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MUSLIM INVOLVEMENT IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS
Zaid Shakir
Introduction
Before
intelligently beginning a discussion of the "political process"
we would be well served by defining that process. Put succinctly, the
political process is the process by which public policy is made. By public
policy we mean decisions emanating from governmental institutions, or the
individual representatives of those institutions, which affect most
members of the society under the control of that government, either
directly or indirectly. Many institutions, groups and individuals are
involved in this process. The relationships between these actors unfold on
many different levels. Even the most untrained observer will readily note
that the political process, especially here in the United States, is
extremely complex and involved.
Owing
to the complexity of the American political process, it would be extremely
difficult for an alert Muslim to issue either a blanket condemnation or
approval of a Muslim involving himself in that process. Any given aspect
of that process would have to be analyzed individually in order to
ascertain with any degree of accuracy its compatibility with Islamic
principles and practices. Despite this fact, many Muslims engage in a
headlong rush to either uncritically involve themselves in politics,
oftentimes priding themselves in their political maturity and
sophistication; while others rush with equal enthusiasm to condemn such
involvement, usually basing their decision on overly simplistic arguments.
The
purpose of this paper is to avoid either of these two extremes. While not
outright condemning involvement in the political process in this country,
we urge extreme caution and consideration before Muslims engage themselves
in it. Our caution emanates from the considerations which are listed
below. Some of our arguments are rational ('aqlii) while others are
religious (deenii).
The
Rational Arguments
Fractionalization
and Absolutist Political Agendas
One of the definitive features of
the American political system is its factionalized nature. Countless
groups, each articulating its distinct interest, exist in the American
polity. One of the virtues of the American political system, and the
constitution which lies at its heart, has been its ability to
simultaneously encourage and control these factions. As outlined by James
Madison in his brilliant essay which has become famous as the tenth
Federalist Paper, the principle way of controlling these
factions is through encouraging the proliferation of their number, a
step achieved by extending the size of the polity 1
while at the same
time severely limiting the size of the national legislature. This was
accomplished by the establishment of a single national legislature to take
the place of the original thirteen.
As countless groups have to push for the creation of public policy
through a small number of representatives, the likelihood of any one group
completely controlling any one representative, or a bloc of
representatives, is rare. They have to share him/her with numerous other
groups. Even when a faction's control over a particular representative is
more total, any policy this representative proposes has to be approved by
other representatives controlled to greater or lesser degrees by other
groups.
One of the greatest results of this scheme has been the elimination of
the possibility that an extreme or absolutist political policy or agenda
could be imposed on the entire Union. The advocates of extremist positions
have to engage in a series of compromises if they are to become part of a
large enough coalition to have their issues and interests addressed by the
system. After these compromises, their position on a particular issue
would no longer be considered extreme. This scheme has had a tremendous
impact on both the nature of American politics and the American political
culture.
Politics in America has been characterized, more so than in any other
polity, by compromise and coalition building. This fact is vividly
illustrated during presidential elections as each party constructs its
platform. The party's platform is merely a statement which attempts to
attract the support of as many factions or interest groups as possible.
Any group supporting the platform knows that it cannot possibly have all
items of its agenda accepted by the party, as it inevitably would alienate
other potential supporters of that party, hence it compromises in
order to have a part of
its agenda represented.
This
reality has significantly affected the political culture of America.
Extremist ideas and absolutist political agendas have been distanced from
the political process as their adherents realize the likelihood of these
agendas or ideas being enacted into policy is virtually nonexistent.
Systemically acceptable ideas and agendas are pushed to the center, and
the parameters of political debate become narrowed to such an extent that
the ideological space between contending policies becomes virtually
nonexistent in most instances. Because ideas or agendas which differ from
those located at the political center have virtually no appeal to the
overwhelming majority of the electorate, nor to their political
representatives, their adherents are pushed to further compromise or to
drop out of the process altogether. As many groups come to see that the
choice between Democrats and Republicans is really a non-choice, as each
party sharpens its appeal to the center, they are choosing the latter
option dropping out.
