Ahl al-Hall wa-al-'Aqd - Part 1: The Paradox

"O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you" [Quran - al-Nisaa', 4:59]

Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Hadeeth# 4518: It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Holy prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Whoso obeys me obeys God, and whoso disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys the commander (appointed by me) obeys me, and whoso disobeys the commander disobeys me. The same tradition transmitted by different persons omits the portion: And whose disobeys the commander disobeys me.

Book 20, Number 4524: It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.

Book 20, Number 4525: It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr who said: My friend (i. e. the Holy Prophet) advised me to listen (to the man in position of authority) and obey (him) even if he were a slave maimed (and disabled).

I can keep on narrating the textual evidence of the obligatory obedience to the Muslim ruler, they are numerous in Quran and sunnah. And it makes logical sense; imagine if it was left to any and everyone to decide whether he/she sees the ruler as just or not, as tyrant or angel and act on it to depose or discredit the ruler, there will then never be any sort of stability and peace in the political life to allow development and progress to take place. Yet, on the other side of the coin, complete obedience to the ruler from every single person in the people can and will lead the ruler to do injustice and fear no opposition.

Professor Farooq Hassan raised a fundamental question that underlies a problem that the theory as well as practice of Islamic politics does not give due attention. He says, "The problem of the unrighteous ruler [...] was never really faced by the main body of Islamic opinion." "It is true that the principle was laid down in the hadith that there is no obedience in sin, that is to say, that obedience is not due to a sinful ruler. But since no means were indicated by which an unrighteous ruler might be deposed, the dilemma remained." [1]

This was one of the main factors that led to the rise of waves calling for a middle ground between Islam and democracy .. Actually, it led to several Muslim intellectuals fully adopting democracy as an Islamic governance system. Such process took place during the period of the weakening power of the Islamic Caliphate and the rising role of the Western powers; during this period the liberal and democratic principles started to infiltrate the Muslim intellectual circles which gave birth to the mentioned literature. "In the Muslim world, this contestation raises the challenge of defining 'Islamic democracy' in a way that is appropriate both to the demands of increasing popular political participation and to the desire to establish a clearly and authentically Islamic polity," John Esposito argued. [2]

But the adoption of democracy did not solve the fundamental question* .. how can a political system be Islamic and checks the powers of the ruler?



[1] Hassan, Farooq. The concept of state and law in Islam. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1981. P.52.
[2] Esposito, John L., and John O. Voll. Islam and democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. P.18.

* The question of why the current form of Western democracy is not Islamic is another topic that I might not be covering in full here during this series.

Categorization & Self-Isolation

If there wasn’t a theory there already about that, then here is one … conscious categorization of people into groups and names leads to self-isolation and further defragmentation of society.

Now, let's take that into action. Well.. I did last week!

Along with some friends, we had some intellect discussions that led to more "self-identification" and, for sure, other's alienation… It felt weird. We went on in streets practicing categorization of people.

"Hey, there is a Salafi there," "the sheikh we heard this morning was tableegh we daawah;" and the list went on … Strange enough, it went so far as to categorizing people through their voices! & that was awkward. "That man calling the prayer sounds like a Salafi, they have this style in Athan." At that point I realized that it was useful or even fun no more.

As the theory states, now, in a predominately Muslim country one can feel internal isolation as long as he/she is not present in between the small group he identified himself with. An Ikhwani, a "good genuine" one, would feel isolated in a community of religious fellow Muslims for the simple fact that they are "Salafis," for example, and vise versa. And the list goes on.

Out of the top of my mind I can name four Muslim Sunni groups in the community I live in. Each group would tell you why he thinks he is "the" right one and the other ones are totally out of the "right path."

Even more, following the same logic, one can isolated himself from the group he is in. You can hardly find two people that have the same taste or way of understanding.

Let Us Agree

Let us agree on one thing, Sunni Muslims no matter how different they are, they have that big common background that unites them. Consequences that would result from the categorization process, other than self-isolation, are massive and grave. Unity is strength … Muslims are already weak facing the foreign enemies, there is no need to further create more internal enemies.

Unity among Muslims isn’t that easy to talk about … I guess that is to be continued..

Like Equity Among Four Wives!

This might be a bit strange .. but, i was thinking today about something: if, maybe it will happen someday i dunno, i became the president of some small state, Island, or even village anywhere in this world; can i ever rule justly?

With all those words of criticism we hear all over the place against the unjust, brutal, and corrupt rulers especially in the Middle East region, the question remains: is it easy to turn to a just upright ruler over the night? Practically, i see it now as like trying to treat your four wives fairly.

The main problem is that it is not that man in power we chant against who holds the keys for everything at hand. He just cant simply press the bottom and switch off corruption, or issue a decree that turn his government fair ... Nor can he order a "free and fair" elections through which everything will be all great and fine.

Systems are complex and corruption when gets in like cancer systems become even more stronger; ruling elites and interest seekers form spider-net like relations that the single ruler might have absolutely no say against.

Let's take it more to its base & defragment things... State is government and subjects, subjects are society, society is families, family is individuals. If the individual doesn't have this thing inside that teaches him what is right and what is wrong, then our building unit is questionable.

Simply look at the US for example. It is claimed that it is the most advanced modern democratic system in the world. Basically, Americans depend on the system to make the ruler and government fair and just, not the individual. Remember: US is secular, which means that religion (the thing inside that teaches him what is right and what is wrong) is separated from the state system. Now, see what is happening in Iraq and just read about the appearing every now and then US corruption scandals (Oil exploitation, BlackWater, US $ billions disappearing in Iraq). If I were to take president Bush as model to follow to become a just ruler, then just give me few decades to push my village to the US modernity level and then I and everyone would become again the notorious Mr. Bush.

That would make me say, currently if I were to sit in the ruler's chair of one of the corrupt Middle East states I, and almost everyone, would not succeed in drawing the Islamic utopian system on the short term.

Change should go bottom up ... individual, family, society and then state.

So for now I would better look for the four wives and see what kind of just man am I!