Share Liberty, an important component of human life and one that greatly enhances its quality, is only possible when the idea of democracy prevails. Because democracy is a form of government under which everyone enjoys social justice, equality, rights and freedoms, it is a blessing that Almighty Allah has revealed to His servants in the Divine Books by way of the prophets. A climate of liberty, love, compassion and justice, in which everyone can live freely and speak their own minds and live together in peace, is commanded in all the Divine Books. That is why ancient Greece, regarded as the birthplace of democracy, or Europe, regarded as the center of democracy today, learned about it from the true faiths. However, the most highly developed form of democracy will come with the global dominion of Islamic moral values.
Some people who are unacquainted with Islamic moral values, or have only just begun learning about it, may harbor false opinions and prejudices about it because they have turned to incorrect sources of information. These people fall prey to an error of thinking, despite the fact that it is completelyuntrue, that Islam will restrict their living space, obstruct their freedoms, control their thoughts and put limitations on art and science. The truth is that Islam is a faith that provides for freedom of worship and expression, places rights of all kinds under protection and offers people true liberty. In the Qur’an, verse 41 of Surah Yunus, “If they deny you, say, ‘ I have my actions and you have your actions. You are not responsible for what I do and I am not responsible for what you do’ ,” is one of those verses in which Almighty Allah enjoins democracy for His servants. In this verse Allah clearly reveals the importance of everyone enjoying freedom of ideas and belief, free of any pressure or compulsion.
All the Conditions of Democracy Can Only Be Met When People Live by Islamic Moral Values
1-SOCIAL JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Social Justice and Sharing
Social justice is one of the basic principles of democracy in true democracies. People learned social justice from the Prophet Noah (pbuh) and the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). According to religious sources, when the Ark came to dry land after the flood, the Prophet Noah (pbuh) boiled together the small quantities of remaining chickpeas, lentils, raisins, figs, wheat and the like to make a kind of sweet broth. Everyone on the Ark then ate it together. That is social justice, because by this example Prophet Noah (pbuh) teaches everyone equality, solidarity and generosity and the importance of distributing food to all:
As revealed in verse 69 of Surah Hud, “Our messengers brought the good news to Abraham. They said, ‘Peace!’ and he too said, ‘Peace!’ and brought in a roasted calf without delay” the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) immediately killed a calf when guests arrived and had it prepared for them to eat. Almighty Allah notes that by offering food to people whom he had never met, the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was behaving in the best way, and wisely stresses the importance of feeding the poor and of social justice.
2-EQUALITY: Almighty Allah Reveals in the Qur’an That No Race Is Superior to Any Other
As Almighty Allah reveals in one verse of the Qur’an, superiority lies in piety alone. In this verse Allah tells us:
Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one with the most piety. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)
Our Prophet (saas) expresses this truth commanded by Allah as follows in the hadiths:
"You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people cease to boast about their ancestors." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5097)
"These genealogies of yours are not a reason to revile anyone. You are all children of Adam. No one has any superiority over another except in religion and taqwa (godliness)." (Ahmad, 158/4)
During his final sermon, the Prophet (saas) called on Muslims in these terms:
"There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the black over the white except in piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is the most pious." (The Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon; http://www.stanford.ed u/~jamila/Sermon.html)
3-JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Justice
Allah issues this commandment to believers in the Qur’an: “... You who have faith! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surat al-Nisa’, 135)
The commands that our Prophet (saas) issued among Muslims and his just and affectionate attitude toward people of different religions, languages, races and tribes, as well as the way he treated everyone equally, making no distinction between rich and poor as Allah revealed in the Qur’an, represents an excellent example of the conception of democracy.
In one verse, Allah tells our Prophet (saas):
They are people who listen to lies and consume ill-gotten gains. If they come to you, you can either judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they cannot harm you in any way. But if you do judge, judge between them justly. Allah loves the just. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 42)
Our Prophet (saas) adhered to Allah’s commandment, even among difficult people, and never made any concessions on justice. As revealed, he always said, “My Lord has commanded justice...” (Surat al-A’raf, 29), thus serving as a role model for all times.
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