Sovereignty (siyadah سِيادَة or hakimiyyah حاكِمِيَّة) and Authority (sultah سُلْطَة) are the foundations (usul أُصُول) of the Islamic ruling system. In fact, these are the foundations of all ruling systems in existence whether Islamic, democratic, monarchical or dictatorial. Sovereignty and authority will ultimately define the principles (qawa’id قَواعِد) which branch off from these usul and which underpin all of the state’s institutions (ajhizah أَجْهِزَة). Therefore, we need to discuss these usul in order to understand the shape of the Islamic ruling system, and to give us a yardstick for assessing any ruling system or state – whether today or in history – to see if it conforms to Islam or not. Actions speak louder than words, and simply putting the shahada or other Islamic emblem on a flag, or calling oneself an “Islamic Republic” doesn’t make a government “Islamic”. What is sovereignty? Before we begin, it’s important to note that the sovereignty (siyadah) we are discussing here, is not Allah’s sovereignty (مُلْك) over man, life and the universe, which is a concept related to ‘aqeeda … Continue reading Sovereignty in an Islamic State