The Political System and State in the Qur’an

The Political System and State in the Qur’an
Najaf Lakzaei
Professor, Department of Political Science, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran
Email: nlakzaee@bou.ac.ir

Keywords

Political system, state, Holy Qur’an, Islam, political thought, political interpretation of the Qur’an.

Problem Statement

Human beings are created as social entities; therefore, they cannot achieve happiness outside the framework of society. Social life inherently involves conflicts, necessitating an institution to establish order and security, and to confront internal disorder and external threats. This institution is referred to as the state. The pressing question for Muslims today is whether the Qur’an addresses this need and the establishment of such an institution. If it does, what are the structural and functional characteristics of this system? This book seeks to answer these questions.

Primary Question

What are the structural and functional characteristics of the political system and state as presented in the Holy Qur’an?

Secondary Questions

• What is the necessity of establishing a political system and state from the Qur’anic perspective?
• What are the components of the political system and state in the Qur’an?
• What are the boundaries of the political system and state according to the Qur’an?
• How is the power network organized in an Islamic state?
• Who holds the decision-making authority in the state?
• What is the flow of power and the scope of the state’s responsibilities?
• How are supervision, accountability, and the rights to critique and protest addressed in the Islamic state from the Qur’anic viewpoint?

Research Objectives

The primary objective of this research is to present a Qur’anic theory of the political system and state. We know that the Qur’an discusses both desirable and undesirable forms of governance, the author aims to extract a model of an ideal political system and state from the Qur’an. This model can serve as a guide for Muslims interested in Qur’anic teachings and inform the state-building processes in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Research Methodology

The discussion on the political system and state in the Qur’an falls under thematic exegesis. Utilizing the methodology proposed by Shahid Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Baqer Sadr, questions related to the theory of the political system and state in political science were extracted and presented to the Qur’an. In formulating the questions, a systemic approach was used — an approach commonly employed in the study of political systems and state in political science. To discover the answers, principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) were used for extracting meaning from the text. In this section, efforts were made to understand the meaning within the framework of linguistic discussions, especially focusing on indication.

Structure

This book comprises an introduction, eight chapters, and a conclusion. Eight topics are discussed in the chapters of the book. The introduction posits that, in Qur’anic and Islamic thought, the state is a construct formed based on divine commandments and is considered a divine trust established to uphold justice. The Islamic state stands in opposition to tyrannical regimes, with its primary responsibilities centered on the material and spiritual welfare of Muslims, guided by divine direction and popular will. The subsequent chapters address:

1. Reasons for the necessity of establishing a state from the Qur’anic perspective.
2. Elements of the Qur’anic state.
3. Boundaries of the state.
4. Power networks.
5. Decision-making centers.
6. Scope of the state’s responsibilities.
7. Power dynamics.
8. Feedback.

Novelty

This work presents three noteworthy contributions:

1. The importance of examining the relationship between anthropology and the state, and how different types of states are shaped based on anthropological assumptions, as well as the influence of human cognitive and motivational drivers in state formation. This leads to the identification of eight types of states — one of which is Islamic and endorsed by the Qur’an, while the other seven are undesirable.
2. The relationship between religion and the fundamental social institutions is another key point in this study. This work views religion as a transcendent factor that has an effective and guiding presence in all major institutions, including the family, economy, health, education, and governance institutions. This influence ensures the values and goals of these institutions. While it is true that the governance institution oversees other institutions and is specifically responsible for ensuring their security, all these institutions in an Islamic society operate under the supervision of Islam.

3. This study emphasizes that divine leadership, religion, the Islamic school of thought, and the Islamic community preceded the formation of the Islamic state during the prophetic era. This political perspective of the Ahl al-Bayt has continued to the present day. It is the divine leaders who, with the invitation and support of awakened and courageous Muslim people, rise up to establish the Islamic state for ensuring security and the establishment of religion. The Islamic Revolution of Iran and the establishment of the Islamic Republic under the leadership of Imam Khomeini is one of the prominent and clear examples of this claim in our time.

Research Conclusion

The central claim in the theory of the state in the Qur’an is that the theoretical foundations necessary for formulating an Islamic theory of the state—as well as the theoretical tools required for critiquing and evaluating human-made states—exist within the Qur’an. In Qur’anic thought, the state is envisioned as small and minimal. The addressees of the Qur’an are the believers, and it is they who must take the necessary actions. The state plays a facilitating, guiding, supervisory, and organizing role. In other words, the ummah is greater than the state, just as the leader is greater than the state and bears responsibilities that go beyond it. Among these responsibilities, for both the leader and the faithful who follow him, is the task of state-building. The outcome of this discussion, which is elaborated in detail throughout the book, is presented in the table below.

Table 1: Anthropology and Types of States: