Islamic Government
"The establishment of justice for all citizens of the state, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, is one of the major purposes of the Islamic system of government.  Corruption, bribery, abuse of authority, the creation of social conflict for personal or group benefit, torture, exploitation and oppression, are all evils against which the Islamic system must struggle."
By Bilal Cleland

From the first Islamic state in Medina, a city in Arabia, until just after World War One, there was a Caliph, the leader of the Muslims, and an Islamic government somewhere in the world. In 1923 of the Common Era (CE), with the end of the caliphate, Islamic government ceased. In Muslim majority countries, all of which were at that time under the influence or direct control of European governments, the legal and political systems introduced were modelled on those of the Christian states of the west. Various countries copied or had imposed upon them, the systems of Europe. The British political and legal system was introduced to some areas, others copied the French, some the Swiss. In nearly every country the institutions based upon the Quran, the Holy Book of Islam, were abolished. Now in the last part of the twentieth century, the demand for the Islamic system of government is reviving. After years of neglect it is once again becoming a question for serious study.

The system of government under Islam is based upon the Quran and the Sunna or Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. As Islamic government has to suit many different times and situations, the basic rules and principles are set out in the Quran but the details are for the Muslims of a particular time or place to decide. There has always been a lot of discussion amongst Muslim scholars about the best way to implement these rules and principles.

The sovereignty of God, the message conveyed by all the prophets, is the foundation of the system. Legislation contained in the Quran becomes the basic law of the state. This puts the fundamental law of the society beyond the lobbying power of particular interest groups and ensures that legislation is just and equitable. The government must make decisions on the basis of what God has revealed. If it does not, according to the Quran, it is not Islamic, for those who make decisions on other than what God has revealed are unbelievers (Surah 5 Verse 44). In cases not covered by revelation, decisions based on Islamic principles are left to the Mujtahids, Islamic experts on legal interpretation. The Muslims can make laws or regulations dealing with such matters, but these do not have the same permanence as Quranic injunctions.

God said in the Quran that He was going to create a 'caliph' or representative upon the earth (2:30). Human beings are these caliphs. This means that all humanity is responsible for the establishment of the laws and principles revealed by God, not some superior class of priests or holy men. Thus Islamic government is not a theocracy. All human beings are equal, the only distinction made by God is in their degree of righteousness. Islam allows no distinction amongst people on the basis of tribe or race, ethnic group or amount of wealth. The Muslims are different from other people only in that they are conscious of the importance of submission to God's decrees.

The establishment of justice for all citizens of the state, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, is one of the major purposes of the Islamic system of government. That is why the apostles were sent among us over the centuries. It says in the Quran "We sent before Our apostles, with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that humanity may stand forth in justice" (57:25) Corruption, bribery, abuse of authority, the creation of social conflict for personal or group benefit, torture, exploitation and oppression, are all evils against which the Islamic system must struggle. It is the duty of every individual Muslim and of the Islamic government to strive for justice and to prevent and oppose evil. If injustice spreads in a community with none to denounce it, then that whole community and its government is considered to be transgressing the law of God. Where injustice is rife there cannot be peace. The Quran warns that nations in the past have been destroyed for such neglect.

Consultation has a high status in Islam. This is indicated by the name of surah or chapter forty-two, "Consultation". It is in this surah that those people who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation are linked to those who establish regular prayer and those who spend on helping others (42:38). The extent of the consultation to be carried out is not defined in detail. Some scholars argue that only those knowledgeable about Islam need be consulted. Others argue that this is an endorsement of mass consultation through general elections. The principle of consultation is however, quite clearly essential and how it is implemented will be related to the temper of the time or the location. Although non-Muslims were not involved in consultation in the early period of the birth of Islam, there is nothing to indicate they cannot be included in consultation on national affairs or affairs not dealing with the beliefs of the Muslims. However as the head of state must implement the Quran and Sunna, it is necessary that this position should be held by a Muslim.

Islamic government is a system of government which follows the laws and principles of the Quran and the Sunna of Muhammad. Government is the responsibility of all humanity, especially of those people who understand that they are the 'caliphs' of God, not the privilege of a ruling class of theocrats. Islamic government enforces the law of equality and it establishes the rule of justice. It is always based upon consultation. Muslims believe that only when this system is established can there be justice and harmony in society.