The issue of political participation and the theological basis becomes an issue of debate during elections: Some Moslems use religious arguments to reject the idea of voting and political participation, declaring it shirk (polytheism, haram (forbidden) of Kufr (disbelief). Issues relating to Halal and Haram, Iman (belief) and kufr are some of the most serious matters in Islam. They are not to be treated lightly and are dealt by those who are qualified and are known for their understandings of the Islamic sciences. In this edition of voting in Islam, the important issues are revisited with opinions from a wide range of scholars around the Muslim world. It is argued that Moslems should be active in politics. This is provided with authority from Quran see Surat Imran in regard to this topic, (See the sources of Sharia and the schools of thought (Maghaib). The fatwa ( verdict) issued by the European council for Fatwa and research declares; Muslim participation in election is a national duty; it falls under cooperation on that which is good and righteous for society and warding off harms from it; the Quran also commands the believers to cooperate in righteousness and piety (see Surat Almeida verse 2). According to Dr Azzam Tamim, the director of Islamic political thought in Europe he says “those who treat the question of democracy or power-sharing as a matter of Qaeda (faith), usually do not have specialised or adequate knowledge in humanities, and are indocritinated with some shallow Islamic literature. They tend to define things with extreme simplicity. For instance, they understand Islamic government to mean God’s rule and democracy to mean people’s rule; not only are issues of politics too complex to be simplified in this manner, but the conception of God’s rules is totally misunderstood.” His argument is based on the ideology of being open minded not to be too extreme as in Islam being to extreme may be bidaa ( some thing that is invented not part of Islam.) Shaykh Faysal Mawlawi (European Council for fatwa and research), rejects the notion that Moslems are forbidden to engage in politics. His argument is that democracy is a political system opposed to dictatorship, not Islam. He states the key issues of democracy; namely; individual freedom, equality, rule of law, Justice and holding the government as a trustee to accountability. This provides an Islamic ideology that a president is a trustee of a state who has to act under fiduciary proximity to the interests of the state if he breaches that duty he has to face accountability, if found guilty of any misdemeanour. My argument in this notion is that political participation cannot be limited to establishing Islamic law alone. And while that may be an objective in Muslim countries, it is not necessary for Muslims in other countries to have this objective. Shaykak Haithamal Alhaddad (member of sharia council in Britain), shaykal Suleiman Ghani of tooting mosque in London, have all stressed that the most important aim of Islamic law is the deterrence of haram and the attainment of good. It is important therefore to make an informed choice by taking part in the political process. Echoing the same point, shaykah Abdul-Qayum of the East London Mosque emphasised the need for Moslems to remain united. Shaykh Michael Mumisa ( University of Cambridge reminds us that “ there is no explicit textual evidence either from the Quran nor Sunnah that can be used to substantiate the view that Moslems should not vote or participate in voting is an act of apostasy.” Moreover the sheikh further reminds the Islamic ummah of the Islamic principle (al-asfial-ashya-al-baha,) that originally all things are permissible unless proven to be unlawful.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 22:48:09 +0000
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