POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

The Challenge of The Qur’an ~ 333 ~ In both democratic and despotic systems of government, power is handed over to a single or a few select individuals. In neither system, then, can men be said to be equal, not even under democracy, which has failed to produce equality although formulated in its name. Due to inherent contradictions, this system had likewise produced the opposite of what was intended. In fact, there is only one political philosophy that does not contradict itself and that is the philosophy put forward by the Quran. The Quran says that only God has the right to rule over man: ‘Have we any say in the matter?’ they ask. Say to them: “All is in the hands of God” (3:154). The idea of God as Sovereign makes for a coherent system of thought, free from all forms of contradiction. But when man is considered sovereign, there are bound to be contradictions and inconsistencies in the political theories that evolve. The aim of all political theories has been to eradicate the division between ruler and subjects. Yet no human system, whatever its nature, has been able to do this. In both the democratic and despotic