The nature of the Islamic rule

The nature of the Islamic rule, who would be the ruler and to whom the power of issuing the rules belongs. The rule is the sovereignty, the authority, the guardianship and the government; in other words it is the authority that executes the rules, manages people's affairs and looks after their interests. The Islamic rule is the authority that runs people's affairs and looks after their interest according to the Islamic Sharia'a rules; this is so because the existence of the rule and the authority is based on the viewpoint about life, and this viewpoint is represented in the Islamic Aqeeda and what emanates from this Aqeeda has been built upon this Aqeeda in terms of Sharia'a rules; in other words, life is created by a Creator, and the human must conduct his or her actions according to the commands and prohibitions of Allah (swt).

Therefore, the principle on which the rule is based is the Islamic Aqeeda, and the management of people's affairs and the looking after their interests is conducted according to the Sharia'a rules. Since Islam is an ideology based on an Aqeeda from which emanates a system that deals with all life's affairs, the rule - which represents the authority that implements the rules and runs people's affairs - would then form part of its rules that it has brought. The obligation for its implementation is reflected in the Qur'anic verses which command the rule by what Allah (Swt) has revealed and the verses of legislation which Allah (swt) has ordered their implementation.

Allah (swt) says: " So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desire, diverging away from the truth that has come to you " [TMQ 5:48]

Allah (swt) says: " And so judge between them by what Allah has revealed and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn you far away from some of that which Allah has sent down to you " [TMQ 5:49]

Allah (swt) says: " But no by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them " [TMQ 4:65]

Allah (swt) says: " And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers " [TMQ 5:44]

These verses among many others related to the rule clearly indicate this obligation. There are verse related to the political legislation, others to the war legislation, the penal legislation, the civil legislation and the social legislation; they have all been revealed to be implemented and executed. These verses have been practically implemented during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Khulafah Al-Rashideen, as well as those Muslim rulers who succeeded them, which indicates clearly that the rule, which represents the authority that executes the rules and runs people's affair, is in fact part of Islam; this also indicates that it will not be considered Islamic unless the running of people's affairs and the realising of their interest are conducted according to the Islamic system and rules. The obligation of the rules by what Allah (swt) revealed from these systems and legislation, necessitates the establishment of an authority that would implement these systems, legislations and laws; it is the authority of guardianship and government. This is reflected in Allah (swt) saying:

" O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you " [TMQ 4:59]

" If only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority among them " [TMQ 4:83]

This is as far as the Islamic rule is concerned. As for who has the right to issue such rules, i.e. who is the ruler, this is very vital, for the knowledge of the rule and its type depends on the knowledge of the rules. However, the ruler here does not mean the one who has the authority or the one who executes every rule with the help of the powers invested in his person, but the one who has the power to initiate the rule concerning things and actions, and who has the power to initiate the rules that deal with people's problems. Thus, to whom belongs the sovereignty? Is it the Sharia'a or is it Man? Islam has confined the sovereignty to Allah (swt), i.e. it has confined the initiation of the rules upon actions and things, and the initiation of rules concerning the running of people's affairs to the Sharia'a. Islam has also obliged the Muslims to abide by the Revelation, and forbidden them from abiding by other than that which has been revealed.

Allah (swt) says:

"It is not for a believer, man or women, when Allah and His Messenger has decreed a matter that they should have any opinion in their decision" [TMQ 33:36]

" The command rests only with Allah. In Him I put my trust " [TMQ 12:67]

" The command rests with none but Allah. He declares the Truth
and He is the best of Judges " [TMQ 6:57]

" And whatever the Messenger brought take it, and whatever
he forbade you abstain from it " [TMQ 59:7]

" The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded
that you worship none but Him " [TMQ 12:40]

" Surely, His is the judgement and He is the
Swiftest in taking account " [TMQ 6:62]

According to Muhammad (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him):

" He who innovates something in this matter of ours,
which is not of it, is rejected " [Bukhari, Muslim]

" Every action not based on our instruction is rejected " [Muslim]

" Truly, Allah has decreed some obligations, so do not neglect them, and He has forbidden certain matters, so do not perpetrate them, and He established some boundaries, so do not violate them "

There are many other verses and Ahadith that confine the initiation of rules to the Sharia'a and which forbids the Muslims to adopt anything or execute any rule that is not brought by the Sharia'a. Therefore, it is Allah (swt) who legislates the rules and not the Khalifah; and it is He (swt) who obliges people and the Khalifah to abide by these rules in their relationships and their actions, and who confined them to follow these rules to the exclusion of all others. Therefore, it is not fitting for humans to lay down any rules in order to govern people's affairs with, nor is it fitting for the Khalifah or any other ruler, to either oblige people or give them a choice in following tenets, systems and rules laid down by humans. Allah (swt) has described such rules as being rules of Taghut and He described them as being Tawaghit (false gods). He (swt) ordered the Muslims to reject them and reject whatever they legislated in terms of systems and laws. Allah (swt) says:

" And they wish to resort to judgement to the Taghut (all false deities, authorities etc.) while they have been ordered to reject them " [TMQ 4:60]

" Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has graphed the most trustworthy handhold that will never break " [TMQ 2:256]

" Worship Allah (alone), and avoid Taghut " [TMQ 16:36]

Allah (swt) has described those who legislate rules, who permit forbidden and forbid lawful as false claims to godship. Allah (swt) says:

" They took their rabbis and their monks and Messiah (Christ), son of Mary, to be their lords besides Allah " [TMQ 9:31]

Adi bin Hatim heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) reciting this verse, so he said "O Messenger of Allah, they did not worship them". Upon this the Messenger of Allah (saw) said "Indeed they forbade what was made lawful to them and they made haram lawful to them; so they followed them, and that is their worship to them" All this indicates clearly that the sovereignty and the rule belong to none but Allah (swt), and that He alone is the Legislator, that the humans do not have the right to legislate, and that what the Khalifah adopts in terms of systems, legislations and laws, must be Sharia'a rules derived from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw). As for the ruling system in Islam, it is the system that outlines the structure of the state, its qualities, its pillars, principles and various bodies.

Furthermore, it is the basis, as well as the thoughts, the concepts and the criterion, according to which people's affairs are managed, and the constitution and canons are implemented. It is a distinct and a specific system, for a distinct and specific state, totally different from all the existing ruling systems in the world, whether in the fundamentals on which these systems are based, or in the thoughts and concepts according to which people's affairs are run, or in the shape in which these ruling systems are incorporated, or in the constitutions and canons that they implement. O Muslims! This is the nature of the Islamic ruling system, which we invite you to work with us towards its establishment.

Allah (swt) commands you to work towards establishing this ruling system. So respond to the command of Allah (swt) so that you remove from your necks the sin of complacency and the sin of keeping silent, and so that you gain the might of this life and the reward of the Hereafter.