Voting allowed in Islam

ak47 · February 25, 2005, 6:23am

Re: Voting allowed in Islam

inuit:

I would appreciate making me understand the structure of Islamic state and how khalifahs were appointed.

I think we are taking this fact the other way. To clarify it a bit, better we should keep some of basic terms. Four of them were mention by Sokoon (selection, nomination, and referendum and election). Establishment instead of appointment is a better word we should use for founding (or foundation of) a khalafah because appointment can also be used as selection which is one of the four methods of establishments. I hope you got my point; though I wrote in very brief.

There is no defined function or purpose of Bayah (oath of allegiance) mentioned in history because the even of Bayah was not the one which established be Khalafa. To establish khalafah there are four methods as mentioned above. Bayah is not a process of selection, nomination or election of a Khalifah. It is a processes in which a person shows that he is agreed with the establishment of Khalafah by giving oath of allegiance rather than he made his decision in establishing khalafah. So saying ”there was no single Khalifah get appointed without a bayah” is meaningless.

There were lots of (we can say most of ) the incidents reported that the Khaleefah was appointed through inheritance which made it monarchy and they took bayah by hook or by cock. You agreed attaining bayah was misapplied that is why Bayah does not authenticate the righteousness of that Khalafah.

I am also not talking in favor of any democratic system either.

Alhamdulilah you are not in favour of democratic system more people are realising how defunct and shallow of a system it really is.

As for the bayah it is very important part of islam without bayah you cannot establish the islamic state in all 4 methods which you mentioned the bayah is in each one it is the contract. Just some evidences which show how important the bayah is:

Al-Bukhari reported that ‘Ubadah bin as-Samit said: “We made a bay’ah to the Prophet (saw) to hear and to obey in whatever pleases and displeases us, and we should not dispute the authority of those who have been entrusted with it, and that we stand for or speak the truth wherever we are without fearing the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah.” Al-Bukhari reported from Ayyub from Hafsa from Umm ‘Atiyyah who said: “We gave a bay’ah to the Prophet (saw) and then he read to me that we should not associate anything to Allah and to prohibited us from weeping, upon which a woman amongst us withdrew her hand and said: A woman pleased me and I want to reward (repay) her. He said nothing, so she went and then returned.” Ánd in Al-Bukhari from Abu Hurairah who said: The Prophet (saw) said: “(There are) three persons to whom Allah will not talk on the Resurrection Day, nor purify them, and for them is a severe punishment: A person who has an excess of water on the road and prevents the wayfarer from it; a person who gives bay’ah to an Imam for his worldly affairs only, so if the Imam gave him that which he wants he fulfilled (the bay’ah) to him, otherwise he would not; and a person trading a commodity to another after asr (late afternoon) and he swore by Allah that he was offered so and so for it, although he was not, and the person believed him and bought it.” Al-Bukhari narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (RA) who said: “When we gave a bay’ah to the Prophet (saw) to hear and obey, he would say to us: As much as you are able.” Jareer bin ‘Abdullah said: “I gave a bay’ah to the Prophet (saw) to hear and obey and he instructed me: As much as you are able, and to advise every Muslim.” Al-Bukhari narrated from Junada bin Abu Umayyah who said: “We entered the house of ‘Ubadah bin as-Samit while he was ill and we said: May Allah make you a good person, talk to us of a hadith you heard from the Prophet (saw) and with which Allah benefits you. He said: The Prophet (saw) invited us and we gave him our bay’ah. He said in that which he obliged upon us to hear and obey in whatever pleases and displeases us, in our ease and hardship and when we see preference (for others over us), and not to dispute the authority of those who are entrusted with it saying: Unless you see open disbelief (kufr bawah) upon which you have a clear proof from Allah.”

The method to select a khalifh has several methods as mentioned already as long as the selection of the khalifh is based in the islamic framework it is not a problem which of the methods is used.