ORGANISATION

Organisation ~ 165 ~ From the Islamic viewpoint, the organization of society is symbolic of man’s submission to the word of God. Adherence to Islamic social order demonstrates not only man’s obedience to God, but his having passed the most crucial test in life. Those who refrain from subjecting themselves to such an order live in defiance of God’s commandments, thus failing in life’s greatest trial. Political power, it should be emphasized, does not in itself ensure the effective organization of Islamic society. During the respective Caliphates of Uthman and Ali, the Muslims wielded political power, yet their organization had become disoriented. Latterday Islamic history abounds in comparable examples. A social order, to be truly Islamic, must evince itself in a spontaneous system or organization. Such as we see in a mosque, with an Imam leading the faithful in the offering of their daily congregational prayers. Although this entails the restriction of personal freedom for the sake of God, one’s submission to such a system must be purely voluntary. Indeed, an individual who subjects himself to an