The Myth of Islamic Caliphate
 

An interesting article appeared in today's Dawn, although I think it should have been more detailed.

[url]http://www.dawn.com/news/1119829/[/url]

"In Islam there is no concept of khilafat the way it is being presented today. The Quran has given certain principles to be followed when setting up a governance system, and that is what should bind Muslims. These principles can take any form, depending on the needs of the times."

Clarifying what most of us blindly like to believe, that there is some kind of mysterious political system prescribed by Islam (when there is none). Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.

He is right to some extent.

If we attempt to chose a Calpih now, then :-
[B]
From which nation state? [/B]

It can bring whole Muslim world in the competition for power.

[B]From which Sect? [/B]

Sectarian conflicts will aggravate further. Divide will become more intensified and proxy wars will be replaced by overt wars.

[B]Militant Organizations[/B]

If these Militant Organization attempting to wag wars on nation states for imposition of Caliphate System win these wars, they will start fighting each other for power as well.

[B]World Politics[/B]

We know that strong Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia etc are already hijacked by US influence. So if Caliph system is installed, what would be the shape of international politics if anti-Islam forces are the masters of our Caliph.

Also what would be the face of Sunni majority countries when there is Shia Caliph and vice versa if a Sunni Caliph comes in power.

[B]Ethnic Divide[/B]

Also ethnic divides would become stronger too for power hunger.


In Modern Nation State system, Caliph can exist if serves as mere a symbol. If real powerful Caliph system is to be seen we would have to forget sectarian differences, nationalism, ethnocentrism etc etc.

But it would be a Miracle if all the Muslim Ummah i.e 1.6 Billion Muslims, 23% of total world population belonging to 57 Muslim Nation States and their leaders on every level forget above noted differences for cause of Ummah.

Practically an absolute impossibility now a days. (Allah knows the best)

According to the same article "Muslim rulers shall establish a system of regular prayers and almsgiving, ensure virtue is promoted and vice discouraged (22:41), and a system of implementing Islamic law is followed in society, based on social justice"

Of course. Which is why instead of letting loose all the ignorant and insane people who go on to call themselves religious scholars and preach hatred, Govt. should take control of all the religious institutions, mosques and madrassas, and monitor what goes on there. That can also help getting over the sectarian hatred, biggest source of which happens to be mosque and madrassh.

We already have a conspicuous system of alms giving, which although needs to be refined considerably. As for social justice, we don't seem to have much regard for it anyways. It seems to be our least priority. Kafir societies are much better in that.

[QUOTE=usmanwrites;739788]According to the same article "Muslim rulers shall establish a system of regular prayers and almsgiving, ensure virtue is promoted and vice discouraged (22:41), and a system of implementing Islamic law is followed in society, based on social justice"[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Gypsified;739791]

We already have a conspicuous system of alms giving, which although needs to be refined considerably. As for social justice, we don't seem to have much regard for it anyways. It seems to be our least priority. Kafir societies are much better in that.[/QUOTE]

1. social justice is a function of Islamic Economics. but just as people know of a non existent islamic political system, probably not many know of the Islamic Economic system :)

2. [url]http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=85826[/url]

If it is said that there is no difference between democracy and the Islamic advisory system the response will be that the basic difference is that in Islamic system the advise is taken only in the incidents where there is no clear ruling of Shariah while democracy means that the public may cancel anything: well-established facts, rulings of Shariah, etc. In democracy the public is the highest authority to act as it wills.
Moreover, the members of an advisory board have certain characteristics while there is no difference between people in the democracy system; everyone is entitled to give his opinion.

3. Al Quran 42:38 Surat Ash-Shuraa
And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.

4. If Islamic Economic system is implemented i.e. interest free business, establishment of Zakat etc. do then we need to worry about the political system in place?

[QUOTE]social justice is a function of Islamic Economics. but just as people know of a non existent islamic political system, probably not many know of the Islamic Economic system[/QUOTE]

Social justice is a function of....nothing. I can be a part of any system if the people running the country are willing and if they are not willing, if will be absent from every system.

As for the Islamic economic system, please enlighten me about it. What is there in the Islamic economic system other than Zakat and abolition of interest? And how will it result in a just and socially equal society? (both zakat and option of so-called interest-free banking already exist in this country, by the way).

[QUOTE]If it is said that there is no difference between democracy and the Islamic advisory system the response will be that the basic difference is that in Islamic system the advise is taken only in the incidents where there is no clear ruling of Shariah while democracy means that the public may cancel anything: well-established facts, rulings of Shariah, etc. In democracy the public is the highest authority to act as it wills.[/QUOTE]

Fancy name, Islamic advisory system, but I have a few questions:

1. What is Islamic advisory system? How is it implemented?

2. Who sits in the advisory council?

3. How are the members of the advisory council elected?

4. Who will decide if there is clear ruling of Shariah or not?

[QUOTE]And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.[/QUOTE]

And that means what? Democracy, no?

[QUOTE]If Islamic Economic system is implemented i.e. interest free business, establishment of Zakat etc. do then we need to worry about the political system in place?[/QUOTE]

Enlighten me. I'm all ears.