The
relevant point for Muslims is that Islam presents an absolutist political
agenda, or one which doesn't lend itself to compromise, nor to coalition
building. The Islamic world view presents the world as a place where there is
a struggle between forces which are diametrically opposed to each other. The
befriended of Allah
oppose the dupes of Satan.
Truth opposes falsehood. Allah's
true din
challenges the false beliefs and systems innovated by man. The Qur'an
gives no indication that a compromise is possible between these forces. 2
One should consider the nature of the following verses:
"Those
who believe fight in the way of Allah;
those who disbelieve fight in the way of false dieties (At Taaghuut).
Therefore,
fight you altogether the dupes of Satan, verily the scheme of Satan is
weak. "(Al Qur'an, 4:76)
"Say, truth has come and falsehood
perishes, verily falsehood is bound to perish!" (Al Qur'an, 17:81)
"It
is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth that
it may show itself superior to all religion , even though the idolators
hate it." (Al Qur'an, 61:9)
"Allah
is
the supporting friend of those who believe, He brings them forth from
darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are the
false gods, they lead them from light into darkness. These are the
companions of the Hellfire, they will dwell therein forever. "(Al
Qur'an,
2:257)
"Say,
are the blind equal with the seeing? Or is darkness equal with light? Or
have they made partners unto Allah
who have created as He has created and then these creations appear the
same to them (causing them confusion)? Say, it is Allah who has created everything and He is the the One, the
Compelling." (Al Qur'an, 13:16)
The
world view encouraged by these verses was clearly demonstrated in the life
of Prophet Muhammad. When presented by the Quraish with a political
compromise which would have accepted a watered down version of Islam and a
ruling coalition between the Prophet and the non Muslims, he uttered
his famous response:
"If you were to place the sun in my right
hand and the moon in my left, I won't turn back in this affair until Allah
makes it triumph or I die in its path"' (Seerah Ibm Hishaam)
As is well known, the Prophet and
His companions were to suffer tremendous hardship because of this
uncompromising stand. They suffered persecution, exile, social and
economic boycotts and numerous other hardships. All of these things are
consistent with what was endured by the Messengers of Allah
and their followers in every epoch. Still they patiently endured these
things rather than involve themselves in the ungodly systems they were
opposing. Steadfastness in enduring these hardships is also one of the
crucial features of the Islamic personality. Allah says in His noble book:
"We
will surely test you with something of fear, and hunger, and loss of
wealth, and lives, and the fruits of our labor. Therefore, give glad
tidings to those who patiently persevere." (Al-Qur'an, 2:155)
The
avoidance of these difficulties is one of the principal motivations
pushing Muslims in this country to involve themselves in the political
process, a process whose primary raison d'etre is to maximize the material
benefits attained by groups contending over scarce resources. This raises
very critical issues for Muslims.
Utilitarianism vs. Principled Idealism
If
the principal raison d’etre of
the secular political system is to resolve conflicts between groups
competing for scarce resources, then the participation of those groups in
most instances will take place in a climate dominated by a utilitarian
philosophical outlook. Every group is trying to maximize its
"happiness" and minimize its “suffering.” Involvement in
politics is justified if it maximizes the benefits (the greatest happiness
principle in classical utilitarian formulation) attainable by a particular
group.
A
simple costs/benefits analysis will serve to judge the feasibility of a
particular policy, or the feasibility of a group pursuing its adoption.
Morality and ideological principles become irrelevant in such a scheme.
Muslims may think that Islam can insulate them from the negative effects
accruing from involvement in a process dominated by such an orientation.
However, the political history of America a history which has seen
politics stripped of any moral or ideological pretenses doesn't augur well
for politically active Muslims. This is because the raison
d'etre of the Muslim community is the uncompromising advancement of a
moral and ethical ideal. The central concept at the heart of this ideal, Tawheed
(Unity and Uniqueness), epitomizes its uncompromising nature. Any
secular political system, especially a highly bureaucratized one, works to
eliminate morality and ideological principles from the agenda of any group
trying to achieve its goals through that system.
