Authority is defined as “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.”[1] In our discussion here, we are using authority in the context of government and ruling because “in sociology and political science, authority is the legitimate power of a person or group over other people.”[2] There are different words for authority or the source of authority (masdar al-sultah مَصْدَر السُلْطَة)[3] in the Islamic texts, such as sultan (سُلْطان), jamā’ah (جَماعَة) and ulu’l-amr (أُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ). Sultan In its original usage by the Ancient Arabs (العَرَب العاربة), the word السَليط means oil, and السِلْطة means a long arrow (السَهْم الطَوِيل). “The central meaning is the ability to conquer from afar[4], like a long arrow that strikes from afar, and like oil that is used to light a lamp to overcome darkness, and enable one to see things.”[5] Therefore sultan conforms to the definition of authority being “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.”[6] Sultan may refer specifically to the ruler, or to authority sultah (سُلْطَة) in general i.e. government. The term may also refer to the source of authority from which it gains its legitimacy …

One of the principles of the Islamic ruling system, and a mark of a rightly guided caliphate is shura (شُورَىٰ). In Arabic “The pivotal meaning [of shura] is to extract what something contains of goodness or suitable, strong effect. Like honey in the waqba[1] or the hive, it is extracted from it, and like camels containing fat and the appearance of that fat on them, and like the well containing water to water the crops so they grow, and like feeding the fire with fuel so its flame rises and appears. This rise and appearance is from the door of exit.”[2] Umar bin Al-Khattab informed the senior sahaba in a khutbah (sermon) during his caliphate: فَمَنْ بَايَعَ رَجُلاً عَلَى غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلاَ يُتَابَعُ هُوَ وَلاَ الَّذِي بَايَعَهُ تَغِرَّةً أَنْ يُقْتَلاَ‏‏ “So, if any person gives the bay’ah to somebody without consulting (shura) the other Muslims, then the one he has selected should not be granted allegiance, lest both of them should be killed[3].”[4] Muhammad Haykal comments on this hadith, “The sahaba listened to this speech and none spoke out against what was said. Consequently, …

State and authority in Islam is not an end in itself, but a means to an end which is to establish justice so that people can freely worship Allah, fulfil His obligations and refrain from His prohibitions. Allah ta’ala says, لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ ٱلنَّاسُ بِٱلْقِسْطِ “We sent Our messengers with clear signs, the Scripture and the Balance, so that people could uphold justice.”[1] Ibn Ashur (d.1973) explains the meaning of balance (مِيزان) here as “conveying the command to be just (العَدْل) among people. The balance (مِيزان) is a metaphor for justice among people in distributing their rights, as one of the requirements of the balance is the presence of two parties whose equivalence is to be ascertained. Allah ta’ala says, وإذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النّاسِ أنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالعَدْلِ ‘And when you judge between people, judge with justice.’ [An-Nisa’: 58]”[2] Aisha Bewley says, “In fiqh, the principal function of government is to enable the individual Muslim to practise the deen and fulfill his obligations to Allah – which, of course, also entails certain …