of Allah! Did Allah make you camp
in this place where we can’t depart from it, or is it the
opinion of war and strategy?’ He (saw) said, ‘It is rather the
opinion of war and strategy.’ Al Habab b. al-Munthir said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah, this is not the (right) place. Move the
people till we come to the side of the water near to the people
(enemy), we camp there...’ The Messenger (saw) said, ‘You gave
the right opinion.’” Here, the Prophet (saw) followed the
opinion of a single expert without asking for the majority view.
When a correct judgement on a subject, whether technical or
Shari’ah, is required it is the correct opinion and not the
majority that is followed. only one man, the Khaleefah, has
the right to decide which is correct. The ayah of consultation
continues:
“...When you decided (azamta), put your trust in Allah” [TMQ
Al-‘Imran: 159].
This indicates that the final decision is with ruler and not
with the people. This is because the verb “to decide” used in
the text is “azamta” which means you (singular) decided. If the
decision had been for the people then the verb would have been
in the form “azamtum” meaning you plural. Again, it is seen that
Shura and democracy are not the same.
Prescribed Punishments (Kitab
Al-Hudud) Dawud :: Book 38 : Hadith 4385 Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
Ibn Abbas said: A lunatic woman who had committed adultery was brought
to Umar. He consulted the people and ordered that she should be stoned.
Ali ibn AbuTalib passed by and said: What is the matter with this
(woman)? They said: This is a lunatic woman belonging to a certain
family. She has committed adultery. Umar has given orders that she
should be stoned. He said: Take her back. He then came to him and said:
Commander of the Faithful, do you not know that there are three people
whose actions are not recorded: a lunatic till he is restored to reason,
a sleeper till he awakes, and a boy till he reaches puberty?
He said: Yes. He then asked: Why is it that this woman is being stoned?
He said: There is nothing. He then said: Let her go. He (Umar) let her
go and began to utter: Allah is most great.
After matters are resolved by the authoritarians,obey
the commandments.
47:21. Obedience (to Allâh) and good words (were better for them). And
when the matter (preparation for Jihâd) is resolved on, then if they had
been true to Allâh, it would have been better for them.
People Must Obey the authority,Its not authority that obeys the
people.All obedience is in that which is right.
Obey authority and that authoritarions which
are under the Khalifah
4;59. O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad
SAW), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you
differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His
Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is
better and more suitable for final determination.
4:83"When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or
fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Apostle, or
to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators
would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and
Mercy of God unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the
clutches of Satan.
[And let there be a people among you who invite to good and enjoin what
is fair, and forbid what is wrong] (Aal `Imran 3:104).
Sole Head as Khalifah
Abu Bakr addressed the congregation in the following terms: "O people, I
swear by Allah that I never coveted the caliphate either by day or by
night, nor had I any inclination towards it. I never prayed to God
openly or in secrecy to confer the office on me. I merely accepted this
office lest some mischief might arise at this critical juncture in the
history of the Muslims and thereby adversely affect the interests of
Islam. In fact a big task has been assigned to me which is beyond my
power to fulfil except with the help of the Almighty Allah and your
whole hearted cooperation. I wished to see the strongest of men in my
place this day. Now, it is beyond doubt that I have been elected your
Amir, although I am not better than you. Help me, if I am in the right;
set me right if I am in the wrong. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a
treason. The weak among you will be strong with me till, God willing,
his rights have been vindicated; and the strong among you shall be weak
with me till, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from him. Obey
me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet, when I disobey Him and His
Prophet, then obey me not. And now rise for prayers; may God have mercy
on you."
Umar Inargural address r.a
"O ye faithful! Abu Bakr is no more amongst us. After having led us for
about two years, he has returned to His Maker. He has the satisfaction
that he has successfully piloted the ship of the Muslim state to safety
after negotiating the stormy sea. He successfully waged the apostasy
wars, and thanks to him, Islam is now supreme in Arabia. Islam is now on
the move and we are carrying Jihad in the name of Allah against the
mighty empires of Byzantine and Persia.
After Abu Bakr, the mantle of Khilafat has fallen on my shoulders. I
swear it before God that I never coveted this office. I wished that it
would have devolved on some other person more worthy than me. But now
that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims
has come to vest in me, I assure you that I will not run away from my
post, and will make an earnest effort to discharge the onerous duties of
the office to the best of my capacity in accordance with the injunctions
of Islam.
