English العربية Español Français Deutsch Pусский Português 中文 日本語 Italiano Tagalog हिन्दी Kiswahili 한국어 עברית Register & Why? Login All words Any word Exact phrase Home Articles Evidence Islam is Truth The Benefits of Islam Beliefs of Islam How to Convert to Islam Worship and Practice The Hereafter Stories of New Muslims Comparative Religion The Holy Quran The Prophet Muhammad Current Issues Islamic History Systems in Islam Evidence Islam is Truth 178 articles The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran 15 articles The Scientific Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad Sayings 2 articles Muhammad in the Bible and Other Scriptures 4 articles The Authenticity and Preservation of the Holy Quran 21 articles Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood 29 articles Logical Proofs 45 articles The Existence of God 62 articles The Benefits of Islam 62 articles The Door to Eternal Paradise 3 articles Salvation from Hellfire 1 articles True Happiness and Inner Peace 28 articles Forgiveness for All Previous Sins 1 articles Benefits to Society 15 articles Benefits to Science and Civilization 7 articles What Others Say about Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran 7 articles Beliefs of Islam 218 articles What is Islam 21 articles The Six Pillars of Faith and Other Islamic Beliefs 49 articles About God 62 articles The Purpose of Life 22 articles Stories of the Prophets 64 articles How to Convert to Islam 13 articles How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim 13 articles Worship and Practice 115 articles The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship 49 articles Islamic Morals and Practices 66 articles The Hereafter 38 articles Paradise 8 articles Hellfire 9 articles The Journey after Death 12 articles The Day of Judgement and Its Signs 9 articles Stories of New Muslims 283 articles Men 98 articles Women 133 articles Priests and Religious Figures 20 articles Personalities 32 articles Comparative Religion 170 articles Jesus 59 articles The Bible 21 articles Christianity 26 articles Mary 10 articles Judaism 20 articles Hinduism 5 articles Buddhism 2 articles Sikhism 2 articles Scientology 2 articles Tolerance in Islam 6 articles Uncommon Faiths 17 articles The Holy Quran 234 articles The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran 15 articles The Authenticity and Preservation of the Holy Quran 26 articles Structure and Attributes of the Quran 17 articles Selected Topics from the Quran 25 articles A Summary of the Quranic Chapters 123 articles Essential Verses in the Quran 28 articles The Prophet Muhammad 126 articles Pearls from His Sayings 19 articles His Characteristics 22 articles His Biography 19 articles Evidence of His Prophethood 29 articles About His Sayings 15 articles Stories of His Companions 22 articles Current Issues 92 articles Human Rights 14 articles Jihad and Terrorism 2 articles Women 39 articles Islam and Non-Muslims 23 articles Sects Attributed to Islam 14 articles Islamic History 25 articles In Brief 15 articles In Detail 10 articles Systems in Islam 77 articles Family 18 articles Politics 3 articles Economy 11 articles Justice 6 articles Crime and Punishment 7 articles Health and Nutrition 19 articles The Environment 13 articles Videos Evidence Islam is Truth The Benefits of Islam Beliefs of Islam How to Convert to Islam Worship and Practice The Hereafter Stories of New Muslims Comparative Religion The Holy Quran The Prophet Muhammad Current Issues Islamic History Systems in Islam Islamic Songs (Nasheed) New Muslims Short Videos About Islam Evidence Islam is Truth 123 videos The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran 17 videos The Scientific Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad Sayings 2 videos Muhammad in the Bible and Other Scriptures 2 videos The Authenticity and Preservation of the Holy Quran 25 videos Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood 6 videos Logical Proofs 34 videos The Existence of God 37 videos The Benefits of Islam 104 videos The Door to Eternal Paradise 4 videos Salvation from Hellfire 6 videos True Happiness and Inner Peace 36 videos Benefits to Society 39 videos Benefits to Science and Civilization 13 videos What Others Say about Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran 6 videos Beliefs of Islam 173 videos What is Islam 44 videos The Six Pillars of Faith and Other Islamic Beliefs 37 videos About God 53 videos The Purpose of Life 24 videos Stories of the Prophets 15 videos How to Convert to Islam 8 videos How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim 8 videos Worship and Practice 15 videos The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship 7 videos Islamic Morals and Practices 8 videos The Hereafter 18 videos Paradise 