All mankind were once one single community (ummah); [then they began to differ -] whereupon God raised up the prophets as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, and through them bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, so that it might decide between people with regard to all on which they had come to hold divergent views. Yet even after all evidence of the truth had come unto them, some people continued to disagree out of selfish…
According to the Quran, the believers in the Islamic Ideology and belief system are a single brotherhood[1]. Being a single Muslim Community (ummatan Muslimatun)[2], they are all believers in one God and are obliged to submit to the Ultimate source of Law given by the Almighty in the Quran. All this necessitates their political and economic union in the comity of nations of the world. Currently, the Muslim Community in the world is divided into 57 independent sovereign states, with…
The term ‘Salat’ has been used in the Quran not only to refer to a ritual (prayer)[1] to commemorate Allah’s Guidance individually[2] and collectively[3] and in the consultative assemblies and conferences of the Muslims[4] but it also refers to a just socio-economic order that must be established if the Muslims have their own sovereign State[5]. During the independence movement in India at the dawn of the 20th century, the Muslim scholars were clearly divided into two main camps. Those who…
Three things which are particularly mentioned in the Quran as unchangeable or immutable or for which there can be no substitute are: (1) Kalimaat-i-Allah (i.e. Allah’s words, precepts, or laws given in the Quran)[1], (2) Sunnat-i-Allah (i.e. Allah’s laws in the universe or nature or His laws about the rise and fall of people or nations)[2], and (3) Khalq-i-Allah (i.e. Allah’s way of making things whereby He has endowed every creation with a certain nature or constitution)[3]. The idea of…
In Islam, the state is a unity and there is no distinction or dualism of the masjid and the state. During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and his four rightly guided successors, the church/masjid and the state were not separate entities with separate authorities. Masjid had a multi-faceted role including an office of the head of the state, a place of meetings of the cabinet/council as well as meetings with foreign delegates, and a community centre. There is…
Accountability is one of the core creeds of Islam. The Quran says, if anyone does an atom’s weight of good shall see it in Allah’s court, and if anyone does an atom’s weight of evil shall also see it[1]. However, any bearer of burden (of responsibility & accountability) shall not bear anyone else’s burden[2]. The Prophet (s.a.w) is reported to have said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you is answerable with regard to his…
The Quran does not explicitly give any specific composition of the electorate or any specific electoral process for electing the Chief Executive or Head of the Islamic State. However, it has alluded to various criteria for the candidate[1] and has enjoined to incorporate the ‘consultation among the Muslim community’[2] in the appointment process. Moreover, the Quran has not given any fixed method of consultation, and this may vary depending on time and circumstances as is evident from the early history…