In the performance of my duties, I will seek guidance from the Holy
Book, and will follow the examples set by the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr.
In this task I seek your assistance. If I follow the right path, follow
me. If I deviate from the right path, correct me so that we are not led
astray.
Now brothers I offer a few prayers and you say Amen to them.
O Allah I am hard, make me soft to promote the Truth, to comply with
your injunctions and to aspire to a better life in the world hereafter.
O Allah make me hard for the enemies of Islam and for those who create
mischief so that their desigus against Allah come to naught.
O Allah I am miser; make me generous in the promotion of the good.
O Allah save me from hypocrisy. Strengthen my resolves so that whatever
I do, I do for the sake of winning Your approbation.
O Allah soften my heart for the faithful so that I attend to their needs
with a sense of dedication.
O Allah, I am careless, make me responsible enough so that I do not lose
sight of You.
O Allah I am weak in offering my obedience to You; make me active and
fortify my faith.
O Allah bestow on me faith, and the power to do good.
O Allah give me the power of self-criticism and self assessment.
O Allah bestow on me the insight into the meaning of the Quran and the
strength to act in accordance with what the Quran says.
O Allah You are capable of doing anything: bless us with Your favor.
Amen."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 6.8 Narrated byIbn Abbas
Umar said, "Our best Qur'an reciter is Ubai and our best judge is 'Ali;
and in spite of this, we leave some of the statements of Ubai because
Ubai says, 'I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah's
Apostle while Allah said:
"Whatever verse (Revelations) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten
but We bring a better one or similar to it." ' " (2.106)
Inaugural address of Uthman r.a
After election, Uthman took his stand on the pulpit and addressed the
congregation. He glorified God and His Prophet, and then talked of the
transitoriness of the world. He wanted the people to do good deeds which
might stand them in good stead in the next world. He said that he was
conscious of his limitations but he would do his best to serve Islam and
the people. Then overwhelmed by emotions, Uthman broke down and could
not complete his address. He said:
"O people, it is not easy to manage a new horse. If God willing I live,
there will be several other occasions to talk to you. Right now I cannot
address you. You know that I am not good at making public speeches".
Inaugural address Address of Ali r.a
After his election, Ali addressed the people. He said that he had no
intention to accept the office of the Caliph, but as the office had been
forced on him he would do his best to discharge the duties of the office
according to the commandments of God and the traditions of the Holy
Prophet. He pointed out that a generation had passed since the demise of
the Holy Prophet, and during this period the Muslim polity had come to
be plagued with dissension and discord. He observed the events that had
culminated in the assassination of Othman were most deplorable and
regrettable. He said that it would be his endeavor to purge Islam of all
the evils from which had come to suffer in the past. He made it clear
that towards this end he would have to administer law and order with a
stern hand. He warned all concerned that he would tolerate no sedition
and found guilty of subversive activities would be dealt with harshly.
He advised the people to mend their ways and behave as true Muslims. Ali
was not the man to mince words. He felt disgusted with the state of
political affairs and spoke in strong bitter terms.
"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses
to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents,
or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to
both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest
you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse
to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever WellAcquainted with what you
do." (The Holy Qur'an 4:135)
The Usmania Sultan was a leader in guarding the rights of people
of all religions. It was the Usmania Sultan Bayaseed II, who
gave shelter to the Jews thrown out of Spain in 1492. 30 percent
of the Istanbul population was Jew during the seventeenth
centaury. The Jews were not the oppressed in Istanbul; they
chose to live in a Muslim nation. The Jews and the Christians
enjoyed top positions during the Usmania government. Similarly
the Moguls enjoyed good relations with people of other faiths.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 3696 Narrated byAn-Nawwas ibn Sam'an
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "A creature is not to be
obeyed when it involves disobedience to the Creator."
It is transmitted in Sharh as-Sunnah.
Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 89 :: Hadith 311
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
I gave the Pledge of allegiance to the Prophet that I would listen and
obey, and he told me to add: 'As much as I can, and will give good
advice to every Muslim.'
Allah Knows Best
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