3 videos Hellfire 2 videos The Journey after Death 5 videos The Day of Judgement and Its Signs 8 videos Stories of New Muslims 237 videos Men 180 videos Women 34 videos Priests and Religious Figures 5 videos Personalities 18 videos Comparative Religion 129 videos Jesus 65 videos The Bible 20 videos Christianity 27 videos Mary 2 videos Judaism 6 videos Tolerance in Islam 9 videos The Holy Quran 48 videos The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran 9 videos The Authenticity and Preservation of the Holy Quran 31 videos Jewels from the Quran 7 videos A Summary of the Meanings of Its Verses 1 videos The Prophet Muhammad 70 videos Pearls from His Sayings 2 videos His Characteristics 32 videos His Biography 21 videos Evidence of His Prophethood 9 videos About His Sayings 1 videos Stories of His Companions 5 videos Current Issues 75 videos Human Rights 14 videos Jihad and Terrorism 30 videos Women 21 videos Islam and Non-Muslims 10 videos Islamic History 21 videos In Brief 3 videos In Detail 18 videos Systems in Islam 25 videos Family 4 videos Politics 1 videos Economy 2 videos Justice 13 videos Crime and Punishment 2 videos Health and Nutrition 3 videos Islamic Songs (Nasheed) 11 videos NBN Band 1 videos Zain Bhikha 1 videos Ahmad Bukhatir 2 videos Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) 2 videos Kamal Uddin 2 videos Labbayk 1 videos TalkIslam 2 videos New Muslims 156 videos Merits of Islam 8 videos Islamic Beliefs 11 videos Acts of Worship 27 videos Islamic Lifestyle, Morals and Practices 22 videos The Holy Quran 11 videos Prophet Muhammad 32 videos Social Interaction 22 videos Increasing faith 23 videos Short Videos About Islam 38 videos Islam in 3 Minutes 30 videos Understanding Islam By Yusuf Estes 8 videos Islam at a Glance Intro E-books Guest Book Contact Us Home The Basics of the Political System in Islam (part 1 of 2): Islam a Total Way of Life The Basics of the Political System in Islam (part 1 of 2): Islam a Total Way of Life Rating: Editor’s Pick Font size: A- A A+ Description: In understanding the concept of government in Islam, one needs to first understand the nature of the religion. This article explains how fundamental beliefs of Islam play a pivotal role in the system of governance. Part 1: The separation of ‘church and state.’ Category: Articles Systems in Islam Politics By IslamReligion.com Published on 06 Mar 2006 Last modified on 15 Sep 2019 Printed: 1,718 Viewed: 153,497 Rating: 3.6 out of 5 Rated by: 189 Emailed: 26 Commented on: 0 Poor Best Rate it Introduction The West makes a natural mistake in their understanding of Islamic tradition, assuming that religion means the same for Muslims as it has meant for most other religious adherents ever since the industrial revolution, and for some societies, even before that; that is: a section of life reserved for certain matters, and separate from other sections of life. This is not the Islamic world view. It never has been in the past, and modern attempts of making it so are seen as an aberration. Islam: A Total Way of Life Islam is a “total way of life.” It has provided guidance in every sphere of life, from individual cleanliness, rules of trade, to the structure and politics of the society. Islam can never be separated from social, political, or economic life, since religion provides moral guidance for every action that a person takes. The primary act of faith is to strive to implement God's will in both private and public life. Muslims see that they, themselves, as well as the world around them, must be in total submission to God and his Will. Moreover, they know that this concept of His rule must be established on earth in order to create a just society. Like Jews and Christians before them, Muslims have been called into a covenant relationship with God, making them a community of believers who must serve as an example to other nations by creating a moral social order. God tells the Muslim global nation: “You are the best community raised for mankind, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong…” (Quran 3:110) Throughout history, being a Muslim has meant not only belonging to a religious community of fellow believers but also living under the Islamic Law. For Islamic Law is believed to be an extension of God’s absolute sovereignty. God is the Only Sovereign God is the absolute sovereign in Islam, and is therefore the only Lord of heaven and earth. Just as He is the Lord of the physical universe, to the true Muslim believers, God is the Lawgiver for every area of human life. Just as He is the Master of the physical world, God is the Ruler of the affairs of men in Islamic doctrine. Thus God is the supreme Lawgiver[1], the Absolute Judge, and the Legislator Who distinguishes right from wrong. Just like the physical world