If one doubts the efficacy of this
conclusion, consider the fate of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union ceased
to be a communist state because ideology ceased to be a political
consideration. During the Gorbachev years policy was increasingly based on
utilitarian considerations. If a policy worked, it was endorsed whether or
not it was consistent with communist ideological formulations. In most
instances communism was merely reinterpreted to account for the divergent
policy.
Principled ideological considerations had become a hindrance to
political and economic advancement. This reality made the collapse of
communism in the Soviet Union inevitable. At the opportune time it was totally discarded. Perceptive
analysts such as Daniel Bell
predicted this demise as early as the 1950s. In the clash between
communism and the bureaucratic state both individual communists (Stalins,
Trotskys and Lenins gave way to Gorbachevs and Yeltsins) and the communist
system itself were transformed. An identical ideological transformation
has been occurring in the Muslim world as Muslims try to advance the
Islamic ideal in the social political context of the modern nation
state.
It
remains to be seen if there can be a merger or
successful interaction between the absolutist, moral and principled
agenda of Islam and the amoral political system of the western secular
state. However, if developments in the Muslim world, where the interaction
between Islam and the nation-state has led to the virtual
destruction of Islam, are an accurate indication of things to come here in
America, may Allah help us all.
Implications of Political Involvement for Muslims in America
Intensive
Muslim involvement in the political system of this country wouldn't be without a price. Effective functioning in
the political system requires tremendous financial and human resources.
Effectively marshalling these resources would inevitably affect the
ability of Muslims to engage in other projects. Community building would
be seriously affected by the drain of fiscal resources, and by the energy
diverted away from community building and related activities. The nature
of political work is such that the best organizers and most intellectually
dynamic individuals would be lost to the community. The sheer magnitude of
an effort to become effectively involved in the political process would
completely overwhelm other aspects of the Muslims' agenda.
Like
all processes the political process serves as an agent of socialization.
The deeper the Muslim involvement in that process, the greater the
likelihood of the western bureaucratic personality type superceding the
development of a true Islamic personality. Rationality would inevitably
overwhelm revelation. When confronted with a situation which required the
adoption of an irrational decision for the sake of upholding divine
injunctions, the Muslim would find himself at a loss. Furthermore, the
anthropological uniqueness of the Muslims would surely be lost as they
plummeted deeper into a system where their very success depends on their
ability to think, look and act like their fellow travellers.
Entanglement
in politics would also severely limit the ability of the Muslims to engage
in radical extrasystemic political action. Once a commitment is made to
advance one's cause by working within the system, it would be virtually
impossible to subsequently rebel against that system, or to even challenge
its legitimacy. The elimination of an extrasystemic option would be
disastrous to Muslims if we consider that every major Muslim political
gain in modern history has been achieved through extrasystemic political
action. To reinforce this point we will mention a few examples.
1) Massive demonstrations and a
civil disobedience campaign led by the Islamic Renaissance Party led to
the end of hardline communist rule in TaJikstan: 1992.
2) Possibility of Islamic rule in
Afghanistan has been made possible by a more than twelve‑year long
armed struggle: 1980 -1992.
3) The fledgling Islamic regime in
the Sudan came to power as the result of a coup:1989.
4) The Islamic Republic of Iran was
established in the aftermath of a major revolution: 1977 -1979.
5) The defense of Masjid Al
Aqsa
has been the result of an unending series of strikes, demonstrations and
vigils carried out primarily by the Palestinians living in the Old City in
Jerusalem: 1967 - Present.
6) The Liberation of Algeria from
French control was achieved through an armed insurrection motivated
primarily by Islam: 1954 -1962.
7) The Pathan areas of the Peshawar
valley in what was to become Pakistan pined their autonomy from the
British as the result of a massive civil disobedience campaign: 1930 -1933.
8) The end of the British
Protectorate in Egypt came about as the result of an extended campaign of
strikes and civil disobedience led by Saad Zaghlul and the Wafd: 1919 -1922.
Contrary
to these successes, Islamic involvement in the political process in the
Muslim world has been a frustrating and unfulfilling experience. Again we
will site a few examples to illustrate the depth of that futility.
1) Islamist participation in the
Algerian political process was suspended by a veiled coup: 1992.
2) Islamist involvement in the
Jordanian government failed to prevent Jordan's entry into direct
negotiations with Israel, leading to the end of that involvement: 1991 -1992.
3) Islamist involvement in the 1983
Sudanese government was summarily ended by Numeiri: 1985.
4) Varying degrees of Muslim
Brotherhood involvement in the government of Egypt throughout the 1970's
was ended by Sadat: 1981.
5) The involvement of the Islamist
Milli Selamet Party in successive Turkish governments throughout the 1970s
was ended by a coup: 1980.
6) The involvement of Jamaati
Islami in the Pakistani government throughout the 1980s led to a major
change in the revolutionary character of that organization, and came to an
end with the electoral victory of Benazir Bhutto: 1989.
7) Muslim Brotherhood involvement in the Free
Officers Egyptian government was crushed by Naasir- 1954.
These
and similar events all have to be examined critically in order to
accurately understand their full implications. However one thing is clear.
The hopes, ambitious and sacrifices of the Muslims involved in these
efforts went unfulfilled. In some instances years of work was undone in a
single day. As long as any political system is controlled by unIslamic
forces similar events are bound to occur, even here in the United States,
should Muslims become more politically active. The obvious question is:
"Could the resources, both human and material, utilized in such
efforts have been better spent?" This is a question which we should
endeavor to answer a priori.
The
Religious Argument
Whoever
Rules (Judges) by Other than What Allah has Revealed They are
Nonbelievers...Oppressors... Transgressors.
One
of the consequences of the secularization of western society has been the
rejection of the role of religion in politics, economics, law, or any
aspect of government. Muslims know that such secularization is
unacceptable in Islamic society. However, we should be aware that Allah
has also made this secularization forbidden among the Jews and
Christians! He says in His Noble Book:
"We have sent down the Torah,
in it is guidance and light. By it judged the
Jews
through the Prophets who submitted in Islam, the Rabbis, and the Jurists:
they
were entrusted with the preservation of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses
unto it. Therefore do not fear men, rather fear Me, and don't sell my
signs for an insignificant price.
"Whoever doesn't judge by what Allah has revealed,
verily they are nonbelievers." (Al Qur'an, 5:44)
"Let the people of the Gospel
rule (judge) by what Allah has revealed in it. Whoever doesn't rule on the
basis of what Allah has revealed they are rebellious
transgressors." (Al Qur'an, 5:47)
Ibni
Mas'uud and Al Hasan
say concerning Allah's saying "Whoever doesn't rule (judge) on the basis of what Allah has revealed they are nonbelievers... oppressors.. rebellious
transgressors", "that it is general and concerns anyone who
doesn't rule (judge) by what Allah
has revealed: be they Muslims, Jews, or Nonbelievers." As the
Christians and Jews of this country have rejected the divine law and
created their own secular system of rule, the legal and political system
of America is sinful and constitutes open rebellion against Allah.
For
a Muslim to join with the Jews and Christians in this system is to join
them in their rebellion against Allah.
Allah explicitly orders
against this:
"Cooperate
in righteousness and piety, and don't cooperate in sin and
transgression." (Al-Qur'an, 5:2)
Ibni Katheer says concerning
this verse: "Allah orders His servants, the believers, with cooperation
in doing what is right, this is righteousness; and leaving that which is
wrong, this is piety. He forbids them from helping each other in
falsehood, and cooperating in sin and forbidden matters." (Tafseer
Ibni Katheer)
Muslims
should consider well their actions as we attempt to implement Islam in
this country. Jews and Christians, have rejected both the guidance of
Allah and His admonitions to them that they return to the path of divine
guidance. Are we to be the Muslims who fulfill the Prophet's a prediction
that we would follow them in their ways step by step? We should ask
ourselves, "Are our actions guided by the Book
of Allah and the Sunnah
of His Prophet, or are we following our own inclinations, implementing
our own shortsighted agendas?"
