ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A History of Muslim Philosophy Volume 1, Book 3 Chapter 33: Political Thought In Early Islam In this chapter we try to elucidate the political thought which laid the foundations of society and State in the early days of Islam, and the changes that crept into it during the first century and a quarter of the Hijrah. A.

Principles of Islamic Polity Muslim society that came into existence with advent of Islam and the State that it formed on assumption of political power were founded on certain clear cut principles.

Prominent among them and relevant to our present discussion were the following: Sovereignty belongs to God and the Islamic State is in fact a vicegerency, with no right to exercise authority except in sub-ordination to and in accordance with the Law revealed by God to His Prophet.[^1] All Muslims have equal rights in the State regardless of race, colour or speech.

No individual, group, class, clan or people are entitled to any special privileges, nor can any such distinction determine anyone’s position as inferior.[^2] The Shari‘ah (i.e.

the law of God enunciated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the authentic practice of the Prophet) is the supreme Law and everyone from the lowest situated person to the Head of the state is to be governed by it.[^3] The government, its authority, and possessions are a trust of God and the Muslims, and ought to be entrusted to the God fearing, the honest, and the just, and no one has a right to exploit them in ways not sanctioned by or abhorrent to the Shari‘ah .[^4] The Head of State (call him Caliph, Imam or Amir) should be appointed with the mutual consultation of the Muslims and their concurrence.

He should run the administration and undertake legislative work within the limits prescribed by the Shari‘ah in consultation with them.[^5] The Caliph or the Amir is to be obey ungrudgingly in whatever is right and just (ma‘ruf) , but no one has the right to command obedience in the service of sin (ma‘siah) .[^6] The least fitted for responsible positions in general and for the Caliph’s position in particular are those that covet and seek them.[^7] The foremost duty of the Caliph and his government is to institute the Islamic order of life, to encourage all that is good, and to suppress all that is evil.[^8] It is the right, and also the duty, of every member of the Muslim community to check the occurrence of things that are wrong and abhorrent to the Islamic State.[^9] B.