No Place for Authoritarian Rule in Islam

No Place for Authoritarian Rule in Islam

According to the Quran, Allah imposed three main limits or restrictions on the Authority of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  The limit to his legislative authority was that he could not make unlawful anything which Allah has made lawful[1]. The limit to his judicial authority was that he had to judge all matters in the light of Allah’s revelation (i.e. the Quran)[2]. The limit to his executive authority was that he was to decide all public matters in consultation with the believers[3]. It is clear from this that there is no place for Authoritarian Rule in Islam.



[1] Al-Quran Surah 66: Verse 1

[2] Al-Quran Surah 5: Verse 44, 45, 47, 48

[3] Al-Quran Surah 3: Verse 159

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