inevitably submits to its Lord by following the ‘natural’ laws of the universe, human beings must submit to the moral and religious teaching of their Lord, the One Who sets right apart from wrong for them. In other words, God alone has the authority to make laws, determine acts of worship, decide morals, and set standards of human interaction and behavior. This is because, “His is the Creation and Command.” (Quran 7:54) The Separation of Institutional Religion & the State As we have mentioned, in Islam God is acknowledged the sole sovereign of human affairs, so there has never been a distinction between religious and state authority. In Christendom, the distinction between the two authorities are said to be based upon records in the New Testament of Jesus, asking his followers to render unto Caesar what was his and unto God what was His. Therefore throughout Christian history until the present times, there have always been two authorities: ‘God and Caesar’, or ‘the church and state.’ Each had its own laws and jurisdictions, each its own structure and hierarchy. In the pre-westernized Islamic world there were never two powers, and the question of separation never arose. The distinction so deeply rooted in Christendom between church and state has never existed in Islam. The Vision of an Islamic State The vision of an Islamic state and the purpose of its political authority is to implement the divine law. Thus, the ideal Islamic state is a community governed by the Law revealed by God. This does not entail that such a state is necessarily a theocracy under direct rule of the learned men of religion, nor is it an autocracy that vests absolute power in the ruler. The function of the Islamic state is to provide security and order so that Muslims can carry out both their religious and worldly duties. The Caliph[2] is the guardian of faith and the community. His role is not so much checked by the ulama (religious scholars), but enhanced by them because they provide him religious and legal counsel. He also appoints judges who resolve disputes in accordance with Islamic Law. There is a certain level of flexibility in regards to the system of governance and its establishment in Islam, however, religion must be implemented fully into state and society. Footnotes: [1]God’s existence proven by the existence of a supreme Lawgiver is called the ‘ethical’ argument by Western theologians. [2] The word Caliph is the English term for Khaleefah, or successor, for the Caliph succeeds Prophet Muhammad as political leader of the Muslims and implementation of Divine Law in society. Poor Best Rate it The Basics of the Political System in Islam (part 2 of 2): Islam and Democracy Rating: Font size: A- A A+ Description: In understanding the concept of government in Islam, one need to first understand the nature of the religion. This article explains how the fundamental beliefs of Islam play a pivotal role in the system of governance. Part 2: Is Islam and democracy compatible? Category: Articles Systems in Islam Politics By IslamReligion.com Published on 06 Mar 2006 Last modified on 21 May 2006 Printed: 1,488 Viewed: 77,971 Rating: 3.4 out of 5 Rated by: 170 Emailed: 39 Commented on: 1 Poor Best Rate it Islam and Democracy In order to discuss productively the topic of democracy, one must first understand the origins and meanings of the concept itself. But, for the sake of brevity, it can be said that, according to the “modern” and most rudimental understanding of the term, Islamic thought does conform to some of its aspects. One such aspect is the fact that Muslims have a right to appoint their rulers, hold them accountable and, when need be, to remove them from office. Islam does not, however, empower the system of government with the right to absolve or change the legislation of the religion in society, nor does it leave them the right of creation of novel legislations. Rather, legislation is the right of God alone, and religion must be pivotal in deciding the validity of any new law. Bypassing this right of God amounts to the unforgivable sin of polytheism,for it from the basis of the belief in the Oneness of God that He and only He has the right of legislation. What this means is that the people or their elected officials do not have a right to make permissible what God has forbidden, or to declare forbidden what God has made permissible. Both in granting them such a right and then following their legislation is their elevation, making them lords like God, and this is what is meant by polytheism. No-one has the right to change the Law of God, and His Law is superior to and supersedes all man-made laws. Setting the boundaries of interaction between Islam and democracy, Muslims today are debating the relationship of Islam to democratic institutions in their societies. While most Muslims wish for greater political participation, the rule of law, government accountability, freedoms, and human rights, there are many different ways to achieve these goals. To some, Islam has its own mechanisms which preclude democratic institutions. Still others contend that Islam is fully capable of accommodating and supporting democratic institutions. Engaging in a process of reform, they argue the compatibility between Islam and certain types of ‘democracy’ by using traditional Islamic concepts like consultation (shura) between the ruler and the ruled, community consensus (ijma), public interest (maslaha), and scriptural based opinion (ijtihad). These mechanisms can be used to support forms of government with systems of checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. However, rulers of authoritarian states tend to ignore, discourage, or suppress democratic institutions. In general, one can see that Islam is a religion which not only governs the private religious life of an individual, but also mandates and regulates all aspects of public life. As the notion of worship in Islam is not restricted to mere rituals but inclusive of all deeds of obedience and goodness, so too does the concept of religion extend to all avenues of life on Earth. To a Muslim, the concepts of religion and state are inseparable. In keeping this principle respectfully in mind, whatever the form of government a Muslim society chooses to implement, all its constituents must be in direct concordance to the precepts of religion. By no means can the system of governance exclude, absolve, or interpolate any mandate of the religion, and this is yet only another example of the pure monotheistic nature of Islam, and that all rights due to God are rendered to Him alone, and none else. Poor Best Rate it Parts of This Article The Basics of the Political System in Islam (part 1 of 2): Islam a Total Way of Life The Basics of the Political System in Islam (part 2 of 2): Islam and Democracy Add a comment Name: * Country: Select Country Afghanistan Albania Antarctica Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Azerbaijan Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Armenia Barbados Belgium Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil Belize British Indian Ocean Territory Solomon Islands Virgin Islands, British Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Myanmar Burundi Belarus Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Sri Lanka Chad Chile China Taiwan, Province of China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Mayotte Congo Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Benin Denmark Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Eritrea Estonia Faroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Fiji Finland Åland Islands France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Djibouti Gabon Georgia Gambia Palestine Germany Ghana Gibraltar Kiribati Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Kosovo Côte d'Ivoire Jamaica Japan Kazakhstan Jordan Kenya Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Lebanon Lesotho Latvia Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Monaco Mongolia Moldova, Republic of Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Oman Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Curaçao Aruba Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba New Caledonia Vanuatu New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Norway Northern Mariana Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Micronesia, Federated States of Marshall Islands Palau Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Guinea-Bissau Timor-Leste Puerto Rico Qatar Réunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Anguilla Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Viet Nam Slovenia Somalia South Africa Zimbabwe Spain South Sudan Sudan Western Sahara Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Eswatini Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago United Arab Emirates Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine North Macedonia Egypt United Kingdom Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Tanzania, United Republic of United States Virgin Islands, U.S. Burkina Faso Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Wallis and Futuna Samoa Yemen Zambia E-mail: (Not shown to the public) Comment: * Submit Your comment will be reviewed and should be published within 24 hours. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Article Categories Evidence Islam is Truth The Benefits of Islam Beliefs of Islam How to Convert to Islam Worship and Practice The Hereafter Stories of New Muslims Comparative Religion The Holy Quran The Prophet Muhammad Current Issues Islamic History Systems in Islam Video Categories Evidence Islam is Truth The Benefits of Islam Beliefs of Islam How to Convert to Islam Worship and Practice The Hereafter Stories of New Muslims Comparative Religion The Holy Quran The Prophet Muhammad Current Issues Islamic History Systems in Islam Islamic Songs (Nasheed) New Muslims Short Videos About Islam Islam at a Glance What is Islam? (All parts) How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim The Benefits of Converting to Islam (All parts) Why Islam? Seven Common Questions about Islam (All parts) E-BOOKS A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam Islam is... The True Religion The True Message of Jesus Christ Did God Become Man Most Viewed Daily How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim (Read more...) The Story of Adam (part 1 of 5): The First Man (Read more...) Core Values of Islam (Read more...) Who is Allah? (Read more...) Angels (part 1 of 3): Created to worship and obey God (Read more...) The World of the Jinn (part 1 of 2) (Read more...) The World of the Jinn (part 2 of 2) (Read more...) VIEW MORE Total How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim (Read more...) The Story of Adam (part 1 of 5): The First Man (Read more...) Who is Allah? (Read more...) The World of the Jinn (part 1 of 2) (Read more...) The World of the Jinn (part 2 of 2) (Read more...) The Story of Adam (part 2 of 5): The Creation of Eve and the Role of Satan (Read more...) The Story of Adam (part 4 of 5): Life on Earth (Read more...) VIEW MORE Editor’s Pick The Quran on Human Embryonic Development (Read more...) The Truth is One (part 1 of 2) (Read more...) Atheism (part 1 of 2): Denying the Undeniable (Read more...) VIEW MORE List Contents Since your last visit This list is currently empty. All by date Islam and Science (Read more...) Women in Islam (Read more...) VIEW MORE Most Popular Highest rated What is the Quran? (Read more...) Rahma, Ex-Christian, Romania (Read more...) Dr. Stefan, Ex-Christian, Romania (Read more...) Chapter 49, Al-Hujurat (The Private Dwellings) (Read more...) Idolatry (part 5 of 5) (Read more...) VIEW MORE Most emailed How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim (Read more...) Kind Treatment of Wives (Read more...) The Earth’s Atmosphere (Read more...) The Search for Inner Peace (part 1 of 4): The Obstacles to Achieving Inner Peace (Read more...) The Quran on Human Embryonic Development (Read more...) VIEW MORE Most printed How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim (Read more...) Dua (Supplication) (part 1 of 4): What is Dua? (Read more...) Dua (Supplication) (part 2 of 4): Praise God in the way He deserves to be praised (Read more...) Dua (Supplication) (part 3 of 4): Why dua remains unanswered (Read more...) Dua (Supplication) (part 4 of 4): Even Prophets feel distress and turn to God (Read more...) VIEW MORE Most commented on How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim (Read more...) Who is Allah? (Read more...) Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon: A Final Admonition (Read more...) What is Islam? (part 4 of 4): Islamic Worship (Read more...) Craig Robertson, Ex-Catholic, Canada (part 2 of 2): Learning to Accept (Read more...) VIEW MORE Your Favorites Your favorites list is empty. You may add articles to this list using the article tools. Your History Your history list is empty. Home Articles Videos Islam at a Glance Guest Book Privacy Policy Contact Us This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand Islam and Muslims. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of Islam. New articles are added every week. Also, it features Live Help through chat. A website of Dawah Association in Rawdah أحد مواقع جمعية الدعوة بالروضة Developed and operated by Establishment Tamayyuz al-Muhtawa For Communications and Information Technology تطوير وتشغيل مؤسسة تميز المحتوى الشريك الاستراتيجي checking01 Copyright © 2006 - 2026 IslamReligion.com. All rights reserved. User Login Remember me Login Forgot your password? Register & Why? Retrieve Your Password Forgot your password? No problem. Just let us know your email address and we will email you a password reset link that will allow you to choose a new one. Send Password Registration Why register? This web site has several customizations made specifically for you, such as: your favorites, your history, marking articles you have previously viewed, listing articles published since your last visit, changing font size, and more. These features are based on cookies and will work correctly only when you use the same computer. To enable these features from any computer, you should login while browsing this site. The field(s) below are optional Submit Registration Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Login