The
argument presented above is cautionary and not definitive as a logical
question would be: "What if Muslims use an unIslamic system to obtain
an Islamically acceptable ruling or policy?" This issue is dealt with
in detail in the context of the following discussion.
Al
Walaa' (Befriending for Support) Wal Baraa' (Disavowal)
As
discussed above one of the definitive features of the American political
system is its encouragement of factionalization. Because of the existence
of numerous crosscutting factions, it is impossible for any one group,
acting alone, to obtain from governmental institutions an absolute policy,
or one which reflects their total desires on any particular issue. This is
especially true if the issue to be resolved, or the interest to be
attained, violates the general societal consensus as to the acceptable
limits of political demands and rewards. For these reasons it is essential
for any group or political faction to engage in both compromise and
coalition building if it is to even begin to attain its political
interests.
This
coalitional imperative is augmented by the fact that nationally Muslims
have virtually no direct or Muslim representation in the governmental
institutions most intricately involved in the creation of public policy,
namely the Congress, the White House and high level executive ministries,
and the Supreme Court. Therefore, the focus of Muslim political action
will inevitably involve seeking the aid of others in order to achieve
policies which bring some benefit to Muslims. Those others are inevitably
Jews, Christians or nonbelievers. This situation is replicated at both the
state and local levels.
This
being the case, Muslims engaging in the political process have to
inevitably consider the Islamic concepts of Al Walaa' (befriending to seek
support) and Al Baraa' (disavowal). The implication of these ideas is that
in most circumstances, it is forbidden to seek the aid of nonbelievers to
achieve an Islamic objective. Furthermore, it is an Islamic obligation
to not only reject the aid of certain parties, but to consciously distance
one self from those parties. The evidences from Qur'an and Sunnah
on these issues are extremely numerous. However, we will limit
ourselves to the ones most relevant
to our position here in America. Allah the Most High says in His Glorious Book: "Oh! You who
believe, don't befriend the Jews and the Christians seeking their
support, they are supporting friends of one another. Whoever from among
you turns to them for friendship and support, he is of them; and Allah doesn't guide
wrongdoing, oppressive people. You seek those in whose hearts is a disease
(hypocrisy and doubt), rushing to them (for support), saying we fear some
calamity might befall us. Perhaps Allah
will bring about the victory, or a command from Himself, and they
(those who doubted) will become repentent of the desire (for help and
assistance) which they held in their souls. Those who believe will
say,
"Are these the ones who swore their strongest oaths to Allah that they were with you." Their deeds will be lost and they
will become great losers. Oh! you who believe, if any from among you turns
back on His deen then Allah
will bring a people whom He will
love and they will love Him. They will be humble before the
believers, mighty against the nonbelievers. They will fight in the Way of Allah
and they won't fear the criticism of those who criticize. This is the
grace of Allah which He bestows
on whoever He pleases. And Allah
is most expansive in His bounties, All Knowing. Rather your supporting
friends are Allah, His Messenger,
and the believers those who establish regular prayer, pay the Zakah
and bow down humbly in worship. And whoever turns to Allah, His Messengers
and the believers for support, verily they are the Party of Allah. They will be victorious!" (Al
Qur'an, 5:51 56)
These
verses contain critical lessons for Muslims in America at this juncture of
our communal development, as they were revealed when the first community
of believers was at a very critical stage. In those early days of Islam,
in the unfolding struggle between Islam and its enemies, those hypocrites
of dubious faith, led by Abdullah bin Ubey, were anxious to seek the aid
of the Jews, fearing that the Muslims would lose the battle between Islam
and kufr, thereby exposing
themselves to loss. At this juncture, Allah
warned the Muslims against seeking the aid of the Jews and the
Christians. Furthermore, He warned that whoever sought support from these
groups was in their camp.
This
lesson is critical for Muslims as many of us believe that Muslims are so
weak that we will never (or at least not in the near future) on our own
accord be able to either vanquish our enemies or bring benefit to
ourselves. Allah reminded those early Muslims, and He reminds us, that the victory
and help comes from Him, and not those we seek help from. He says,
"...perhaps Allah
will bring about the victory, or a command from Himself." This
makes it clear to us that even if we are deprived of some benefit by not
seeking the help of the Jews and Christians, it is best to do without that
thing until Allah
chooses to bestow it upon us. Their path and ours is sincere patience,
sabr jameel. This latter lesson
is crucial especially when many Muslims who are eager to engage in the
political process justify their action on the grounds that by so doing
they can bring tangible, benefits to the Muslim community.
