:salam2:
Judging from the posts i've read so far, it's fair to say that we have a difference of opinion corncerning democracy. On one side we have those who are against it like me and on the other side we have those who say it's compatible with islam. So how do we solve the problem because simply stating our opinions isn't going to change anything whatsoever and we can go on forever, so instead of us wasting precious time in a way that leads to nowhere why don't we look at what the ulama have said about it?? i hope we are all in agreement here??
In islam it is necessary to refer all matters of disagreement between Muslims to Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. This is important for the Muslim to know and implement because it indicates the complete submission to Allah without which one would not be a Muslim.
Allah says,
"If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most commendable in the end" [4:59] also, He says, "And whatever you disagree upon, its decision is with Allah" [42:10]
Ibnul Qayyim said, "Based on these verses, scholars have agreed that referring to Allah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, means referring to him in person when alive, to his Sunnah after his death." The first verse of surah an-Nisaa (surah 4), is also proof that the Shari'ah has been perfected and completed.
Ibnul Qayim commented on this verse, "It covers everything that the believers may disagree upon concerning their religion, from the smallest to the greatest, whether hidden or evident. And if there were not a clear solution to their disagreement in Allah's Book and His Messenger's Sunnah, or if they were not enough for that, then He would not have ordered us referral to them."
Shari'ah is the Judge and is not to be judged: This is its power and its role. This means that the Shari'ah rules and judges whether people's sayings and doings are correct or not. It judges between them when in conflict and disagreement. It confirms the right and abolishes the falsehood. This fact sometimes is violated through some wrong practices
The word Democracy comes from the Greek words ‘demos’, which means ‘people’ and ‘cratus’, which means ‘governance’. It is a system wherein the people legislate for themselves, by means of their appointed representatives, in a council or parliament, which is established for the purpose of implementing the laws and policies that reflect the desires of the majority of people of that region. Therefore it is a system, which is at odds with the very essence of Allāh’s exclusive right of legislation and as such it steps outside the mere disobedience of Allāh into the realm of Shirk, in that it seeks to elevate mankind to the level of the Legislator (i.e. Allāh).
As you know that shirk is the greatest sin that will not be forgiven by Allah swt. Shirk implies ascribing partners to Allah or ascribing divine attributes to others besides Allah and believing that the source of power, harm and blessings come from other besides Allah.
Almighty Allah says:
"Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be ascribed to Him in worship, but He forgives except that ( anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever ascribes partners to Allah in worship has indeed invented a tremendous sin" {Q 4:48}
There are three types of shirk namely
1) Ash-Shirk-Al Akbar ie major shirk
2) Ash-Shirk-Al Asghar ie minor shirk
3) Ash-Shirk-Al Khafi ie inconsipicous shirk
The major shirk has four aspects
a)Shirk-ad-dua
b)Shirk-an-Niyyah
c)Shirk-at-Ta'ah
d)Shirk-al-Mahabbah
Im only going to focus on the third aspect because it has significant relation to the issue being discussed here (democracy)
c)Shirk-at-Ta'ah: This aspect implies rendering obedience to any authority against the Order of Allah.
Almighty Allah says:
"They(jews and christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah) and they (they also took as their lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (mary) while they (jews and christians) were commanded (in the torah and gospel) to worship one Ilah (god i.e, Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and Glory is to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)." {Q 9:31}.
Once while Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was reciting the above verse 'Adl bin Hatim said, "O Allah's Prophet! They do not worship them (rabbi and monks)." Allah's Messenger said, "They certainly do. They ( i.e rabbis and monks) made legal things illegal, and illegal things legal and they ( jews and christians) followed them; and by doing so they really worshiped them."
(Narrated by Ahmad, At Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir). (Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol.10, Page No. 114)
If the jews and christians were taking their rabbis and monks as lords and worshipping them, what about those people in democratic countries, who do think they worship as their lords?
Allāh, the Most High, said:
“And Allāh judges, there is none to put back His Judgment and He is swift at
reckoning.” {Q 13:41}
And He, the Most High, said:
“Have they other associates who have prescribed another law for them that has not been issued by Allāh?” {Q 42:21}
And because the people are the ones who select the laws, by means of their
representatives, these laws are based upon what the people wish and they are in accordance with the desires of the majority, rather than what Allāh has revealed.
Allāh, the Most High, said:
“Have you seen him who has taken as his Ilāh (god) his own desire? Would
you then be a Wakīl (a protecting guide) over him? Or do you think that most
of them hear and understand? They are only like cattle – nay; they are even
farther astray from the path.” {Q 425:43-44}
Therefore the usurpation of this right by humanity sets them up as false deities (Tawāghīt) besides Allāh, by which they legislate laws and judge upon matters in opposition to His revelation. And for this reason, Allāh, the Most High, referred to any person or system that does not rule by what Allāh has revealed, as a "Taghut" (i.e. false deity):
Allāh, the Most High, said:
“Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that which
has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you, and
they wish to go for judgment (in their disputes) to the Tāghūt (false judges,
etc.) while they have been ordered to reject them.” {Q 4:60}
Shaykh Al-Islām, Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh be merciful to him, said: “The person who is obeyed in disobedience of Allāh or the person who is obeyed in following other than the guidance of the religion of truth; in either case, if what he orders mankind is in opposition to Allāh’s orders, then he is a Tāghūt. For this reason, we call the people who rule by other than what Allāh revealed, a ‘Tāghūt’.” (“Al-Fatāwa”, Vol. 28/200)
And Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allāh be merciful to him, said: “So a Tāghūt refers to all people who rule by other than what Allāh or His Messenger rule. This would also apply in the case that the people worship him besides Allāh or they follow him without sight from Allāh or they obey him when they aren’t sure if they are obeying Allāh. So these are the Tawāghīt of the world and if you look at them and see the condition of the people with them, you will see that most of them have switched from worshipping Allāh to worshipping the Tāghūt; from ruling by what Allāh and His Messenger ruled, to the ruling of the Tāghūt, and from obeying Him and His Messenger to obeying the Tāghūt and following him.” (I’lām Al-Muwāqqi’īn”, Vol. 1/50)
Muhammad Al-Amīn Ash-Shanqītī may Allāh be merciful to him, said, “And with these Heavenly texts that we have mentioned, it becomes quite clear that the ones who follow the fabricated laws, which the Shaytān has legislated upon the tongues of his allies and which oppose that which Allāh, the Powerful, the Most High, has legislated upon the tongues of His Messengers, peace be upon them, that no one doubts their Kufr and their Shirk except he whom Allāh has removed his sight and has blinded them to the light of the revelation as they are.” (“Adhwā’ Al-Bayān”, Vol. 4/82-85)
1: Legislation in islam
1.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/112268
2: Democracy in Islam
1.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/107166
2.
http://islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=85826
3: Applying rules not mentioned in Quran & Sunnah
1.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/22239
4. Shura in islam
1.
http://islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=84768
2.
http://islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=88541
5. Ruling by other than what Allah swt revealed
1.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/974/
6. Ruling on promuglation of man made laws
1.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/118135/
and the sahaba. Those who call for the separation of powers are only imtating the kuffar and by doing so they actually believe that it would stop the government from misuse of power. In other words what they are implying is that there is something wrong in the way we govern our state hence the need to improve it to suit the modern society. Its actually common sense that people do not turn away from one way to another way that is different unless they believe that the one they turned to is better and that the one they turned away from is lacking.