- Islam remains incomplete without an Islamic state. A state without Islam is brutalism.
- An Islamic state must cater for both material and ethical needs of its citizens.
- ‘Deen and Dunya’ meaning the religious and worldly affairs are both one and the same thing in the sight of Islam. Islam encompasses the smallest problem all the way up to the government. Some extremists either make the religion too worldly while others totally cut off from this worldly life.
- The worldly success of Pharoah and Namrood were different from the worldly successes of the companions. The foundations of the worldly success of the companions were the principles of spiritual and character development which are developed through prayer, fasting, purification, charity, pilgrimage etc.
- True Islam means totally soaking yourself into Islam. It doesn’t mean simply believing. After believing one cannot make his own rules for practical and social life. Accepting Islam only means one enters the boundaries of Islam. The previous sentence means that once you accept Islam, you have simply walked into the boundary of Islam.
- Govermental force deters what the Qur’an doesn’t. This is because people fear apparent loss more than they fear Allah.
- How can one system survive under another system? (How can Islam thrive under another system of life?)
- Islam should not be moulded according to the surroundings. The surroundings should be moulded according to Islam.
- In an Islamic government, Allah is the sole ruler and the sole law-giver. The government only executes.
- A single God will empower us, free us to express ourselves, grow and develop. Taking multiple gods will diminish our creativity.
- Any ruler of an Islamic state is a representative, a caliph, an ambassador, only to follow and execute Allah’s commands.
- Qur’an declares the segregation of ‘deen and dunya’ (the religious and worldly affairs) as a major corruption.
- Hierarchy of obedience: First Allah, second the Messenger, and the thirdly the Muslim ruler, but the third entity is only to be obeyed in goodness.
- Caliph / Khalifah: to come after, or an ambassador, a representative or a person exercising delegated powers.
- A religious nation and a geographical nation cannot co-exist in a single heart.
- Arguments against nationalism (except Islamic nationalism):
a. An ancestry-based nation fails since we all go back to the same father, Prophet Adam.
b. A Geographical nation fails since geographical divisions are all imaginary lines. The whole earth is ours.
c. Linguistic nation: people of different languages can believe the same thing while people of the same language can believe different things
d. Skin colour doesn’t matter since we drink cow milk, whether the cow is white or black. What matters is what’s on the inside.
e. Economical division has shown its failure in the western world.
f. Governance division fails since forcing people fails when grip loosens. - Muslims are not a racial ‘nation’. Rather, the Muslims are a ‘party’ with a belief, methodology and a mission.
- General Sunnah was always known. However, the specifics were collected over 400 years. (I, Basil say that now the computer age has allowed for this sunnah to be spread everywhere)
- Sources of Islamic Legislative Law: Qur’an, Sunnah, the way of the rightly guided caliphs and the scholars who do ijtihad.
- Problems in formulating modern law:
a. lack of knowledge of Arabic and terminology
b. lack of knowing old literature
c. no knowledge since religious people are unaware of sciences and the worldly people are unaware of religion)
d. drawing conclusions without knowledge. - To improve or criticize, you must know the current system, history and have knowledge.
- Foundations of an Islamic state:
a. Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone, we are only representatives.
b. State can only operate within Allah’s laws.
c. There are limitations of legislature, executive and judiciary.
d. Purpose of an Islamic state: enforce good and stop evil.
e. Heads should be selected through public elections because previously during prophetic and rightly guided caliphate, trusted people were chosen. Now, proper electoral process can be used (Basil says that even now trusted people can be known)
f. Principles: 1. head is to be chose through public representation, should face the public and is answerable to them. 2. Get rid of party system which collects public money and followers and does whatever it wishes with the support of these followers. 3. Don’t form a government such that workers find it difficult to work, auditors find it difficult to audit, and it becomes difficult identify the mischief-makers. 4. Most important: chose your leaders and advisors those who are the best of Muslims. Who posses the maximum traits of a believer.
g. Traits of a leader: (common traits for all) Muslim, man, rational and mature, citizen of the Islamic state. (specific traits) responsible, trustworthy, knowledgeable, physically fit, remembers Allah, most honorable amongst you, avoids innovation, most God-fearing, avoid one who desires leadership, (I Basil say also strong (qavy) both knowledge-wise and physically and trustworthy (ameen))
Note: a desirer for rulership can be ruled out, but for these other traits, they can be announced before each election for public awareness.
h. Muslims born in or migrated to Islamic State as its citizens can take important positions and are fully responsible. But non-Muslims who are born or migrated to the Islamic state are not fully responsible for defense etc.
i. Rights of Citizens: protections of blood, property and respect; personal freedom; freedom of opinion and methodology; should be provided basic provisions.
j. Rights of the government over the citizens: right of obedience; right of loyalty and cooperation - Foundations of the Islamic Legislation:
1. Allah is the sole sovereign.
2. Sunnah
3. rulers are vicegerents, not rulers. The system of viceregency is popular viceregency.
