Political Science: An Islamic Perspective

236 Pages·1996·46.028 MB·English

by  Abdul Rashid Moten (auth.)

POLITICAL SCIENCE: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Also by Abdul Rashid Moren
ISLAM AND REVOLUTION: Contribution of Sycd Maududi
FRONTIERS AND MECHANICS OF ISLAMIC ECONOMICS
(co-elJiror lVi/h R. f. Molia, S. GIISOII and A. A. Gwand/l)
NATIJRE AND METHODOLOGY OF ISLAMIC ECONOMICS
(co-ediror wilh M. O. K. Baju/aiye·ShllSi)
ISLAM IN AFRICA: Proceedings of the Islam in Africa Conference
(co-ediTor lVilh Nura Alkali, Adamu Adamll, Awwal rodl/da and Hamlla
Salihi)
Political Science:
An Islamic Perspective
Abdul Rashid Moten
Associale Professor and Head of Polilical Science
Imernaliooa/I.I/amic Vnil'enify. Malaysia
First published in Gn-at Britain 1996 by
MACMJLLAN PRESS LTD
H"undmills, BasingSh,~e, Hampshire RG21 6XS
and Lundon
Cnmpanies and repre~matives
thrnughnut the wurld
A cut~I"gue rec"rd rur this b"o~ is available
from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-39553-8 ISBN 978-0-230-37757-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230377578
First (K.lblished in lhe United States of America 1996 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC •.
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue.
New Ynrk. N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-12711-4
Library <lr Cnngress Cataloging· in-Publication Data
M"lcn, A. Rashid.
P.,lilicul science: an Islamic perspective I Abdul Rashid Molen.
p. em.
Includes bihhngraphical references and inJcx.
ISBN 978-0-312-12711-4
I. ISlam anJ SlOlel I. Title.
JC49.M67 1995
.12_0'.0_720_176 -7,;1:--,<-1;-e2_0 _________9_5-c7, 8"27
ItI Abdul Rash;J Moten 1996
Softcowr r~print ofth~ hartlcowr 1st ~'(/ition 1996978-0-33]-64311-2
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10 I) 8 7 6 5 4 .' , I
05 04 O.~ 02 01 00 99 98 97 96
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements '"
I Prologue: Islam, Secularism and the Muslim World
Western secularism
Marxist secularism 3
Third World secularism 5
Islam and secularism 6
The shaping of secularism 8
Colonialism and elite formation 10
Nationalism 12
Secular political institutions 12
The economic system 14
Conclusion 15
2 Politics in Islam 17
Politics defined 17
Politics in Islam 19
Islam and politics: the historical perspective 21
Encounter with the West and Muslim politics 25
Current uends 26
Conclusion 29
3 Islamic Methodology in Political Science 32
Major traits of empirical social science 32
Reason and revelation 33
Social sciences versus natural sciences 35
The instrumentalist conception of politics 36
The Islamic framework for analysis 37
Facls and values 39
The struclUre of Islamic values 40
Madinah as the norm 42
Conclusion 44
4 Shari'ah: The Islamic Legal Order 46
Shari'ah and the law 46
Shari'ah and fiqh 48
Shari'ah defined 49
" Contents
Sources of the Shari'ah 51
The primary sources 51
The secondary sources 53
Rise and decline of Ijtihiid 55
Essential features of the Shari'ah 56
Shari'ah in the Muslim world 59
Conclusion 61
5 Ummah: The Islamic Social Order 63
Terminological confusion 63
Ummah in the Qur'an and the Sunnah 64
Essential features of the Vmmah 66
Functions of the Vmmah 68
Muslim Vmmah: A historical perspective 71
The Periods of the Prophet (SAAS) and the Kh14lafii
a/-Riishjdim 71
Vmmah during the posl-rashidlln period 75
The Contemporary Ummah 77
Nationalism and Islam 77
Arab nationalism versus the Vmman 79
Conclusion 81
6 Khila/ah: The Islamic Political Order 82
The state 82
Kar! Marx on the state 83
Max Weber on the state 84
The notion of state compared with the Islamic system 85
The concept of 'state' in Islam 86
Essential principles of an Islamic political order 87
Islamic polity under the Prophet (~AAS) 90
The khulafii al-Rashidiin 91
Polity under the Umayyad and Abbasid rule 93
Early Muslim jurists and thinkers 95
Contemporary Muslim thought and the structures of
government 98
Organisation of the Islamic political system 99
Constitutional government 99
The executive 100
The legislature 101
The judiciary 102
Form of government 103
Conclusion 104
COn/ents vii
7 Mu~tisabah: Accountability in Islam 107
The legislature: the representative body 107
Obedience to authority: the Qur'an and the Sunnah 108:
The Khuiafa' al-Rashidiin 110
Muslim jurists and thinkers III
Grounds for impeachment 113
Legality 113
Legitimacy 115
Institutional apparatus for impeachment 116
The judiciary 117
The leadership council 118
The consultative assembly 120
Conclusion 123
8 Nahr!ah: The Islamic Movement 12.
Fundamentalism versus Nah(l.ah 126
The Nahqah and the Islamic world view 128
The Salafiyah movement 130
The Sokoto Jihad 130
The Mahdiyah movement 131
Various Manifestations of the Muslim Nahqah 132
The Tablighi Jama'at 133
The jama 'at-e-Islami 135
The revolution in Iran 136
A comparative perspective 138
Conclusion 138
Glossary 141
Appendix A: Framework of an islamic State 155
Appendix B: Model of an Islamic Constitution 169
Appendix C: Profile of the Muslim World 186
Notes 191
Select Bibliography 211
Index 218
List of Tables
1.1 Islam vs secularism 7
5.1 The Pair of Brotherhood instituted by the Prophet (SAAS) 73
5.2 Nationalism and Ummah compared 79
6.1 Essential principles of the Islamic political system 87
c.l Gazetteer of States in the Muslim World 186
viii
List of Figures
6.1 The Islamic political system: popularly elected executive 105
6.2 The Islamic political system: indirectly elected executive [05