In
these verses Allah declares that it is a disease in the heart which pushes
one to seek the support of the non believers: "You see those in
whose hearts is a disease rushing to them seeking support..."
Elsewhere in His Book He challenges their very faith as He says:
"If only they believed in Allah and the Prophet, and that which has been revealed unto him, they
wouldn't take them (the unbelievers) as their supporting friends" (Al
Qur'an, 5:8 1 ).
This
idea of seeking the help of the kuffar,
Jews and Christians, negating one's iman
(belief), is reinforced by the subsequent verses from Suratul
Maaidah (5:54‑55). In
verse 54 Allah
says:, "Oh! you who believe, whoever amongst you turns back on
his deen (becomes a murtadd) Allah will bring a people whom He will love, and they will love
Him..." He then goes on to say in Verse 55: "Rather your
supporting friends are Allah, His Messenger and the believers...",
rebuking those who turned to the Jews and Christians for support. He
subsequently declares that these are the ones who will succeed:
"...they are the Party of Allah. They will be victorious."
Having
reminded the believers that their supporting friends are Allah, His Messenger and the believers, He mentions that these are the
true sources of their strength when He says:
"Strength and dignity
belong to Allah,
His Messenger and the believers. However, the hypocrites realize it
not" (Al Qur'an, 63:8).
As for those who are deluded into seeking
strength from the nonbelievers, Allah reminds them:
'Those who take the nonbelievers as their
supporting friends other than the believers, do they seek strength and
power from them? Rather unto Allah is all strength and power" (Al
Qur'an, 4:139).
Elsewhere in His Noble Book He reminds those who seek
support from their idols:
"Those
whom you call on other than Him (Allah), they are unable to help you, nor
can they help themselves." (Al Qur'an, 7:197)
If
we consider this issue from another angle, most if not all of the
non Muslims occupying positions of power and influence in the
American political system are avowed secularists deeply committed lo their
kafir system. Furthermore, no one can argue that they have all
implicitly or explicitly rejected Islam as a viable political alternative.
This fact again has tremendous bearing on our relationship with them. Allah instructs us:
"Oh! you who believe, don't
take your fathers and brothers as your supporting friends if they
love kufr over iman. Whoever turns
to them for support from amongst you verily they are wrong
doing oppressors." (Al
Qur'an,
9:23)
The point to note here is that
those whose support is being rejected in this verse are the closest of
blood relatives to the believers,
namely their fathers and brothers. In the first years of Islam, there was
a time immediately after the Hijra when the Prophet and those with
him were forbidden from either seeking or providing political and
strategic support to a group of their fellow believers! Allah says in Sura Anfaal .
”as for those who believe and haven't yet migrated, you
owe no duty of support to them until they migrate..." (Al
Qur'an, 8:72).
As for those who had believed and migrated Allah
says:
"Verily those who have believed, migrated, and fought with
their wealth and lives in the way of Allah; as well as those who have
sheltered and helped them, they are supporting friends of each other"
(Al Qur'an, 8:72).
In the following verse Allah summarizes the
importance of Al Walaa' for the ummah.
Here the Most High declares:
"The
non-believers are each others supporting friends. Unless you do it
(support one another, and disavow help from the non-believers) there will
be tremendous tumult, oppression and corruption in the earth." (Al
Qur'an, 8:73)
This
verse makes clear that the safety and well being of the Muslims is
directly proportionate to their help and support for one another, and
their disavowal of the nonbelievers. This is because our failure to
support our fellow Muslims weakens Islam, and our seeking support from the
non‑Muslims strengthens them by lending our forces to augment
theirs, and by giving our tacit endorsement to their ungodly system. If we
consider the state of Islam and Muslims today, we see many sincere and
growing efforts to maximize the Muslims' ability to lobby, petition and
otherwise seek the support of non‑Muslims. When we compare these
efforts with the virtually nonexistent organized efforts of Muslims to
systematically overcome the divisions and enmity existing in our ummah,
we can understand why the threat mentioned by Allah has been fulfilled
against us, "...Unless you do it, there will be tremendous tumult,
oppression and corruption in the Earth!"