AOA, Democracy is a good system of governance and is in compatibility with Islam except at two points, Sovereignty and electoral process. Means of democracy in the contemporary world are something that even violate democracy itself. Moreover, when the Prophet of Islam left this temporal world, the Islamic society changed into Muslims' society. There's no parallel between these two societies as the former was driven by the Quranic principles while the latter is driven by the Muslims. Today, as there are innumerable fissures in the Ummah, different sects and schools of thought, so the modern day Muslims can't or, more appropriately, don't agree on a unanimous governance system, so, they're saving their face by taking shelter in the Prophet's time political system which may not be relevant to the modern day's challenges. So to say, the problem doesn't lies with the Islamic principles but with the Muslims. Some members are angry with the ignorant Mullahs, so, I'd say build educated Mullahs and you'll get rid of the ignorant ones. Research in the Islamic Politico-economic system is remedy for all of our problems. We've been 99% dependent on the western knowledge (the 1% is that of religious knowledge), so, how could we be able to built our own politico-economic system. Regards

[QUOTE=Gypsified;739836]Social justice is a function of....nothing. I can be a part of any system if the people running the country are willing and if they are not willing, if will be absent from every system.

As for the Islamic economic system, please enlighten me about it. What is there in the Islamic economic system other than Zakat and abolition of interest? And how will it result in a just and socially equal society? (both zakat and option of so-called interest-free banking already exist in this country, by the way).



Fancy name, Islamic advisory system, but I have a few questions:

1. What is Islamic advisory system? How is it implemented?

2. Who sits in the advisory council?

3. How are the members of the advisory council elected?

4. Who will decide if there is clear ruling of Shariah or not?



And that means what? Democracy, no?



Enlighten me. I'm all ears.[/QUOTE]

Employment is directly proportional to investment. Investment is inversely proportional to interest rate. Zero interest rate means highest possible investment. Higher investment will generate employmeny. Reduce poverty. Increase literacy. Reduce prices. Lower the cost of living. Increase efficiency. Increase quality of products. Increase exportable surpluses. Reduce budget deficit. Increase foreign exchange reserves. Reduce debt burden. Generate revenue for the government. Spare funds for social sector. Increase purchasing power of consumers. Increase economic welfare. And lead to social welfare.

Zakat will decrease inequalities of income. And it is an established fact that higher the inequalities higher the social evils and crime rate.

Islamic economics has guidelines for the consumer and the producer. The individual and the firm. Monopoly and distributor.

Why we forget that our Prophet S.A.W. was a merchant.

The article said that Islamic development is a gradual and patient process. Development takes centuries to happen.

Books on islamic economics are available in the market.

Islamic economic development includes self respect of the individual in the process. Which economic system takes that into account.

Social welfare is impossible without economic welfare. Economic and social justice is impossible in the so much heralded capitalist system. Why? Just one thing: interest rate. Abolish that and then see the development.

By the way did you know that the legislature in Islam is voluntary? I think that will answer your four questions. But for the political leader democracy is fine but when it comes to religious leaders we ask who is going to sit on the council.

Do ask questions though.
Regards

First off, I have absolutely no problem with the interest-free economy and it would be nice to do away with interest. However, the way you have described things is extremely simplistic. You have picked up two variables, interest and investment, and decided everything else based on them. Are there no other things affecting an economic system? From a small startup to multi-national organizations, institutions, and banks upon which the economy of this world is working, they are all based on interest. Even a common man benefits from interest. Educational loans are given on interest. How are we going to do away with all that? How are we going to sustain our trade with other countries? How are going to pay back the loan and receive it? The point is, it indeed will take a long time which is why we should be paying attention to more pressing needs.

Same goes for Zakat. It is an excellent system to overcome the economic disparity, to whatever extent, but why is that not happening in Muslim countries where the system is already in place? How is it that many non-Muslim societies have less economic disparity than Muslim countries even though they don’t have any concept of Zakat and their economies are interest based? Surely there are other factors in action?

And is that all there is to “Islamic” economic system? Abolition of interest and zakat? That does not make it a “system” does it? A general set of rules, sure, but system? No. As for social welfare, it does depend a lot on economic welfare but again, this is not the only variable.

[QUOTE] By the way did you know that the legislature in Islam is voluntary? I think that will answer your four questions.[/QUOTE]

So how are laws made in a Muslim state? Who is going to run the matters of the state?

[QUOTE=waqas izhar;739881]Employment is directly proportional to investment. Investment is inversely proportional to interest rate. Zero interest rate means highest possible investment. Higher investment will generate employmeny. Reduce poverty. Increase literacy. Reduce prices. Lower the cost of living. Increase efficiency. Increase quality of products. Increase exportable surpluses. Reduce budget deficit. Increase foreign exchange reserves. Reduce debt burden. Generate revenue for the government. Spare funds for social sector. Increase purchasing power of consumers. Increase economic welfare. And lead to social welfare.

[/QUOTE]


Saving is directly proportional to interest rate. And investments are made out of savings. Lower the interest rate, lower would be incentive for saving which will lead to increased consumption or 'conspicuous consumption' leasing to higher inflation. Conspicuous consumption is the phenomenon that ails the Pakistan's growth model.

Have a look at this article
[url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/525860/our-structurally-weak-model-of-economic-growth/[/url]

So dear you're linking your variables with wrong set of parameters.

My view about interest is that Holy Quran forbids us from "usury", that is an arbitrarily demanded profit and not from "interest" that is an institutionally determined rate.
As is mentioned in this Qurani ayah "O you who believe! Eat not Riba [B](usury) doubled and multiplied,[/B] but fear Allah that you may be successful."
Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #130