Military Dictatorship has no place in Islam

• In Islam even the rule of God's religion cannot be imposed

by force. In a well-known verse of Surah al-Baqarah it is
said:
• "Let there be no compulsion in religion (la ikraha fi ad-
din)." (2:256)
• As a result of this principle, if there are non-Muslims in an
Islamic society they cannot be forced to become Muslims or
follow Islamic law. Only people who freely accept Islam are
bound by its blessed and noble teachings. Now, therefore, if
God's rule cannot be forcefully imposed on people by
anyone, how can a Muslim dictator have the right to impose
his rule by military might?
 Military Dictatorship has no place in Islam

• In the exemplary period of the four rightly guided caliphs it was

simply unthinkable that any individual, however good or great,
would take over power by the use of military force. The four
caliphs themselves were elected heads of state who enjoyed
widespread support and respect. Hadrat Abu Bakr was elected
in a free and open public gathering while Hadrat Omar, Uthman
and Ali were elected by councils of trusted elders of the
community. When the rightly guided caliph Amir Mu'awiyah
nominated his son as the ruler, the Prophet's own grandson,
Hadrat Imam Hussain, protested and as we all know gave his
life rather than accept the rule of a man who, among other
faults, did not come to power through proper means, i.e. through
the election and support of the people.
 Military Dictatorship has no place in Islam

• This practice of the prophet's leading companions

was in fact based on explicit guidance of the Holy
Qur'an which requires that affairs of the Muslim
community be run by public participation. In a chapter
entitled Shura (consultation), the Holy Qur'an says of
the Muslims that:
• "...their affairs are run by mutual consultation."
(42:38)
• Even the Prophet Muhammad himself, who came in
this world with an authority from God, is commanded
in the Qur'an:
• "...to take counsel with them (i.e. the people) in
matters (of public concern)." (3:159)
 Military Dictatorship has no place in Islam

• It is clear from the above that in Islam, power

primarily belongs to God and the people. even the
Prophet's authority was derived from these two
primary sources of power. When he spoke or acted
as a messenger of God his authority was derived
from God and when he spoke or acted as the head
of the community his authority was derived from the
people, by whose "counsel" he was bound. Since
after the Prophet Muhammad died there is to be no
other messenger or prophet of God, no one else will
ever be able to speak or act with the authority of
God and, therefore, from now on all Muslim rulers
are as rulers (though not as individuals) completely
bound by the counsel and will of the people.
 Military Dictatorship has no place in Islam

• In conducting shura in a society, effort should be made to

involve as many members of the society as means of
communication allow at a given time. Also, shura should be
used in reaching decisions in as many matters as possible.
• The first matter to be decided by shura in an Islamic society
is, of course, the question of who will govern the society. A
government that comes to power without due shura has no
legitimacy in Islam, even though it conducts some shura in
other matters. Consequently, the practice of Muslim dictators
who first seize power by military force and then institute a
"majlis-e-shura" or a controlled form of basic democracies
through which only opinions favorable to the ruler are
allowed to exist has absolutely no validity in Islam.