Cautionary Note: In cases where the Muslims fear the wickedness of the kuffaar,
or they fear some grave harm from them, it is permissible to befriend
them to seek their support. Allah says in His Glorious Book:
"Let not
the Believers take the non Muslims as their supporting friends
*instead of the Believers. Whosoever does that has disassociated Himself
from Allah; unless you are guarding yourselves against them .. (Al Qur'an,
3:28)."
Hence, it is not proper for Muslims to accuse their brothers
and sisters in Bosnia, whose situation is extremely desperate and grave,
of violating Islamic principles by seeking help from the United States and
Europe. As this verse makes clear, the prohibition doesn't apply in such
desperate cases.
We
must also caution that the above verses should not be used by Muslims to
justify harsh, or disrespectful treatment of nonantagonistic non Muslims in
our everyday interpersonal relations. Allah clearly instructs us:
"Allah
forbids you not concerning those who have not fought you nor driven you
from your homes that you deal with them with righteousness and justice.
Verily Allah loves those who are just (Al-Qur'an, 60:8)."
We should reiterate, however, that this verse deals strictly with
interpersonal relations, and not political and strategic matters.
lbraheem's
Disavowal of His People
Reading the above discussion in our
time when Muslims are far removed from an Islamic sociopolitical
consciousness, one may conclude that these words embody a fanatical,
narrowminded stance. For those who would argue thus we present the story
of Ibraheem's disavowal of his people. Allah relates this monumental event
in Suratul
Mumtahanah. It reads thus:
Verily there is for you an
excellent example in lbraheern and those with him when they said to their
people:
"We disassociate ourselves from you, and from that which
you worship other than Allah: we have rejected you, and there has appeared
between us and you enmity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah
alone' " (Al Qur'an, 60:4)
These are not the words of a hard
hearted fanatic, nor of a bitter and frustrated malcontent. These are the
words of a noble Messenger of Allah who The Most High describes in the
following telling words:
"Verily Ibraheem was most tenderhearted,
most forbearing" (Al Qur'an, 9:114).
Despite these
characteristics, when his struggle with his people came down to
cooperating with them in their rebellion, or disavowing them, he chose the
latter course. Allah gives this course of action the ultimate endorsement
by declaring it to be "a most excellent example" for all
believers until the day the Qur'an is lifted from the pages of the mushaf.
Notes The Arabic word WaIii is
usually translated "protecting friend." The associated noun
Walaa' is usually rendered "'friendship and protection."
I have chosen to use the word "support" in my translation of
these terms. This latter word is more consistent with the full
implications of the original Arabic terms, according to the meanings
eluciated by the relevant Tafseer literature. The term
"protection" is too narrow as it excludes a wide range of
actions which are associated with the original terms. These include
providing political, strategic and material help. The term support can
accommodate all of these actions as well as protection.
The Way Forward
Political
action is not limited to those methods which are traditionally employed
within the governmental system to affect the policy formation
process voting, lobbying, petitioning, bribing, litigation, etc.
Under the right circumstances extrasystermic action, ranging from
noncooperation tactics to guerrilla war can bring about favorable
policies from a governmental system, or even lead to the eradication of
that system. The challenge for us as Muslims in America is to examine the
entire range of our political options and then collectively construct a
political strategy most consistent with the Qur'an, the Sunnah,
the Seerah, our human and material resources, and the unique political
environment of this country.
