The Islamic Concept of Leadership

By Online Editor on 3rd January 2023 • ( 0 )

The Islamic Concept of Leadership

Some of the Muslims are not clear about Islamic concept of leadership and rulership because of monarchic dictatorships and clerical hideous heterogeneity. For the last many centuries the Muslims are in the tight grip of fascists. There is no democracy in Muslim countries. So many people have asked me to give my opinion on this subject.

In my two books titled “The Message of Islam”, and “The Rational Study of Islam”, I have written in detail that Islam is a Socio- democracy. Islam is neither socialist system, nor capitalist democracy, nor monarchy, nor militarism, nor fascism nor oligarchy, nor plutocracy and not aristocracy.

The Holy Quran in Surah ‘The Counsel’ clearly says:

“Conduct their affairs with mutual consent”. (42: 38).

This verse of the Holy Quran ordains for mutual counselling and consent and rejects autocratic rule. In modern era, we can interpret it as the base of democratic system which is run as stated by American president Abraham Lincoln as: “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”. But what is the political formula/ system in the Muslim countries and in all dictatorial regimes? It is: “Government off the people, Government buy the people, Government far the people”.

It is highly tragic that the Quran ordains the rule of the men of knowledge and piety while the Muslims are under the stone wall of illiterate, immoral and financially corrupt looters. About the rulership the Quran in Surah ‘The Cow’ says:

“Their prophet said to them: Allah has raised Saul to your ruler. But they replied ‘should he be given the rulership, when we are more deserving of it than he? Besides, he is not rich at all. He said: Allah has chosen him to rule over you and made him grow in wisdom and in stature.” (2: 47).

The renegades and the rebels did not accept a common honest person as their ruler and pleaded for a rich man to be their ruler. What about the politics in the Muslim countries? Only the men of pelf get power. Money makes the mare go. The men of wisdom and knowledge have no place in the prevailing political affairs in the Muslim countries. Are we not the followers of those renegades? Besides, when prophet Abraham succeed in his test, he was awarded the leadership of the humanity. He beseeched for leadership in his progeny. God said, Imamate (Leadership) is only for the just and righteous. Divine leadership is not for oppressors. The history of the Muslims testifies the bitter reality that the unjust, dishonest, oppressors, callous, corrupt, cruel kings and dictators have been our rulers and till today, they are ruling over wretched Muslims.

Very briefly, I support the democratic system that is based on social justice and freedom. We need to establish a democratic welfare state and that can be regarded as an Islamic State.