4. Take free opinion in public matters.
5. Select righteous people, not those wanting governance.
6. Women shouldn’t lead.
7. Purpose of government: establish prayer system, zakat system, enforce good, stop evil.
8. Rulers should be Muslims. Ultimate judge is the Qur’an and sunnah. Even legislature, executive and judiciary should be called to the Qur’an and sunnah during a dispute.
9. Basic rights (blood, money, respect) should be for all. People should be judged after sound proof is provided. There should be equal justice for all (rich and poor).
10. social welfare, especially for the needy (helpless) - Prophetic Era of Governance:
1. Law of Allah prevailed.
2. Justice between people (equal for all).
3. Muslims were equal.
4. Governance was a responsibility.
5. Shoora (taking opinions).
6. Obedience only in righteousness.
7. Not seeking governance.
8. Purpose of state (prayer, zakat, goodness, evil)
9. Each person spread good and stopped evil. - Caliphate Era of Governance:
1. Caliphs were elected.
2. Shoora. (consultation, taking opinions)
3. The state treasury was an amanat (a trust, not a luxury stall).
4. Governance was a responsibility.
5. Law was equal for all.
6. There was a system pure from biases (asbiat).
7. There was pure democratic spirit (freedom of expression of opinion etc.) - Ijtihad and laws to be made within limits of the Qur’an and the sunnah. Judge made laws are not laws. They are only for that judgment. Laws are made when majority accepts through shoora or ijma.
- If law is silent regarding a matter of worship, you don’t do anything. But if a law is silent regarding worldly interactions (maamlaat), you can do anything (anything right)
- Qur’an then sunnah then ijma then qiyaas.
- To follow law in any society, we need:
1. law-abiding society.
2. law-knowing/imposing people in large numbers.
3. a strong judiciary.
4. an ultimate institute solving problems and giving laws. - In Islam: Allah is sovereign; no priesthood; Allah and the Prophet (pbuh) is the final authority; leader is elected by public majority (or majority of trusted people).
In Western Theocracy: God is legal sovereign; there is priesthood; priest is the final authority. In Western Democracy: Majority is authority; leader is elected by majority. - 3 types of zimmis (and their rights): 1. Contracted (rights are according to the contract) 2. Conquered (their rights are according to the Qur’an and sunnah) 3. neither 1 or 2 (their rights are minimum according to 2.
- The main reason why it is difficult to establish an Islamic state is our brain-washed educated people whose wrong ideas from their education are brought into them through the colonizers.
- The caliphate given to all the Muslims is concentrated into a single Muslim person for organizational affairs. This single Muslim person is the caliph.
- Non-Muslims have all the rights but cannot take pivotal, decisive positions in an Islamic state.
- Human Rights in Islam (an overlook):
1. life.
2. protecting the weak
3. respecting women.
4. providing minimum to all.
5. justice.
6. cooperate for good, not for bad.
7. equality.
8. right to avoid evil acts.
9. not obeying an evil person.
10. political activism.
11. freedom.
12. ownership/ protection of wealth.
13. protecting respect.
14. privacy.
15. right to protest against oppression.
16. freedom of expression.
17. freedom of belief.
18. protection against attack on religious ideas.
19. right to assemble.
20. not responsible for the actions of others.
21. no trial on doubts. - Non-Muslims have luxurious rights in an Islamic state (against jizya) but can’t take vital positions.
- Islam is social justice. It doesn’t give unrestricted freedom to individual, nor does it give complete power to authority(society). This is the idea of individualism vs. communism. Only Allah knows us best and the best balance between individual and community and so only He can give the best solution.
- Guiding Principles for an Islamic state:
1. The purpose of such a government is the establishment of prayer, zakat, spreading good and stopping evil.
2. There are no compulsions (in accepting Islam)
3. consensus and consultation.
4. justice and welfare
5. rules for appointing leaders
6. rules for defense and peace
7. the 10 commandments which include commands for society, politics and education.
8. citizen and foreign policy. - An Islamic state is an ideological state and not a national, color, race etc. based state.
- Prophet Yusuf took a position in a non-Islamic state because it was the easier method to bring the Islamic system (and he wasn’t stopped from preaching) but Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took the long method for he couldn’t take the non-Islamic state (rather, he was stopped from preaching). Thus, the story of Prophet Yusuf cannot be taken as an evidence to work for the disbelievers unless there is some good for it for the Muslims.
Highlights from ‘The Islamic State’ (Islami Riyasat) by Syed Abu Al’Ala Maududi | A Motivation for people to read the actual book
Motivation For Muslims 