In
constructing such a strategy our goals must be clearly defined. This is a
simple matter as the goal which the ummah
has been commissioned to pursue has already been defined by Allah the establishment of the deen
of Allah on earth. Allah
tells us in unambiguous terms:
"And,
fight them on until there is no more.Shirk (fitnah), and Religion is for Allah (alone)." (Al Qur'an, 2:193)
"It is He who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and
the Religion of Truth that it may triumph over all other religions and Allah is sufficient as a Witness." (Al Qur'an, 48:28)
"They desire to extinguish the light of Allah (His deen)
with their mouths, Allah
will complete His light (make it victorious), even though. the
non-believers; hate it." (Al Qur'an, 60:8)
The achievement of this goal comes
about ultimately through divine intervention. In other words Muslims must
struggle ceaselessly for its attainment, and at a certain point in time,
according to His wisdom, Allah
gives us the victory. As Muslims we must never lose sight of the,
ultimate goal. Defining and working to implement
process goals or "activities which must be accomplished in order to
have a reasonable chance of success (in reaching one's ultimate
goals)"
must be the priority for Muslims wishing to see the victory of Islam in
this country.
Instead
of focusing their energies on process goals consistent with the ultimate
goal of establishing Allah's
deen in this country, many
Muslims are entering the political process to work for the attainment of
lesser goals. These goals include everything from opposite side of the
street parking to official Muslim holidays. While these things may be
laudable, if they are not clearly linked as process-goals to the
attainment of the ultimate goal, or if an ultimate goal is never defined,
they amount to substitutes for that higher goal, and an indirect admission
by their advocates that the ultimate goal is unattainable. This process is
known as goal displacement.
Concentrating
on clearly. defined process goals can help to avoid the dangers of
preemption, where "a group's demands are adopted into the program of
those in power without the legitimacy of the group itself being
accepted;"
and cooptation, where a group's leaders are brought into the existing
system without the system changing to accommodate the group's ultimate
goals. Attaining process‑goals, which should be the priority of
Muslims in this country, would include among other things, engaging in
political education campaigns based on Qur'an and Sunnah; development of a core group committed to the ultimate goal
‑the establishment of Islam and Shariah
in America; deciding a priori what
are the tactics which will be utilized in the effort to attain that goal;
building an appropriate organization to push for the attainment of the
ultimate goal.
One
of the greatest defects of uncritical Muslim involvement in the political
process is that political involvement, the means, is transformed into the
end. Success in registering to vote, lobbying a government official, or
waging a successful petition campaign becomes confused with or takes the
place of success in implementing Islam in this country. Much work has to
be done in educating, unifying, and organizing Muslims before
we can reasonably expect to successfully engage in any political
project ‑systemic or nonsystemic. Furthermore, national and local
political strategies have to be developed. In some areas Muslims of all
backgrounds are encouraged to register to vote and to get involved in
politics, of times with no idea or instruction as to the strategic
objective of this involvement. In many instances no strategic planning has
even taken place in advance of the call to mobilize. Off charge the
Muslims in the words of a Russian poet, "swashbuckling with a flimsy
sword."
Developing
a series of immediate and intermediate achievement goals can help to bring
about the changes which are necessary for the attainment of the ultimate
goal. Distinguishing between varying types of goals helps to prevent a
confusion between ends and means. The ultimate goal must always remain the
end and the process and intermediate goals the means to achieve that end.
Notes
(Please
use your "Back
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1. Madison was arguing for the
abandonment of the Confederacy and replacing it with a much larger
federated union which included all of the original thirteen independent
states, each with its own legislature. The new union would have a single
national legislature.
2.
Far from advancing a dualistic
world view the central concept in Islam is the idea of Tawheed, the
oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The world didn't originate from two
opposing forces whose struggle is the central theme in history, rather it
originates from the singular decree and command of Allah.
The idea of Tawheed is the dominant force in Allah's creation, as
this creation is a unified whole, where varying, oft times opposing,
forces run their course according to the term which Allah has fixed for them. This assigning to all created things an
individual fixed term negates the possibility of a Manicheanistic dualism
being the motivating force in creation.
5
Ralph E. Crow et al., Arab
Nonviolent Political Struggle in the Middle East (Boulder, Co.: Lynne
Rienner Publishers, 1990) pp. 116‑117.
6
Crow, p. 117.
7
Crow, p.
117.
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