ASK MAULANA

ASK MAULANA Your Questions Answered Many people argue that in present times our scholars should not be standing next to despotic rulers of many Muslim countries. Many call for democratic reform, however, we have seen what happens through the overthrow of many of these leaders in the Arab world. What should our response be here for those who call against such rulers? Present Arab rulers are not despotic kings, they are basically Islamic rulers. The only difference is that they were not elected by the western democratic process, but rather are members of a dynasty. To be an Islamic ruler, there is no criterion that one should be elected according to democratic principles. The criterion is whether under these dynastic rulers there is religious freedom to follow Islam, and such religious freedom is certainly present today in every Arab country. Democracy in the European sense is not an article of faith in Islam. The history of early Islam shows that there were four khulafa (Caliphs) who were all Companions of the Prophet. But none of them was elected to caliphate according to any particular pattern. After the first four Caliphs, people realised that this way of electing caliphs was not workable, rather it was leading to anarchy. Therefore after the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the dynastic pattern was adopted in the very times of the Companions. It is seen that in the history of Islam, Muslim scholars never disapproved of this pattern. This is because it was a feasible pattern and so it was accepted by scholars. This practice continues to this day including in the present Arab states. The political ideology of Islam is based on pragmatism, that is, to follow the pattern that works. If a pattern does not work, it results in anarchy. This is why during the time of the Companions, the dynastic pattern was adopted and continues to this day. Those who want to change this pattern are creating anarchy instead of bringing stability to their region. The sole reason for adopting dynastic rule during the period of the Companions was for the maintenance of stability. The political philosophy of Islam is not based on any set pattern, rather it is based on the practical and workable pattern. Western