The Concept of State in Islam

Abstract

The state in Islam is founded on certain principles which, according tothe faith of a Muslim, are laid down in the Qur’an and Sunnah of the HolyProphet. The first principle is that all authority in the universe vests inAllah, Who is the Omnipotent and Omnipresent Creater of the universe.Thus, according to a Muslim’s faith Allah alone must be obeyed to theexclusion of all others, and obedience may be rendered to man only underAllah’s command in the case of the Prophets whereunder renderingobedience is in fact to Allah and not to human beings. The secondprinciple is that the law has already been laid down by Allah in the formof commands of what is good and what is evil, in the Qur’an, which is thepure word of Allah whereas Sunnah of the Holy Prophet is theauthoritative exposition of the Qur’an. These commands have been sentin the form of revelation from time to time to the Prophets for theguidance of mankind, the last being the Holy Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) through whom the faith had been completed andperfkcted in the Qur’an. Allah has already placed in the nature of manthe knowledge of good and evil and has furhter clarified the distinctionbetween good and evil in the Qur’an. Thus, the law of Allah, properlycalled, consists of Awumar and Nawuhi (the positive and negativeinjunctions of the Qur’an) and it is on this basis that according to aMuslim’s faith all legislation has already been made by Allah and everyMuslim is enjoined to promote good and to suppress evil.In the Qur’an no mode of lite is prescribed for a politically andeconomically subjugated Muslim community. In Sura 4: Verse 59 theMuslims are commanded to obey Allah, to obey the Holy Prophet andthose having authority over them, who are from amongst them.Consequently, a Muslim is to render obedience firstly to Allah, then tothe Holy Prophet, lastly to those members of the Muslim comminity whocommand authority over him provided that they are acting only inexecution of the commands of Allah and the Holy Prophet. So, it isevident that rendering obedience to those who command authority over ...