Islam and the state Flashcards
How did religion and politics interlink in the time of Muhammad?
- It was under Muhammad’s rule that he negotiated treaties between the feuding tribes in Medina - the Banu Aus and the Banu Khazraj. Through the constitution of Medina, he brought together the Jewish tribes, pagan tribes, Muslims from Mecca and local converts (the Ansar) as one community.
- Muhammad expected loyalty in the fight against the Quraysh in Mecca. However, some of the Jewish tribes (the Banu Qurayza tribe) were deemed to be disloyal and so Muhammad expelled them from Medina.
- Muhammad did consult with his people as to the tactics they would employ against the enemy. Consultation with the people was known as shura and it has influenced Muslims since. However, for Muhammad, God’s revelations would always come first.
○ e.g. the Battle of Badr against the Quraysh, Muhammad first consulted with the Medinah people as to whether they should advance or protect their homes.
For Muslims, this was a model for how Islamic states should be. Different tribes, including those of other religions, being led by a Muslim role model who negotiated, made peace and put God first.
How did Muhammad influence Medinan society?
- Muhammad encouraged his local converts to pair up with Muslims who came from Mecca as refuges. This has influenced Muslim attitudes to Asylum seekers today.
- He also appointed a black slave, Bilal, as his first muezzin (gives the call to prayer) to show that he did not favour any race.
- He also said that women should be respected in his final sermon.
What hadith supports the idea that Muhammad did not favour any race?
“you should remember that your lord is one. All humankind comes from Adam and Eve. And Arab has no superiority over non Arab nor a non Arab has any superiority over an Arab; Also a white person has no superiority over a black, notice a black person have any superiority over a white, except by piety and good action. Indeed, the best among you is the one with the best character.”
What hadith supports the idea that Muhammad encouraged respect of women?
“You must treat women well and be kind to them as they are your partners and helpers”.
How did Muhammad influence the economic/moral aspects of society?
- Set up zakat tax
- Forbade charging of interest
- Muhammad realised that he had to be accommodating to different tribes politically and this helped the economy to grow.
- Medina became a place where people wanted to trade as Muhammad was well known for his honesty
What did Muhammad say about Medina in the hadith?
“Medina is a sanctuary. Its trees should not be cut and no heresy should be made up nor any sin committed”
What happened to the Muslim world after Muhammad’s death?
After Muhammad’s death, the Muslim world was ruled by one Caliph. It then divided into two Caliphates i.e. two Caliphs. Since Muhammad, Muslims have looked to the way he set government in Medina as a role model.
The Ummayad dynasty
○ Mu’awiya was followed by his son Yazid as Caliph. Mu’awiya elected his son as Caliph and this was seen as a sign that Mu’awiya was not a rightly guided Caliph because Yazid was so inept!
○ Turner says that these Caliphs were tyrannical. They used torture and there was a distinct tribal social structure. At the top were Arab Muslims. Being Arab was very important. After Arab Muslims came Muslim converts, then the dhimmi, then slaves and then those with no religion at all.
The Abbasid dynasty
○ The second Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty was Al-Mansar. He murdered his brother and built his centre in Baghdad. At this point, Caliphs had semi divine status and they made themselves completely inaccessible to the common people - not at all like Muhammad and the rightly guided Caliphs. They had King like status and were opulent!
What did the constitution of Medina do?
The constitution of Medinah set out the rules by which the country should be governed. Some Muslims today look to this and want to create their own Islamic country ruled by a Caliph. This movement is called the Khalifah. However, Baran, a Turkish Muslim has viewed this concept as very different to the constitution of Medinah.
* The constitution of Medinah established the Ummah (community) of Medinah. This included people of the Book and other tribes. They all had to follow the same rules and the tribal alliance.
How has the constitution of Medina been distorted?
Nowadays, some Muslims have argued for the Ummah to only be the Muslim community and has led them to persecute non Muslims. This is not what the Constitution of Medinah was about!
What did Dr Morrow say about the state in Muhammad’s time?
“Muslims were bound to protect the Jews from their enemies. Likewise, Jews were bound to protect Muslims. ……the prophet Muhammad extended protection to both combatants and non combatants as long as they had not engaged in any crimes or atrocities.”
Who was Akbar Ganji and what did he say?
- An Iranian protestor who changed his mind from a supporter of religious government to support of a secular government.
- “There was no such thing as a state in the time of Muhammad. Areas consisted of different tribes needing to work together. Therefore, there is no prescribed Muslim state to follow. Early Caliphs were appointed by agreement of the people. Muhammad did not mix laws to do with religion with laws regarding the running of the country.”
What was a Sunni Islamic state like?
- The rulers dealt with government, army and the services of the people. The Imams dealt with religious and family matters to do with shariah.
- After the four caliphs following Muhammad’s death, the Muslim empire divided into two caliphates - the Ummayads and the Abbasids
- The Abbasid caliphs ruled, and most accepted this. The Hanbalite and Asharite schools of thought supported this and made it clear that rulers should be followed unless they committed acts of apostasy - even a usurper must be acknowledged.
How did succession work in a Sunni state?
The Caliph could be elected by the community i.e. the Ulama and other traditional community leaders. The Caliph did not have to be sinless (as in the shi’ia tradition) but only needed to be able to judge disputes and have a sound view of war. This made it very hard to depose a Caliph and indeed, there was no procedure for doing this. It would only be allowed for serious injustice, imprisonment, physical incapacity.
What causes of good social and political order to Al Mawardi set out?
○ An established religion
○ A powerful ruler (sultan) to ensure justice as religion alone cannot enforce justice.
○ Justice.
○ Law and order to ensure a sense of security.
○ Economic prosperity.
○ Hope
What did Al Mawardi believe about the caliphate?
There should be a superior form of political organisation, mainly the Caliphate which is known not by reason but by revelation (the Qur’an). Reason can only tell us that we should implement justice and strengthen ties of friendship. Revelation tells Muslims of other functions of the Leadership i.e. arrangements for communal prayer, pilgrimage, Alms and taxation, appointments of religious judges, public morality, land ownership etc The Caliphate should have authority over political and religious matters. The caliph delegates some power to the wazir (government ministers) and some to the amir (commanders/sultans).
What did Nizam al-Mulk believe the ruler’s role is?
- Mulk saw the ruler’s role to be to ensure the building of both religious and economic infrastructure such as building canals, bridges and schools. He also advocated that the Sultan would give land in exchange for taxes and military service.
He saw the ruler to be the ultimate owner of all the land. All subjects and land belonged to the Sultan. He saw the Sultan as one who should care for his people and would be sustained by them.
How did Mulk believe religion and politics interlinked?
Mulk believed that God gives individuals sovereignty and the virtues and wisdom to rule. To combine Islam with politics, Mulk believed that religious observance and political success went hand in hand. If religious observance was not kept by the sovereign, then there will be disorder.
Unlike Mawardi, Mulk did not think that rulers were subordinate to the Caliph. He believed that both were appointed by God. The Sultan was the supreme military and political head of Islam. This led to the Sultan claiming to be the military leader of Sunni Islam and finally the Caliph!
Ghazali recognised four types of governance. Each was interlinked and combined religious and political governance. What were they?
- The prophets.
- Deputies (Caliphs), Kings and Sultans.
- The learned-Ulama.
- Popular preachers.
What did Ghazali believe was needed for religion to flourish?
Ghazali believed that if religion was to flourish, this world needed to be properly organised as religion and government depend upon each other. The Caliph is responsible for good order in this world.
What Ghazali quote could you use to support his view?
- “the systems of this religion are necessary for the success and joys of the hereafter”
What did Rushd believe about the state?
- He also believed that the state was necessary in order to give man his basic needs e.g. clothing, food etc.
- The state is a moral agent, and has to divide labour using justice, education and coercion (penal law). It is responsible for the moral character of a person. The caliph needs to coerce people into good behaviour
What did Rushd believe made a happy society?
A happy society is where the three methods of knowledge are in use. The philosophers cannot achieve happiness without the masses. The masses need the philosophers for good governance and organisation of society. When society and state work well together, human perfections will be realised.
What did Rushd believe on the role of the prophet?
He believed that the role of prophet and philosopher went together and any Prophet who lay down religious law e.g Muhammad, Isa, Musa were “philosopher kings”.
What did Razi believe on the state?
- He taught that human life depends upon food, shelter and clothing. So it depends upon agriculture, weaving and building. These functions all interact and there will be conflict between them unless there is regulation. Therefore, for there to be order, there needs to be a King-emperor.
- He should divide the people of the state into three-those who have a skill, those who exercise judgement and those who guard the state. He reinforced the idea that people should not resist tyranny as the good that comes from a tyrannical ruler outweighs the evil.
- He believed there needed to be good cooperation between the ruler and ulama as the former showed external power and the latter had the knowledge. Prophets showed both roles.
