ROLE OF STATE IN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
ARTICLE BY: ZUNAIRAH ABBAS
In the name of ALLAH who is the most beneficent and the most merciful.
Role of state in Islamic perspective: When it comes to an Islamic state many questions strikes in mind. Does a larger Muslim population founded in Islamic state, irrespective of laws, system and constitution composed upon in it? Does the partial execution of some aspects of Islam or having the name of ALLAH on the state’s flag adequate to consider a state an Islamic state? Are the duties and role of state according to Shari’ah? Can only Muslim countries grow and develop? If yes, then why are Non-Muslim countries developing rapidly? For having answers of all the questions we must know what is a state according to Islam? The term Islamic state consists of two words, Islam and state. The Muslim Ummah has come to perceive that the solution of their problems settled in creating the Islamic state. Islamic state pre-occupied with the Quran and Sunnah, not with Muslims. If a state has large number of Muslims, does not mean that it is an Islamic state.Islam consists of the Aqidah and collection of law proceeding from it. The Islamic state must procure its whole constitutions from the Islamic Aqidah. Islamic state must emerge exclusively all of the system, laws and regulations from the Islamic Aqidah and sources of Shari’ah and must be maintained by affirmation to ratify such a law as derived from Islam.In an Islamic state the primary basis for government is the implementation of Shari’ah, exemption of justice, preservation of law and order situation. All natural resources is the part of the Public sector and individuals attain the special privilege to use them only on one ground, i.e. , the labor indicated by development of the resources directly by the individuals.According to the principle mentioned above, an individual may not use other to originate a natural resource in order to have an ownership over the large state. Islam totally rejects capitalist economy, individual ownership of broad natural resources in a country developed by the labor of the other country.
Whatsoever blemish of war ALLAH has given to his Messenger from the people of the cities associated to ALLAH, and His Messenger, and the near-blood relative, orphans, the needy and the traveler, so that it to be not a thing taken in turns among the rich of you.59:7The verse indicates basically two things: firstly, the allocation of economic resources between government and the people who really need; and then secondly, the distribution of wealth to prevent the rich from controlling the economy.Islam also does not allow wastage in production and consumption of the resources of the economy to produce the goods that fulfills the needs and bring a social equity. The State also has the authority to control wages and prices so as to control over the egotism and greed of those who possess economic wealth and insure a fair standard of living for all people for their welfare. The main duties of the state includes provision of basic necessities of life, social security, over head capital of both type physical and economic, justice, individual freedom, equal distribution of income and economic and social well-being of the people. The main objective of the state is to provide law and order and security to the people and their property. No Islamic system would deny this objective though the ways to achieve this objective, the methods used to maintain law and order and security are different is different economic systems. In Islam no individual if superior to other as Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W)that on Muslim has superiority of other which clearly explain that its state’s responsibility to provide social economic security to all individual. Islam is a religion of peace doesn’t promote coercive actions over people but also allowed the coercive enforcement of the rules and regulation that is in public interest. The second objective of Islam is to maintain a feasible, honest, competitive and fair business environment for every individual. Many jurists of Islamic economic system emphasizes to the provision of infra structure, when better physical overhead capital provided to them, their productivity will increase. The Islamic leader should realize that the Islamic educational system is a pivotal factor for every citizen concerned with a comprehensive development of man in order to achieve enhancement of life spiritually and materially. In this factor, the Islamic leaders must be well informed of the western way of education which with its nature, principles and philosophies that criticize religious features which are considered as the basis of individual development. The atmosphere of education is a great challenge in conserving the qualities of Muslims particularly for their moral character and their identities. In fact, secular education is not able to solve a conflict between knowledge and values and to create a virtuous basis for society. Hadith related to education:One who stride a path in scavenge of knowledge has his path to paradise made easy by ALLAH.Hadith related to health: Whoever among you wakes up secure his property, healthy in body, and he has food for the day, it is as if he were given the whole world.As Islam has explained that authority has to provide best possible health and education facilities to people, many jurists say that it is better to provide these in public ownership because in that way every single one in the society can avail. Islam has explained every aspect of political and economic system of the country in detailed to be followed though the question that what should be the limits and extents to every aspect have slightly different answers in different Fiqah but one or two thing is cleared and similar in every school of Islamic thought that the main goal of an Islamic system is to provide justice, individual freedom, equitable distribution of income, and in the same way the role of the state is to achieve all these goals keeping the supremacy of the moral norms and values of Islamic principles. Achievement of these goals through following the path explained by Islam could be a long-run process but it will definitely last longer than that.