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The Islamic system of governance is intrinsically democratic in its application. In this system, every man enjoys equal rights. A labourer or man in the street has the same rights as the ‘Khalifa’ (head of the government). No man is treated differently because of his colour, creed, religion, wealth or social status. Equality is the right of each and every one in the society. Thus during the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar, a man could fearlessly stand up and question the ‘Khalifa’ in public as to how he could make his shirt from the piece of cloth equally distributed from the booty of war to each individual, when he himself could not manage to do so even though he was shorter in height than the Caliph Umar. Hazrat Umar was a fairly tall man. He had to explain that he had made his shirt by using his own and his son’s share. So the accountably of everyone, even the highest in the land was possible and that too open in public. This is what real transparency means.
In Islam the selection of the Khalifa is not by heredity, but by a majority vote. In the olden times, in the period just after death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), there was no practical way to hold a general election in the whole of country because of lack of modes of communication. Therefore an electoral college used to be formed consisting of respectable wise people, who were also known to be truly following the laid down principles of the religion, and their conduct in society was above board.
Basically the constitution of a Muslim country must be based on tenets of Islam, and no law or rules of business can be framed if it is repugnant to the charter laid down in the Qur’an and elaborated by practices of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
In a true Islamic state, it is the responsibility of the government to provide social justice, maintain law and order, work towards the uplift of the people, and give them the correct direction of following Allah’s path, as laid down in the Qur’an and demonstrated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Islam is tolerant of other religions and freedom to follow their own faiths is fully safeguarded in an Islamic state. Their places of worships are respected and have to be protected by all the Muslims as well as the State. |
