Democracy and Islam

Ran from May 9th 2006

Are there tensions between religion and democracy? What happens if there is a clash between particular religious values and wider liberal democratic principles like equality and individual freedom? Which values win out?

The first Democracy Series booklet confronts these issues with particular relevance to the alleged tensions between democracy and Islam. It raises a number of important points about the diversity in ideas and perspectives which exists among Muslims in Britain, and examines claims about the compatibility of the Islamic faith with democratic society.

Download and read the Democracy and Islam booklet.

We intend this piece to be a springboard for debate not only about Islam, but about the relationship between religion and democracy more widely. For example, certain forms of Christianity may also give rise to conflicts about the relationship between faith and democracy. We are keen to get your views on this crucial subject, and encourage you to take part in the online discussion.

  • Is it possible to have genuine democratic dialogue among groups whose beliefs fundamentally clash? For example, how might democratic dialogue realistically achieve a consensus between Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and Christians on issues that they disagree on?
  • What happens when secular states act in ways which clash with religious values? For example, should democratic states committed to freedom of speech allow the publication of cartoons that offend religious groups? Should they permit novelists, playrights, artists, or poets to challenge religious beliefs in the name of art?
  • Can religion enrich democracy? In what ways has religion in fact contributed to the development of democratic government?

previous discussion

Islam and Democracy

Posted by Imam Sajid on 11/05/2006 - 02:58

Many thanks to Professor Haleh Afshar and others for writing the essay and initiating the debate on Democracy in Islam.

Democracy is a political system describing the norms of a society rather than just the workings of a government. Democracy can be defined as "government by the people; especially, rule of the majority; a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections; the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority; the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges". [Merriam-Webster Dictionary] The reality is that Islam is not only compatible with the above aspects that describe democracy but these aspects are essential to Islam and Muslims.

As a student of Qur’an I find that Islam has at least all core features of democracy, based on the Qur'anic vision and guidance on one hand and the experience under the Prophet of Islam and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. It is also widely acknowledged that the beginning of the Islamic polity in Madinah was based on a constitutional foundation based on participatory democracy with pluralistic framework, rule of law with independent judiciary and accountable to general public.The Holy Qur’an itself did not specify a particular form of government. But it did identify a set of social and political values that are central to a Muslim polity. Three values are of particular importance: pursuing justice through social cooperation and mutual assistance (The Holy Qur’an 49:13; 11:119); establishing a non-autocratic, consultative method of governance; and institutionalising mercy and compassion in social interactions (The Holy Qur’an 6:12, 54; 21:107; 27:77; 29:51; 45.20). So, all else equal, Muslims today ought to endorse the form of government that is most effective in helping them promote these values.

For many Muslims, "democratic civility" is seen as a reproduction of the Islamic concepts of "shurah" (consultation), "ijima" (consensus) and "ijtihad" (independent interpretive judgment).The Quran laid down the principle of "shurah" to guide the community's decisionmaking process. The "ijima" adds another dimension by asserting that the principles of pluralism are compatible with divine guidance. Moreover, differences of opinion, which could come out of "ijtihad," do not affect the eternal essence of the doctrine. When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was sworn in as the caliph and successor of the Prophet Mohammed in 632 C.E., he addressed the people saying: "O people. I was entrusted as your ruler, although I am not better than any of you. Support me as you see me following the right path and correct me when you see me going astray. Obey me as long as I observe God in your affairs. If I disobey Him, you owe me no obedience. The weak among you are powerful (in my eyes) until I get them their due. The powerful among you are weak (in my eyes) until I take away from them what is due others."

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