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Is the Islamic ruling system applicable in the
nation-state era?
Nation states are artificial man-made creations based on geographical
features and ethnic or linguistic communalities of people. The Islamic
state, on the other hand, is based on the belonging to a declared
faith,
and the blueprint of its constitution is found in Sura at-Taubah. The
division of the Muslim world into nation states by competing colonial
occupants has done much damage. Yet, this does not mean that many
of the principals of governance of Islam are not relevant within a
nation
state setting. The Islamic rules on governance deal with a wide range
of issues, from the integrity of the ruler, the eradication of
corruption,
the maintenance of law and order etc. all the way to the rights and
duties of minorities. These standards are important for any society,
irrespective of the detailed arrangements of government. In addition,
it
is important to realise that the Islamic Shariah is also flexible with
regard to the detailed arrangements for the governance of a
community, the selection of a leader, for example, or the makeup of a
Shura (advisory council). It would be wrong, therefore, to conclude
that
Muslims cannot participate in the political and decision making
processes of their respective countries simply because these countries
are run under a non-Islamic system. The ideal system of governance
for Muslims, of course, will always be one which is explicitly based
on
the Shariah of Islam and which includes Muslims irrespective of
nationality or other such differences.
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