Politics in Islam II

The topic of Politics in Islam is often ends up in complex dialogues of Islamic apologetics where the main purpose seems to fall in defending Islam and proving how Islam and democracy are compatible. I have decided to approach it this time with a slightly different approach, since I don’t feel any need to either apologize or justify my religion or justify its position within politics.

“The Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was a politician as well as the messenger conveying the risalah, murabbi - teacher, Qadi - Chief Justice, Head of the nation and Imam of the ummah. The Khulafa' al Rasyidun - the rightly guided leaders who succeeded him were also politicians following the Sunnah - way of the Prophet, establishing just administration, practising ihsan - the betterment of good and providing the leadership of 'ilm - knowledge and Iman - belief.” Fiqh al-Dawlah, Yusuf al Qaradawi
This is where I begin and end my assertion that Islam and Politics is inseparable, as Islam is a complete and functional system of life. To consider that we should deviate from such practice is tantamount to an act of disbelief, because the only purpose to deviate from the standard and accepted practice of our Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliph’s after him is because one believes that Islam is somehow incomplete or fallible.

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” Surah Al Maeda (5:3)

The synthesis of spirituality and government is built upon the foundation of Tawhid, the unity of Allah. Tawhid, the cornerstone of Islam lays down the ideology of unity, not just in the unity of Allah but the unity within life itself. The fact is that we cannot break apart and compartmentalize the aspects of our lives, because those different aspects are what make us up as a whole. Once we accept this fundamental belief, and truly understand its implication, it is impossible to see Islam as anything other than the most central principle of their lives, that which is inseparable from all else, and that which brings together all other aspects to make the whole.

Islam has laws to govern economics, social justice and even war. As mentioned earlier, the concept of Tawhid, present the idea of unity, and this idea lets us understand that we cannot neglect our spiritual side while functioning in the physical side. We must make sure our whole being is being represented by those who govern us, not just one aspect of who we are. Alama Iqbal once wrote “Take religion (morality) away from politics and you have despotism,for religion is the source of all morality, individual and collective.”

It is easy to be caught up in today’s era of apologetic dialogue, to be drawn into the false perception of today’s governments, I understand this, but it takes a truly dutiful person, to not only recognize the superiority of Islam over all else, but to adhere to the very foundations of what Islam gives us and follow the examples set before us by some of the greatest men in history. We have the ideal model put forth in straightforward, and easy to understand examples from our Prophet (SAW) as revealed by Allah, and in his companions, the Rightly guided Caliph who came after him, it is now up to us to follow these examples, and stop making excuses.